Interesting Posts and Articles #184

1. Avakesh presents two perspectives on smoking, via video. Oy.
   
   
2. At Hirhurim, an essay by Rabbi Michael Broyde on Shoes and Gentiles, on the 9th of Av. Should the gentiles mocking a practice impact halacha?
   
   
3. Frum Heretic notes an article at Chabad, that the moon landing shows the limits of science.
   
   
4. On parshablog, I posted yesterday on a dispute between targum vs. trup, according to Shadal, on a pasuk in Devarim.
   
   
5. At Yeranen Yaakov, gearing up for 5770 as the time of the ketz.
   
   
6. When I saw that Jupiter had been hit by an object the size of earth, I remembered the Jewish apocalyptic interpretations associated with the Shoemaker-Levy comet striking Jupiter, and guessed that soon people would be making messianic associations with this incident. I did not have to wait long.
   
   
7. At DovBear, a post about appropriate family size by Rabbi E. Fink.
   
   
8. In Haaretz, how a rogue modesty patrol is targeting merchants in Netanya.
   
   
9. At Life In Israel, Rav Kanievsky refuses to give a bracha to someone who drove without a license. And also at the Muqata, with a fuller transcript.
   
   
10. Yeshiva World with an update on the Munchhausen case.
    
    
11. Rationalist Judaism makes mention of his article on whether Rashi was a corporealist. With an exchange at the end of it. And with a conversation in the comment section at his blog. Ditto for Rabbi Aviner on dinosaurs.
    
    
12. On the Main Line on eating locusts, biblical Hebrew philology, and species identification in the 18th century Middle East.