Interesting Posts and Articles #96

1. 
   MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
   
   
2. There are all sorts of explanations of kulo kaaderet seiar about Esav in this week's parsha, Toldos, but what about hypertrichosis? See this article about how scientists think they may have a way to treat a "wolf boy."
   
   
3. Copernicus's skeleton identified.
   
   
4. Life In Israel has a psak from Rav Yaakov Yosef, not to participate in the Israeli census.
   

   "If God forbid somebody counts people, it can effect ayin ha'ra taking control over them. There are those who are lenient nowadays saying it is a computer counting the people, and not a person. We do not protest against those who are lenient. Better that one should not be counted."

   It is good that he explicitly says "we do not protest against those who are lenient." Where there is legitimate machlokes, it is good to publicly acknowledge that others can rule differently, and that others can follow those positions. If that is what he means. In which cases would he protest against those who are lenient?
   
   I wonder also at the potential impact of this. What are these numbers used for? To determine funding for yeshivas? How about determining Jewish demographics, to see if there will in the future be a Jewish majority, such that this can affect national security and public policy decisions? The Biblical census seems to have been used (within acceptable halachic parameters) to determine the size of the army.
   
   
5. Geulah Perspectives has a much anticipated update on Rav Kanievsky's "psak" about bomb shelters on Chanukka. (And he may research it more.) It turns out it was more along the lines of rumor -- it was heard not from the source he thought it came from. And that one should not really trust anything said in Rav Kanievsky's name, unless he hears it from him himself. There is what to say about this phenomenon, specifically and broadly, and perhaps I will develop it in a subsequent post.