Everyone’s Crazy Except You and Me…

Here’s what’s popular around here lately:

Thank you for visiting!

(Whatever’s new in this list will be copied here shortly, as usual.)

Don’t Ask Forgiveness Tomorrow!

Why did so many Jews start asking each other Mechilah (forgiveness) before Rosh Hashanah all of a sudden? The Shulchan Aruch says so for Erev Yom Kippur, instead.

Did some author claim we should ask forgiveness twice? Besides, it turns out they then don’t ask Erev Yom Kippur. If so, that’s what happens when you make things up…

Perhaps everyone is so hyped up on the Ellul atmosphere, they can’t wait 9 days. Or maybe they wish to get the unpleasant chore over with.

Due to our vast readership, one post ought to stop this nonsense once and for all…

There’s More to Life Than Politics!

A Jewish “patriot” mentioned how personally aggrieved they were Donald Trump was president of the USA, in view of his views and actions. This was an occasion the true answer wasn’t appropriate (Clinton’s still worse, much of the “good” is bad, and vice versa, he’s not radically different than previous murderous charlatans, etc. etc.). So I pointed out there are plural loci of leadership. Politics is only one. So if you count all tribal leaders, the US is far less, uh, deplorable. And he accepted the consolation.

Shouldn’t we be avoiding Trump during Ellul?

This is about consoling a Jew!