2008 Roundup

I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at some of the (IMHO) more interesting posts I put up in 2008. I've picked out what I thought were some of the better ones. Here are my picks. The ones that I think are the best of the best are boldfaced.

Silly logic and bad arguments

1/31 -- A Yated reader's take on Science and its predictions -- and my response to his silly examples.

11/19 -- People should stop issuing silly "Torah proofs" which have so many holes in them that you'd think they were made of swiss cheese. They do far more harm than good.

11/13 -- And the same goes for arguments against evolution.

Keeping Up With The Times

1/24 -- Sometimes it seems that some segments of the Jewish community refuse to acknowledge that the world changes and that things that worked in the past do not necessarily work now.

1/28 -- For example, the status of women driving -- is it the same as it was fifty years ago?

11/25 -- And is anything that a gadol says applicable at all times and in all circumstances? Or is it possible that some of what he said might have been influenced by his times and enviornment?


The Gedolim

2/26 -- Written in the wake of the fiasco surrounding the banning and cancellation of "The Big Event," I wondered if the gedolim are (regrettably) slowly becoming irrelevant to our daily lives because they don't relate to us as they did in the past.

3/4 -- Likewise, do the gedolim understand the nature of today's society, and how it differs from life in the shtetl?


Living Beyond Our Means (with no mention of tuition)

5/2 -- Should we spend more than we can afford for Chol HaMoed trips? You'd think the answer is obvious -- but apparently not to everyone.

10/30 -- How about for Ugg boots and $150 ties?

Going Overboard

2/6 -- Is it possible that we're going overboard on tznius issues?

12/21 -- Or is possible that we've gone even further than we thought possible (see the comments to this post).

9/4 -- There seem to be a lot of Rabbinic Committees lately. Is this where we're headed in the future? (dark humor)

How About Just Doing The Right Thing?

6/19 -- Yeah, copying tapes and CDs may be techically permitted in some circumstances. But is it right? What ever happened to just plain old honesty?

6/5 -- Yes, I want to increase halachic observance. So do haredim. But sometimes people cause far more harm to the cause with vigilante actions. Kind of makes you wonder if that's their goal to begin with...

10/5 -- And yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to demonstrate your commitment to Torah values. Too bad many people always choose the wrong way.

7/2 -- You'd think that a school that preaches the values of Kibbud Av V'Em wouldn't, at the same time, undermine a child's respect for thier parents. We'll, you'd be wrong.

Parenting and Education

12/23 -- It's sad how many people think that anedcotal evidence of the success of some high-school dropouts is a valid excuse to not pursue a secular education.

12/16 -- How about this? Instead of banning something (like the internet) outright, how about teaching responsible usage? Bans are a short term solution, but a long-term disaster waiting to happen.

11/26 -- And while we're at it, how about teaching your kids to make responsible choices in life in general -- even if it means an occassional mistake.

11/19 -- And please don't tell me that we have to ban something because if even one child falls victim to something it's automatically bad.

And How Can We Not Include Some Shidduch Maddness?

11/3 -- You'd think that two people who are engaged to be married could be adult enough to tell their parents to butt out when it comes to a dispute over whether to wear peyos up or down. You'd be wrong.

5/29 -- Boy on a date: You look very nice. Girl: How dare you say that to me? I'm not going out with you again!

Miscellaneous

1/26 -- How much of our Jewish practice comes from areligious sources and historical circumstance? How much of it is "Steam Pipe Judiasm?"

6/23 -- Exactly what is the function and purpose of Kollel? Perhaps if we knew that, then we would have a better idea of how to run the institution.

8/11 -- If we censor information that runs counter to traditional Torah thought, is there anything left to read? What would be left in Rabbi Falk's encyclopedia?

2/13 -- There are a lot of similarities between Orthodox Jews and the Ferengi from Star Trek.

That's my roundup. If you think I missed a post that you thought was very good, just let me know!

Enjoy!

The Wolf