Tznius Women and Winter Weather

On another occasion it happened that a certain conversion candidate came before a rabbi and said to him, “Make me tznius in a New York City winter, on condition that you teach me all your fashion secrets while I stand on one foot.” Thereupon he repulsed her with the builder’s cubit which was in his […]

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Management Update: Bar Exams

I’m happy to report that I’ve passed both the New York and New Jersey bar exams! Next on the list is the California bar exam in July 2012! However, I remain an unlicensed attorney while the bureaucrats go through the paperwork. So don’t send me your legal questions 😛   Unfortunately, the job hunt continues. 

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Lessons from Hillel: There Is Generally No One “Right” Way in Halacha

There is a lesson that many conversion candidates and newly religious Jews are not told until they’ve made a fool of themselves: There are different interpretations of halacha, and it’s possible for all these interpretations to be halachically valid and accepted. In other words, the modern orthodox, the “just plain orthodox,” the chassidim, and the

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Reason #216 You Know You’re Crazy: The Excitement You Get When You See Jews in “Non-Jewish” Places

When you cast your lot with the Jewish people, you develop a new excitement about seeing Jewish people in places you consider “non-Jewish.” When you’re visiting a rural area with essentially no Jewish population, you are shocked to see a kippah, and you might just try to tackle the guy in your excitement. Personally, people

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Word of the Day: Nusach

Nusach is the style of the prayer service practiced in different communities. The differences in structure and melodies (the melodies are also called nusach) are normally relatively minor, but they can be enough to trip you up. When dealing with an unfamiliar nusach, just keep following the siddur. There are many nusachim, but there are

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How to Learn to Speak “Frum”

You don’t have to be a fake linguist like me to learn how to speak “frum” quickly and almost painlessly. But you do need patience, some time, humility, and the realization that you will make mistakes (and that you will feel like an idiot when you do). Everyone’s path is different, but this is how

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How to Have Toilet Paper on Shabbat

Taking on Shabbat observance will reveal details of your life that you have never considered before. For instance, you take toilet paper for granted. I promise you do. But then someone (or a book or website) will tell you, “Oh, you can’t tear toilet paper on Shabbat.” And then you will be confused. Rinse and

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