Gentiles & Mezuzahs

Interesting piece in the New York Times about mezuzos and the Gentiles who keep them up.

The Parker Bros. Paradox

There is something that has been bothering me for a while now and maybe some people here can help me figure this one out.

When I was a kid, one of the standard shabbos activities was playing board games (monopoly, risk, stratego, trivial pursuit, etc.), as I am sure it was for many of you as well. This was all fine and well, but it was restricted exclusively to shabbos, as other activities, such as video games, were not an option. I can probably count on one hand the amount of board games I have played that were not during shabbos.

So here is where my problem comes in; my experience has been confirmed by virtually everyone else I have asked.

However, we see with our own eyes that the game board industry is an ongoing profitable business operation, but I cannot believe that it is being entirely supported by the shomer-shabbos population (board games as a shidduch date activity notwithstanding); so I ask all of you, how is it that board games still continue to be made? Where does this industry's support come from?

What Do You Expect From A Goy?

Ever heard the line above, or similar? I know I have many times throughout my life, and I'm sure most others have as well. When I was younger, it merely bothered me; now, it makes me wince. It is for this reason I was very happy to see one of the points R' Horowitz makes in his latest piece, discussing how one can discuss the Spitzer situation with their children:

Don’t make sweeping generalizations, “Frum people don’t do these things,” or “only gentiles or non-frum people do.” That might carry the day now, but sadly, no community is without its bad apples. Your message to your child will be demolished and your credibility diminished when he/she discovers that we are not completely immune to poor and immoral behavior, and that there are many, morally committed people, outside our community.

There are some other good messages in there as well - check it out. Interestingly, I've often noticed that those who knock non-Jews the most tend to spend the least time around them as a basis for their statements. Meanwhile, those who work with them and especially those who know stories about what goes on in the Jewish community are far less morally superior. This is not to say that the Jewish community doesn't have incredible strengths (and R' Horowitz notes this as well), but there's definitely no reason to knock non-Jews.