Miller notes that most media outlets reported Hamas’s statement that it had accepted the Qatari and Egyptian mediators’ hostage deal proposal at face value.
“I don’t blame the reporting. It’s what the [Hamas] statement said. But it’s not an accurate reflection of what happened… Hamas did not accept a ceasefire proposal. Hamas responded and in their response made several suggestions.
Sukkah (56b) It happened that Miriam the daughter of Bilgah apostatized and married an officer of the Greek kings. When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, she stamped with her sandal upon the altar, crying out, Wolf! Wolf! How long wilt thou consume Israel's money! And yet thou dost not stand by them in the time of oppression! And when the Sages heard of the incident, they made her ring immovable and blocked up her alcove.
Tosefta (Sukkos 04:13) Bilgah's ring is for ever fixed and his window closed, because Miriam, the daughter of Bilgah, apostatized and married an officer of the kings of Greece, and when the Greeks entered the Temple, Miriam came and struck the top of the altar, saying to it, “Wolf, wolf, you have destroyed the wealth of Israel, and have not helped them in the time of their distress!” There are some who say that because he delayed to take up his watch, and Jeshebeab his brother came and took his place, that he is excluded for ever and Jeshebeab included for ever. Those who are neighbors to evil men receive no reward, save Jeshebeab, the neighbor of Bilgah, who received a reward.
Hours after Israel’s military told them to seek a new place of safety, Gazans in the southern city of Rafah took to the streets Monday night to celebrate: At the 11th hour, Hamas said it had accepted a proposal for a cease-fire. People cheered. Sweets were passed around.
A few hours later, it became clear that the celebrations were premature. The agreement accepted by Hamas turned out to be a counteroffer that Israel hadn’t seen and wouldn’t agree to, shattering hopes of an imminent end to months of hostilities.
https://torahmitzion.org/learn/reciting-hallel-rosh-chodesh/
Conclusion: On Shloshet HaRegalim (the Three Festivals), hallel is recited, and according to some opinions, this recitation isme’haTorah. In contrast, everyone agrees that on Rosh Chodesh, hallel is a minhag, but the custom of reciting the bracha is not universal. Ashkenazim do recite the bracha, but Edot HaMizrach do not.
https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/05-01-12/
There is a widespread custom to recite Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. Indeed, according to the letter of the law, there is no obligation to do so, because Hallel is required only on days that are called mo’ed (appointed times), and when work is prohibited. Rosh Chodesh is called a mo’ed, but work is permitted on the day. Still, the Jewish people have accepted the practice of saying Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, in order to give expression to the sanctity of the day, which is capable of elevating one to the level of singing God’s praises. To make it clear that the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh is based on custom, and not obligatory, we omit two paragraphs that are said when reciting the complete Hallel (the complete Hallel consists of chapters 113-118 of Tehillim, and we skip 115:1-11 and 116:1-11).
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/mar/01/critics-say-an-aldi-job-ad-excluded-white-people-w/
"Statements of preference in employment, whether or not they are legally valid, tend not to categorically exclude groups protected by state and federal law," Griffin said. "Simply stated, prioritization is not the same thing as exclusion."
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) The soul originates from the same supernal source from which money issues, devolves and comes into being. Money’s origin, from which it extends downward, is undoubtedly an aspect of holiness and a source of holy influx. But afterwards, in the process of devolving, this influx acquires corporeality and becomes money. Thus the reason the soul desires money is that the soul and money share the same source.
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) It would be right for all Jews to have money. However, there is one trait that causes them to forfeit and lose it. This is a despicably evil trait, from which it is very difficult to be rescued. Even if a person wants to go free from it—in particular when his motivation is greed: so as not to lose money—this evil trait nevertheless overwhelms him in his youth and immaturity, and so he forfeits the money that he should have had. This evil trait is anger, because of which a person forfeits and loses the money he should rightfully have. For the root from which money devolves, from which it extends downward, is precisely the same as that of anger.
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) At its origin, the root from which money devolves is the source of the soul, as in “for his soul depends on it” (Deuteronomy 24:15), which is said concerning the money of a day-worker. It is also written (Lamentations 5:9), “We get our bread at the peril of our souls.” This is why the soul hungers after and desires it, as explained above. But by getting angry a person loses his soul, as in “He tears apart his soul with his anger” (Job 18:4) ; as the Zohar brings (II, 182a) .
https://www.newsweek.com/racism-race-white-privilege-1819827
In my opinion, the political left are attempting to create a division based on race, in an attempt to drive more voters towards the Democratic Party. I believe this has led to what I call a war on White people.
There are various groups who would argue that White people cannot be the victims of racism—that only people of color can be—but I consider that to be a ridiculous argument.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/trump-reverse-racism-civil-rights
If Donald Trump returns to the White House, close allies want to dramatically change the government's interpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-anti-white-discrimination/
Many white Americans feel that discrimination against whites is on the rise. Experiments suggests otherwise
But when describing the operation on which Trump’s plan is built, experts commonly land on the same word: “inhumane.” The Eisenhower-era operation has been referred to as such by think tanks, scholars and historians, who also said the policy was not as successful as Swing and others claimed.
Sefer Chasidim (1015) A pious person should pray that G-d provide him a pious wife and he should not be concerned with her wealth but only her piety. That is because wealth comes from good deeds. Therefore if he marries for wealth he will eventually lose it and only benefit from it in this World, while if he marries a good person he will become wealthy but the principal reward is in the future World
https://thehill.com/media/4395082-kilmeade-biden-full-hitler-trump-speech/
“What’s resonating is Trump is unelectable. He is not worthy of the seat. Hence the speech on Friday where the president went full Hitler that Trump is the worst thing ever, will destroy the country,” Kilmeade said Monday morning on “Fox and Friends.”
In an excerpt from his new book “The Return of Great Powers,” published Tuesday, CNN anchor Jim Sciutto recounted speaking to multiple members of Trump’s former staff, all of whom corroborated that they frequently heard him commend the likes of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and, one more than one occasion, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“These people are running a Gestapo administration,” Trump said, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. “And it’s the only thing they have. And it’s the only way they’re going to win, in their opinion, and it’s actually killing them. But it doesn’t bother me.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-bari-weiss-embarrassed-by-the-intellectual-dark-web
If Weiss intends to build a new alternative media with the same commitment to credibility and speaking truth to power as the old institutions, it’s on her to call out the “cranks, grifters and bigots” who claim to be in the same anti-establishment trench as her. (The Daily Beast made multiple attempts to reach Weiss for comment, but received no response.)
Aside from his deep mehalech haLimmud and his unique Musaar insights, Rav Perr cared deeply for Klal Yisroel, helping Agunos throughout his life, standing up for the downtrodden, the poor, Baalei teshuvah, Geirim, and he stood strongly for Kiruv. He stood for Yashrus in every aspect of it. Whenever a danger to Klal Yisroel arose, he stood at the forefront to stop it. Rav Perr was one of the first to stand strong against molesters in Jewish education. He challenged others in yashrus – backing the nusach below when others did not. We, the undersigned, affirm that any individual with firsthand knowledge or reasonable basis to suspect child abuse has a religious obligation to promptly notify the secular law enforcement of that information. These individuals have the experience, expertise and training to thoroughly and responsibly investigate the matter. Furthermore, those deemed “mandated reporters” under secular law must obey their State’s reporting requirements.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/04/jerry-nadler-antisemitism-bill-00156105
Well, there are three extant definitions. One is by IHRA. One is the Nexus definition and the other is the Jerusalem definition. They’re all equally valid. They all give different examples for perceptions of antisemitism, and none of them should be enshrined into law. The chief author of the IHRA definition, Kenneth Stern, said don’t codify this. Don’t make it part of any law because these are examples that may indicate antisemitism but don’t necessarily in every case, and to enshrine it into law — he thought and a lot of other people think — would be destructive of free speech. It could make criticism, under certain circumstances, of Israeli government policy antisemitic, which it clearly isn’t.
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-palestinian-protests-israel-campuses-1896841
A number of leading Democratic figures are now regularly speaking out against the student pro-Palestinian protests across the country, including President Joe Biden decrying the "vandalism" and "violence" breaking out.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/small-claims-case-goes-to-supreme-court-b24ac380?mod=wknd_pos1
The Department of Defense employee is waiting to find out whether a missed email spells an end to his 11-year quest to get $3,000 of pay (and interest) he says was wrongly withheld during 2013 budget cuts that briefly forced him out of work.
His case would feel right at home in small-claims court. But in March, the nine justices of the highest court in the land heard oral arguments about whether the government should let him continue his fight for six days of back pay.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/now-republicans-are-blaming-george-soros-for-campus-protests
A number of Republicans are now suggesting—or in some cases, flat-out declaring—that George Soros, often the target of right-wing conspiracy theories, is funding the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses.
But back to that “cash from Soros and his acolytes.” At no point does the Post article demonstrate how this purported cash has been critical, instead simply listing organizations that have been involved in the protests to some extent and tracing their funding back to OSF.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-799583
In a post reaching almost 120,000 views, fringe conspiracy theorist David Icke similarly accused Soros of being “Israel’s man,” accusing “Ultra Zionist Sabbatian Cultists” of ‘funding both sides’ in an attempt to stir civil war in the US, all the while controlling both Biden and Trump, pointing at the ethno-religious background of high ranking members in the US administration.
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-voting-antisemitism-bill-bible-illegal-1896543
The bill drew bipartisan criticism, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. Critics argue the bill, if signed into law, stifles free speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution and is overly broad in its definition of antisemitism, pointing to the definition including "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor."
His comments follow Israel’s long-standing contention that Hamas stockpiled supplies and kept them from increasingly desperate civilians. Footage from Gaza has shown gunmen, who were reportedly linked to the terror group, stealing trucks delivering humanitarian aid from Egypt.
In February, the US diplomat who was then involved in humanitarian assistance for Gaza denied allegations that Hamas stole aid and commercial shipments into the enclave, saying that no Israeli official had presented him or the Biden administration with “specific evidence of diversion or theft of assistance.”
“Speech that is critical of Israel alone does not constitute unlawful discrimination,” The Associated Press quoted Nadler as saying during a hearing Tuesday. “By encompassing purely political speech about Israel into Title VI’s ambit, the bill sweeps too broadly.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), a Jewish lawmaker who has co-sponsored other bills aimed at combating antisemitism and described himself Wednesday as a “deeply committed Zionist,” urged colleagues to reject Lawler’s bill, which he characterized as “misguided” because it “threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.”
Greene said she opposed the bill because it would define antisemitic behavior to include remarks about Jews killing Jesus, which she said went against the Bible.
Greene said she wasn’t voting for the bill because the new definition “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”
Religious Jews are welll aware of the idea of holinesss regarding objects. But the idea also applies to space. For example the requirement to stand up when a rosh yeshiva or Torah is close by
We also know that certain areas belong to others and thus can not be violated. Prayer requires having restricted access to the area in front or behind someone praying.
I am interested in the fact that in many situations frum people feel it their right or obligation to interfere with others so they have maximal space. It is not only those who dig out illegal and unsafe spaces under their apartment or neighbor's apartments
Today the sidewalk in front of the shul was blocked by a car parked up against the entrance because someone was late coming to minyan because his wife needed to get to hospital to give birth and since he would have missed the minyan if he looked for a normal parking space
Also someone brought their child to minyan because his wife was tired and the child screamed all during tefila.
In addition are the tzadikim who insist on praying in the aisle or entrance so they have enough space for three steps before and after. My son told me he witnessed at Ponovich, that one rosh yeshiva's way to the bathroom was blocked by a tzadik saying a very long Amida in the isle. The gabbayim simply lifted him and stood him on a nearby bench while he continued talking with G-d. Some people seem to think' if they need something they should take it.
Proponents of law and order – who, for decades, railed against judicial decisions that freed from criminal sanction suspected and convicted criminals based on due process rights that are unconnected to guilt or innocence – now celebrate the possibility that a contemporary Benedict Arnold may hold the highest office of the land. They rejoice that the supreme court kept the former president on the ballot in all 50 states by relying on alleged constitutional rules that do not require Trump to defend himself against treason allegations.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-his-apologists-1437345060
July 19, 2015
The summer Trump polling spurt has nonetheless been instructive in exposing a growing problem on the political right. All too many conservatives, including some magazine editors, have been willing to overlook his hucksterism as he’s risen in the polls. They pretend that he deserves respect because he’s giving voice to some deep disquiet or anger in the American electorate.
Fox News appears to be taking Hunter Biden’s lawsuit threat quite seriously.
The network has quietly pulled down its six-part “mock trial” series from its digital streaming service Fox Nation after lawyers for the presidential scion warned the network of their intention to sue for defamation.
Besides quietly taking down The Trial of Hunter Biden from its streamer, the network also deleted a promotional video promising Fox News viewers an “inside look” at the “mock trial,” which was presided over by former reality-TV star Judge Joe Brown.
The scrubbing of the series, which debuted in October 2022, directly complies with the demand from Biden’s legal team—powerhouse celebrity law firm Geragos & Geragos—to delete the content immediately.
If you want to understand why Donald Trump could win in 2024, look no further than Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. These three top Republican voices who previously condemned Trump now say they plan to vote for him again this November.
Da'as Tevunos (336) Partnership between tzadikim and G-d in the perfecting of the world. G-d effects the world only to the degree it is prepared. Therefore the tzadikim go about making small corrections in the darkness of this world, since according to their preparation G-d provides new influence and benefits to the world.
Bereishis Rabbah (77:01) AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE, etc.. It is written, There is none like unto G-d, O Jeshurun. There is none like G-d; yet who is like G-d? Jeshurun, which means the noblest and best among you. You will find that G-d anticipated in this world through the agency of the righteous everything that He will do in the Hereafter. Thus G-d will resurrect the dead, and Elijah resurrected the dead; G-d shuts up the rain, and Elijah shut up the rain; G-d will bless the little [in quantity], and Elijah blessed the little [in quantity]. God resurrects the dead and Elisha resurrects the dead; G-d remembered childless women, and Elisha remembered childless women. G-d blessed the little and Elisha blessed the little; G-d sweetened the bitter and Elisha sweetened the bitter; G-d sweetened the bitter through the agency of bitter, and Elisha sweetened the bitter through the agency of bitter.
Devarim Rabbah 10:3) The G-d of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of G-d And what means, ' The righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of G-d’? The righteous have power over the same things as G-d, if one may say so. In which way? Everything that G-d does, the righteous do.3 How is this illustrated? G-d remembers barren women; Elisha, too, remembered the Shunammite woman. G-d quickens the dead; and Elisha, too, brought back to life the son of the Shunammite woman. G-d parts the seas, Elijah and Elisha, too, parted seas. G-d heals without emollients, and Elisha healed Naaman without emollients. G-d sweetens the bitter waters, and Elisha sweetened the bitter waters G-d withholds the rain, and Elijah withheld the rain.G-d causes rain to fall, and Samuel caused rain to fall,. G-d sends down fire, and Elijah brought down fire from heaven.,
Zohar (1:9b - 10a): R’ Shimon told his son that once a non-Jewish philosopher challenged him by saying: You claim that G d rules over the height of heaven and that all the angels cannot approach Him and don’t know His place. If so Yermiyahu (10:7): “Amongst all the sages in the world none can compare to You G d” does not constitute high praise since He is just being compared to mortal man? … Can I infer from this verse that only among the sages of the non Jews is there no one like G d but amongst the Jews there are those like G d? If that inference is correct that the Jewish sages are like G d - doesn’t that mean that G d is not omnipotent? If you look carefully at the verse you will see that my inference is in fact correct! R’ Shimon replied: Your deduction that some Jewish sages are comparable to G d is in fact true. Only G d can resurrect the dead - yet we find that Eliyahu and Elisha resurrected the dead. Only G d can make it rain - yet Eliyahu controlled the rain through his prayer. G d made heaven and earth - yet they were firmly established for the sake of Avraham. G d determines the course of the sun - yet Yehoshua made it stand still. G d makes decrees but so did Moshe and they were fulfilled. Furthermore G d makes decrees which are nullified by the tzadikim as we learn from Shmuel 2 23:3). In addition G d commanded them to literally follow in His ways and to be like Him in every way. The philosopher went and converted to Judaism at K’far Shekalim and he was given the name of Yossi Kattina. He studied Torah very diligently until he became one the leading sages and righteous people of that location.
The original Kollel system in Europe required the scholar leave his family for years so he would not be disturbed in his learning. according to the biography of Rav Moshe Landynski who became rosh yeshiva in Radin before being replaced with Rav Naftoli Trop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollel
The first kollel – in the modern sense of the term – in the Jewish diaspora was the Kovno Kollel ("Kolel Perushim"[2]) founded in Kovno (Kaunas, Lithuania) in 1877.[3][4] It was founded by Rabbi Yisrael Salanter[5] and directed by Rabbi Isaac Blaser. The ten students enrolled were required to separate from their families, except for the Sabbath, and devote themselves to studying for the Rabbinate. There was a four-year limit on one's membership in the kollel.
The question is why the mitzva of marriage and family were displaced?
https://torah.org/interest/chofetz-chaim-eclipse/
And the Chofetz Chaim taps again with his right hand on the table with an expression of victory, and smiling he adds, “They should come to see. It is a mitzvah to see the sun eclipsed, to actually see that a creation was actually formed [by the Creator] … And he taps lightly again with his right hand, a quiet smile …
https://www.thedailybeast.com/hunter-biden-threatens-fox-news-with-defamation-suit?ref=home?ref=home
The notice demands that Fox News—whose obsessive coverage has mentioned Hunter Biden more than 13,000 times in the last four months alone—take immediate steps to remedy scads of coverage over the last five years that Biden’s attorneys say has falsely maligned him.
Dr. Nir Barzilai, the new president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research and the director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said Sinclair’s comment about the dog research and his commercial interest in Animal Biosciences crossed a line. “The data is not good, you’re calling it the wrong thing, and then you’re selling it,” he said. “The selling is a step too far.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/05/donald-trump-why-do-evangelicals-support-him
Justified or not, white evangelical Christians increasingly believe they are the most persecuted demographic in the US today. But I don’t believe that evangelicals are interested in rectifying their status as a hated demographic, and would never protest for better treatment (or consciously demonize any racial minority the way the white supremacists do). For them, being despised by the world is a badge of honor that will ensure them a heavenly reward.
https://www.cato.org/commentary/no-russiagate-wasnt-hoax-team-trump-claims-it-was
The bottom line is that, as Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded in his own 2019 probe—to Durham’s and Barr’s displeasure—the FBI investigation was amply justified. True, it ultimately found no evidence of acts that rose to the level of criminal conspiracy, and neither did the Mueller probe. But let’s not forget what did happen: Russian agents did conspire to influence the election, undermine Clinton and help Trump, and Trump as well as people close to him eagerly welcomed the help. (We didn’t need the FBI or Mueller to tell us that Trump was thrilled by the WikiLeaks disclosures of hacked documents from the DNC and the Clinton campaign: he said so openly and more than once.) What’s more, some people in the Trump campaign actively worked to take advantage of Russian meddling. Mueller’s indictment of Roger Stone states that after the first WikiLeaks dump, Stone and other “senior Trump campaign officials” made moves to find out what other compromising material WikiLeaks had. The charges against Stone, on which he was ultimately convicted, had to do with obstructing the investigation; but the only reason he couldn’t be charged with conspiracy for his attempts to establish contact with WikiLeaks is that WikiLeaks is not officially classified as a Russian asset.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/27/gaza-hamas-public-support-israel/
More than six months into the war in Gaza and with dimming hopes for a cease-fire deal, Palestinians there are growing more critical of Hamas, which some of them blame for the months-long conflict that has destroyed the territory — and their lives.
https://mishpacha.com/just-plain-chutzpah/
Perhaps a brief review of Chazal’s description of the role of the gadol hador of each generation is in order.
The Ran in his derashos says that in every generation, Hashem puts His Shechinah on the gedolei hador. Just as the Shechinah was placed in the Beis Hamikdash and spread throughout Klal Yisrael, so too in every generation the Shechinah rests on the gadol hador and spreads from there to Klal Yisrael. Chazal in Masechta Bava Basra(12a) teach us that although nevuah was taken from the prophets when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, it was not taken from the scholars.
The Ponevezher Rav always taught his students that he lived with the words of this Chazal throughout his life. “In Europe, I accepted the words of my rebbi, the Chofetz Chaim ztz”l, as if they were the words of a navi. After coming to Eretz Yisrael, I accepted the words of the Chazon Ish ztz”l as a navi.”
He explained that he was capable of disagreeing with the Chazon Ish when it came to understanding Torah the same way he was able to disagree with Rav Akiva Eiger. But when it came to worldly matters, he said each and every word that issued from the Chazon Ish’s lips was pure brilliance and to him was “Torah miSinai.”
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/26/state-department-reviewing-plans-sanction-idf-unit
A senior U.S. official said Blinken's determination that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion committed gross violations of human rights in the West Bank has not changed, but a process of consultation with Israel on the issue is now underway to examine whether it is taking steps to address this.
The U.S. official said that if these steps are not satisfactory in accordance with the Leahy law and if it appears Israel has not held soliders and officers accountable and corrected the conditions that led to the violations, the U.S. will apply the law and withhold aid to this unit.
On Tuesday Israel Hayom reported on Blinken making the unusual request to be briefed by Halevi one-on-one rather than as part of a meeting with the War Cabinet.
An official told Israel Hayom that a meeting between a foreign minister and a military official without a civilian official present was not common practice in international relations and therefore Netanyahu's office refused to approve a private meeting between Blinken and the chief of staff. "Israel is not a banana republic," the official said.
The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank but will remain eligible for U.S. military aid regardless because of steps Israel says it's taking to address the problem, ABC News has learned.
The administration assessment, which has not yet been made public, was outlined in an undated letter by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to House Speaker Mike Johnson obtained by ABC News.
The U.S. determination "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress," Blinken wrote.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389077
The Biden Administration has backtracked and will not impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzach Yehuda Battalion, ABC News reported this morning (Friday).
According to the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson explaining that the decision was made in light of Israel's commitment to addressing concerns over human rights violations by the IDF in Judea and Samaria.
..According to Blinken, the administration's concerns over alleged human rights violations by the Netzach Yehuda Battalion "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress."
https://www.nad.com/news/charles-brenner-critiques-david-sinclairs-best-selling-book-on-aging
Pointing out two questions on the back cover of Lifespan, Brenner answers them. The first is “is aging a disease?” Brenner’s answer is that aging is a risk factor for many diseases, but aging is not a disease itself. He follows by saying that the most powerful genetic mutations to extend lifespan in animal models have been in genes that control growth, establishing that growth and development are intricately linked with aging, suggesting that aging is inevitable.
“Is aging treatable?” Yes, says Brenner, in the sense that genes can be modified to change the rate of aging. He says, however, that it is easier to accelerate aging — by doing things like smoking or becoming overweight — than it is to slow aging. He then comments on well-known studies showing that caloric restriction (consuming fewer calories) extends the lifespan of mice. These studies suggest that fasting can treat aging, but Brenner disagrees with their framing, saying, “Caloric restriction extends animal lifespan when compared to caged animals with constant access to food. However, it is more accurate to say that unrestricted access to food is a life-shortening condition that is unlike conditions in the wild to which animals are adapted.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9669175/
Members of the general public and investment community have caught the longevity bug and appear to believe that major breakthroughs have been made in extending human lifespan
Lifespan, a book by Harvard scientist David Sinclair, has become an influential source of misinformation on longevity, featuring counterfactual claims about longevity genes being conserved between yeast and humans, the existence of supposed activators of these genes, and claimed successful age reversal in mice based on partial reprogramming
The book has popularized a stack of drugs and supplements with significant potential to harm the general public
The reviewer suggests that scientists and physicians emphasize to the general public that aging is known to be a highly polygenic developmental process and that the most important things that people can do to age better are to maintain high physical and mental activity
Hamas officials in Gaza claimed on Saturday to discover a mass grave with more than 200 bodies at a hospital in Khan Younis that was recently the target of a military raid.
The officials claimed the dead were buried in a mass grave by Israeli forces, but evidence suggested this claim was false, with the bodies having previously been buried at that same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and terror operatives in the area.
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday rejected Hamas’s allegation as “baseless.”
It said forces searching for Israeli hostages had examined bodies previously buried by Palestinians near Nasser Hospital and had returned the bodies to where they were buried after they were examined.
It has been documented that Palestinians buried their dead at the hospital grounds both before and while Israeli troops operated in the area.
In a Jan. 8, 2019, address to the nation, Trump described the border under his watch as a “crisis,” and pleaded with Congress to pass most of the exact same proposals that were in the bipartisan border bill in the Senate that was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) with Democrats earlier this year, but ultimately rejected by Republicans.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syzzmdqxc
Dershowitz said that, despite his criticism of the current president, he may vote for Biden in the November elections and rejected Trump's description of any Jew that would vote for the president as crazy. "If he wants to call me a crazy American Jew, that's fine," he concluded.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388892
On Sunday night, the ISA, Israel Police, and IDF arrested Ahmad Dawabshe, the terrorist who murdered Binyamin Achimeir, a Jewish shepherd, in a bloody and brutal terror attack last week.
The traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut yom tov” (with “u” as in “put”). “Yom tov,” which literally means “good day” in Hebrew, denotes a holiday. In Yiddish, it is normally mangled into something that sounds more like “YON-tiff.” Thus, the greeting can sound like “gut YON-tiff” or even “gutJONtiff.” (Translated into English, the “gut yom tov” greeting is strangely redundant, meaning “good good day.”)
Sephardic Jews prefer the biblical term for a festival, “chag.” Thus, when wishing someone a joyous festival, they say “chag same’ach” (pronounced CHAG sah-MAY-ach). This greeting has its roots in the Torah, where forms of these two words are used in the commandment to rejoice on the festivals.1
Now, not all holidays are considered equal. The intermediate festival days of lesser sanctity, when many of the work restrictions are relaxed, are called Chol Hamoed. On those days, the traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut mo’ed” (or “gut MOY-ed”), and Sephardim say “mo’adim l’simchah,” to which some respond “chagim u’zemanim l’sason.” (As before, the Sephardic salutation has liturgical roots; these phrases are lifted straight from the holiday kiddush.)
If you want to greet someone, but are not sure what to say, just let the other person greet you first, and then repeat the greeting. Works every time.
Lastly, have you ever wondered what to wish people after Passover has ended? The traditional Yiddish Post-Passover greeting is for “a gezuntn zumer,” a healthy summer.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798189
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he is “horrified and disgusted” with the antisemitism being spewed at and around Columbia University’s campus, according to a statement from the mayor’s office on Sunday night.
Adams said he condemns the hate speech heard during the protests such as a woman who yelled ‘We are Hamas’ and another woman who held a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating ‘Al-Qasam’s Next Targets.’
Adams said supporting an organization that threatens to kill Jews is “sickening and despicable.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/21/chaos-columbia-jewish-moskowitz-santos-white-house-00153545
“Silence is complicity,” Biden’s statement read. “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388878
“My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. My Administration is working around the clock to free the hostages, and we will not rest until we bring them home. We are also working to establish an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza as a part of a deal that releases the hostages and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. We will continue to work toward a two-state solution that provides equal security, prosperity, and enduring peace for Israelis and Palestinians. And we are leading international efforts to ensure Israel can defend itself against Iran and its proxies, including by directing the U.S. military to help defend Israel against Iran’s unprecedented attacks last weekend.”
The Netziv notes that we have the famous statement of the Rashby that houses were infected as a present from G-d to reveal the hidden treasures and we have the contrary statement from his son that there never was an infected house
He concludes that this halacha is actually concerned with describing the proper foundation of a Jewish home, the Caanites were merchants who as a class are prone to lashon harah, slander etc etc - as opposed to farmers. So their houses were built on immoral foundation also on idolatry. The halacha advises removing (when possible) the moral decay and replacing it with a holy foundation. However sometimes the structure needs to be totally replaced. That is why only a cohen can decided whether the infection is impure and not a talmid chachom
Interestingly the Rambam also says it is a miraculous sign indicating spiritual impurity
In the aftermath of these developments, a notable number of Israelis, including a substantial portion of the roughly 560,000 "unaffiliated" people in the country, reported feeling a deeper affinity to their Jewish heritage and traditions. A significant segment of this secular population, who identify as Jews but aren't recognized as such by Halacha, initiated a conversion process.
Centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law. He added that Israel has “strong and independent” courts capable of dealing with alleged violations.
“We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war,” Gantz said, while pledging to “take action so this decision does not pass.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-798035
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the next few days, according to three American sources.
The sanctions are a result of human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
This will be the first time that the United States government has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit for its activities in the West Bank.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-797974?obOrigUrl=true
In a case that riveted the Philadelphia area and American Jewry for years, Neulander, the founding rabbi of the 1,000-family M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted in 2002 of paying confessed killers Len Jenoff and Paul Michael Daniels to murder his wife so that he could freely carry on a love affair with former Philadelphia radio personality Elaine Soncini.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798022
An Israeli weapon launched in the strike against Iran on Friday damaged a defense mechanism responsible for detecting and destroying aerial threats near Natanz without detection, The New York Times (NYT) reported on Saturday, citing two Western and two Iranian officials.
The weapon struck an S-300 antiaircraft system at a military base in Isfahan province. Natanz is a central city in Iran and a base for Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-read/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/
Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.
In 20 of 24 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993, at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before, despite the generally downward trend in national violent and property crime rates during most of that period.
While perceptions of rising crime at the national level are common, fewer Americans believe crime is up in their own communities. In all 23 Gallup surveys that have included the question since 1993, no more than about half of Americans have said crime is up in their area compared with the year before.
Kuntress Kedushas Yisrael
The Making of a Hetter
An Analysis of the Recent
Hetter of a Giyores to a Kohen
Click Link to download
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sj37JRqPHzoAoTbMNSH1w3-SpxfZQxk2/view
Recently, many Gedolim and Roshei Yeshivos signed letters opposing a hetter that was given to allow someone who was muchzak as a kohen to marry a giyores. The Rabbonim did not mince words and blatantly called this hetter a great pirtzah in kedushas yisroel. Unfortunately, the wedding has already taken place, however the primary pirtzah is not merely the specific details of this particular hetter, rather the Rabbonim felt that the entire approach upon which the hetter was based was disturbing.
This presentation is being made in an effort to bring the details of this story to light. We welcome any response or feedback, and we would be grateful if this kuntress would provide the impetus for further clarification of the issues being raised. Much effort has been made to document factual and verifiable information, and to source the information as much as possible. The information presented is based on documents from the Beis Din being mattir, conversations with Rabbonim involved in the issue, and independent investigation of the facts presented.
We will begin with a timeline of events, after which we will present the written hetter of the Beis an analysis of this information
https://www.thedailybeast.com/irans-state-tv-laughs-off-israels-retaliation-attack?ref=home?ref=home
As reports of the Israeli attacks grabbed world headlines, an extraordinary segment unfolded on Iran’s pro-regime Press TV, where correspondent Gisoo Misha Ahmadi totally dismissed Israel’s retaliation.
“I would suggest our viewers—if they want to have a good laugh—they can check social media reports from citizens who are there, who are actually making fun of all the commotion that was made by Israeli media about a possible attack,” she said.
Ahmadi conceded that Iran is on a high state of alert and took down a series of drones that were approaching Iranian airspace but she claimed that was the extent of the threat.
“Everything is completely normal,” she said. “And people are enjoying the weekend.”
The gemora says that G-d held Mt Sinai over the Jews like a barrel and threaten to kill them if they didn't accept the Torah
Shabbos (88a) And they stood under the mount:15 R. Abdimi b. Hama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, the mountain upon them like an [inverted] cask, and said to them,’If ye accept the Torah, ‘tis well; if overturnednot, there shall be your burial.
Rashi says a barrel is lethal because of the gas it contains
Sanhedrin (77a) It has been stated: If one overturned a vat upon a man who then died of suffocation, or broke open a ceiling above him, Raba and R. Zera differ One ruled that he is liable, the other that he is not.
Ben Yehoyada (Shabbos 88a) מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית. יש להקשות למה עשאו 'כְְּגִיגִית' שחפרו ועשה בו בית קיבול כמו גִיגִית, ודי להניחו כמו שהוא למעלה מראשיהם? ואם כדי שלא יברחו וינוסו מתחתיו, מי זה יברח מיד ה'? שאם יצאו מתחתיו גם ההר ילך על גבי ראשיהם! ועוד יש כאן קושיא ידועה הלא הם קבלו ברצון לב את התורה שהקדמו נעשה לנשמע? ועוד יש להקשות אומרו שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם, והוה ליה למימר 'כַּאן' דהא עומדים תחת ההר? ונראה לי בס"ד כי הם קבלו תורה שבכתב כפי מה שיגידו המקראות כמו הקראין דאזלי בתר פשט המקרא, ולא היו רוצין לקבל תורה שבעל פה אשר בכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא תולה בה תלי תלים של הלכות, ולכך אמרו 'נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע' רצונו לומר נַעֲשֶׂה כפי אשר נִשְׁמָע מן פשט המקראות. והוא יתברך כָּפָה אותם על תורה שבעל פה, ולכן עשה את הָהָר לעיניהם חפור בתוכו כמו 'גִיגִית' לרמוז להם שכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא היא כמו גיגית שיש לה בית קיבול ומטילים לתוכה יין אשר תכיל אלף אלפים טיפות יין בקרבה, ועל מנת כן אתם חייבים לקבל את תורה שבכתב. וידוע כי המאמין בדרשות של תורה שבעל פה ורמזים אשר בזה הוא מבין דבר מתוך דבר ומוציא הלכה מתוך הלכה, הנה זה הוא 'בן עולם הבא' שהיא סוד בינה, יען כי משמעות בינה הוא כך שיבינו דבר מתוך דבר, מה שאין כן מי שאינו מודה בכך הרי זה אין לו חלק לעולם הבא! ומפורש בדברי רבינו האר"י ז"ל על מה שנאמר 'אין לו חלק לעולם הבא' היינו שישאר במלכות שהיא סוד העשיה. וזה שאמר כָּפָה הָהָר כְּגִיגִית שיש לה בית קבול, לרמוז על תורה שבעל פה שעושה לכל תיבה בית קבול שתכיל בקרבה כמה אלפים הלכות שבזאת תהיה עיקר קבלת התורה, ואמר להם אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים הַתּוֹרָה, הידיעה היא תורה שבעל פה שעליה נאמר (איוב יא, ט) וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם, מוּטָב, אִם לָאו, שָׁם, במלכות הנקראת 'שם' שה"ס [שהוא סוד] עשיה, בסוד (שמואל ב' ח, יג) וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם תִּהְיֶה קְבוּרַתְכֶם, כלומר מקום שלכם שלא תזכו לעולם הבא שה"ס בינה, אלא תשארו במלכות שנקראת 'שם'.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388767
Terrible and terrifying for Jews. Israelis are overwhelmingly not leaving Israel for many reasons, including the fact that many are scared to travel to the US, especially to New York City and San Francisco.
https://www.newsweek.com/anti-israel-protesters-confused-about-meaning-ceasefire-opinion-1891343
As a Palestinian human rights activist who supports the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians, I am deeply troubled by the reactions of certain anti-Israel groups in the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran's recent attack on Israel. Their exuberant celebrations and justifications for such aggression starkly contradict their professed commitment to peace and reveal a profound hypocrisy that undermines diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East.
This weekend's Iranian attack was a calculated military aggression involving more than 300 projectiles, with around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles aimed and fired directly at Israeli territory. The assault is simply a more overt continuation of the war that Iran has been waging since the 1979 seizure of power by the jihadist Ayatollahs, which it promotes in the chant: "Death to America, Death to Israel."
Iran asserts that the attack was an act of "revenge" or "punishment" against Israel for its targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus in recent weeks. The truth is that Iran launched this round of violence: Zahedi is known for his involvement in orchestrating the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Jews in Israel by Hamas, including 30 Americans.
US President Joe Biden called on Congress to immediately pass an aid package for Israel and Ukraine, in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
Legislation has been stalled for months amid opposition from House Republicans fueled by former US president Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, informed GOP lawmakers on Wednesday that he will begin the days-long push to hold votes on the funding packages for Israel and Ukraine, as well as one earmarked for allies in the Indo-Pacific.
While both Israel and Ukraine “can capably defend their own sovereignty, they depend on American assistance, including weaponry, to do it, and this is a pivotal moment,” Biden wrote, pointing to strikes by Iran and Russia on Israel and Ukraine over the weekend.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/18/us-israel-rafah-meeting-00153043
The U.S. and Israel are holding another tense meeting on a future Rafah operation Thursday, a sign that Iran’s attack isn’t halting negotiations over Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas.
Both sides are attending a virtual session, a senior Biden administration official and Israeli official told POLITICO, where senior leaders discuss how to target Hamas’ roughly 3,000 fighters in Rafah while protecting the city’s 1.4 million Palestinians. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to lead the conversation for the Biden administration. Sullivan’s Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, is heading his nation’s delegation.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-calls-un-sanction-israel-1891924
Russia is urging the United Nations (U.N.) to sanction Israel for failing to comply with a resolution that demanded a Gaza cease-fire during Ramadan.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728, which was passed by the council amid the Muslim holy month on March 25, called for an immediate halt to the hostilities, which began following the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.
The resolution was passed by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining over the omission of a clause condemning Hamas. Israel ignored the cease-fire demand, continuing its assault on Gaza through the end of Ramadan on April 9 and beyond.
Russia, which remains buried under an avalanche of its own international sanctions due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, objected to the lack of punishment for Israel during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday.
https://popular.info/p/americas-zombie-crime-wave
But is there a crime wave in America? Without a doubt, people believe that crime continues to surge. A Gallup poll found that 78% of Americans believe that there was more crime in 2022 than in 2021. (Only 13% believed it declined.)
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388754
The US on Thursday vetoed a Security Council resolution to admit the Palestinian Authority as a full member state of the United Nations.
12 countries voted in favor of the resolution: Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Russia, South Korea, Mozambique, Malta, Japan, Guyana, France, Ecuador, China, and Algeria.
Two countries abstained – Britain and Switzerland.
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-activates-air-defenses-and-cancels-flights-27b6d416
Israel retaliated overnight against Iran’s massive drone and missile attack on its territory, people familiar with the matter said—with what appeared to be a limited strike aimed at avoiding an escalatory cycle that could push the countries closer toward war.
The strike targeted the area around Isfahan in central Iran, one of the people said. Iranian media and social media reported explosions near the city, where Iran has nuclear facilities and a drone factory, and the activation of air-defense systems in provinces across the country after suspicious flying objects were detected.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/17/senate-dismisses-historic-impeachment-mayorkas-border-immigration
Senate Democrats on Wednesday quickly squashed impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a swift end to the GOP's attempt to oust him.
Why it matters:
Killing the charges without a full trial highlights how Democrats saw the impeachment as political theater, but Republicans argue it sets a dangerous precedent.
Senators voted along party lines to rule the articles of impeachment unconstitutional for not meeting the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.
While speculating about the jury selection and how Trump faces an uphill climb with the largely Democratic base of New York, Glenn suddenly admitted that the city wasn’t quite what he expected based on what he’d been fed by conservative media.
In a clip flagged by journalist Jacqueline Sweet, Glenn noted that he and his crew had driven in from Philadelphia on Sunday and spent the day “exploring” New York and came to the stunning realization that the city was fairly peaceful.
“I gotta say, I thought I would see more [of a] homeless situation here,” he said. “I thought I would see a little more chaos on the streets than, um, from what I’ve been told. And I didn’t see as much as I thought I would.”
The MAGA pundit went on to speculate that New York City Mayor Eric Adams may have “cleaned up certain parts of the city” in anticipation of the press coverage Trump’s trial would bring, adding that Adams could have “shifted” undesirable elements to “other parts of the city.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4600362-mayorkas-impeachment-dismissed-trial/
The Senate voted Wednesday to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, shutting down the possibility of a lengthy Senate trial, which Republicans had demanded to bring attention to the Biden administration’s record on immigration and border security.
It marked the first time in 225 years the Senate voted to immediately dismiss impeachment charges approved by the House instead of holding a floor trial or referring the matter to a special committee to review it.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for the development of "space laser technology" at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Israel has some of the best unmanned defense systems in the world," the controversial Republican congresswoman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a proposed amendment to legislation.
"I've previously voted to fund space lasers for Israel's defense. America needs to take our national security seriously and deserves the same type of defense for our border that Israel has and proudly uses," she added.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-797675
The US has approved a potential Israeli Rafah operation in exchange for the Jewish state not conducting counterstrikes on Iran, according to a Thursday report from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.
A senior official told The New Arab that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to obtain American approval for a military operation in Rafah, in exchange for [Israel] refraining from carrying out a wide military operation against Iran in response to its recent attack."
He claimed that "discourse of an Israeli response to Iran contradicts the desires of the American administration, and is not realistic, given the Israeli claims that the United States played the major role in repelling the Iranian attack and preventing its success."
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388699
Egyptian sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the US agreed to accept Israel's plan for an operation in Rafah - so long as Israel does not carry out a widescale strike on Iranian soil.
The source said that his country's military is on high alert along the Gaza-Egypt border, in preparation for a potential ground incursion by the IDF into Rafah.
According to the source, Egypt raised its alert level following a lengthy conversation with Israel and the understanding that the IDF is carrying out intensive preparations for a widescale operation in the area.
On Wednesday, ABC News quoted three Israeli sources as saying that Israel prepared for and then aborted retaliatory strikes against Iran on at least two nights this past week.
Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel this weekend, with a barrage of missiles and drones. Around the same time, some 1,500 miles north, Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine, which has intensified dramatically in the last month.
Both Ukraine and Israel defended themselves against these attacks, holding the line and protecting their citizens. And both did it with critical help from the U.S.
Now is not the time to abandon our friends. The House must pass urgent national-security legislation for Ukraine and Israel, as well as desperately needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
Bava Metzia (58b): If a person is overcome by calamity is visited by suffering, afflicted with disease, or has buried his children, one must not speak to him as his companions spoke to Iyov , is not your fear of G d your source of bitachon, And and your hope that you will lack nothing? Please remember that the innocent don’t perish
Ramban (Sales 14:13) If a person was afflicted by illness and suffering or he is forced to bury his children, one should not speak to him in the manner that Iyov 's friends addressed him "Your fear of G-d was for your own security.... Can you recall anyone who was innocent who perished?"
Shulchan Aruch (CM 228:04) If a person was suffering a person may not tell him what Iyov was told by his friends, “is your fear of heaven not your confidence? Do you remember, please, anyone innocent who was destroyed?”
Bava Metzia (83b) R. Eleazar, son of R. Simeon, once met an officer of the Roman Government who had been sent to arrest thieves, How can you detect them? he said Maybe, you take the innocent and allow the guilty to escape? The officer answered, What shall I do? It is the King's command. Said the Rabbi, Let me tell you what to do. Go into a tavern at the fourth hour of the day. If you see a man dozing with a cup of wine in his hand, ask what he is. If he is a learned man, you may assume that he has risen early to pursue his studies; if he is a day labourer he must have been up early to do his work; if his work is of the kind that is done at night, he might have been rolling thin metal. If he is none of these, he is a thief; arrest him. The report of this conversation was brought to the Court, and the order was given: Let the reader of the letter become the messenger. R. Eleazar, son of R. Simeon, was accordingly sent for, and he proceeded to arrest the thieves. Thereupon R. Joshua, son of Karhah, sent word to him, Vinegar, son of wine! How long will you deliver up the people of our God for slaughter! Back came the reply: I weed out thorns from the vineyard. Whereupon R. Joshua retorted: Let the owner of the vineyard God come and weed out the thorns. One day a fuller met him, and dubbed him: Vinegar, son of wine. Said the Rabbi to himself, Since he is so insolent, he is certainly a culprit. So he gave the order to his attendant: ‘Arrest him! Arrest him! When his anger cooled, he went after him in order to secure his release, but did not succeed. Thereupon he applied to, the fuller the verse: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Then they hanged him, and R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon stood under the gallows and wept. Said his disciples to him: ‘Master, do not grieve; for he and his son seduced a betrothed maiden on the Day of Atonement Yet in spite of this, his conscience disquieted him. Thereupon he was given a sleeping draught, taken into a marble chamber, and had his abdomen opened, and basketsful of fat removed from him and placed in the sun during Tammuz and Ab, and yet it did not putrefy
Pele Yoetz (Chanufa): It is in fact proper and fitting to show respect to the wealthy – as we see that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and Rabbi Akiva honored the rich (Eiruvin 86a). The reason is that because G-d desires that this man be valued and He therefore has bestowed upon him an abundance of blessings from Above – we are also obligated to honor him. This is especially true for any person who has been the beneficiary of the rich person that he is clearly obligated to honor him. Furthermore the rich person since he has more possessions he is more likely to increase the amount of mitzvos and good deed that he does – compared to the less wealthy and this in turn reverses the spiritual damage done by his sins. Therefore it is appropriate to show him some respect - even if he has done something inappropriate and has deviated slightly from the correct path - and consequently he shouldn't demean the rich man as much as a poor man.
Shulchan Aruch (CM 3) A Court of Law must consist of not less than three [Judges]1 and every [group of] three [Judges] is called a Court of Law even if they be laymen.2 For it is impossible that there should not be among them [at least] one who has a knowledge of logical inferences in [civil] laws.3 However, if there is not among them [at least] one [who has such knowledge], they are disqualified to judge.4 Nevertheless, they may receive the pleas [of the contesting parties] and forward them to one who is qualified to render legal decisions.5 They may try the defendant6 against his will7 if the latter8 declines to come down before Court,9 or he is not willing to attend the Court with the plaintiff in his10 home town.11 But if he is willing to attend the Court with him12 in his10 home town, only that he is not pleased with the three [Judges] whom the plaintiff has chosen, — then [the law is that] each [litigant] chooses one [Judge and the two Judges together choose a third].13 Gloss: As stated infra § 13. It seems to me [that this applies] only to Judges who are not permanent, but if there are permanent Judges in town he cannot say, 'I will attend Court in their presence only on [the condition that] each [litigant] chooses [one Judge and the two Judges together choose a third]'.14 Thus is the accepted custom in our town. , infra § 22, par. 1 end.
Beit Din and Dayanim
A bet din can’t function with less than 3 judges. These 3 judges can be any 3 people even if they’re not knowledgeable as long as one of them is familiar with the laws of judging.[32]
If none of the judges are knowledgable, the bet din doesn’t function unless they are the communally accepted bet din.[33]
Even though theoretically one expert judge can judge cases without any other judges, nowadays we don’t have an expert judge of that caliber.[34] However, if the one expert judge was accepted by the disputants and the case is simple, he can judge the case, otherwise an individual judge should not judge alone.[35]
The more judges on a bet din the better, though, the judges need to be fit to be judges.[36]
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjy11zhhla
Israel's alliance with the U.S. helped it defeat missiles and UAVs from Iran, and now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects to receive similar assistance against the Russians: 'Israel is not a NATO member, yet they helped save lives, Moscow, like Tehran, spreads terror'
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-emboldened-israel-confrontation-dd7136b7?mod=hp_lead_pos1
Still, in contrast to previous rounds of escalation, the scale of the attack suggested an attempt to inflict real damage inside Israel, military analysts said, with more than 300 total missiles and drones of various types deployed. It took a complex joint operation with the U.S. and Arab neighbors to down most of the projectiles.
“If they wanted to stage a symbolic strike, why use so many systems? If it’s just symbolic, what does the real strike look like? They can’t launch a thousand missiles at once,” said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles and drones with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
