Category Archives: Personal

Should I Try Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin?

I notice a lot of people wearing this extra pair of tefillin in the mornings. I know that these are reserved for the pious but I’m thinking that if I put them on, I might become pious. Or I could … Continue reading

Posted in Judaism, Personal | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Should I Try Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin?

New York, New York

I take melatonin every night to sleep. One of its side effects is lurid dreams, which are quite disturbing for a man of piety. I’m having a lot of dreams of late about visiting New York. I see myself walking … Continue reading

Posted in New York, Personal | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on New York, New York

The Crush

I was hearing stories about getting close to the rebbe and it made me think that I never experienced crushes as a goy. I grew up a Protestant and Protestants don’t tend to press together tightly. We were more restrained. … Continue reading

Posted in Jews, Personal | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Crush

The Facebook Effect

I just read this new book by David Kirkpatrick. The story of Facebook is a great one but Kirkpatrick is a plodding writer. The earlier book on Facebook (getting turned into a movie) was a much better read. One thing … Continue reading

Posted in Facebook, Personal | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Facebook Effect

Freedom In Christ!

My favorite goy, Greg Leake, emails: “I thank G-d that my mother was not Jewish, and also for Jesus bin Joseph. Otherwise I probably would have fallen heir to all of these obligations and responsibilities and would have been a … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Personal | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Freedom In Christ!

Remembering The Commandments

In therapy with a goy, I tried to explain the meaning of my choosing to wear my tzitzit (fringes) outside my shirt by extending my middle finger and waving it around. Somehow the holiest of commandments become perverse when I … Continue reading

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Remembering The Commandments

My Mantras

I’ve realized through therapy that I have all these mantras that I tell myself to hold things together after loss. My favorite are: * Writing is number one for me * Loneliness is the price I pay for courageous writing … Continue reading

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on My Mantras

The Jewish Inquisition

On Torah Talk at 7pm PST Monday, Rabbi Rabbs and I will discuss controversial Orthodox rabbis on the left: Chaim Seidler-Feller, Avi Weiss, Yitz Greenberg, Joseph Telushkin and Yosef Kanefsky. For too long, the rabbis have judged me. Now I … Continue reading

Posted in Orthodoxy, Personal, R. Rabbs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Jewish Inquisition

Empathy & Shame

Throughout my life, I’ve had my narcissism interrupted by tides of empathy. I would suddenly see things as they really were for those around me and I would see how I was doing things that were unnecessarily hurting others and … Continue reading

Posted in Alexander Technique, Personal | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Empathy & Shame

Birthdays

None of my birthdays hit me hard. The occasion of a birthday has never been monumental for me. It’s never been as sad as losing a job or a girlfriend or a community. I’ve never been as sad about my … Continue reading

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Birthdays