Why Can't We See Bacteria? 5 Points to Ponder

Why Doesn't the Stomach Digest Itself?

We've eaten and are satisfied; the food was delicious... but what happens to it now? It enters an incredible military induction, sorting, grinding, breaking down, allocating the nutrients for various bodily functions, and finally, excreting waste. All this occurs automatically!

This time, let's focus on one section of this wondrous factory, the stomach.

What is the function of the stomach?

The stomach breaks down food using digestive juices secreted by numerous glands located in the inner lining of the stomach wall. Stomach juice contains enzymes that chemically decompose proteins, along with hydrochloric acid necessary for enzyme activity. The acid also aids in disinfection by destroying unwanted bacteria that enter the stomach with food.

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The big question arises:

How is it that the stomach juices, capable of breaking down any food, including tough-to-digest foods like beef, do not dissolve and destroy the stomach itself? How does the acid differentiate between the food inside the stomach and the stomach itself?

It turns out that the Creator designed a defense system based on the function of cells and glands located in the stomach wall. They secrete a layer of mucus that protects the stomach from being digested by its own juices. In other words, the stomach not only secretes the chemical acid that dissolves and digests food but also produces a protective layer against that same acid... an incredible marvel!

Could such a process occur by "chance"? There is clear evidence of planning! It points to a superhuman source with infinite genius and tremendous power. There's no doubt that the intelligent and marvelous workings of the stomach, and indeed of every organ in the human body, testify to the Creator, the Master of the Universe.

A Sheep Among 70 Wolves

What would happen to a sheep among seventy wolves?... Surely it would be torn to pieces, and not a trace would remain!

The people of Israel (the sheep) are in a perilous situation, surrounded by Arab countries (the wolves) that openly declare their hatred and desire to eradicate the Jewish people from the world.
Take note of the populations of these surrounding Arab states, a partial list:
Iran - around 75 million; Egypt - 80 million; Syria - 23 million; Lebanon - 4 million; Iraq - 30 million; Saudi Arabia - 25 million; Yemen - 25 million; Jordan - 7 million; Turkey - 75 million.

And there are more: Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Algeria, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and others.

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These amount to no less than 350 million Muslims around the state of Israel, where only about 8 million people live (including minorities)!

What stops all these Arab countries today from simply uniting against us and wiping us out? Surely, in such a scenario, we would have no chance of surviving against them? More so, history shows that their attempt to unite in the Six-Day War led to their downfall and our stunning victory... Is this the hand of "chance"?

The only explanation is that the Creator of the world watches over and takes care of His children at all times, with our fate always in His hands, as it is said: "The Lord brings the counsel of nations to nothing; He makes the thoughts of the peoples ineffective" (Psalms 33:10), and "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 19:21)...

May we have the awareness and understanding that our very existence on the land of Israel every single second is a miracle and a grace that the blessed Creator bestows upon us.

Seeing - But Only What We Need to

Do our eyes see everything? It seems not, and the question is why. But first – a little background:

Our eyes gather information from the environment through light. The light that humans perceive is a narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum. We are capable of seeing electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 380-760 nanometers (a very small unit of measure; one meter contains a billion nanometers). Within this range, various wavelengths are linked to the perception of color: for example, blue at about 500 nanometers, yellow at about 600, and red at about 700.

There are wavelengths we cannot see, such as infrared (greater than 760 nanometers) and ultraviolet (less than 380 nanometers). Conversely, some animals can see light waves on a wider spectrum than humans: bees can see ultraviolet radiation, and certain snakes can see infrared radiation.

This information leads me to ponder: How can it be that humans, considered "the crown of creation," are more limited in vision than animals? Why can't they perceive a wider range of wavelengths, which would allow them to see a broader spectrum of colors and improve their vision?

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Again, this is another act of kindness that the Creator has granted us: If we weren't limited in our vision, what would happen?

Let me describe the potential outcome, and you can decide for yourselves:

We would be able to see microscopic organisms, such as all the bacteria "dancing" around the drinking glass we're holding, inside the water, or on our hands. Who would be capable of putting anything in their mouth?

We would see dust mites - microscopic creatures living in human dwellings under dusty conditions and moisture, on top of books, clothes, furniture, sofas, and similar items. Their waste is considered one of the main causes of allergic reactions in humans. An adult dust mite has 8 legs. Due to its light weight, gentle air currents can easily move it from place to place. I am certain that seeing thousands of dust mites around us would be terrifying, and we wouldn't be able to function...

We should be grateful to the Creator of the world, who designed everything down to the last detail and spared us from unnecessary information in order to allow us a comfortable existence and optimal, quality functioning on Earth.

The Queen of England - A 'Beit Yaakov' Graduate?

Have you noticed the dress of Elizabeth, the Queen of England?

The queen adheres to a modest royal dress code: long skirts and dresses, closed and long-sleeved shirts, even her hands are covered with white gloves! Someone unfamiliar with her might think she's observant, a 'Beit Yaakov' graduate...

Why do you think she is careful to dress this way?

Incidentally, at the beginning of 2014, a new decree was issued by the British Royal House, requiring the extension of skirts and dresses for women in the British royal family!

Another question for you: Suppose the King of Spain drives around the city in his luxury car and suddenly notices his son, the prince, eating a falafel wrapped in pita with tahini and pickles on the street, among the common people... What would the king do? He would likely be ashamed and furious at the prince: "This is not how a prince behaves!"

The son might reply: "But everyone eats falafel on the street. How am I different from them?" I'm sure the king would say, "You are not like everyone else. You are a king's son! You have obligations and restrictions; people expect respectable behavior from you because you are above them.

Friends, there is an important message here.

The Jewish people are "a king's son," so we have duties and limitations. More is expected of us. We must behave respectably, as befits royalty, in order to distinguish ourselves from other nations. We are required to dress modestly, to be careful about what we eat and how we eat, to marry only those who are suitable, and so on... All these are meant to set us apart, the chosen people, from the nations! And it is said, "You are children of Hashem your God... for Hashem has chosen you to be for Him a treasured people above all the peoples upon the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:1-2).

Who Needs Sleep - the Body or the Soul?

Who needs sleep? The body or the soul? Think carefully! I suppose most of you would answer the body...

Well - no, the soul needs sleep!

The proof is simple: a person who worked hard and ran around non-stop throughout the day was very tired at night. He lay in bed all night, yet did not fall asleep, but his body rested all night. When he gets up in the morning, will he be tired or refreshed?... Tired! Why? If we say that the body needs sleep, then the body rested all night, it didn't move, it didn't tire! The conclusion: sleep is not rest for the body but for the soul - the spiritual entity dwelling in our body, the essence of our life force.

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The soul requires rest. A person who engages throughout the day spends "spiritual energy," and by evening, this energy is depleted. At night, during sleep, we "recharge" ourselves. Just like a battery that has run out and must be connected to a charger to restore its "power" to operate again - so too, after a good sleep, a person resumes full activity during the day.

Of course, the Creator embedded physiological benefits of sleep for the body as well, but we cannot overlook the spiritual contribution mentioned.

What is this "spiritual entity"? Where does it come from? Are we ensuring it gets what it truly needs? - More points to ponder...