Wolfish Musings

It's very odd.  Four people have contacted me this week about past posts and a relative mentioned the blog to me at a simcha recently.  Perhaps I should resume writing... The Wolf

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2016/06/apparently-im-still-remembered.html

I was following the coverage of yesterday's decision to grant Shaul Spitzer, the young man convicted of assault in the arson attempt against Aaron Rottenberg.  As I watched the coverage, I found...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-new-square-stands-for.html

At the start of Elul, three prominent Rabbis in the Yeshiva community - Rabbis Shmuel Kaminetzky, Mattisyahu Salomon and Malkiel Kotler, distributed a letter stating that yeshivos must accept chi...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2015/09/glad-to-see-some-sanity-in-lakewood.html

As I'm finishing up Shacharis, the two dollar bills, tired and worn from circulation lay on the table in front of me. I put those bills there before davening started.  It's my daily "tzedaka f...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-like-what-ive-become.html

Once again, the Chareidi news is in the news. There has been quite a bit of discussion in the past about the deletion of women from pictures in some Chareidi publications.  The issue has come ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2015/01/hamevaser-fails-at-journalistic-ethics.html

A YouTube video was recently released dealing with the dangers of telling Lashon HaRah on the internet.  However, the video completely misses the point and fails to identify the real problem. ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-lashon-hara-video-that-completely.html

My parents raised me to believe that one must take the feelings of others into account when speaking and doing things.  Before you open your mouth to speak, think about how the message is going ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/07/to-every-thing-there-is-season-and-time.html

I suppose it's one thing to be afraid of heretical ideas (supposed or actual) that might cause one to lose faith in their principles.  It's not an approach I approve of (I was never a believer i...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/06/when-quoting-pesukim-bible-verses-is.html

I've been going through a bit of a rough patch in my life.  Things aren't exactly going according to plan in various circles of my life and, truth to tell, it's been getting me down of late.  I...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/remembering-my-blessings.html

Rabbi Yair Hoffman wrote a recent editorial (publish on 5TJT and republished on YWN ) about the dangers of smoking among our youth.   He starts out with an over-the-top picture of a young widow...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/02/fighting-smoking-is-battle-worth.html

I hope you will all forgive me... but I've had the same template since I began this blog back in 2005.  I think that it's time for an upgrade. Feel free to provide any feedback. The Wolf

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2014/02/new-template.html

Of late, I've begun reading the Coffee Room section of the Voice of Lakewood.  In it's pages, various issues of importance to the residents of Lakewood are debated back and forth.  The current ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/12/wages-and-attitudes-in-lakewood.html

In the Yated, Rabbi Avrohom Birnbaum finds himself in search of “Ahavat Chinam.”  He laments the fact that the American Modern Orthodox community expresses “unprecedented enmity” towar...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/08/look-in-mirror-rabbi-birnbaum.html

It's comforting to know that there are some events  that are so certain to occur that you can set your clock (or calendar) by them.  One of those events is the annual letters/complaints in the ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/07/its-summer-which-means-its-time-again.html

A common debate tactic  (especially, I find, in frum circles) is the practice of not actually answering an argument or objection, but instead deflecting it.  Very often, this takes the form of ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/07/not-answering-objection.html

I was asked to post this as a public service announcement: =======================================  Save a life today at a bone marrow donor compatibility drive for MORDECHAI FASTAG לרפו...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/07/psa-bone-marrow-drive-help-save-life.html

It is being reported in the news that daylight savings time is being extended in Israel the end of October, as it observed in many European countries and in the United States. The situation wi...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/05/can-someone-please-explain-to-me-big.html

UPDATE (5/13/2013): Man, oh man, did I blow it with this one.  Obviously, I was completely ignorant of the nature of college education in Israel and just assumed it was like the US model.  Th...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/05/will-recognizing-yeshiva-study-as.html

This is part of the reason why molestation is a big problem in our community.  No, the man in the video is not a molester.  To my knowledge, he has never actively  tried to shield molesters...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2013/01/rabbi-manis-friedman-on-being-molested.html

On the lighter side of the news, it has been reported that the New York Yankees have signed third baseman Kein Youkilis to a one year contract. The beginning of his career was described, in par...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/12/im-sure-theres-message.html

I've been following the Weberman Trial in the news and on Twitter the last few days and I must say, it's been quite... instructive, to learn about Mr. Weberman and his occupation, as well as what...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-weberman-trial-and-mixed-up-morals.html

The Flatbush Jewish Journal has a regular column titled "Ask the Flatbush Shadchan" by Mrs. Chana Rose.  The following letter appeared in a recent issue .  Any typos are mine and mine alone. ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/08/losing-sight-of-whats-important-in.html

I'm beginning to wonder if someone instituted a Jewish equivilant of April Fools Day and forgot to inform me, because, I'm having a hard time believing a story that VIN is reporting as fact. ...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/08/did-someone-declare-jewish-april-fools.html

This week's Mishpacha magazine has an article about Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, the executive Vice President of the Agudath Israel of America.  In the article, Rabbi Zwiebel gives us an interest...

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/06/whats-important-to-us-as-community-we.html

A reader named David sent me the following email: Dear Wolf, I wanted to sincerely tell you how much I appreciate your website, a good example of the way the Internet can be used for the good....

http://wolfishmusings.blogspot.com/2012/05/from-mailbag-fins-and-scales-proof.html