We have spent several days discussing the laws of Muktzeh - items with no obvious purpose on Shabbat. Consider a pen. We are not allowed to write on Shabbat. Should…
Author: Beastman
I am a corporate attorney. I was raised Jewish in a slightly observant household. Although I was bar mitzvahed in an Orthodox synagogue, I have never kept kosher or Shomer Shabbos. I love history and particularly Jewish history. I am happily married to a Catholic woman. Our children were raised in a reform synagogue and consider themselves Jewish - in some ways, they are more observant than me.
Mattresses, Money and the Talmud – Shabbat 44
Today we continue our exploration of the rules of Muktzeh - items that cannot be moved on Shabbat. The Rabbis cannot agree on what makes something Muktzeh or not. Some…
Sublime Detail and the Talmud – Shabbat 43
We continue our discussion of Muktzeh, items that are not normally used on Shabbat. Perhaps in my haste to catch up to the cycle today, I have read too many…
Thermodynamics and the Talmud – Shabbat 42
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.…
Public Nudity and the Talmud – Shabbat 41
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…
Bathhouses and the Talmud – Shabbat 40
If I feel dirty or just want a relaxing soak, I walk a few feet to my bathroom and I have a shower and bath waiting for me. Thanks to…
My Brother, Magnifying Glasses and the Talmud – Shabbat 39
When I was a little kid, my older brother and I would take a magnifying glass into the hot South Texas Summer and try to start fires on leaves by…
Intention and the Talmud – Shabbat 38
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’s Minestrone and the Talmud – Shabbat 37
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…
Nice and the Talmud – Shabbat 36
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…