Sunday, October 4, 2026

Theology?

 I was recently challenged as to why be concerned with theology which is basically an attempt to rationalize G-d when we have explicit statements that this is impossible

Yeshaya (55:8-9) 8. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Rambam (Yesodei Haorah (01:10) What did Moses want to comprehend when he requested: "Please show me Your glory" He asked to know the truth of the existence of G-d, to the extent that it could be internalized within his mind, as one knows a particular person whose face he saw and whose image has been engraved within one's heart. Thus, this person's identity is distinguished within one's mind from that of other men. Similarly, Moses asked that the existence of G-d distinguished in his mind from the existence of other entities, to the extent that he would know the truth of His existence as it is in its own right.



In Rav Treibitz's introduction to my Daas Totah he wrote:

G d commands us to study the Torah twice - in Deuteronomy (11:19) and again in Deuteronomy (4:9–11). Each verse, however, is uniquely distinguished by its own internal semantical and syntactical form as well as the context in which it appears. Deuteronomy (11:19) states, “You shall teach the commandments to your children to speak about them, while at home, while traveling on the road, when you lie down to go to sleep and while you rise up.” This verse appears in the description of the reward and punishment which will result from the fulfillment or transgression of the commandments. Consequently, this verse is generally understood to refer to the study of the halachic obligations of the Torah - in all their variegated details. In contrast, Deuteronomy (4:9) concerns the necessity of recalling the monumental events of the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Here the Torah informs the Jewish people, “Be careful for yourself, and guard your soul greatly, not to forget the events that your eyes beheld at Sinai. That is in order that they shouldn’t leave your heart for the rest of your life, and you shall tell them to your children and to your children’s children.”

Ostensibly, the second verse deals with our obligation to effectively communicate the experience of the mass revelation of the Torah at Sinai. It requires us to preserve the memory of the event which constitutes the pivotal historical proof of the truth of the Torah and Moses’ prophecy. However, the Talmudic Sages (Kiddushin 30a) understood the verse to be a command to study the Torah. Furthermore, Nachmanides (Maimonides’ Book of the Commandments) asserts that it is specifically a command to study the “faith of the Torah.”

Consequently, the two verses which obligate us to study the Torah actually refer to two types of study. One refers to the study of the legal part of the Torah, and the other refers to the study of Torah’s theology. Each form of study is deemed a separate scholarly enterprise. Given the fact that each is based on a separate verse, it is incumbent upon us to explore the unique features of each, what they have in common, and their differences. 

In the world of Talmudic and Rabbinical epistemology, the idea itself and how we derive it from its source in the Torah are inextricably intertwined. Therefore, one can explore the nature of a Torah concept, even to its fine details, by careful scrutiny of the verse from which it emerges. Towards this end, it is instructive to compare the two verses with respect to their salient contrasting features. Such an analysis yields three notable distinctions.

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Friday, October 2, 2026

LevinAt11-10$to Save a Girl from IDF

 

בס"ד
Fri, Oct 2, '26
ערב שבת, הושענא רבה, תשפ"ז - תהא שנת פדיון זוכות 

Linked* below is this week's LevinAt11 broadcast, of HoShana Rabba, Oct. 1, '26.


תכנית ראדיו רב יהודה לעוין, שליט"א, הושענא רבה, תשפ"ז
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Tefillah request, for refuah shelaima of:

1. Rav Yehuda ben Masha HaLevi (Levin);

2. Shimon ben Masha; 

3. Lea bas Freeda;  

4. Reuven ben Chava;

5. Yechezkel ben Feiga Zlota;

6. Neryah Dov ben Chana (Leiter).

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Topics Included:
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1. Responding to the concerns over a potential nuclear-armed Iran, shared by the guest of the immediately preceding program ["The Mossad Files"]:  When we stop the public policy rebellion against G-d (Sodomy, abortion-at-whim, etc.) - we can hope for improvements.  Again, Israel is run by gluttons for Divine Punishment.  We insist on doing it to ourselves.

2.  The Torah posits a universal vision for all Mankind, vs. the self-serving tunnel-vision of imposter Jewish leadership.

• See Divrei Yoel (of Rav Yoel Teitelbaum ZT"L) on Parshas Achrei-Mos 18:3, for a glimpse into the authentic position of the Satmar Rov ZY"A - in marked contrast to the self-focused, klein-keppish nonsense spouted by those who undermine his holy legacy - unfortunately, in the very name of perpetuating it.

• We discussed Michah 4:2 as well, timely to Simchas Torah.

3.  Calling out imposter Jewish leadership - not despite the need to respect authentic Torah authority -- but specifically because of it.

4. Looking at Authentic Torah Leadership Today:

• Where are the authentic Torah leaders?  Why are they often silent?  Often it's due to intimidation and threats by those in power.

•  Case-in-Point: The shocking incident about 20 years ago: Why did Rav Moshe Green ZT"L retract his signature from an early Psak against voting for anti-morality candidates? 

He informed me then why: Because of a danger to his life, due to his fragile health.  From whom?  Who would have the temerity to endanger the health of a fragile Zokain?  A prominent Monsey Rabbi, now even more prominent in local chassidic quarters.* (Approx. 45 minutes)

* B"H, since then, as the prohibitions involved in supporting such candidates gained coverage in the tzibbur, Rav Green was able be far more open about his opposition to voting for abomination proponents.

5.  The Subversion of the Sukka: from chanifah of Sukka-hater Cuomo to a Chabad media liaison  exploiting the Sukka for a Mamdani photo-op: https://us.list-manage.com/178QYWgD75W?e=4fa57d7224&c2id=7507e8b297f0910ef6cf61f0cd652d4e.

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6. BREAKING NEWS: Female IDF Draft Update (Giyus Banos)
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- From Chomosayich, an established volunteer women's organization in Israel, which has saved and assisted thousands of girls from the ongoing IDF escalations against "easy-target" girls, over the years.

How far can your donation go in saving girls from falling into the Israeli Army? 

In other words, for how little can save one neshomoh?

For as little as TEN DOLLARS YOU CAN SAVE A TEENAGE GIRL FROM BEING DRAFTED INTO THE EXPLOITATIVE ARMY!

AND GIRLS FURTHER AWAY FROM CHAREIDI CENTERS CAN BE SAVED FOR A MERE 15 DOLLARS.

The cost of saving these neshomos is, in many cases, so low that it's scandalous that we're not seeing far, FAR more donations, although most of the tzibbur is simply being kept in the dark.  That's greatly due to the media blackout.  But it's also because many of those "Shaineh Yidden" who do hear about it fail to properly spread the word.  Too many of us are focused on issues far less important, or too timid to be seen as "controversial."

U.S. Donations to Chomosayich:

••• See the half-page ad in the new Upstate Jewish Business Directory. •••

Call Today.
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Clarification:
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Last week - Erev Sukkos - on just a few hours of notice, via emailed documentation - before we could clarify by phone - we we able to report on yet another (Torah-observant) teenage girl who received a letter from the Israeli Army Draft Office, which appeared to threaten her with arrest - over her refusal to compromise Halacha by appearing before an Army Religiosity-Interrogation.

Subsequently, we clarified that inasmuch as she's below 18, the police generally do not arrest such girls.  Nonetheless, the language of the letter was intimidating in the extreme - as our own initial reading of it confirms.  Who knows how many girls who received such letters promptly caved in to the summons, and submitted to a fatally flawed Rayon-Dat interrogation?!  What about all the girls about whom we never hear, who quietly submit, and eventually are pressured into enlisting?  That's the big-picture tragedy here.
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•••
From last week: Mike Lawler:

Here are a few source references to use to help identify the Dark Side of Lawler's legislative record, elements of the public record you won't hear revealed by his Amen-Chorus lobbyists. 

¶ Reference to a post by a media venue therein is not to be construed as any sort of endorsement of that venue, or their views.

Moderate' GOP lawmakers object to defunding Planned Parenthood in Trump's budget bill - LifeSite

Four Republicans Help Democrats Secure Vote for Taxpayer-Funded Abortions

House passes bill to criminalize transgender mutilation of children:

"The bill passed with three Democrats crossing over to support it: Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, and Don Davis of North Carolina. At the same time, four Republicans broke ranks to vote against it: Mike Lawler of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Gabe Evans of Colorado, and Mike Kennedy of Utah."

Rep. Mike Lawler - SBA Pro-Life America Scorecard

Inline image
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Broadcast of preceding week, Shabbos Shuva: פרשת האזינו


Write-up:  
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Previous week's broadcast:
 ערב ר"ה

...
An initial write-up and brief  overview, w/ supplemental info appears here:

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Preceding week's broadcast: נצבים-וילך

Linked here is the LevinAt11 radio broadcast of Sept. 3, '26.*


An initial write-up and brief analysis/ overview appears here:

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Sept. 10:
We extend to our supporters and partners a gutt-kvittel, Good Shabbos and good Yom Tov.

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

Email:  torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

845.642.1679

Direct: 771.215.8892

Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337

Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).

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Sept. 17:

PS: A published version of last week's letter, Living the Legacy of the Chofetz Chaim, appears (edited) in the current MonseyMevaser.com p.14, 16.

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Broadcast weekly over: Davidzon Radio: davidzonradio.com (718) 303-8000
Sept. 24:
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Circulated recently:
יג תשרי, תהא שנת פדיון זוכות

A simple עצה for those seeking גדרי צניעות in electronic communication

When communicating electronically with the opposite gender, when practical, one may prefer to not respond immediately, or to at least send the response on a timed-delay, as in the "schedule send" option for emails.

This delay reduces the sense of a live-time interaction.  The recipient then may feel a bit more like they're responding to the חפצא (object) of the email communication, rather than to the גברא (person) sending it.

When not possible to delay in responding, even a momentary delay, when done as a geder, may help; that too can help maintain a sense of awareness.  (Such brief delays are often beneficial in any case, to avoid errors and impulsive reactions.)

Please feel free to share this.

This is being disseminated for the zechus of all the Bnos Yisroel in Israel currently braving threats of arrest and legal pursuit, over their heroic refusal to submit to Army Draft Office orders to appear at the Draft Office - in the process of seeking a religious exemption (or otherwise).  Likewise, circulated for the merit of those girls silently enduring the indignities of arrest, military tribunal, and incarceration at the hands of the Israeli military police, court and prison system.

May their collective mesiras nefesh for Kedusha and Tzniyus serve to  protect Klal Yisroel from all of our enemies - those threatening us from within and without - in ruchniyus and gashmiyus.

To share in helping assist and rescue such girls, please partner with the established Chomosayich women's volunteer organization. They're silently bearing the burden incumbent on us all.

To donate from the USA, CALL OR TEXT: (347) 661-0172. Please mention where you saw their number.
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TTI
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In The News:

• Is HaShem preparing a series of localized or regional Mabul (Flood) events - for all those nations/ states/ cities/ neighborhoods who arrogantly refuse to learn their lesson?

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• Speaking about Israel being run by gluttons for punishment, it is clear that Netanyahu's militarism fails to realize that the problem isn't Iran - it's our open, unrelenting rebellion against G-d (via public policies like LGBTQ laws and indoctrination, drafting girls, and abortion-at-whim). 
הרבה שלוחים למקום:

"Is Turkey the New Iran?"

https://ctrk.klclick1.com/l/01M3WY90NV87TYC4FA5RPG0RWC_1

We're not certifying any specific claim therein. But the very headline underlines the flawed strategy of the morally-degraded hawks running Israel now.  It also highlights the idiocy of a coterie of Israeli and zionist loudmouths who manage to help foment / instigate enemies.  Foolhardy zionistic hubris and rhetoric can more deadly than terrorist bombs.  Jews didn't survive in Golus for almost two millennia by shooting off their mouths at every  injustice and offense (real or perceived).

(Let's not forget about potential concerns from Pakistan and even Egypt.)
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Relevant to Dr.-"Assisted Suicide" legislation:

https://lifenews.msnd41.com/tracking/lc/ddcdb2b2-e106-4506-9a99-26d4e3a09e87/64bc9f7f-717b-467e-910d-43ee442ed2f1/4493e4d8-5762-2bf6-d318-a3e37b755744/
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We didn't have time to address this  bizarre call for extradition: 
https://us.list-manage.com/2ZSGY865HHA?e=4fa57d7224&c2id=7507e8b297f0910ef6cf61f0cd652d4e

Why would we want to save the attempted mass-murderer from a probable death penalty at the hands of an Arab government embarrassed by his actions, in favor of Israel's revolving door for murderers?
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October 1 Link:
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Thursday, October 1, 2026

Leading haredi rabbi blasts calls to boycott Knesset elections

Rabbi Dov Lando sharply condemns haredi voices urging election boycott, saying those promoting such a move act out of 'wickedness or stupidity.'

 Rabbi Dov Lando sharply condemns haredi voices urging election boycott, saying those promoting such a move act out of 'wickedness or stupidity.'

"Woe to anyone who incites people not to go to the elections, woe to him - and I do not want to continue," Rabbi Lando told those present emphatically, adding that anyone promoting such a position is acting out of "either wickedness or stupidity."

Rabbi Lando’s remarks reflect the position of the mainstream Lithuanian Haredi leadership, which views participation in elections as a critical and central tool for protecting funding for the community’s educational institutions and public services.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Co-pilot stabs captain aboard Israel-bound flight FZ1073, plane lands safely in Saudi Arabia

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The Implosion of Eric Schmitt

 https://www.newsweek.com/implosion-of-eric-schmitt-12505501

Senator Eric Schmitt bounced from "vice-presidential pick" to social media meme after purported "slam dunk" perjury evidence against Jack Smith fell flat in a basketball mix-up.

His anticipated moment of triumph against the former special counsel crumbled when it became clear he had mistaken the Iowa Hawkeyes college women's team for the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise in key "gotcha" questioning aimed at placing Smith in Atlanta.

It was not just Schmitt that came out of Tuesday’s hearing with a red face. Several prominent conservative commentators circulated clips of the exchange as evidence that Smith had been caught in a lie, only to delete or quietly abandon those claims after the Hawkeyes explanation emerged.

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Off-duty pilots on Israel-bound plane heroically landed aircraft after cockpit stabbing, passengers say

 https://nypost.com/2026/09/30/world-news/off-duty-pilots-on-israel-bound-plane-land-after-cockpit-stabbing-passengers-say/

Two off-duty pilots reportedly stepped in to safely land a Tel Aviv-bound passenger jet minutes after the co-pilot stabbed the pilot in what Israeli officials are investigating as an attempted “9/11”-style terror attack.

The stabbing happened around two-and-a-half hours after taking off from Dubai, while the plane was cruising at about 34,000 feet, causing the jet to plummet 17,000 feet in just two minutes, according to Israeli media.

The two men – both “relief” pilots slated to skipper a subsequent flight, passengers told the BBC – managed to stabilize the Boeing 737 Max with 174 passengers on board for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

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How a woman's quick thinking and an Israeli executive's bravery saved Flydubai flight

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/30/israeli-ceo-subdues-stabbing-pilot-flydubai-flight/

The chaos unfolded when Tzvika Manes' wife, who was waiting near the cockpit while their daughter used the restroom, heard sudden screams from behind the flight deck door. She immediately alerted an off-duty pilot, who along with Tzvika and others, rushed to the flight deck.

Manes noted the international nature of the crisis – the off-duty pilot who initiated the rescue is from Fiji, the severely wounded captain hails from India, and the attacker is an Omani national. He also praised a quick-thinking doctor on board who managed to bandage and stabilize the injured captain, enabling the aircraft to safely continue its descent.
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Israel-bound flight drops 17,400 ft during 'violent incident' between pilots

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Mamdani to Israel Hayom: We will combat all forms of antisemitism

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/30/mamdani-israel-hayom-fight-all-forms-antisemitism/

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended a Brooklyn Sukkot celebration hosted by Devorah Halberstam, a Chabad community activist who chairs the Board of Commissioners at the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, during which he told Israel Hayom he would fight all forms of antisemitism but dismissed the idea of defining it.

The visit came just hours after Mamdani had unveiled a citywide strategy to fight antisemitism. The plan pours money into security, education and hate-crime prevention. Yet it stops short of adopting a formal definition of antisemitism, and it does not name anti-Zionism as one of that hatred's forms. That puts it at odds with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition that has been adopted by dozens of countries, which does treat certain anti-Zionist statements, among them denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination, as antisemitic.

Israel Hayom pressed Mamdani on this during the event. "Mayor Mamdani, will your strategy include all forms of antisemitism?" this reporter asked. "We will combat all forms of antisemitism," he replied. Pressed further on why the plan offers no specific definition, he said the strategy didn't need a "specific definition." The Israel Hayom reporter was then referred to Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, and to Deputy Press Secretary Sam Raskin, but they have yet to comment.

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