When I mentioned the idea of a Jewish D&D campaign, mezzsing commented:

Messzing commented: “… I see no reason why you could not have an Jewish version of D&D. It seems odd, in fact, that no one has already tried it. Resting on the Sabbath is a great idea for weary soldiers of fortune and if you had priests in your party, perhaps they could gain experience points towards casting spells, if they were studying in addition to resting. Or is that too irreligious?”

I think the deep question is how the DM would reward or penalize Jewish adventurers for observing, or not observing, halacha (traditional Jewish law). There are lots of possibilities, depending on one’s view of the religion, and you could only hope the adventurers would at least understand what the DM was up to. For example:
· The DM establishes a “guilt index” for each player, and their likely degree of guilt about their observance would affect NPC interactions.
· The DM gives simple rewards for acting halachically correctly, such as being invited to NPC meals, being given scholarly books, etc.
· If the DM believes that children are less likely to get sick when your mezzuzzoth are kosher, the adventurers’ level of observance could have spectacular side effects.
· How would NPC’s respond to your refusal to eat certain food?
· The DM could quantify Tumah (ritual impurity) and have it affect the game.
· Let’s not ignore wonder-working rabbis. For whom would they work wonders?
· Bat Kols, anyone?
· The sky’s the limit if you want to assume each adventurer has a certain level of kabalistic competence.

Perhaps this sort of thing has not been tried because no two Jews could agree on the right way to do it. Once upon a time two Jews were stranded on a jungle island. When they were rescued, the rescuers noticed that there were three menacing deep pits with signs of fresh digging. They asked one of the Jews what the first pit was.
“That leads down to a horrible dungeon,” he replied. “I’ve done some adventuring there, it’s terrifying but the rewards are great!”
The asked the second Jew about the second pit.
“That pit leads to an invisible tower,” he replied, “I’ve done some adventuring there, it’s terrifying but the rewards are even greater!”
“What about that third pit?” they asked.
The two Jews responded at once, “Oh, we would NEVER adventure into that dungeon!”

A wondrous moment at a wedding:

I attended a wedding yesterday at which the bride decided she wanted to join the kahal to say Mincha. As usual in a big hotel, the Groom’s Tisch was at least 100 yards from where the bride was sitting on her throne. She simply got up and started walking towards the tisch. Her attendants and others circled her, singing and dancing.

As she approached the room with the Tisch, people near the entrance saw an impossible sex-role reversal: apparently the bride had come to unveil and inspect the groom! People gazed at the approaching procession in horror, with mouths agape, stunned, not knowing whether or how to panic. It was a wonderful moment.

Then the bride stepped into the women’s section of the Tisch, where a mechitza had already been arranged for the dozen or so who also wanted to say mincha with the kahal, and all was well again.

Battlefield Promotions:

Once again, for maybe the 60th time in the last year, our Cohen got the first two Aliyoth. We have a severe shortage of Levys. There ought to be a system for battlefield promotions! What would they have done at the Mishkan if they didn't have enough Leviim?

Detached from reality and suscepitble to influence ...

So we now know that the IDF says D&D players are detached from reality and automatically given a low security clearance.

Wow.

What do you suppose the IDF thinks about people who believe in Mazikin?

My contribution to the Metzitza Bapeh controversy:

Here's the truly American tradition:
[Oregon]State teacher commission probes wound-licking practice by coach. A few quotes from the story:
The coach has “licked blood from several students.” [A parent complained that] the coach should have already been well informed about the potential dangers of bodily fluid contact, since the school district policy conducts annual bloodborne pathogen training sessions for teachers. Hepatitis, meningitis and HIV are among serious infectious diseases that could possibly be transmitted through such contact.”
Public health officials say saliva-to-blood contact probably poses only a slim risk, but that [the coach’s] action violated standards for handling of bodily fluid that have been taught in basic first-aid classes for more than a decade.