Uncategorized

Eruv – A new view of private property

One is not allowed to carry on Shabbat between a “public domain” and a “private domain”. However, the definition of these domains is counterintuitive. A private domain is defined be being enclosed by walls, even if used by many people. Even a whole city can be a private domain if it is enclosed by walls…

Uncategorized

What is the color of the moon?

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201111.html A beautiful reminder that color does not exist in things, but rather in our interaction with things. We don’t see the moon, we see the light reflected from it as filtered in a variety of ways in the atmosphere.Thus it is sometimes gray, sometimes white or yellow. And sometimes orange or even blue.

Uncategorized

Method of mishna – Shabbat and Tzedakah

The first mishnah in masechet Shabbat categorizes different cases of transferring an object between reshut harabim and reshut hayachid [1]. It teaches these cases through the example of a homeowner providing for a poor person at his door. Why does it use this case? The simplest answer (of the rambam and others) is that it…