Rabbi’s Musings & Amusings

I really wanted the Houston Astros to lose the World Series! It wasn’t simply because I’m a disgruntled and resentful Yankees fan, and wanted to see the team that ousted the Yankees get beaten (though that may have also been true). I had a much better reason: If they had won, it would have messed up this article. I told my students that I had a great thing to tell them, but it was contingent upon the Astros losing the World Series.

One of the stressors about flying is the need to have an updated passport. A number of years ago, when I decided to travel to Eretz Yisrael, I realized that my passport had expired. It was a cumbersome process to get an appointment at the post office for a rush order. I also needed to have an updated picture of myself to send out with the passport application. I went to a studio where they take passport photo and posed. They were very accommodating and allowed me to take the picture a number of times. I happen to be a relatively photogenic person, and it was incredible that no matter how many times he took the picture, it still was a rather lousy portrait. After two or three times, I agreed to take the best of the bunch and just be done with it.

Anyone who lives in Monsey (or Rockland County) is familiar with the challenge of driving on the Palisades Interstate Parkway at night. During the day, the parkway boasts beautiful scenery of passing trees, especially during the fall foliage season. But at night, there is nothing to see but passing white lines, making the trip arduous and monotonous.

By R' Dani Staum

Although we may not want to admit it, there are certain brachos of Sh’moneh Esrei that seem to resonate with us more deeply than others. The brachos in which we ask Hashem for health, livelihood, and deliverance from pain are probably ones we focus on the most, as those are all things we feel we constantly need.

What a beautiful Yom Tov season. I can’t believe how much I’ve grown in these last few weeks. Now I have the whole winter to try to undo all that growth. Well, at least until the latkes and donuts in a few weeks. I’m jealous of little kids whose parents get so excited and make a grand announcement: “Look how beautifully he/she is eating!” I eat better than all those kids combined, and no one ever compliments me on my eating.

The month of June is a busy time for the Staum family, as we prepare to migrate to Camp Dora Golding in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, for the summer.