Two Reruns and a Hooray

Very hectic day today at work catching up for the last two that I took off for yom tov. Just time before Shabbos to acknowledge three special occasions - yesterday, tomorrow, and today.

The first two are reruns of posts that didn't get much notice the first time around; hoping for some more discussion this time:

Yesterday: 2nd day of Shavous. Many congregations recite the liturgical poem "Yetziv Pisgam" during the haftarah. Here's my take on this mysterious Aramaic piyyut.

Tomorrow: Parshas Naso, which includes the law of the Sotah, probably one of the most unfairly maligned halachik areas of the Torah. Some clarification here on this terribly misundertood procedure.

And of course, today, I send my son Ben love and congratulations as he turns 18! Today you are a man - again, in American law this time, five years after Jewish. As Mike Myers, who shares Ben's birthday would say, "Groovy, Baby!"