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It's a draw between the muktzeh book, the women's siddur, or the pesach shiur mat.
1. The muktzeh book probably has the greatest ability to drive a person crazy, but only because there are more shabboses than sedarim per year.
2. The shiur mat probably has the greatest ability to make me physically sick to my stomach. (There is a reason I've scaled back the shiurim I do to something closer to the actual size of a large olive...)
3. I've finally realized what my feminine soul has been missing all these years of davenning with a regular black Koren. I will be sure to get a baby blue artscroll ASAP. . . However, I wonder if they forgot to feminize language like "modeh ani" in this women's siddur too, like they did in the last one.
The introduction to the Artscroll women's siddur says in no uncertain terms that women are obligated to pray (is this useful ammo for anyone in the halachic egal debates? I've lost track), but then says that if you don't have time to do everything, this is how to prioritize the prayers that are more important. This information would probably be useful to people of both sexes! But Artscroll would never put that in the "coed" siddur.
(BTW, I think it's a darker shade of blue than it appears in the picture; it looks baby blue because of the camera flash reflecting off the glossy cover. It's a relatively new camera, so I was still figuring out how to take close-up shots of shiny books without lots of glare. The answer is to stand farther away and zoom in.)
but then says that if you don't have time to do everything, this is how to prioritize the prayers that are more important. This information would probably be useful to people of both sexes! But Artscroll would never put that in the "coed" siddur.
Actually, that's not true. In the laws section in the back of the regular artscroll they have a list of the prayers and which ones you can skip if you don't have time.
Is the "The Art of the Date" book an advice book or a novel? By the cover, one would think it's a satirical comedy on the dating world of Orthodox Judaism...
I feel like I'm looking at a freakshow. What would you say the comparitive weight/sales in the Orthodox world(s) is between that Anti-Evolution book you pictured and Rabbi Slifkin's Pro-evolution and Pro-science book you didn't?
Also, have you read ADDeRabbi's review of the Artscroll Women's Siddur? http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/2005/07/artscroll-womens-siddur-men-and-women.html
That women have an obligation to pray at all is universally accepted. The specifics (informal prayer vs. amida at specific times) are a Rambam/ Ramban split. So not so helpful either way on the halachic egal issues.
BZ-- yeah, it's "wedgewood royal blue" I stand corrected :) It is also available in "rosedale sienna" and "ultra white".
Alan-- my favorite line of Adderabbi's post is "ArtScroll is canonizing stupidity."
i wanted to smack something whenever i passed that anti-evolution book... and then i considered covering them in a pile of Slifkin books from only a few feet over on the same table.
Alan writes: I feel like I'm looking at a freakshow. What would you say the comparitive weight/sales in the Orthodox world(s) is between that Anti-Evolution book you pictured and Rabbi Slifkin's Pro-evolution and Pro-science book you didn't?
The Amazon ranking for Not By Chance is #296269, and Slifkin's The Challenge of Creation is #221623, so Slifkin wins even though his book has been in print for less than a year. I don't know about the Orthodox world as a whole (especially the haredi world), but among the Orthodox Jews I know, I would estimate support for the theory of evolution at around 100%. (Happy birthday Darwin!)
So yes, I should say that the books pictured in this post are not representative of the YU book sale (which I go to every year, sometimes more than once). I posted them because they were interesting in a "man bites dog" way, in a way that a set of Mikra'ot Gedolot (or a Slifkin book) wouldn't be.
I don't think that I can, either. That's what happens when you know too many Orthodox Jews. :)
But I think it's probably at about 95% or 98% or something. I've only been at one Shabbat meal where evolution was discredited, and only dated one Orthodox person who doubted evolution. (Both of these people favored some form of intelligent design theory as a *scientific* theory, over evolution. I wouldn't say that either one was a strict creationist.)
Also, I wanted to add that two female (Orthodox) friends and I agreed that there were more left-leaning books about women's issues this year than there were a few years ago. (Example: Avi Weiss's book on women's tefilla. Given, it's no longer that controversial in much of the Modern Orthodox world now that "parternship minyanim" have taken on that role, but still. The whole concept was once verboten.)
The image on the front of the women's siddur appears to me to be a view of men's (left) side of the western wall, as viewed from the women's (right) side. Can anyone confirm? Is there something slightly subversive about the image on the front of the book being what a woman would see if she peeped over the mechitza? (not nearly subversive enough, of course.)
Got a laugh out of the photo essay, of course. But I was impressed to see that they had a JPS Torah commentary (Bible criticism has taken the place of evolution as the problematic issue in Modern Orthodoxy) and a good selection of "critical works."
LOL, for second there I thought the Dating book said Dianetics and i had to do a double take.
ReplyDeletealso interesting shot on freewill and being frum vs not frum.
nice post!
It's a draw between the muktzeh book, the women's siddur, or the pesach shiur mat.
ReplyDelete1. The muktzeh book probably has the greatest ability to drive a person crazy, but only because there are more shabboses than sedarim per year.
2. The shiur mat probably has the greatest ability to make me physically sick to my stomach. (There is a reason I've scaled back the shiurim I do to something closer to the actual size of a large olive...)
3. I've finally realized what my feminine soul has been missing all these years of davenning with a regular black Koren. I will be sure to get a baby blue artscroll ASAP. . . However, I wonder if they forgot to feminize language like "modeh ani" in this women's siddur too, like they did in the last one.
On a more serious note, the vocalized shas is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe introduction to the Artscroll women's siddur says in no uncertain terms that women are obligated to pray (is this useful ammo for anyone in the halachic egal debates? I've lost track), but then says that if you don't have time to do everything, this is how to prioritize the prayers that are more important. This information would probably be useful to people of both sexes! But Artscroll would never put that in the "coed" siddur.
ReplyDelete(BTW, I think it's a darker shade of blue than it appears in the picture; it looks baby blue because of the camera flash reflecting off the glossy cover. It's a relatively new camera, so I was still figuring out how to take close-up shots of shiny books without lots of glare. The answer is to stand farther away and zoom in.)
but then says that if you don't have time to do everything, this is how to prioritize the prayers that are more important. This information would probably be useful to people of both sexes! But Artscroll would never put that in the "coed" siddur.
ReplyDeleteActually, that's not true. In the laws section in the back of the regular artscroll they have a list of the prayers and which ones you can skip if you don't have time.
Is the "The Art of the Date" book an advice book or a novel? By the cover, one would think it's a satirical comedy on the dating world of Orthodox Judaism...
I feel like I'm looking at a freakshow. What would you say the comparitive weight/sales in the Orthodox world(s) is between that Anti-Evolution book you pictured and Rabbi Slifkin's Pro-evolution and Pro-science book you didn't?
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you read ADDeRabbi's review of the Artscroll Women's Siddur? http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/2005/07/artscroll-womens-siddur-men-and-women.html
That women have an obligation to pray at all is universally accepted. The specifics (informal prayer vs. amida at specific times) are a Rambam/ Ramban split.
ReplyDeleteSo not so helpful either way on the halachic egal issues.
BZ-- yeah, it's "wedgewood royal blue" I stand corrected :)
It is also available in "rosedale sienna" and "ultra white".
Alan-- my favorite line of Adderabbi's post is "ArtScroll is canonizing stupidity."
i wanted to smack something whenever i passed that anti-evolution book... and then i considered covering them in a pile of Slifkin books from only a few feet over on the same table.
ReplyDeleteAlan writes:
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm looking at a freakshow. What would you say the comparitive weight/sales in the Orthodox world(s) is between that Anti-Evolution book you pictured and Rabbi Slifkin's Pro-evolution and Pro-science book you didn't?
The Amazon ranking for Not By Chance is #296269, and Slifkin's The Challenge of Creation is #221623, so Slifkin wins even though his book has been in print for less than a year. I don't know about the Orthodox world as a whole (especially the haredi world), but among the Orthodox Jews I know, I would estimate support for the theory of evolution at around 100%. (Happy birthday Darwin!)
So yes, I should say that the books pictured in this post are not representative of the YU book sale (which I go to every year, sometimes more than once). I posted them because they were interesting in a "man bites dog" way, in a way that a set of Mikra'ot Gedolot (or a Slifkin book) wouldn't be.
among the Orthodox Jews I know, I would estimate support for the theory of evolution at around 100%.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, i don't think i can say the same.
I don't think that I can, either. That's what happens when you know too many Orthodox Jews. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I think it's probably at about 95% or 98% or something. I've only been at one Shabbat meal where evolution was discredited, and only dated one Orthodox person who doubted evolution. (Both of these people favored some form of intelligent design theory as a *scientific* theory, over evolution. I wouldn't say that either one was a strict creationist.)
Also, I wanted to add that two female (Orthodox) friends and I agreed that there were more left-leaning books about women's issues this year than there were a few years ago. (Example: Avi Weiss's book on women's tefilla. Given, it's no longer that controversial in much of the Modern Orthodox world now that "parternship minyanim" have taken on that role, but still. The whole concept was once verboten.)
The image on the front of the women's siddur appears to me to be a view of men's (left) side of the western wall, as viewed from the women's (right) side. Can anyone confirm? Is there something slightly subversive about the image on the front of the book being what a woman would see if she peeped over the mechitza? (not nearly subversive enough, of course.)
ReplyDeletethe women's side of the kotel is less photogenic, and wouldn't make as good a cover... telling, no?
ReplyDelete...and too small to take up the cover of a pocket siddur...
ReplyDeleteyou forgot the best book on women at the sale!
ReplyDelete*ahem* drumrollllllll.....
"Educating Our Daughters: Why?"
thankfully, it was a forumfor female educators, but still...
Of the 14 google hits for "canonizing stupidity" (with quotes), only two do not refer to ArtScroll. ADDeRabbi has practically trademarked the phrase.
ReplyDeleteGot a laugh out of the photo essay, of course. But I was impressed to see that they had a JPS Torah commentary (Bible criticism has taken the place of evolution as the problematic issue in Modern Orthodoxy) and a good selection of "critical works."
ReplyDelete