Kamiya

 Sefer Chasidim (1114) If a scholar, whether a non Jew or Jew, says he will write a Kamiya for you so that you are favored by others or that your words be accepted or that you find favor in the eyes of the leaders or that you become wealthy obviously this is prohibited to carry on Shabbos but it is also prohibited on weekdays because you are trusting this nonsense and one should rely whole heartedly in G-d. 

Rabbeinu Yona (Shaarei Tshuva 03 104) In their practices (chukim) do not go – we are being warned by this  to stay far away from darchei Emori as well as incantations or amulets which have not been shown to work for  medical problems

Suspected of being a Christian

 Avoda Zara (16b): Our Rabbis taught that when R’ Eliezer was arrested because he was suspected of being a Christian they took him to the court to be judged. The governor asked him, “How can a sage like yourself be involved in these worthless activities?”  R’ Eliezer replied, “The Judge is right.”  The governor thought that R’ Eliezer was referring to him when in fact  R’ Eliezer was referring to his Father in Heaven. Because of the governor’s misunderstanding the governor said, “Because you have faith in my judgment I am pardoning you.” When he returned home his students came to console him but he refused to accept their consolation because he was upset that he had been accused of being a Christian. R’ Akiva  said to him, “Will you give  me permission to say one thing of that which you have taught me?”  R’ Eliezer gave him permission.  R’ Akiva then said, “Perhaps you were exposed to Christian teachings and it gave you pleasure and that perhaps is the reason that you were arrested?” R’ Eliezer replied that R’ Akiva’s comment caused him to recall an incident. “Once I was walking in the upper market of Tzipori when I met one [of the students of Yeshu] by the name of Yaakov of Kfar Sekaniah. He said to me that it is written in your Torah (Devarim 23:19) that one should not bring money which had been paid to a prostitute into the Temple. Can it be used to build a bathroom for the High Priest? I did not answer him. He then told me that he had been taught by Yeshu that it says in Michah(1:7), For of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them and unto the hire of a prostitute shall they return. That means that they came from a place of filth so let them go to a place o filth. Because I enjoyed these words I was arrested as a Christian. That is because I transgressed that which was said in the Torah. Mishlei(5:8) says to ‘Remove your way far from her’ – and that is a reference to heresy or Christianity while  ‘come not close to the door of her house’ is referring to the ruling power.” Others interpret the end of this verse to be a warning to stay way from a prostitute rather than the ruling power.

Yakov is only tzadik without guardian angel

 Ramban Bereishis (28:12) AND BEHOLD A LADDER SET UP ON THE EARTH AND THE TOP OF IT REACHED TO HEAVEN; AND BEHOLD THE ANGELS OF G-D ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON IT. In a prophetic dream, He showed Jacob that whatever is done on earth is effected by means of the angels, and everything is by decree given to them by the Supreme One. The angels of G-d, whom the Eternal hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth,. would not do anything minor or major until they return to present themselves before the Master of the whole earth, saying before Him, “We have traversed the earth,. and behold it dwells in peace, or is steeped in war and blood,” and He commands them to return, to descend to the earth and fulfill His charge. And He further showed Jacob that He stands above the ladder, and promises Jacob with supreme assurance to inform him that he will not be under the power of the angels, but he will be G-d’s portion,. and that He will be with him always,for Jacob’s excellence is superior to that of the other righteous ones And in the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer the. this vision was akin to the one seen by Abram at the time of the covenant “between the parts”. for He also showed Jacob the dominion of the Four Kingdoms.

Ben Gvir faces dilemma as activists ask to hold Passover sacrifice on Temple Mount

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-gvir-faces-dilemma-as-activists-ask-to-hold-passover-sacrifice-on-temple-mount/

A fringe religious group on Monday night asked newly installed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for permission to perform the Passover ritual sacrifice on the Temple Mount this coming spring.

The “Returning to the Mount” group makes this request every year, to no avail. But Ben Gvir, who ascended the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning, is no normal police minister, and they stand a better chance than ever before to get permission to perform the controversial animal sacrifice ritual.

Prosecutors in Brazil reopening criminal fraud case against George Santos

 https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3796179-prosecutors-in-brazil-reopening-criminal-fraud-case-against-george-santos/

Brazilian authorities are reopening a criminal fraud case against Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) from more than a decade ago and seeking his response, adding to the local and federal investigations already ongoing in the United States following the revelations of the false statements he has made about himself.

A spokesperson for Rio de Janeiro’s prosecutor’s office told The New York Times that police had been unable to locate Santos, but with his location known, the office will request the Justice Department formally notify him of the charges. 

Santos reportedly entered a small clothing store in Niterói, a city outside Rio de Janeiro, shortly before his 20th birthday in 2008 and spent almost $700 using a stolen checkbook and a fake name, according to court records. 

Israeli Parents Slam Religious-Conservative School for Allowing Transgender 2nd Grader

 https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/01/02/israeli-parents-slam-religious-conservative-school-for-allowing-transgender-2nd-grader/

In August, the Hebrew-language Besheva outlet reported a national-religious school in Givat Shmuel, a majority-religious, conservative suburb of Tel Aviv, had supported an eight-year-old female student in her “transition” and had allowed her to be addressed as a male and wear boys’ clothing on campus, including a yarmulke, or skullcap, and tzitit (ritual fringes worn by Jews), for more than three years.

Infallibility?

 Rambam (Letter on Astrology): I know of course that it is possible to search and find isolated opinions of some sages in the Talmud and Medrashim whose views contradict what I have said. ... These statements should not trouble you because one doesn’t simply discard a clearly established halacha and revert back to the initial analysis. Similarly it is not appropriate to discard a well validated principle and simply rely on a minority opinion of the sages instead. That is because the sage is not infallible and might have erred by overlooking some important facts or hints when he stated his views. 

Astrology is harmful

 Rambam (Letter on Astrology) The reason that we lost our kingdom and the Temple was destroyed and we arrived at our present condition is the result of our ancestors sinning. This is because they found many astrology books which are essentially avoda zara…and they thought they were magnificent science which would be very helpful. Consequently they did not study warfare and military strategies but thought that astrology alone would save them. That is why the prophets described them as fools and idiots…

Rep.-elect George Santos faces scrutiny over campaign filings his team blames as 'database error':

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-elect-george-santos-faces-scrutiny-over-campaign-filings-team-blames-database-error

According to FEC filings, the Santos campaign recorded 37 expenditures between April 2021 and February 2022 that totaled $199.99, one cent below the threshold for federal law requiring receipts.

Among the expenses were rooms at Florida hotels, supply runs to Staples and Target, airline flights and meals at various restaurants.

"If they did provide an amending filing to the FEC to change it, and if the FEC agrees that it was a database error, the FEC would have already changed the website," Ravel said.

Ezra Sheinberg: I paid my debt

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365242

Upon leaving the prison with a smiling, Sheinberg was asked if he had anything to say to the victims, and replied: "May they be well. I have paid my debt." Regarding providing compensation to the victims, he said: "They sued in a civil court. They will hopefully receive it."

'West using Ukraine to destroy Russia' - Putin

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-726278

In a nine-minute message - the longest New Year's address of his two-decade rule - Putin accused the West of lying to Russia and of provoking Moscow to launch what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Sketchy George Santos burned campaign cash on hotels, meals — and ducked reporting mandate

 https://nypost.com/2022/12/30/rep-elect-george-santos-burned-campaign-cash-on-hotels-meals-and-199-taxis/

The election season spending spree included:

$12,386 on Hyatt hotels from West Palm Beach, Fla., to El Paso, Texas.

$14,000 at pricey Queens restaurant Il Bacco.

More than $38,000 crisscrossing the country on Delta Airlines, with which the campaign made 123 separate transactions covering airfare and baggage fees since the start of 2021.

The 34-year-old’s campaign also covered five stays at the Garden City Hotel in his Nassau County-based district — costing nearly $3,000 on top of the almost $11,000 more spent on renting an apartment for “staff.”

“The sheer volume of travel is very unusual for congressional candidates,” Daniel Weiner, a former Federal Elections Commission lawyer who now works at the NYU School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice, told The Post Friday about Santos’ campaign spending habits.

Six GOP House Members Who Need to Resign for Anti-Semitism Before Ilhan Omar

 https://theintercept.com/2019/02/15/ilhan-omar-aipac-republicans-anti-semitism/

Trump wants Ilhan Omar to resign from Congress over purportedly anti-Semitic remarks. Why hasn’t Trump asked for these six Republicans to resign, too?

‘Jew-ish’: Santos’ evolving claims of Jewish heritage