Monday, March 15, 2004

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.


Glossary

UPDATE: I gave up on trying to maintain a running glossary. Sorry. If you don't understand a word, e-mail me.


This will be a running glossary and will be updated as new terms are added to the blog that require explanation.

Anus - Forced; under duress. Related to anussim and ones.
Anussim - People who are forced to do something. Related to anus and ones.
Avodah - Work or sacrificial service
Bentch(ing) - Reciting the grace after meals
CRabbi - I use the term CRabbi to connote a Conservative rabbi, a designation that is intended to imply that I do not consider holders of such title to accurately reflect the ancient tradition that the title "Rabbi" implies. This does not mean that I do not respect CRabbis for their scholarship or personal integrity because I have a good deal of respect for many of the CRabbis I know personally. But I feel a need to distinguish between CRabbis of the 20th-21st centuries and the very different rabbinic tradition while still conferring respect to their positions. Yes, followers of the Conservative movement will be offended by this. So start your own blog.
De-Oraisa - Of Biblical origin
De-Rabbanan - Of Rabbinic origin
Geshmak - Delight
Halakhah - Jewish law
Halakhic - Referring to halakhah
Hazzan(im) - Synagogue precentor(s)
Hirhur(im) - Musing(s), fantasy(ies)
Lifnei Iveir - A biblical prohibition against causing someone else to sin. Cf. Lev. 19:14
Lo tahmod - Do not covet (Ex. 20:17)
Lo tit’avveh - Do not desire (Deut. 5:21)
Mesaye’a Yedei Ov’rei Aveirah - A rabbinic prohibition against assisting in the commission of a sin
Ones - Force; duress. Related to anus.
Paskening - Rendering a decision on Jewish law. Related to posek.
Posek - An halakhic decisor. Related to paskening
Rishonim - Medieval rabbinic scholars. See Artscroll's The Rishonim.
Shehitah - Slaughtering an animal to make it fit for the kosher consumer
Tzadik - Righteous person


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