I TALK TO MY BOOKS

I talk to my books, and my books talk to me.

Every morning when I wake up, the first question I ask myself is: What am I going to read today?

I have so many books to read that I'll never have the time, even if I live to be 100. It often happens, as I look at my little library, that the books say to me: "What are you waiting for to open us up? to which I reply: "Yes, you're right, I often neglect you and God knows how much I'd like to open you up".

Recently, I picked up a series of seven books on different mythologies at the library. This word mythology is rather peculiar, as many who believe in it actually think it existed. I've been looking into it, and lately I've been wondering why our religion, Judaism, doesn't consider that we still have our own mythology.

I'll give just one example that might make people think that perhaps the crossing of the Red Sea was divided to allow the Hebrews to cross. A very interesting element, something that not many people know about, is that the sea was divided into 12 paths rather than just one to enable each of the twelve tribes to cross. I'm saying something that only some of us know.

Strangely enough, with my studies, I've learned so many things related to my religion. I often surprise people around me, teaching them things they didn't know. Some people say to me, "You could be our rabbi", to which I reply, "Indeed, I've often been told that".

As I write, which I'm not doing right now, because rather than writing, i.e. typing on my iPad, I've realized that I could just speak, and my words will be automatically presented on my iPad.

Technology is beautiful! Especially when I say that, as someone who doesn't really believe in it, preferring our old traditions. That's why everyone around me keeps telling me it's time you adapted to our century.

Are they right? Am I the only one who thinks so? I may be wrong, but I'm happy with my position.
I said earlier that I read a lot, and I must add that I also write a lot. In the beginning, I wrote for myself, because I was the only one who reread my work. Today, I think I write for others too, because I have a website

( wisdomwhereareyou.com ) that allows me to include my articles and make them available to everyone.

I'll confess that one website in particular, called DAFINA, gives me intense joy when it publishes one of my articles, because at that moment, I realize that others will read me. What a pleasure! What's missing are the reactions of readers I don't know, because I'd have liked to hear whether they liked my article or not.

I'm going to stop right now, because I'm in danger of falling into what's known as vanity, me pretending to be simple and believing more and more in humility, which should be a better symbol for a happier life.

I don't know if I've made my point, which is to encourage the reader to read more and more, because want, want not, reading, teaches us a lot. In the last few days, I discovered a phenomenal book by a certain Dara Horn, whose English title is: People Love Dead Jews. At first, I was surprised and shocked by such a title, but after reading it, I understood better. Thanks to her, I discovered that the city of Harbin in north-east China was built by Russian Jews who had escaped from their country because of the anti-Semitism they experienced. They built a city with two synagogues, one old and one new, a university, industries, and even helped build the railroad to Vladivostok.

In the early 1900s, this was the most beautiful and largest city in China. The Japanese had to attack, pillage and destroy this beautiful city. They killed the Jews, robbing them of their possessions. This story is wonderfully told by Dara Horn.

I loved this book so much that I'd recommend it to anyone. I have to admit that I put aside Yuval Noah Harari's latest book, Nexus, to concentrate on reading this book.

Ah bon entendeur salut