Category: Science and Health

There are two books of the Hebrew Bible set entirely in diaspora: Esther and Daniel. In both books, the Jews face an existential threat from hostile foreign authorities. In both books, a few select Jews who have been noticed by authorities for their wit and beauty adopt non-Jewish names (Hadassah becomes Esther, Daniel becomes Belshazzar) […]

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have mapped the cellular changes linked to endometriosis to help improve therapeutic options for the millions of women affected by the disease. The study was published Monday in the peer reviewed journal Nature Genetics. About 1 in 10 women are plagued by the condition, which occurs when cells similar to those lining […]

Many Israeli university and college students, especially males, are addicted to online gaming, according to new research by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beersheba. The aim of the cross-sectional study published in a prominent journal was to examine the impact of gaming and gaming disorder on the well-being of Israeli male […]

In his later years the renowned Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, suddenly announced that he was going to Switzerland to climb in the Alps. “Why?” asked his astonished students. “Because when I come face to face with the Creator of the universe,” mused Hirsch, “I know He will look down at me and say ‘So, Shimshon, did you […]

All patients who undergo procedures requiring anesthesia – including surgery – should be asked about whether they use cannabis, medicinally or recreationally, according to new guidelines released by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine).  The first American guidelines on cannabis use in relation to surgery also note that regular […]

The Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine booster developed by Pfizer Inc PFE.N and BioNTech SE 22UAy.DEsharply reduced hospitalizations among older patients, Israeli researchers said on Monday, in some of the first evidence of the jab’s real-world effectiveness. The study by researchers from healthcare provider Clalit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Sapir College has not yet been […]

For those who exercise regularly, eating almonds every day immediately increases the level of beneficial fats in their blood and boosts muscle recovery among “weekend warriors” who participate in physically strenuous activity only on weekends or part-time. A randomized controlled trial published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition under the title “Almond intake alters the […]

We learned yesterday that a husband can only nullify his wife’s vows once she’s made them; he can’t annul them in advance. But how long does he have to annul these vows once they’ve been made? The Torah has two statements on this: But if her husband does annul them on the day he finds out, […]

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Rochester have discovered a new membrane that surrounds and protects the brain, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Science on Thursday. The traditional view is that the brain is surrounded by three layers: the dura, arachnoid and pia mater. However, a […]

A new form of PTSD treatment is making its way throughout Israel which could change the way PTSD is managed and perceived by both those who suffer from it as well as those who treat it.  The treatment, dubbed the “Stellate Ganglion Block,” was developed by Dr. Eugene Lipov and is offered by US-based medical […]