22 Marheshwan 5767 * 13 November 2006: Tefillin Barbie

Greetings.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Pastor's suicide a cry against Islam?”
  
• “Embrace Christian evangelical support”
  
• “Cabinet cancels Falash Mura aliya cut” (Good. Now why can’t they simply get all the Falash Mura to Israel in one fell swoop?)
  
• “Bowling for God” (Interesting, but 1) not all religious people are conservative, 2) people can be conservative in some aspects but liberal in others—e.g., myself—and 3) independently of conservatism and religiosity, people can be rational, irrational, or mystical. I’d like to see something that takes these into account.)

Today’s weird thing, brought to my notice by Erin and someone who will remain anoymous, is Tefillin Barbie. This idea is the product of someone who is clearly religiously incompetent. (I checked, and she has no clue that when the Gemara’ says “no” without the slightest bit of contest and that when all tradition since then has be in accordance with the Gemara’, the halakhah is without question “no”.) Not to mention that Barbie’s shirt doesn’t go right with a talith and tefillin. Enjoy, and share the weirdness.

Aaron