Month: June 2007
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Life made simple – simple information for windows
This programme just made my life a whole lot easier. I bought myself a new computer on my way to England, and now I have the fun job of transferring all the old files and programmes from this to that. Of course I am not clever enough to keep the keys and codes that I… Read more
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Quantum Halacha
I’ve been investigating the nature and development of halacha for the past few months. It is extremely interesting to try and figure out how the pieces all fit together.How are we to understand the famous statement of Rabbi Yehoshua (Bava Metzia 59b) that ‘Torah is not in Heaven’ (lo bashamayim hi). According to the simple… Read more
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Just surfing
This is an article on a blog about the difficulties of keeping nida for a deaf person. I don’t think I’ve ever read a better explanation of the positive aspects of hilchot nida than this. Fantastic read. Jewish Deaf Motorcycling Dad: The Niddah Difference Does conservative Judaism always have to be wrong on principle? I… Read more
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How grateful we are!
another birthday present I got from friends in England (which I use all the time) is the new ‘Singer Siddur’ (“Hebrew Daily Prayer Book” – I’m checking out Amazon’s new feature, though I don’t think it is working) with a revised translation and commentary by Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks. I really like the translation… Read more
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The reason they wear hats!
Now I know! I could never figure out why Lubavitch were the only chasidim who didn’t wear shtreimelach. Now Ha’aretz newspaper has found the answer. It was all based on a fight for selection to be the next Rebbe after the death of their father in law (there were three sons in law, and the… Read more
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Scary phone message
I just received possibly one of the most scary phone messages ever. By bank manager left a voice message (and just when I was about to panic that we were over our limit and they were going to cancel our credit card and take all the children as collateral*) to wish me a ‘Happy Birthday!’… Read more
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18th Sivan – Yarzheit of R’ Yerucham Levovitz
Today is the Yarzheit of the ‘mashgiach’ of Mir. R’ Yerucham is possibly the most famous mashgiach.I remember that R’ Wolbe once said that for the first few months that he was at Mir he thought the Yeshiva had a different mashgiach specially for Shabbos. It was only after some time that he realised that… Read more
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17th Sivan – end of Noah’s flood
According to the Talmud in Rosh Hashana (11b) based on the verses in Bereishit (and according to the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer) today is the day that the Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. The flood is one of those issues that bible critics love to use as proof that the Torah cannot be… Read more
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Eeyores’ birthday
It was my birthday today. Both my Hebrew one and my English one, and since you know that the two only line up every 19 years, you know how old I am (clue – I am not 57 or 76, nor 19 – figure it out yourself).And it was a wonderful birthday. Quite like Eeyore’s… Read more
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16th Sivan – Yarzheit of R’ Gedaliah Nadel
This Shabbat was the 3rd Yarzheit of one of the most exciting and radical Rabbis that you have never heard of. Rabbi Gedaliah Nadel was probably the closest student of the Chazon Ish, and was asked by the Chazon Ish to become the Rav of the neighbourhood. You have never heard of him because the… Read more