Category: Science and Health

Yoma is the sixth tractate of the Talmud, and it deals with the laws that govern Jewish observance of Yom Kippur in Temple times, many of them relevant to modern observance. The word “Yoma” means simply “the day” and this hints to the significance of Yom Kippur. It is an annual opportunity for the entire […]

I have to admit, when I sat down to compose something about this final page of Tractate Yoma, my first impulse was to write something snarky — because this is the (ahem) climax of the entire tractate: A Tanna taught Rav Nahman: One who sees a seminal emission on Yom Kippur, his sins are forgiven. In the course […]

A new nanotechnology device developed by a research team led by Tel Aviv University researchers, will allow the human body to generate electric currents and voltage through the activation of various organs with mechanical force. They study was led by Professor Ehud Gazit of the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at the Wise […]

Health salads — sweet and tangy slaw-like, cabbage-based salads that often include carrots, bell pepper and cucumber — are a fixture of New York Jewish delis. They’re sold by the pound in the deli case or sometimes generously arrive alongside your complimentary plate of pickles. While the dressing is typically sweetened with sugar, the purported “health” […]

Israel has ignored the  World Health Organization’s recommendation that children should not be vaccinated for the moment and instead is now running one of the most stunningly rapid vaccination campaigns worldwide for youngsters aged 12-16. While the WHO did conclude that the Pfizer vaccine is “suitable for use by people aged 12 years and above,” and […]

There are kitchen necessities (a chicken soup stock pot, a food processor for potato kugel, etc.) and then there are those items you don’t need per say, but that bring you joy. We’ve rounded up the best Jewish kitchen kitsch available online that’s sure to put a smile on your face or add a little […]

Scattered throughout Jewish texts are numerous enthusiastic declarations about shalom— peace. “Great is peace!” they each begin, followed by further explanation and a biblical proof text. In Vayikra Rabbah, a late rabbinic commentary on the Book of Leviticus, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that peace is great because it includes each and every blessing, while Rabbi Hizkiyah posits that peace […]

Have you ever stood in synagogue on Yom Kippur and wondered if all the rituals and prayers actually worked to atone for your sins? Or if they actually worked to atone for the sins of some of your fellow congregants? Does all of this awe and fasting, pomp and circumstance, really do anything?  Lest you thought these were strictly modern questions, today’s daf […]

Humans infected with the coronavirus need to be careful not to infect their pets, though it seems dogs are less likely than cats to catch it, according to new scientific studies.In two preliminary studies that will presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in July, it was found that COVID-19 […]

On Yoma 82, we established that the preservation of human life takes precedence over almost all other mitzvot. Today’s daf continues with that theme, presenting several cases of actions that would be forbidden on Shabbat but are acceptable, and even encouraged, if performed to save a life.  For example, the Talmud tells us that one may cast a net to rescue […]