When folks ask why, hating New York and almost everything about and in it, I stay here, I tell 'em I can answer that question in two words: Hadar HaTorah. The only reason I had, admittedly insane, for leaving everything, everyone and everywhere I ever knew and loved was to learn in yeshiva. Every Jewish guy I had ever met who had the experience, from the Rabbi of the shul to some ol' dude I'd have never suspected, says that the absolute best days he ever had in his life were those he passed in yeshiva. I arrived with highly romanticized notions of what yeshiva life would be and, in most instances, Hadar HaTorah has exceeded those expectations. This place has been for me a blessed refuge from a town I never wanted to be in, and less so all the time.

Mayhap another time we'll go into the rich history of the first Ba'al Teshuva yeshiva, but the foregoing rhapsody has another purpose: BTs come from everywhere, physically, religiously, intellectually, emotionally, professionally, etc. When we all get acquainted, the variety of guys who, each for a different reason, took on to go to Brooklyn of all places to get close to G-d, is downright astounding.

Some of 'em are very talented. Does the name Matisyahu do anything for you?

They're all very special.

Then there's the Goldblatts.

Eliezer was an upper-classman when I first stepped through Hadar HaTorah's doors, better than six years ago, and become one of my early local guides when I finally settled there as my place of Torah learning. Some with really good memories may recall the "Important Safety Announcement" from the old radio show (insert scream here); that came to me through Eliezer.

In about Tishrei, Eliezer (now married and safely back in Vegas with his family)'s older brother, Reuven, started learning at Hadar, and has been every bit the delightful wild card his brother was, with, of course, his own twists.

To dovetail with the previously-posted position statements on the Middle East, many thanks to Reuven Goldblatt for the following:

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Here is all you need to know about Israeli-Palestinian politics:

What happens when a fly falls into a coffee cup?

An Italian - throws the cup, breaks it, and walks away in a fit of rage.

A German - carefully washes the cup, sterilizes it, and makes a new cup of coffee.

A Frenchman - takes out the fly, and drinks the coffee.

A Chinese - eats the fly and throws away the coffee (I still think that's the other way around).

A Russian - drinks the coffee with the fly, since it was extra with no charge.

An Israeli - sells the coffee to the Frenchman, the fly to the Chinese, drinks tea and uses the extra money to invent a device that prevents flies from falling into coffee.

A Palestinian - blames the Israeli for the fly falling in his coffee, protests the act of aggression to the UN, takes a loan from the European Union to buy a new cup of coffee, uses the money to purchase explosives and then blows up the coffee house where the Italian, the Frenchman, the Chinese, the German, and the Russian are still trying to explain to the Israeli that he should give away his cup of tea to the Palestinian.

G-d bless the Goldblatts.

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And, speaking of the talents emanating from the Yeshiva That Built Matisyahu, two of our guys, Ben Tzion Shlomo Todrin and Sagi Chenroun, have an article in this week's New York Magazine, in, of all places, the Fashion section. The link is http://nymag.com/fashion/lookbook/55492/, and my guys are lookin' like rock stars! Mazal Tov!!

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I'm giving y'all a bit of rachmanis at the top because of the way Blogspot archives untitled postings. Everything so far reads "Hey There Hi There Ho There," and makes things confusing when hunting up previous postings. But make no mistake about it, It's Still There. Its just hidden. Like the lamed-vavniks.

The signoff, however - especially after the week I've had - doesn't hide from nobody for no reason, no time, no way.

Golus Sucks!

Moshiach Now!!