Last year, I did a round of all my best posts for 2008 and thought I should do so again. So, here are (IMHO) my best posts in 2009. The ones I think are the best and most important are in bold.
Bans, Banning and Banners... and the attitudes they love
We all know that some factions of our community view technology as bad. As a result, they had the idea that a kid + Ipod can only have one result. I disagreed with that.
I firmly believe that the gedolim can no longer just issue bans or make rulings. They need to explain them as well.
If the gedolim are unwilling, unable or afraid to speak their opinions, are they truly gedolim (in the sense of communal leaders) anymore? I'm not so sure.
The Torah and "Proofs"
Is absolute proof of the Torah's truth required for observance? I don't think so.
Can you even question bad proof without it being a Chillul Hashem? I don't think so.
Don't start an argument you can't win -- which is more accurate? The Jewish calendar or the atomic clock?
The Chumra Monster's Coming To Get You!
Not content with foods with two hechsheirim, now we have milk with FOUR.
My very real fear about the dangers of retroactive conversion nullification and the fact that it will irreparably fragment the Jewish nation and spell the end of conversions as we know them.
When one segulah isn't enough -- it's time to sell the double segulah! Next up -- the Super Segulah Deluxe!
There must be something in the water in Lakewood. People leaving anonymous notes about nees [sic] showing and snoods not being dignified. But that's peanuts compared to this one where the letter writer comes close to being a false prophet (while being completely insensitive and boorish at the same time)
Tznius... When does it go too far?
Women are told not to cry at funerals. Right or wrong?
At least one seminary in Israel is teaching their girls that brides shouldn't wear makeup on their wedding day. Silly me... I could have sworn that brides were *supposed to* look beautiful on their wedding day...
If it wasn't so sad, it would be comedy... A phone center opens up to employ chareidi women in Israel. Said phone center takes calls, among other things, for pharmaceutical companies. Then, when the women get calls about drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, they consider the calls obscene.
Tznius.. .the princess or the prostitute. Is there no middle ground? How to lose your audience in the first sentence of your speech.
Do risque fashions in the larger community in which we live save the mitzvah of tznius?
Should we be rude to men/women because of tznius? Am I a deviant because I say "thank you," "I'm sorry" or "good morning" to women? I don't think so. Others, however, disagree with me (although they stop short of calling me a deviant).
Skewed World Views
Remember when Dr. Mazeltov Borukhova was convicting of hiring a hit man to kill her estranged husband? Naturally, some people said that it was a frame job. Which led to an interesting discussion over the rights of U.S. to try Jews at all.
A yeshiva rejects a child with Down's Syndrome. Not because the school can't accommodate the kid's disability. Not because the kid isn't capable of being a member of the class -- but rather because of what people might say about the school.
Some believe that stealing from the government isn't the same as stealing from "people." And they say this unashamedly and with a straight face.
Judaism... oh yeah, that *is* what this blog is about, right?
A discussion on the fact that the Torah is eternal and does not change, but Judaism does.
An interesting set of lecuters about the Jewish books that were composed between the time of Tanach and Chazal.
Lately, I've been very depressed about, among other things, the state of the frum world.
Chinuch
Mechanchim are given the opportunity to meet with the gedolim and ask tough questions about chinuch. Did they use the opportunity wisely? I don't think so.
Urban Legends, Irrational Thinking and Other Miscellaneous Stuff
Non Sequitur shows us what science is like, fundamentalist style.
Were the Kennedys cursed by a gadol? Or if they were, was the curse effective? I'm not convinced.
Does the Vatican have the Temple Vessels? I don't think so.
If you're going to get a tattoo in Hebrew, at least get a Hebrew speaker to proofread it *before* you have it done.
Some people believe that ignorance = stupidity. If we say that a sage was ignorant of a fact, does that mean that we're saying he's stupid? I don't think so.
Apparently, there is a boy in my shul who looks up to and admires me.
Shidduchim
A common sense shidduch suggestion. I'm sure it's doomed to failure.
Shidduch madness -- parental interference and potential honesty all rolled into one.
Yes, we're not immune to stupidity
The absolute, hands-down, best reason why frum Jews should discard science.
What's the hallmark of a "goy?" Ah, yes, the lack of achdus. Pot meet kettle.
Someone thinks we should toss out religious protections in the workplace. After all, they interfere with our frum lifestyle.
Is there a post of mine that you liked that you think I missed? Let me know...
The Wolf
Showing posts with label year-end roundup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label year-end roundup. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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
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
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