Category: Science and Health

Special for Passover: When we discuss the miracle every year of the ten plagues that God inflicted on the Egyptians in order to free the people of Israel from Egypt, we are of course talking about national ties and the release from shackles to freedom and liberty. But what are the shackles that keep us […]

Researchers believe they may have discovered scientific evidence of the famed biblical ten plagues in ancient Egypt. Over the years, scientists have tried to give scientific explanations for the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians in the Book of Exodus. The Torah is not the only historical source dealing with these events; they are referenced in […]

Today’s daf is almost entirely devoted to a discussion of the story of Judah (one of the sons of the patriarch Jacob) and his daughter-in-law Tamar, found in Genesis 38. It’s worth reading that chapter in Genesis if you have a moment, but if not, here’s a quick reminder of how that story played out: […]

Having read about how sotah ordeal works, on today’s daf we get a glimpse into why the rabbis think the accused woman must go through the torment it entails. As we learn from a beraita: The sotah placed her eyes on one who is unfit for her. That which she desired is not given to […]

There’s little doubt that the sotah ritual is not just a divine test to verify whether a married woman has committed adultery, but a form of public shaming. On today’s daf, the rabbis consider whether this shaming is merely a natural result of the sotah ritual, or whether this should be its goal. In answer […]

Now that the weather is heating up and people are going to the beaches, taking walks in nature or in the streets, having picnics and being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the Israel Cancer Association (ICA) urged the public to be “smart in the sun” and protect their skin and health while outside. The association’s […]

Contrary to Health Ministry advice a few months ago that it’s better for parents who smoke to light up on their balconies, in gardens the yard or designated areas in their home than anywhere indoors rather than anywhere inside, new Tel Aviv University (TAU) research has found that even outside, six out of 10 of […]

Gail Simmons, food writer, culinary expert and one of three judges on the award-winning, long-running Bravo food show, “Top Chef,” grew up in a Conservative Jewish home in Canada, in which food was a focus of her family’s life. Her mom, who Simmons calls “an amazing cook,” made Shabbat dinner every Friday night of Simmons’ […]

A new clinical trial conducted at Tel Aviv University (TAU) has demonstrated an effective technology-driven alternative to psychiatric medications for people with social anxiety. The groundbreaking study found that gaze-contingent music-reward therapy (GC-MART) is as effective in treating social anxiety disorder as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of drugs that includes Prozac, Cipralex […]

You have surely heard from all sides, and also from us, about the many kinds of recommendations regarding supplements and vitamins that you should take, and which ones work wonders. You may have stood confused at the pharmacy or health food store in front of a massive selection of supplements available to you. Are there […]