Absolute Truth

 I'm reading "Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century" by John Higgs and wanted to share this quote with you.

Start reading this book for free: https://a.co/e4Y75q3

 "The existence of absolute truth has also been declared by neoliberalists and socialists, by terrorists and vigilantes, and by scientists and hippies. The belief in certainty is a broad church indeed. All these people disagree on what form this absolutism takes, unfortunately. But they’re pretty sure that it exists. This faith in absolute certainty is not based on any evidence for the existence of certainty. It can sometimes appear to stem from a psychological need for certainty which afflicts many people, particularly older men. Cultural debate in the early twenty-first century has, "as a result, descended into a War of the Certain. Different factions, all of whom agree about the existence of absolute truth, are shouting down anyone who has a different definition of that absolute truth. Fortunately, true absolutism is rare. Most people, scientists and non-scientists alike, unconsciously adopt a position of multiple-model agnosticism. This recognizes that we make sense of the world by using a number of different and sometimes contradictory models. A multiple-model agnostic would "not say that all models are of equal value, because some models are more useful than others, and the usefulness of a model varies according to context. They would not concern themselves with infinite numbers of interpretations as that would be impractical, but they understand that there is never only one interpretation. Nor would they agree that something is not “real” because our understanding of it is a cultural or linguistic construct. Things can still be real, even when our understanding of them is flawed Multiple-model agnostics are, ultimately, pretty loose. They rarely take impractical, extreme positions, which may be why they do not do well on the editorial boards of academic postmodern journals. Multiple-model agnosticism is an approach familiar to any scientist. Scientists do not possess a grand theory of everything, but they do have a number of competing and contradictory models, which are valid at certain scales and in certain circumstances."

​​​​One can of artificially sweetened soft drink daily may increase diabetes risk by more than a third​​​

 https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/one-can-of-artificially-sweetened-soft-drink-daily-may-increase-diabetes-risk-by-more-than-a-third

An Australian study has found that drinking just one can of artificially sweetened soft drink a day may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38 per cent.​​​

​​​​Surprisingly, that risk for artificially sweetened soft drink is even higher than for those who consume sugar-sweetened beverages, such as regular soft drinks, where the risk was found to be 23 per cent higher.​​​

Trump's higher tariffs go into effect on dozens of countries

 https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/trumps-higher-tariffs-go-effect-dozens-countries

President Donald Trump's higher import taxes on dozens of countries went into effect on Thursday, just as the economic impact of his earlier tariffs had started to show visible harm to the U.S. economy.

Senior Haredi leader threatens ‘global struggle like never before’ to avoid IDF draft

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/senior-haredi-leader-threatens-global-struggle-like-never-before-over-idf-draft

The spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah party on Wednesday accused the government of waging war on the Haredi community, following the arrest of two Haredi draft evaders.

“The State of Israel has declared war on yeshiva students. Haredi Judaism will embark on a global struggle like never before,” a spokesman for Rabbi Dov Lando, one of the most prominent rabbinic leaders of the so-called “Lithuanian” stream of ultra-Orthodoxy, declared in a statement.

Alongside the Hasidic Agudat Yisrael, Degel HaTorah is one of the two factions in the United Torah Judaism party.

Research on reversing Alzheimer’s reveals lithium as potential key

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/08/06/lithium-reverses-alzheimers-mice

Researchers led by Bruce A. Yankner, a professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard Medical School, reported that they were able to reverse the disease in mice and restore brain function with small amounts of the compound lithium orotate, enough to mimic the metal’s natural level in the brain. Their study appeared Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Gabbard’s Russian interference claims directly contradict what other Trump officials have said

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/22/politics/tulsi-gabbard-russia-trump-obama-analysis

When President Donald Trump sided with Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence community on the topic of Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election, then-Sen. Marco Rubio sharply rebuked Trump.

The Florida Republican said in 2018 that the intelligence community’s “assessment of 2016 is accurate. It’s 100% accurate. The Russians interfered in our elections.”

He added: “I think it was not a good moment for the administration, obviously. Hopefully, something like that never happens again.”

But seven years later, it just keeps happening — over and over again — as Trump and his most loyal allies seek to sow doubts about that 2016 episode and punish their political enemies. That’s now taken the form of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard threatening criminal referrals and even floating allegations of treason for key officials in the Obama administration.

Her argument is full of holes, as even critics of the Russia investigation such as the National Review’s Andrew McCarthy have noted. (Basically, the whole thing conflates Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election with nonexistent attacks on election infrastructure that changed votes. )

But just as notable is that Gabbard’s move to cast doubt on Russia’s 2016 interference is wholly at odds with several top Trump administration officials, most especially Rubio, along with a pair of congressional investigations spearheaded by Republicans.

US Woman Wakes Up From Coma Moments Before Organ Donation Surgery

 https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-woman-wakes-up-from-coma-moments-before-organ-donation-surgery-9033966

On the day of the procedure, one of her sisters observed movement, and a doctor asked Ms Gallegos to blink, which she did, indicating she was still alive.

Abortion

 Shemos (21:22-23) When two or more parties fight, and one of them pushes a pregnant woman and a miscarriage results, but no other damage ensues, the one responsible shall be fined according as the woman’s husband may exact, the payment to be based on reckoning. But if other damage ensues, the penalty shall be life for life.

Igros Moshe (C.M. 2:69.1) Question: Is abortion permitted? Answer: Abortion is prohibited both for Jews and goyim and is considered murder. While it does say in Tosfos (Nida 44a) in two places that abortuion is permitted, this is clearly a mistake in the text  and should have said it is prohibited but exempt which needs to be corrected. The Rambam also rules that abortion is murder.   

Abortion Rav Yakov Emden

Igros Moshe (C.M. 2:69.4) Question Rav Emden (1:43) writes that a mamzer embryo can be aborted since we see that a pregnant adultress is killed with her unborn child and thus he concludes that today it is also relevant even though there is no more Sanhedrin or death penalty. Answer His words are nonsense even if it were written by such a great person as Rav Emden. I saw in his words absurd things that should not be said  It is clear that today without Sanhedrin there is no Torah death penalty and thus there is no justification for abortion of a mamzer. He also writes that someone today who deliberately does a sin that deserves capital punishment that it is good for him to commit suicide. This is clearly prohibited and Rav Emden is to be condemned for these words and the tshuva shouldnot be taken seriously. It was also claimed that the Rashba said the Ramban did abortions for non Jews. However I could not find such as statement in the Rashba nor can anyone else so it must be a forgery.  There is clearly a contradiction in the  Maharit. I was also astonished to see a tshuva written by a posek in Israel to abort an embryo more than 3 months that tests had indicated had Tay Sachs disease. He claimed that most poskim rule that abortion is only a Rabbinic decree for the needs of society and that other poskim such as Rav Emden permit abortion for great need. In fact Rav Emden clearly indicates that abortion is in general prohibited. In conclusion it is clear and obvious as I have written that according to Rishonim that abortion is prohibited as murder whether it is a mamzer or normal embryo or whether it has Tay Sachs. Don’t be mistanen and rely on the lone Israeli posek and I protest against him for the honor of the Torah and Truth. 

Abortion request to doctor 

Igros Moshe (CM II #73.8) Question Concerning those women in present times who are not properly observant  because of our many sins who want to have an abort their pregnancy. Answer  This is clearly prohibited as violating the prohibition against killing and it is also prohibited for a doctor to even assist  not only for Jewish women but also non-Jewish women. Because bnei Noach are also prohibited to kill the unborn. In fact the prohibition is more stringent for a ben Noach because this is a capital crime for them and thus it is prohibited to assist them and also violates the prohibition of lifnei ivair  One should not assist in any way - even to notify her that it is  possible to have an abortion elsewhere even for a non- Jew. Even if there is concern that this might cause hatred (aivah). In fact there is not a problem of causing hatred when it is explained that he doesn’t want to assist in killing  because even non-Jews know that abortion should not be done and many countries prohibit it as murder, Thus a religious doctor can just say that he doesn’t want to be involved in abortion as this is not a curative procedure and even is dangerous to the woman.

Torah needs to be supplemented with commonsense

 Rashba (3:393): My view is that if the witnesses are believed by the judges, then it is permitted to punish the accused financially or physically depending upon what the judges think is appropriate to be beneficial to society. Because if we insist on doing only what is specified by Torah law and not to punish except as specified in the Torah – the world will end up destroyed. That is because the elementary rules of a functioning society will be breached and consequently it will be ruined. It is an established practice to punish those who physically harm others…Every community makes judgments in order to preserve it and this is true in every generation and every place according to what is perceived as the needs of the times. For example we see (Sanhedrin 58b) that Rav Huna, who was in Babylonia, would amputate hands as punishment. Therefore these judges you referred to who punished the accused not in accord with Torah law – if they saw the need for it to preserve the society – they have correctly acted according to the halacha. This is true when there is a specific order from the king as we see in the case of R’ Eliezar the son of R’ Shimon bar Yochai in Bava Metzia (83a)

Rav Yosef Eliashiv (Kovetz Teshuvos 3:231): … Question: If someone is sexually abusing a boy a girl in circumstances which we can’t stop him from continuing his evil deeds – is it permissible to notify the government authorities? Answer: Rashba (3:393) states: “My view is that if the witnesses are believed by the judges, then it is permitted to punish the accused financially or physically depending upon what the judges think is appropriate to be beneficial to society. Because if we insist on doing only what is specified by Torah law and not to punish except as specified in the Torah – the world will end up destroyed. That is because the elementary rules of a functioning society will be breached and consequently it will be ruined. It is an established practice to punish those who physically harm others…Every community makes judgments in order to preserve it and this is true in every generation and every place according to what is perceived as the needs of the times. For example we see (Sanhedrin 58b) that Rav Huna, who was in Babylonia, would amputate hands as punishment. Therefore these judges you referred to who punished the accused not in accord with Torah law – if they saw the need for it to preserve the society – they have correctly acted according to the halacha. This is true when there is a specific order from the king as we see in the case of R’ Eliezar the son of R’ Shimon bar Yochai in Bava Metzia (83a).” We learn from the Rashba’s words that when action is needed for the well being of society (tikun olam), that the Jewish sages have the ability in every generation to act to preserve the society and to repair breaches – even when there isn’t a specific order from the king. The Ritva (Bava Metzia 83b) has stated that this order of the king is “if the king says to capture certain criminals, even though the government will judge without witnesses and warning [as required by Torah law] and there is no functioning Sanhedrin [as required by Torah law] – it is still permitted since he is acting as the agent of the king. Since it is the law of the land to execute criminals without the testimony of witnesses and warning - as it states [Shmuel 2’ 1:5-16] that Dovid killed the Amalekite ger who had acceded to Shaul’s request to kill him -the agent of the king is like him.” However according to what has been said, in a matter which is needed for the well being of society (tikun olam), it is not needed to have been ordered to act by the king [in order to act as needed]. However, it is permitted to notify the government authorities only in the case which it is certain that the accused has been sexually abusing children. Informing the authorities in such a case is clearly something for the well being of the society (tikun olam). However in a case where there is no proof that this activity is happening but it is merely a conjecture or suspicion, if we permit the calling of the authorities - not only would it not be an improvement (tikun olam) - but it would destroy society. That is because it is possible that allegations are being made solely because of some bitterness the student has against his teacher or because of some unfounded fantasy. As a result of these false allegations the accused will be placed in a situation for which death is better than life – even though he is innocent. Therefore I do not see any justification for calling the authorities in such circumstances.

Trump Asked If He Approved Ghislaine Maxwell's Prison Transfer

 https://www.newsweek.com/ghislaine-maxwell-moved-prison-texas-donald-trump-epstein-2109387

Sarah Krissoff, former federal prosecutor who worked under Blanche in New York, echoed that view, telling NPR that it was "enormously unusual" for the deputy attorney general to hold the interview of Maxwell without other law enforcement present. She added: "You generally would never conduct an interview of a cooperating witness without law enforcement personnel in the room."

Epstein bomb EXPLODES on Trump live on Fox! MSNBC Breakdown

המומחה חושף: זו הכת המיסיונרית מאחורי הפצת תמונות וסרטוני - AI

 https://www.kikar.co.il/davar-rishon/ai-missionary-cult-exposed

מניפולציות, הטעיות והפחדות | אלפי פוסטים של אמונה וקבוצות שמתחזות להיות תמימות אך בפועל מנסים למכור לכם שקר על משיח חדש שנגלה | זוג יהודים ממעלה אדומים כבר נפלו בפח | מי נופל בזה ואיך חיפוש תמים של נשים מבוגרות או צעירים שמעוניינים להתחזק באמונה נמצאים בסכנה (מסיון)

'A fake narrative': Footage of 'bustling' Gaza markets counter Hamas starvation claims

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-863218

The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories shared footage on Monday of bustling markets with large quantities of food to counter Hamas’s accusations that Israel is deliberately causing a famine in the Gaza Strip.

The footage shows fresh produce being sold, along with pastry shops being open.

While asserting “aid is flowing in, by land and by air every day,” COGAT asserted that “Hamas is pushing a fake famine narrative” while stealing the aid and selling it at a large markup.

Hamas Starves Jews and Palestinians, and Israel Gets Blamed

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/hamas-starves-jews-and-palestinians-and-israel-gets-blamed-36adcea3?mod=hp_opin_pos_6

The Western press and politicians play along with the terror group’s ghastly propaganda campaign.

As Israel faces a blitzkrieg of international condemnation again, mobilized in part by a global press happy to supply the ammunition, it is important to remember one thing:

In the war between the Jewish state and its enemies in Gaza, one side is deliberately starving innocent people to the point of emaciation. One side irrevocably denies the right of its adversary to exist. One side would, if it could, conduct a genocide against the other, wiping every last remnant off the face of the planet.