Ex-leader of Shomrim patrol in Brooklyn pleads guilty to sexual abuse of teen girl

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-leader-of-shomrim-patrol-in-brooklyn-pleads-guilty-to-sexual-abuse-of-teen-girl/

The former leader of a US safety patrol in Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community pleaded guilty on Friday to charges he sexually abused a teenage girl.

Jacob Daskal, who founded the Shomrim group of Borough Park some 30 years ago, was charged in March 2021 with coercing a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The Crisis Over American Manhood Is Really Code for Something Else

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/07/14/josh-hawley-masculinity-crisis-00105436

Hawley, a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School, is hardly the first white man with hyper-elite credentials to express worry about his gender. Concerns about American masculinity go back to the beginning of the country, to John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, and have been a particular fixation of the ruling class.

Trump’s 2024 Branding Is All About His Criminal Indictments

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-2024-branding-is-all-about-his-criminal-indictments

In a world where the deep state has turned against the public, one man is out for justice.”

Muslim man postpones Torah burning protest outside of Israeli embassy in Sweden

 https://www.jta.org/2023/01/30/global/muslim-man-postpones-planned-torah-burning-protest-outside-of-israeli-embassy-in-sweden

Israel’s ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, tweeted last week that his embassy worked with Swedish authorities to successfully thwart the Torah burning. But a rabbi involved in interfaith work in Sweden told the Jerusalem Post that he credited Muslim leaders for dissuading the protest organizer.

Swedish police approves request to burn Torah, Bible in front of Israeli embassy

 https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/europe/1689323887-swedish-police-allows-burning-of-torah-bible-in-front-of-israeli-embassy

Swedish police on Friday approved a request to hold a public gathering to burn Judaism's holy book Torah and a Bible in front of the Israeli embassy. 

According to Swedish media, the burning will take place on Saturday outside the embassy in Stockholm. Previous reports said that a man in his 30s is behind the request.

He stated that this act is a response to the Quran burning outside Stockholm's mosque in June and "a symbolic gathering for the sake of freedom of expression."

'A disgrace to Sweden' | Swedish authorities allow provocative burning of Torah scroll

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374160

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has strongly condemned the decision of Swedish authorities to allow the provocative burning of holy books and texts by extremists in the country.

An application to burn a Torah outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm this Saturday was recently submitted to Swedish police, who have accepted the application. The request also includes the burning of a Christian bible at the same location.

Blessing of Tzadikim

 Ruth Rabbah (06:02) One should never keep back from going to an elder to be blessed. Boaz was eighty years of age, and had not been vouchsafed children. But when that righteous woman prayed for him, he was immediately vouchsafed, as it is said, And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law: Blessed be he of the Lord  (Rut II, 20). Resh Lakish said: Ruth was forty years of age and had not yet been vouchsafed children as long as she was married to Mahlon. But as soon as that righteous man prayed for her, she was vouchsafed, as it is said, BLESSED BE THOU OF THE LORD, MY DAUGHTER. The Rabbis, however, say: Both of them were vouchsafed children only as a result of the blessings of righteous people.

Bilaam's blessings

 Devarim Rabbah (03:04) All the good that Israel enjoys in this world is a result of the blessings with which Balaam the wicked blessed them, but the blessings with which the Patriarchs blessed them are reserved for the time to come, as it is said, THAT THE LORD THY GOD SHALL KEEP, etc.

Orthodox feminist group addressed allegations against sex-guru founder, says report

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/orthodox-feminist-group-addressed-allegations-against-sex-guru-founder-says-report/#:~:text=Released%20Wednesday%2C%20the%20review%20concludes,no%20other%20evidence%20of%20wrongdoing.

Released Wednesday, the review concludes that all of the allegations aired publicly last year were true. But after interviews with 31 people and unfettered access to documents and communications related to JOFA, the report’s authors said they found no other evidence of wrongdoing.

Still, the report says, the group did not live up to its values during the period ending in 2018 during which two executive directors said they were subjected to sexual harassment and inadequate responses to their concerns. Improvements have been made subsequently, the report says.

Low-dose atropine eyedrops no better than placebo for slowing myopia progression

 https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/low-dose-atropine-eyedrops-no-better-placebo-slowing-myopia-progression

“The absence of a treatment benefit in our U.S.-based study, compared with East Asian studies, may reflect racial differences in atropine response. The study enrolled fewer Asian children, whose myopia progresses more quickly, and included Black children, whose myopia progresses less quickly compared with other races,” noted the study’s lead co-author, Michael X. Repka, M.D., professor of ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University.

Much stronger concentrations of atropine eyedrops (0.5-1.0%) have long been used by pediatric eye doctors to slow myopia progression. While effective, such doses cause light sensitivity and blurry near vision while on the nightly eyedrops. Thus, there is interest in clinical studies assessing lower concentrations that have been shown to have fewer side effects.

House Oversight member calls for investigation into whether Gal Luft duped Republicans

Whistleblower Made Bombshell Hunter Biden Claims While Lying to FBI

 https://www.newsweek.com/whistleblower-bombshell-hunter-biden-claims-lying-fbi-1812608

"In the letter, Raskin and Goldman explain that the information Luft shared with FBI agents—the information the GOP keeps saying will blow the lid off the Biden probe—took place during a meeting that led to charges against Luft for making false statements to the FBI," Gill wrote on the Mueller, She Wrote Twitter account.

Rains in their proper seasons is the most important Beracha

 Ramban (Vayikra 26:04) He mentioned the matter of rains first of all the blessings because if they come in their proper season, the air is pure and good and the springs and rivers are clear, and thus it the rain is a prime cause of physical health, and all produce will increase and be blessed by it, just as He said, and the Land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Thus because of this pure state of the environment people do not become sick, and none shall miscarry, nor be barren, even among their cattle, and they will live out the full extent of their days. For when the material frame of human beings is large and healthy, they can continue in health as in the days of Adam. Thus this blessing — the rains in their seasons is the greatest of all blessings and therefore it is given first place.

Secular education and Rav Shach

Relevant to our discussion of the relevancy of secular studies are two stories about Rav Shach - who was not shy about expressing his strong views on a wide variety of issues.

The first story I heard from Rabbi Gershenfeld - Rosh Yeshiva of Machon Shlomo in Har Nof. Rav Leff - the Rav of Mattisyahu is also the head of the high scholl Maarava - which provides high level of secular studies to its elite student body. Rav Leff took the job at the insistence of Rav Shach. One day Rav Leff heard that Rav Shach had made a strong attack on Maarva and secular study. He hurried to Bnei Brak to offer his resignation to Rav Shach. He told him he did not want to be part of an institution that Rav Shach opposed. Rav Shach responded. "You are to remain as the principal of Maarava and I will continue attacking it."

I was told that originally Maarava was created for students who didn't really fit in yeshiva and thus were going off the derech because they had no place. With the development of the school these misfits were able to be saved. However with time, people who were not misfits were attracted to the school. Students who would have been very successful in a Torah only environment - wanted to have careers and become professionals. This necessitated Rav Shach's attack which was to make clear that Maarva was only for those people who would have been lost otherwise. It was not an option for a successful student.

The second is mentioned in the autobiography of Prof Aharon Kirschenbaum. The biography itself can be downloaded here.teaching Jewish law