The GOP effort to equate Biden and Trump on classified documents is working Analysis by Philip Bump

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/30/biden-trump-classified-documents-republicans/

Even before the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and seized more than 100 documents with classification markings, Trump and his allies were arguing he had the right to have those marked documents in his possession. When it was discovered President Biden had similarly marked documents at a think tank office he’d used and his private home, Trumpworld pivoted to the attack: Not only did Biden’s document possession functionally neutralize Trump’s possession, Biden’s situation was worse because [waving hands] Hunter Biden.

The media is blowing Biden’s documents ‘scandal’ out of proportion

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/31/media-biden-documents-coverage-out-of-proportion-margaret-sullivan

It’s debatable if Biden’s mishandling of documents – and more recently that of former vice-president Mike Pence – warrants much attention at all, much less the full-bore media blitz it’s getting.

“The bigger scandal here,” said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, is the over-classification of information; the US government puts its classified stamp on 50m documents a year. In an interview with the Guardian’s David Smith last week, Jaffer called that system of secrecy “totally broken in ways that are bad not just for national security, but for democracy”.

Why More Physicists Are Starting to Think Space and Time Are ‘Illusions’

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-more-physicists-are-starting-to-think-space-and-time-are-illusions?ref=home

Picture a perfectly calm, glassy sea on a windless day. Now ask yourself, how can such a plane be produced by overlaying two individual wave patterns? One possibility is that superimposing two completely flat surfaces results again in a completely level outcome. But another possibility that might produce a flat surface is if two identical wave patterns shifted by half an oscillation cycle were to be superimposed on one another, so that the wave crests of one pattern annihilate the wave troughs of the other one and vice versa. If we just observed the glassy ocean, regarding it as the result of two swells combined, there would be no way for us to find out about the patterns of the individual swells. What sounds perfectly ordinary when we talk about waves has the most bizarre consequences when applied to competing realities. If your neighbor told you she had two cats, one live cat and a dead one, this would imply that either the first cat or the second one is dead and that the remaining cat, respectively, is alive—it would be a strange and morbid way of describing one’s pets, and you may not know which one of them is the lucky one, but you would get the neighbor’s drift. Not so in the quantum world. In quantum mechanics, the very same statement implies that the two cats are merged in a superposition of cases, including the first cat being alive and the second one dead and the first cat being dead while the second one lives, but also possibilities where both cats are half alive and half dead, or the first cat is one-third alive, while the second feline adds the missing two-thirds of life. In a quantum pair of cats, the fates and conditions of the individual animals get dissolved entirely in the state of the whole. Likewise, in a quantum universe, there are no individual objects. All that exists is merged into a single “One.”

Wood from coffin of tzadik?

 Just read an article in Stolin journal  which notes that when the Rebbe's body was reburied in Israel the coffin was removed and pieces of it were saved as a segula by the chasidim.  The question raised was whether this constituted a problem for cohanim?

Jewish months have Babylonian names Why?

 אמת ליעקב שמות פרק יב פסוק ב

החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים15.

כתב הרמב"ן וז"ל: וכבר הזכירו רבותינו [ירושלמי ר"ה פרק א' הלכה ב'] זה הענין ואמרו שמות חדשים עלו עמנו מבבל כי מתחלה לא היו להם שמות אצלנו כו' אבל כאשר עלינו מבבל כו' חזרנו לקרוא החדשים שנקראים בארץ בבל להזכיר כי שם עמדנו ומשם העלנו הש"י כי אלה השמות ניסן אייר וזולתם שמות פרסיים ולא ימצא רק בספרי נביאי בבל ובמגלת אסתר וכו' עכ"ל. והנה יש לתמוה, מדוע באמת עזבו לשון התורה ונקטו לשון פרס, ובפרט בשמות החדשים שיש בהם שמות ע"ז כגון תמוז. ובאמת מצינו שבימי בית שני היתה השפה המדוברת בישראל לשון ארמי, ורק דברי תורה כתבו בלשון הקודש, והלוא במצרים היו משבחים אותם שלא שינו את לשונם16?

והנראה בזה, בהקדם מה שיש להבין הא דאיתא ביומא [דף כ"א ע"ב] שבבית שני חסרו חמשה דברים, והראשון מהם הוא הארון אשר נגנז בימי יאשיהו המלך. ולכאורה משמע דהטעם שחסר הארון בבית שני הוא משום שנתעלם מן העין. אך לא כן משמע במסכת שקלים [פרק ו' משנה א'], דאיתא התם: מעשה בכהן אחד שהיה מתעסק וראה את הרצפה שהיא משונה מחברותיה בא ואמר לחבירו לא הספיק לגמור הדבר עד שיצתה נשמתו וידעו ביחוד ששם הארון נגנז עכ"ל המשנה, הרי אף שידעו איפה הארון נגנז אעפ"כ לא העלוהו למקומו בבית קדשי הקדשים, ובהכרח שהיתה סיבה מיוחדת שבבית שני לא יהיה הארון במקומו. מדוע?

נראה שעולי בבל, שבנו את הבית השני, ידעו כי לא זה הבנין אשר יעמוד לעולמים, ואין חזרתם לארץ ישראל בתקופה זו הגאולה השלמה. דעתם היתה כי בנין הבית בתקופה הזאת לא נועד אלא להכין את העם לתקופת הגלות הארוכה. על פי שורת הדין היו הם צריכים לישאר בבבל עוד זמן רב, אלא שראתה ההשגחה שכבר לאחר שבעים שנה של גלות בבל כבר נטמע ונתערב רוב העם עם הגויים, וברור כשמש היה כי אם יתעכבו בני ישראל בגלות מאות ואלפי שנים שאז בודאי לא יצליח העם להשאר בזהותו המיוחדת ושוב לא יהיה את מי לגאול, ולכן חמל ה' על עמו והוציאם מבבל והחזירם, באופן זמני, לארץ ישראל, ובנה להם את בית הבחירה, והכל בכדי שישובו ויתחזקו ביסודות האמונה ויהיו מחוסנים לקראת תקופת הגלות המרה17. בכדי להדגיש ולהמחיש לעם שעדיין הם לא נגאלו וכי בעצם עדיין הם בגלות, לא העלו את הארון, מקור הקדושה בבית הראשון, ממקום שנגנז והשאירוהו במקומו, כי עדיין אין הגאולה שלמה18.

מחמת הכרתם זו, שעדיין לא הגיעה הגאולה השלמה, הנהיגו עולי בבל כמה וכמה ענינים שיהיו עושים כמו שהיו נוהגים בתקופת הגלות, להראות שבאמת תקופת גלות בבל עדיין נמשכת והבנין הנבנה אינו אלא ארעי ועתיד להחרב. מחמת זה כשעלו מבבל חזרו לקרוא את שמות החדשים בשם שנקראו בבבל, וכמו שכתב הרמב"ן: "להזכיר כי שם עמדנו ומשם העלנו הש"י", כלומר, כדי לזכור שבאמת לא נגאלו באופן מושלם. ולכן גם לשונם נשאר בלשון הגלות - לשון ארמי, ולא חזרו לדבר בלשון הקודש, מה שהיה מראה כאילו הם נגאלו באופן סופי19. ונראה שזה גם הטעם מדוע נכתב התלמוד הירושלמי בארמית, דבשלמא הבבלי שנכתב בבבל נכתב בשפת המדינה, אבל הירושלמי שנכתב בארץ ישראל מדוע נכתב בארמית, אבל לדברינו נעשה זה מהטעם הנ"ל.

[ועיין לעיל בפרשת ויחי [מ"ט פ"י] שביארתי לפ"ז מדוע באמת לא קם מלך ממלכות בית דוד בתקופה זו, כי להעמיד מלך מזרע המלוכה היתה באותה שעה כנגד רוח המקום, כי המלכת מלך ממשפחת דוד המלך היתה מתפרשת כאילו הגיעו קץ הימים והגאולה העתידה, ולכן לא העירו חכמי ישראל לבית חשמונאים על שהמליכו עצמם אף שהיה זה באיסור וכמש"כ הרמב"ן שם, ועיי"ש.]

לאור זה נבין דבר תמוה בסדר הנביאים, שהרי נבואת חגי, המתייחסת ברובה על בנין בית שני, נאמרה לאחר נבואת יחזקאל המבשרת לנו על אודות בנין הבית השלישי, ואדרבה עיקר שליחותו של חגי היתה לצוות לראשי יהודה לא לצפות ולהמתין לאחרית הימים אלא לבנות בינתיים מקדש שני. אבל זה צריך ביאור, מדוע נצטווה יחזקאל על הבית השלישי קודם שנצטווה חגי על הבית השני, לאיזה צורך הקדימו את המאוחר? אמנם לפמש"כ שפיר ניחא, דנבואת יחזקאל אודות הבית השלישי בהכרח היתה צריכה להיות מוקדמת, כי זהו הבית שסימן את גאולת ישראל השלמה, ולנבואה זו ציפו בני ישראל מעת חורבן הבית הראשון - לגאולה העתידה, משא"כ חגי נצטווה על בית שני שהיה ארעי ובא בזמן גלות חלקית, ולכן נבואתו באה באחרונה, ודו"ק היטב בכל זה20.

ולפי דברינו אלו יש לנו לבאר הפסוק להלן בפרשת בשלח [ט"ו פט"ז]: עד יעבר עמך ה' עד יעבר עם זו קנית, ובגמרא ברכות [דף ד' ע"א] איתא: עד יעבר עמך ה' זו ביאה ראשונה עד יעבר עם זו קנית זו ביאה שניה כו' אלא שגרם החטא, ועיי"ש, והיינו שבאמת היו צריכים רק לשני ביאות, היינו בנין בית ראשון בימי שלמה ובנין בית שלישי בימי המשיח, אבל גרם החטא שנתערבבו ונתבוללו בין הגויים והוצרך הקדוש ברוך הוא לגאלם באופן ארעי ולבנות בית שני כדי שלא ישתקעו באומות, ודו"ק.

2 million Jewish men died during plague of darknesss because they were sure it was not time to go back to Israel

 אמת ליעקב שמות פרק י פסוק כב

כב) ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים1.

פירש"י וז"ל: ולמה הביא עליהם חשך שהיו בישראל באותו הדור רשעים ולא היו רוצים לצאת ומתו בשלשת ימי אפלה וכו'. הנה אף שבאמת כל בני הדור ההוא לא היו נחשבים כצדיקים, שהרי מצינו שטענו מלאכי השרת הללו עובדי עבודה זרה והללו עבודה זרה, הרי שהמלאכים לא היו יכולים לראות שום הבדל בין ישראל למצרים, וא"כ מדוע מתו דוקא רשעים אלו ולא כל הרשעים. ונראה משום שאלו היו רוצים לעכב בידיהם של האחרים מלצאת, דהם סברו שמכיון שקבלה בידם שישתעבדו ד' מאות שנה א"כ עדיין לא הגיע זמן הקץ, ופחדו שאם יצאו קודם הזמן אז יארע להם כמו שיארע לבני אפרים שיצאו קודם הזמן, ולא האמינו לדברי משה והזקנים שחישב ה' את הקץ בזכות האבות, ולכן המיתן הקדוש ברוך הוא. אבל הכלל כולו, אף שבעיני המלאכים היו בגדר עובדי עבודה זרה, אבל רק הקדוש ברוך הוא יש לו את הראייה למרחוק להבין שאומה זו שעכשיו הם עובדי עבודה זרה יהיו בעוד שבעה שבועות מוכנים לעמוד בהר סיני ולומר "נעשה ונשמע", ופנימיות כזו גם המלאכים אין מרגישים בה, עד שהוצרך הקדוש ברוך הוא להוכיח את זה למדת הדין על ידי מה שהראה להם ארונו של יוסף [בראשית רבה פרשה פ"ז אות ח'], והיינו שהוכיח להם שאומה זו תוך תוכם ממקור אחר נחצב, וביארתי זה היטב להלן בדברינו ריש פרשת בשלח [י"ג פי"ט], עיין שם.

ונצייר נא לעצמנו מה היתה הרגשתם של בני ישראל במשך ימי מכת חושך, שהרי רואים הם שישראל לוקין יותר מן המצרים, שבמשך ג' ימים מתו יותר מב' מליונים גברים לבד מטף וזקנים ונשים, והלא לא ידעו טעם מכה זו, ובודאי שהיו ישראל תמהין ואומרין מה זה עשה ד' לנו. וזוהי נחמתנו במצב זה2 שאנו מתרעמין כביכול על הנהגת השי"ת בנוגע לכלל ישראל, אבל לפ"ז משמע שאנו קרובין לגאולה..

Terror in Jerusalem: Seven dead in shooting in synagogue in Neve Yaakov neighborhood

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/366570

At least seven people were killed and several others were injured, including one critically, in a shooting attack on the Ateret Avraham Synagogue in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem on Friday evening.

Skepticism

 Rashba (4:234): We learned from our forefathers not to accept something which contains the slightest doubts or uncertainties until it has been thoroughly investigated and the truth is ascertained. This we see concerning the acceptance of Moshe as a true prophet. They were uncertain whether to believe him - even though he came to announce that they were to be rescued from the horrible servitude of Egypt. This is why Moshe said they won’t believe me. This is because it was known that they were inherently skeptical and did not believe anything except that which was unquestionably true. Therefore, even though G d did incredible miracles in Egypt until they were taken out with an outstretched arm and awesome events - it was not sufficient to remove the doubts about Moshe from their hearts. These doubts were caused by the fact that all that occurred in Egypt were possibly just coincidental or natural events or from magical powers. Because of these doubts, they did not have unconditional faith in Moshe until the Splitting of the Sea - as the verse says, “that they [now] believed in G d and Moshe His servant” (Shemos 14:31). The Targum (Shemos 14:31) says they now believed in the prophecy of Moshe that it was true and was not the result of natural events. This event removed the last vestige of doubt that the miraculous events in Egypt could have been the result of random natural events. It was obviously impossible that the sea could have been split at night and the next day return to its normal state. Therefore, the splitting of the sea removed the doubts from their hearts - for the time being. However soon after the Splitting of the Sea, the doubts returned. They thought perhaps Moshe, who was more knowledgeable than any other man had ever been, knew how to do this by natural means which they couldn’t ascertain. The only remaining option for clarifying the truth of Moshe’s prophecy was by their own prophecy and this is what in fact occurred at the Revelation of Sinai when they final established the truth. 

Medicine and faith

 Rashba (1:413):… It is important to know that if a person falls ill it is permitted to utilize medicine as long as he knows that the true cure is from G d and he should not think that the cure is solely dependent upon the right doctor and the right medicine… A sick person is not allowed to rely on a miraculous cure and avoid the doctor and cures - whether natural or supernatural. The fact that the Torah itself grants permission for a doctor to cure indicates that there is no theological objection to medicine… In fact Shabbos (67a) states that whatever produces medical cures - even if not in a natural manner - is not prohibited because of magic. Furthermore it is prohibited for a person to place himself in danger and to trust that he will be saved miraculously… 

Creator of the world?

 Vayikra Rabbah (36:4) G-d said to His world: ' O My world, My world! Shall I tell thee who created thee, who formed thee? Jacob has created thee, Jacob has formed thee ‘; as is proved by the text, ' He that created thee is Jacob and he that formed thee is Israel.’ 

Ted Cruz Defends Mike Pence on Classified Docs Moments After Trashing Biden

 https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-defends-mike-pence-classified-docs-moments-after-trashing-biden-1776305

The Mike Pence story, it's still early," Cruz said. "You know, Mike Pence ... he is a good friend, he's a good man. He's explained where these came from ... That was a mistake, but there's no reason to think this was anything but inadvertent."

Blessing

 Zohar (1 88b) The table of shew-bread, from which issued blessings, was not to be left empty a single moment; and on that account we do not say grace over an empty table, since blessings from above do not rest on an empty table. To resume, then, the verse “I am my beloved's and towards me is his desire” indicates that “first of all I am my beloved's, and then, in consequence, his desire is towards me; first I prepare for him a place, and then his desire is towards me”. The verse may also be explained by reference to the dictum that the Shekinah is not found in the company of sinners, but when a man exerts himself to purify himself and to draw near to God, then the Shekinah rests on him. So “I am my beloved's” to begin with, and then “his desire is towards me”.’

George Santos Admits 500K Personal Loan to Campaign Wasn’t ‘Personal’

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/george-santos-admits-500k-personal-loan-to-campaign-wasnt-personal?ref=scroll

Late Tuesday afternoon, Santos’ political operation filed a flurry of amended campaign finance reports, telling the feds, among other things, that a $500,000 loan he gave to his campaign didn’t, in fact, come from his personal funds as he’d previously claimed.

However, while the newly amended filing told us where the funds did not come from, it also raised a new question—where did the money come from?

While both the old and new campaign filings claim that the loans came “from the candidate,” the campaign’s most recent amended filing had ticked the box for “personal funds of the candidate”; on the newly amended filing today, that box is unchecked.

Pedophile was ignored in Israel, then arrested in the US

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-729200?dicbo=v2-907c06e56605937dab776638e6a0eb48

Israeli Nimrod Shalom, a 41-year-old owner of a start-up company and a new immigrant from the United States who previously lived in Ramat Gan, was sentenced last week in the US to seven years in prison, following a pedophilia charge from 2016.

Former Vice President Mike Pence discovered classified documents in Indiana home

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vice-president-mike-pence-discovered-classified-documents-indiana-home

Former Vice President Mike Pence informed Congress on Tuesday that he discovered documents bearing classified markings from his time as vice president in his Carmel, Indiana, home on Jan. 16.

Following the revelations that classified documents from President Joe Biden's tenure as vice president were found at the Penn Biden Center think tank and Wilmington, Delaware, Pence's team conducted searches of Pence's Indiana home and the office of his political advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom.

Mike Pence's Words Come Back to Bite Him

 https://www.newsweek.com/mike-pence-denied-taking-documents-months-before-classified-items-found-1776227

A video of former Vice President Mike Pence denying that he took classified documents from the White House has resurfaced amid reports of classified documents being discovered in his Indiana home.

A CNN exclusive report said that Pence's lawyer discovered "about a dozen" classified documents at Pence's home and turned the documents over to the FBI.

Boston Children’s Hospital’s transgender insanity reveals how unhinged elites make money off our kids

 https://nypost.com/2022/08/24/boston-childrens-hospitals-transgender-insanity-elites-profit-from-kids/

Data show that “socially transitioned” children are far more likely to go on to medical interventions. And perhaps this is the point: After all, transgender is big business. Gender-transition surgery can cost upward of $100,000. The US gender-surgery market was valued in 2021 at $1.9 billion, with predicted annual growth of more than 10%. And when hormone therapy costs $1,500 a year, for the rest of a patient’s life, no wonder entrepreneurial medics want kids on the treatment treadmill as young as possible. Clinics are popping up like mushrooms to take advantage of this new business opportunity: The first American pediatric gender clinic opened in 2007, and there are now more than 50 nationwide.

All major seforim were written with ruach hakodesh

 Rav Menashe Klein (7:160): Look at Divrei Chaim (Y.D. 2:105) concerning a teacher who insulted the honor of the Ohr HaChaim and said that the sefer wasn’t written with ruach hakodesh. After much discussion he concludes, “That in truth even in our days there are true sages who are not influenced by earthly matters and they have ruach hakodesh as we see stated explicitly in the Moreh Nevuchim and Ramban. Therefore not only did the Ohr HaChaim clearly compose his sefer with ruach hakodesh but all authors even in our generation if they are worthy of it compose their works with ruach hakodesh. That means that their wisdom and understanding is in agreement wth the Truth of the Torah. This is mentioned in the gemora with Rabbi Eliezar. It is also stated as a practical halachic ruling in Takfo Cohen (C.M. 25:123-124) where he says that one can not say “kim li” (use a minority opinion) against the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch because all of its rulings were written with ruach hakodesh. Therefore a teacher who denies the ruach hakodesh of the Ohr HaChaim is an apikorus because he doesn’t believe the gedolim who testified on the Ohr HaChaim that he was deserving of ruach hakodesh. Thus this teacher is a denier in the principle of ruach hakodesh and ridicules the words of the Talmud mentioned before and it is good that you did not leave your sons in his hands. “ See these words which are like firery coals. Therefore concerning this shochet, I say that if he doesn’t believe that the words of the Mishna Berura were composed with ruach hakodesh and therefore are in agreement with the truth of the Torah – he is a heretic and denier of the foundations of our faith. It is not only this shochet but all schochtim who do not believe in this their shechita is unkosher. 

Philosophy came from the prophets

 Rema (Toras HaOlah 1:11): In truth all the wisdom of philosophy and intellectual analysis originated from the Jews. All the secular wisdom is in fact contained within the Torah as the Rambam demonstrates in great detail in the Moreh Nevuchim that all philosophical wisdom is found in the medrashim and aggados of our Sages. You should know that I saw a very ancient document that described the development of all philosophy. It stated that Socrates was considered the first philosopher. It also says that he obtained this wisdom from Assaf and from Achitofel. It also says in the Paths of Faith that the philosophy of Aristotle was stolen from the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech. When Alexander the Great captured Jerusalem he gave control of Shlomo HaMelech's library to his teacher Aristotle. Whatever good things he found there he wrote his name on it and then added some of his own incorrect  thoughts such as the world had no beginning and the denial of Divine Providence. This was done in order to conceal the fact that his material was in fact stolen from the wisdom of the Jews. Alternatively it is possible that whatever he found that did not have clear cut proofs in the works of Shlomo he simply did not believe. We see however that the basis of all wisdom hangs from this vine. In truth every Jew should believe in this system and not to give a pride and glory to strangers- the wise men of the gentiles. In fact Shlomo was praised for being able to speak to the cedars of Lebanon and the hyssop growing on the wall. If it hadn't been for the fact that the basis of this wisdom was stolen from him there would be nothing praiseworthy in Aristotle and those that came after him…Therefore it is proper to believe in these things. Just as we have we have written that is the way it is.

George Santos' Drag Queen Admission Is a Complete Disaster for Republicans

 https://www.newsweek.com/george-santos-drag-queen-admission-complete-disaster-republicans-1775623

Newly elected Republican congressman George Santos continues to be a headache for his own party, as the representative finally confirmed he has performed in drag on at least one occasion.

The admission, made in an interview with ABC 7 on Saturday as the congressman returned home to New York over the weekend, came after Santos had repeatedly denied ever dressing in drag despite evidence to the contrary.

Several images and videos showing Santos in drag have recently resurfaced online and have been widely circulated on social media. But the New York congressman claimed he only ever dressed in drag once at a festival in Brazil.

"I was young and I had fun at a festival—sue me for having a life," he told ABC 7 on Saturday. Last week, he described claims he had performed in drag as "outrageous" and "categorically false."

Angels and prayer

 Sefer Chasidim (1158) If there is an angel to advocate for him the angel since the angel is his mazel he prays for him before the person prays, G-d will first answer the angel who is the man’s  mazel and then afterwards when the person himself prays G-d will listen to him because of the  prior activity of his mazel

Sefer Chasidim (1158)וכל מאמצי כח אם יש עליו מלאך מליץ שמלאך מזלו של אדם מתפלל עליו קודם שיתפלל האדם זהו והיה טרם יקראו ואני אענה. כלומר אני אענה למלאך מזלו ואח"כ כשמתפלל האדם על עצמו שומעין לו בעבור המזל שהתפלל עליו וזהו עוד הם מדברים ואני אשמע:

A Reiterated Plea to Russia to Stop the Invasion of Ukraine by Rabbi Shalom C. Spira

 Ten months ago, Agudath Israel of America implored Russia to abort its invasion of Ukraine, as announced at <https://agudah.org/agudath-israel-statement-on-ongoing-invasion-of-ukraine/>. Soon afterward, this writer published his own similar (albeit more nuanced) analysis at <http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2022/06/a-cri-de-coeur-for-russian-army-to_30.html>. 

            The hope that these two articles would inspire President Vladimir Putin to repent appears to have been illusory, since – as of the present date – the invasion of Ukraine continues. To that effect, the frustration experienced by halakhic decisors in convincing humanity to follow the Noahide Code has been captured by R. J. David Bleich in his following comments (<https://www.yutorah.net/sidebar/lecture.cfm/733609/rabbi-dr-j-david-bleich/tikun-olam-a-jew-s-responsiblity-to-society/>, commencing 4:51 into the recording):  

 

“I don’t know why I draw these topics at rabbinic alumni conventions. The last time, I believe the topic was nuclear war. The next morning I went into the RIETS office, and Zevulun Charlop zol zein gezunt un shtark greets me with a kiltered face and says: ‘It’s about time you showed up. The switchboard is ringing off the wall. The Kremlin has already called to ask what in the world to do with its nuclear warheads. The Pentagon has heard that you said Bnei Noach may under no circumstances engage in war and they want to know what they’re supposed to do with all the bases they now have to dismantle. And we don’t know what to answer all these people.’ Now, you give me the topic of tikkun ha-olam, the obligation of fixing society in general, which deals with the entire gamut of issues involving Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, as if the umos ha-olam are out there waiting to hear what we are going to decide here tonight...”  

 

            Nevertheless, the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 65:16) elucidates Genesis 27:22 to mean that “when the voice of Jacob is found in the synagogues, the hands are not the [overpowering] hands of Esau.” Living in a world dominated by weapons of mass destruction, Jews are summoned to find hope by assembling for prayer. 

Now, such assembly for prayer must be accompanied by a partition between ladies and gentlemen, arguably even a visual barrier (as this writer has hypothesized at <https://www.scribd.com/document/576679859/Retraction-of-The-Quest-for-an-Effective-Synagogue-Partition-Plan>), and I submit that the latter itself serves as a valuable lesson to humanity in abjuring warfare. Tosafot to Bava Batra 21a, s.v. ki mi-Tziyon tetzei Torah, comment that a spectator visiting Jerusalem who witnesses the great sanctity and the kohanim occupied in their Temple service becomes endowed with Yir’at Shamayim. Presumably, Tosafot are referring to the spectator being impressed by the separation between ladies and gentlemen in the Temple [which, in turn, serves as the precedent for the synagogue.] And, as I wrote in my series premier at <http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/05/daas-torah-and-legacy-of-rabbi-joshua-h.html>, Yir’at Shamayim is the only real guarantee that a person will respect human life. Ergo, congregating for prayer in the synagogue with a formidable partition is an effective way of conveying the message to Esau to reconsider his militancy. In other words, when Jews pray with a formidable partition, we are publicly declaring “we can say ‘no’ to our evil inclination; we can successfully become moral heroes as per Pirkei Avot 4:1,” and this sends a message to humanity to try to accomplish the same.  

 

Rabbi Spira works as the Editor of Manuscripts and Grants at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research [a Pavillion of the Jewish General Hospital] in Montreal, Canada. 

The five hardest hits from a judge’s scathing ruling against former President Trump

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3821814-the-five-hardest-hits-from-a-judges-scathing-ruling-against-former-president-trump/

The Thursday judgement came in response to a suit Trump had filed in March 2022 against Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former FBI figures Peter Strzok and Lisa Page and many others. 

At its core, Trump accused the defendants of “a malicious conspiracy” against him, especially with regards to allegations of Russian collusion

Who’s Threatening Israeli Democracy?

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-supreme-court-revokes-appointment-aryeh-deri-cabinet-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-11674230927?mod=opinion_lead_pos4

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is getting this treatment now, and a brawl over that country’s Supreme Court illustrates why the issue is more complicated than the media narrative.

Israel’s Supreme Court has more power than America’s but without the democratic checks. Unbound by any constitution, and loosed from requirements of standing and justiciability, Israel’s court strikes down laws that it finds merely “unreasonable,” which can cover most anything. Israel’s court even has a veto on the appointment of new justices, in contrast to the U.S. where the President and Senate share the appointment power.

Young Jewish entrepreneur accused of conning America’s largest bank out of $175m

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/young-jewish-entrepreneur-accused-of-conning-americas-largest-bank/

The largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase & Co., is accusing young Jewish entrepreneur Charlie Javice of conning it into purchasing her company for $175 million by fabricating millions of its supposed clients.

In a lawsuit filed by the bank last month, it accused the once promising CEO featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list of engaging in an elaborate scheme to exaggerate the list of clients of her college financial planning startup, Frank, which JPMorgan purchased in September 2021.

Judge criticizes DeSantis’ firing of Democratic prosecutor but declines to reinstate Andrew Warren

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/20/politics/florida-ron-desantis-democratic-prosecutor-lawsuit/index.html

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by a former state attorney in Florida who sued Gov. Ron DeSantis for suspending him last year.

US District Judge Robert Hinkle said in his opinion Friday that DeSantis’ suspension of Andrew Warren, the ousted state attorney for Hillsborough County, violated the First Amendment and Florida’s Constitution, but as a federal judge, he could not rule against a state official based only on the violation of state law.

Tucker Carlson Mocked for Nicotine Comment: 'Absurd as George Santos' Lies'

 https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-mocked-nicotine-comment-absurd-george-santos-lies-1775519

Carlson most recently touched on the topic during his Friday night broadcast while discussing efforts to ban menthol cigarettes. In addition to claiming without evidence that nicotine, the addictive chemical found in most tobacco cigarettes, "frees your mind," he also insisted that efforts to ban types of cigarettes are actually part of a plot to promote marijuana.

"Boy do they hate tobacco, and it's not because it causes cancer," Carlson said. "They don't care about your health...They hate nicotine. They love THC. They are promoting weed to your children, but they're not letting you use tobacco or even non-tobacco nicotine delivery devices, which don't cause cancer. Why do they hate nicotine? Because nicotine frees your mind, and THC makes you compliant and passive. That's why."

His comments about cigarettes, like ones he has made in the past, were immediately picked up on social media, with detractors either sternly criticizing the conservative host or mocking his full-throated support of smoking. One Democratic representative compared Carlson's comments to the lies of Representative George Santos, a New York Republican.

YU Statement On The NYT Story

 YU Statement On The NYT Story

How extinct animals could be brought back from the dea

 https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230113-how-extinct-animals-could-be-brought-back-from-the-dead

Archer agrees that the moral rights outweigh any wrongs.

"I think it would be unethical not to do it. I think the ethical issue here was the impropriety of humans making these animals extinct in the first place. It's not about playing God, this is about playing smart human by undoing what we did."

Expanded cardiovascular benefits shown when wearing tefillin - study

 https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-729013

The cardiovascular health of both men and women who wear tefillin (phylacteries) around their arms can improve, according to new research at the University of Cincinnati (UC). The study suggests those benefits are the result of ischemic, or reduced, blood-flow preconditioning that produces protection from the damage caused by heart attacks.

Navy Vet Who Claims Santos Stole Dog Surgery Money Describes Shock at Revelation

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/navy-vet-who-claims-george-santos-stole-dog-surgery-money-talks-shock-at-revelation?ref=home

U.S. Navy veteran Richard Osthoff said in a CNN interview Wednesday that he was “sick” when he realized only “a week ago” that serial liar Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was the man who he had known as “Anthony Devolder” — the same person who he alleged stole $3,000 intended to pay for surgery on Osthoff’s service dog.

Embattled US Rep. Santos was drag queen in Brazil pageants, associates say

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-728995

Rochard said the congressman was a "poor" drag queen in 2005, with a simple black dress, but in 2008 "he came back to Niteroi with a lot of money," and a flamboyant pink dress to show for it. Santos competed in a drag beauty pageant that year but lost, Rochard said.

"He's changed a lot, but he was always a liar. He was always such a dreamer," Rochard said.

Biden’s Documents Case Isn’t Similar to Trump’s. It’s Really Like Hillary’s.

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/01/14/biden-documents-trump-hillary-00077923

Like the Clinton investigation, it’s not clear that this matter meets even the low bar for initiation of a criminal investigation. (Not to mention, there is a longstanding policy at DOJ against indicting a sitting president, a policy that Trump directly benefited from at the conclusion of Robert Mueller’s investigation.) Certainly, a national security review is needed, given that a former (and now current) high-ranking government official kept at least 10 classified documents — including at least one marked Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information, the highest classification in the government — for over six years in an unsecured office and additional classified documents in his home garage.

How Joe Biden's Approval Rating Has Been Affected by Documents Scandal

 https://www.newsweek.com/how-joe-biden-approval-rating-affected-documents-scandal-1774353

A collection of polls collated by FiveThirtyEight also suggested the January 9 discovery had little impact on Biden's popularity.

On January 8, the poll aggregate put gave Biden's an approval rating of 43.5 percent, vs. 51 percent who disapproved. Five days later, on January 13, his approval had risen slightly to 43.9 percent, while his disapproval fell to 51 percent.

Israeli man swindled $47m. from Orthodox Jews in Ponzi scheme - SEC

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-728561

A 35-year-old man who allegedly bilked Orthodox Jewish investors in Los Angeles and New Jersey out of $47 million and then fled to Israel has been charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission with using the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle.

The SEC alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday, Jan. 12, in US District Court that from December 2018 to January 2021, Yossi Engel induced at least 29 individuals to invest in his company, iWitness Tech, LLC by claiming their funds would be used to purchase and install security camera equipment.

Additionally, Engel also allegedly promised that investor funds would be used to purchase property in Israel that would be developed and sold.

Biden 'had no authority to declassify anything' as vice president: Chris Salcedo

Do Vice Presidents Not Have Authority To Declassify Documents?

 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-documents/

Comparisons between the two cases ran rampant. Among the alleged differences, according to some social media users, was that Biden, in his position as vice president, did not have the authority to declassify government documents, while Trump, as president, did.

"[Trump] as President had the unlimited power to declassify whereas VP Biden didn't," journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted, for example.

New House Oversight Chair Clueless on How Trump’s Docs Mess Is Different

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-oversight-chair-james-comer-clueless-over-how-trumps-docs-mess-is-different?ref=home

“As we heard the president say before, the president has the authority to declassify documents. The question is whether or not the president actually declassified the documents. The vice president does not have the authority to declassify—”

But Comer was cut off by Tapper, who rightly said the vice president did hold the power to declassify documents. That was instated by a 2009 executive order signed by President Barack Obama, which included the vice president among those with “original classification authority.” Those with that designation, according to the order, could start the declassification process.

Tapper asks GOP lawmaker if he will investigate Trump or just Biden

G-d as backup for tzadik in chasidic thought

 ו

Petitions for George Santos to Leave Congress Garner Over 130K Signatures

 https://www.newsweek.com/petitions-george-santos-leave-congress-garner-over-130k-signatures-1773811

Petitions calling on Representative George Santos of New York to resign received more than 130,000 signatures by Saturday morning.

Santos, a first-term Republican Congressman representing parts of Long Island and Queens, has faced accusations of lying about his personal, professional and academic background while campaigning. His scandal has sparked the ire of Democrats and some Republicans, who have demanded he step down.

However, Santos has so far declined to resign. He said during an appearance on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast this week that he would only resign if 142,000 people asked him to do so—a reference to the more than 142,000 people who elected him in November.

Over 80,000 Israelis protest against Supreme Court reform

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64279349

More than 80,000 Israeli protesters have rallied in Tel Aviv against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary.

The reforms would make it easier for parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings, among other things.

Protesters described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed changes as an attack on democratic rule.

Four unanswered questions about the Biden classified documents

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64267983

A few things make criminal charges unlikely, according to Mr Weinstein.

First, to bring charges a prosecutor would have to prove intent - that the files were knowingly removed and held by Mr Biden or his team. And second, he said, is the justice department's standing policy not to pursue charges against a sitting president.

"It's a bigger problem politically for Mr Biden than it is in terms of criminal charges," Mr Weinstein said.

Euthanasia is a cure for mental illness?!

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64004329

As Canada prepares to expand its euthanasia law to include those with mental illness, some Canadians - including many of the country's doctors - question whether the country's assisted death programme has already moved too far, too fast.

"Making death too ready a solution disadvantages the most vulnerable people, and actually lets society off the hook," Dr Li said. "I don't think death should be society's solution for its own failures."

Do Vice Presidents Not Have Authority To Declassify Documents?

 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-documents/

the claim that federal law does not give vice presidents the power to declassify government documents, and reserves that authority for presidents, is false. 

Under a 2009 Obama-era executive order titled "Classified National Security Information" the vice president does have the power to declassify documents while they're in office. The order states: "The authority to classify information originally may be exercised only by: (1) the President and the Vice President [...]," as well as "agency heads and officials designated by the President." 

Garland appoints special counsel to review Biden documents

 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/special-counsel-biden-classified-documents-00077734

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Thursday that he was appointing a special counsel, former U.S. attorney Robert Hur, to review the storage of sensitive documents discovered in spaces used by President Joe Biden during the years preceding his return to the White House.

“The extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter,” Garland said during a news conference at the Justice Department. “This appointment underscores for the public the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.”

The Legacy of Rabbi Feivel Cohen vis-à-vis the Agunah Problem – Part 2 bv Rabbi Shalom C. Spira

 The Legacy of Rabbi Feivel Cohen vis-à-vis the Agunah Problem – Part 2 

                                                Shalom C. Spira 

 

As I wrote in my previous article at <http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-legacy-of-rabbi-feivel-cohen-vis.html>, the legacy of R. Feivel Cohen vis-à-vis the agunah problem – as he sought to publicly express it – is that the Jewish faith considers Ms. Tamar Epstein to be the wife of Mr. Aharon Friedman. At the same time, it has also been argued [by R. Mordechai Willig] that there is an additional dimension to Rabbi Cohen’s legacy, viz. that he quietly supported Rabbi Willig’s prenup to resolve future agunah cases, based on an extrapolation from shtar chatzi zakhar to the laws of gittin. My article challenged the latter extrapolation, be-mechilat Kevod Toratam. 

 A recent audio recording (dated Oct. 26, 2018) demonstrates that my opinion is shared by R. J. David Bleich. Actually, Rabbi Bleich already contested Rabbi Willig’s prenup back in 1996 in his Be-Netivot ha-Halakhah Vol. 1 (which is elaborated in Section A of my prenup essay at <http://www.scribd.com/doc/176990434/Prenuptial-Agreements>). The novelty of the 2018 audio recording is that Rabbi Bleich responds to the specific claim that the shtar chatzi zakhar should serve as a precedent for Rabbi Willig’s prenup. Rabbi Bleich orally counters that this specific claim is “nonsense.” The shtar chatzi zakhar represents a kinyan me-chayim, viz. a mercantile acquisition orchestrated from the time that the client is alive, to bequeath property to his daughter [or some other beneficiary who would not normally inherit according to the algorithm of Numbers 27:8-11] in a manner that takes effect a moment before the client’s death. By contradistinction, Rabbi Willig’s prenup consists of a penalty on the husband for not getting along with his wife and additionally not granting her get. Since there is no gemirat da‘at [seriousness of intention] on the part of the husband, the husband is not obligated to pay the money by Torah law. [And since the secular court will nevertheless enforce the financial penalty, the resulting gittin are invalid.] My thanks are extended to R. Yisrael Zvi Harari, a disciple [of both Rabbi Bleich and Rabbi Willig] at the RIETS kollel le-hora’ah, who conducted the interview and provided me with the audio recording, available at <https://soundcloud.com/shalom-spira/interview-with-rav-bleichmp3>. 

I also received supportive e-mail feedback (on Jan. 2, 2023) from Yechezkel Hirshman (a marriage counsellor and to‘en-in-training who has published an in-depth critique of many different prenups – including my own – at <https://achaslmaala.blogspot.com/2023/01/prenups-xii-straight-dope-on-yashar.html>). Yechezkel wrote to me (inter alia) as follows: 

 

“As per the situation with HRHG Rav Feivel Cohen ZTL, I agree with you that expressing agreement to a specific Halachic construct is not to be construed as an agreement on a compound Halachic innovation. I also agree with your distinction between a shtar chatzi zachar and a get. I think it is pretentious for anybody to claim a deceased gadol as a "closet supporter" of a very contentious issue.” 

 

            Accordingly, let us honour the legacy of Rabbi Cohen by politely praying that Ms. Epstein soon return with her true halakhic husband [Aharon Friedman] to Beth Din, and let us likewise politely encourage all couples that have signed Rabbi Willig’s prenup to sign a release form from that prenup [even if the latter concept contradicts Rabbi Cohen’s closet support]. Ultimately, as underscored by R. Joseph Ber Soloveitchik’s 1975 lecture recorded at <https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/767722/rabbi-joseph-b-soloveitchik/gerus-mesorah-part-1/>, a key dividing line between Orthodox Judaism and heterodoxy is that the former respects the sanctity of marriage, pursuant to the Gemara, Kiddushin 2b that betrothal is called kiddushin because the wife becomes forbidden to the entire world like hekdesh (the Temple treasury). Thus, half-baked solutions to the agunah problem must be avoided by Orthodox Jews. 

 

Rabbi Spira works as the Editor of Manuscripts and Grants at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research [a Pavillion of the Jewish General Hospital] in Montreal, Canada. 

Pressure mounts on House GOP to punish Santos

 https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3809596-pressure-mounts-on-house-gop-to-punish-santos/

Tom Doherty, who served as an aide to former New York Gov. George Pataki (R), also said Santos shouldn’t be given any committee assignments. He did, however, acknowledge the difficult position McCarthy is in. 

“At the same point, you got to stand up to somebody and say, ‘Look, this is a man of very low character, he lied, and I really don’t want him around me,’ ” Doherty added. 

“But this was a whole litany of stuff. I mean, he made up an entire life, basically. You don’t get away with that. You certainly don’t, and you certainly don’t get away with that in a competitive district. He’s not getting away with this. No, not at all. This isn’t going away anytime soon.” 

Full List of Republicans Calling for George Santos to Resign

https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-republicans-calling-george-santos-resign-1773107

 On Wednesday, about a half-dozen members of the Nassau County Republican Party publicly called on Santos to resign weeks after revelations the 34-year-old Congressman embellished almost every facet of his biography, including his academic background, his professional resume, and even claims his grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust.

"He deceived the voters of the Third Congressional District, he deceived the members of the Nassau County Republican Committee, elected officials, his colleagues, candidates, his opponents, and even some of the media," Nassau County Republican chairman Joseph Cairo said in a Wednesday press conference urging Santos to step down.

The Biden papers and the Mar-a-Lago documents: Apples and oranges?

 https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3808819-the-biden-papers-and-the-mar-a-lago-documents-apples-and-oranges/

Biden and Trump’s classified documents involve two entirely different scenarios.

The documents discovered in Biden’s office had never been sought or requested by the National Archives or any other governmental entity; this was not true of the Mar-a-Lago documents. Trump attorney Christina Bobb signed an affidavit asserting, among other things, that “any and all responsive documents accompany this certification.”

Santos refuses to resign amid calls from local N.Y. GOP

 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/11/local-n-y-gop-leaders-to-call-on-george-santos-to-resign-00077450

Officials from across Santos’ Long Island district and beyond gathered at the headquarters of the Nassau County Republican Committee to offer biting critiques of the newly sworn-in Republican. Critically, they pledged to cut Santos’ local support system off at the knees after he fabricated much of his resume and backstory during a successful Congressional campaign last year.

'Disgraced' George Santos Faces 'Major Announcement' as Republicans Attack

 https://www.newsweek.com/disgraced-george-santos-faces-major-announcement-republicans-attack-1772842

Republican Representative George Santos of New York is facing a new setback after GOP officials announced that they would soon be making a "major announcement" regarding the "disgraced" congressman.

A Nassau County GOP media advisory issued on Tuesday brought more bad news for Santos by teasing a Wednesday press conference. It is set to feature a "major announcement" and "dozens" of Republicans, including elected officials and Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo, and billed as their "strongest statement yet" about the "disgraced" congressman and their position on his status in Congress.

Transgender woman pushed out of YU-linked synagogue after uproar over day school job

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/transgender-woman-pushed-out-of-yu-linked-synagogue-after-uproar-over-day-school-job/

A transgender woman who was asked to leave her teaching position at a New York yeshiva after an uproar over her identity late last year said she has been ejected from a synagogue affiliated with Yeshiva University due to the ongoing controversy.

Talia Avrahami was asked to leave her job in September at the Magen David Yeshivah, a religious Jewish day school in Brooklyn, and agreed to step down after facing widespread harassment.

Avrahami told The Times of Israel last week that after she left her teaching position, she was also asked to leave Shenk Shul, an Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan that is linked to Yeshiva University, the flagship Modern Orthodox institution of higher learning in the US.

Why Joe Biden Was Not Raided by the FBI Over Classified Documents

 https://www.newsweek.com/why-joe-biden-was-not-raided-fbi-over-classified-documents-1772506

However, Boston Globe opinion writer Abdallah Fayyad tweeted: "The fundamental difference in this case versus Trump's (other than volume of classified docs) is that Biden's team appears to have volunteered this info upon discovery whereas Trump's team actively misled investigators."

How Joe Biden's Classified Documents Compare to Donald Trump's

 https://www.newsweek.com/how-joe-biden-classified-documents-compare-donald-trumps-1772552

Cases are very different. Most notably, when Biden's lawyers found these documents, they immediately notified the Archives and turned them over," lawyer and former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg told Newsweek.

"In Trump's case, it was the government that realized the documents were missing and then tried, repeatedly and ultimately unsuccessfully, to get them back. Even after being served with a grand jury subpoena, Trump did not return all of the documents," he said.

"And in Trump's case, these highly classified documents were scattered all over his hotel, including in unlocked storage areas and his desk drawer. Finally, Biden had a security clearance throughout the time he had these documents, while Trump's security clearance was revoked after he left office. So cases are really only superficially similar."

Classified documents found from Biden’s time as VP, White House cooperating with DOJ

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3806056-classified-documents-found-from-bidens-time-as-vp-white-cooperating-with-doj/

Matthew Miller, a former Justice Department spokesperson during the Obama administration, tweeted, “Worth noting what former government officials have said since Mar a Lago raid: classified docs get mistakenly removed from government facilities fairly frequently. You report it, turn in the docs, the government does a damage assessment, and that is the end of it.”

“OR…you cover it up, lie about it repeatedly to the government, and force them to raid your premises to retrieve the docs (ie act like a sociopath), in which case you can expect a criminal charge,” Miller added.

Astrology and off the derech teenagers

 I was asked to deal, as a psychologist, with a troubled teenager who was the estranged son of an important American rabbi. The son was no longer observant. I did his horoscope which indicated  strong conflicts (aspects) which strongly overruled his desire to behave. I told this to his father, I was told later the father and son had reconciled and developed a strong positive relationship though the son did not change. The father simply accepted that this was a case of onas and that his son could not control himself. I have heard that some gedolim view off the derech children as not having free will in this area. This is also possible justification for the common advice to accept the off the derech child with unconditional love.

Another case in which I used astrology involved the son of a friend who was in Kollel and was also the grandson of a chassidic rebbe. The Rosh Kollel asked me to try and help the troubled boy. He told me don't try psychotherapy - he has already gone to a few and doesn't trust therapy. I asked the son  if I could do his horoscope. He replied cynically he didn't believe it or any other system. But to test me he gave the birthday of his closest friend. I told him the friend was a criminal and would end up in jail. Several days later the friend was in fact arrested and I was validated. Instead of therapy I suggested learning Berachos. We in fact made a siyum attended by the Bostoner Rebbe. He went on to get married and get a job and in general to behave as expected. I view this as a case where Torah overcame Mazzel

This is Donald Trump's Favorite Movie. "He Watches it Again and Again and Again."

 https://bestlifeonline.com/news-donald-trumps-favorite-movie/

The biographer Tim O'Brien once wrote about watching the movie with Trump. When the film depicted Norma Desmond crying, "Those idiot producers. Those imbeciles! Haven't they got any eyes? Have they forgotten what a star looks like? I'll show them. I'll be up there again, so help me!," Trump whispered to O'Brien, "Is this an incredible scene or what? Just incredible."

The ‘Never Kevin’ Chaos Is Tearing Fox News Apart

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-never-kevin-chaos-is-tearing-fox-news-apart?ref=home

By the time Wednesday arrived, Carlson made it clear that he was fully siding with the “Never Kevin” crowd, all while most of his Fox cohorts were begging the group to fold and end the standoff.

Haredi woman from NY released from marriage to Lebanese Muslim husband

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-727966

At the end of 2021, the young woman, who was part of the Jewish Syrian community in New York, married a man who had been attending yeshiva in Brooklyn. His relatives did not attend the wedding, and during the wedding celebrations, the woman found her new husband's passport which revealed to her that he was not named Eliyah as he told her - his name was Ali and he was a Lebanese Muslim man.

Following the discovery, the woman left her husband and flew to Israel. Ali then turned to the New York rabbinical court and converted to Judaism before flying to Israel himself in search of his wife.

The deal McCarthy struck was an inexplicable act of self destruction

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/07/opinions/mccarthy-speaker-vote-house-republicans-dent/index.html

While congratulations are in order to Speaker McCarthy, the role has been considerably weakened due to the reported concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown. Clearly, the hardliners exacted more than a pound of flesh from McCarthy and most of the House GOP conference that will make governing exceedingly difficult.

It begs the question: Is surrendering your way to victory really winning? And when will this appeasement ever end, considering it only makes this extremist faction more powerful?

Rabbi responds to uproar: The Torah forbids gay relations, what do you want from me?

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365564

Rabbi Meir Mazuz, head of the Kisei Rahamim Yeshiva, responded in his weekly lesson on Saturday night to the uproar following his remarks last week against the Gay Pride Parades and against Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the first openly gay Knesset Speaker in Israel’s history.

"The country is in an uproar. What? I said? No one else said the same thing? The Torah said 'it is an abomination', what do you want from my life?" said Rabbi Mazuz.

Last week, Rabbi Mazuz implicitly hinted that Ohana, who served as Public Security Minister at the time of the Meron disaster in 2021, was responsible for the disaster.

Wife should be ruled by husband: Torah Temima

Torah Temima (Bereishis 3:16): And he will rule over you - we learn from this that a woman asks for intercourse through her actions while the man asks for it directly and this is a good trait for women (Eiruvin 100b). Even though the trait of modesty is a good trait, nevertheless it is a curse that she can’t openly express her desires to her husband. It should be noted that this doesn’t explain the language “And he will rule over you” in terms of its literal meaning of having a master… Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezar (Chapter 14) notes that this is one of the curses of a woman and she should have her ear bored as a permanent slave and as a maidservant. The Radal says that this teaches that it has been decreed that a woman always has to pay attention to the words of her husband. It is logical that the reason for the practice of piercing a woman’s ears for jewelry is an allusion to the fact that she is enslaved to her husband as is noted in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezar. If so then why isn’t the expression in this verse “He shall rule over you” explained according to this understanding [and instead the gemora says it means that she can’t asked openly for intercourse]? … Nevertheless it definitely would appear that the verse doesn’t lose its literal meaning and that is also meant. Therefore in terms of the relationship of a husband and wife, the wife is obligated to accepted the authority of her husband as we find in the Rambam (Hilchos Ishus 15:20): “Our Sages have commanded that the wife view her husband as a king and lord.”Aside from the language of this verse this idea of rulership can also be seen in the Sifre…that a woman does not have permission to speak before her husband. This is also possibly the source that Pesachim (108a) that a woman does not have to recline at the Pesach Seder in the presence of her husband. The reason being that he rules over her. She is exempt in the same way that a student is in the presence of his teacher. He cannot recline in the manner of freedom because of his fear and respect of his teacher. It is logical that this is the reason that a woman who does not fulfill the wishes of her husband is called a moredes (rebel). Since it is an obligation to accept him as king and lord [as stated in Rambam] therefore when she does the opposite - it as if she had rebelled against the kingdom. …

What has Kevin McCarthy given up, and at what price?

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64194129

It took 15 ballots, a midnight vote and a near-fistfight in the hallowed chambers of Congress, but Kevin McCarthy has now been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Through a combination of cajoling, arm-twisting and finger-jabbing, the California congressman succeeded in convincing enough of the 20 holdout Republicans to support him - or at least not explicitly oppose his bid for the Speaker's gavel.

Getting those recalcitrant Republicans on board, however, was not an easy job. Mr McCarthy has had to make promises, and key concessions, that limit his own power and increase the influence of conservatives in the House of Representatives.

US teen discovers cyber bully was her own mother

 https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-726595

A teenage girl who suffered from cyberbullying discovered that the anonymous troll behind hate messages she received over the past year was...her own mother!

Kendra Gayle Licari, from Michigan, abused her daughter online using juvenile slang to keep herself from being identified. She was arrested last month after a year-long investigation, to which FBI experts were called in to help search for the bully.

Even though Licari used a VPN (virtual private network) to disguise the source of the messages and spiced up her messages with juvenile slang to make them look like they were written by a boy or girl, detectives were eventually able to connect the messages to Licari.

McCarthy Thanking Trump 2 Years After Jan. 6 Was 'Disgusting': Ex-GOP Rep.

 https://www.newsweek.com/mccarthy-thanking-trump-2-years-after-jan-6-was-disgusting-ex-gop-rep-1772081

"It is about a coalition, Katie," Jolly added. "And you can extrapolate this out nationally, what we know going into a presidential race, which is Donald Trump's power is slipping, but his grip is so tight over the part of the coalition he holds that the party fractures without him. While Democrats have built a coalition in the last six years of disaffected Republicans and independents, joining their cause for healthcare, education, immigration reform, and criminal justice reform, Republicans have built a coalition of insurrectionists, white nationalists, antisemites, and other people who want to tear down the government, and so that's what we're seeing on display."

Victims Pressured Not to Cooperate With Police in Prominent Yeshiva Sexual Assault Case

 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-05/ty-article/.premium/victims-pressured-not-to-cooperate-with-police-in-prominent-yeshiva-sexual-assault-case/00000185-8254-d9f4-abf7-83ff122b0000

Vizhnitz court and Rabbi Efraim Tessler could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for MK Yaakov Tessler, said that he would not comment on “gossip and slander.”

Spiritual growth only outside of Israel

Rav Tzadok (Pri Tzadik Vayechi  1) The 17 years that Jacob was in Egypt revived some of those bad years which befell him. This idea is stated (in ) that if an individual lives a good year close to his old age, it is a good sign for him, and G-d considers it as if all his days were good. All the days of Jacob when he was in pain was not considered to be life because they were not completed in holiness and only in Egypt did he merit to complete them in his holiness. Logic would dictate that since Israel is the place of greatest holiness in the world, as G-d told Abraham to leave Aram and go to the land of Israel, and Isaac was told that he would be blessed if he lived in this land. Jacob himself loved the land, and it would have been fitting for Jacob to complete his life in holiness in the holy land, and not in Egypt which is an impure land, and its people are more polluted than any other.

We find that in the exile in Babylon and in the exile of the second Temple that the main expansion of the oral Torah was specifically in exile. Specifically there the secrets of the Torah were revealed, more than was revealed while the Jews were in Israel. It is specifically from Babylon that the people of the great assembly arose and they were able to establish the law of Arava (c.f. Sukkah 44a) We also see in Sukkah (20A) that Ezra rose from Babylon and established Torah, and thereafter Torah was forgotten. Hillel then went and re-established it (and Hillel was also from Babylon (ed)), Rabbi Chiya and his sons (from Babylon) reconstituted the Torah. It also states in Medrash Shir Hashirim (4:4) that the righteous after the destruction of the Temple constituted the Torah in a greater way than the righteous in their building of the Temple.

This Parasha is closed. Our Rabbis have explained the reasons for it, and they are all true. There is another reason for it being closed. The completion of Jacob's holiness is specifically in Egypt, and not in the land of Israel. This coincides with the notion that the revelation and arrival of the Jewish People which contains the souls which were prepared for the acceptance of the Torah specifically in a foreign land and not in Israel, and that the end of the creation of the world occurs in the land of Egypt. These concepts are closed(Satum) from human understanding.