Talk:Refael Shapiro

Hebrew words
I removed the world noted goan from the sentence
 * ''Shapiro gave Semicha to the noted goan R. Moshe Shatzkes, known as the Lomzer Rov, and Rabbi Meir Joshua Rosenberg.

I don't think that wikipedia should be using untranslated hebrew words when there are english words that would due. In this case goan is means genius, and noted goan is really not saying any more than the world rabbi does alone. Couldn't you count every rabbi as a noted goan? Jon513 21:18, 19 March 2006 (UTC)

Rabbis as Geonim

 * The vast majority of Rabbis are NOT Geonim
 * The word Gaon is untranslated in the article, but all a user has to do is click the link to direct themselves to a definition and explanation of the word
 * By definiton, a Gaon is a rarity, a genius etc. Therefore, it makes a huge difference whether you describe a person as a "Rabbi" - of which thousands become yearly, or a Gaon, when there are very, very few of the latter.

By using the word Gaon here, I am acknowledging and respecting the formidable and great reputation of the man known as the Lomzer Rov, doing far greater justice to his memory and legacy than by simply calling him Rabbi.
 * linking to a disambig page is very bad form, perhaps it should link to genius. but I think that would be even worse.  Furthermore Moshe Shatzkes is not listed a non-geonic gaon in the the disambig page gaon.  How about not linking as saying "the noted gaon (genius)"?  Jon513 21:47, 19 March 2006 (UTC)

Good idea, I'll do it Nesher 13:20, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

style
why does the article say "R. Shapiro" instead of the more encylopedic "Rabbi Shapiro"? Jon513 17:56, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

Well, it tends too become to wordy with Rabbi around the whole time. I've seen many scholarly sites that, after the word Rabbi is used in the beginning, revert to using R' or R. to save space and not get repetitive - Nesher 19:22, 20 March 2006 (UTC)