Texas Independence Plan Suffers Major Blow

 https://www.newsweek.com/texas-independence-plan-suffers-major-blow-1859834

The Texas Supreme Court has refused to take up a case filed against the state Republican Party after it rejected a petition calling for a vote on Texas independence to be included on its March primary ballot.

The case was brought by the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), a group campaigning for the state to leave the United States and become a fully independent country. On Wednesday, the TNM's petition, with 139,456 signatures, was denied outright, sparking an angry response from secessionist campaigners.

Swedish alarm after defence chiefs' war warning

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67935464

Oscar Jonsson, a specialist from the Swedish Defence University, said that while war was a possibility, it would require several factors to fall into place: Russia's war in Ukraine coming to an end, its military having the time to rebuild and rearm its fighting force and for Europe to lose US military support.

All of which were within the realms of possibility, he added.

Huge ancient city found in the Amazon

 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67940671

While we knew about cities in the highlands of South America, like Machu Picchu in Peru, it was believed that people only lived nomadically or in tiny settlements in the Amazon.

The city was built around 2,500 years ago, and people lived there for up to 1,000 years, according to archaeologists.

It is difficult to accurately estimate how many people lived there at any one time, but scientists say it is certainly in the 10,000s if not 100,000s.

Prayer

 https://etzion.org.il/en/philosophy/issues-jewish-thought/issues-mussar-and-faith/prayer

In this chapter, we will discuss the age-old philosophical problem of how prayer works. The question of the efficacy of prayer has plagued philosophers throughout the ages. The philosophical question is often posed as such: if God is perfectly wise and omnipotent, then He knows, in His divine wisdom, what is best. If so, then how can we, when we pray, ask God to change His mind and do something else?

 If we are asking Him to do something He was planning to do anyway, then the prayer is in vain. And if we are asking Him to do something which is the opposite of His will, then why would He change His mind?[1]  If He has already, with His perfect divine wisdom, willed to do what is most perfect, wise and just, why would He do something less wise or less perfect or less just, simply because we have asked Him to? And if everything God does is for the good,[2] why would we want Him to change His mind?[3]

South Africa’s genocide charges against Israel: Cynical abuse of the ICJ

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-781481

While nothing is surprising in the international realities in which we live, it is nevertheless ironic that the International Court of Justice in the Hague, the world’s principal judicial organ, is being petitioned by South Africa, at the evident behest and initiative of the Palestinian leadership, to adjudge the State of Israel for the alleged crime of genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza.

The irony emanates first and foremost from the nature and history of the very term “genocide” – a term coined in 1944 by a Jewish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, to describe the Nazi atrocities against the Jews during the Holocaust in Europe. 

This term was ultimately coopted into international law by the international community when it adopted in 1948 the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which criminalized acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.”

Praying to remove suffering is problematic

 Nefesh HaChaim (2:11): Even though it is a clear halacha in the gemora that an individual can add requests in prayer for his personal needs and suffering in each beracha according to the subject, it still should not be done because of his concern for his personal suffering. That is not the correct approach for those who are truly righteous. It is truly puzzling how it is possible to ask anything at all from G d so that his suffering should be removed. The issue is analogous to being cured from sickness. The doctor gives him strong medicine or in extreme cases amputates a limb in order to prevent the spread of the poison causing the illness. Does a person beg the doctor not to give the medicine or not to amputate the limb? The sick person is in fact paying to give him these unpleasant treatments. Therefore, one should not pray to have suffering removed. They are in fact the ointments and medicines that revitalize to atone for sin. Our sages (Shabbos 55a) stated: “There is no suffering unless caused by sin” - because the sinful person cannot obtain atonement without suffering.

Bitachon and doctors

 Shevet HaLevi (8:251): Question: Concerning the refusal of a sick person to allow medical treatment - can he be forced to accept treatment which is a mitzva for both the sick person and for the doctor? If in fact he can be forced to accept treatment , is it the doctor’s or the court’s obligation? What is the halacha today when it is a violation of the law of the land to force medical treatment on someone who is capable of making decisions. Answer: If the person refuses treatment because of his strong bitachon (trust) in G d then his refusal does not constitute a nullification of a mitzva as we see in the Ramban (Vayikra 26:11). However if he refuses treatment because of suicidal motivation or because of nonsense, then it would seem that the forced treatment should be done through the beis din (court) according to the advice of the doctor. Furthermore it seems from the Taz (Y.D. 336) that the obligation and mitzva to use medical treatment applies only to the ordinary person but not a complete tzadik. In addition the view of the Tzitz Eliezer - that there is an obligation to persuade someone who refuses treatment because of bitachon - is the correct halacha when we see that the sick person’s life is possibly in danger. That is because we can’t be sure that his bitachon is strong enough that it allows him to avoid medical treatment - which has been permitted by the Torah. While I am well aware that the Ktzos HaChoshen and the Nesivos (Choshen Mishpat 3) discuss whether the obligation to force is for beis din or it applies to every individual… However, in my humble opinion, the decision as to whether to force treatment on the sick person is given only to those with true understanding of the Torah. That is what I meant by the term beis din. …

Talent is from G-d

 Derashos HaRan (#10): The Jews were first commanded concerning two things. 1) Not to view their success as resulting from their own strength and abilities. 2) Not to view their conquest of Israel as being the result of their merit... While it is true that people vary in their talents and abilities, e.g., some are more intelligent than others while others are more skilled at making money than others. Therefore the rich man might say that he succeeded because of his inherent abilities. In order to forestall this conclusion, G d therefore said that it is important to remember that He is the source of this ability... One cannot deny that talent is critical to achieve success but one must never forget that talent is G d given.

Abarbanel (Devarim 8:1): Moshe did not want to reject the necessity of competence for success but provide the context for understanding its importance. Therefore he said: Remember He is the one who gave you strength to succeed. After all how can one deny the role of strength in farming and caring for cattle and property. These means to success cannot be denied since they are so self-evident. However the truth is that a person is the cause of his success but is the intermediary cause not the initial cause. It is critical that a person realize that while his efforts and talents are needed for success but G d is the provider of the conditions for success. 

Ramban (Devarim 8:18): But you should remember G d for it is He who gives you the power to succeed… It is well known that the Jews are powerful heroic soldiers in battle as we see they are compared to lions and wolves. Nevertheless they were defeated in battle by the kings of Canaan. Therefore the Torah tells us that if you think that your strength and own efforts are the sole basis for success - you should remember the redemption from Egypt. At that time you had no strength or capabilities at all. Furthermore you should remember in the desolate desert where there is no chance of natural survival - G d provided all your needs. Consequently you should understand from these facts - that even when you when you have strength - it is in fact G d who is provided this strength. If you forget this then G d will remove your strength and you will be defeated as other have. That is because whoever deserts G d is obliterated…

Dovid did not rely on Divine Promises

 Akeidas Yitzchok (#26): Who was greater than Dovid the anointed king and beloved of G d. Despite the fact that he had promised security by the prophet, he struggled with all his natural ability to save himself from his enemies and from Shaul. He did not rely on the Divine promises because he knew that G d’s rescue and promises does not apply as long as it is possible to be saved by natural means. This is true even if the natural means are debasing such as his feigning insanity and let saliva drip on his beard to escape his enemies. Failure to use all natural means is indicative of laziness. It is only after totally exhausting every possible natural option - and the situation appeared hopeless - do we find that he prayed that G d rescue him

War conducted in natural way - except for tzadikim

 Ramban (Job 36:7): He doesn’t withdraw His eyes from the righteous. … Because most of the world is intermediary between the totally righteous and the totally wicked, the Torah commanded that soldiers be utilized for defense and that a priest be anointed for war. This priest is to reject soldiers who are afraid and would therefore undermine the courage of the others. We also find in the Torah and Prophets that battles were conducted on the basis of careful battle tactics. For example Dovid asked G d about the battle and he was told: Do not go up. Rather you should circle around behind them … And draw them to Mt Tabor and take ten thousand men with you. If they really had been meritorious they could have gone out to battle with a few people and been victorious without any weapons. If they had deserved defeat than no amount of soldiers would have helped. In this case they had to fight the battle in a totally natural way. This matter is explained well by the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:18 and 3:50).

Ramban (Bamidbar 13:2): When the Jewish people requested that spies be sent out to know the roads to the cities in the normal manner of military conquest and that they obtain information as to which city to attack first and which side to start the attack - all this was totally appropriate to do. In fact we see that Moshe himself sent out spies later (Bamidbar 21:32) and Yehoshua did also (Yehoshua 2:1). Thus this request was received favorably by Moshe since one is not to rely on miracles but when engaged in warfare it is necessary to carefully plan strategies and tactics. We see this also in the conquest of the city of Ai in which G d Himself commanded that the conquest be done by ambush. We see this in many places. Therefore Moshe consulted with G d concerning the spies and was given permission to send them to obtain information on how to proceed with the conquest. 

Israel Plans for Next Phase of Gaza War, Defense Minister Says

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israels-yoav-gallant-we-are-fighting-an-axis-not-a-single-enemy-2408ef96

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said the scale and severity of the Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas deeply shook Israelis’ sense of security and profoundly altered the way they view the world around them.

“October 7 was the bloodiest day for Jewish people since 1945,” Gallant, a general-turned-politician, told The Wall Street Journal. “The world needs to understand. This is different.”

White House: US is not currently in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/383344

National Security Spokesperson John Kirby clarifies Biden's comments, says US does not support a ceasefire at this time because it would only benefit Hamas.

Talmid Chochom's Children

 Nedarim (81a) And why is it not usual for scholars to give birth to sons who are scholars? — Said R. Joseph, That it might not be maintained, The Torah is their legacy. R. Shisha, the son of R. Idi, said: That they should not be arrogant towards the community. Mar Zutra said: Because they act high-handedly against the community. R. Ashi said: Because they call people asses. Rabina said: Because they do not first utter a blessing over the Torah. 

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