To comment on the video, that was really funny, I laughed out loud a few times. Where did you come up with this topic?

To comment on the whole nivul peh thing, nivul peh is defined as any language that isn’t appropriate in polite company. So if you wouldn’t say it in front of your rabbi, it’s nivul peh. The gemara states that “we all know why a bride goes under the chuppah, but we still shouldn’t talk about it.” Nivul peh is obviously any words we currently classify as foul language, like four letter words, but it’s also anything not so nice or inappropriate.

To comment on the siddur-holding thing, I always do the finger-bookmark thing, and so do the rest of my friends! I must admit that I do hold my siddur the way you demonstrated, but I also hold my siddur the way you claim men do. When I sit I also often just keep it in my lap because I’m too lazy to actually hold it up.

Shana tova!

PS you made me all paranoid about bowing during lecha dodi last night and now I can’t remember what I do normally, thanks a LOT!!!

I didn’t know that holding a siddur required so much strength?

Major props on this new policy that I was not aware of!!! Kol Hakavod! Gotta say that someone really needs to establish an offical “Nivul Peh” list of words that are forboden (whee are those 2 little german dot things on the keyboard?) because for the past several years I have been waltzing around using certain terminology that, due to my extreme innocence, I had NO CLUE were nivul peh, and ended up MORTIFIED. I used some of these words in front of EVERYONE! Friends, Rabbeim, HASHEM?!?! OY! It seems lots of people have issues with this and I have a feeling that now you’re going to write some article on the topic. See if you can do it without actually using any of the words in question and I will be most appreciative, AND pass it along so that this important news item is proliferated amongst the ignorant and naive.

Anyhow. Brilliant post. The siddur holding thing is as follows. Men have lots more UPPER body strength, and women have more LOWER body strength, What means is that sometimes we just do not have the koach to hold that siddur with only one hand. Especially if its the full size and not the pocket size. The ones who support their elbow with the opposing hand are feeling WEAK!!!
And yeah, I totally do the finger as a bookmark move, couldn’t live without it, so, ani lo maskima on that one.
Keep on truckin’!