Attention Daf Yomi students! Get a Free or 99 Cent English Talmud Berakhot / Berakoth / Berachos

Daily Talmud study is both learning and religious devotion - the fulfillment of the mitzvah of Talmud Torah.Download for Daf Yomi a Free English Talmud Berakhot / Berakoth / Berachos in one PDF file.Download for Daf Yomi a Free Two-Column Brilliantly Reformatted English Talmud Berakhot / Berakoth / Berachos in two PDF files. Purchase for Kindle from Amazon for Daf Yomi a 99 cent English Talmud Berakhot / Berakoth / Berachos.Free Complete English...

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Times: Jesus and Talmudic Rabbis Set Examples for the Skinny Dipping Congressman Yoder

It's official. The Times will publish utterly silly stuff, like this op-ed by Dani Renan.LOOSE ENDSWhat Would Jesus Do? Skinny-DipBy DANI RENANA look at the history of skinny-dipping in the Sea of Galilee.KEVIN YODER, a congressman from Kansas, apologized last week for swimming nude in the Sea of Galilee last summer during a trip with his wife and other members of Congress, who apparently were clothed. Actually, he apologized for “any embarrassment...

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Was Beruryah raped?

Beruryah was a great independent, moral, outspoken Talmudic woman who met with a tragic end, according to a medieval story.The story briefly reports that Beruryah was "seduced" in a plot by rabbis and rabbinical students in a scheme to discredit her. When her act of immorality became public she could not bear the humiliation and killed herself.Was this seduction or was it rape? We have only the testimony of the men, not of the woman who was the target...

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At the Barclay's Golf Tournament at the Bethpage Black Course

We especially liked watching Tiger and Rory and Zach come around the course together.The GE booth made us a neat video of our swing, which you can compare side-by-side to the swing of Jim Furyk or Webb Simpson. Ne...

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Is Dîner en Blanc New York Like Ancient Passover?

After watching the reports we asked ourselves, is Dîner en Blanc New York like Ancient Passover?In a loose sense, as a large outdoor formal festive meal, yes it is.This year (2012) they just had the event at Lincoln Cent...

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The Adelsons back Rabbi Boteach

The WSJ reports that, "Billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, among the top donors to the Republican machine this election, is also now the top giver – along with his wife – to the New Jersey congressional race of the reality-TV rabbi, Shmuley Boteach.":Mr. Adelson, who runs the Las Vegas Sands international gaming empire, and his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, who runs the Adelson drug clinic, have each given $250,000, or $500,000 total, to...

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On Piyyutim and Pesukim - two new Stellar Free Halakhah.com Publications

On Piyyutim and Pesukim - two new stellar Halakhah.com publications by Reuven Brauner are now available for free download.1. "Synopsis of the Elul and Tishrei Piyyutim" summarizes each of the many Piyyutim we say in shul from just before Rosh Hashanah until Erev Yom Kippur. Most people read through them with virtually no comprehension of their content or meaning. Most proper Selichos books with translation and commentary are too cumbersome for use...

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Augusta National Golf Club Admits its First Two Women Members: Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore

ABC reports that Augusta National golf course, home of the Masters, has admitted its first two women members, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore.Sigh. 2012 and yet this is news. We are not impressed.44 New Talmudic Books for Kindle | The Amazing 36 Volume Kindle Talmud in English | Whence and Wherefore | God's Favorite Prayers...

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Is J. J. Goldberg an Am-Haaretz?

Sam Norich has put up obnoxious nag screens with his picture on his site because he wants us to give him $120 to become a member of the Forward. We thought the paper was profitable and did not need to beg for donations. Guess we was wrong.J. J. Goldberg has a column up on the Forward (Taking Ownership of Our Talmud) discussing the Daf Yomi Talmud program. It's rife with errors. To begin with he says, "...strangely, the commandment to study Torah...

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Amazing Shanghai glass bottom swimming pool in the sky

Rooftop pools are nothing new. But now CNN reports on a 24th floor pool that juts out and has a glass bottom. Quite awesome and breathtaking. Makes us want to take another trip to Shanghai.CNN also reports on the worlds 15 most spectacular swimming pools.Now that the weather has moderated, we continue on our incredible summertime 100-laps-a-day-program....

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Was Ayn Rand Jewish?

Yes, the potential Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan's hero Ayn Rand was a Jew.We bring this back up because the Times reports on 8/14/12:EARLY in his Congressional career, Paul D. Ryan, the Wisconsin representative and presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee, would give out copies of Ayn Rand’s book “Atlas Shrugged” as Christmas presents. He described the novelist of heroic capitalism as “the reason I got into public...

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Thoughts on the publication of Alan F. Segal, "Sinning in the Hebrew Bible"

In an act of intentional irony we read in synagogue this morning during the reading of the Torah part of Alan Segal's book "Sinning in the Hebrew Bible: How The Worst Stories Speak for Its Truth".We find Alan's book to be filled with erudition and common sense. That is why we admired Segal's past works and why we valued him as a friend. Segal believed in things that were mainly scholarly and he articulated them with clarity and enthusiasm....

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Yahoo: Romney Attends Orthodox Jewish Wedding in Lakewood

Yahoo News reports that Mitt Romney dropped in on an Orthodox Jewish wedding in Lakewood NJ. On Wednesday, the Republican presidential candidate caused a media stir when his motorcade sped into the parking lot of Lake Terrace, a banquet hall in Lakewood, N.J., and appeared to disrupt an Orthodox Jewish wedding party posing for pictures outside the venue.Reporters traveling with Romney, including this one, witnessed people standing near the bride...

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ABC: Romney's Dirty Religion Ad

Mitt Romney, who has served as an official of the Mormon church, which pothumously baptizes Jews, knows a thing or two about waging war using religion. USA Today reported in March 2012 that in the past Romney was, "a Mormon bishop (equivalent to a pastor) and a stake president (presiding over several area congregations) in suburban Belmont, Mass."In February 2012 Allison Yarrow wrote, "Mormons Still Baptizing Dead Jews Despite Agreements to End Practice":The...

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Times: Is Einstein's Physics of Relativity Jewish?

In George Johnson's review of a new book by Steven Gimbel, the Times considers the issue of the connection between Albert Einstein's science and the Talmud. We're glad to see that the Talmud is given credit for such great scientific advances. Still, we need to reserve judgement on the assertions at least until we read the book. The book blurb announces that, "There are some senses, Gimbel claims, in which Jews can find a special connection to E =...

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The World's Most Expensive Bible at $130,000 a copy from St. John's in Minnesota

Partly it's because it's handiwork by calligraphers and artists, and partly because it is a fantastic fund raising device, St. John's University is offering copies of their Bible at the discount price of $115,000. But you have to hurry. The Star Tribune reported in 2006:Some colleges woo supporters with tailgate parties, others with exotic trips. St. John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., is offering alumni and friends the chance to...

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Talmud will be an Olympic Medal Sport in 2016

In a dramatic reversal after refusing to conduct a minute of silence in memory of the slain Israelis at the 1972 Olympics, the IOC announced that Talmud will be a recognized Olympic medal sport at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.The recent Talmud event at the MetLife sports stadium in New Jersey impressed on the IOC that Talmud is indeed an international sport practiced daily by millions of competitors.NPR reported on the event in their story, "Jewish 'Super...

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Talmud: Try to swim 100 laps every day

The Tosefta quotes Rabbi Meir saying that everyone should strive to recite 100 blessings each day. It then goes on to explain how one can do this.Blessings are berakhot ברכות in Hebrew. In modern Hebrew the laps that one swims in a pool are called berechot בריכות.I playfully read the Talmud such: Don't say berakhot, say berechot.And so I have my Talmudic encouragement to swim 100 laps a day. On occasion I get to to that goal.Here are a few of my...

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Post: Trustee Irving Picard wants to undo Ezra Merkin's settlement with NY State

Trustee Irving Picard wants to undo Ezra Merkin's settlement with NY State. The trustee tasked with unwinding Bernie Madoff’s fraud is trying to block the state from paying $410 million to investors with fallen money manager Ezra Merkin. Irving Picard, the court-appointed lawyer responsible for clawing back money for Madoff victims, wants a bankruptcy judge to block a settlement between New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Merkin, who has been accused of secretly steering client money to Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme. In a...

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Israeli swimmer Yakov Toumarkin finished seventh in the final in the 200 meter backstroke

Israeli swimmer Yakov Toumarkin advanced to the final in the 200 meter backstroke in the London Olympics.He finished seventh. We are proud of this achieveme...

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