ברכות – Berachot
Berachot 2 ~ How Many Words Are In the Babylonian Talmud?
1.8 million, give or take.
Berachot 3a ~ Which Text Are You Using?
The Talmud was heavily censored. The results are surprising.
Berachot 5b~ The Infant Mortality Rate
Childhood deaths were a way of life in talmudic times.
Berachot 8a ~ What is Askera (And Did It Kill Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin?)
Epiglottitis, or perhaps diphtheria. But certainly not croup. And yes, it probably did.
Berachot 10b ~ The Snake as a Symbol of Healing
Snakes were a symbol of healing for the Children of Israel for the Greek god Hermes.
Berachot 20a ~ Maternal Imprinting, And The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits
Why Rabbi Yochanan, Rebbi Akiva and a Pope all believed in maternal imprinting.
Berachot 22b ~ Urinary Incontinence
Why it occurs, and praying while attached to a urinary catheter.
The science of intestinal gas, and the prayer to be made when it passes.
Berachot 27a ~ The Prosecution & Punishment of Animals
The Talmud records the trial of a murderous chicken. A history of animals on trial.
Berachot 28b ~ How Many Vertebrae Do We Have?
Well, it all depends in how you count them. Ask Rabbi Tanchum, or Leonardo da Vinci.
Berachot 29b ~ “Why are Sunsets Red?” asked the Rabbi and the Scientist
It’s from the hue of roses of the Garden of Eden. Or the scatter of different wavelengths of light.
Berachot 33a ~ Injuries from Cows
Cows can cause some nasty injuries. So don’t pray too near them.
Berachot 34b ~ Where on Earth is the Garden of Eden?
Perhaps on the other side of the world, somewhere below the equator. Or not.
Berachot 40 ~ “Drink Water and You Will Not be Harmed”
We are told to drink eight glasses of water each day. On the origins of this myth, starting with the Talmud.
Berachot 43a ~ Musk and Ambergris
The Talmud proscribes the blessing when smelling musk. But what exactly is musk?
Berachot 50a ~ "The Three Who Ate" - on Yom Kippur
David Frischmann wrote a story about the rabbi who made Kiddish on Yom Kippur. But was it true?
Berachot 55~ Hemorrhoids. And Dreams.
What causes hemorrhoids, and why do we dream? And some bad modern science too.
Berachot 58 ~ Where, and What, is Kimah?
Most likely it is the Pleiades, a famous constellation near Taurus the Bull.
Berachot 59b ~ Birkat HaChammah: The Blessing That Isn't There
Every 28 years we make a blessing over the Sun. Here’s why.
Berachot 60a ~ Gender Determination
It was very important to have a son. Here is how to make sure that happened.
Berachot 62a ~ Open Defecation
The rabbis encouraged privacy in the bathroom. Today, millions lack the same.
Talmudology Bonus: The Most Common Words in the Talmud
Which is more popular, “forbidden” or “permitted”?