All Sorts of Random Things that I Probably Won't Remember Now, in no particular order of any sort

[debka_notion]

The prefrosh and parents quadrupled Biblical Ritual today- that being partially because we were one actual student (out of 3) down. Unfortunately we got off from our topic (the ritual for a suspected adulteress adn then generic women in Biblical ritual) due to parents of prefrosh who kept asking questions that were at first somewhat on topic and then brutally, ruthlessly off topic (what rituals for the elderly in the bible has to do with Sotah or the topic of women in ritual, I don't particularly know). tovah623's sister was one of those pre-frosh, and left partway through because she found Professor Wright dull- I can't sympathize with that one, I think the man is hillarious. I may be easy to please in that dimension though.

My Hebrew presentation went well, I'm told. I think I stumbled over words plenty, and my timing wasn't great. Oh well, it's over. And I got told I have a very laid-back manner in speaking Hebrew. I *think* that this is a good thing. But I'm not entirely sure.

Today was the BORG auction, which was quite a bit of fun. The only book I got for myself was a book about how to read aloud to children. It just looked particuarly neat. I also got a couple books for Ami Nee (my maternal grandmother, that being a baby-talk version of Granny and Renee that has stuck and been inflicted on the entire rest of the cousins), Mom, and Will. There was a great deal of amusement, especially over the books that no one wanted. On the other hand, there was high bidding over a vest with elephants, bought by tovaks, two books about pirates, and a few other odd items. Besides the books, I also came home with a jar of Comet (making me think of the children's fake words: "Comet, it makes your teeth turn green. Comet- it tastes like gasoline. Comet- it makes you vomit. So buy some Comit, and vomit today." Sorry folks.), and a brown velvet shirt which should make a nice dressy overshirt for the spring/fall/winter. Overall, the process was just as good at the stuff I bought. Although I think we scared zodiacmg away when he came in and we started showing him our loot. The attempts made to praise items that were clearly of no interest was a tribute to creativity, and a running joke started over the inquiry of copyright dates. Oh, and Jordan is now the proud owner of a kosher chicken cookbook, which she plans to mail home to scare her mother.

This morning at minyan I made an honest comment, and got told that there were Torahs in the room, and I should watch what I said. I was very, very baffled, and finally figured out the dirty implication, but it took me some serious thought. Therefore I would like to say, even if they won't read this: "Egal minyan, you're the ones with the dirty minds, not me." In a similarly annoying vein, I lent someone my spare kippah, and he walked off with it, and I am seriously not pleased. I was trying to do him a favor, as he was looking for one in the back room of International Lounge, and finding anything in there is hard as heck (I keep meaning to organize it, but I never seem to do so), so I lent him one- I usually carry several. I hope he shows up sometime soon and hands it over. Otherwise I shall be very wroth with him. I'm contemplating being annoying if it doesn't return to me soon and send out a request to the whole minyan. I won't- but it would feel so Good, in a really lousy sort of way. That's the sort of thing that disapointes me about myself, but I think the desire is entirely human...

On the positive side of things, I now have eight and a smidgen pages of my 20 page paper written. (It's due this coming Tuesday, and I got my books and started yesterday.) Sorry for boring you all.

Comments

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Gotta ask. What was the comment?

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Something (I don't quite remember what now) using/revolving around the word 'suck'. I was thinking vacuum cleaner, they were thinking something else.

[danablanks.livejournal.com]

You are a cookie. I am proud of you. OK...just wanted to send love.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

There are rituals for the elderly in the Bible?

Someone complained once at morning minyan because we were discussing sex with tfillin on. Terri pointed out that it was a Talmudic discussion, and that the rabbis who'd started it would have also been wearing tfillin, because they wore them all day back then.

Don't give up hope on the kippah. I forgot to get the 'Maftir' card back from Dave once, and he had it on hand to return when I asked him for it in the line at Sherman a week later.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

There are no rituals for the elderly in the Bible, which Professor Wright tried very kindly to explain, and suggested ways that a scholar might go about trying to figure out what sort of special rituals might have existed that weren't recorded in the Bible. But then this lady kept asking about them later in Judaism, and couldn't seperate those time periods from the Biblical time period at all, even with Professor WRight explaining that he specialized in Bible and Northwestern Near Eastern languages, mostly. It was frustrating.

This guy sent my kippah back with AdAm this morning. I was very, very pleased.

Sometimes I wish the corrent crop of morning minyanaires were a bit more cohesive- it cliques, and that irks me. Oh well. Shouldn't surprise me.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

There are rituals for the elderly in Judaism?

That's always been the trick with the minyan getting larger. But being off life support is a decent counterweight -- there are pros and cons on both sides.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

None that I know about, I don't think... But this woman didn't quite believe that.

True, very true. I expect it say, Friday night- not so much for Rosh Chodesh mornings. Although I'm curious what's going to happen with this particular group of folks next year- everyone has been slowly warming to each other of late, some.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

Not to be a pain, but does anyone have any suggestions as to what a ritual for the elderly would even BE?

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Err- I've heard about things done in the sort of New Age-y community called "Crone Rituals", in which a woman's friends gather with her and they celebrate her wisdom and life experience. I'm not sure how they do this, but, unlike most rituals in the Ancient Near East, I'm fairly sure that they don't involve sheep. I'm fairly sure this could be applied to men as well, but I'm not sure what they'd call it. Geezer ritual sounds even worse than Crone Ritual. I suppose it could be something along the lines of a particularly elaborate milestone birthday (70 comes to mind for Biblical reasons), with some sort of special prayer attached, perhaps. Creative ritual can be, well, creative. I suppose, although this isn't really old age at all, one could also do menopause ritual stuff. But there's no appropriate equivalent for guys, and Judaism doesn't usually do rituals tied to biological changes- Bar/bat mitzvah is Around teh age one physically matures, but it is Not linked directly to growth of beard/menstruation/anything of the onset-of-puberty sort of thing. Etc.

[tovah623.livejournal.com]

If age of bar mitzvah were linked to beard growth, I know guys who would have become b'nei mitzvah at about 11, and some guys our age who might not be b'nei mitzvah yet...

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

It was just the first sign of puberty in guys that I thought of, that was, well, fairly obvious, if nothing else.

[tovah623.livejournal.com]

The thought just amused me. : )

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

OH fine then. Grr, trouble maker.