Why did Yisro deserve being the source of the information about forming the judicial system?

 Ohr HaChaim(Shemos 18:21): Why did Yisro deserve being the source of the information about forming the judicial system? While it is true Yisro deserved being honored for honoring Moshe and thus he honored G-d, but there were other ways of honoring him not in this ways that  indicates - chas v'shalom - the lack of knowledge of G-d's people until Yisro came and enlightened them? It appears that the reason is that G-d wanted to teach the Jewish people a fundamental lesson not only for that generation but for all generations. The lesson being that there are among the nations of the world men of great intelligence and understanding such as Yisro and these nations have awareness of important and valuable information. G-d's intent was to show that the election of the Jews was not because their knowledge and insight was greater than other nations. They were not chosen because of their superior wisdom and knowledge. Their election was the result of G-d's supreme kindness and His love of the Avos. This explanation is more appropriate according to the view that Yisro came prior to the Revelation at Sinai. Accordingly G-d's message was that even though there are amongst the Nations greater wise men than amongst the Jews - the Jews were nevertheless chosen. We are thus to praise Him for choosing us because of his Kindness. However, even according to the view that Yisro came after the Revelation at Sinai - a similar lesson can be learned by the fact that Yisro is mentioned in the sequence of events of the Torah prior to the giving of the Torah.

Fighting Jew-Hatred Starts@"Home

 BS"D

Combating Jew-Hatred Starts At  "Home:"

The Israeli Army Continues to Persecute Olga Shamilov and Many Other Women Resisting the  Female Draft

21 Adar, 5781 °° Parshas Kee-Sissah / Parah °° March 5, '21

By Binyomin Feinberg

Olga Shamilov is an Israeli "Ba'alas Teshuva," a young woman who has rediscovered her Jewish roots. Her plight exemplifies the predicaments in which increasing numbers of religious Israeli girls find themselves lately, vis-a-vis the Army Draft Office.  As fully dedicated to observance of Torah Law, Miss Shamilov has been resolutely fulfilling the Torah obligations to resist enlistment in the Israeli Army. According to all leading Torah authorities, from across the spectrum, women and girls are prohibited from enlisting in the [notoriously promiscuous] Israeli military.  For over 16 months, since her draft date on Oct. 27, 2019, she's been braving the threat of arrest and military incarceration. 

° Background:

Miss Shamilov's story first broke in The Jewish Press, on Nov.15, '19 (p.17):

"... In related news, Olga Samilov, an 18-year-old ba'alas teshuva, reports that she was denied her religious exemption despite properly following procedures, at an August 14 (2019) hearing at the Tel HaShomer Draft Office.  The officer reportedly told her that the army decided not to provide her an exemption, without providing any legal rationale or pretext. Consequently, she was given a draft-date of October 27 (2019). She refused to enlist, and thus lives daily under the threat of imminent arrest. Is she being discriminated against because she's a ba'alas teshuvah without a support system?"

In a weekly email of the Coalition for Jewish Values, the "Rabbi's Roundup" (Week of Parshas Tazria-Metzora, 5780), a link to a post about her case appeared in the Israel section: https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-religious-persecution-under.html; https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-antireligious-hate-under.html. See also: https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-more-alone-mightier.html; https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/06/restoring-kingly-nation.html.

More recently, during Chanukah, on Teves 2 (Dec. 17, '20), the Army sent her a letter threatening her with arrest, claiming that she has been "criminally absent" from the Army since her October 2019 draft date.  Consequently "... an arrest warrant has been issued against you," and "delivered to civil and military police," the missive intones.  The letter proceeds to order Miss Shamilov to comply with Draft Authorities, and give herself in - and bring along two weeks of provisions (for a punitive stint in military prison?).

Consequently, this young lady never knows what the next knock on the door may bring. Israeli military police have been known to arrest and drag such girls from their homes at 2:30AM.  It's hard to accurately convey how it actually feels to live like that for even one day, much less for months on end. Ironically, in the country which markets itself to the free world as the "Jewish" State - and ostensibly a "home" for Jews fleeing religious persecution around the world - this female religious refusenik is being persecuted for her very fidelity to her Jewish Faith.

In addition, the Israeli Army is doing all of this without a legal pretext. It's clear from military court documentation that Miss Shamilov is indisputably religious, thus should qualify for an automatic religious exemption.  Even the Army Draft Office has no basis to even question that. Furthermore, she properly followed procedures in filing for her religious exemption.  Specifically, she obtained her Tatzhir Dat (certification of religiosity) via a Bais Din (religious court), and properly submitted it to the Tel HaShomer Draft Office. She was subsequently summoned to a Rayon Dat (a "religiosity interview"). On Nov.19, '18, well over two years ago, she met the Army draft officers (being  uninformed of the halachic and practical objections to submitting to these dangerous IDF religiosity interrogations). She answered the questions properly. She was nevertheless denied her religious  exemption, without a rudimentary veneer of justification.

In fact, the female Army  interrogator in one such interrogation had so little of substance to say that she was reduced to arguing that Miss Shamilov should enlist because  she [the officer] herself ostensibly hadn't encountered anything in her own experience as an Army officer that contravened her own values. (That draft officer apparently identifies with one of the untraditional, leftwing national-religious factions.) In a polite but firm manner, Miss Shamilov responded, conveying that her own religious values diverge from those of her Army interrogator, replying along the lines of: "I differ from you inasmuch as I strive to constantly surpass whatever I have already attained." 

Indeed, the insistence on constant spiritual growth lies at the essence of Judaism. Absence of that drive is the hallmark of the spiritual decay that is central to movements that subvert Orthodoxy from within. We can only pray that Miss Shamilov's ostensibly religious interrogator will one day recognize the wisdom of the response she evoked on that day.

°  The IDF denial of Miss Shamilov's legal entitlement to a religious military service exemption is not only blatantly illegal - it's also discriminatory abuse against her as a religious girl/woman. There is term commonly employed to refer to that type of discriminatory misconduct: "antisemitism." A  more accurate term is "Jew Hatred" ("Sin'as Yisroel").  This form thereof, however, is Sin'as Yisroel of the worst type. This is spiritual Jew-hatred - discriminatory persecution of a girl for her faithfulness to Torah.

° Worse, this is "spiritual antisemitism" employed in a manner threatening to terrorize hundreds of other religious girls into forgoing the battle over their religious exemptions, and enlisting into the Israeli Army, in clear violation of Torah Law.  This is the very military where, according to Israeli government statistics, religious girls are far more likely to lose their Judaism than maintain it, as recently reported in several pro-Israel venues, e.g. "Matzav HaRu'ach," (Feb.4), and the most recent newsletter of the religious zionist organization "Chotam" (Feb. 28 / Adar). For more information, Chotam provided the following links. [Note, as with third party links in general, we provide them for documentation and research purposes, but cannot take responsibility for their contact.]

https://mobile.srugim.co.il/article/533147

https://www.0404.co.il/?p=726065

https://www.facebook.com/201562343535743/posts/1341675006191132/

https://chotam.org.il/2971 stats on religiosity of girls in idf

https://www.ynet.co.il/judaism/article/H1mSQmeZd

https://www.20il.co.il/%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%93-%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%97%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%9D-%D7%93%D7%95%D7%97-%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A3/

°°°

°  The case of Miss Shamilov is not by any means the only case that can be clearly qualified as overtly antireligious persecution by the Israeli Army . Another exceptionally well- documented, heart-rendering case of antireligious persecution is that of Avigail Leah bas Rus Ester Leenor H. (who ultimately received her religious exemption); see (28 Aug.,'19 / 27 Av, 5779) https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/alh-report-2-28-AugViolating-vineyard.html; (27 Aug. 2019 /26 Av, 5779: ) https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/another-religious-girl-and-her-IDF-vet.html;  (Update 5 Ellul '79: ) https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/09/violating-vineyard-update.html.

°  It's also noteworthy that the Israeli Army seems to feel comfortable enough about their management of the otherwise totally out-of-control Corona plague to seek to enlist women, whom they do not need for any legitimate military purposes.

° For those wishing to daven for her, her Hebrew name is Olga bas Soroh Shirah.

°°°

The blatant injustice being perpetrated against Olga Shamilov (cf. "Ongoing IDF Anti-religious Hate Under Corona" https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-antireligious-hate-under.html) is by no means rare.  Many, many brave individuals like her - including other long-time female refuseniks - continue to endure harassment, and even persecution for their Jewish Faith. The following are just a few known examples of young Israeli women facing the specter of imminent arrest and imprisonment in military jail:

»»  Ziva bas Mazal M.: 

A religious Ethiopian refusenik, from a religious family encumbered by serious illness of one of her parents, Miss M. braved three weeks of military incarceration in Sept. and Oct. 2019 over her devotion to the Torah prohibition against enlistment in the Army. Her  ongoing antireligious persecution by the Israeli military was reported in The Jewish Press on Sept. 27,'19 / Parshas Nitzovim, 5779  (p.105), Jan.17, '20 (p.80), and June 26, '20 (p.18), and here: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/religious-persecution-of-ethiopian-girl.html;  https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/racial-profiling-or-pure-antireligious.html;  https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/making-racism-great-again.html; https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/06/Israeli-Black-Lives-Matter-Too.html.  Miss M. remains without a religious exemption, and could potentially be arrested at any time, and face extended jail time, if the Israeli government opts to again put their international reputation at further risk.

»» Tadalah bas Mantjavush: 

Another Ethiopian refusenik, who was recently notified of her military service exemption only after being persecuted in Israeli Military Prison Six; see:  https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2021/01/idf-persecuting-epileptic-religious.html, http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/01/idf-persecuting-epileptic-religious.html  (13 Shvat, 5780 °°  Parshas Beshalach / Jan. 26, '21)

»» Shuly bas R.:

See: Escalating Antireligious Female Draft: http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/02/escalating-antireligious-female-draft.html (Thu., 6 Adar, 5781 / Feb. 18, '21).

»» Hodoyah bas Leemor: 

She too has been under threat of arrest for months. She apparently submitted her Religiosity Certification late due to Corona complications, complications not accommodated by the Army, as their agreement with the Rabbinate mandated. Her standing was harmed substantially in the process of a Religiosity "Interview."  See https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/07/idf-targeting-religious-girls-in.html; 

https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/07/over-this-we-mourn_29.html; http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/07/idf-targeting-girls-in-non-religious.html; https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/07/idf-targeting-religious-girls-in.html. (At least one report on her plight was included in the weekly CJV email newsletter.).

Her plight accentuates Israeli Army's Corona hypocrisy.  The Israeli government tends to take a hard line against those religious Jews who violate Corona restrictions, rules of debated efficacy. On the other hand, when it comes to drafting every religious girl they can get, the Army and Draft Office sometimes act as if Corona doesn't exist.

»» N.D.: a 19 year-old volunteer from France, reportedly lied to by IDF headhunters from beginning to end, and mistreated in an astoundingly ungrateful manner; see: https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2021/02/biting-hand-that-sacrifices.html.

»  There are many more girls and women suffering Israeli Army persecution in silence.

»  Additionally, there are many, many more who aren't at that stage of threat of arrest - yet. A few examples include:

Anna bas Miriam,

Loren bas Miriam,

Sapir Soroh bas Bellah,17;

Shilat bas Ester,17.

»  That's not to mention all of those teens and young women being duped or goaded into willingly enlisting, by the Army - or by what some deem to be its "plausible-deniability" agent (or its "surrogate enlistment and trafficking" arm, if you will), the government-funded leftwing organization "Aluma."

And all of this is being advanced under an ostensibly rightwing Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu.

These are real-life examples of the aforementioned righteous individuals. These are individuals confronting formidable, often seemingly insurmountable odds, and ultimately prevailing.  We need them -- far more than they need us. They serve as our shlichim ("agents"). By standing in their defense, we can hope to share, in some measure, in their unimaginable merit, in both this world and the next. And we need their merits now, perhaps more than ever before.

The following insights of HaRav Shamshon Refoel Hirsch OB"M, the world-renowned leader of (C E.) 1800's German Jewry, regarding Pinchos, are ever relevant to us, especially now:

"... And if someone, like Phinehas, is one among a multitude and every man is against him when he dares to speak out for truth and to fight for the Law - the more lonely his stand, the greater the number of his adversaries, the more powerful is his word, the mightier his deed. He is the savior of those against whom he struggles, a priest of atonement for those who stand by in silence, for he accomplishes what they should all have accomplished.  Though every man be against him and he stand alone, yet G-d's covenant is with him and allows not his word to be lost or his deeds to vanish without trace."

A page earlier, Rav Hirsch explains:

"As long as even one man has the courage to take up the struggle openly for G-d's cause - which is no less than the cause of man's future - it is not lost on earth and the intervention of DIVINE JUDGEMENT* is not required. He (Pinchos -Ed.) had demonstrated for all time  that whenever the sanctity of G-d and His Law is being mocked and trampled on (Chillul HaShem), EVERY* other consideration must give way."

{* emphasis absent in original}

(printed in "Judaism Eternal," translation by Dayan Dr. I Grunfeld, vol.2, p. 293 (Soncino Publ., London, 1956)), in an essay at.the end of the volume entitled "Pinchus ("Phinehas") - Eliyahu")

°°°

Deriving Inspiration from Current Tribulations:

One of the many lessons that the ongoing Coronavirus plague accentuates is the power of one individual to change the world.  We see how even a single infected person can spread a highly contagious disease - globally.  The last Mishna in Makkos instructs us that "Midah Tovah Merubah," Divine Beneficence by far surpasses Divine Retribution, by a scale of one to 500. If one person can potentially do so much harm, imagine how much GOOD could he or she could do.

In physical matters we see this phenomenon clearly, and specifically in regard to Corona. Of course this plague was declared in Heaven. However, from an earthly perspective, al-pi teva, imagine how differently things could have been if the individual Chinese doctor who posted an early warning about the Coronavirus outbreak would have been properly heeded, rather than hounded by the Chinese Communists? One fearless sentinel, if heeded, could have saved the entire world from this plague.  In spiritual matters, the potential of an upright individual is arguably far greater. Just consider the Avos. Avrohom Avinu spearheaded a global theological revolution,  turning over the world, away from pagan endarkenment, towards authentic Monotheism.

Of the many positive lessons we can learn from this devastating plague, this is one. This is not to assert that this is necessarily one of the reasons for which we are being punished. However, it's clearly one crucial moral lesson we can derive.

°  In the wake of the Corona magaifah (plague), most of us have experiencing "Bidud," solitary confinement, to one degree or another. But, as readers of these posts and columns know, we're not the first ones to experience such isolation. For many months, we've been reporting on numerous Israeli military draft Refuseniks, in incarceration, and sometimes punished with solitary confinement. But how many of us  really paid enough serious attention to their plight, serious enough to do something meaningful?  Does it not behoove us to take their plight to heart, which we clearly should have been doing long before the term COVID was coined? Many would see this as fitting the "Middah Keneged Middah" ("measure for measure") profile delineated by Rashi on Brochos 5a ("Pish'paish") and Ru'ach Chaim on Pirkei Avos (4:14). Moreover, even if it doesn't fit that criteria, fulfilling our individual and communal obligations to these self-sacrificing individuals is something undeniably incumbent on us, regardless.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on standing by those standing between Jewish girls and massive immoral and antireligious persecution by the Israeli Army, some of us are allowing ourselves to be largely distracted with Corona related issues, as important as some of them are. This must change if we are to save the next generation of Jewish mothers from an open declaration of spiritual war being waged by the Israeli government and military establishment. We cannot continue to abandon those standing strong against the ever- escalating drafting of girls, and increasingly religious girls. We can expect one result from such ongoing obliviousness to their plight: an intensification of our own R"L. 

And we can surely perform far better than we are. Moreover, in recent months, Israeli media [e.g. Ynet] has been reporting multiple stories on the ongoing Army crusade against religious girls in particular. Chotam, an Israeli, rightwing Mizrachi-type organization, has been active in publicizing these reports. We thus have more than ample material to substantiate our claims. Right now, concered individuals have unprecedented opportunities to expose the sheer evil of the Israeli Army crusade against the next generation of Jewish mothers.  "Middah Tovah Merubah;" there is so much we could accomplish by simply publicizing the multitude of relevant news reports coming out of Israel, as widely as possible.

It's in the merit of righteous women that the Final Redemption will arrive (Sefer Kav HaYashar 82). We now have an enviable opportunity to share in that indescribable merit. How could we ever live with ourselves knowing what we willingly passed up?

ICC investigation shows its problems go beyond just Israel

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/icc-investigation-shows-its-problems-go-beyond-just-israel-660989

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the decision on Thursday, saying “The United States firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed by this decision. The ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter. Israel is not a party to the ICC and has not consented to the Court’s jurisdiction, and we have serious concerns about the ICC’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel.”

 

Western envoys warn ICC its future is at risk over probe of Israel, Palestinians

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/western-envoys-warn-icc-its-future-is-at-risk-over-probe-of-israel-palestinians/

 Like Israel, the US is not a member of the ICC and has found itself at odds with The Hague-based international court due to its ongoing probe into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan by Afghan forces, the Taliban and the American military.

In 2019, Trump imposed economic sanctions and visa travel restrictions against chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as well as one of her aides.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday that Washington “firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed” by the decision of the court. 

 “The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court that are alleged to have been committed in the situation since 13 June 2014, the date to which reference is made in the referral of the situation to my office,” said Bensouda in a statement.

“Any investigation undertaken by the office will be conducted independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favor.”

The June 13, 2014, date is significant. Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers in the Gush Etzion area of the West Bank the day before. By asking for an investigation beginning on June 13, the Palestinians ensured that the ICC will not look into the killing of Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaer, and Naftali Fraenkel.

14 arrested over attack on driver who then fatally rammed man at Jerusalem riot

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/14-arrested-over-attack-on-driver-who-then-fatally-rammed-man-at-jerusalem-riot/

“These people call themselves yeshiva students?” Ben Abu’s father, Albert, told Channel 13 news on Tuesday, adding that the mob was motivated by ignorance.

Ben Abu and his family said his son was not part of the mob and had been trying to calm the situation.

“He just ran into a terrible situation and paid for it with his life. He only wanted to help, he wasn’t connected to anything going on. He really never wanted to do a bad thing to anyone,” Itamar Ben Abu’s sister said.

 

Can Wishful Thinking Heal Your Brain?

 https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_wishful_thinking_heal_your_brain

At face value, the therapeutic promise of neuroplasticity that Doidge describes is astounding. Chapter by chapter, he explains how we can apply light or electricity from outside or manipulate thoughts on the inside to treat chronic diseases, the kind that have been incurable or typically require heavy pharmacological or surgical intervention. It’s the kind of book that seems like a bull’s eye for many Greater Good readers.

But skeptical readers looking for good evidence must hunt for it amidst the narrative. Like a magician practicing redirection, Doidge distracts the reader from rather thin descriptions of the neuroscience with long-winded anecdotes. It left me wishing for just a good summary of the evidence, pro and con.

 

 

Keilar calls out Kayleigh McEnany's Capitol riot claims

Why Did The Pentagon Lie About Flynn's Brother's Role In The Jan 6 Response?

IDF: Stop Persecuting Olga

 S"D

Israeli Army: Stop Persecuting Olga Shamilov

19 Adar, 5781 Parshas Kee-Sissah / Porah ** March 3, '21

By Binyomin Feinberg

Olga Shamilov is an Israeli "Ba'alas Teshuva," a young woman who has rediscovered her Jewish roots.  As fully dedicated to observance of Torah Law, she has been resolutely fulfilling the obligations to resist enlistment in the Israeli Army. According to all leading Torah authorities, from across the spectrum, girls are prohibited from  enlistment in the Israeli military.  For over 16 months, since her draft date on Oct. 27, 2019, she's been braving the threat of  arrest and military incarceration. 

More recently, during Chanukah, on Teves 2, Dec. 17, 2020, the Army sent her a letter (attached) threating her with arrest, and "inviting" her to give herself in - bringing two weeks of provisions (presumably for a stint in military prison). Thus, in a state that markets itself as the Jewish State, this religious refusenik is being persecuted for her fidelity to her Torah heritage.

What's important to add here is that the Israeli Army is doing all of this without a semblance of any legal pretext. It's clear from court documentation that she's indisputably religious, a fact which even the Army didn't have any basis to even question. Furthermore, she followed procedures in filing for her religious exemption. She was nevertheless denied her religious  exemption, without a rudimentary veneer of justification.

The IDF denial of her legal entitlement to a religious military service exemption is not only blatantly illegal, it's also discriminatory abuse against her as a religious girl. There is term commonly employed to refer to that type of discriminatory misconduct: "antisemitism." A  more accurate term is "Jew Hatred" ("Sin'as Yisroel").  This form thereof, however, is Sin'as Yisroel of the worst type. This is spiritual Jew-hatred - discriminatory persecution of a girl for her faithfulness to Torah. Worse, this is "spiritual antisemitism" employed in a manner threatening to terrorize hundreds of other religious girls into forgoing the battle over their religious exemptions, and enlisting into the Israeli Army, in indisputable violation of Torah Law. It should also be noted that this is the very military where, according to Israeli government statistics, girls are far more likely to lose their Judaism than maintain it, as recently reported in several pro-Israel venues [see Matzav HaRuach, Feb.4], including the newsletter of the religious zionist organization "Chotam."

Her story first broke in The Jewish Press Nov.15, '19, p.17:

"... In related news, Olga Samilov, an 18-year-old baalas teshuva, reports that she was denied her religious exemption despite properly following procedures, at an August 14 (2019) hearing at the Tel HaShomer Draft Office.  The officer reportedly told her that the army decided not to provide her an exemption, without providing any legal rationale or pretext. Consequently, she was given a draft-date of October 27 (2019). She refused to enlist, and thus lives daily under the threat of imminent arrest. Is she being discriminated against because she's a baalas teshuvah without a support system?"*

{* In a weekly email of the Coalition for Jewish Values, the "Rabbi's Roundup" (Week of Parshas Tazria-Metzora, 5780), a  link to a post about her case appeared in the Israel section: https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-religious-persecution-under.html;  https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-antireligious-hate-under.html. See also: https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-more-alone-mightier.html; https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/06/restoring-kingly-nation.html.}

For those wishing to daven for her, her Hebrew name is Olga bas Soroh Shirah.

=======

One of the many lessons that the ongoing Coronavirus plague accentuates is the power of one individual to change the world.  We see how even a single infected person can spread a highly contagious disease - globally.

The last Mishna in Makkos instructs us that "Midah Tovah Merubah," Divine Beneficence by far surpasses Divine Retribution, by a scale of one to 500. If one person can potentially do so much harm, imagine how much GOOD could he or she could do. 

In physical matters we see this phenomenon clearly, and specifically in regard to Corona. Of course this plague was declared in Heaven. However, from an earthly perspective, al-pi teva, imagine how differently things could have been if the individual Chinese doctor who posted an early warning about the Coronavirus outbreak would have been properly heeded, rather than hounded by the Chinese Communists? One fearless sentinel, if heeded, could have saved the entire world from this plague.

In spiritual matters, the potential of an upright individual is arguably far greater. Just consider the Avos. Avrohom Avinu spearheaded a global theological revolution,  turning over the world, away from pagan endarkenment, towards authentic Monotheism.

Of the many positive lessons we can learn from this devastating plague, this is one. This is not to assert that this is necessarily one of the reasons for which we are being punished. However, it's clearly one crucial moral lesson we can derive.

Let us return to our topic - the blatant injustice being perpetrated against Olga Shamilov* - and individuals like her - including other long-time female refuseniks, e.g.: Ziva bas Mazal, Shuly bas R., Hodoyah bas Leemor, and N.D. - the volunteer from France reportedly lied to by IDF headhunters.

(* cf. "Ongoing IDF Anti-religious Hate Under Corona" (https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/04/ongoing-idf-antireligious-hate-under.html).

These are real-life examples of the aforementioned righteous individuals. These are individuals confronting formidable, often seemingly insurmountable odds, and ultimately prevailing.  We need them -- far more than they need us. They serve as our shlichim ("agents"). By standing in their defense, we can hope to share, in some measure, in their unimaginable merit, in both this world and the next. And we need their merits now, perhaps more than ever before.

The following insights of HaRav Shamshon Refoel Hirsch OB"M, the world-renowned leader of German Jewry over a century ago, regarding Pinchos, are ever relevant to us, especially now:

"... And if someone, like Phinehas, is one among a multitude and every man is against him when he dares to speak out for truth and to fight for the Law - the more lonely his stand, the greater the number of his adversaries, the more powerful is his word, the mightier his deed. He is the savior of those against whom he struggles, a priest of atonement for those who stand by in silence, for he accomplishes what they should all have accomplished.  Though every man be against him and he stand alone, yet G-d's covenant is with him and allows not his word to be lost or his deeds to vanish without trace."

A page earlier, Rav Hirsch explains:

"As long as even one man has the courage to take up the struggle openly for G-d's cause - which is no less than the cause of man's future - it is not lost on earth and the intervention of DIVINE JUDGEMENT* is not required. He (Pinchos -Ed.) had demonstrated for all time  that whenever the sanctity of G-d and His Law is being mocked and trampled on (Chillul HaShem), EVERY* other consideration must give way."

{* emphasis absent in original}

(printed in "Judaism Eternal," translation by Dayan Dr. I Grunfeld, vol.2, p. 293 (Soncino Publ., London, 1956)), in an essay at.the end of the volume entitled "Pinchus ("Phinehas") - Eliyahu")

....

In the wake of the Corona magaifah (plague), most of us have experiencing "Bidud," solitary confinement, to one degree or another. But, as readers of these posts and columns know, we're not the first ones to experience such isolation. For many months, we've been reporting on numerous Israeli military draft Refuseniks, in incarceration, and sometimes punished with solitary confinement. But how many of us  really paid enough serious attention to their plight, serious enough to do something meaningful?  Does it not behoove us to take their plight to heart, which we clearly should have been doing long before the term COVID was coined? If this doesn't fit the Middah Keneged Middah profile delineated by Rashi on Brochos 5a ("Pishpaish") and Ru'ach Chaim on Avos (4:14), it's not quite clear what would. But even if it doesn't, fulfilling our individual and communal obligations to these self sacrificing individuals is something undeniably incumbent on us, regardless.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on standing by those standing between Jewish girls and massive immoral and antireligious persecution by the Israeli Army, some of us are allowing ourselves to be largely distracted with Corona related issues, as important as some of them are. This must change. We cannot continue to abandon those standing strong against the ever escalating drafting of girls, and increasingly religious girls. We can expect one result from such ongoing obliviousness to their plights: an intensification of our own R"L. 

And we can surely perform far better than we are, far, far better. Moreover, in recent months, Israeli media [e.g. Ynet] has been covering multiple stories on the ongoing Army crusade against religious girls in particular. Chotam, an Israeli, rightwing Mizrachi-type organization, has been active in publicizing these reports. Where are we, when we have unprecedented opportunities to expose the sheer evil of the Israeli Army crusade against the next generation of Jewish mothers? "Middah Tovah Merubah!"

###

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Bark Mitzvahs Popular by American Dog Lovers

Haredi party's election ad sparks controversy

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/297835

 A new campaign video released by the United Torah Judaism party is under fire for comparing Reform and Conservative converts to dogs.

The video, which took aim at the recent Supreme Court ruling requiring the state to recognize Reform and Conservative conversions performed in Israel, features pictures of dogs wearing Jewish religious articles, including kippas, prayer shawls, and phylacteries.

While the images of the dogs are on screen, the narrator of the video says “According to the Supreme Court, this is a Jew, and so is this. Of course, his grandmother was a rabbi, so obviously he’s Jewish!”

Nod or blunder? No CPAC 2021 apology for a stage shaped like a white supremacist symbol

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/03/02/cpac-2021-stage-design-public-high-five-white-supremacy-column/6883518002/

As difficult as it is to get your head around, the stage at CPAC 2021 last weekend was built in the shape of a rebranded swastika, something called an odal or othala rune. This symbol was incorporated into SS uniforms and is frequently used by white supremacists. Neo-Nazis get tattooed with this thing. It was even on display at the 2017 Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville. Here’s a picture of the CPAC stage next to a picture of a Nazi uniform. Judge for yourself.

 And how do I know about this neo-Nazi imagery? Have I been trawling through the disreputable, sordid underbelly of the Internet? Sort of. There was an article about it over four years ago in the New York Times. After Trump’s election, what was then one of the largest neo-Nazi organizations in the country, the National Socialist Movement, decided to do some rebranding and replace the swastika with the odal rune in an effort to make white supremacy more “mainstream.” Since Trump stood in the middle of one at CPAC to declare his return to politics, I guess it worked.

Six Dr. Seuss Books Will Stop Being Published Because of Racist Imagery

 https://time.com/5943429/dr-seuss-racist-images/

Dr. Seuss Enterprises will no longer publish or license six of the author’s books, including his first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937) and If I Ran the Zoo (1950), because of racist and insensitive imagery.

On Tuesday, the company released a statement on their website explaining their decision to stop publishing these books, citing that they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” In addition to those two books, McElligot’s Pool (1947), Scrambled Eggs Super! (1953), On Beyond Zebra! (1955) and The Cat’s Quizzer (1976) will no longer be published.