Friday, October 26, 2007

A Grammar Lesson, Shidduch Style

One of my more chasidishe students has been having a terrible time understanding why commas are so necessary in writing English. In desperation to find an example that would stick in his mind, I used an example from Yiddish. Not only does it teach the importance of commas, but it has application to shidduchim.

"Er vill sie nischt." Translation: He doesn't want her. No comma necessary.

"Er vill, sie nischt." Translation: He wants (her), but she doesn't want (him). The comma is what changes the meaning.

And perhaps we might also remember that there are two parties to a shidduch and both have to be in agreement for a shidduch to go forward; it's not just a male prerogative. We need to frame our sentence differently if we want successful shidduchim.

No comments: