Category: Science and Health

Kiddush is a blessing traditionally made over a cup of wine that sanctifies Shabbat and holidays. Kiddush, which means “holiness” in Hebrew, is also recited at Havdalah and at lifecycle events, such as weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and the bris.  When saying Kiddush over wine or grape juice, the blessing is: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱֹלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ […]

Doctors at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon successfully implemented a new treatment for pancreatic cancer this week.  The treatment, which had never been attempted previously in Israel, involved the injection of a radioactive substance called Oncosil into a patient diagnosed with advanced-stage pancreatic cancer. This innovative treatment is approved by the United States Food and […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that COVID-19 continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern, its highest form of alert. The pandemic was likely at a “transition point” that continues to need careful management to “mitigate the potential negative consequences”, the agency added in a statement. It is three years […]

People with autism spectrum disorder supposedly are “indifferent to pain,” but a new Tel Aviv University (TAU) study has found that they experience pain at a higher intensity than the general population and are less adaptable to the sensation. The researchers expressed the hope that the findings of their study will lead to more appropriate […]

The King Hamad American Mission Hospital (KHAMH) has been inaugurated in Manama, Bahrain that will benefit from an active role by Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.  It was unveiled last week by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the crown prince and prime minister, on behalf of His Majesty King Hamad […]

In a mishnah two days ago, we learned that if one doesn’t specify how long a period of naziriteship will last, it lasts for 30 days. A mishnah on today’s daf puts a sharper point on this ruling:  If one said: “I am hereby a nazirite for one long term,” or: “I am hereby a nazirite for one short […]

Numerous articles on popular health topics mention studies that deal with the question of how to prevent cancer. But these results are surprising.  A new study published earlier this month in The Lancet Planetary Health reported that community gardening has a positive effect on the adult population. The study found that gardening can help reduce […]

Researchers at the University of East Anglia, in England, have identified a new medical condition that caused the death of a baby 80 years ago. The peer-reviewed study found that children, especially babies, with this condition cannot metabolise Vitamin D properly. This has led to a variety of symptomatic health problems such as calcium build-up […]

While some leaders may believe they should appear flawless to their citizens and their government colleagues, a new American study finds there are benefits for those who reflect on and learn from their mistakes. In four related studies, researchers found that when leaders took time to reflect on what they learned from their errors, they […]

The Old City, all of one square kilometer, is the area many call the “atomic reactor of the Middle East,” maybe of the whole world. Particular attention is focused on the Temple Mount – or, as Muslims call it, al-Haram al-Sharif, Islam’s third-holiest place. For Jews, it’s their holiest site. During the last five years, […]