The groundhog is similar to a Jewish frum woman. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a frum is, they are generally over-observant, orthodox in mind and spirit and to some degree, under-sexed and sometimes be riddled with guilt, thanks in part to old world values prescribed by their individual social communities or what others tell them, without checking what is true and what is a falsehood.There are varying forms of frumality, from the wearing of wigs for a sense of pride and perhaps shame, to just going to shul and keeping kosher, which to me is a true racket, but that’s another opinion for another time!
Some frum women even hide behind the cloak of frumhood, for they truly do not know what they desire.
On February 2, it is traditional for the groundhog to come out of its burrow and supposedly see its shadow; it’s an old superstition and supposedly sees its shadow, but how can it see its real shadow, when there are scores of news camera floodlights and field lights pointed directly at it?
In that way, how can an observant frum see her real shadow when she sees other shadows in her path she so trusts and feels comfortable with, when those very same shadows are casting doubts on what is wrong and what she needs to do in order to get into the righteous shadowy path?
Groundhog Day was originated by Germans who believed that if an animal that hibernated cast a shadow on February 2, the Christian holiday called Candlemas, winter would last six more weeks, yet if the animal didn’t see its shadow, an early spring would soon emerge.
Somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter though, as on the regular calendar year, we always know when the seasons will be, groundhog or no groundhog.
Therefore, a true groundhog does not see its shadow, like the female frum who does not look beyond her own shadow to determine what is and what is not.
Sometimes, the female frum, like the groundhog…is blind.
