[The comment from Michael that follows was received in response to yesterday's blog. Because of the writer's sincerity, and the universality of his struggle to open himself up to improvement and the washing machine of change, I decided to give it a blog of its own. Especially since the themes of inner cleansing and a greater attachment to G-d are cornerstones of the upcoming Pesach holiday.]  

 

OK, MR. FISHMAN, YOU WIN
My wife cried last night when the washing machine technician had left from his third visit in three weeks, and the washer again didn't spin or drain the dirty water.

I am a religious-Zionist Jew in Israel with a regular job, a routine of dovining three times a day, and even a shiur several times a week.

I have been following Mr. Fishman's posts, including his writings on his site: JewishSexuality.com . Fishman's candid fervor in his relationship with the creator is new to me, and I was a bit uncomfotable with it initially. Until last night.

My wife cried last night when the washing machine technician had left from his third visit in three weeks, and the washer again didn't spin or drain the dirty water. All clothes must be washed before Pesach, so when the supposedly-fixed machine didn't work and the clothes pile had reached the moon, my wife just broke down right there. I called the repair man today and told him he had to come back immediately, and that I wanted to be present.

He came, we struggled with the machine, and finally succeeded in fixing it. I felt great relief and called my wife at her place of work to report the news.

The repair man put the machine back together and did one last check: the machine did not spin.

As he began to ponder on what could be the problem, suddenly the influence of reading this blog came over me.

Fishman has been pounding into our heads that G-d is so real, and the relationship with him is so tangible, that every little issue in a person's life is a message from G-d, directly resulting from our own actions.

I decided that I would read a Tikun Yesod right then and there and (I know this sounds totally stupid) ask Hashem to give my wife a break and get the machine fixed. I took out a Tikun Klali from Rebbe Nachman that we had on our bookshelf and began to read it. Believe me, I was never one to sit and read Psalms.

I hadn't finished the first psalm, when the repair man called out a yelp of joy, and said that he figured out the problem and guaranteed that the machine is fixed.

Fishman, you win. Until now, I have read your posts with a certain distance. You write well, so I read you, but nothing you said was going to change my ways.

I sense that your overall message is this: "G-d is real and he ain't playing games. Get serious with worship of Hashem, and Hashem will respond in kind with an abundance of blessing in your life." Something within me has opened up today, and I feel I have some thinking to do. The way you relate to G-d as such a real tangible factor in your life is childish to me, but then again, maybe it's me who has some growing up to do. Pesach Sameach.