In the Beginning

Statement of Purpose

This blog is a forum for my thoughts on Torah and other contemporary issues. I will try to keep the ranting to those subjects and not veer off to random annoyances or silliness. Comments are welcome but will not necessarily be answered because I have no need to always get the last word. I will sometimes simply let readers decide who has the better argument or whether a question is just plain stupid.

Who am I?

I am glad you asked. I am going by the name Simcha here but this identity is pseudonymous and very thinly veiled. There will be many hints on this blog as to my true identity but I ask that it remain unarticulated. If you think you know me, e-mail me.

Important Update about who I am.

UPDATE: Gil Student is my real name. Student is, in fact, a real last name.

I am an Orthodox rabbi without portfolio. In other words, I am technically a rabbi but I've sold out to the big-bucks world of finance and do little teaching and no paskening (anything I say about halakhah should be confirmed by your rabbi before being put into practice). I am Yeshiva University-trained but I'm not "one of those" (you know, those on the cutting-edge left). I live in a moderate Haredi neighborhood, attend Haredi synagogues, send my children to moderate Haredi schools but still maintain professional and friendly relations with the Modern Orthodox world.

Transliteration

Hebrew is a difficult language to render into English and the varying schemes of pronunciation make this task even more difficult. I personally speak in a mild form of Ashkenic pronunciation but will be going back-and-forth between different transliteration schemes in an entirely inconsistent manner. Don't bother complaining about it because I don't really care. If something is difficult to understand then ask and I will gladly explain. Otherwise, just grin and bear it. Thank you for understanding.