My March With the Penguins

This past weekend, I got to go home and spend Shabbos with my parents. It was a bit unusual as experiences go because the Shul my parents daven in has become so old, that it no longer has a Minyan on Friday night or Shabbos afternoons. This was my first shabbos home since the Friday night minyan was declared gone. The only way they get a minyan at all on Shabbos day is by the Yeshiva that is a few blocks away sending some bochurim to make the minyan and lein. It's tough for my father because the walking has become difficult, and the Yeshiva is just to far to go, especially in inclement weather. So I went to daven Friday night at the yeshiva. I've been out of yeshiva for quite some time now, and I forgot about a few things. First, there is a break to learn between Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv. But the cool "Penguiny" thing I forgot is watching the Rabbeim walk in. I sat in the back right, and the entrance to the Beis Hamedresh is in the front left. Whenever a Rebby would walk in you got a cool "Penguin Wave" of everyone standing up, and then sitting down. It was cool the first time, by by Rabbi #4 I was cracking up. I really like to watch the pipsqueak freshmen who standing up or sitting down has little effect on their height. I personally always stand the entire davening so I didn't pop up and down with the 400+ penguins in the yeshiva. To the yeshiva's credit, each bochur was polite and asked if I needed anything, like a siddur or some seforim during the break. It's nice to see that all penguins aren't so cold.

Meme, Myself & I and What The Heck is That Chumra?

For those of you who feel in necessary to know more about me, it has been suggested that I do a Meme. I do not like to put out too much information, as I enjoy the illusion of privacy my blog gives me. However, I will share a few things.
1. When I saw the term Meme, this is what I thought:




2. I feel compelled to make my chicken soup for Shabbos on Wednesday night so the fat can be skimmed off.
3. I have a fear of spiders. It makes me want to watch every "big scary spider" documentary to battle my phobia. I will not watch Arachnophobia. I will look at a Tarantula. I try not to kill spiders because it's stupid to kill anything that doesn't harm you, and they eat mosquitoes which I'm not afraid of but I hate (one day Jacob Da Jew will write about his mosquito infested yard, and the battle to remain outside).
4. I find it funny when Mrs. LFD reads my posts to make sure there is no Loshon Harah. You should see the stuff she makes me delete. Good for her!
5. I do not wear a Black Hat. I am the only member of my shul that does not.
6. I get irritated when I don't get enough feedback on a post, especailly if there is someone who used to comment, and doesn't anymore.


O.K. A switch in topic. Here is my non chumra. I like my chulent to not dry out, so I put a inverted ceramic cup on the top of my crock pot to keep moisture in. My mother in law stopped by on a Friday afternoon, looked at the cup and asked me "Where did this Chumra come from?" I had to think about what the heck she was talking about, until she noticed the confused look on my face and said "The cup. What have they come up with that a cup needs to be on the crock pot?". I explained my reason, and told her there ws no chumra.We both had a good laugh, but it shows how "Lakewood Falling Down" can get people to think.

LFD or Excuses, Excuses...

While reading this article on VIN about a Lakewood man being charged with armed robbery, I couldn't help but think of the times my parents had large bills, and I'd hear my mom say, "great, now all I have to do is rob a bank". Now, I'm not suggesting she ever would have, but the strain of frum living can be very great. So here are my Lakewood Falling Down's reason's the guy did it.

1. He wanted to learn, so he decided to support Torah in a proactive way.

2. He had to pay for part of his own wedding.

3. His sister went to Bais Faige, and he wanted her teacher to be paid.

4. He workred for AIG.

5. He has his Bar-Mitzvah presents invested with Bernard Madoff.

6. He wanted to ba able to eat out in a kosher restaurant, but couldn't afford the prices on the menu.

7. His parents owed back tuition.

8. He needed the money for a striemel.

9. He needed a shidduch.

10. He was planning a high steaks dreidle game.

Remember, always judge others favorably!

Shidduch Crisis?

Last week, my wife and I took our kids to Liberty Science Center. There was an obvious shidduch date there, and I asked my wife why the guy couldn’t leave his hat in the car. Does wearing a hat during a date make you a more “desirable” commodity? Have we come to such stupidity? I asked my neighbor “Gilmour” (so dubbed by Jacob Da Jew) his feelings, and if the shidduch crisis was somewhat manufactured by our own stupidity. He agreed that much of it is. He told me of a girl he knows who broke up with a guy because the guy rolled up his sleeves. I can understand looking into a prospective mate. My Rav told me his wife checked him out during davening to see how he davened before they got married. What’s the silliest reason you know that people break a shidduch?