G-d's partner?!

 Sanhedrin (38b)A certain heretic said to Rav Idit: It is written in the verse concerning God: “And to Moses He said: Come up to the Lord” (Exodus 24:1). The heretic raised a question: It should have stated: Come up to Me. Rav Idit said to him: This term, “the Lord,” in that verse is referring to the angel Metatron, whose name is like the name of his Master, as it is written: “Behold I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Take heed of him and obey his voice; do not defy him; for he will not pardon your transgression, for My name is in him” (Exodus 23:20–21). The heretic said to him: If so, if this angel is equated with God, we should worship him as we worship God. Rav Idit said to him: It is written: “Do not defy [tammer] him,” which alludes to: Do not replace Me [temireni] with him. The heretic said to him: If so, why do I need the clause “For he will not pardon your transgression”? Rav Idit said to him: We believe that we did not accept the angel even as a guide [befarvanka] for the journey, as it is written: “And he said to him: If Your Presence go not with me raise us not up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses told God that if God Himself does not accompany the Jewish people they do not want to travel to Eretz Yisrael.  

Ramban (Shemos 24;1) Come up to the Eternal. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, the reason for this expression [when it should have said: “Come up unto Me”], is because it is the Scriptural style to mention the proper name instead of the pronoun, such as: And Lemech said… Ye wives of Lemech; and the Eternal sent Jerubaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel. A similar case is the verse, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Eternal’s sake. In the Talmud, however, we find that they asked, “It should have said, ‘come up to Me,’” and therefore they said, “this refers to Mattatron, whose name is even as the Name of his Master.” That is to say, “And unto Moses He — the Divine Name mentioned at the beginning of this subject, namely, And the Eternal said unto Moses — said, come up to Mattatron, for My Name is in him.” The meaning is thus: “Come up to the place of the Glory where the great angel is,” and the intention was that Moses should come into the midst of the cloud where the Glory of G-d was, but he should not come right up to the Proper Divine Name, for man shall not see Me, and live. The intention of our Rabbis is thus not at all as Rashi had written above. In Tractate Sanhedrin also the Rabbi [Rashi] turned the subject around. Now I have already mentioned the Rabbis’ intention concerning this name [Mattatron], and all their words are true. In that homily, however, [related in Tractate Sanhedrin, concerning the infidel’s question to Rav Idie], the Sages spoke in an abstract manner, since Rav Idie did not want, Heaven forbid, to reveal to that infidel who asked him the question, the matter of the great Mattatron and its secret! Instead, he mentioned to him that the verse speaks of the angel who is “the guide of the road” of the world below; and hence he told him, that “even as a guide we refused to accept him, for it is written [that Moses said], If ‘panecha’ — [literally: ‘Thy face’ or ‘Thy presence’] go not up, carry us not up hence,” for we accepted no messenger, only the Revered G-d. I have already explained clearly the secret of panim (face) and the whole subject to those learned in the secret lore of the Cabala, in the section of the Giving of the Torah.

Rabbeinu Bachya (Shemos 24;1) instruction by the attribute of Hashem. The meaning of the words עלה אל ה' (which obviously cannot mean that Moses was to ascend to the region of Hashem) is that he was to ascend to the level of the angel Mattatron, the angel whom we have already described as the שר הפנים, “the Minister of the Interior,” the angel to whom G’d normally entrusts the running of His universe. 

 This is also what our sages in Sanhedrin 38 meant when they said that the reason this angel is called Mattatron is that this word combines two meanings (in two separate languages). They are אדון and שליח. The reason that this is so is because in the language of our sages (a mixture of Latin and Greek at the time of the Mishnah) a lady who commands great authority is called Matrona. The word also means שליח, “agent, emissary,” as in Greek such a messenger is known as Mentaur. There is still a third meaning which is associated with the word מטטרן which is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew משמרת, “custody, guard.” The name of that angel is Mattatron as it is the custodian of the world on behalf of G’d who is also known as the שומר ישראל, “the guardian of Israel.” 

Seeing that we have established from the meaning of his very name that he is the master of all that is below him in rank, all the heavenly hosts as well as those on earth are at his command and under his control. He acts as the agent of the One Who is above him, the One who has given him this authority. His name is אדון לביתו ומושל בכל קנינו, “master of His household and governor of all His possessions.” 

You ought to appreciate that in accordance with the meaning of the word אדון, “master,” the letter ט in the name מטטרון appears twice. The reason for this is that the two letters ט when combined have a numerical value of ח'י an allusion to the חי העולמים an expression of supremacy. Alternatively, the extra letter ט is an allusion to the ninth emanation which derives its potency directly from the highest emanation, the tenth emanation

 It is well known (in Kabbalistic circles) that another description of this angel Mattatron is נער. This is the reason the firstborn of the Israelites have been referred to as נערים in verse 5 of our chapter where the Torah writes: וישלח את נערי בני ישראל ויעלו עולות, “He sent the youths of the Children of Israel and they offered burnt-offerings, etc.” 

It is well to realise that at this time it was not an ascent to G’d which G’d had in mind, as if it had been that there would not have been a point in including Aaron, his sons and the elders in any part of this instruction. When the Torah writes here in verse 2 that Moses was to approach the ערפל all by himself, the meaning is also that he would approach the angel Mattatron who was at that time within the thick cloud described as ערפל. Actually, the Torah should have written: ונגשת לבדך “you are to approach all by yourself,” if the Torah had meant for him at this time to ascend all the way to G’d. At this point G’d’s words were directed only at Moses seeing that what was said about Aaron, his sons, and the elders was in the third person, i.e. quite obviously not intended for their ears at this time. G’d had told Moses that Aaron and the elders were to remain at a distance when they would prostrate themselves.

 We need to understand why the direct form of the speech in verse 1, i.e. עלה אל ה' was changed to indirect speech in verse 2 where the Torah writes in indirect speech “and Moses shall approach theערפל .” We must assume that the words in verse 2 for Moses to approach the ערפל all by himself were not spoken by G’d but by the angel Mattatron. In that event he spoke of Moses approaching himself (the angel) within the thick cloud. The entire verse then was primarily a command for Aaron, his sons, and the elders not to approach but to prostrate themselves from a distance. As a consequence of these instructions, the Torah adds immediately that these people who had not approached beheld what is reported in verse 10 i.e. ויראו את אלו-הי ישראל ותחת רגליו כמעשה לבנת הספיר וכעצם השמים לטוהר, “they experienced a vision of the G’d of Israel in the form of a likeness of bricks made of sapphire under His feet, being as pure as the essence of heaven.” In the interval, Moses alone approached more closely to the ערפל, as he had been told in verse 12 עלה אלי ההרה “ascend to Me to the mountain and remain there, etc.” This additional ascent (additional to what was commanded in verse 1 represented an additional spiritual elevation on the part of Moses until he actually entered the cloud. The next step occurred in verse 18 where the Torah reports Moses as entering the cloud, ascending the mountain and remaining there for forty days. 

You are already aware that this (angel) is the one who was the cause of Elisha ben Avuyah making a grievous error, resulting in his heresy when he formed the opinion that there are two domains of divinity (compare Chagigah 15). The same is liable to happen to anyone who does not exercise extreme care in contemplating these verses. Perhaps the reason that this paragraph has been written immediately after the previous paragraph concluded with the word מוקש, “a trap,” in 23,33, is to warn that this chapter must be read with more than ordinary care. It is a veiled warning that he who is not extremely careful when studying this chapter is liable to fall into a theological trap. The error committed by the people who served the golden calf, by Nadav and Avihu (compare our author’s comments on Leviticus 10,1), may be traced to misreading what is written in our chapter. Of all the great scholars delving into the matter only Rabbi Akiva escaped with his mind and body completely intact (Chagigah 14). How was it that only Rabbi Akiva succeeded where others had failed? This is what our sages meant when they said that Rabbi Akiva realized that there are other powerful angels of the caliber of Mattatron thus precluding the error that because Mattatron was unique he was a divinity. The sages based this on Deut. 33,2 אתה מרבבות קודש, that when G’d gave the Torah “He had come with some of the myriads of holy beings.” The reason G’d is called ה' צבאות is precisely because He is the Master of all these holy beings.

Tucker Carlson Calls Trump ‘Demonic Force’ in New Legal Filing

 https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fox-news-disbelief-2020-election-fraud-dominion-lawsuit-1234681503/

On Jan. 6, 2021 Carlson messaged Pfeiffer, and called Trump “a demonic force, a destroyer,” adding, “But he’s not going to destroy us.” Despite this, just three weeks later, the host invited his leading sponsor Mike Lindell on his show; Lindell proceeded to repeat Powell’s conspiracies on air, even previewing them for Carlson’s staff.

Hashgacha protis applies to everything?

 Chinuch (#169): There are some groups that believe that Providence applies to every living creature - both man and animal. There are also those who extend Providence further and say it applies to every entity in the world - living or non living. In other words they say that the smallest entity only moves as response to G d’s will and decrees. They go so far as to say that even when a single leaf falls off a tree that G d decreed that it should fall. That it is impossible that its falling be delayed and advanced by an instant. However such a belief is ridiculous - extremely far from human intelligence. There are also evil groups that assert that there is no such thing as Providence for anything in the world whether for people or the rest of living creatures. This view is the view of heretics and it is evil and bitter. However we Jews believe that Providence applies to living creatures only in general – other than man. In other words, the different species are sustained so that the species themselves don’t become extinct. In contrast we believe that regarding man that there is Providence for each and every person which varies according to his deeds. This teaching we know by tradition passed down by the great sages - as well as many verses that teach these principles.

Everything is for the best

 Recently received an email from someone who deals with those who have had a rough life such as aguna divorce or death of a spouse or child or  debilitating illness or alzheimer's.  He noted for some of these people hearing the reassurance :"All is for the best and G-d is in contol" isn't helping at since they have experienced such devestation without seeing any silver lining in the clouds. There have been no miraculous last minute salvation that people usually talk about to prove that G-d is running the world. He asked whether there is another approach? 

I noted there is another approach which readily acknowledges the tragedy and badness of some people's situation and which makes no attempt to sugar coat the pain. That is to say the suffering is a test and that there is compensation in Olam Haba. One such approach is called  Yessurim from G-d's love. It is described in Berachos 5a

 And if he did attribute his suffering to dereliction in the study of Torah, and did not find this to be so, he may be confident that these are afflictions of love, as it is stated: “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, as does a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12).

Sanhedrin (47a) Rabbi Natan says: It is a good sign for the deceased when he is punished after his death and does not receive an honorable burial or eulogy, as his lack of honor brings him atonement for his sins. For example, if the deceased was not eulogized, or if he was not buried, or if a wild animal dragged his corpse, or if rain fell on his bier, this is a good sign for the deceased. Learn from the baraita that a eulogy is delivered for the honor of the dead, so that when he is deprived of this honor, he achieves atonement for his sins. 

However the Rambam says this approach is not Jewish. While the Ramban wrote a sefer on the subject of suffering and ultimately utilized reincarnation to explain suffering. 

Sefer HaIkkarim (4:13): … … 4) Sometimes the tzadik experiences bad because it is beneficial for him. This is called Suffering of Love. It is also called a nisayon (test). There are three aspects of Suffering of Love. a) Suffering that is erase the slightest remnant of sins that are too minor to be atoned for in a prescribed manner or that he is unaware of what he had done. b) Sometimes there is not the slightest sin but the suffering is entirely to test the tzadik whether he serves G d entirely from love…c) Sometimes there is absolutely no sin and there is no need to test the tzadik but it is entirely to increase the reward in the World to Come - such as Avraham’s sacrifice of Yitzchok.

Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:17): The majority of our Sages agree that there is no death or suffering without sin… A person is rewarded according to all the good deeds that he has done even if he wasn’t commanded by the prophet to do them. He is also punished for all the bad things he did, even if he wasn’t forbidden by the prophet. This is true however for those things that his intellect would indicate that they were good or bad.…In the words of our Sages there is something additional which is not found written in the Torah. Some of them talk about yesurim shel ahava which is suffering which occurs even without sin - in order to increase reward. This is also a concept found amongst some Muslims. However there is no verse in the Torah which expresses this idea. 

Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:24): The concept of “testing” is a very difficult and is the most difficult one in the Torah where it is mentioned six times. Most people understand the term to refer to G d bringing suffering and calamities on a person even though the person has not sinned - in order to increase his reward. Such a concept doesn’t have clear support from the Torah and only one of the six examples in the Torah is not inconsistent with this definition. On the other hand there is a clear principle in the Torah which refutes this concept of “testing.” Devarim (32:4): A G d of faithfulness and without iniquity. In addition to this refutation not all of the sages accepted this popular understanding since they said “There is no death without sin and no suffering without transgression.” This view that no undeserved suffering occurs is the one that every adherent to the Torah who has intelligence should believe. This is simply because one should not ascribe injustice to G d and assert that G d subjects people to undeserved suffering.

Rav Saadiya Gaon (Emuna V’De’os 5:3): The righteous suffer for two reasons. The first reason is that it is for the few sins they have committed… The second reason is that it a trial. G d tests them when He knows that they will be able to endure the suffering. Afterwards he will reward them to compensate them for the undeserved suffering. G d does not test a person who cannot endure it - because then it serves no purpose. The purpose in afflicting the righteous is in order that mankind should know that G d did not choose them for nothing. Job and his suffering is an example of this second type of suffering. If the suffering is the result of sin then typically G d will acknowledge that this is the reason - if He is asked. On the other hand if the suffering is because it is a trial - G d typically does not acknowledge it. This we see from the response to Moshe’s complaint “Why are you making it worse for this people.” Similarly Job was not answered when he asked why he was suffering. This lack of explanation is necessary so that the suffering of the righteous should not be simply dismissed by the average man as merely a means for the tzadik of getting additional reward. And I say that even the completely innocent person is sometimes afflicted in order that he gets reward for it. This is obviously the case for the infant who suffers. I have no doubt that they will be compensated for their suffering. A wise person views suffering as the chastisement of a father by means of a beating or detention to keep his son from harm. It is comparable to the disgusting bitter medicine that a person takes to be cured. A person might ask why is this suffering necessary because G d can give the good without the suffering? We answer him that good deservedly given as reward is better than receiving it out of kindness.

Pnei Yehoshua (Berachos 5a): If one cannot find a sin that justifies the suffering then it is suffering of love. Rashi explains that G d afflicts undeserved suffering in order to increase the reward in the World to Come. Why should G d afflict the tzadik when there is no need for the suffering - since no person would torture his friend in order to give him extra presents. And the question seems even stronger since all the worlds belong to G d and He can freely give them to whomever He wants. Furthermore this gemora also states that the World to Come is only given through suffering. Why should this be? An obvious answer is that the soul is not capable - even after it has separated from the body - to receive the light of the transcendent World to Come without suffering…. However this explanation doesn’t fit the language of Rashi that the purpose is to receive greater reward than his merit. The explanation of Rashi could be that the undeserved suffering is to atone for the sin of other Jews as we see in Sanhedrin (39a)… Thus G d does not want the world destroyed. If he brings suffering on the average person it is possible he won’t accept the suffering willingly and will rebel - Heaven forbid. Therefore He brings the suffering on the righteous who are willing to accept it with love for the sake of all Jews. Since this tzadik brought merit to the masses by his suffering he receives his own reward and also their reward in the World to Come. He also obviously receives the portion of the wicked who have lost their portion in the World to Come. This latter explanation seems to be the understanding of Rashi while the original explanation seems to better fit the language of the gemora.

Igros Moshe (YD 1:140): This that you explained that Suffering from Love (Berachos 5a) - that Rashi explains that G d afflicts a person even though he hasn’t done any sin in order to increase his reward - is similar to the issue of a father hitting his son even though he has completed the his required task. The father does it in order to increase the child’s fear and respect for him . Even though the son would fulfill the father’s command anyway he gets additional reward. This is a valid explanation…. However it is necessary to add that G d does not give Suffering from Love to someone who hasn’t sinned at all. … Nevertheless he is chastised in the same way as the son who has completed his task. This is to increase his reward more than his actual merits…. Nevertheless Rashi’s view is that the suffering serves no purpose for the tzadik except to increase his reward. 

Ramban (Shaar HaGemul #118): Since Chazal gave these explanations for suffering of the righteous based upon the traditions they received [alternately: according to their intent] and according to their understanding of the verses in Torah and Neviim - why do we find that the prophets themselves complained about this issue? Why was Yirmiyahu (12:1) perplexed as to why the wicked were successful since G d is righteous? Dovid [Assaf] (Tehilim 73:13) and Yeshaya (63:17) were also mystified by the suffering of the righteous and success of the wicked as was Chavakuk (1:3–4)…. 

Ramchal (Daas Tevunos 8–10): Intellect: There are matters which are very difficult and extremely deep such as the suffering of the righteous and the pleasure of the wicked. This issue was difficult for our Sages as well as the prophets. It was even difficult for Moshe Rabbeinu. They were not able to comprehend this matter. Soul: In fact this inability to comprehend is only for the precise details of concerning a particular individual - however the general principles are understood by every upstanding person. Thus a person needs to realize that while he should strive to comprehend everything - he needs to accept that the goal in unattainable.

Sefer HaIkkarim (4:14): Since we have explained that G d’s judgments are correct without imperfection concerning both the suffering of the tzadik and the pleasure of the wicked, it is necessary to explain the complaints of the prophets and sages concerning this? We see (Berachos 7a) that even Moshe Rabbeinu was bothered by this issue when he asked Please show me Your way so that I can know You. Job complained about this. Assaf (Tehilim 73:2–3; 73:13) stated that because of this issue he almost became a heretic. Yirmiyahu (12:1) asked Why are the wicked successful? Chavakuk (1:13) asked Why do You tolerate those who deal treacherously and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he? Chavakuk (1:4) The wicked surround the righteous and therefore justice comes out perverted. Malachi (2:17): You have wearied G d with your words: Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of G d and He delights in them… Malachi (3:17) those who work wickedness are built up and those who tempt G d - escape. Koheles (8:14) There is a nonsensical thing which is done on the earth that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. There are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. There are many more additional examples found in the words of the prophets. Obviously this matter requires explanation…

Rav Yonason Eibschuetz (Ya’aros Devash 1:10): There are two types of calamities. The first comes from G d and appears bad but in fact it is absolutely good. Its start is difficult but it ends up sweet because its purpose is to cleanse a person from sin. That is because nothing bad ever comes from Heaven. This is what our sages (Berachos 5a) describe as “suffering from love” and “all those that G d loves He chastises.” The second type of calamity is the result of G d removing His Providence and thus leaving the person unprotected from harm - both from the astrological influences and the forces of nature. This resulting multitude of bad is in fact absolutely bad because G d removed His protection and no “suffering from love” results from accident. This second category - because of our many sins - is the source of much of Jewish suffering. It is described in the Torah (Vayikra 26:23–24): If you go with Me incidentally I will also go with you in an incidental manner. That means that if they view misfortune - not as a warning to repent from G d - but rather as an accident then G d will in fact leave them to the vicissitude of nature and mazel. Then they will in fact suffer randomly and thus all their misfortune will be bad. This is especially relevant for Jews since according to the astrological forces they could be destroyed - Heaven forbid - since they are descendants of Avraham. Avraham according to the astrological forces should never have had children and his children resulted only because G d lifted him beyond their influence. Thus in the realm of nature and mazel the Jews have no right to exist and therefore when they are left to these forces they have terrible suffering.

Ramban (Shaar HaGemul #118): To conclude the topic of suffering: It is proper for a person who experienced any mishap or calamity to believe that it is the result of his sins. He should repent for the sins that he is aware of and should confess in general for those he doesn’t remember… If he sees a tzadik who dies as a tzadik, he should try to attribute it to the small number of sins that he committed. Similar one should assume that the tranquility of a wicked person is the result of some good deeds he might have done. If that explanation is not satisfactory because of the apparent greatness of the tzadik his outstanding merit, total freedom from sin and pure heart then he should realize that this is not readily answered about another person…. He should assume however that ultimately the righteous person will be justly rewarded for his righteousness…or that it involves the secret of transmigration of souls… In any case he should believe that there is righteousness, goodness and correct judgment in G d’s decisions - even though it might be concealed from him…. All of this is appropriate for every intelligent person to think about in order to understand how G d runs the world and His goodness with all His creatures. It is also critical that everyone understand the need to accept chastisement in the form of suffering. Nevertheless after saying all this, the question of why the righteous suffer still remains because we lack the ability to see events in its full context. In addition we typically don’t investigate the facts fully. We simply focus on the question of how this person got what he deserved in light of the fact that G d gives everyone what he deserves. In fact we see tzadikim who are killed while studying Torah or while they are fasting and praying with great fervor. Some people are born without organs and limbs. Some die before the age of 20 and yet were tzadikim who devoted their short lives to studying Torah and doing mitzvos. How could they deserve the punishment to die at the hand of Heaven which isn’t applicable until after the age of 20?… The suffering of the righteous Job is another case which is difficult to understand. So is the story of Rabbi Akiva whose Torah was so great and yet died in such a horrible way. Much more common are the cases of the wicked who enjoy peace and prosperity. Nevertheless the validity of the problem of suffering of the righteous and the peace of the wicked is independent upon whether it is rare or common. Our concern is not with man per se…but our questions are directed to G d whose deeds are just without any failing. 

Ramban (Shaar HaGemul #120 chapter 6): In conclusion a person should believe that all mishaps and calamities are the consequence of sin and transgression. He should repent on those sins that he knows about and those that he has forgotten about or wasn’t aware of, he should make a general confession. If he sees a tzadik suffering in spite of his righteousness he should assume it is because of the few sins that he has done. Similarly when he sees a wicked person have a pleasant life, he should ascribe it to the few good deeds that he has done…. Nevertheless, whether he knows or doesn’t know - it is necessary to accept that everything that G d does is absolutely just and merciful - even though the justice and mercy might be hidden. You may ask us that since there is an element that is hidden in divine judgment and consequently that it is necessary to believe in His justice as the True Judge - why do you trouble us and require us to learn the various explanations of why the righteous suffer? Why not just simply rely totally on this principle that G d is inherently righteous and therefore it is impossible that He commit an injustice - either on purpose or by inattention? The answer to this question is that this assertion that we should simply believe that G d’s actions are righteous - without trying to understand how - is the view of fools that despise wisdom. We in fact greatly benefit by learning the various explanations because this is wisdom which helps us become wise men. By this endeavor we also increase our knowledge of G d through understanding His conduct and deeds. Furthermore we will have faith and have trust in our faith - in both the known and the concealed matters - more than other people. That is because we in fact learn about the nature of the concealed matters from that which is knowable. This intellectual involvement leads us to know the righteousness of Divine Judgment and the justness of His Law. Thus it is the obligation of everyone who worships G d from love and fear to search his mind to justify G d’s justice and to validate His decisions the limit of his ability. The explanations, of course, need to be based upon the approach of our Sages as we have already explained. Consequently he will have peace of mind concerning these issues by validating the judgment of G d to the best of his ability. He will then be able to generalize from what he knows to that which he can’t comprehend - especially with the secret that was mentioned previously. He will find that he no longer has any doubts and questions. On the other hand, even if he doesn’t want to go through all this analysis it is legitimate just to accept that whatever G d does is just.

Shem Tov (Moreh Nevuchim 3:17): …However the only thing that is true beyond question is that whatever G d does to us is totally exact and just so that nothing should be added or subtracted from it... Therefore we must exclude from consideration the suffering of the tzadik and the pleasure of the wicked which are solely the result of natural processes or the free will of other people. In fact the majority of evil that happens to a person is the result of his free will and his great lust [and is not from G d]… In addition everything that happens to a person will be subject to review and judgment either in this world or the World to Come and compensation and adjustments will be made. This attitude of compensation for undeserved suffering removes more doubt and confusion than the attitude that everything that happens to a person is totally deserved. As it says in Mishlei(17:15): It is an abomination to G d to justify the wicked and blame the righteous… It is important to fully understand this…

Ramban (Koheles): The truth is that the words of Elihu to Job were ideas that were received by tradition from men of the Torah. Therefore when it says that Elihu was descended from ’the family of Ram” - it is a reference to Avraham. Therefore the principle that is proper to believe is that there is no death without sin and no suffering without transgression [Shabbos 55a]. A person should not assume that he is righteous but should carefully examine his deeds and repent for those sins he is aware of and he should confess about the sins he is not aware of. He should believe that this principle of our sages is true and that G d conducts His world with this principle. Don’t try to refute my assertions with the concept of Suffering of Love that is mentioned by our sages. However in addition to this basic principle that suffering is the result of sin there is in addition a great secret which is impossible to know without kabbala - [i.e. reincarnation]. It is a very clear answer which removes all intellectual doubts. This solution which Elihu offers is alluded to in Tehilim (73:20) and is hinted in the words of Shlomo (Koheles 8:17)..... 

Santos ‘Bestie’ Is Far-Right Activist Tied to Disgraced Albanian Prime Minister

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/rep-george-santos-bestie-evi-kokalari-is-tied-to-ex-albanian-pm-sali-berisha?ref=home

The woman Rep. George Santos called his “best friend” is a Republican fundraiser and conspiracy-theory spreader who spent years promoting an Albanian politician barred from entering the United States for corruption—work that raised concerns among legal and ethics experts who spoke with The Daily Beast.

In the space of two election cycles, Evi Kokalari—who sometimes uses her ex-husband’s surname Angelakis—went from a small-time Queens real estate broker whose dabbling in politics never extended beyond a couple gifts to local campaigns, to a jet-setting Republican operative who hosted events for Santos and GOP luminaries including former Rep. Lee Zeldin and Trump acting intelligence director Ric Grenell.

Woman not happy with Rabbinic ruling

 Gittin (35a) A certain woman appealed to Rabbah son of R. Huna [to enforce payment of her kethubah]. He said to her: What can I do for you seeing that Rab would not enforce payment of a kethubah and my father also would not enforce payment of a kethubah to a widow? She said to him: At least grant me maintenance. He replied: You are not entitled to maintenance either, since Rab Judah has said in the name of Samuel: If a woman claims her kethubah in the Beth din, she has no claim to maintenance. She said to him: Turn his seat upside down! [May he be humiliated (Rashi)] —He gives me the worst of both authorities. They turned his seat over and put it straight again, but even so he did not escape an illness. 

Benefits of having a Rebbe

 Tanis (23b) R. Mani used often to attend the discourses of R. Isaac b. Eliashab and he complained: The rich members of the family of my father-in-law are annoying me. The latter exclaimed: May they become poor! And they became poor. Later on R. Mani complained: They press me for support and R. Isaac exclaimed: Let them become rich! And they became rich. On another occasion he complained: My wife is no longer acceptable to me. R. Isaac thereupon asked: What is her name? He replied: Hannah. Whereupon R. Isaac exclaimed: May Hannah become beautiful! And she became beautiful. He then complained: She is too domineering over me. Whereupon R. Isaac exclaimed: If that is so, let Hannah revert to her former ugliness! And she became once again ugly.

Angel is a name of the Shechinah

 Zohar (3:187a) “The angel which hath redeemed me from all evil bless the lads” (Gen. XLVIII, 16). ‘These words’, he said, ‘were uttered by Jacob in the spirit of holiness, and therefore they must contain some mystery of wisdom.”Angel” is here one of the names of the Shekinah, applied to her when she is a messenger from on high and receives radiance from the supernal mirror, for then she is blessed by the Father and Mother, who say to her: Daughter, go, mind thy house, attend to thy house; go and feed them, go to the lower world where thy household wait for sustenance from thee; here is all which they require. Then she is “angel”. True, she is in many places called “angel” when she does not come to give sustenance to worlds, and further she gives sustenance not in this name but in that of “the Lord”. She is, however, called “angel” when she is sent by the Father and Mother, and “Lord” when she rests on the two Cherubim. When she first appeared to Moses she was called “angel”, but to Jacob she appeared only under the figure of Rachel, as it is written, “And Rachel came with the sheep”.

Leifer held victim’s family problems over her head to discourage outcry, court told

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/leifer-held-victims-family-problems-over-her-head-to-discourage-outcry-court-told/

In opening statement, Australian prosecutor says former Haredi school principal told student she’d ‘tell everyone’ about her issues at home if girl disclosed Leifer’s abuse

Science is better than politics

 https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/3854850-science-is-better-than-politics/

The reason I seek a higher intelligence in outer space is because I do not find it on Earth. To paraphrase on John F. Kennedy’s “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech: We choose to find our interstellar partners not in order to get more likes on social media, but to claim our status in the class of intelligent civilizations within the Milky Way.

Notorious missionaries have moved to Israel after being exposed in the United States.

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/367365

Two weeks ago, a family calling themselves "Isaacson" arrived in Jerusalem from the United States and settled in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Nachlaot. This would be an unremarkable piece of news, were it not for the fact that the "Isaacsons," who dress in traditional haredi clothing, are in fact not Jewish at all. Worse still, they are missionaries.

SEFER SLEUTH

 https://mishpacha.com/sefer-sleuth/

At a wedding some years ago, Rabbi Rosenes asked his rosh yeshivah from ITRI, Rav Shlomo Fisher, if computers are not a “maaseh Satan,” something created for the service of evil. Rav Fisher’s answer shocked him.

“There is no such thing as a maaseh Satan,” Rav Fisher replied. “Computers and cell phones and Internet and all of the technology that is driving the world towards distraction are all only a golem. If we choose to use it for good, Hashem helps us. And if we choose to use it for bad, Hashem helps us.”

אבי הכלה ביטל את השידוך: "ספק נכרי"

 https://www.inn.co.il/news/591894

רב מחלקת הנישואין סיפר כי בבירור שהתבקש לערוך אחר שורשיו של בחור ישיבה חרדי עלה ספק באשר ליהדותו והשידוך בוטל.

New allegations about another covert Messianic Christian missionary

 https://www.jpost.com/judaism/new-allegations-about-another-covert-messianic-christian-missionary-669299

Timothy Buckles has allegedly sought to infiltrate Orthodox synagogues in the US, and posed as Jewish in Jerusalem where he lives and works