Heretical Jukebox

It’s All Meshugas to Me

(B. Joel, C. Srulowitz, G. Veroba)

What’s the matter with the Kiddush I’m giving
Can’t you tell that your cake’s too dry,
Maybe I should just eliminate the kugel,
Well, in our shul, you’d better not try!
 
Where have you been hiding out lately, sonny,
You can’t give a Kiddush til’ you spend a lot of money,
Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout the right foods, funny,
But it’s all Mishegas to me…
 
What’s the matter with the chulent I’m serving,
Can’t you tell that its got no meat,
Maybe I should serve some cole slaw and salad,
That would look like you were trying to cheat,
Borrow money from your family pushka,

And serve four kugels with a healthy slice of kishka,
Potato, rice, lukshin twice, one sweet, one spice,
All a Mishegas to me!

Oh, it doesn’t matter what they serve at a Kiddush
It’ll always be the same old thing,
Your wife is gonna deal an entire Shabbos meal
And you’d better savor everything,
I’m sure you know what I mean…
Have some wine, or some Shnapps for Kiddush,
Don’t you know that I only use scotch,
Forget Red Label, just go with the green one,
Or the Blue, if it’s not too much
Plain gefilte fish is not very daring,
Your best bet would be twelve types of herring,
Cream cakes, potato knishes, table cloths, hot dishes
All a Mishegas to me
What’s the matter with the Kiddush I’m giving,
Can’t you see that the place is too tight,
Don’t you know you need at least 10 tables
If you have 80  men to invite
Nowadays, you gotta be very cautious,
Pick the wrong food and your guests will be nauseous,
Right food, right place, scotch and bourbon by the case
It’s all a Mishegas to me
Everybody’s talkin’ bout the food at the Kiddush,
But it’s all Mishegas to me! 

Review of Timothy Keller's The Freedom of Self Forgetfullness

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is short and profoundly challenging. The simplicity of the message will rattle around in the tombs of our soiled memories.
Tim Keller looks at our condition in this inflated/deflated world. The world is flat and black and white; while we perform in our shadowed reality. There is only one way to the truth and the light. We find ourselves off the beaten track and lost. Until, we are picked up for vagrancy.
We are then brought to a trial room with only the smiling mob and the Court Jester. Every day we wake to a trial, much like the trial of the main character in Franz Kafka's The Trial.
We find that all the jurors are pointing at us and laughing at our hopeless condition, because we still think we can save ourselves. We think that there is a away for us to justify our actions. We cower at our reflected image and our ballooned ego lets out a gasp and we find ourselves thinner than Jack Sprat.
Where is your heart (insert your name here)? is the first question the Supreme Court Jester asks.
We say in response, "I played the game! I played by the rules! How can you accuse me of being a loser on my own?"
The Jester replies, "Who do you want to be son, than be that person."
We wake up and the trial resumes.
Keller shows us how to break out of this fun house mirror and self delusion through the reliance of Christ. This book must be read by anyone who struggles with depression or anxiety in the modern world.



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