music and poetry – בין דין לדין

The Oldest Profession, In the Days Of Old

In my recent talk on repentance and the struggle against temptation, I cited a stanza from one of my favorite selihos, Rav Binyamin b. Zerah’s הורית דרך תשובה (which we recited this morning [צום גדליה]): מחלל יצועי יולדו אשר פחז כמים. נטיו רגליו כמעט לולי שפך לב כמים. סרח גור אריה בקדשה היא בעינים. עונו […]

Reading Aurora Leigh In Mishpacha

And truly, I reiterate, . . nothing’s small! No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee, But finds some coupling with the spinning stars; No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere; No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim: And,–glancing on my own thin, veined wrist,– In such a little tremour of the blood The whole strong […]

Ants, Engineering, and Epistemology

Scientific American reports: Tiny Robots Mimic Termites’ Ability to Build without a Leader Using sensors coupled with a simple set of rules, the robots worked independently to build structures Termites can create mounds that are hundreds of times their own size, working independently without communication or a leader. Inspired by the creatures, scientists have created […]