The modern science of thermodynamics (the study of heat and heat transfer) really kicked off in the 19th Century with the desire to make steam engines more powerful and efficient.…
Yesterday we discussed the importance of the public bathhouse. Public bathhouses are public and they imply public nudity, at least single-sex public nudity. If you could not access the public…
Whether an act is permitted or not frequently tuns on whether we intended to do the act or not. Today's Daf begins with the case of uncooked food on a…
My wife makes the most delicious minestrone. My wife is a foodie in general and an excellent cook who can come into a kitchen, see what is available and whip…
If you called me "nice" in the Middle Ages, I probably would have to challenge you to a duel, or perhaps sucker punch you! "Nice" entered English in the late…
Several years ago I took my family (including a Swiss exchange student) to the Grand Canyon for Spring Break. We hiked all the way to the bottom of the canyon…
Yesterday's story of the ascetic Rabbi Shimon Yochai continues today. Upon emerging from his second isolation in the cave, Rabbi Shimon understood that he had to work with people who…
Today we continue yesterday's discussion about specific sins leading to specific punishments. In particular, we consider how particular sins lead to particular medical conditions. This line of thought troubles our…