A Passover Message to President Putin: Stop This Blood Libel bt Rav Shalom C. Spiras

       Shulchan Arukh Orach Chaim 472:11 declares that there is a mitzvah to prefer the use of red wine for the Seder.(*) However, Mishnah Berurah (§38) cautions that in a society afflicted with the canard of blood libels, white wine should be substituted.

      Unfortunately, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who appears to be the exponent of a blood libel this Passover, continuing to attack Ukraine on the claim that he seeks to de-Nazify it. Alas, the actual Nazis are in the Hamas headquarters of Gaza [as explained at <https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-call-for-hamas-to-surrender-by-rabbi.html>] and not in Ukraine. To that effect, it is Putin himself who risks being branded as a Nazi, since his attack on Ukraine is potentially contrary to the Noahide Code, as argued at <https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2022/06/a-cri-de-coeur-for-russian-army-to_30.html>. Indeed, the manner in which Putin hijacked the democratic machinery of Russia to become its dictator seems reminiscent of Hitler's self-promotional technique in the Weimar Republic.

      The Mishnah, Pesachim 49a teaches us that if a Jew on Passover Eve is occupied with a mitzvah enterprise such as the Pesach sacrifice, circumcision or a betrothal meal, and he suddenly realizes that he forgot to liquidate chametz from his home, then [provided he has enough time to go home for chametz liquidation and then return to his mitzvah enterprise] he must go home. However, continues the Mishnah, if the same Jew is occupied with saving a human life from an attacking army, an overflowing river, bandits, a conflagration or an avalanche, then [even if he has enough time to go home for chametz liquidation and then return to his mitzvah enterprise] he is obligated to continue forward without first going home, and the prohibition against owning chametz will have to be meagerly satisfied by nullifying the chametz in his heart. [According to Torah law, mere nullification of chametz in the heart is sufficient, as per the Gemara, Pesachim 4b. There are certain exceptions to this principle, such as where the Jew accepted custodial responsibility for someone else's chametz, or where it is past the hour on Passover Eve when chametz becomes forbidden in benefit, beyond the scope of this essay. The requirement to actually liquidate the chametz is generally rabbinic in nature. The rabbis suspended the latter obligation when the Jew in question is embarked upon a piku'ach nefesh sortie.] Clearly, what this Mishnah underscores is that as important as the liquidation of chametz may be in the context of celebrating Passover, saving lives from an attacking army spiritually trumps that value. And so, President Putin should abort his invasion of Ukraine this Passover. 

      Furthermore, the Mishnah compares saving lives from an attacking army to saving lives from an avalanche. The latter fact pattern, detailed in a parallel Mishnah of Yoma 83a [and the ensuing Gemara, Yoma 85a with its attendant commentaries], yields the potential conclusion that there is a mitzvah to medically treat a brain dead patient. It is for this very reason that my father heroically gave his life in sanctification of the Name of Heaven by refusing a heart transplant, as I eulogized three months ago at <https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-eulogy-for-my-father-bt-av-shalom-c.html>. The heroism of my father ought to inspire President Putin: If my father was so concerned about one life being snuffed out by a cardiac harvest that he categorically refused the medical procedure, then how much more so should President Putin be concerned about the myriads of lives in Ukraine that are at stake.

      The above clarion call for President Putin to abort his invasion of Ukraine should be carefully distinguished from the absolute halakhic prohibition against intermarriage between a Jewish gentleman and a Noahide lady. As Rema to Shulchan Arukh Even ha-Ezer 16:2 rules, a Jewish gentleman must forfeit his life in sanctification of the Name of Heaven rather than marry a Noahide lady. Obviously, then, the personal behaviour of Volodymyr Zelensky is completely unacceptable. However, that problem can be resolved without necessarily killing the other human beings in Ukraine. [See also Chazon Ish, Yoreh De'ah 2:16, final paragraph, that heretics in the contemporary era should be brought to repentance in a diplomatic manner "as far as our hand reaches" (be-mah she-yadeinu maga'at).]

(*) = The preference of red wine over white wine also occurs in an entirely separate context which by remarkable coincidence was featured in the Daf Yomi this past Passover Eve. Namely, Tosafot to Makkot 4a, s.v. amar, observe that a sea-submerged barrel of white wine will wreak havoc with an immerser's attempt to purify himself there, since the white wine is visually indistinguishable from seawater. By contrast, continue Tosafot, red wine suffers from no such difficulty, since the presence of wine (that would interfere with valid immersion) optically announces itself. [And see the Haggadah of the Gra, s.v. Rabbi Eliezer omer, for a fascinating suggestion how to conceptually unite the Seder with the laws of sea immersion.]

      

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

Trump Flabbergasted That Judge Wants to Uphold Due Process

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-flabbergasted-that-judge-wants-to-uphold-due-process/

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security informed about 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela that they would lose their legal status on April 24, after which they would have to self-deport or face arrest. They were granted parole under the Biden administration’s CHNV program and allowed to work in the U.S. legally for two years.

But U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani ruled on Monday that the Trump administration can’t revoke the migrants’ parole without an individual review.

“The early termination, without any case-by-case justification, of legal status for noncitizens who have complied with DHS programs and entered the country lawfully undermines the rule of law,” she wrote.

Talwani said the government “offered no substantial reason or public interest that justifies forcing individuals who were granted parole into the United States for a specified duration to leave (or move into undocumented status) in advance of the original date their parole was set to expire.”

Judge Boasberg Warns Trump Officials of Criminal Contempt

 https://www.newsweek.com/judge-boasberg-warns-trump-officials-criminal-contempt-2060613

 A federal judge wrote Wednesday that he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court for disobeying his order to turn back planes carrying deportees to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg warned that unless the administration takes immediate steps to "purge" itself of the contempt finding, he will initiate formal hearings and may refer the matter for prosecution.

"The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory," the judge wrote.

"The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders — especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it," Boasberg continued.

Medicine Career typically for status and wealth

 Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.12) ) Question: What is typically the reason to become a doctor?  Answer  The reason that people want to become doctors in modern times and even in previous times more than two hundred years for the sake of parnossa is not because it is fitting for his nature. Rather it is typically for the high status that it is perceived by ordinary Jews and non Jews. Medicine is inherently not only parnossa but also high status.  Thus it has no connection to the view of Chovas Halevavos that everyone has an innate desire for a specific type of job or business. Therefore he says if a person is strongly attracted to a particular type of work and he can do it competently he should do it for the sake of parnossa. This rule only applies to a profession that a person is naturally attracted to do. and not for external reasons of great honor and wealth that it produces.  The reason it is not a natural profession because the world was not created with a need for it since people initially did not become sick. Even though death was decreed on the first day immediately after Adam ate from the HaDaas, nevertheless there was no sickness until Yakov prayed for weakness. And still there was no sickness until Elisha who prayed for a cure.  

Judge gives Trump admin two weeks to prove they aren't in contempt of court

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cancel-vacations-judge-gives-trump-admin-two-weeks-prove-arent-contempt-of-court

The U.S. judge gave Trump lawyers two weeks to outline what, if any steps it has taken to facilitate the release of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month

A federal judge told Trump lawyers they must expeditiously comply with her requests in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month, as she weighs next steps in the politically charged case.

U.S. Judge Paula Xinis told Trump administration lawyers Tuesday that they will have two weeks to comply with discovery requests in the case of Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident deported to El Salvador last month in what Trump officials have acknowledged was an "administrative error," demanding the government spend time detailing with what, if any, steps it is taking to facilitate his release and return to the U.S.

"Cancel vacations, cancel other appointments," Xinis told lawyers at the Tuesday evening hearing.

Trump and Judiciary in Escalating Standoff Over Wrongfully Deported Migrant

 https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-and-judiciary-in-escalating-standoff-over-wrongfully-deported-migrant-520e1baa?mod=hp_lead_pos10

Judge demands more answers from government about what it has done to facilitate migrant’s return

The Trump administration is setting up the biggest test yet of judges’ authority to rein in its actions, as it skirts court orders that it facilitate the return of a migrant deported in error to a Salvadoran maximum-security prison.

Tensions escalated Tuesday in a federal court hearing in Greenbelt, Md., where a federal judge expressed frustration at how little had been done to help bring back the migrant, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, despite a series of orders—including from the Supreme Court—to facilitate his return. 

Donald Trump Tries to Run Harvard

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-harvard-funding-conditions-constitution-congress-c26040f8?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Many of his demands on the school exceed his power under the Constitution.

The Trump Administration on Monday froze $2.2 billion in funds to Harvard after the university refused to surrender to its sweeping demands. Few Americans will shed tears for the Cambridge crowd, but there are good reasons to oppose this unprecedented attempt by government to micromanage a private university.

Stipulate that the feds have a duty to enforce civil-rights laws, and Harvard failed to protect Jewish students during anti-Israel protests. But the university agreed to strengthen protections for Jewish students in a legal settlement with Students Against Antisemitism, which praised it for “implementing effective long-term changes.”

The Trump Administration nonetheless demanded last week that Harvard accede to what is effectively a federal receivership under threat of losing $9 billion. Some of the demands are within the government’s civil-rights purview, such as requiring Harvard to discipline students who violate its discrimination policies. It also wants Harvard to “shutter all diversity, equity and inclusion” programs, under “whatever name,” that violate federal law.

But the Administration runs off the legal rails by ordering Harvard to reduce “governance bloat, duplication, or decentralization.” It also orders the school to review “all existing and prospective faculty . . . for plagiarism” and ensure “viewpoint diversity” in “each department, field, or teaching unit.”

The real stakes in Trump’s confrontation with Harvard

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/13/politics/trump-universities-research-economy-nih-cuts/index.html

Supporters of university research see another threat: the administration’s repeated moves to deport foreign students, including several for political viewpoints they expressed about the Israel-Hamas war. “If you are a smart kid in India or China, you are going to ask: ‘Why am I going to go to the United States?’” Kenney said.

These pincer moves have divided academic administrators, with some schools conceding to the administration’s demands (such as Columbia) and others pledging to fight them (Princeton). But the implications of these cutbacks will reverberate far beyond campus walls.

Obama calls Trump's freeze of Harvard funding 'unlawful'

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0w2656x33o

President Donald Trump is freezing more than $2bn (£1.5bn) in federal funds for Harvard because it would not make changes to its hiring, admissions and teaching practices that his administration said were key to fighting antisemitism on campus.

Obama, a Harvard alum, described the freeze as "unlawful and ham-handed".

He called on other institutions to follow Harvard's lead in not conceding to Trump's demands.

"Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect," Obama wrote on social media.

White House: Abrego Garcia deportation to El Salvador ‘always going to be end result’

 https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5249835-abrego-garcia-deportation-el-salvador/

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed exasperation over media coverage of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whom administration officials acknowledged in a court filing they mistakenly deported. Officials have since changed their tune on that matter, and the lawyer who wrote of the “administrative error” has since been put on leave.

Leavitt also indicated Abrego Garcia would simply be deported again if he was returned to the U.S.

Abrego Garcia’s family has asserted he is not a member of MS-13 like the government has claimed, but rather fled from El Salvador as a teen to escape gang violence. The government’s assertion is based on a tip from a confidential informant claiming he was involved with the gang in New York, though Abrego Garcia has never lived there. 

The Supreme Court last week determined the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia. So far, there’s been no indication that the administration has taken any action that could help lead to his return.

Medical education Difference in time of Rishonim anf Modern Times

Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.12) Question: How can the study of medine be prohibited since a number of Rishonim were doctors? Answer You need to know that those Rishonim who were involved in medicine  did not go to medical school or college.  They were self educated from books or they served an apprenticeship with a renown doctor in his house. . In addition they studied only medicine and did not need to learn other subjects. As a consequence they lost very little time from Torah study. This approach is not relevant today since it requires attending medical school and studying subjects other than medicine. and that also has to be done at medical school. All of this requires interruption of Torah study and to remain there most of the day with people  who have no connection at with Torah. Consequently the study of medicine today is not relevant to most of those who want to be bnei Torah and also talmidei chachomim. Even if you can find individuals who are talmidei chachomim and also doctors in reality they have not achieved their full potential in Torah. In addition even in the field of medicine they have not accomplished their full potential unless medicine is their principal focus in which case eventually there will be a degradation of their Torah knowledge. Even though it is possible that there will be unique individuals who as doctors will also be genuine Torah scholars this is clearly not relevant for everyone and one should not assume automatically that he will be able to accomplish this level. . 

College and secular Studies

Igros Moshe (YD III #82) Question: What is the significance of secular studies for yeshiva students? Answer It is well known in the Torah world what I have stated on many occasions to bnei Torah  concerning secular studies. Not only bnei Torah but also to yeshiva students who are capable of growing in Torah and pure fear of G-d. Secular study even if it doesn’t have any heretical ideas or co-ed classes is prohibited since it means neglecting eternal life which that alone is prohibited even after growing in Torah to a very high level as is seen from the gemora in Tanis (21a) concerning Rav Yochanon and Ilfa.  However for yeshiva students and young kollel men who haven’t achieved sufficient mastery of Torah and nevertheless are involved in secular studies, it is not possible for them to develop properly in Torah studies in this generation since that requires exclusive devotion to Torah.to understand it properly and he is squandering his abilities on secular study. An addition problem is that eventually secular study becomes his main concern. That is inevitable since his yetzer advises him to increasingly ignore the study of Torah so he has more time to devote for secular studies which he needs for parnossa. Even if this doesn’t happen it is still impossible to grow properly in Torah or even be a partial Torah scholar and ben Torah if he is stealing time and effort from his Torah studies in order to study secular subjects.  Consequently instead of growing in Torah he is constanting diminishing. This is especially true after it is clear that those who go to college are more successful. This success causes people to go to schools in which there are all the  abominations in the world. People rationalize that it is only for a short time and that he won’t be corrupted there even though everyone knows the rationalizations are not true.  Irregardless anyone who is involved in secular studies can not even be a ben Torah and surely not a talmid chachom. Furthermore every ben Torah and yeshiva student needs to be aware of the great destruction of Torah by secular studies because of the great obligation for Torah study and growing to be a godol in Torah, halacha and fear of G-d. Consequently it is plainly and simply prohibited for bnei Torah and yeshiva students who are capable growing in Torah and instead they steal time and effort for secular studies, despite the silence and that this is not told to all Jews and not even to all religious Jews. Concerning parnossa, I have already said many times that this is the advice of the wicked that is mentioned at the beginning of Tehillim. This also results in great punishment. Those that listen and don’t desert Torah at all should be blessed with success in Torah according to their desires as well as all material things and all blessings. 

Lawrence on Trump attacking the rule of law: We are all Harvard. We are all Abrego Garcia

ICE Realize They Arrested Wrong Teen, Say 'Take Him Anyway'

 https://www.newsweek.com/merwil-gutierrez-ice-wrong-teen-el-salvador-2059783

Federal immigration authorities apprehended a 19-year-old in New York despite realizing he was not the intended target.

The young man, Merwil Gutiérrez, was later deported to El Salvador's notorious super prison, despite his family's insistence that he has no gang ties or criminal history.