Enlightenment brought about Chassidus

 There is an interesting sefer written by an 18th century opponent of the Frankists who states that originally the people referred to as Bal Shem Tov served mainly a population who were superstitions and were worried about magic demons and witches. With the advance of Rationalism this market dried up so the Baalei Shem reinvented themselves as spiritual leaders which evolved into Chasidus

Americans caught trying to smuggle suitcases full of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/americans-caught-trying-to-smuggle-suitcases-full-of-fruit-roll-ups-into-israel/

At least two American couples have been caught by Israeli customs for attempting to smuggle a total of more than 650 pounds (295 kilograms) of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel, as the country experiences a dire shortage of the snack due to a TikTok craze.

A psychologist shares 6 toxic phrases ‘highly narcissistic’ people always use—and how to deal with them

 https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/30/psychologist-shares-toxic-phrases-highly-narcissistic-people-always-use-and-how-to-respond.html

The world is full of difficult personalities, but the one that’s impossible to avoid is the narcissist. They are usually the most insecure people in the room, but have established a way of appearing ultra-confident.

As a psychologist who studies narcissism, I’ve found that, in most cases, highly narcissistic people are masters of gaslighting. Their primary goal in a relationship is to offset their insecurity by controlling and manipulating others.

Here are six phrases that they always use — and how to deal with them:

Israel is trying to legalize pedophilia - Avi Maoz

 https://www.jpost.com/

Israeli far-right lawmaker Avi Maoz accused the Justice Ministry of attempting to normalize pedophilia within the country by altering Israel's age of consent laws.

Currently, the age of consent in Israel is 16 for all genders. However, that age of consent can go as low as 14, provided the other sexual partner was no more than three years older and both parties consented.

But according to Maoz, the Justice Ministry is trying to change this to an age gap of five years. 

In Europe, Animal-Welfare Rulings Needlessly Threaten Jewish Ritual and Culture

 https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/in-europe-animal-welfare-rulings-needlessly-threaten-jewish-ritual-and-culture/

In an essay in Mosaic, Eric Mechoulan addresses the threat against European Jewish communities posed by debates over banning religious ritual slaughter for animal-welfare purposes. Noting that animal cruelty is forbidden by Jewish law, he gives a meaningful history of Jewish ritual slaughter (shechita), which has created a culture that demands the slaughterer (shochet) be learned and trustworthy. 

Idolatry - ridicule

 Rabbeinu Bachya (Devarim 07:12) “you shall surely abominate it.” The verse teaches that we must relate to idolatry with a very negative and disdainful attitude and when for some reason speaking about it always make plain how we detest it. We are not to refer to houses of pagan worship by the names they are usually referred to but by some name which belittles them, downgrades them.. We have a principle that unbecoming speech is forbidden unless such epithets are reserved for idolatry and places where such idolatry is 

Religious families cannot get priority in adoption of non-Jewish children, High Court rules

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-741685

After 20 years of legal dispute, non-Jewish children in the Israeli child services system will no longer be prioritized for Orthodox Jewish families over non-Orthodox families, so that they can undergo Orthodox conversion, the High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday.

Non-Orthodox families will be more able to adopt non-Jewish children, as adoption standards will be on a case-by-case basis “in the best interest of the child,” said the court. The state agreed to the new standard.

“The child’s best interests include their concrete needs, past, characteristics and difficulties,” read the statement.

How Joseph Dispenza Seduced America With Pseudoscience

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-joseph-dispenza-seduced-america-with-pseudoscience?ref=home?ref=home

“He’s interspersing science with new age spirituality and using a lot of terms very loosely,” Van Dam said. “He’s also extrapolating scientific research well beyond things to which it can speak.”

“And that’s part of the appeal to the public,’ he added. “It sounds like it’s science, it sounds like scientific evidence, but it’s not.”

Raw vegetables are unhealthy

 Pesachim (42a) Three things increase one’s waste, lower one’s stature, and take one five-hundredth of a person’s vision if he eats them regularly. And they are: Bread from coarse flour, new beer, and raw vegetables.

Large Strides and Loss of Vision

 https://etzion.org.il/en/talmud/studies-gemara/midrash-and-aggada/large-strides-and-loss-vision

            R. Kook provides an answer to the question that coheres with his broader reading of our passage.  For R. Kook, large steps convey impatience with the process and the means to an end, while rushing toward conclusions and results.  From this perspective, pesiah gasa (taking large steps) is problematic even when chasing a worthy goal.  Someone with a deeper understanding appreciates the value of the process and avoids a frenzied attempt to finish early.  In fact, according to this more profound perspective, one does not rest content at any finish line, since each achievement is the springboard for the next journey. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a powerful message for those who have gone down a path of hate.

March of the Million' shatters claim nation opposes judicial reform

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/04/28/march-of-the-million-shatters-claim-nation-opposes-judicial-reform/

The "March of the Million" near the Knesset in Jerusalem on Thursday evening may not have hit its target (organizers say 600,000 attended; police say 200,000), but it succeeded in putting to bed Opposition claims that Israelis are united against judicial reform. It also provided much-needed backing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's beleaguered government.

Evolution - Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky

 אמת ליעקב פרשת קדושים

(ג) איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו.

נראה לבאר הקשר בין שני ענינים אלה, דבאמת המאמין בקדמות העולם - וכמו שמאמינים אומות העולם ורשעי ישראל שבמשך הזמן נתפתח האדם מכל מיני קופים ושאר חיות וכדומה - בהכרח שסובר שכל מה שהדורות מתרחקים מהזמן הקדמון יותר הם מפותחים ויותר הם חשובים, ולכן אדרבה - הם סוברים שהדור הזקן חייב לכבד את הדור הצעיר, אבל אנו שמאמינים שהאדם הוא יציר כפיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא וככל שמתרחקים הדורות יותר אנו מתרחקים מההשפעה האלקית ומגדלותו יתברך, בודאי השומה עלינו לכבד את הדור הקודם, שהרי הם חשובים וגדולים יותר ממנו, ולכן כשבאה התורה להזהיר על "איש אמו ואביו תיראו", הוצרכה לחזור ולשנות גם את פרשת "ואת שבתותי תשמרו", דהרי השבת הוא הזכר והאות לחידוש העולם על ידי הקדוש ברוך הוא בששת מעשה בראשית, ודו"ק.

בענין זה אזכיר מה ששמעתי מהגר"א וואסרמן זצ"ל: שאילו ראה דארווין את החפץ חיים לא היה אומר שהאדם נתפתח מקופים וכדומה, אלא שהוא ראה רק אנשים כמוהו ולכן בא לידי טעות, ודו"ק.

Trump's Attorney Just Blew Carroll Rape Case: Top Sexual Assault Lawyer

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-rape-case-blown-1797369

Donald Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina "threw" the former president's chances of emerging triumphant from the ongoing New York rape trial "out the window" during the cross-examination of plaintiff E. Jean Carroll on Thursday, Michigan attorney Jamie White has told Newsweek.

"The cross-examination of Ms Carroll was the most tone-deaf and shameless cross-examination I have ever seen," White, best known for his work with sexual assault victims, said. "His insinuations were credibly rebuffed by Ms. Carroll. If Mr. Trump had a prayer of coming out on top, his attorney threw it out the window yesterday."

White has successfully worked on several cases calling for justice for victims of sexual assault. Most famously, he represented the members of the U.S. Gymnastics team who were assaulted by former coach Larry Nasser,