Today, we have no choice but to go deep in the weeds. I will try to explain the laws of impurity for food, containers and liquids, but I am an…
Month: March 2020
My Wife and the Talmud – Shabbat 13
The Talmud's version of marriage is very different than my marriage. I should not be surprised. The Talmud was written approximately 1500 years ago in an agricultural economy on a…
My Purpose and the Talmud – Shabbat 12
Yesterday, we discussed a Zav (a man who experiences a specific type of emission, which is sometimes associated with gonorrhea). The practice was for the Zav to wear a special…
The Depth of the Mind of the Government – Shabbat 11
"If all the seas were black ink, and all the marshes quills, and the heavens were parchments, and all the people were scribes, they would not suffice to record the…
My Wife’s Delicious Sourdough Bread and the Talmud – Berakhot 34
I blame my wife for my inability to lose weight (not really, but she makes a convenient scapegoat). My wife, amongst her many talents, is a true foodie. She is…
Justice Roberts and the Talmud – Shabbat 10
Two weeks ago, Justice Roberts, the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, issued a rebuke to Senator Schumer, " Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening…
Procrastination and the Talmud – Shabbat 9
We have read many times about things that are biblically permitted, but the Rabbis prohibit. Rabbinical prohibitions arose because the Rabbis were acutely aware of human psychology and decision making.…
The Public and the Talmud – Shabbat 8
In American law, we look to what is private, as opposed to public, by asking where we have a reasonable expectation of privacy. If there is an area (or device)…
Sticky Figs and the Talmud – Shabbat 7
Lest you fear that the Talmud is not comprehensive in its coverage of all conceivable situations we may find ourselves on Shabbat, today's Daf covers cases of when we throw…
Campaigns for the Texas Legislature and the Talmud – Shabbat 6
My wife is running for the fourth time in six months in an election for the Texas Legislature. She ran in November in a special election to fill the seat…