In Principio

In Principio

Raison D’etre

This blog is supposed to be a medium for my thoughts on Torah and other contemporary Jewish issues. If I slowly veer from those topics, please notify me so that I can stay on track. Comments are welcome but not necessarily will they always be answered because I do not have the time constantly to check back at this site. Eventually, my readers will be able to answer the questions posed by other commentators.

Content and Frequency

I urge readers to email me their ideas for topics. My fotrè is writing about Jewish topics from halachik, pilpul, historical and philosophical points of view. My readers can expect a new post around once every two or three weeks, obviously sometimes it will be more or less. A great amount of effort and research is put into each post.

Format of this blog and transliteration

Due to the nature of this blog, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Yiddish phrases will be used extensively. This creates a predicament for the majority of internet users do not have the proper software to support Hebrew letters and Hebrew is quite difficult to render into English using transliteration (and the various methods of transliteration add to the confusion). Therefore, I will use my own “brand” of Hebrew à English transliteration. I personally speak in an Ashkenazi pronunciation, and thus the transliteration will typically follow my vernacular unless certain words have an accepted way of spelling. When possible, I will try to spell common phrases in multiple fashions within one post. While the principle language of my rhetoric is Judeo-English (Judæo-English, Yeshivish, American Yiddish, Yinglish, Jewish English, call it whatever you please), this blog will hopefully be written in a scholarly-style High English (but I can't promise).

Who am I?

I am going by the name Reb Chaim HaQoton but this identity is merely pseudonymous. There will be hints on this blog as to my true identity but I ask that it remain unarticulated. If you think you know me, please e-mail me. However, do not "let the cat out of the bag." I am not a Rabbi, nor do I profess to be one, so please do not apply anything I say to practical application without first consulting with a Rav.

Thank you for reading,