Sunday, April 30, 2023

How Joseph Dispenza Seduced America With Pseudoscience

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-joseph-dispenza-seduced-america-with-pseudoscience?ref=home?ref=home

“He’s interspersing science with new age spirituality and using a lot of terms very loosely,” Van Dam said. “He’s also extrapolating scientific research well beyond things to which it can speak.”

“And that’s part of the appeal to the public,’ he added. “It sounds like it’s science, it sounds like scientific evidence, but it’s not.”

Raw vegetables are unhealthy

 Pesachim (42a) Three things increase one’s waste, lower one’s stature, and take one five-hundredth of a person’s vision if he eats them regularly. And they are: Bread from coarse flour, new beer, and raw vegetables.

Large Strides and Loss of Vision

 https://etzion.org.il/en/talmud/studies-gemara/midrash-and-aggada/large-strides-and-loss-vision

            R. Kook provides an answer to the question that coheres with his broader reading of our passage.  For R. Kook, large steps convey impatience with the process and the means to an end, while rushing toward conclusions and results.  From this perspective, pesiah gasa (taking large steps) is problematic even when chasing a worthy goal.  Someone with a deeper understanding appreciates the value of the process and avoids a frenzied attempt to finish early.  In fact, according to this more profound perspective, one does not rest content at any finish line, since each achievement is the springboard for the next journey. 

Saturday, April 29, 2023

March of the Million' shatters claim nation opposes judicial reform

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/04/28/march-of-the-million-shatters-claim-nation-opposes-judicial-reform/

The "March of the Million" near the Knesset in Jerusalem on Thursday evening may not have hit its target (organizers say 600,000 attended; police say 200,000), but it succeeded in putting to bed Opposition claims that Israelis are united against judicial reform. It also provided much-needed backing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's beleaguered government.

Evolution - Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky

 אמת ליעקב פרשת קדושים

(ג) איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו.

נראה לבאר הקשר בין שני ענינים אלה, דבאמת המאמין בקדמות העולם - וכמו שמאמינים אומות העולם ורשעי ישראל שבמשך הזמן נתפתח האדם מכל מיני קופים ושאר חיות וכדומה - בהכרח שסובר שכל מה שהדורות מתרחקים מהזמן הקדמון יותר הם מפותחים ויותר הם חשובים, ולכן אדרבה - הם סוברים שהדור הזקן חייב לכבד את הדור הצעיר, אבל אנו שמאמינים שהאדם הוא יציר כפיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא וככל שמתרחקים הדורות יותר אנו מתרחקים מההשפעה האלקית ומגדלותו יתברך, בודאי השומה עלינו לכבד את הדור הקודם, שהרי הם חשובים וגדולים יותר ממנו, ולכן כשבאה התורה להזהיר על "איש אמו ואביו תיראו", הוצרכה לחזור ולשנות גם את פרשת "ואת שבתותי תשמרו", דהרי השבת הוא הזכר והאות לחידוש העולם על ידי הקדוש ברוך הוא בששת מעשה בראשית, ודו"ק.

בענין זה אזכיר מה ששמעתי מהגר"א וואסרמן זצ"ל: שאילו ראה דארווין את החפץ חיים לא היה אומר שהאדם נתפתח מקופים וכדומה, אלא שהוא ראה רק אנשים כמוהו ולכן בא לידי טעות, ודו"ק.


Trump's Attorney Just Blew Carroll Rape Case: Top Sexual Assault Lawyer

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-rape-case-blown-1797369

Donald Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina "threw" the former president's chances of emerging triumphant from the ongoing New York rape trial "out the window" during the cross-examination of plaintiff E. Jean Carroll on Thursday, Michigan attorney Jamie White has told Newsweek.

"The cross-examination of Ms Carroll was the most tone-deaf and shameless cross-examination I have ever seen," White, best known for his work with sexual assault victims, said. "His insinuations were credibly rebuffed by Ms. Carroll. If Mr. Trump had a prayer of coming out on top, his attorney threw it out the window yesterday."

White has successfully worked on several cases calling for justice for victims of sexual assault. Most famously, he represented the members of the U.S. Gymnastics team who were assaulted by former coach Larry Nasser,

Friday, April 28, 2023

Organizers estimate 600,000 at pro-government demonstration in Jerusalem

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370645

An enormous rally with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators called the 'Million March,' was held in front of the Knesset this evening (Thursday) in support of the government's planned judicial reforms.

Over 1,000 buses are bringing citizens from all over the country to participate in the demonstration.

Police said that crowds at the demonstration at first reached 200,000 people.Later, as more and more people arrived, and it was almost impossible to get through the crowds that poured in, filling all the streets around the Knesset, the organizers estimated close to 600,000 people.

New Audio Shows Ted Cruz Scheming to Steal 2020 Election

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/ari-melber-on-msnbc-airs-bombshell-audio-showing-ted-cruz-scheming-to-steal-election?ref=scroll

According to the files, Cruz reportedly tried to sell his plan to Fox host and Trump ally Maria Bartiromo on Jan. 2—four days before the Capitol riot—pitching a scheme to overthrow the 2020 election by blocking the certification of Joe Biden’s win on Jan. 6, then establishing a commission to investigate the nonexistent claims of fraud which would ultimately “decide” who to inaugurate.

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Trump kept quiet on the Bud Light boycott. It turns out he owns Anheuser-Busch stock

 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-anheuser-busch-stock-boycott-b2327379.html

When conservative activists and Maga influencers called for a boycott of Bud Light beer over a sponsorship deal with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, one notable GOP figure stayed silent on the matter: Former president Donald Trump.

The twice-impeached ex-president’s silence on the bubbling controversy stood out among GOP presidential contenders, many of whom spoke out against the maker of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Trump allies who stole from border wall donors sentenced to prison

 https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3973715-trump-allies-who-stole-from-border-wall-donors-sentenced-to-prison/

Trump’s former top political adviser Steve Bannon was also allegedly involved in the scheme, but the case was halted after the former president pardoned him. He will likely stand trial for his alleged involvement in the scheme in November 2023.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Disney sues DeSantis and oversight board after vote to nullify agreement with special taxing district

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/26/politics/disney-desantis-reedy-creek-power/index.html

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of weaponizing his political power to punish the company for exercising its free speech rights.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court minutes after the board appointed by DeSantis to oversee Disney’s special taxing district sought to claw back its power from the entertainment giant, voting to invalidate an agreement struck between Disney and the previous board in February, just before that board’s dissolution.

Malka Leifer in Australian court as judge weighs sentence after sex abuse conviction

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/malka-leifer-in-australian-court-as-judge-weighs-sentence-after-sex-abuse-conviction/

Former Jewish girls school principal and now convicted sex offender Malka Leifer was ordered on Wednesday to appear in an Australian court in June for a two-day sentencing hearing.

Tucker Carlson’s disparaging comments about Fox leaders led to his ouster: report

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3972590-tucker-carlsons-disparaging-comments-fox-leaders-ouster-report/

Tucker Carlson, the leading prime time host who was ousted from his job this week, was shown the door at the cable news giant in part because of comments he made in private about his Fox News colleagues and bosses, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

Trump's Attorney Knows Jurors May 'Hate' His Client

 https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-attorney-knows-jurors-may-hate-his-client-1796677

The former president has continued to deny any wrongdoing in relation to Carroll. A spokesperson for Trump previously told Newsweek that Carroll's suit is "just another part of the witch hunt targeted to interfere and tamper with a Presidential election."

"The radical, deranged Democrats will stop at nothing in order to prevent the American people from choosing President Donald Trump—the overwhelming frontrunner by far— as their 47th President," the spokesperson said. "The lunatics will fail and President Trump will Make America Great Again!"

The Start of the E. Jean Carroll Rape Trial Wasn’t a Good Look for Trump

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-start-of-the-e-jean-carroll-rape-trial-wasnt-a-good-look-for-trump?ref=home?ref=home

The E. Jean Carroll trial against Donald Trump for rape and defamation began poorly for the former president, with opening statements by lawyers for both parties starting with Trump’s decision to not bother showing up in person.

In court today, E. Jean Carroll was in full view of the jurors with her gaze “fixed on Tacopina [Trump’s lawyer]” during his opening. Carroll’s presence signaled to the jury that she stands behind her allegations and that she is unafraid to let them see for themselves her demeanor and reactions. Thus the jurors had no view of Trump to compete with the sexual predator that Carroll’s lawyer portrayed him to be other than the attacks on Carroll’s character made by Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina. Trump’s absence made Tacopina his stand-in for the start of the trial and while his blustery style might make him an excellent choice as a debate practice stand-in for Trump, it is unlikely to be helpful in a case where Trump is accused of rape (sexual battery) and defamation.


Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Treating Terrorists First – A Halachic Analysis

 https://www.5tjt.com/treating-terrorists-first/

At first glance, it seems like the type of inane directive that would make one’s blood boil. It is thus quite understandable how ZAKA’s chairman and founder, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, made it clear that ZAKA’s medics would turn their attention to the victims first, regardless of the injuries sustained by their attacker.

Five takeaways on Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News

 https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3967348-five-takeaways-on-tucker-carlsons-exit-from-fox-news/

The Los Angeles Times on Monday reported that Rupert Murdoch made the decision to boot him from Fox and pointing to two factors that reportedly led to the decision: the ongoing discrimination lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Carlson and Maria Bartiromo, and Carlson’s recent coverage of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Monday, April 24, 2023

Florida surgeon general altered key findings in study on Covid-19 vaccine safety

 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/24/florida-surgeon-general-covid-vaccine-00093510

Yet the researchers who viewed a copy of the edits said Ladapo removed an important analysis that would have contradicted his recommendation. Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, called Ladapo’s changes “really troubling.”

Tucker Carlson terminated because of Dominion lawsuit

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/04/24/tucker-carlson-leaves-fox-news/

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/24/media/tucker-carlson-fox-news/index.html

Carlson’s departure at Fox News comes after the network also severed ties with right-wing bomb thrower Dan Bongino, who had been a regular fixture on the network’s programming, in addition to hosting a weekend show.

“Folks, regretfully, last week was my last show on Fox News on the Fox News Channel,” Bongino said on Rumble, chalking up the exit to a contract dispute.

“So the show ending last week was tough. And I want you to know it’s not some big conspiracy. I promise you. There’s not, there’s no acrimony. This wasn’t some, like, WWE brawl that happened. We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension. And that’s really it.”

Contemporary Tzaraat?

 https://www.torahmusings.com/2022/04/contemporary-tzaraat-2/

The question why we don’t observe the laws of metzora has troubled many Torah scholarsIn his introduction to his Tiferet Yisrael commentary on Mishnah Nega’im, R. Yisrael Lipschitz recalls that in his youth he asked the great R. Akiva Eiger this question. He responded that he himself was wondering the same thing for a long time and does not have a good answer. [18] R. Lipschitz himself answers along the lines of Rambam. Whereas Rambam stressed the need for a kohen meyuchas in determining a metzora to be impure, R. Lipschitz claimed it was essential for the purification process. Because the purification process included shaving the head, it could only be done if the metzora was really impure and had now been cured. But since a metzora can only become impure by the pronouncement of a real kohen, if it turned out the kohen was not a valid kohen, the shaving of the head would be a Torah violation. [19]


Majorities don’t want Biden, Trump to run in 2024: survey

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3965267-majorities-dont-want-biden-trump-to-run-in-2024-survey/

Most Americans in a new poll don’t want former President Trump to run for the White House in 2024, and a majority doesn’t want President Biden to run for reelection, either, as he prepares for an expected campaign launch that could come as early as this week.

A new NBC News poll found that 60 percent of Americans think Trump shouldn’t try to retake the Oval Office — including roughly a third of Republicans. Thirty percent of those who think he shouldn’t campaign in 2024 cite the criminal charges he faces in New York as a “major” reason.


Israel arrests Jordanian MP for trying to smuggle 200 guns into West Bank, says Amman

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-arrests-jordanian-mp-over-weapons-and-gold-smuggling-says-amman/

Israel arrested a Jordanian parliamentarian on suspicion of smuggling over 200 guns and gold into the West Bank, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

According to Jordan’s Ammon news outlet, the arrest took place Saturday evening at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, as MP Imad al-Adwan was heading into Israel by car.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the episode.

UK Labour MP suspended after saying Jews don't experience racism

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-740041

Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) Spokesperson Fiona Sharpe issued a statement stating that Abbott's letter was unacceptable. 

Sharpe added that the letter attempted to "reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory 6 million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive."

Sharpe added "In the UK today, 1 in 5 of all Jews has suffered a racist attack..."

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Book scanner

 I need to scan books - 100's of pages into pdf or word format

There are many scanners for books with features such as autofocus page flattening and curved surfaces - does anyone recommend a particular model or whether it is better to use a professional service - which I am still looking for in Jerusalem.

After four days: Missing yeshiva student found dead

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370356

Kisus went missing after he left his kayak in order to swim at an unofficial beach, and it seems he was swept away by the current.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Dozens protest after Arab justice says rape was 'without significant violence'

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370316

Dozens protested Thursday night outside the home of Khaled Kabub, a Supreme Court justice, after he declared that a rapist acted "without significant violence."

In the incident in question, an Arab raped a Jewish woman, but Kabub declared that the rapist had acted "without significant violence" and ordered that his release be considered.

Biggest winners and losers in the blockbuster Fox-Dominion settlement

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3959031-biggest-winners-and-losers-in-the-blockbuster-fox-dominion-settlement/

Even for a multi-billion dollar company, $787.5 Million is a lot of money. 

Fox Corp., which owns and operates Fox News, is also facing lawsuits from shareholders on the company’s board who are upset with the network’s coverage of the 2020 election and the resulting litigation it has sparked. 

Shareholder Robert Schwarz alleged in a lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court earlier this month that Murdoch and other board members breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders by failing to uphold the company’s ethical reputation. 

Five takeaways from the Fox News-Dominion settlement

 https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3959249-five-takeaways-from-the-fox-news-dominion-settlement/

The network gave perfunctory coverage to the Dominion settlement, even as rival cable networks and other news sites splashed the big news.

To many people, Fox’s conduct around the election-related conspiracy theories was indefensible.

But it’s a massive stretch to imagine its audience will drift away in any significant numbers — if at all.

Egyptians complain over Netflix depiction of Cleopatra as black

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65322821

Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper: "This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black."

Mr Hawass said the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).

"Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black," he added and called on Egyptians to take a stand against the streaming giant.

Fox News Digital finishes first quarter as No. 1 news brand across key metrics, topping CNN, New York Times - response to paying Dominion Settlement

Fox News Digital finishes first quarter as No. 1 news brand across key metrics, topping CNN, New York Times\

Read comments to this spin

It was the eighth straight quarter that Fox News Digital finished as the No.1 news brand among multiplatform minutes. It was also the third straight quarter that Fox News Digital finished as the leader with multiplatform views from a group of organizations that includes NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Insider Inc., and USA Today, in addition to CNN and the Times. 


Haredi IDF draft plans will lead to breakdown of Israeli society, Lapid warns

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-739679

According to the existing law that expires on July 31, haredi yeshiva students who leave a yeshiva before the age of 26 are required to serve in the IDF. The government is discussing what the new exemption age will be, with the IDF preferring 23 while Smotrich and the haredi parties reportedly prefer earlier. Another issue that is being discussed is the size and form of the benefits for conscripts in general and combat soldiers in particular.


Wednesday, April 19, 2023

EJF's Seminar in Dallas Jan 17-19 2010

EJF      Sample Schedule


Commitment to Join my Jewish Spouse, What Does it Mean? Rabbi Doron Kornbluth, Noted Author and Lecturer
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM     Judaism with Authenticity

Rabbi Yonasan Rosenblum, Noted Author, Lecturer and Columnist
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM     The Value of the Decision to Share Values with your Spouse: An Emotional and Philosophical Perspective.

Harav Mordechai Neugroschel, Noted Lecturer on Jewish Philosophy
6:30 PM- 7:30 PM     Dinner
7:30 PM– 8:00 PM     Film Untied or United: Building a Bridge to Jewish Family Unity

Rabbi Peretz Eichler
8:00 PM– 9:00 PM     Transformation of a Life

Rabbi Daniel Assor
9:00 PM– 9:15 PM     Evening Prayer Service (Maariv)


Day 2
8:15 AM – 9:15 AM     Morning Prayer Service (Shacharis)
9:15 AM – 10:30 AM     Breakfast
10:30 AM – 11:10 AM     Becoming Part of a Jewish Community – First Hand Experience

Mrs. Chana Basia Rauch
11:10 AM – 11:50 AM     Discovering Jewish Roots

Rabbi Daniel Assor
12:00 AM – 12:45 PM     13 Principles of Faith

Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel

12:45PM – 2:00 PM     Lunch
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM     Afternoon Prayer Service (Mincha)
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM     Actions Speak Louder than Feelings: Why It's Not Enough to be a Jew at Heart

Rabbi Yonasan Rosenblum

3:15 PM – 3:45 PM     Film

Decisions in Destiny: Reaching the Summit of a Universally Accepted Conversion
Rabbi Peretz Eichler
3:45 PM – 5:00 PM     Straight Talk, Followed by Open Discussion
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM     The Road Ahead

Rabbi Doron Kornbluth
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM     Evening Prayer Service (Maariv)
5:45 PM     Dinne


R Jonathan Rosenblum - Tiger Woods has no counterpart in Judaism

This is the most astounding statement that this wise, intelligent perceptive person has ever said.

Jewish Media Resources/Jerusalem Post  December 24, 2009  Jerusalem Post Comments section
I wish I could say that self-destructive behavior, like that of Tiger Woods, is unknown among Orthodox Jews, or at least among Orthodox rabbis. But I have no particular desire to make a fool of myself.
I am not aware, however, of any figure revered by a large cross-section of Torah Jewry whose private behavior ever stood revealed to be wildly dissonant from his public image. Vast Torah knowledge is usually one aspect of that reverence, but only when it is accompanied by a lifetime of work on self-mastery of one's drives and desires, the subtle as well as the commonplace.
Constant, intense efforts at character development, including knowledge of one's weaknesses and the ability to anticipate the consequences of one's actions, is, at the end of the day, the only protection of against making a terrible botch of our lives.

Proselytising? I

Who is really to blame?
by Jonathan Rosenblum
Jerusalem Post
June 1, 2007
http://www.jewishmediaresources.com/article/1094/

[This is the second half of the article]

"IT IS NOT those who uphold strict standards for conversion who show a lack of love and concern for the convert, but rather those who ignore the halachic requirement of a sincere commitment to mitzva observance. The latter expose those "converted" under their auspices to the danger of a painful shock many years later when they discover that their conversion is not universally recognized.

A universally recognized standard is the greatest protection for the sincere convert, and the implementation of such a standard by responsible rabbinical courts is the key to the complete integration of the sincere convert into the Jewish people, without any concern that someone will someday question his or her conversion.

Two weeks ago, I participated in a three-day seminar sponsored by the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) organization in Phoenix, Arizona. The participants were 32 intermarried couples in each of which the non-Jewish spouse is contemplating conversion. (The leading contemporary halachic decisors have ruled that in the case of intermarried couples, the general rule that "the right hand pushes away" the would-be convert does not apply.)

The Phoenix seminar was the second of its kind. Of the 32 couples who participated in the first, 28 are on track to a full halachic conversion for the gentile spouse. One couple from the first seminar was halachically married at the Phoenix seminar. Another seven seminars sponsored by EJF are scheduled around the world for the coming year, each at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Working with intermarried couples is only part of what EJF does. The organization also promotes a universally accepted standard for conversion. It has already sponsored numerous conferences for rabbinical court judges in the United States and Israel, and one is scheduled in the near future for Europe.

The two-fold efforts of EJF provide irrefutable proof that concern for universally recognized standards of conversion goes hand-in-hand with the greatest love and respect for the convert."

Authority is indispensable

 Chinuch (71) It is impossible for the settlement of people without their making one of them head over the others, to do his command and fulfill his decrees. As the opinions of people are different and they will never all agree to one opinion - to do one thing from among the many things. And from this, the result will be idleness and a cessation of actions. And therefore they need to accept the opinion of one of them - whether it is good or whether it is bad - so that they will be successful and be involved in the business of the world, sometimes finding great benefit from his will and counsel and sometimes finding the opposite. And all of this is better than disagreement which causes complete idleness. And since the one appointed as head is the cause for the benefit that we said - whether he is big in leading us in the ways of religion or whether he is big in the kingdom to guard a man from his neighbor that is more powerful than he - the matter is fitting and proper that we not treat his honor lightly, and also that we not curse him. 

FOX News Media, Dominion Voting Systems reach agreement over defamation lawsuit

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/fox-news-media-dominion-voting-systems-reach-agreement-over-defamation-lawsuit

The lawsuit, which stemmed from coverage of the post-2020 presidential election, had become media fodder with news outlets closely watching the outcome of the highly publicized legal battle.

Then-President Donald Trump and his allies fiercely challenged Joe Biden's victory in the weeks following the election. Some of them, including members of his legal team, made false and unsubstantiated claims against Dominion Voting Systems and are the subject of separate defamation lawsuits.

Fox News Media Host Refuses to Report Dominion Settlement Amount

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-media-host-howard-kurtz-refuses-to-report-dominion-settlement-amount?ref=home

Fox News media host Howard Kurtz couldn’t bring himself to repeat the hefty $787.5 million settlement his employer paid to Dominion Voting Systems on Tuesday, claiming he was unable to “independently confirm” the amount. Kurtz, whom Fox forbade from covering the Dominion lawsuit before easing that restriction last month, made several on-air appearances to discuss the shocking settlement on Tuesday. 

Is This a Real Fox News Ad Published in the NY Times?

 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fox-news-ad-ny-times/











An image authentically showed an advertisement by Fox News in The New York Times, featuring survey data about "TV networks most trusted for news."

Fox News and NY Post fail to report on Dominion settlement

 Murdoch's papers are so committed to accurate reporting they failed to report that Fox News is giving Dominion almost a billion dollars for damaging the company with false claims. Instead they placed an ad in NY Times claiming they are widely believed 

Israeli society doesn't actually want haredim in the IDF

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-729182

What does Israeli society actually want?

The answer is that we, the general Israeli society, don’t really want haredi soldiers serving in the IDF. Meaning we want haredim to serve but we want them to be less haredi. If you’re already in the army, we think, then what’s the problem with having female soldiers around? And why not a Druze worker in the kitchen? And why special kashrut standards, prayer services and Torah study?

IDF opposes draft exemption for Haredim, presents new outline for mandatory service

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-presents-new-outline-for-mandatory-service-says-will-keep-drafting-haredim/

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday presented a new outline for military service, amid plans by the government to grant ultra-Orthodox men earlier exemptions from drafting to the army.

The IDF indicated that it was opposed to the plans discussed by the government earlier this week that would essentially give Haredim a blanket ban from army service, stating that drafting Israelis from all parts of society is of utmost importance.

IDF: Women can't serve in combat units due to physiological differences

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-739447

The integration of female soldiers into Israel’s combat infantry units, some elite Special Forces and certain armored units has been postponed due to the physiological difference between men and women, the IDF told the High Court of Justice on Monday in response to petitions by women seeking to join Special Forces.

Fox News' Legal Battles Aren't Over Yet

 https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-legal-battles-arent-over-yet-1795193

"Dominion's litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox's disinformation campaign. Smartmatic will expose the rest," Connolly said in a statement that was tweeted by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith on Tuesday afternoon. "Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy."

Don’t Worry! The $2.7 Billion Sequel to the Dominion Case Is Already Coming.

 https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/04/smartmatic-fox-news-lawsuit-dominion-settlement-complaint.html

So what is Smartmatic exactly? Based in London, Smartmatic is another voting-tech company that got wrapped up in Donald’s Trump’s election misinformation campaign and ended up on Fox News. The company is seeking a whopping $2.7 billion in damages from Fox, $1 billion more than Dominion. The lawsuit specifically names Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Lou Dobbs, though Pirro managed to dodge the suit and was removed because she only indirectly blamed Smartmatic on her show. (Meanwhile, Dobbs’ program was yanked off the air shortly after the suit was filed.)

Rupert Wins Again

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/04/18/rupert-murdoch-dominion-settlement-00092694

A hundred million here, a hundred million there, might crimp your finances. But in the Murdoch universe, paying such settlements is just the cost of doing business Murdoch-style. The alternative to settling with Dominion for telling a series of lies about voting fraud would have been a painful and long courtroom drama. A stream of ugly would have been on the Fox image, day after day, as Dominion made its case. Even after the case concluded and went to appeals, the Fox brand would have been further stigmatized, and shame and disparagement would have been leveled at Murdoch, Fox executives and Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartiromo, Laura Ingraham and Bret Baier, all of whom Dominion planned to put on the witness stand. Getting out from under all of that hurt for $787.5 million is a kind of bargain for a company with a market cap of $17.3 billion. Fox has $4.1 billion in cash and warrants on hand, says the New York Times.

Fox News settles with Dominion at the last second, pays more than $787 million to avert defamation trial over its 2020 election lies

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/18/media/fox-dominion-settlement/index.html

The right-wing network said in a statement that it “acknowledge[s] the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” referring to Davis’ recent ruling that 20 Fox News broadcasts from late 2020 contained blatantly untrue assertions that Dominion rigged the presidential election. But Fox won’t have to admit on-air that it spread lies about Dominion, a Dominion representative told CNN.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Dominion’s history-making defamation trial against Fox News over 2020 election lies kicks off in Delaware

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/18/media/fox-dominion-defamation-trial-kickoff/index.html

The outcome of the trial, however, is not likely to dramatically change the dishonest way in which Fox News operates. The channel is the profit engine in Murdoch’s media empire and its business model is dependent on feeding its viewership a steady stream of right-wing infotainment.

Even as this case has advanced forward in recent days, some top Fox News personalities such as Carlson have yet again shamelessly sowed doubt about legitimacy of the 2020 election.

Ohio State To Supreme Court: Please Stop People From Suing Us Over Athletics Doctor’s Sexual Abuse

 https://defector.com/ohio-state-to-supreme-court-please-stop-people-from-suing-us-over-richard-strauss-sexual-abuse

"The plaintiffs allege that Ohio State concealed Strauss’s abuse and Ohio State’s knowledge of it, destroyed records, gave Strauss false performance reviews, and actively misled students by, for example, telling complainants that no one had ever previously complained about Strauss. The plaintiffs plausibly allege a decades-long cover up. Given these plausible allegations, the plaintiffs adequately allege that they could not have reasonably discovered Ohio State’s conduct. This alone provides sufficient grounds to delay the accrual of their Title IX claims."

Ohio State University abuse scandal

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_University_abuse_scandal

Following an independent 2019 investigation which found that Richard Strauss had sexually abused at least 177 students from 1979 to 1997, Ohio State University agreed to pay $40.9 million to settle the lawsuits of 162 men who alleged sexual abuse during the former university team doctor's tenure. Other lawsuits remain outstanding.[54]

Here’s who says Jim Jordan knew - or didn’t know - about sex abuse on OSU’s wrestling team

 https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/02/heres-who-says-jim-jordan-knew-or-didnt-know-about-sex-abuse-on-osus-wrestling-team.html

Although Jordan has repeatedly insisted he didn’t know team doctor Richard Strauss was sexually mistreating athletes in his charge, former OSU wrestler Adam DiSabato called Jordan a “liar” at a Tuesday House Civil Justice Committee hearing on a bill that would let Strauss’ victims sue Ohio State for damages. DiSabato also said Jordan contacted him repeatedly in July 2018, after media outlets quoted his brother, Michael DiSabato, saying Jordan knew about Strauss’ abuse.

“Jim Jordan called me crying, groveling… begging me to go against my brother…That’s the kind of cover-up that’s going on there,” said DiSabato, who is among a group of former OSU wrestlers who filed lawsuits that allege the school ignored Strauss’ abuse.

Jim Jordan’s role in Ohio State’s molestation scandal resurfaces after he called story of a 10-year-old who was raped a ‘lie’

 https://www.dailydot.com/debug/jim-jordan-sexual-assault-deny/

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is being slammed for calling the story of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who obtained an abortion after she was raped “another lie” in a since-deleted tweet.

It marks at least the second time the congressman from Ohio has been accused of ignoring a sexual assault in the Buckeye state.

Six former wrestlers say Rep. Jim Jordan knew about abusive OSU doctor

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/06/politics/jordan-osu-wrestlers-strauss-invs/index.html

Multiple former OSU athletes told CNN they found Jordan’s denials puzzling, because they say they distinctly remember him responding to complaints about Strauss.

One former wrestler, Dan Ritchie, said he remembers a teammate complained about Strauss and that Jordan said, “If he ever tried that with me I’d snap his neck like a stick of dry balsa wood.”

Mother's fault

 Rabbeinu Bachya  (Vayikra 24:11) Whenever someone displays signs of effrontery and disdain towards the Jewish religion and G’d it is time to examine his maternal genealogy as it is certain that the droplet of sperm which such an individual grew out of reflected a negative deed or thought at the time when marital relations which produced that baby took place. 

Are Democrats Becoming Anti-Israel?

 https://momentmag.com/are-democrats-becoming-anti-israel/

While Democrats might increasingly view Palestinians more favorably  than Israelis, there is still no real political force behind this shift. Going back to the Gallup survey, it is interesting to look at another question, one in which Americans were asked to grade foreign countries by their favorability. On this measure, Israel still maintains an extremely high showing, with 68 percent of participants in the poll expressing a favorable view of the Jewish state, while the Palestinian Authority gets a favorable rating from only 26 percent of Americans.

How can we reconcile this figure with the head-to-head sympathy question that  puts Palestinians in advantage among Democrats? Let’s dive into the numbers.

Israel’s favorability crosses political boundaries, with 82 percent of Republicans and 56 percent of Democrats viewing it favorably. Favorability of the Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, is low across the board: Only 36 percent of Democrats and a mere 9 percent of Republicans view it favorably.

Furthermore, the overall favorability of Palestinians, though slightly up compared to most years in the past two decades, is still at just 31 percent.

The Partisan Gap in Support for Israel Seems Permanent

 https://www.cfr.org/blog/partisan-gap-support-israel-seems-permanent

 “Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to view the Israeli people favorably and the Palestinian people unfavorably (44% vs. 12%).” Pew also found that “Republicans and those who lean to the GOP are much more likely to express a favorable view of the Israeli people (78%) than of the Palestinian people (37%). Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, on the other hand, similar shares express favorable views toward both groups (60% and 64%, respectively).

Dealing with sinful Jews

 Sefer Chasidim (76) Do not punish an Israelite, nor curse him but pray for him that G-d make his heart whole and return him to right conduct. Do not invoke judgement on him saying, “The Lord should avenge me from his hand and visit evil upon him according to his wickedness.” For he who invokes divine judgement upon his neighbor, the attribute of justice comes before G-d, and says, “Lord of all the Universe, shall we then acquiesce to his request? he is deserving to be punished for such and such…

Helpless feelings

 Friday night in shul I was approached by a young man whose water filled eyes indicated heavy medication. He said "I am manic depressive and I can't do anything. please help me. I asked how? He responded Give me a beracha because treatment isn't working

Tucker Carlson Duped By Fake Russian Propaganda Docs on Ukraine War

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/tucker-carlson-gets-fooled-by-russian-propaganda-docs-from-sarah-bils

Tucker Carlson laid into President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday, accusing them of committing “crimes” in their support of Ukraine. He referenced a “leaked” Pentagon slideshow that, Carlson said, proves the American people are being lied to about the status of the war in Ukraine. “The second thing we learned from these slides is that despite direct U.S. involvement, Ukraine is in fact losing the war,” Carlson said last week. “Seven Ukrainians are being killed for every Russian. Ukrainian air defenses have been utterly degraded. Ukraine is losing. The Biden administration is perfectly aware of this.” As it turns out, Carlson is the one peddling lies about Ukraine to the American people—the slides he referenced were apparently doctored by a known Russian propagandist that lives in the United States. “Tucker Carlson pushed a fake version of a U.S. intelligence document about Ukrainian war casualties,” said Yahoo News senior correspondent Michael Weiss on Twitter. “It was doctored by a fraud podcaster who claimed to be a Russian woman from Luhansk. In reality, Sarah Bils is a former U.S. Navy clerk from New Jersey—and she pocketed all the money she claimed to raise for Russian causes.”

The Rebbe on the Holocaust

 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/64888/jewish/The-Rebbe-on-the-Holocaust.htm

But the most important thing about the Holocaust to the Rebbe was not how we do or do not understand it, nor, even, how we memorialize its victims, but what we do about it. If we allow the pain and despair to dishearten us from raising a new generation of Jews with a strong commitment to their Jewishness, then Hilter's "final solution" will be realized, G‑d forbid. But if we rebuild, if we raise a generation proud of and committed to their Jewishness, we will have triumphed.

The truth about crime in Manhattan

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/17/politics/fact-check-manhattan-crime-trump-bragg/index.html

Trump claimed in March that Bragg “has watched Violent Crime in Manhattan soar to Record Highs” and that “killings are taking place at a number like nobody’s ever seen, right in Manhattan.”

These claims are not even close to true. Manhattan’s recent levels of violent crime in general and murder in particular are way down from the record levels of the early 1990s.

New York City publishes crime statistics on its website, so the truth is easy to find. In 1990, when the city set its all-time record for total murders, there were 503 recorded murders in Manhattan, which is one of the city’s five boroughs. In 2022, Manhattan recorded 78 murders – a decline of about 84% from 1990.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Americans’ Complex Views on Gender Identity and Transgender Issues

 https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/

Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party are more than four times as likely as Republicans and Republican leaners to say that a person’s gender can be different from the sex they were assigned at birth (61% vs. 13%). Democrats are also much more likely than Republicans to say our society hasn’t gone far enough in accepting people who are transgender (59% vs. 10%). For their part, 66% of Republicans say society has gone too far in accepting people who are transgender.

Alvin Bragg defends plea deal in brazen antisemitic attack

 https://jewishinsider.com/2023/01/alvin-bragg-new-york-hate-crimes-antisemitism/

In a demographic breakdown of his office’s open hate crimes investigations shared with JI, the highest number of cases, 44 in total, were said to be motivated by anti-Asian bias, followed by 32 cases involving members of the LGBTQ community. The hate crimes unit is currently working on 16 antisemitic cases, which represent the third largest share of hate crimes prosecutions now under the office’s purview.

Republican rep insists GOP senators are ‘pro-pedophile’

 https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republican-rep-insists-gop-senators-are-pedophile-rcna23215

Indeed, a sitting member of the United States House of Representatives — a Republican in good standing, who’s poised to be rewarded by her party next year — assumed she could get away with accusing three senators from her own party of being “pro-pedophile,” without any meaningful pushback, because that’s where the contemporary right is now.

Why Republicans Are Smearing Everyone As Pedophiles

 https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/04/why-republicans-are-smearing-everyone-as-pedophiles-now.html

Not long ago, the notion that American politics was oriented around a dispute over the merits of child sexual exploitation was viewed as so loopy that not even Donald Trump could take it seriously. It is now becoming the Republican Party’s most energetic idea. The two most prominent theaters of partisan combat of the moment, the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation and Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, have both seen a growing swath of conservatives embrace charges of pedophilia as their central theme.

So, Let’s Talk About Republicans and Sex Crimes

 https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/04/from-hastert-to-gaetz-lets-talk-about-republicans-and-sex-crimes.html

Because American politics are now just one, long, low-rent nightmare, Republican culture warriors have spent the past few weeks slandering their various enemies as being soft on pedophilia. For some time, this sort of raving was mostly confined to adherents of QAnon, the Trump-idolizing conspiracy cult that believes Democratic politicians and other elites are secretly operating a global child trafficking ring.

Trump Lawyer's Recusal Spells Bad News for Former President: Legal Experts

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-lawyers-recusal-spells-bad-new-former-president-legal-experts-1794634

Following the news of Corcoran's recusal from the documents case, numerous legal experts and analysts took to social media and said that the move was a clear sign that charges will soon be leveled. This, they said, is because Corcoran would have to recuse himself if he was expected to be called as a witness at a future trial.

Florida woman admits robbing $2.8 million from Holocaust survivor in dating scam

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/florida-woman-admits-robbing-2-8-million-from-holocaust-survivor-in-dating-scam/

“Peaches Stergo stole the life savings from an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was just looking for companionship. This conduct is sick – and sad,” US attorney David Williams said. “Using the millions in fraud proceeds, Stergo lived a life of luxury, purchasing a home in a gated community and a Corvette, taking vacations at hotels like the Ritz Carlton, and buying thousands in designer clothing, while at the same time causing her elderly victim to lose his apartment.”

GOP Quietly Backs Off Attacking Bud Light—Its Own Major Donor

https://www.thedailybeast.com/nrcc-quietly-backs-off-attacking-bud-lightits-own-major-donor?ref=scroll 

The National Republican Congressional Committee quietly deleted a fundraising page Saturday that took aim at one of its largest donors, the parent company of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch.

The NRCC’s backpedaling follows conservative calls for a boycott of the beer company after it partnered with transgender TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Graham Issues Warning About Marjorie Taylor Greene's Jack Teixeira Defense

 https://www.newsweek.com/graham-issues-warning-about-marjorie-taylor-greenes-jack-teixeira-defense-1794641

ABC News' This Week host Jonathan Karl asked Graham on Sunday about what he makes of Greene's and Carlson's remarks.

"What they're suggesting will destroy America's ability to defend itself. That it's OK to release classified information based on your political views. That the ends justify the means. It is not OK," Graham responded.

CNN journalist urged to delete anti-Israel posts on social media

 https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/article-739348

She also wrote that Lebanon faced a "ruthless, genocidal onslaught of an Israeli invasion” and wrote of a "desire for resistance to the Zio-Saudi project."

Teen dies after ‘disconnecting himself’ from ECMO for lung collapse said due to vape

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/16-year-old-dies-after-lung-collapse-apparently-caused-by-vaping/

Yariv Keller called on parents to make sure their children don’t use electronic cigarettes, saying that there had been dozens of similar cases of lung collapse in the United States.

Potential Alzheimer’s treatment discovered by MIT - study

 https://www.jpost.com/science/article-739262

The new treatment has been detailed in a peer-reviewed study, which has been published on Wednesday in the journal PNAS.  

The new treatment, using peptides, interacts with the CDK5 enzyme. The CDK5 enzyme is overactive in Alzheimer’s patient’s brains. Fortunately, the peptide has not shown signs of reacting with the essential CDK1 enzyme which shares structural similarities with CDK5.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Pentagon leaker filmed himself in antisemitic rant at gun range

https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-739238 

“No, it makes him an enemy to America. Leaking classified documents, especially this sensitive in nature, is a crime and he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, replied to Greene on Twitter. “His conduct is indefensible and should be universally condemned.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Trying to Make the Alleged Pentagon Leaker Into a Martyr

 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-pentagon-leaker-martyr

Greene’s theory of oppression, in this case, has not been adopted by her Republican colleagues. However, she did find a friend in Tucker Carlson, who shared a similar view during his Thursday night Fox News broadcast. “Tonight, the news media are celebrating the capture of the kid who told Americans what’s actually happening in Ukraine,” Carlson told his viewers, before lashing out at news outlets for reporting on the reportedly racist and antisemitic content shared in Teixeira’s Discord server. “They are treating him like Osama bin Laden, maybe a little worse actually, because, unlike al-Qaida, apparently, this kid is a racist.”

Friday, April 14, 2023

In rare move, ultra-Orthodox Jewish magazine publishes photo of a woman

 https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-739002

But Orthodox feminists took notice of the photo, which depicts Miller wearing a hat and is shaded in blue. The cover of Safier’s book features the same image and design. The print version of the article also included a photograph with the face of another woman — Rebbetzin Temi Kamenetsky, the late wife of Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, a prominent Lithuanian haredi rabbi who lives in Philadelphia.

CNN's selective problem with who did what

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369963

According toCNN International, while Israelis shoot and kill Palestinians, Israeli cars “receive” bullets and the occupants die in a “crash.” That is how, at least, two separate incidents were described during a single segment on Isa Soares Tonight on April 10.

Greene defends accused Ukraine documents leaker

 https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3949488-greene-defends-accused-ukraine-documents-leaker/

“Jake Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime,” Greene said on Twitter.

Greek crowds attack Israeli fans, players in Athens Basketball game

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1ytctvg2#autoplay

Israeli basketball players and their fans came under attack from Greek crowds in Athens during the FIBA Champions League quarterfinal series in Athens on Wednesday, burning the Israeli flag and throwing firecrackers onto the court, and hurling rocks at the Israeli fans in the stands. 


Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Tennessee Democrats see a ‘once in a lifetime’ shot at relevance

 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/12/tennessee-democrats-justin-jones-pearson-00091631

While Republicans intended their ouster of two progressive lawmakers last week to be a punishment, the move has turned into one of the Democratic Party’s best chances in years to boost their organization in the South. Democrats are dreaming up ways to claw back some power from the GOP, fueled by an influx of out-of-state dollars and new commitments from Tennesseans to get involved with politics.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Gun deaths among children are soaring

 https://www.axios.com/2023/04/10/gun-deaths-among-children-are-soaring

While the majority of adult gun deaths are by suicide, children and teens killed by gunfire are more likely to die by homicide (60%).

Resurrection with clothing

 Sanhedrin (90b)  Queen Cleopatra asked R. Meir, ‘I know that the dead will revive, for it is written, And the righteous] shall in the distant future blossom forth out of Jerusalem like the grass of the earth. But when they arise, shall they arise nude or in their garments?’ He replied, ‘Thou mayest deduce by an a fortiori argument the answer from a wheat grain: if a grain of wheat, which is buried naked, sprouteth forth in many robes, how much more so the righteous, who are buried in their raiment!’

Justin Jones, one of the two expelled Tennessee lawmakers, reinstated by Nashville council

 https://nypost.com/2023/04/10/justin-jones-one-of-the-two-expelled-tennessee-lawmakers-reinstated-by-nashville-council/

The Nashville Metro Council on Monday unanimously voted in favor of reinstating Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones back into office just days after he was ousted for calling for gun reform on the chamber floor. 

Jones, 27, was one of the two black Democratic lawmakers expelled by the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly after a gun control protest on the House floor after a deadly school shooting. 

Fox News Pundit Admits ‘We Have to Talk About Guns’ After Louisville Massacre

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-pundit-admits-we-have-to-talk-about-guns-after-louisville-shooting?ref=home

After yet another mass shooting featuring an assault-style weapon, Fox News contributor Ted Williams told the conservative channel’s audience that “we have to talk about guns” because AR-15s “are killing our babies.”

He continued: “Just two weeks ago, I stood in front of a camera—when you had some kids, some babies, shot in Nashville, Tennessee—where a person that had an AR-15! And from what we have been told here, Neil, this individual had that same kind of a weapon.”

Monday, April 10, 2023

Resurrection - Why not explicit in Torah?

 Rabbeinu Bachya (Devarim 32:43)  There are many people who are wondering why such an important concept as that of the resurrection has not been spelled out in the written Torah in detail. Seeing that the Torah has spelled out in detail many less important concepts, sometimes repeating them several times, the failure to spell out the concept of resurrection of the dead is considered especially puzzling. The fact is that Torah addresses first and foremost terrestrial matters of concern to us. 

Rabbeinu Bachya (Devarim 32:43) The life of disembodied souls in the celestial regions while awaiting the resurrection, has similarly been alluded to only in the vaguest manner. The average reader may not even notice these allusions whereas the elite may notice their significance. The truth is that the written Torah was given to and for the multitude who do not concern themselves overly with abstract matters, matters of interest primarily to the intellect rather than to the senses.


Nashville council to vote on restoring expelled Tennessee lawmaker Rep. Justin Jones

 https://nypost.com/2023/04/10/nashville-council-to-vote-on-restoring-expelled-tennessee-lawmaker-rep-justin-jones/

Many council members have publicly commented that they want to send Jones back to the statehouse. The vote will happen as state lawmakers hold their first floor sessions since last week’s expulsion votes.

Expelled Memphis Rep. Justin Pearson, meanwhile, could be reappointed at a Wednesday meeting of the Shelby County Commission.


“Thank G‑d I have no need for knowledge about child abuse!” – the mitzva to use seichal


I was recently asked by a young talmid chachom what I had published recently. He told me that he regularly utilizes my seforim -  Yad Moshe and Yad Yisroel and has thoroughly studied the sources in Daas Torah and had found them useful sources of necessary information. When I said that I had just published three volumes on the issue of child abuse  he responded, “Thank G‑d I have no need for knowledge about child abuse for my children!”

This was a disturbing assertion but one which is fairly common in our community. He was saying that child abuse is something that happens to others and that since his children weren’t molested and not likely to be – he didn’t want to hear about the topic. He was also implying that child abuse was not common and therefore he didn’t have to worry about guarding against it or being concerned that someone he knew – was a victim of chid abuse or was an abuser.

The Chofetz Chaim made a similar observation about the common attitude towards misfortune and death. He said people viewed tragedies as something which only happened to those who belong to an exclusive group – the sufferers/mourners. It wasn’t of concern or relevance to the average person since he obviously didn’t belong to the group. Therefore there was no need to prepare or even think about such things. 

The issue boils down to the following claim, “What is the problem with acting with great faith (bitachon) and not worrying about unpleasant events? Don’t we have a principle – ‘Don’t open your mouth to Satan?’ If we don’t talk about negative things – aren’t they less likely to happen?

In reply to this claim we might point out that in reality abuse is not a rare event in our community. Furthermore awareness is needed to protect one’s children against abuse or rescue them from a molester. But in addition to these issues of reality, there is also a major religious principle being violated here. Avoiding and not seeking out necessary information is itself a sin and the nullification of the G‑d given qualities which distinguishes man from animals. Our Sages tell us that it is a sin not to use one’s seichal and that one ends up with needless suffering as a result.

When Bilam was criticized by the angel after beating his donkey for not obeying him  - he stated, “I have sinned because I didn’t know (Bamidbar 22:34). The Sefer Chasidim, Shaloh, Netziv and others note that Bilam had not intentionally ignored the angel. He simply had other things on his mind and hadn’t thought about why his donkey was refusing to move forward. As the Shaloh asks, we have a principle that one is not accountable for events that are beyond our control – or done without intention – so why was this a sin?

The Shaloh (Parshas Balak Derech Chaim #21 and elsewhere) answers that a person is held accountable for events that he could have anticipated and didn’t. His reaction to his donkey should have been, “My donkey never betrayed me – what is the reason for his resistance?” The Shaloh states that a person has an absolute obligation to seek out information and analyze events to prevent harm and sin (Adam Mo'ad L'Olam Bava Kamma 26a). He is liable for that which he could have known and didn't try to find out or understand.. The commentaries to Berachos (33a) and Sanhedrin (92a) state that the essence of man is his intelligence and ability to anticipate the future. Failure to do so, not only is harmful but actually nullifies the G‑d given qualities of the essence of being man – his mind. Consequently the gemora (Sanhedrin 92) notes that it is prohibited to show mercy to one who doesn’t use his seichal, it is prohibited even to give him food and finally that the Jews were sent into exile because they didn’t use their seichal.

Being a Jew demands the full use of seichal!

We've come a long way - It is now commonplace to criticize rabbis for failure to deal with abuse

Not too long ago - only about three years - when I was contemplating publishing my books on child abuse, I was advised by rabbis, friends and family that it was suicidal. There were two major reasons given. 1) "We don't talk about abuse." Stores told me they would not sell any book that had the word abuse in its title or used the word "sex" in it. Someone who had initially offered support for the book, withdrew it when he saw that I actually explicitly discussed sexual abuse in the book. 2) "You can't criticize rabbis for failure to deal with the issue." Or rather I was told I can't make the claim that rabbis were not following halacha - it was viewed as an oxymoron. Obviously rabbis follow halacha because that is what rabbis do - at least Chareidi rabbis.

In fact I was told that I was going to be put into cherem and that nobody would sell the book or buy it. Rav Sternbuch, however, was insistent that the issue of child abuse needed to be dealt with and he urged the publication of the book.

Fast forward to the present. In the past week I have had the following encounters. 1) After kayaking on the Jordan River - someone gave me a seat on the overcrowded bus returning us to the parking lot. In the ensuring conversation, I discovered that he had a kollel for Choshen Mishpat. I mentioned that I was dealing with child abuse and C.M. 388. He responded that the rabbis either didn't know halacha or were grossly misapplying it in regards to abusers. Furthermore he had quit a good teaching job at a yeshiva because of his disgust with the school's failure to deal properly with child abuse. Thus after a few minutes of first meeting another Chareidi Jew we were openly discussing the problem of abuse and the failure of rabbis to follow the halacha. 2) I had a long talk with a relative who is a solid talmid chachom learning in Kollel. He is a very strict about lashon harah, respecting rabbinical authority and is strongly against Internet, smart phones and believes in Daas Torah and only reads the Yated. Yet he readily acknowledged that he personally knew cases of abuse that were mishandled by rabbonim and is fully aware of the cowardice of poskim in  dealing with the issue of mesira and calling the police. He also expressed surprise that I thought that any rabbi would apologize for making a serious mistake. 3) Today I met a very well known Yerushalmi posek and rav that I haven't seen for years. He remembered who I was and asked me what I was working on. When I responded, "Child abuse" - he readily expressed strong approval. When I told him my biggest problem was that the rabbonim don't follow the halacha - this well known exemplar of the rabbinic establishment's immediate response was , "I can tell you some really good stories about that." There was no hesitation, no defensiveness. It was simply an obvious fact - such as the sun rises in the morning or objects fall when dropped.

Theology and therapy

 I was once consulted by a young lady who had been molested by some frum boys when she was ten. She concealed the event from her parents and became increasingly withdrawn and depressed. As a teenager she tried committing suicide. Had a mental breakdown. Was hospitalized in a mental hospital for several years. Now at the age of 20, she seemed fully recovered, cheerful and productive.

My question to her was, now that it is over why are you coming to me? She replied that she has learned to deal with the horrible memories, the pain and degradation. She has learned to let go of feelings of revenge. She has a single problem left. She had asked a single question to all the rabbis she has consulted, “Why did G-d do this to me?” They all replied with some version of, “G-d always does what is best and for reasons beyond our comprehension felt that you had to be raped.” She said simply, “I can’t accept that G-d is so cruel!” My response was that these rabbis were wrong. That they were providing her with one legitimate view of theology i.e., that all that happens is caused by G-d. But there is an alternative view – that of all the Rishonim.

This view says that one man can harm another man – even though G-d doesn’t want it to happen. This is the view not only of Rishonim but is that expressed in Michtav M’Eliyahu, the Netziv citing the Zohar, it is also the view of the Maharal. Thus I told her, G-d did not want it to happen but He gives free-will to man, He does not stop man from acting. You have suffered greatly but will be compensated in the World to Come. She replied that she could live with such an understanding of G-d, while the other view was totally unacceptable. However other victims receive greater consolation from the original answer. One needs to be sensitive to individual differences.

R' Zwiebel & history of inaction against child abuse

I recently responded here and here to Rabbi Zwiebel's statement in the May 2012 interview that the bloggers made the issue of child abuse be taken seriously. Rabbi Zwiebel is an intelligent lawyer who is well aware of the significance of words. The interview was in a magazine where the interview was obviously reviewed and edited. So it was not a slip of the tongue that he made this comment. He also noted that he wasn't sure whether the price being paid for having these blogs (i.e., lashon harah and bitul zman) was worth the benefit of having abuse being taken seriously. As can be seen from the numerous citation that follow - the issue has been documented that gedolim have know there was problem for at least 28 years dealing with Kolko and Mondrowitz - so why was it necessary for the bloggers to make child abuse to be taken seriously? Bloggers have only dealt with the issue for about 7  years - starting in 2005 with UOJ and the Kolko case. I started blogging about abuse in 2007

Mondrowitz was 28 years ago. In 2003 there was a clear declaration from Torah U'Mesorah. In 2006 Meir Frischman - the director of Orthodox Camps provided guidelines for the camps . In 2007 Declaration of Baltimore Rabbis against abuse and acknowledging that Rabbis can't handle it properly. (In 2010 I interviewed one of the Baltimore rabbis responsible for the declaration and asked him why the declaration had produced no changes in dealing with abuse? He responded simply that the rabbis regretted having published the declaration - because every case needs to be decided by a gadol) However not until 2010 does Novominsker Rebbe publicly acknowledge problem at Aguda Convention

And even then no concrete changes proposed or instituted

As I document in my Child & Domestic Abuse books (also confirmed in recent law article by  Prof Resnicoff) the issue is not primarily a halachic issue but is a social one involving lack of resolve to deal with the problem or being more concerned with public image then the welfare of the victims. Public pressure is critical for rabbinic leaders to deal with the issue.

The following are from Child & Domestic Abuse vol I

2003 - Acknowledgement of Torah u'Mesora that there is a problem
At recent meetings of the Rabbinical Board of Torah U’Mesorah, attended by Rav Dovid Feinstein, Rav Yitzchok Feigelstock, Rav Aharon Feldman, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rav Avrohom Chaim Levin, Rav Yaakov Perlow and Rav Aaron Schechter, shlita, the following statement concerning a painful issue was issued:
We address ourselves to the problem of child molestation in our community. A small number of individuals have caused untold pain to many children, primarily varying in age from three to fourteen. In addition to the sins which they have committed, they have created painful memories in the minds of their victims, memories which can have a devastating lifetime impact.
It is incumbent upon everyone to use every means to stop these violations of children, including, at times, exposing the identities of the abusers and even their incarceration. At times, our primary intent may not be to punish the perpetrators, but rather to help them. Therefore it is preferable, wherever appropriate, to force them to undergo appropriate professional therapy.
Torah U’Mesorah is issuing a set of behavioral and reporting standards for principals to implement in their yeshivos and day schools, which, it is hoped, will strengthen the protection of students. It is well documented that molesters are rarely strangers to the child; they are usually relatives or neighbors – and in rare occasions, even teachers. They are able to act because they have the child’s confidence, and then, after the act, they usually threaten him or her with punishment if he or she reveals what has occurred or they shame their victims into keeping a secret.
It is important that parents advise children in an appropriate manner to beware of potential molesters. Children must be told to advise their parents of any abusive behavior, and assured that they will suffer no consequences if they do so. We encourage rabbanim throughout our communities to address this issue, which, in itself, will serve as a deterrent to potential abusers. Rabbanim must also help and support anyone who has fallen victim to abuse, as well as refer them to seek professional help from frum private practitioners and/or organizations in their community. It goes without saying that rabbanim should take precautions that accusations are not made maliciously or without basis.
2008 Claims ignorance of severity and magnitude of problem until recently. Acknowledges problems in correctly handling abuse cases.
Rabbi David Zweibel executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America The Jewish Daily, October 10, 2008
“Until not terribly long ago, the issue was very much in the shadows,” said David Zwiebel, director of government affairs and general counsel of Agudath Israel of America. “The fact that there were isolated reports here and there of cases arising in yeshiva settings, it was known, but they were very isolated.”
“Sometimes they were dealt with correctly and sometimes incorrectly,” Zwiebel added, “but the severity of the problem and the possible magnitude were really things that most people, including myself, just didn’t understand.”
Bloggers legitimately target the Aguda over child abuse
 Rabbi David Zweibel executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America (Jewish Star November 12, 2008):
“[Sexual abuse] is an issue which has come out of the closet in a certain sense and is engaging the attention of our community and its leadership and that’s ultimately a good thing. That’s why it’s hard for me to be totally annoyed with some of the excesses of the blog world. Their outrage, anger, and sometimes excessive advocacy and negativity towards the establishment, it’s a terrible thing, but at the same time, I know that their hearts are in the right place and it is stuff to be very upset about. Is Agudah a fair target? I think we could always use a healthy dose of introspection and honest assessment of how well we as a society have performed in this area and lots of other areas.”
Community can't handle abuse - but D.A. should not be viewed as taking power from rabbis
New York Times (October 14, 2009 Orthodox Jews Rely More on Sex Abuse Prosecution By Paul Vitello):
David Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America, a group representing many chareidi factions, offered the moderate view. “A broad consensus has emerged in the last few years,” he said, “that many of these issues are beyond the ability of the community to handle internally.”
But he added that prosecutors should recognize “religious sensitivities” by seeking alternatives to prison, to avoid depriving a family of its breadwinner, or by finding appropriate Orthodox homes for children removed from abusive families.
“The district attorney should be careful not to be seen as making a power grab from rabbinic authority,” Mr. Zwiebel said.
 Financial well being of yeshivos take precedent over victims
New York (April 2009) - Agudath Israel of America and Torah U’Mesorah
 The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, upon consultation with their respective rabbinic leaderships, respectfully submit this statement regarding legislative proposals to amend existing statutes of limitations for civil claims, including claims against schools and other communal institutions, based on allegations of child sexual abuse. We do so only after much serious thought, after weighing all relevant arguments and for the sole purpose of protecting the most fundamental interests of our community.
Agudath Israel and Torah U’Mesorah fully acknowledge the horror of child sexual abuse and the devastating long-term scars it all too often creates. Our rabbinic and lay leaderships are acutely aware of the emotional trauma and damage caused by the perpetrators of such abuse. Our hearts go out to their victims, and we share in their pain. We realize that for too long many victims have suffered alone. We are committed as a community to do whatever we can to root out perpetrators of child abuse from our schools and other communal institutions, and to help victims on the road to healing and recovery.
Indeed, in recent years, as awareness has increased and sensitivity has been heightened regarding the incidence of sexual abuse and its severity, both in the broader society around us and in our community specifically, Agudath Israel and Torah U’Mesorah have taken a number of concrete steps to help ensure that Jewish schools, extra-curricular youth programs and summer camps implement policies and procedures designed to protect children against such abuse. Our organizations have also supported legislative efforts to furnish such protection, including the recently enacted legislation in New York authorizing nonpublic schools to screen all prospective employees through the state’s fingerprint checking system. [...]

Stated simply, legislation that would do away with the statute of limitations completely, even if only for a one-year period, could subject schools and other vital institutions to ancient claims and capricious litigation, and place their very existence in severe jeopardy. Agudath Israel and Torah U’Mesorah most vigorously oppose any such legislation.
We must continue to seek out ways to protect our precious children and help eradicate molestation and other forms of abuse. We must also redouble our efforts to help those who have suffered the horrors of child abuse obtain the healing they so desperately need. However, we dare not bring down our most vital communal institutions in the process.