Stern College for Women -- Faculty Publications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12202/42

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Open Access
A genetic analysis of the events leading to the birth of Dinah
(Torah U-Madda Project of the Max Stem Division of Communal Services of the Rabbi Issac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University, 1997) Babich, Harvey; Klein, David M.
An individual's understanding of any subject matter is influenced by life experiences and prior knowledge. People with divergent secular backgrounds will interpret specific aspects of the Torah from their own distinctive viewpoints. For example, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan had a strong scientific background and his understanding of the resurrection of the dead focused on molecular genetics. 1 Apparently, he assumed that the miracles surrounding resurrection would occur according to established biological principles (or, simply, the laws of nature). In a similar approach, this presentation is a biologist's view of a specific miraculous birth described in the Torah and expounded upon by the commentaries; the event will be explained as being guided by HaShem to occur through existing biological principles.
Open Access
V'ten tal u'matar li-vrachah: Thoughts on dew
(Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 1998) Babich, Harvey
Beginning with the first week in December and continuing until the first day of Pesach, the phrase 'v'ten tal u'mattar livrachah"-"and give dew and rain for a blessing," is incorporated into the ninth blessing (Bircat Ha-Shanim) of the shemoneh esre. This blessing commences with the words, "Bless for us, G-d, this year and all the kinds of its fruits," and continues with "and give dew and rain for a blessing." "V'ten tal u'matar li-vrachah" is a "request" ("Ha-She'elah") for economic sustenance through agricultural productivity, and, as such, differs from the phrase "mashiv ha-ruach u'morid ha-gashem"- "Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall," recited at the beginning of the shemoneh esre, which is an acknowledgment of the power of G-d.
Open Access
Teaching science to the Torah-observant student
(Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 1999) Babich, Harvey
Graduation from an educational institution entails the successful completion of a more or less prescribed regimen of course work. As students have varied interests, aptitudes, and career goals, each course does not evoke equivalent intellectual stimulation and appeal. An instructional approach available to the teacher to enliven a "required" course (i.e., a course that the student may perceive as irrelevant) is to focus on existing strengths within the students. When teaching in an Orthodox Jewish educational system it can be assumed that the student body has a working knowledge of the basics of Tanach, Talmud, and Halacha. ln teaching a secular course in such an institution, the course can better "hit-home" if, when presenting illustrative examples of a particular topic, the instructor presents topics gleaned from the Torah. For students educated and trained in yeshivas or Orthodox Jewish day schools, the incorporation of Torah-derived illustrative examples into science lectures can make the course material more interesting. The more relevant the subject matter is to the class, the better it will be transmitted to and absorbed by that class. The wealth of available Torah material, i.e., especially if one includes Tanach, Talmud, and Halacha, makes it relatively simple to include some relevant point into any area in biology
Open Access
The Jewish People under the microscope
(Stern College for Women, Torah Activities Council (TAC), Yeshiva University, 2000) Babich, Harvey
As Orthodox Jewish communities grow in size and numbers, medical and health care professionals have become increasingly aware of the special requirements for this unique population. Appropriate articles in medical journals accompany this awareness. Several of the earlier articles in the medical literature made note of Jewish dietary laws. In the more recent medical literature, the concern broadened to include the special needs of Orthodox Jewish patients in the emergency department, in hospice care, in reproductive issues, such as infertility, assisted reproduction, multifetal pregnancy reduction, and genetic screening, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastsfeeding, and in psychotherapy, extremely “warm” article (co-authored in part by graduates of SCW), explaining to health care professionals the lifestyle of Orthodox Jewish couples, was published in a journal devoted to occupational therapy.
Open Access
Noach and the tayva some Torah, some biology
(Stern College for Women, Torah Activities Council (TAC), Yeshiva University, 2001) Babich, Harvey
Everyone is familiar with the story of Noach and the tayva. The intent of this article is not to review the entire incident in depth, but to focus on those aspects that have biological overtones. However, for continuity in thought, the entire story is briefly summarized. Furthermore, it is understood that all the events in the story of the tayva were orchestrated and directed by HaShem. Any mention of a biological explanation for a specific event is not meant to suggest that it occurred by the lows of nature without Divine intervention. As Rabbi David Brown states, "It is recognized that the laws of nature were created by G·d at ma' ase b' rayshis and, in effect, represent His will. Even nissim are not completely contrary to the forces of nature. We find that when G-d performs nissim He still works through the mechanisms of nature."
Open Access
The kof, reverse evolution, and the adnei ha-sadeh
(Stern College for Women, Torah Activities Council (TAC), Yeshiva University, 2002) Babich, Harvey
As noted in Chagigah (16a), human beings hove three characteristics in common with, and three other characteristics distinguishing them from, animals. The similarities include eating and drinking, elimination of wastes, and reproduction. Human beings are distinct from animals in that human beings have understanding, communicate verbally, and walk erect.
Open Access
Strange, but true
(Office of the Dean, Stern College for Women, 2003) Babich, Harvey
It is often stated that education in Torah must be a continual, life-long process. A child that terminates his/her Torah education at an early age remains with that minimum knowledge, which further lessens, throughout later life. The depth of discussion of a topic in an elementary or high school is much different from a subsequent discussion of the same topic, but reexamined at a later stage of intellectual development. For a child who high school , the topics discussed at these earlier ages may seem too simplistic when recalled later in life, especially when that same individual now has increased secular knowledge and sophistication without an accompanying increase in religious growth. The intent of this article is to review topics that may evoke "giggles" in an elementary or high school, but to demonstrate that with the appropriate scientific explanation such topics can be transformed from highly skeptical to very credible. This article discusses three topics: David's body coldness that occurred in his seventieth year; the lactation experienced by a poor widower and by Mordecai ; and the concept of shinuy hatevah.
Open Access
Entanglement in quantum computers described by the XXZ model with defects.
(American Physical Society, 2003-06) Santos, Lea F.; 0000-0001-9400-2709
We investigate on how to generate maximally entangled states in systems characterized by the Hamiltonian of the XXZ model with defects. Some proposed quantum computers are described by such a model. Defects embedded in this otherwise homogeneous spin chain are used to obtain Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and W states. It is well known that a large defect localizes an excitation on the defect site. We can then consider a few identical and large defects to create a subsystem whose eigenstates are entangled. Here, we examine the cases of one and two excitations.
Open Access
Thirsty for Torah ; thirsty for water.
(Office of the Dean, Stern College for Women, 2004) Babich, Harvey
Rav Aryeh Kaplan, noting that everything in the spiritual world has a counterpart in the physical world, cited several sources showing "water" is the physical counterpart of Torah study [l]. For example, in Taanis (7a), R' Chanina ben Pappa contrasted two verses in Yeshaya. On the verse, "Bring water to the thirsty" (Yeshaya 21:14), he expounded that water refers to Torah, i.e., a teacher should go to the student to teach Torah. On the other verse, "Everyone that is thirsty, go to water" (Yeshaya 55:1), he explained that the student also must go to the teacher to study Torah. In both verses, water is the symbol for Torah study. In Avodah Zarah (Sb), R' Yochanan, in the name of R' Bennah, explained the verse, "Fortunate are you who sow upon all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey" (Yeshaya 32:20) as follows. Fortunate is Israel for when they engage in studying Torah and in bestowing kindness, their evil inclination is delivered into their hands and they are not delivered into the hands of their evil inclination. Again, water is analogous to Torah study. Other Talmudic sources in which Torah study is symbolized by water include Avodah Zarah 19b, Baba Kama 17a and 82b, Berachos 56b, and Chagigah 14a. Shir HaShirim Rabbah contains numerous passages providing analogies between Torah study and water. "Just as water is a source of life for the world, as it says, 'A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters' (Shir HaShirim 4:15), so the Torah is a source of life for the world, as it says, 'For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh' (Mishlei 4:22)." Rav Slifkin also notes parallels between Torah study and water in Nature's Song [2].
Open Access
Yonah: Man against Nature
(Office of the Dean and Office of Admissions, Stern College for Women, YU, 2005) Babich, Harvey
Yonah ben Amitta's beginnings were quite unusual. According to Pirke d' Rabbi Eliezer (chapter 10), Yonah was the son of the widow in whose house Eliahu HaNavi lived during a famine. This was the same child who died and was revived by Eliahu HaNavi (I Melachim 17:9- 24). Yonah was a disciple of Eliahu and, afterwards, of Elisha and was the prophet for the dynasty of (Jehu (ll Melachim 9:1- 10, 10:30, and 14:25). He lived for 120 years. The Ramban (Bereshis 6:19) notes that when resorting to miracles , HaShem employs an economy of means and causes miracles to happen as close as possible to the natural order. In the entire Sefer Yonah, many of the events are an intermingling of overt miracles with natural phenomena.
Open Access
Microstructure and surface composition effects on the transpassivation of NiTi wires for implant purposes
(Sociedade Brasileira de Quimica, 2005-04) Oliveira, Anderson Garbuglio de; Giacomelli, Fernando Carlos; Giacomelli, Cristiano; Spinelli, Almir; 0000-0003-1752-0726
The microstructure and surface composition effects on the transpassivation behavior of untreated and heat treated at 500 ºC NiTi wires used for implant purposes were investigated by electrochemical techniques (open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization curves), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The potential at which the passive film breaks down (Eb) (transpassivation) was found to be strictly dependent on both the chemical composition of oxide covering layer and the microstructure of the biomaterial. It could be concluded that the disordered microstructure of untreated NiTi is highly resistant to transpassivation (Eb ~ 1.00 V/SCE), but the presence of a native oxygen rich oxide film onto it makes the dissolution easier (Eb ~ 0.00 V/SCE). Upon thermally treating, the microstructure becomes ordered and less resistant to dissolution (Eb ~ 0.12 V/SCE), but in this case the presence of an oxygen rich native film influenced Eb in a lower extent (Eb ~ 0.03 V/SCE).
Open Access
Locusts and elephants
(Office of the Dean and Office of Admissions, Stern College for Women, YU, 2006) Babich, Harvey
This essay is a discussion of two creatures, locusts and elephants, from a Torah U'Madda perspective. Both had an impact on Jewish history and both are discussed in the Talmud.
Open Access
Wine, apples, and dates
(Office of Admissions, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 2007) Babich, Harvey
For spiritual Jews, the periods prior to, during, and after Rosh HaShanah are intense , with individuals asking for forgiveness and praying for a happy and healthy New Year. For gastronomic Jews, the highlight of Rosh HaShanah is its fine foods and superb meals. For Jews combining both traits, the traditional holiday foods, served in plentiful portions, are symbolic omens for the coming year (Horayos 12b ) and serve to strengthen the spiritual mindset of the observant Jew. This article discusses some Talmudic thoughts, coupled with medical information , on wine, apples, and honey - food items consumed on Rosh HaShanah.
Open Access
Fungi bioluminescence revisited
(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2008) Desjardin, Dennis E.; Oliveira, Anderson G.; Stevani, Cassius V; 0000-0003-1752-0726
A review of the research conducted during the past 30 years on the distribution, taxonomy, phylogeny, ecology, physiology and bioluminescence mechanisms of luminescent fungi is presented. We recognize 64 species of bioluminescent fungi belonging to at least three distinct evolutionary lineages, termed Omphalotus, Armillaria and mycenoid. An accounting of their currently accepted names, distributions, citations reporting luminescence and whether their mycelium and/or basidiomes emit light are provided. We address the physiological and ecological aspects of fungal bioluminescence and provide data on the mechanisms responsible for bioluminescence in the fungi.
Open Access
Blood, frogs, and lice
(Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 2008) Babich, Harvey
This article analyses the initial three plagues through the eyes of various Torah commentaries and synthesizes scientific explanations within the discussions. The approach, noted by Rav E. Munk [1], is as follows: “In the miracles recorded in the Torah, the supernatural is often interwoven with the natural and the plagues may be defined as miraculously intensified forms of the diseases and other natural occurrences encountered in Egypt.” Rav E. Dessler [2] explained that there is no essential difference between the natural and the miraculous. We term an act as a miracle when HaShem causes a novel occurrence, unfamiliar to us. Everyday natural events, those governed by the so-called laws of nature, are also miracles, but their common occurrence and recognizable patterns dilute their significance.
Open Access
Biblical and Talmudic microbes
(Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 2009) Babich, Harvey
Microbiology is the study of organisms that cannot be viewed with the unaided or naked eye, but rather they must be viewed through a microscope. This category of organisms is rather broad and includes bacteria, algae, protozoa, and yeasts, which are types of fungus. Viruses are acellular and, although not considered to be life forms, are usually included in the study of microbiology. Some varieties of microorganisms are actually macroscopic and can be seen without the use of a microscope. Examples are filamentous fungi, which include mushrooms and truffles, and some multicellular algae. Microscopic life forms were first recognized by Antony van Leeuwenhoek, who developed a simple compound microscope and reported the existence of protozoa in 1674 and bacteria in 1676. Thus, there is no mention of microbes in Ta’nach or in the Talmud. Mushrooms and truffles, however, are noted in the Talmud.
Open Access
The enzymatic nature of fungal bioluminescence
(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2009-10) Oliveira, Anderson G.; Stevani, Cassius V.; 0000-0003-1752-0726
The uncertainty about the possible involvement of a luciferase in fungal bioluminescence has not only hindered the understanding of its biochemistry but also delayed the characterization of its constituents. The present report describes how in vitro light emission can be obtained enzymatically from the cold and hot extracts assay using different species of fungi, which also indicates a common mechanism for all these organisms. Kinetic data suggest a consecutive two-step enzymatic mechanism and corroborate the enzymatic proposal of Airth and Foerster. Finally, overlapping of light emission spectra from the fungal bioluminescence and the in vitro assay confirm that this reaction is the same one that occurs in live fungi.
Open Access
Localization and the effects of symmetries in the thermalization properties of one-dimensional quantum systems.
(American Physical Society, 2010) Santos, Lea F.; Rigol, Marcos; 0000-0001-9400-2709
We study how the proximity to an integrable point or to localization as one approaches the atomic limit, as well as the mixing of symmetries in the chaotic domain, may affect the onset of thermalization in finite one-dimensional systems. We consider systems of hard-core bosons at half-filling with nearest-neighbor hopping and interaction, and next-nearest-neighbor interaction. The latter breaks integrability and induces a ground-state superfluid to insulator transition. By full exact diagonalization, we study chaos indicators and few-body observables. We show that when different symmetry sectors are mixed, chaos indicators associated with the eigenvectors, contrary to those related to the eigenvalues, capture the onset of chaos. The results for the complexity of the eigenvectors and for the expectation values of few-body observables confirm the validity of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis in the chaotic regime, and therefore the occurrence of thermalization. We also study the properties of the off-diagonal matrix elements of few-body observables in relation to the transition from integrability to chaos and from chaos to localization.
Open Access
The Arba minim
(Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, 2010) Babich, Harvey
"You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of the hadar tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willows; and you shall rejoice before HaShem, your G-d, for a seven day period" (Vayikra 23:40). This sentence is the source for the four plant species (i.e.,the arba minim) used on Succot. The hadar tree refers to the citron tree (Citrus medica), in particular, to its fruit, the etrog (citron); the date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) which is the source of the lulav; the plaited tree is the myrtle tree (Myrtus communis), which has trifoliate groupings of leaves, forming a braided appearance, and comprises the hadasim; and the willow brook tree (Salix acmophylla) is the source of the aravot. The unit of the arba minim consists of one etrog, one lulav, two aravot branches, and three hadasim branches (Succah 34b).
Open Access
Onset of quantum chaos in one-dimensional bosonic and fermionic systems and its relation to thermalization.
(American Physical Society, 2010) Santos, Lea F.; Rigol, Marcos; 0000-0001-9400-2709
By means of full exact diagonalization, we study level statistics and the structure of the eigenvectors of one-dimensional gapless bosonic and fermionic systems across the transition from integrability to quantum chaos. These systems are integrable in the presence of only nearest-neighbor terms, whereas the addition of next-nearest neighbor hopping and interaction may lead to the onset of chaos. We show that the strength of the next-nearest neighbor terms required to observe clear signatures of nonintegrability is inversely proportional to the system size. Interestingly, the transition to chaos is also seen to depend on particle statistics, with bosons responding first to the integrability breaking terms. In addition, we discuss the use of delocalization measures as main indicators for the crossover from integrability to chaos and the consequent viability of quantum thermalization in isolated systems.