The Year of Living Biblically Part 2

Boker Tov:

 I brought the book just before Passover at Temple Israel's gift shop.

The title grabbed my attention because I remember reading about A.J.'s quest and didn't know how things turned out.

The other reason is A.J hinself. Author of the book, The Know-It-All, A.J. is the only person other than myself who ever read The Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z.

Last Saturday I was reading some of the book to Mark and told him about my draw to Jacob's book....

"Wait a minute!" Mark demanded, "YOU have read the whole Encyclopaedia?"

"Yes. It was summer time and I was bored. I always researching something and another subject caught my attention. So I just kept reading."

Not that I really remember everything I read.

Mark shook his head. "Now doesn't that surpise me."

Anyway, anyone that brave to take on all 613 commandments of the Torah and the over 1,000 commandments found in the New Testatment, plus those rules found in extra-biblical writings for one year and live through it, I had to read.

And since much of the commandments are connected to the Land Israel and Temple worship, this is going to be a mightly task.

Right now I am reading about A.J. realzing that G-d is always speaking. That this isn't a very quiet Being.

No surpise on my part.

Nor is this book a quiet read.

I find myself reading outloud various passages, putting the book down and discussing what I just read.

There is the story of his writing out the list of rules, dos and don'ts. And the contacting of a shatnez tester.

Shatnez is the hebrew word for :mixed fibers." A shatnez tester will come to your home and test your clothing for mixed fibers.

You can't always trust labels, so unless you know what to look for, you need one of G-d's wardrobe detective.

No I didn't make that up.

So our author recieves a lesson about fabic mixings.

And so does the reader.