According to me, there are three major considerations when choosing where/how to convert. These three guideposts should help you decide a) the movement you want to convert with and then b) the community/rabbi/beit din you want to convert with. a) How you feel about your conversion. At the end of the day, this should be […]
UPDATED: The Factors to Consider When Choosing to Convert Read Post »
Everyone hears that a rabbi “has” to discourage a conversion candidate 3 times. Some rabbis don’t hold by that at all. Some do exactly three and then will begin a congenial conversion learning process. Some may or may not obviously discourage before working with you, but will continue to discourage you regularly and to varying
Convert Rants: Discouraging the Conversion Candidate Read Post »
Halacha in a Nutshell is a new series that does not aim to actually teach you halacha. The goal is to acquaint you with the general ideas of a halachic issue so that you can follow conversations without looking like a total n00b. Loshon hara literally means “evil tongue/speech.” It’s usually translated as “gossip,” but
Halacha in a Nutshell: Lashon Hara Read Post »
For your (hopefully) lazy Sunday enjoyment, here is a great quote I heard in a recorded shiur a few weeks ago while driving cross-country. Unfortunately, I don’t remember which shiur it came from! Since I listened to over 30 hours of them, I’m not going to go through all of them to locate two sentences.
Thought of the Day Read Post »
Some people might think this is a downer of a Shabbat shalom post, but it was certainly liberating for me! Quite simply, other people’s problems are just that: other people’s problems. I don’t worry about people who don’t follow halacha (or follow it differently) or judge me as a convert or any of that other
Shabbat Shalom! What to Do When People Are Crazy Read Post »
I have a shiur (lecture) by Rabbi Yom Tov Glasner that I really enjoy. It’s from Aish Audio and is called Practical Spirituality: How to Make the Right Choices. The title actually has very little to do with the shiur (at least to your average listener). It’s very much about the nature of reality, kabalistic
Shabbat Shalom: Orthodox Judaism Is a Full-Time Job Read Post »
Halacha in a Nutshell is a new series that does not aim to actually teach you halacha. The goal is to acquaint you with the general ideas of a halachic issue so that you can follow conversations without looking like a total n00b. Tznius is most often translated as “modesty,” and people usually use it
Halacha in a Nutshell: Tznius Read Post »
Today is the last first day of law school! I only had one class today, and B”H, my load will be very light this semester! So here are two thoughts I’ve been having today. First off, after being in a pretty tough spot, I received a significant financial windfall today. So now, thanks to my
Two Very Different Thoughts for the First Day of School Read Post »
I saw a great question about conversions. I decided to post the question and my answer to that question here because I think that’s a struggle the overwhelming majority of orthodox converts face at some point in their process. How would you respond? THE QUESTION: Not to risk offending anybody, but I’d be curious as
A Response to a Very Good Question: Why Not Fake It ‘Til You Make It? Read Post »
I wrote before that I didn’t “get” Chanukah (Shabbat Shalom! The Chanukah Edition). Well, I didn’t expect to be proven wrong so quickly! Somehow, I internalized Chanukah without even realizing it. How did I figure this out? I saw a LOT of TV on New Year’s and the week leading up to it. My family
The Lingering Effects of Chanukah Read Post »