Title: The Science Behind the Mishna
By: Rabbi Joel Padowitz and Rabbi Jonathan Sassen
Mosaica Press
After spotting an orange moon just over the horizon on a cold New Hampshire Sukkos night, my daughter asked me about its shocking color. Because I recently read the chapter in The Science behind the Mishna which discussed twilight and the earliest time for Kerias Shema, I knew the answer. A bit later that night, my son inquired about the sparks he had seen under his hotel blanket. Since I recently read the chapter about lightning and electricity, I understood the basics of static electricity. While I won’t go into the details of these fascinating topics, I highly recommend you read about them yourselves in this excellent book.
Hashem’s wisdom is manifest in His two creations: His Torah and His universe. The Rambam (Sefer HaMitzos, aseh 3) says that the mitzvah of ahavas Hashem is fulfilled through seeing and appreciating Hashem’s unlimited wisdom that is manifested in these two realms. Ordinarily, these two studies, Torah and science, are pursued independently – one learns Torah without scientific analysis and one studies science without halachic analysis. But this new book, by Rabbis Joel Padowitz and Jonathan Sassen, masterfully brings these subjects closer together.
While the Mishna doesn’t formally discuss science, it does reference many phenomena that can only be fully appreciated through scientific inquiry. Some examples from Maseches Berachos (the topic of this volume) include: lightning, thunder, chelev (forbidden fats), flax, rain, mushrooms, grasshoppers, cheese, digestion, and earthquakes. While we can appreciate these natural phenomena even from a superficial perspective, this book takes us deeper and explains the science behind these and many other topics that come up in the Mishnah.
Each chapter takes us on a short tour of the scientific explanation of these facets of Hashem’s universe. In a detailed, yet accessible manner, its explanatory text, illustrative diagrams, and beautiful photographs both enlighten and entertain. The authors have a talent for distilling the main ideas of the topic at hand, presenting them in a clear manner, and highlighting how they exhibit Hashem’s infinite wisdom. They provide both adults and children a Torah-centered appreciation of science. And they help us understand the subject of the mishnayos in a much deeper light. Most importantly, they give us a greater appreciation of the chochmas Hashem that is manifest in His amazing universe, giving us a precious opportunity to advance our love of Hashem.
Reading this book has helped direct my attention to seek out Hashem’s wisdom in the mundane. For example, after recently appreciating the spectacular New England foliage, I’ve been wondering about the scientific explanation of the beautiful red, yellow, and orange leaves. Since it wasn’t discussed in this volume of The Science behind the Mishna, I found the explanation elsewhere. But I’m hopeful that the authors will write further volumes of this book. If so, perhaps a discussion of these amazing colors will appear in the volume on Maseches Shabbos regarding the melacha of tzoveiah (dying) or Maseches Negaim in its discussion of different colors of tzara’as. If so, I look forward to seeing their unique presentation.
