The play, Fiddler on the Roof, has taught everybody that Yentathe Matchmaker is involved in just about everything. She also has a big mouth.

Of course, the concept of a yenta began many generations before Tevya publicized the concept. When Anatevka was abandoned, Israel took nine Kabin of Yentas, with Borough Park claiming most of the rest. Your own neighborhood also has a yenta. Her intense involvement focuses on the issue that is of nearly the greatest interest.

You.

That's right. You, as a topic of conversation, are second in importance only to the yenta herself. Yentas realize their significance and importance, but they are also willing to share their knowledge about how you can correct all of those things that you are doing wrong in life. They will even show you the right way to do things – which is, of course, the way that they do it.

Ask a yenta how to keep a cake from sticking to a pan, and she will begin her response with, "Well, I…" Nobody had been talking about them. The topic was the cake. Isn't it great how she skillfully removed that topic and made it their own? That's why you frequently respond, "That takes the cake!" The Yenta will take that to mean that you agree with her topic, after which she will continue to tell you about herself.

And about everybody else. That includes expert, inside information about how to raise your children, speak up to your boss, wear the right clothes, and one other small issue. Do pay careful attention. After all, it's important to realize that you need improvement. You're not perfect, you know.

Nu, so what's that other issue? It's your match, of course. Not the one you light. It's the match that makes you delighted, so don't strike it.

How does Yenta know which match is best for you? She accumulates information, despite the fact that she is always talking. Don't try to do that. You can't. That's why you're not a Yenta. She knows about your salary, relationships, job, hobbies, and who you were talking to yesterday at 3:30 PM. This information helps her determine whom you deserve to marry.

Some people face a legitimate fear of being surrounded by Yentas if they come to Israel. They forget that the yenta wannabes in their own Jewish neighborhood are likely to make every effort to be as experienced and brazen as those in Israel.

They also don't have to read articles about Yentas. That pleasure is restricted to two kinds of people:

• Those who understand and recognize the phenomena listed here
• Those who deny it.

Those in the second category are called Yentas. They know better.