Rabbi responds to uproar: The Torah forbids gay relations, what do you want from me?

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365564

Rabbi Meir Mazuz, head of the Kisei Rahamim Yeshiva, responded in his weekly lesson on Saturday night to the uproar following his remarks last week against the Gay Pride Parades and against Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the first openly gay Knesset Speaker in Israel’s history.

"The country is in an uproar. What? I said? No one else said the same thing? The Torah said 'it is an abomination', what do you want from my life?" said Rabbi Mazuz.

Last week, Rabbi Mazuz implicitly hinted that Ohana, who served as Public Security Minister at the time of the Meron disaster in 2021, was responsible for the disaster.

Wife should be ruled by husband: Torah Temima

Torah Temima (Bereishis 3:16): And he will rule over you - we learn from this that a woman asks for intercourse through her actions while the man asks for it directly and this is a good trait for women (Eiruvin 100b). Even though the trait of modesty is a good trait, nevertheless it is a curse that she can’t openly express her desires to her husband. It should be noted that this doesn’t explain the language “And he will rule over you” in terms of its literal meaning of having a master… Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezar (Chapter 14) notes that this is one of the curses of a woman and she should have her ear bored as a permanent slave and as a maidservant. The Radal says that this teaches that it has been decreed that a woman always has to pay attention to the words of her husband. It is logical that the reason for the practice of piercing a woman’s ears for jewelry is an allusion to the fact that she is enslaved to her husband as is noted in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezar. If so then why isn’t the expression in this verse “He shall rule over you” explained according to this understanding [and instead the gemora says it means that she can’t asked openly for intercourse]? … Nevertheless it definitely would appear that the verse doesn’t lose its literal meaning and that is also meant. Therefore in terms of the relationship of a husband and wife, the wife is obligated to accepted the authority of her husband as we find in the Rambam (Hilchos Ishus 15:20): “Our Sages have commanded that the wife view her husband as a king and lord.”Aside from the language of this verse this idea of rulership can also be seen in the Sifre…that a woman does not have permission to speak before her husband. This is also possibly the source that Pesachim (108a) that a woman does not have to recline at the Pesach Seder in the presence of her husband. The reason being that he rules over her. She is exempt in the same way that a student is in the presence of his teacher. He cannot recline in the manner of freedom because of his fear and respect of his teacher. It is logical that this is the reason that a woman who does not fulfill the wishes of her husband is called a moredes (rebel). Since it is an obligation to accept him as king and lord [as stated in Rambam] therefore when she does the opposite - it as if she had rebelled against the kingdom. …

What has Kevin McCarthy given up, and at what price?

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64194129

It took 15 ballots, a midnight vote and a near-fistfight in the hallowed chambers of Congress, but Kevin McCarthy has now been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Through a combination of cajoling, arm-twisting and finger-jabbing, the California congressman succeeded in convincing enough of the 20 holdout Republicans to support him - or at least not explicitly oppose his bid for the Speaker's gavel.

Getting those recalcitrant Republicans on board, however, was not an easy job. Mr McCarthy has had to make promises, and key concessions, that limit his own power and increase the influence of conservatives in the House of Representatives.

US teen discovers cyber bully was her own mother

 https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-726595

A teenage girl who suffered from cyberbullying discovered that the anonymous troll behind hate messages she received over the past year was...her own mother!

Kendra Gayle Licari, from Michigan, abused her daughter online using juvenile slang to keep herself from being identified. She was arrested last month after a year-long investigation, to which FBI experts were called in to help search for the bully.

Even though Licari used a VPN (virtual private network) to disguise the source of the messages and spiced up her messages with juvenile slang to make them look like they were written by a boy or girl, detectives were eventually able to connect the messages to Licari.

McCarthy Thanking Trump 2 Years After Jan. 6 Was 'Disgusting': Ex-GOP Rep.

 https://www.newsweek.com/mccarthy-thanking-trump-2-years-after-jan-6-was-disgusting-ex-gop-rep-1772081

"It is about a coalition, Katie," Jolly added. "And you can extrapolate this out nationally, what we know going into a presidential race, which is Donald Trump's power is slipping, but his grip is so tight over the part of the coalition he holds that the party fractures without him. While Democrats have built a coalition in the last six years of disaffected Republicans and independents, joining their cause for healthcare, education, immigration reform, and criminal justice reform, Republicans have built a coalition of insurrectionists, white nationalists, antisemites, and other people who want to tear down the government, and so that's what we're seeing on display."

Victims Pressured Not to Cooperate With Police in Prominent Yeshiva Sexual Assault Case

 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-05/ty-article/.premium/victims-pressured-not-to-cooperate-with-police-in-prominent-yeshiva-sexual-assault-case/00000185-8254-d9f4-abf7-83ff122b0000

Vizhnitz court and Rabbi Efraim Tessler could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for MK Yaakov Tessler, said that he would not comment on “gossip and slander.”

Spiritual growth only outside of Israel

Rav Tzadok (Pri Tzadik Vayechi  1) The 17 years that Jacob was in Egypt revived some of those bad years which befell him. This idea is stated (in ) that if an individual lives a good year close to his old age, it is a good sign for him, and G-d considers it as if all his days were good. All the days of Jacob when he was in pain was not considered to be life because they were not completed in holiness and only in Egypt did he merit to complete them in his holiness. Logic would dictate that since Israel is the place of greatest holiness in the world, as G-d told Abraham to leave Aram and go to the land of Israel, and Isaac was told that he would be blessed if he lived in this land. Jacob himself loved the land, and it would have been fitting for Jacob to complete his life in holiness in the holy land, and not in Egypt which is an impure land, and its people are more polluted than any other.

We find that in the exile in Babylon and in the exile of the second Temple that the main expansion of the oral Torah was specifically in exile. Specifically there the secrets of the Torah were revealed, more than was revealed while the Jews were in Israel. It is specifically from Babylon that the people of the great assembly arose and they were able to establish the law of Arava (c.f. Sukkah 44a) We also see in Sukkah (20A) that Ezra rose from Babylon and established Torah, and thereafter Torah was forgotten. Hillel then went and re-established it (and Hillel was also from Babylon (ed)), Rabbi Chiya and his sons (from Babylon) reconstituted the Torah. It also states in Medrash Shir Hashirim (4:4) that the righteous after the destruction of the Temple constituted the Torah in a greater way than the righteous in their building of the Temple.

This Parasha is closed. Our Rabbis have explained the reasons for it, and they are all true. There is another reason for it being closed. The completion of Jacob's holiness is specifically in Egypt, and not in the land of Israel. This coincides with the notion that the revelation and arrival of the Jewish People which contains the souls which were prepared for the acceptance of the Torah specifically in a foreign land and not in Israel, and that the end of the creation of the world occurs in the land of Egypt. These concepts are closed(Satum) from human understanding.

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.