Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Satan is actually a person

 Rabbeinu Bachya (Kad HaKemach, Providence 1:5) Rav Saadiya Gaon  said that Satan mentioned in the book of Iyov was actually a person who was complain about Iyov out of hatred and jealousy because of his success and good deeds. Similarly he says that the “Children of G-d mentioned there were his contemporaries who also hated him and were jealous. The reason one of them is called Satan is because he was the most famous of all of them and was their leader

Rabbeinu Bachya (Kad HaKemach, Providence 1:6) However the Ramban and the majority of comentators to Iyov say that Satan is an angel and the Children of G-d are also angels. Ramban says that our tradition is that he was created as an angel to prosecute and harm mankind. Our Sages (Bava Basra 16) have stated that Satan is the yetzer harah and the angel of death – obviously he is an angel not a person. There are many statements of our Sages which support the idea that he is an opposing and harmful angel. Our Sages also say he is the angel of Esau who is involved in fighting and wars, The demons referred to as sheidim or satyrs also are associated with Esau. 

A rogue Trump judge has thrown the Supreme Court in disarray

 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/29/23484335/supreme-court-united-states-texas-ice-immigration-drew-tipton-trump

So the good news for the Biden administration is that several members of the Court, at least, appear open to ideas that might limit lower court judges’ power to singlehandedly block federal policies. It is far from clear, however, whether Prelogar’s proposal, or any other, will receive five votes when it is presented to the Court in a future case.

And, in the meantime, judges like Tipton will most likely be allowed to act as agents of chaos

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Democrats succumb to political reality on same-sex marriage bill

 https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3753625-democrats-succumb-to-political-reality-on-same-sex-marriage-bill/

The Senate’s Respect for Marriage Act has progressives arguing that efforts to safeguard same-sex unions remain unfinished after concessions were made to Republican demands for bolstered religious liberty protections.

The bill as it currently stands would officially repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and require state recognition of legal same-sex and interracial marriages but would not codify the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex unions nationwide or prevent the high court from eventually overturning the landmark decision.

Walker to Trump: Please phone it in.

 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/29/walker-trump-georgia-midterm-results-00071054

Erick Erickson, a conservative talk show host who lives in Georgia, said the Republican electorate has mostly shrugged at the race, in part because Democrats have already taken the Senate majority by winning 50 seats; Vice President Kamala Harris provides the tie-breaking vote.

“There’s a lack of enthusiasm about Walker as a candidate, and it’s kind of like, what’s the point if we’re not going to win the Senate? So why bother?” Erickson said. “There is a palpable sense of frustration with Georgia Republicans who saw their entire statewide slate win except the guy Trump convinced to get into the race, and there is a lingering sense of frustration that anyone else would have won, and Herschel’s baggage weighed him down.

Israeli data provides ‘safety assurances’ to world on fourth COVID shots — study

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-data-provides-safety-assurances-to-world-on-fourth-covid-shots-study/ 

A new study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, presents the first large-scale research into the safety of taking a fourth shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

“We believe this study provides safety assurances to the global population who are eligible to receive an additional COVID-19 booster inoculation,” wrote Prof. Dan Yamin from Tel Aviv University’s Center for Combating Pandemics, together with his co-authors.

“These assurances can help increase the number of high-risk individuals who opt to receive this booster vaccine, and thereby prevent severe outcomes associated with COVID-19.”

Republican establishment to conservative and faith-based voters: ‘Drop dead’

 https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3747399-republican-establishment-to-conservative-and-faith-based-voters-drop-dead/

So, here’s a question for the Republican establishment and leadership to ponder: Because of your incompetent, duplicitous actions, how many conservatives and faith-based voters do you think will sit out the 2024 election?  

Herschel Walker Only Recently Stopped Renting Out Georgia Home He Claims as His Residence

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-white-lotus-season-2-is-officially-the-horniest-show-on-tv?ref=scroll

It was widely known at the time that the Republican hopeful had been living in Texas for decades, though he has claimed to maintain a residence in Atlanta for “17 years.” Less widely known, however, was that Walker’s wife collected tens of thousands of dollars in rental income for that residence, according to his 2021 financial disclosure forms.

IDF soldier sentenced to 10 days for verbal abuse of left-wing activists

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-723613

Later on Tuesday morning, Ben-Gvir published a video alongside the father of the sentenced soldier, saying he had paid a visit to the family in order to show his support for them and their son.

"I demand that the chief of staff and the entire command think twice about this punishment," the Otzma Yehudit leader says in his recorded statement. "It can't be that anarchists come along and curse, spit and attack our heroic soldiers."

He continued, saying that the soldiers could be taken aside and told to react more proportionally to the unfolding situation but that sending them to prison for 10 days is not the appropriate punishment.


Herschel Walker Trolled by Warnock With Campaign Ad Showing His Speeches

 https://www.newsweek.com/herschel-walker-trolled-warnock-campaign-ad-showing-his-speeches-1762551

Herschel Walker has been trolled by a Raphael Warnock campaign advertisement that shows the Senate hopeful's speeches.

The contest between Democrat Senator Warnock and his Republican rival Walker has gone down to the wire with a crucial runoff vote next month.

In a Warnock campaign video shared on Sunday, several people could be seen reacting to Walker's speeches, with many voicing their disbelief over what they had seen.

During the video, Walker could be seen talking about vampire movies as well as his infamous speech about China's bad air.

Monday, November 28, 2022

1 in 4 female conscripts in police, prisons sexually harassed or abused — ombudsman

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/1-in-4-female-police-or-prison-conscripts-sexually-harassed-or-abused-ombudsman/

Stark figures released on Monday by the State Comptroller’s Office revealed the high percentage of women subjected to sexual harassment or abuse while performing their obligatory national service in the Israel Police, Border Police and Israel Prison Service.

The report was largely based on a survey of conscripts in the three forces, and it was not immediately clear whether steps had been taken to prevent selection bias in the responses.

The report found that harassment is for the most part committed by professional, non-conscripted members of those forces including commanders, and when reported is either insufficiently addressed or not dealt with at all

Herschel Walker Discusses Vampire Movie During Campaign Speech

CNN Didn't Say Musk Could Threaten Free Speech by Letting People Speak Freely

 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cnn-musk-could-threaten-free-speech/

On Nov. 28, 2022, billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, at that time just one month into his new role as Twitter's CEO, tweeted what appeared to be a screen capture of a CNN news segment with chyron text that read, "Elon Musk could threaten free speech on Twitter by literally allowing people to speak freely": 

However, as CNN's PR department quickly pointed out in a reply to Musk's tweet, the screenshot is fake, and no such headline ever appeared on CNN: 

Fake news from Elon Musk - is this what free speech is - the right to makeup any facts you want?

 https://thehill.com/homenews/3752982-cnn-to-elon-musk-after-sharing-fake-headline-be-better/

Musk’s tweet contained a screenshot of an image that falsely showed that CNN had run a chyron on the air saying that “Elon Musk could threaten free speech on Twitter by literally allowing people to speak freely.”

Readers online quickly pointed out that the image, first created in April, was fake and that no such headline had run on the network, and a link to an AP Fact Check was attached to the billionaire’s tweet.

“CNN aired no such report about Musk ‘threatening free speech,’ and the chyron was digitally altered to add the text,” the April fact check read. “The image purporting to be from a CNN broadcast originated on a satirical website.”

Teacher must be angelic?

 Malachi (02:07)For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek Tora at his mouth: for he is an angel of G-d. 

Moed Koton (17a) If the Teacher is like unto an angel of G-d, they should seek the law at his mouth; but if he be not , they should not seek the law at his mouth’

Chagiga (15b) For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts? This means that if the teacher is like an angel of the Lord of hosts, they should seek the Law at his mouth, but if not, they should not seek the Law at his mouth! — 

Mishneh Torah (Torah Study 4:1) One should not study from a teacher who does not follow a proper path, even though he is a very wise man and his instruction is required by the entire nation, until he returns to a good path, as implied by Malachi 2:7: "For the priest's lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek Torah from his mouth, because he is an angel from the Lord of Hosts."

Shulchan Orech (Y.D. 246:8) A teacher who does not follow a proper path, even though he is a great scholar and everyone  needs him - one  should not be his student  until he  corrects his ways

Aruch HaShulchan (Y.D. 246:22) וכן הרב שאינו הולך בדרך טובה, אף על פי שחכם גדול הוא וכל העם צריכין לו – אין למידין ממנו עד שיחזור למוטב. כן פסקו הרמב"ם והטור והשולחן ערוך סעיף ח (שולחן ערוך יורה דעה רמו, ח), ומקורו ממועד קטן (מועד קטן יז א), עיין שם. ואף על גב דבחגיגה (חגיגה יב ב) דמקשה על רבי מאיר שלמד תורה מאחר, ומתרץ: הא בגדול הא בקטן. כלומר: דאדם קטן אסור ללמוד מפיו שמא יכשל, אבל אדם גדול מותר, דתוכו יאכל וקליפתו יזרוק, עיין שם. ולמה לא חילקו בכך? דיש לומר דאין למידין מגדולת רבי מאיר לדורות שלנו, וכולנו נחשבים קטנים. (ש"ך סעיף קטן ח, ועיין שם שתירץ עוד בשם אביו דאין הלכה בזה כרבי מאיר. ותמיהני: דאם כן הוה ליה להש"ס לומר "ולא היא?" כמו שאומר בברכות כח א במעשה דרבן גמליאל.)