Interesting Posts and Articles #181

1. Did we really land on the moon? Here is an amusing video, which Snopes debunks.
   
   Related:

   "Science" tells us that men have walked on the moon. The Torah tells us that above the earth is the Yesod of Aish and that anything that passes through it would burn up. The Torah wins because it was written by the One who created the universe.

   Meanwhile, NASA releases the footage. The famous footage was a video of a video, while this is the actual video.
   
   
2. At Wired, how a T-rex femus sparked a scientific smackdown. Relating to whether dinosaurs were giant birds.
   
   
3. At Daas Torah, Rav Sternbuch's letter regarding the riots. And at Vos Iz Neias possible donor backlash over the riots.
   
   
4. On the Main Line on The Life and Ideals of Rav Yaakov Emden, something that would not make it into an Artscroll bio. And would such be inspiring? I think it could be argued either way.
   
   
5. Snopes reports on how Michael Jackson would look at 40.
   
   
6. Emes veEmunah reviews the Koren Sacks siddur. Perhaps they need to send me a review copy as well, but I don't see the big difference in translation, from the examples given in the review.
   
   
7. In USA Today, about flaws in the models predicting climate change.
   
   
8. Dixie Yid reviews Rav Avraham son of the Rambam's sefer, The Guide to Serving God. It turns out it's a cookbook. Just kidding. This is a new English translation by Rabbi Yaakov Wincelberg. An excerpt from the review:
   

   One interesting thing is that R' Avraham ben HaRambam certainly assumes that readers are already familiar with his father's understanding of the accounts of angelic visits to human beings from Chumash. While discussing the mida of generosity (Nedivus) in Chapter 5, he teaches how one should behave toward guests based on how Avraham and Lot conducted themselves with their angelic guests in their "visions." The fact that R' Avraham ben HaRamabam uses the term "visions," rather than referring to Avraham and Lot's actual encounters with the melachim teaches that he holds like his father in Moreh HaNevuchim 2:42 that angels cannot actually appear to human beings.

   You can look at excerpts of the book at Amazon. Meanwhile, if you want to read the version not translated into English, you can get the Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic version here on Hebrewbooks.org.
   
   
9. Vos Iz Neias reports on a rabbinical court in Israel refusing glatt kosher food for an incarcerated recalcitrant husband.
   
   
10. Finally, this week's Haveil Havalim is available here.