sruli

Did This Seriously Just Happen??

2011-07-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

In order for me to apply to music school, I need to get a form from a doctor saying that I, Baruch Hashem, am healthy. Since I am a member of the Meuchedet insurance thing, I went to their big building on Yafo street. I went up to the fourth floor, where they have the family doctors and I asked the secretary where I can go to get one of these forms. She told me to go to room 6, and I went there.

After the person before me exited, I entered, and there was a large, probably Russian, man sitting behind a desk in a red and white Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt. Apparently he was the doctor. I told him that I needed this form to say that I am healthy in order to go to school.

He asks me for my insurance card, and he swipes it, and the next thing I know, without even asking a single question, he prints out a sheet saying that I am healthy and he stamps it and signs it. It took a few seconds for me to realize that this really did just happened. This doctor just printed out a form saying that I am healthy without even asking my name- I only knew his name when I left his office and looked at his stamp.

דוד, זה לא פשוט

2011-06-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Today, I was walking all over Yerushalayim (that part is exaggerated), trying to find an ATM machine, or כספומט- as any American should know. First I went to my bank, Discount Bank, and their ATM was "temporarily" out of service. Then, I walked down a few blocks to בנק הפועלים, but it was absolutely packed- I mean like a 15 minute wait. Next to that was another branch of Discount Bank which was also "temporarily" out of service. I walked to another בנק הפועלים which had nobody there, and that was awesome.

I think it is a good thing, all in all, that Yerushalayim is bustling on Friday.

Cya here soon!

שבת שלום!!

נצחתי ואנצח גמרתי ואגמור

2011-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is the e-mail that I just received from YU that I have officially graduated as of June 1, 2011. This means that I have won. My plan was that I was not going to take the exit exam and to see what happens. If they were to realize, then I would just have to take one like everyone else. But, if they don't realize, then, after three difficult years, I have gotten the last laugh. And this is what has just occured:

Hello Seth,

Your degree was officially conferred on June 1^st. My apologies for the delay in emailing you. Your diploma has been ordered and is expected to arrive no later than 6-8 weeks from June 1^st. Your transcript now reflects that you have graduated as of May 28, 2010.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Can You Guess?

2011-06-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

Can anybody guess which member of the extended Stollel crew, stated the following statement:

"My fondest memories from Reishit are definitely the one-on-one Chavrusas that I had learning with my Rabbeim. The fact that these Rabbeim who I truly looked up to would take time out of their day to learn with me, and talk about really anything that was on my mind was truly inspirational."

Hint: check the Reishi.org "Spotlight on Our Alumni" (if you see this post in time), or recognize the picture.

So It Has Been a Year

2011-05-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

On this day, May 26, last year I graduated college. I still have not yet received my diploma, but I'm working on it.

To all my friends: enjoy!

2010-12-20T05:07:00.001-08:00

כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק לֵב רְשָׁעִים כִּמְעָט

2010-12-19T07:32:00.001-08:00

לָמָּה תֹאמַר יַעֲקֹב וּתְדַבֵּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי מֵיְקֹוָק וּמֵאֱלֹהַי מִשְׁפָּטִי יַעֲבוֹר:

(כח) הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּ אִם לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם יְקֹוָק בּוֹרֵא קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע אֵין חֵקֶר לִתְבוּנָתוֹ:

(כט) נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ וּלְאֵין אוֹנִים עָצְמָה יַרְבֶּה:

(ל) וְיִעֲפוּ נְעָרִים וְיִגָעוּ וּבַחוּרִים כָּשׁוֹל יִכָּשֵׁלוּ:

(לא) וְקוֹיֵ יְקֹוָק יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ

For Example

2010-10-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

For example, if a person buys a chocolate bar and offers some to his friend, that seems like a noble act. However, what if a random person were then to say: "Hey, may I please have some?," the owner of the chocolate bar may be like: "Who are you?" Even though he may then honor the request, not wishing to insult the person, the giver may not really want to give him. This example shows that the person who offers to share his chocolate bar, does so because he feels a level of comfort and connection with the person he is offering, and offers out of a natural desire to want to share with that person. Therefore, although it seems like a noble act on the outside, I am not sure of the extent to which we could consider that person a tzaddik. It does not show a courageous act of fighting his instincts.

This One's for You

2010-10-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Cheese Choker

לכבוד ראש השנה

2010-08-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

גאולה

2010-07-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

(יד) כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְקֹוָק צְבָאוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַמְתִּי לְהָרַע לָכֶם בְּהַקְצִיף אֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֹתִי אָמַר יְקֹוָק צְבָאוֹת וְלֹא נִחָמְתִּי:

(טו) כֵּן שַׁבְתִּי זָמַמְתִּי בַּיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה לְהֵיטִיב אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶת בֵּית יְהוּדָה אַל תִּירָאוּ:

(טז) אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:

(יז) וְאִישׁ אֶת רָעַת רֵעֵהוּ אַל תַּחְשְׁבוּ בִּלְבַבְכֶם וּשְׁבֻעַת שֶׁקֶר אַל תֶּאֱהָבוּ כִּי אֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי נְאֻם יְקֹוָק: ס

Honorary Doctorate

2010-07-05T06:52:00.001-07:00

The following is an email that I received yesterday.

02-Jul-2010

Dear Dr. Rapps,

Welcome to Encyclopedia of Ancient History - Manuscript Central site for online submission and review.

You are listed as a co-author for this manuscript. The online peer-review system, Manuscript Central, automatically creates a user account for you.
Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Encyclopedia of Ancient History Editorial Office

Yup

2010-06-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

As I was unloading my car from my first Mishkon gig of the season, this guy who just came back from yeshiva walked by and we were talking. At the end of the conversation I asked him: "What are you doing next year?"

"Y.U." he responded.

"Uh, my Alma Matter."

Change Versus Fixing

2010-06-07T01:17:00.000-07:00

At graduation I had a thought which I tweeted, but this morning I had an enhancement of that thought, and being that I find myself in a pretty boring morning here on the aliyah pilot trip, I figured that I shall post about it.

In English we often hear about change. In college you hear about changing the world; Barak Obama received the votes of the American nation by promising change.

However, in Judaism, we have the notion of tikun olam, fixing the world. Not everything needs to be changed. Firstly, the change that everyone hopes for does not always come, and other times the change that is brought about is not desired in the end.

An example: I have been told that at one point, coke desired to change their recipe and they spent a lot of money in advertisement, and in the end, the change was not desired and they switched it back to the original.

However, if I told you that I would like to enhance bazooka bubble gum so that the flavor lasted for twenty minutes instead of the few minutes that it does, I think that people would support me.

I love you,

Sruli

Me, and My Grandfather, and Richard Joel

2010-05-28T06:51:00.001-07:00

Graduation Is Like Death

2010-05-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

You know, I did not really enjoy college. I found it very difficult and often times frustrating. However, now that it is over and I am preparing to move to Israel and leave everything behind, it is a little sad thinking that I may seldom see the wonderful friends that I have made over the last three years.

In this sense, graduation is like death. This world has many difficulties and frustrations, yet we are nervous to go onto the next world even though the next world is the Garden of Eden. We are nervous to leave behind what we have created for ourselves over here.

I Beg to Differ

2010-05-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

I do not fully agree with my previous post. Some points I believe are true and others were not spelled out clearly enough. It is a complex issue.

Rebellion

2010-05-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

I am currently studying for a final in an English Literature class called rebellion. I am reading about rebellions in theater, Thoreau, Gahndi and the likes. What I am realizing, is that these movements have never had widespread lasting success, and I think that that is because they were individuals trying to take upon society, and that is not so practical.
If society is progressing in a particular way, i do not see how one person is going to be able to turn it around single handedly.
I think that the most successful method of expressing disobedience has been by means of the theater because that is something which society comes to see and is influenced by. However, a philosopher living by himself in the woods or even writing books, will have a limited intellectual following, many of whom may read the books without taking upon themselves the ideals.
Rav Nachman was a radical, and I guess also a rebel. With him also, he did not receive the support of the masses. However, we do see that Rabbeinu is gaining more and more followers over time. They may attest to the fact that he is a חדוש.

Qedushat Levi

2010-05-23T14:32:00.001-07:00

Here is an excerpt from my English Literature paper about "Korach's Rebellion":

Based on the Ramban’s explanation, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev explains the rebellion of Korach. The decree that any male over twenty would not be permitted to enter into the land of Israel negatively influenced the nation’s love toward Moses and caused them to have second thoughts about his leadership abilities. Rabbi Levi Yitzhak writes in his book Qedushat Levi, that the reason for the disruption in the relationship was because once the decree was made, there became a division in the nation of Israel between those who would be permitted to enter into the land of Israel and those who would die in the desert before reaching Israel. The Hebrew word for desert is midbar (מדבר), which is closely related to the word for speech, dibur (דבור). This corresponds to the existence of the Torah on the level of speech, to the extent that Moses had the ability to speak to God and receive the Torah from Him, and ask Him anything that he needed to know. There is another aspect of the Torah which relates to the physical influence of the Torah which are all of the laws that are done by physical people using physical things. This aspect of the Torah corresponds to the land of Israel. That is why Moses, who never made it to Israel, was able to win in battle through prayers alone (Exodus 17:12 Rashi ad loc), whereas Joshua, the Jewish leader who conquered Israel, had to fight physical battles. When Korach realized that he was not going to ever enter into the land of Israel and that he was going to die in the desert, he created a mentality for himself that the only part of the Torah is the one that is relevant to the desert, and that is the Torah of speech. That aspect of the Torah would only be relevant to Moses who had the ability to speak to God and learn the Torah from Him. However, for the rest of the people who are unable to talk directly to God and learn the Torah from Him, the Torah becomes irrelevant. That explains why Korach was killed by the ground opening up and swallowing him. The ground is representative of the physical world, and his being swallowed up by the ground was showing that the existence of the Torah in the physical world does indeed exist. All of the commands of the Torah are fulfilled by using the things found in the world, and that is why in Korach’s death he was totally consumed and swallowed in by the world.

Do you think it is too Chasidic?

Google

2010-05-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

This is really confusing

Meeting in the Elevator

2010-05-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

The elevator often tends to be a quiet situation until you are let out. recently i have been breaking the silence and introducing myself. makes it a little more interesting. I just reintroduced myself to someone I went to a bungalow colony with many years ago. Of course he did not recognize me. Then I had to exit.

Yiddish

2010-05-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

A month or two ago i gave dvar Torah for my yiddish class. At the time there was interest in it being posted on the blog. However, it was neither typed up or recorded. However, as one final
use of his power over us, my teacher assigned that we type up our dvar Torahs. So here is:
דבר תורה
אין סדרה פקודי שטייט אין פסוק: "ויביאו את המשכן אל משה." און אן אנדער פסוק שטייט: "ויקם משה את המשכן." רבי נחמן פון ברסלב האט געטייטשט די פסוקים אזוי אז מען קען זיי פארשטיין ביים דאווענען. ער האט געשריבן אין ליקוטי מוהר"ן תורה ב' אז אין תפילה, דארף מען מכוון צו פארבינדען די תפילות וואס מען דאוונט מיט די צדיקים פון דעם דור. דאס איז וייל די אלע תפילות זיינען אן אבר פון דער שכינה, און אויך אברים פון דעם משכן. ווען מען האט געבויט דעם משכן האט בצלאל געבוינט דעם משכן מיט די אלע כלים. אבער בצלאל האט געדארפט ברענגען די כלים צו משהן צו בויעם דעם משכן. משה האט גענומען די אלע חלקים און כלים פונעם משכן און האט געשטעלט יעדער חלק צו זאמען. און דאס איזו ואס שטייט אין דער תורה "ויביאו את המשכן אל משה... ויקם משה את המשכן." און וייל אונדזערע תפילות זיינען די אברים פון דער שכינה און די אברים פון דעם משכן, דארפ מע ברענגען די תפילות צו משה רבינו. משה רבינו שטעלט די תפילות אין זייערע ריכטיקע פלאץ. און מיר וייסן פון דער גמרא אין שבת קא: אז די צדיקים רופן איינער דעם אנדערער ביים דעם נאמען משה. מיר זעען פון דער גמרא אז די אלע צדיקים זיינען בחינת משה רבינו. בכן, מיר דארפן פארבינדן אונדזערע תפילות צו די צדיקים, און די צדיקים שטעלן אלע תפילות אין זייער ריכטיקן פלאץ. דאס איז "ויביאו את המשכן אל משה... ויקם משה את המשכן."
רבי נחמן איז ממשיך און זאגט אז ווען מיר זיינען אין גלות אויף צו לאנג און מיר זענען דער לענג פון דער גלות זיינען דא יידין וואס זיינען מתיאש פון דער גאולה. זיי זעען אז מיר דאוונען יעדער טאג און שרייען צו גאט צו ברענגען דער גאולה און מיר זיינען נאך אין גלות. די דאזיקע יידין מיינען אז אלע תפילות זיינען גורנישט. אבער רבי נחמן זאגט אז דער אמת איז אז די צדיקים שטעלן יעדער תפילה אין איר פלאץ כמו שכתוב: "ויקם משה את המשכן." און ווען אלע תפילות, וואס זיינען די אברים פון דער שכינה, זיינען אין זייערע ריכטיק פלאץ און די שכינה איז גאנץ, ברענגט הקב"ה משיח צדקינו במהרה בימינו. אמן.

So Flowery

2010-05-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

I was just reading one of those Jewish magazines. It was a frustrating experience; one that made me value my college education. Everything is so flowery and dramatized it makes you want to puke. And everything is good as long as it fits into their agenda.

Get a Job

2010-05-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

משא ומתן

שאו זמרה ותנו תוןף

I Can't Figure Out...

2010-05-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just saw a brother in the stairwell of the library. He mentioned to me that there is a lot of work now. I said, as I always do: "It's almost over."
"It's just the beginning," he responded.
"It's just the beginning but it's almost over."

I Don't Fully Understand

2010-05-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

I went today to pray minchah in 101 and I saw there a source sheet from what seems to have been a lecture delivered on the topic of the neshama yeseira.
What I did not, and to this very time still do not, understand is that all of the twelve or so sources were from gemara and halacha mainly about the detail of whether or not we make a blessing on spices after Yom Tov. It struck me how many of the members of the communities of Torah learning that we are part of, are so deeply rooted in halacha that even a lecture with a name that implied spiritual involvement, was in the end a halacha shiur just like any other, if not more technical.
I would have thought that if the topic was dealing with the neshama yeseira there should have been at least one source from the zohar or from a book of chasidus.

How Come?

2010-05-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

How come I feel like whenever I'm in class, the guy next to me is having five simultaneous conversations on gchat, while whenever I go on the computer there is never anyone to talk to?

2010-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

This Reminds Me

2010-05-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of the time that we were learning in the Beis Medrash on friday in Reishit. there were like five guys in the whole place and then some guy, not from reishit, comes and sits down right next to Shwartzbaum. There were like 100 other seats that he could have taken, i mean the place was empty.
I feel sort of like that right now. The entire 5A is empty. i am not sure why this dude had to come and take the computer right next to me.

Yes

2010-05-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

I am currently browsing JStor for an article, and I just came accross an article titled: "Are Columbian Street Children Neglected?"
I have not read this artcile, but I would think that the answer is: "Yes"

The End of Six Semesters

2010-05-09T06:15:00.001-07:00

Amazingly enough, I came to YU early today, Sunday, in order to get a full day of work in.

The security guards were late to open up the library today and I found myself among the group of 10 or so people waiting to get in. Included in these people was Rabbi J.J. Schacter, not bad.

When I got to 5A, I was the first one on the floor, even before Moster and the guy who sits next to him.

So, I guess that as I enter into my last weeks of school I really have become pretty studious.

Twitter

2010-05-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight on twitter i saw these two great videos. one of them is really funny and the other is great.

Elevator Pt. 2

2010-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Anyhow, today once again, I was in the elevator going down to the lobby from the 5A floor of the library. And once again, as in the first story, our elevator personality entered on the fourth floor. If I recall correctly, although it was several hours ago now, when he entered he immediately pushed the button to close the door.
Then, the elevator stopped on 2A, and before the door even opened the "door open" button had been pushed several times by this individual. It so happened, that nobody entered from 2A, and when this person noticed that, he began to press both the button for the lobby as well as the "door closed" button. Now I have seen people press the door closed button before, or the button of the floor that they need to go to, but I think that this is the first time that i have seen both at once.
Now did anyone ever notice that pressing those buttons does absolutely nothing?
We are not yet done. When we reached the lobby and the doors cracked open, he essentially put on this act as if he were trying to squeeze sideways through the smallest opening between the doors. I mean come on, that is just completely pointless. By the time he put on the act the doors were already wide open. It doesn't exactly take an hour for elevator doors to go from barely open to completely open.
okay.

What Is This?

2010-05-05T07:30:00.001-07:00

What is with the headphones that go behind your head as opposed to on top or just in the ears? They are so uncomfortable. You have to keep your head totally straight, otherwise the back of the headphones get stuck in your shirt. It makes for a slightly frustrating experience.

I Don't Really Understand

2010-05-04T13:24:00.001-07:00

Today I was in the elevator in the library going from 5A down to the lobby. The elevator stopped on the 4th floor and a woman entered into the elevator in a big rush. She then pressed the button for 3A and was extremeluy impatient to get out of the elevator. I was simply wondering, that if she was in such a trmendous rush, why didn't she just take the stairs down that one flight? She probably would have gotten there faster and would have saved me the two extra stops on the way down.

A Chabadnik With Peyos?

2010-05-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

or maybe it's just Gaby

Oy!

2010-04-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

I already made a tweet about this but I think that it warrants a post as well...

Earlier today I was in my apartment and I heard a dog barking like crazy. I had never heard this dog before, but it did not bother me that much since I was in my apartment and I could not see it [and it could not see me.]

But then, when I was exiting the building at around 3:00, this guy was coming into the building with his dog that was barking like crazy and was fighting to break through the leesh and charge right at me. I mean the guy was struggling to keep control of the dog. My goodness!

Of course, as is usual for dog owners, he tried to convince me in vein that the dog was just excited about the mirror in the entrance way. Well I had heard the dog earlier and I knew better.

All I have to say is that I hope that this individual enjoys following his dog around town cleaning up his ****.

Don't Get Upset

2010-04-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today it was raining and a boy from the Post Pesach Program said to me, that it is great that in America you can get upset about the weather because in Israel rain is a good thing. So I said to him:

"Why would you want to get upset?"

לא תקם ולא תטר

2010-04-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

My Place

2010-04-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Now that it is nice outside, I may be spotted outside this location on 186 street. most recently, i was priveledged to have an encounter with gaby and we learned some of rav Nachman's teachings.

Although I do like the area outside the building, I currently have no plans of ever entering into it.

Still Empty

2010-04-19T13:25:00.001-07:00

For Best Results

2010-04-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

After prayers today I was blessed with an interesting solution to the age old problem.

The most efficient way to find a needle in a hay stack may be to play in the hay stack for a few minutes until you get poked with the needle. Then you will know where it is.

Politics

2010-04-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I just saw this really funny thing in the Jewish Voice

"America's President Barack Hussein Obama has worn out the knees of his pants crawling to appease.... his bowing, crawling and genuflecting has delighted his pants suppliers."

It Begins

2010-03-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

People have been mentioning to me since the announcements of bein hazmanim for the other blogs in the circuit, that they are happy that this blog has continued to funtioned. From this moment onward, this blog shall do the same. But hey, noone really goes on the computer during these days anyhow, right? Certainly not me. And as per the header to this blog: "so that everyone will have what to be entertained with while they are doing work for school," when school is out, blog is out.

So, I wish everyone here a peaceful holiday, and I hope to see everyone very soon in Jerusalem.

Me and the Skratchiner

2010-03-24T09:46:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of me chillin' with the Skratchiner Rebbe. I have been very fortunate this year to have the priveledge of sharing an apartment with the leader of the Skratchiner Hassidim (different than the neo-chassidim). I spend time with him almost every day and I have experienced first hand his greatness.

(Yes, mschachar, he did join me this past year for my annual overnight visit to your home.)

The End of the Age of Superheros

2010-03-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today, Friday, as I was walking home from shul (after pleasantly bumping into Rav Mo), I noticed that there was an egg on the grass near the sidewalk. I contemplated picking it up and taking it home and giving it to my mother to cook with. then I realized that there would be no way that she would use an egg that i found near the sidewalk.

Then I thought to myself, maybe in this egg there is some special type of power or something that I can get by eating it.

I realized then, that because nowadays we are so scared to eat things that we are uncertain about, that is why we will not have any more superheroes.

i am by all means no expert when it comes to superheroes, I am actually fairly ignorant. However, for some reason i have a feeling that superheroes get their amazing powers by eating something that totally changes them.

Anyhow...

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

2010-03-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today, as I entered the Library, the heights Lounge was blocked off with the iron door that they close it off with. There was a meeting going on with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who will be speaking tonight in Lamport Auditorium and receiving the Norman Lamm Prize. I went up to the fourth floor to do my work and when I went back down to the lobby the meeting was over, and when I looked up I saw him. The Chief Rabbi was there and he looked pretty cool. It was pretty cool to see somebody who's books I have seen (but not read) for several years and who I have heard so much about.

A Man of My Word

2010-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was yesterday at a birthday for my grandfather, and at that gathering I overheard one of my cousins say that She is expecting to see a post about this event on my blog.
So, to be a man of my word, here is the post.
It was a good party.
The drive to there was pretty crazy. fallen trees everywhere in teaneck and Englewood.
Anyhow, stay tuned till next time.

Burns Security

2010-03-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Crazy situation with the Belfer hall security. They asked for my ID and I did not have my wallet with me. The guy took me over to the desk and started making phone calls. Meanwhile tons of people were entering the building. Then he called another security guard to take over for him so that he could escort me to my mother's office. My mother was not there, and he would not ket me get what i needed, so I had to walk back to my apartment and get my wallet and go back to belfer to get the package. The whole thing took a half hour.

I thought it was kinda funny.

THen, that same night the guy by the old main bais medrash gave me beef too.

What is the קשר?

2010-03-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

I just got to the computer lab where I have statistics class. When I got there the air conditioner made an interesting noise. One guy said to another: "Wow, did you hear the air conditioner?"
"I thought that was a computer."
"No, it was the air conditioner."
"That's YU for you."
What is the connection?

Mazel Tov

2010-03-04T15:51:00.001-08:00

It seems that I have already graduated college. I have just received my first email from the Yeshiva University Alumni Office. I must be out.

Next stop... Israel!

By the way, you can thank my attendance in English class to the existence of this post.

ונהפוך הוא

2010-02-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks mom for the link

פרשת תרומה

2010-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else catch this?

In last weeks parsha, chapter 27, verse 9:

"מאה באמה ארך לפאה האחת"

"One hundred amos for one peah"

- I am trying, but I still have a long way to go.

(Interestingly enough, when I mentioned this to my mother she said that she noticed it as well.)

An Episode

2010-02-21T16:05:00.001-08:00

My Brother just came back with his friend from a day of snowboarding. When they walked into the house through the kitchen, my brother was holding some things and his friend was holding the snowboard. My, grandfather, who was sitting in the kitchen, saw them and asked: two people on one skateboard?

Bumper Shticker

2010-02-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

This morning, as I was walking to my car in the parking lot of Bnei Yeshurun in Teaneck, I noticed a certain bumper sticker on a van which said: "School is open, drive carefully."

Now, does he remove that sticker in June?

Funny Enough

2010-02-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

The other week I got a ride to Teaneck with a friend of mine and I noticed on the highway that he was driving very fast. He was in the left lane and everyone would move to the middle lane as he crept up on them.
Today I saw him on the computer and I asked him: "You doing work?"
"No, I have to register for a defensive driving course."
"You got like a ticket or something?"
"I got three. I've got to take this course or pay five hundred bones. There's no way that I'm doing that."
So, there you have it. I guess I am not the only one who thinks that he drives too fast.

Ink Jet Cartridges

2010-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have noticed before and did so today as well, that there is a recycling initiative to recycle ink jet cartridges. Today, when i noticed the green box I looked inside to see if anyone actually put anything in the box; it was empty.

Who has ink jet cartridges? Out of all things to recycle, why choose ink jet cartridges?

Rabbi Danielli

2010-02-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Does everybody know that Gaby Danielli is now teaching a class in IBC?

Yeah, that's funny.

The class has one person in it and they meet in the Morg lounge.

Pretty funny.

This One's for You

2010-02-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Shmad, this post is for you.

Why are you known as HaAdmor?

Feel free to answer my question in a comment.

Thanks

Sruli

A Support for the Stollel

2010-02-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

I was just in my apartment and I saw a large shofar. I realized that the shofar belongs to the stollel. Then I was reminded of the blessing that we say in prayers: תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו. It will be a large shofar that we blow into during at the time of redemption. Maybe the holy blowers will be stollelnicks.

Don't Miss Out

2010-02-05T08:06:00.001-08:00

Don't kick yourself afterwards. There is an unbelievable opportunity this coming Motzei Shabbos to see The Otzar/ Shirei Haleviim play live at the YU SOY TAC Seforim sale. This is a free show. this opportunity does not happen often. The last time it happened was on yom Haatzmaut and it was a great success. Do not wait for the next chance. Be there to show your support for your friends. We are looking for crazy fans.

Good Shabbos.

And I'm Back

2010-02-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

Back to the fifth floor of the library, that is. Some statistics.

Looks Kinda Like Me

2010-02-01T09:27:00.001-08:00

My parents got back from Israel yesterday. I was hoping that Moshiach was going to come before they returned. Anyhow, my parents are looking into an "apt" in Israel and I think that it was my father who said that there were pictures of the apt on my mother's cell phone. There were no pictures of the apt on the phone, but there was a picture of someone who I thought looked like me. And he was standing with my father. But I realized that his beared was longer than mine. Also, I didn't think that my Peyos were that wild.

The story goes that my father was on בן יהודה street and so were the na nachs. My father thought that one of them looked like me so he asked to take a picture. They exchanged info. His name is Avi Praber (or something like that) and he is originally from Staten Island. My father told this na nach that he is from Teaneck and he responded that he learned for a year at the Yeshiva Gedola of Teaneck. Pretty cool.

P.S. Alicht, thanks for the reminder that Feb 1st is today.

So It's been a While

2010-02-01T09:21:00.001-08:00

Wow. Just now when I went to my own blog, I typed in the wrong address and ended up by that "simple Jew" who conveniently took Sruli.blogspot.com (without the extra "i").

He still has not put up a post.

Feb 1

2010-01-19T20:23:00.001-08:00

Perhaps check again Feb 1st

My Goodness

2009-12-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

I just had a really funny encounter.

I bumped into one of the guys from the main beis medrash here at YU. he asked me what I was going to be doing for break and I told him that I am gonna be in Teaneck.

He responded: "Bein Hasemestarim," implying that I should stay in YU and partake of the between semesters learning program.

I said: "I am doing Frollel."

"What's Frollel?"

"The kollel in Dr. Friedman's basement."

He was confused. "Who's Dr. Friedman?"

"The gevir of the Stollel."

"Okay I'm confused."

I then went to the restroom, where I was headed in the first place. I thought that the encounter was really funny.

You Slopsink!

2009-12-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Slopsink, happy birthday.

Enjoy 22. It's a great age.

Fibals

2009-12-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Finals, more like fibals.
Who cares?
Guys, I am trying a new theory this semester for finals. I am trying to laugh at them. That may be the best way to deal with them.
I have supplied you with this video for your entertainment.

(Snow Day)

2009-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Snow day.
I am at my cousins.
I am on a mac. I don't really know how to use macs so I cannot like put in a picture because I don't know how to do the steps on a mac.

Lipa

2009-12-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

In Yiddish class today we were fortunate to view this video of Lipa Shmeltzer singing chanukah chanukah...
Ari Ackerman, My yiddish right-hand man, suggested that I put it on my blog. This here is the result of that suggestion.
It would be impossible not to notice Lipa's malchus-dika get up: a fur bekeshe and a HEADY streimel.

neo-Chassidic Takeover

2009-12-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

As I was walking back from the minyan where I prayed on Shabbat morning, I passed on the street the guy who asked me if I went to Shaalvim. As I passed him I wished he and his wife a good Shabbos and i sensed the feeling of him noticing my neo-Chassidic ways. Then I wondered: with me and the Weinbergs and Slopsink and other neo-Chassidim hanging out in Teaneck, I think the people may be beginning to realize

that the neo-Chassidim are taking over.

Pencilitis

2009-12-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

Today in shiur, Weinberg and I noticed that there kept on being a pencil in the back of Slopsink's laptop computer. Even when it was removed it continued to return there.

We just hope that his computer does not get

Pencilitis.

Guys

2009-12-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Cheq this out:

Cool stick figure animation. Funny.

Earn Money As You Write!

2009-12-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

It seams that there is an essay contest in YU. You can win up to $1500.

maybe it is worth a sh*t.

Nice Gloves Dude!!!

2009-12-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, Tuesday morning, i was walking to the Rubin Shul for the 8:30 minyan as I do every day, when alas I ran into the Cheese Choker. We exchanged greetings and when we went in for the hand shake we both realized

that we were wearing the same gloves: WeatherProof black gloves.

A good start to a good day.

36 Under 36

2009-11-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

In the Jewish Week there is a certain yearly article called "36 Under 36". In it they feature all of the hot shots of the Jewish community who fit nicely into their agenda.

I wonder, when will I be in that article? What will it take?

In This Week's Parsha...

2009-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

In this week's parsha, in the first aliyah we find the lyrics to R Yitzchack's song "hatzileini".

This video was originally found on the blog of the Water Shlepper of Jawbone Valley.

neo-Chassidus

2009-11-25T13:34:00.001-08:00

Brothers, what are we called?

We are not your traditional type of chassidim. But we are chassidim. I think, therefore, that we are neo-chassidim- the new age of chassidus.

Last Friday I was in Borough park (בארו פארק) dropping something off at my chassidishe cousin. I am pretty sure that her einikel was looking at me like I must be nuts. I was wearing traditional MO "school clothing" but rocking wild peyos, and a big green kippah.

Now what is the deal?

The deal is that i am a neo-chassid

and so are you (and you).

We are the neo-chassidim.

Not To Be Deep Or Anything

2009-11-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

This morning I was washing my hands and it occured to me that I was using soap in order to kill invisible germs that could make me sick. Now in my opinion that sounds pretty nutty.

In fact, last year in my epidemiology class we watched a film called Bloody Mary about this lady who refused to accept the fact that she was the source of a malaria outbreak. Back then it was simply to difficult to accept the notion of mysterious invisible germs causing disease.

Now, of course, everyone knows that germs are real and that we must guard ourselves from them. If someone were to deny such a fact at this day in age we would certainly think that he is being foolish.

It then occured to me that this may be one of the revelations of the days of Mashiach.

You know, sometimes people could be very tough and cold when it comes to the issue of Hashem, and even within the orthodox fringe people could be skeptical of spiritual things, and abstract things like gematrias.

However, in the days of Moshiach we will realize that these things are real. ומלאה הארץ דעה את השם.

It will be foolish to think otherwise.

די עפל פאלט נישט וייט פון בוים

2009-11-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting incident with, what I think are, very true and real implications sent to me by my חבר ShiaZ. This is an incident which happened to David Schlusselberg (the bus):

"One day, when he was playing piano in a classroom in the Schottenstein building in YU, he was rudely interrupted by a man who works in the music department. Now, rightfully so, Schluss was kicked out of the classroom he was playing in, since it was during the day, with other classes going on, & he should have played in one of the sound-proof piano rooms. However, when Schluss came in to the second floor of Schottenstein, all those rooms were occupied, so he went into the classroom instead. When this man kicked out Schluss, he had been under the impression that one sound-proof room was open. Therefore, in kicking him out, certainly in his mind, he had every right to do this. However, Schluss informed me that this was done in an incredibly rude fashion. The man did not yell, however he was patronizing in his tone & he was downright not nice, to the extent that Schluss felt the need to tell me this story. That is part one. Next, after Schluss told me of this event, perhaps a few days later we went to lunch in a local eatery, Grandma's Pizza. Myself, Schluss, Josh Weinberg, and Michael Hoenig were sitting at a table having a nice Rosh Chodesh seudah, when our good friend, Ari Ashkenas walked in and wanted to join us. Since no more chairs remained at our table, Ari looked next to him and tried to pull over a chair from a neighboring table in order to situate himself at the head of our table and join us for lunch. This neighboring table happened to have had an elderly woman standing near it. When Ari reached for the chair, he was abruptly stalled in his grasp, as the elder woman grabbed the chair back from him, and rather rudely told him to, "Ask first." This was the chair she was going to sit down in, and so perhaps Ari should have asked if she was using it before taking it for himself. However, the way in which this woman carried herself and responded to Ari was very uncalled for, and just plain mean. This woman had every right to get her chair back, but the manner in which she went about doing this was just wrong, grabbing it out of his hand and thrusting it down in front of her, marking her territory and making an obnoxious comment to top it all off. Then, all of a sudden, the man who just the other day kicked out Schluss from his piano playing entered into Grandma's Pizza, and sat down at the table next to us to have lunch with his mother."

A Great Idea

2009-11-19T12:23:00.001-08:00

I think that there should be a new תקנה made in Washington Heights:

If you are willing to clean the area of the street where your car is parked, then you are exempt from alternate side parking.

What do you think?

A Very Deep Idea

2009-11-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Brothers, last evening Hashem granted me, His Hebrew major (Jewish Studies major focusing in Hebrew), a very great idea. The Hebrew word מתנגד, which colloquially refers to somebody who is against the ways of chassidus, is in the tense of התפעל.

Now, just a quick lesson in Hebrew grammar. This is a lesson that is fairly simple, i think, and one which will allow you to understand a number of the teachings of רש"י on the Chumash.

The tense of התפעל, ex.: התהלך לפני והיה תמים, means that you do the thing to yourself, such as in the example of התהלך it means that you cause yourself to walk.

Now, for the punch line: a מתנגד, therefore, is someone who brings himself to be against Chassidus. Nobody is born as someone who is naturally anti-Chassidus. The way for that to happen is only if one brings himself to be that way.

Good Shabbos

שבת שלום

I'm Back!

2009-11-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I'm back. Do not worry, I have not forgotten about my blog, the issue simply was that I had put up a promotional post promoting R' Ozer Bergman's visit to our yeshiva and I did not wish to cover that over with another message. Now that R' Ozer has given over to us his teachings and has departed I shall resume regular posting.

Thank you,

Your friend,

Sruli

My Holy Brothers

2009-11-16T15:24:00.001-08:00

To my very holy brethren, there will be a very special opportunity this Wednesday evening. Rav Ozer Bergman from the Breslov Research Institute will be speaking at our institution, at YU. He is a great and holy teacher, teaching at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo and other places. I am sure that several of the people who will be viewing this post have actually read some of the things that he has written, even if they may not have known it at the time.
So, please join us in the annex after Maariv, at approximately 10:30. It will be a very great and inspirational time.

Maybe Not Such a Good Idea

2009-11-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Today in Shiur I was sitting next to J-Wein and across from J-Wein was sitting ShiaZ. I realized at some point in the middle of the shiur that our seating arrangement was probably not well thought out. If חס ושלום something were to happen we could have lost the entire Tzavei at one time. What would that poor couple in West Hempstead do next week without a band to play their engagement party?

Just a thought.

For the Record

2009-11-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just for the record, organic peanut butter is not as good as regular.

Shabbos Plans

2009-11-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was priveledged to recieve a phone call from our very own Josh Liggitt asking me if I would like to join him in Crown Heights this Shabbos fof the annual Chabad Kinus Hashluchim. So, there I will be with God's help.

My roomate Aryeh Graber, however, pointed out something interesting: What do all the communities worldwide do this weekend without their Rabbis? Interesting.

Also, it should be pointed out that there will, God willing, be another Kinus hashluchim in YU on the 19th of Kislev. A gathering of all the Jews who find themselves now on shlichus in America until their return to the land of the Jews. More details to follow.

There You Have It

2009-11-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Some may remember from earlier in the semester that I am in a certain class (for a definition of the word class, see Lee I. Levine's The Rabbinic Class of Roman Palestine in Late Antiquity p.14) that forces me to do a lot of scholarly reading, which I really do not like. What I have found interesting, however, is that scholars themselves recognize that many people do not really get along with them. Here is an excerpt from page 120 of Lee I. Levine's The Rabbinic Class of Roman Palestine in Late Antiquity (sounds boring, right?)

"Intellectual achievement might often lead to the disparagement of others not endowed with the same motivation, capabilities or accomplishments."

I am sure that many of us have felt this way in some of the classes that we have sat in in college.

Tonight

2009-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Tuesday night, Rav Ozer Bergman will be giving a class on the Upper West Side at 8:15 P.M. I believe that I will God willing be in attendence, as will my roomate Aryeh Graber. I do not really know any details. Call me as it gets closer if you want to know more.

For more Rav Bergman, you can look at this

Attention Stollel Members

2009-11-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Mazel Yov

2009-11-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Mazel Yov to Tuli and Ruthie
PARTY!!

When? Tonight at 8:00

Where? In Monsey at his house

Why? Because he got engaged

Will I be there? Yes

You See

2009-11-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

"Add to this the universal human tendency to resent intellectuals."

We see here a scholar himself admitting that there are many who are not into this whole thing.

High Blood Pulse

2009-11-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

I went yesterday to donate blood, and for the second time in the past two months I was unable to give due to my high pulse. Oy vey, I have got to figure out what the deal is going to be with that.

משה לורנזו

2009-11-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Oh, Justin

2009-10-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

In looking for something on KollelTamid, I found this post which racked in 31 comments. Man, the commentors on that post have the nuttiest names.
Here

תמונת היום

2009-10-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Who's the one standing?

My Academic Life

2009-10-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

In my Friday Rabbis in Late Antiquities class my professor mentioned that he received a call from an encyclopedia that they are trying to get people to write entries. My teacher asked if he could have his students write them and they said okay. So, it looks like I might have an entry in a pretty serious encyclopedia. now that is hilarious. I would tell you the name of the encyclopedia but I do not know it.

Woops

2009-10-22T14:41:00.001-07:00

מקום המשכן

2009-10-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Perfect

2009-10-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

When Yeshivat Stollel opens its doors, this will be the perfect picture for the brochure.