Don’t Shut the Door!

Due to sewer issues (among other hair-pulling difficulties) in our current apartment, my wife and I have had to do some emergency apartment-hunting over the last week and a half.

When we were notified - after only 6 months of living in our current apartment, mind you - that we had to move out, my wife, understandably, contacted the agent who had leased us the place and voiced her displeasure. After all, beyond the rent money we had spent, we had invested in furniture, expecting to stay there for more than a mere half-year. 

And trust me when I tell you - the sewer was just one of the many aggravations we had to put up with.

The agent responded that she was sympathetic to our plight, and would do us a favor (we had to remove the batteries to our BS alarm after she said that - it went haywire) and show us another apartment.

We were mildly interested in that apartment, and, after determining the rental price, the agent informed us that, out of sympathy, she would only charge half a broker’s fee.

Public Cry for...What Again?

I can't focus, and it stinks.

This wasn't always an issue of mine. Quite the opposite, in fact.

There once was a time when I could read a book for a solid hour straight, eyes never wavering once from the pages. In the days of yore I was able to apply laser-like focus and attention to any task I was assigned.

Not anymore.

I'm not quite sure when I became afflicted with the illness that seems to plague more and more of my generation.

See, I thought I was different. I thought I was part of the "head-up" culture of the pre-smartphone era. I wasn't constantly clicking away from here and there.

(Admit it - how many of you just tried to click those words?).

Just Be You!

Being human is, perhaps, the most critical element to one's online content. Nobody wants to read something written by a robot.

But the ability to convey that human element is hard.

As individuals, we all spend so much time trying to please everyone around us. Pleasing a client. Pleasing the boss.  Pleasing friends and family. As businesses, we're trying to engage, relate and please every living thing that can stare at a screen.

Deep down, we all know pleasing everyone is downright impossible. And the more we try, the more our real tone suffers.

In reality, though, there is a simple way to be more human:

Just be you.

Well, that was certainly profound, no? Let me illustrate the point with a personal example.

Parshas Va'era: How Do You Appreciate?

I heard this message from Rabbi Yissocher Frand quite some time ago, but it's one that really resonates with me.

Prior to detailing all the makkos (plagues) and the eventual Exodus, the Torah details the genealogy of the Children of Israel, beginning with the first 3 tribes - Reuven, Shimon, Levi.

The Shel"ah HaKadosh points out, that in contrast to the first 2 tribes, when the Torah reaches Levi, it lists his sons in order of birth.

Why is that?

The Shel"ah provides a powerful answer. Our sages tell us that the tribe of Levi was actually not included in the enslavement. Levi knew prophetically that his children would not endure any suffering.

Concerned that his descendants wouldn't be able to relate to the pain of their brethren, Levi gave each of his children a name that corresponded or related somehow to the enslavement.

Parshas B'Ha'aloscha: Beyond the Glamour

In today's day and age, in the world of the "instant", only the obvious gets noticed. Unfortunately, this means that which is most noticeable is mistaken to be the most meaningful and important. Oftentimes, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Parshas B'Ha'aloscha begins with the commandment for Aharon HaKohein to kindle the Menorah daily, as well as attend to its basic maintenance. Rashi quotes the famous Tanchuma which asks:

למה נסמכה פרשת המנורה לפרשת הנשיאים, לפי שכשראה אהרן חנוכת הנשיאים חלשה דעתו, שלא היה עמהם בחנוכה, לא הוא ולא שבטו, אמר לו הקב"ה חייך, שלך גדולה משלהם, שאתה מדליק ומטיב את הנרות:

Why is the portion dealing with the menorah juxtaposed to the portion dealing with the chieftains? For when Aaron saw the dedication [offerings] of the chieftains, he felt distressed over not joining them in this dedication-neither he nor his tribe. So God said to him, “By your life, yours is greater than theirs, for you will light and prepare the lamps.” - [Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 3]

The obvious question is, why is this a satisfactory compensation? And why is the preparation and lighting of the Menorah greater than the extensive gifts and Korbanos brought by the Nesi'im?

Top 10 Jewish Albums Since 1999

The beauty of music is that it is, quite literally, the language of the soul. And just as each soul is unique, so does each expression manifest itself in a distinct manner. No two people have the exact same taste, appreciation, or definition of what is considered "good music". Well, except for some of the better-known Jewish composers of today, but that's a rant for a different time.

With that being said, in addition to the fact that I wish to procrastinate instead of actually studying for a final, I present my top 10 Jewish albums since 1999. Why 1999? Because that is when Shalsheles, my favorite artist, entered the music scene.

Disclaimer 1: I'm not the biggest Fried or MBD fan so don't expect any of their albums on here.
Disclaimer 2: If you're not a fan of the whole boy's choir genre, you'll hate this list even more.
Disclaimer 3:If you disagree, that's fine. It's my list.

An Evolving Society?

As support for same-sex marriage grows in the U.S., champions of so-called "marriage equality" have celebrated the "evolving" of society. Among the many keys to any successful campaign, is the ability to utilize persuasive jargon to sway the target audience's opinion. The political left has mastered the art of the persuasive word, the phrase that will tug at the heartstrings. As with any agenda or campaign, this requires a stretch, or in many cases complete re-definement, of the word.

Which brings us to the issue of society's "evolving" on the issue of same-sex marriage. There are many issues and troubling signs that I find with the application of this description of society's acceptance of SSM.