Monday, June 13, 2022

January 6 Vice Chair Cheney said Trump had a 'seven-part plan' to overturn the election. Here's what she meant

 https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/09/politics/jan-6-hearing-cheney-trump-overturn-election-plan/index.html

Former President Donald Trump had a "sophisticated seven-point plan" to overturn the 2020 presidential election over the course of several months, January 6 committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney said, detailing how the panel plans to use its future hearings to tackle each part of the scheme.
"On the morning of January 6, President Donald Trump's intention was to remain president of the United States, despite the lawful outcome of the 2020 election and in violation of his Constitutional obligation to relinquish power," Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, said in her opening statement at Thursday's prime-time hearing.

Disagreeing with Agada

 Ramban (Bereishis 46:15) Jochebed was born in Egypt, but she was not conceived in Egypt. This is the principle of our Rabbis. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra replied, saying that “this is surprising. For if so, why did Scripture not mention the wonder that befell her, for she gave birth to Moses when she was one hundred and thirty years old? And why did it mention the case of Sarah who gave birth when she was ninety years old? This distress was not yet sufficient for us so that the poets came and composed liturgic poems for the day of Simchath Torah, wherein they state, ‘Jochebed, my mother, will be comforted after me,’ [implying that Jochebed survived her son], and thus she was two hundred and fifty years old at the death of Moses! Is the proof of the poets for this longevity of Jochebed because Ahijah the Shilonite lived a life of great duration?. If so, this is not a proof, for his longevity is but] an Agadic tradition or the opinion of a single authority.” These are the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. in contradicting the words of our Rabbis, I must answer him and say that in any case, there is in the matter of Jochebed a great wonder of the hidden miracles which constitute the foundation of the Torah. Jochebed was Levi’s actual daughter, and not merely his offspring, Thus Amram, Levi’s grandson, married Jochebed, Levi’s daughter. Now if we would say that Levi begot Jochebed in his younger years, just as he begot all his sons, this would place her birth soon after his descent into Egypt, and she would have been very old at the time of Moses’ birth, at or near the age stated by our Rabbis. And if we would say that he begot her after he resided in Egypt for many years — say, for a period of fifty-seven years — then Levi would have been one hundred years old at Jochebed’s birth, for when he went down to Egypt he was forty-three years. In that case, there were two great wonders! Levi, at the time he begot Jochebed, was as old as Abraham, concerning whom Scripture mentions, Shall a child be born to him who is a hundred years old? and it is further written, And my lord is old also,. while Jochebed would still have been an elderly woman of seventy-three when Moses was born! And should we further postpone Jochebed’s birth to the end of Levi’s days, the wonder of his begetting a child will be greater than that of Abraham! But I will tell you a true principle, clearly indicated in the Torah. Scripture mentions miracles performed through a prophet and which he previously prophesied, or performed by an angel who is revealed in the course of a Divine mission, but those effected naturally in order to help the righteous or destroy the wicked are not mentioned in the Torah or in the books of the prophets. May this be “hot gold poured into the mouth” of this wise man who refuted the words of our Rabbis in the matter of Phinehas and similar matters in many places. Why should Scripture mention hidden miracles when all the foundations of the Torah are hidden miracles. In the entire scope of the Torah there are only miracles, and no nature or custom. All assurances of the Torah are in the form of signs and wonders, as it is not natural that he who has connection with one of the forbidden degrees of marriage or he who eats forbidden fat suffers excision or death. Nor is it by nature that the heavens become as iron because we have sowed our fields in the Sabbatical year.

Senators strike bipartisan gun safety agreement

 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/12/senators-strike-bipartisan-gun-safety-agreement-00039019

A group of 20 senators struck a bipartisan gun safety framework on Sunday, marking a significant breakthrough in Congress’ attempts to address recent back-to-back mass shootings.

In a Sunday morning statement, 10 senators in each party announced support for the deal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blessed it, vowing to “put this bill on the floor as soon as possible,” and President Joe Biden said it “would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.” The president urged both chambers of Congress to finish the package quickly.

Police officer who used Nazi symbol paid over $1.5m. to resign

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-709180

had the city decided to just fire Kammerzell, he would likely have been able to use arbitration to get his job back, with back pay, as a result of federal and state labor laws, the Seattle Times reported.

France arrests 16 employees of Beit Yosef yeshiva on suspicion of bullying boys

 https://observatorial.com/news/world/42425/france-arrests-16-employees-of-beit-yosef-yeshiva-on-suspicion-of-bullying-boys/

40 underage boys and about twenty young men from Israel and the USA studied at the yeshiva “Beit Yosef”. Prosecutors said the administration took advantage of the fact that the students did not speak French and therefore could not complain. Students were confiscated mobile phones and documents, they were deprived of the opportunity to tell their families about what was happening within the walls of the educational institution or to return home.

Oscar-nominated ‘When We Were Bullies’ looks back in shame on 1965 schoolyard attack

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/oscar-nominated-when-we-were-bullies-looks-back-in-shame-on-1965-schoolyard-attack/

In her on-camera conversation with Rosenblatt, she does comment on the fact that kids seem to be hardwired to pick up on vulnerability in other kids.

“Kids are tuned into that in the oddest way. They can pick up something that the adults can’t see. It’s a sixth sense or something,” Mrs. Bromberg remarks.

Anti-Bullying-Policy-- Darchei Torah

 https://www.darcheitorah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Anti-Bullying-Policy-February-2019.pdf

The Yeshiva will: · Where bullying is reported to Yeshiva staff it will be investigated and acted on. This also applies to bullying that occurs off the Yeshiva premises, such as on Yeshiva or public transport, trips, or Shabbos meals. · Use the curriculum, assemblies and form time to inform Bochurim on bullying issues · Provide guidelines on what is considered bullying behaviour · Ensure robust systems are in place for recording and following up bullying related incidents · Provide relevant training for key staf

Bullying In Yeshiva

 http://www.5tjt.com/bullying-in-yeshiva/

Bullying is a problem that we are perhaps sweeping under the rug, but it exists in our yeshivos, day schools, Bais Yaakovs, and camps. Even if no one is stealing someone else’s shoes, the ona’as devarim, and often even the physical abuse, exists in our environments as well. Bullying hurts others, can have devastating repercussions for its victims, and is an issur d’Oraisa–a Torah prohibition. Its existence in our institutions is tantamount to having pork or any other treif or tamei food.

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Study Shows Widening Gap in Death Rates Between Democratic, Republican U.S. States

 https://www.newsweek.com/study-shows-widening-gap-death-rates-between-democratic-republican-us-states-1714879

Published in the British Medical Journal, the study shows that the difference in death rates between Democratic and Republican counties increased by a factor of more than six times from 2001 to 2019.

This was especially true among white Americans, and was driven by deaths caused by cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease, suicide, drug overdoses and unintentional injuries.

Lauren Boebert Jokes She Prays for Biden: 'May His Days Be Few'

https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-joe-biden-prays-days-few-charis-christian-center-bible-1714991 

Speaking on Saturday at the Charis Christian Center Family Camp Meeting in Colorado, where she was a guest speaker, the Republican politician referred to bible verse Psalms 109:8 as she spoke about the 79-year-old Biden, much to the delight of the crowd. The video has so far been viewed over 480,000 times on Twitter.

January 6 committee releases new video timeline of Capitol riot | FOX 9 KMSP

COVID might be spreading as fast now as it was during previous surges, testing company says

https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/covid-might-be-spreading-as-fast-right-now-as-it-was-during-previous-surges-testing-company-says/

“We’ve been seeing high positivity since the middle of April, so we really believe there is a lot of people out there with COVID who just aren’t testing with a lab that is reporting to public health,” Isaac Turner with Curative said. He also notes that at-home testing likely plays a big role and that case numbers are underrepresented.

The January 6 hearings showed why it’s reasonable to call Trump a fascist

 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/6/10/23162442/january-6-committee-hearing-june-10-trump-fascist

Throughout Trump’s presidency, there was a raging debate among experts as to whether it was accurate to describe him as a “fascist.” One of the strongest counterarguments, that his political movement did not involve the kind of street violence characteristic of Italian and German fascism, was undermined on January 6 — though some scholars still argued that the term was somewhat imprecise.

HARMONY THROUGH OPPOSITES - what is the message?


I have long thought that Rav Lopiansky’s appreciation of his father, Rabbi Bentzion Lopiansky, which appears in his collection Time Pieces, is the most powerful hesped of a father by a son that I have ever read. The lessons Reb Bentzion taught his son about how to put oneself in the shoes of another are literally unforgettable.

Reb Bentzion once saw Aaron, then nine or ten years old, tagging along after a group of boys in the Bialystoker Shul on the Lower East Side, where he served as the shamash. The boys were teasing a homeless vagrant who slept in the shul’s furnace room, until he chased after them. Reb Bentzion called his son over, and spoke calmly and warmly as always.

“You see that man?” he asked. “He was born a cute little baby whose mother stroked him and nursed him. She cooed to him and delighted when he cooed back and smiled at her. His father fantasized about his infant son achieving all those things he had failed to attain.

“Now look at what has become of him. Is it not a tragedy? Should we not be moved to tears? And you are compounding that tragedy by taking a tzelem Elokim and treating him like dirt.”

Aaron’s tears flowed freely with both compassion for the vagrant and shame at his cruelty, as his father finished speaking even more softly than he had begun.

Suggested inspirational message from this book review

1 Jews are inherently like goyim
2. Even with Torah - basic decency is lacking
3. Without lessons from a sensitive parent it is is impossible to be a mensch