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Saying no to bread worship

(Significance of yeast fermentation in pharaonic Egypt and Passover; July 2008) The seder, or ritual Passover meal, is very rich in symbolism. The two most central symbols are probably the matzah and...

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Environmentally sound Bible publishing

(Environmental certification of wood and paper; July 2008) In recent years, a number of religious organizations have taken an interest in environmental matters. This trend has been strongest among...

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Pomegranate physics for Passover

(Wood anatomy, heat transfer, and the Paschal lamb; July 2008, revised Aug. 2008 and Aug. 2009) One of the highlights of the Exodus from Egypt and its commemoration in ancient times was the sacrifice...

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Drug-free sabbath candles

(Hemp and the laws of Shabbat candles; July 2008, revised August 2008) Many readers may have a cursory familiarity with the second chapter of Mishna Shabbat, the tractate of Mishna dealing with the...

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Botany, Prophecy, and Theology

(Botany determines Jeremiah’s theology; August 2009) The prophetic books of the Bible contain many metaphors based on natural and agricultural life. The contrast of the pious and the arrogant in...

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Achashverosh–Bumbling King or Agricultural Pest Insect?

(The king of Persia in the book of Esther, the legend of The Wandering Jew, and entomology; February 2010) Readers who are familiar with the book of Esther and the holiday of Purim are also acquainted...

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Jonah and the Castor Bean

(Jonah’s shade plant provides a graphic metaphor for the message of this Biblical book.; August 2015) Information about plants, animals, and geography often adds meaning, power, and depth to Biblical...

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Wormwood and Self-Examination

(Self justification can lead us down the road from chet to zadon, from carelessness to willful defiance, from rosh to la’anah; September 2018) Every year shortly before Rosh Hashanah, we read the Torah...

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Fine Linen on Simchat Torah—A Symbol of Social Change

(Why does it matter that Rachav hid Joshua’s spies under piles of flax? August 2020) Much has been written about the idea of linear and circular conceptions of time. Judaism incorporates elements of...

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Words over Wine

(Why do people make declarations over wine? February 2021) Why are so many occasions marked by formal declarations over wine or other alcoholic beverages? Toasting is one of the most popular examples...

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