One of the hardest things human beings face in life is the ability to live in a society. This means that it is hard to remove one's individual idiosyncracies for the sake of the group. I have often wondered why it matters what other people think. As long as I do not do anything overtly offensive, it should not matter. However, i have come to realize (at least mentally) that we, people, need to work hard in order to make others happy. This means, if we are in a group setting, no matter how we feel, we should greet others with the proper respect and courtesy. Again, this is something with which I struggle. However, if we do this, perhaps, at the very least, it will make us feel better, let alone make the other person feel they are important in our eyes. We must view all people as fellow humans, for if we see them lower, we will not treat them with respect whatsoever.

Since this is my personal space, I get to announce personal news. On Friday, October 17, at sunrise, on a beach in Florida, my home state, I proposed to Shira Frankel. She said yes (after weeks of telling me whenever we talked about marriage, "I haven't said yes yet.") .

For those who want to quench their curiousity, pictures can be found on onlysimchas.

Having completed my first month as a teacher, I would like to spend a couple of moments reflecting on one thing which I believe to be of value for all those considering entering the field of education. One of the essential requirements for any teacher is the ability and desire to interact with one's students outside of the classroom. This does not mean to involve oneself in the private life of the student. It means that as a teacher, one can be more than simply a disseminator of information. Our goal is to also help the students feel comfortable with who they are and/or who they want to be. Part of this process is to let students know you know of their interests and hobbies, whether it be sports, music, or what have you. We should not be afraid to let students know that we teachers are human beings who are not simply one-dimensional.

Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. Every year, we begin with a ten day period of extreme introspection, culminating in a single day designed to allow the human to atone for his/her mistakes. The only problem with that is the following question, posed to me this year: Why should we repent if we know that for the most part we will continue making the same mistakes? (Just to add, this is especially true for things which Maimonides claims are impossible to repent for (see Hilchot teshuvah chapter 4 for more information)). At the time I had no answer and even now, I am still unsure as to the answer. However, my only assumption is that the series of sins we enumerate during Vidui are meant to further our introspection. They are designed to make us think about what we might have done wrong within category X. Ultimately, the question is being driven by the greater problem, what is the purpose of prayer? There are many legitimate answers to this question, including the need to ask for help and the need to humble ourselves, showing we also must depend on others, especially G-d.