tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-303469582012-02-16T08:18:03.531-05:00Hello! If you are an aidel maidel groping in the dark for a safe forum, then you have come to the right place. I created this blog for people like us to share ideas, keep each other inspired, and maybe even vent...just a little...until another knaidel maidel comes to cheer you up! Of course, no loshon hara or nivul peh is permitted on this site, or anywhere for that matter. Enjoy your stay!Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-87337725265095839112007-10-10T20:25:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:29.404-05:00

Please check for future posts at http://myhumblebeginnings.blogspot.com , at least until further notice. Save it to your favorites or blogroll today! The Torah Thoughts/Daughter of the king archives will remain here for the time being. Check out the new and improving BasMelech experience!

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-25204593827240819202007-09-29T23:41:00.000-04:002007-09-29T23:52:43.615-04:00

Dear Readers,I put up a poll on my other blog, Half Baked, in the hope of discovering how to better please my readers and possibly attract more. For some reason, I was unable to put one up here (I deleted all my cookies and lost 5lb... in my dreams... but my layout page is still being crabby)So, while waiting for my next "real" post to come up, please mosey over there and give your $0.02. Who

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-60500281761631411662007-09-21T00:43:00.000-04:002008-01-05T20:12:57.380-05:00

Every yearcomes Yom Hakipurimand,no matter what the year has been like,cleansesupliftsclarifies.Layersof sinof timeof worldlinesspeel awayslowly at firstthen uninhibitedI'm returningI can see so clearly now.As the light of dusk fadesthe world is different.Hear O IsraelVoices rise in a thunderous roarG-d is OneNothing else exists.The truth fills the worldHASHEM HU HA'ELOKIMpushing out all

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-41135848938200193432007-09-09T19:49:00.000-04:002008-01-05T20:12:57.381-05:00

There are some moments in life that divide time irreversibly into "before" and "after." For anyone in our generation, 9/11/01 is one of them.I'm leaving out the details. Although the whole scene is a mosaic of memory fragments, I'd rather avoid the risk of boring you and sacrificing yet another bit of my anonymity. So I am posting only one shard of the mosaic, a particularly sharp one. You can

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-43322814644540528012007-08-30T16:23:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:29.608-05:00

Hey,Thanks for the invitation.I would love to come for a visit now. I'm dying to see you.I know you're waiting, and you've set aside this time for us.But... I am just so embarrassed.Last time, I enjoyed being with you so much that I thought I'd never be able to peel away. But since our appointment was ending, we at least made up certain arrangements to keep in touch.Besides for that, I thought

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-49456320010183928382007-08-14T12:06:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:29.768-05:00

Disclaimer: Some of you may be what-iffing, but-maybeing, and who-sayzing when reading this post. Please note that this and the below post were written following an actual conversation with a specific person and they are based on my knowledge of her character."I'm not what you would call frum," she said.I didn't answer.What would I call "frum?" Am I frum?Am I frum because I dress similarly to

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-7411706027363353492007-08-14T11:45:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:29.965-05:00

Continued from next (above) post.Some of your strengths are my weaknesses.Are you calling me frum because I have something you lack?Well, you have several essentials that I lack. [trust me -ed.](and probably more that I don't know about)That's part of the beauty of being part of Am Yisrael:If we can truly be as one, we can help make each other whole.(I need to check my source for the following --

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-72206882610847976772007-07-11T18:52:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:30.391-05:00

I've been tagged by Nuch! Don't worry, this is just a preliminary post; I have a lot on my mind right now and some of it will surely ooze out onto the blogs sometime soon.1) Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.2) The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.3) At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-57920250804306751482007-06-25T04:11:00.001-04:002008-12-09T18:17:30.524-05:00

After not posting over the past two weeks, I realize that it is time to formally pull down my shutters for the summer. (See HB for tentative comeback dates)As I prepared to temporarily close up shop, I looked back on about a year of blogging with mixed feelings. While there is no doubt that I wasted way too much time online in the process, it was definitely a growing experience for me.I

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-55200023411176709662007-06-13T23:18:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:30.785-05:00

There is a real post at the tip of my fingers, but no time to put it out tonight.For now, I just wanted to share:Aish audio has a great lecture by Rabbi Wagensberg about Parshas Korach, this week's Torah portion. It is available for free online listening. I use aishaudio.com quite frequently, but I decided to post about this one here because it particularly relates to my earlier post about being

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-61005368224502723622007-06-08T00:19:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:31.072-05:00

Sometimes,When reading the advice of people greater than meI wonder...Why bother?Is he talking to me?I am so far removed from that, it isn't even practical!Then I remember...We are all on a journeyto the same place.We may not be at the same pointbut if I make sure to stay on the same roadas those who are where I'd like to bethen I'm going in the right direction.The actual examples in the mussar

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-57245859767877606512007-05-22T05:10:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:31.718-05:00

Since I'm not a cheese person (the picture is for formality) this post will be about one of the more neglected aspects of Shavuot, also known as Chag HaBikurim.Yes, that's right, amid all the ado of modern Shavuos one nearly forgets that this is the time when all the farmers are supposed to be bringing the first fruits to Yerushalayim with great fanfare. As we present the beautiful produce to the

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-62606985000470931612007-05-18T04:24:00.001-04:002008-12-09T18:17:31.941-05:00

Sometimes I wish I could do this to my brain."Delete temporary internet files."And everything else I should never have looked at.To some extent, with strong tshuva I can erase it from my soul.But that is on a higher sphere.Here and now, it cannot be undone.Everything I've seen, heard, or done on this Earth will remain to taunt me for a good while.Ah, well -- at least I can remove the traces from

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-7038939366926472272007-05-07T20:18:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:32.381-05:00

(Not to be confused with "How unique am I," a possible topic for another time)It really makes no sense to post this here since to my knowledge only two of my readers know me in real life. So this is more of a muse than a question, for the sole reason that I am too chicken to ask "real" people. Maybe it will even be a bit of an eye-opener for some. Or should I say "ear-opener?"Some background is

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-65311135792923526452007-05-07T01:15:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:32.762-05:00

Sorry, I know this is lame, especially after such a long absence. But I really need to vent a little.Sometimes I feel like a money eater. Nothing more. A total taker. And it feels rotten.I believe that G-d provides for all my needs. The question is am I needing too much? And I wish it didn't have to be coming so directly from others. It's not a good feeling.My policy is to avoid bringing personal

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-83366260016277428802007-05-06T20:50:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:33.144-05:00

{The only label suitable for a child}

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-5074032935116020832007-04-13T02:40:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:33.293-05:00

I'll try to make this brief, as my last muse turned out as a filibuster that never got posted...It's not so hot at this precise moment, but there has been a lot of controversy both within the frum world and without over the correctness of "labeling" people, particularly exceptional children.On one side, you have a lot of very heated people shouting that it will stigmatize the labeled individual

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-91881472462147821812007-04-13T01:27:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:33.554-05:00

......................................................Photo credit: reuters.comOK, due to procrastination, I haven't posted here in nearly a month. :ONot that the old mind's stopped churning -- not for a second!Just I had a post baking... and it was droning on.... and I don't like to post too long because I can't stand when a blog post sounds so interesting but turns out to be a megilla that

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-36187482402430917442007-03-18T13:46:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:17:34.088-05:00

OK, a bit late. But it was cooking last week...The blue is background; If you lack patience, skip it.This Shabbos, Parshas Hachodesh was read in shul. Parshas Hachodesh is the portion in the Torah in which G-d tells Moshe Rabbeinu that the month of the Exodus is to be counted as the first month of the Jewish year. From the wording of the verse, Rashi derives that G-d showed Moshe Rabbeinu an

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-64741906440673765772007-03-08T02:52:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:17:34.245-05:00

One.Two.Three.Steps awayfrom stressfrom timefrom earth.One.Two.Three.Steps closerto G-dto peaceto reality.This time is mine. It is dedicated to my soul, to express its longing for truth, for G-d. I am able to stop short in the middle of a hectic day, and know that I am intimately connected to a higher source. My eyes can refocus, giving perspective and direction to each action of the day. The

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-43927253119788229012007-03-04T23:17:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:17:34.380-05:00

Don't know about the rest of you, but I experienced a very encouraging trend this Purim:The decline of themed mishloach manot.I witnessed a back-to-basics revolution as people handed me paper bags with some random candies and maybe a hamantash. My family received an all time low of three thematic packages today.Does this mean that people are beginning to realize that they are not to be judged by

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-53401551857074665922007-02-21T17:25:00.001-05:002008-01-05T20:12:57.382-05:00

Sorry, this is b"n the last of the princess posts, but I couldn't resist, it was the perfect title. (Kol kvudah BasMelech pnimah)IFT posted about tsniyus, a while back so I don't have the patience to find it and link you directly. Anyhow, this is my response, I don't think it's typical, and it's something I feel very strongly about, so please give it a few moments:Instead of focusing on creating

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-19442012230809130672007-02-07T01:14:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:17:34.551-05:00

To preface, I have lived among non-Jews my entire life. Never in my childhood did I have any questions regarding the difference between us and them.But sometimes, when I'm in a public place, and I see someone open a bag of nosh and dig in, I think with a start almost like an innocent child, "Stop! You didn't make a bracha!"Before a second passes, I realize that the individual in question is (

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-37495679599983298732007-01-31T01:19:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:09:01.906-05:00

Aish has a new, chilling 2-minute movie. I don't know what the petition will do, but it does make one think. CLICK if you haven't seen it yet, then scroll down for tonight's TT post.

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-48290672634463972322007-01-30T22:14:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:17:34.730-05:00

Ads like this make me think. I'm not taking issue with the service, but with the ad itself, so please don't yell too loud. The idea of davening for other Jews is beautiful. The knowledge that you can ask others to daven for you or your loved one in a holy place is heartwarming. Definitely commendable. Giving charity for an added zechus is a wonderful idea, backed by generations of great Jewish

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-8581642816042712022007-01-22T00:10:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:10:14.691-05:00

Can someone clue me in as to why Harry Potter is taboo in some frum circles? I know, I know, magic is forbidden, denies G-d, etc. But do these people censor Cinderella? Purge Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? Ban Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Poppins--yes, but Potter-- no? What's up with that?IMHO, as long as the kids know it's fantasy/fiction, it's pretty good as far as modern juvenile literature goes. A

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-6095324496635156932007-01-14T22:46:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:07:37.189-05:00

This is not your usual rant about email forwards. I'm here with a specific gripe.Don't know if I've been blogging long enough for this to be quite obvious, but I'm not the mushy type. Still, I feel that this matter goes beyond my personal tastes.I'm referring to the zillions of poems, waves of checklists, mounds of sweet graphics, that pour inspiration into our inboxes nearly daily, telling us

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-31448441896375779872007-01-10T22:52:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:09:45.538-05:00

Why do people often feel a need to put themselves down?When and how did it become cool to say "I can't"?How come usually when someone says "Thank you," or, "You're the greatest!" the other person says "It was nothing"?Or if they say, "Wow, you're so thin!" the other says "Oh no, I gained weight this month," or just feels embarrassed?On one side of the coin, it's not true. I can only speak for

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-16056398386788430892007-01-08T23:41:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:07:01.884-05:00

I was just listening to a shiur that was so great, I wanted to share it. However, it was about an hour long and I don't think I could do it justice before losing the average blog-surfer's attention span. So here's the basic gist, maybe together we can build it up:One of the most striking points was that the speaker quoted a commentator who defined the Hebrew na-eh, beauty, to mean connection. As

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-67007864584080506302006-12-30T19:27:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:10:27.112-05:00

Recently, Mishpacha's Family First magazine ran an opinion section on Jewish music-- "Where to draw the line." Frankly, I felt that there was no chiddush in the entire section. Well, as usual, I have something to say on the subject. Unfortunately, I won't have time to share it until I get past a few finals. Meanwhile, I'm opening the floor to your opinion.Is Jewish music getting too modern for

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-81839941813184927722006-12-26T23:58:00.001-05:002008-01-05T20:08:00.326-05:00

[fyi: Gashmiyus, pronounced gah-sh-mee-oos or -oot refers to materialism or anything pertaining to this world, as opposed to the spiritual or afterworld]If we Americans weren't so stuck on using language from the alte haim, creating a cholent pot of European languages and Latin derivatives that no one understands anyway, then this time of year would be called the Consumerism Equinox, or whatever

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-69828164120959097102006-12-17T23:07:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:07:19.939-05:00

Tonight I lit an extra candle on my menorah. Not sure how it happened; I suppose I probably took my "melting candle" (whose wax I used to stick the others in place) and just stuck it in at the end without thinking.Anyhow, when I realized the error, I was told (happened to be on the phone with a member of my Rabbi's family at the time) to just put it out. So, still on the phone, I reached out and

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-86206967237681054872006-12-14T06:11:00.000-05:002008-01-05T20:05:27.916-05:00

Hello again to all my (ahem) loyal followers. I have decided to reopen this blog because I am feeling burnt out and need a good dose of Torah Thought.I started reading Ohr Gedalyahu about Chanuka a couple of Shabboses ago. It looks really deep and meaningful; I intend to continue and will try iy"H to post some lessons from there when I get a moment.Can't post without a Torah Thought, hey. For now

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-1152134560988280062006-07-05T17:15:00.000-04:002008-01-05T20:05:27.916-05:00

I have decided that it is just too hard to maintain and moderate this site from camp. However, I am not going to abandon it altogether and I hope you don't either! Please check back in August; hopefully I will be back in action by then, with the addition of some new features.In the meantime, remember that there is no such thing as a "vacation" from Torah and mitzvos. As we know, "Ein lecha ben

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30346958.post-1151434577737092062006-06-27T14:22:00.000-04:002008-01-05T20:08:22.305-05:00

Korach is a study of how envy can lead to major destruction. Envy is a result of a person's comparing himself to someone else. How can we avoid falling into this fatal trap? The key is to stay focused on your goal and realize what you are worth.When a person is focused on the goal of bringing nachas to HaShem, he is happy when any person does mitzvos. Such a person will not only strive to be an

Bas~Melechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511197551248863790noreply@blogger.com8