Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Torah Study 3) Even one who supports themselves by the work of their hands, and therefore find that their learning is sporadic, is only permitted by the Torah to occupy themselves with making a living, as it says "And you shall gather your grain..." They may not become involved in completely empty pursuits, whether to speak of them or listen. This is because that in every moment in which one is not occupied with their sustenance they are obligated to learn Torah in every moment possible, even when walking along the way...furthermore it is not only forbidden to occupy oneself with empty matters, but also with worldly knowledge as it says "...and speak of them..." (Dev. 6:7) meaning that you should not mingle them with anything else.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Working is considered Totah Study
Ruach Chaim (2:04) He would say do His will according to your will, etc., according to what he said above, Torah study is good with work, there is room for error in his language that working is the main thing and the Torah is secondary G-d forbid. That's why he said here do His will as your will. He wants to say that you should at least divide the day into parts, so that you are free afterwards to study Torah. In this way manner you are making G-d’s will your will so that even the time you devote to working will be considered by G- as if you were studying Torah since you are only working to enable you to study Torah so that you won’t be a burden to the community
Nefesh HaChaim (1:8): Berachos (35b) describes a dispute between R’ Yishmael and R’ Shimon bar Yochai concerning working and Torah study. R’ Yishmael that a person needs to work while R’ Shimon says if one works than he won’t be able to learn properly … Despite the fact that R’ Yishmael says a person needs to work it is absolutely certain that R’ Yishmael does not think that a person is permitted to cease - even for a short time - from studying Torah in order to work. R’ Yishmael is stating that during the short time he spends working he needs to be thinking exclusively about Torah simultaneously. Therefore when Rava told his students not to come to Yeshiva during the months of Nisan and Tishrei so they could work their farms, it was not that they should work and neglect Torah study but that they should continue learning. The gemora concludes that many tried the approach of R’ Shimon to only learn Torah and not to work - and they weren’t success. That means that the majority of people cannot devote all their days exclusively to Torah without working at all. That is why Avos(2:2) states that all Torah which is not combined with work is doomed to failure. However there are individuals who are able to devote their entire lives exclusively to studying Torah and serving G d. For such an individual who is capable of exclusive Torah study it is obligatory for him not to cease even a short time in order to work. Thus R’ Shimon’s approach is for some individual’s while that of R’ Yishmael is for the majority.
Torah Study requires a mind free of worry about Parnossa
Netziv (Devarim 33:4): The Mechilta (BeShalach) states: The Torah was only given to those who eat the manna or secondarily to those who eat teruma. The reason for this is that successful study of Torah requires a clear peaceful state of mind and this is impossible except to those who are sustained by manna. That is because they have total security in the sustenance without concern that the distributor will give it to someone else. Those who eat teruma also have security but it is less than those who eat manna but more than those who eat ma’aser. That is because the owners of teruma are afraid to keep it in their house because if a member of their household should accidentally eat it there is punishment of death at the hands of Heaven (Devarim 26:13). However since the owner has the right to choose the recipient those who eat teruma are less secure than those who eat manna. Nevertheless since they have an assured source of sustenance they have the strength and fortitude to be immersed in Torah learning…. In contemporary times we find parallels. Some of those immersed in Torah learning live with their parents with dignity and respect - are comparable to those who eat manna. Others who are sustained by the gifts of others who want the merit of Torah study - are comparable to those who ate teruma.
Berchas Netziv (Mechilta BeShalach Vayisah 2): In depth study of Torah is impossible without a mind free and clear of worries of livelihood. This state of mind was found amongst those who lived on manna since they were guaranteed their food and were not dependent upon any person in any manner. Second best were those who ate teruma who were also secure that the people would give the cohanim more than the Levites got from ma’aser… But the cohanim had less security than those who ate manna since the donor had the right to give only to the cohen he wanted… In fact in each generation there are two circumstances for people to be able to study Torah properly. 1) The father who gladly supports his son and all his needs and that is similar to the eats of manna. 2) Support provided by benefactors who want the merit of Torah study and are similar to the donors of teruma…. This merit of the serious study of a talmid chachom is acquired by these masses only when they support him so that he is enabled to study properly. This occurs only when he is totally free of any worry about earning a living.
UN sexual violence envoy: Israelis were raped, sexually tortured on October 7
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-790204
A mission team led on a trip through Israel by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, found that there was substantial evidence to conclude that victims, as well as hostages and survivors of October 7, were sexually abused and raped by Hamas terrorists. This is the first instance where an international organization has confirmed what Israel has alleged since October 7.
Patten, therefore, called on Hamas to “immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in captivity and to ensure their protection, including from sexual violence.”
The team, traveling and researching with Israel’s full cooperation, found “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages.”
UN finds evidence of rape on Oct. 7 and after; Israel: They tried to downplay issue
The United Nation’s envoy on sex crimes during conflict presented a report Monday at the UN indicating that rape and gang rape likely occurred during the October 7 Hamas onslaught against southern Israel, that “clear and convincing” evidence shows that hostages were raped while being held in Gaza, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse.
The 24-page report, based on more than two weeks of meetings on the ground, states that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape and sexual abuse during its murderous rampage on October 7, and that there is an even higher standard of evidence to indicate that hostages kidnapped by Hamas that day were subject to rape in captivity.
Israel in response accused the UN of playing down the report and dragging its feet on looking into the allegations, while trying to silence the accusations — something the UN secretary general swiftly denied.
UN team says Hamas likely carried out sexual violence in Israel on 7 October
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68474899
In the report, the UN said it had "found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages".
It also said it "has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing against those still held in captivity".
The UN team visited Israel between 29 January and 14 February.
Florida GOP senators defend DeSantis’ surgeon general amid measles outbreak
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/04/florida-measles-ladapo-desantis-00144561
Ladapo, who rejected federal guidelines for Covid-19 vaccinations, sent a recent letter to parents at an elementary school in Broward County where six kids were infected with measles. In his letter, he advised parents that they should decide for themselves whether to vaccinate their kids or remove unvaccinated students from schools.
He did not follow federal recommendations to urge parents to vaccinate their children against measles or quarantine those who may have come in contact with the virus. People who have been vaccinated against measles have a very high protection rate.
Monday, March 4, 2024
Russia spreads claims Yad Vashem hides Ukraine Nazi collaboration
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-790179
Levin, who according to her Facebook page lives in Modiin and runs a nail beautician school, posted on Tuesday the allegations against Yad Vashem on her small one thousand subscriber Youtube channel. The channel posts content in Russian with English subtitles, and mostly on the topic of the Russian-Ukraine War.
Yad Vashem called the blog "strange" and "fictitious" and denied that there had been any concealment, removal, or alteration of its exhibits that obfuscates the collaboration of Ukrainians in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust.
Supreme Court unanimously rules to keep Trump on Colorado ballot
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-opinion-trump-ballot-03-04-24/index.html
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that former President Donald Trump should appear on the ballot in Colorado, a decision with nationwide implications that follows months of debate over whether the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination violated the 14th Amendment's “insurrectionist clause” because of his role in the January 6, 2021, riot.
New York Bail Reform Laws Reduced Recidivism, Contrary to Critics’ Claims
A study released on March 14, 2023, revealed that New York’s controversial new bail laws have not led to more rearrests of offenders, as some politicians claimed. In fact, according to the study’s authors at the John Jay College Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ), the opposite is true.
The study focused on the effect in New York City of 2020 bail reform laws, which eliminated a judge’s discretion to impose bail for low-level crimes. What researchers found was that these reforms reduced the likelihood of rearrest, with one exception: The re-arrest rate for those released following a recent violent felony arrest showed a slight increase.
According to DCJ Director Michael Rempel, “Fundamentally, we found that eliminating bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies reduced recidivism in New York City.”
Parnossa does not interfere with Torah Learning
Ruach Chaim (5:05) One of the ten miracles that occurred in the Temple was that the rain did not put out the fire burning on the wood for the sacrifices... The claim of most people is that in our times it is not possible to be fully engaged in Torah study because of the concern and effort to earn a living. To this he is responding that this is absolutely wrong! Rather a person needs to have bitachon in G-d that he will be able to engage fully in Torah study. This that it says that the rains will not extinguish the fire is a a metaphor for parnossa, In other words there will be no loss by fully engaging in Torah study which is comparable to fire.
Ruach Chaim (Avos 1:14) He used to say If I am not for myself who will be for me? You should know that the yetzer harah blinds the eyes of a person by saying constantly to him “How can you be involved in Torah study since it is required to earn a living for the sake of your wife and children especially at the present time when the burden of earning a living is extremely heavy, While that in truth is the blinding advice of the evil inclination. In reality our Sages tell us that before the baby is formed it has already been decreed whether he will be rich or poor and this is typically for his entire life. Furthermore on each individual year it is decreed from Rosh Hashanna what wealth he will receive. Therefore all his efforts will not get for him more than has been decreed and in fact he will get his portion with minimal effort. In contrast his accomplishment in Torah is proportional to his effort. Thus the Mishna is saying regarding Torah If I am not for myself who will be for me? That is because It all depends on me. In contrast the Mishna continues that regarding this world if I rely totally on myself than what am I
Rambam (Hilchos Shemitta 13:12–13): Why didn’t the tribe of Levi merit an inheritance in the land of Israel as well as the spoils of war like the other tribes? It is because they were given the responsibility to serve G d and to teach His righteous ways to the masses… Therefore they were separated from the ways of world and were not involved in war like the rest of Israel and they neither inherited nor obtained things by means of physical endeavors. They were G d’s army and G d provided for them. However, this way of life is not exclusively for the tribe of Levi but in fact any person in the world whose spirit moves him. He understands by himself to separate and stand before G d to serve Him in order to know G d. If he goes in the upright path, as G d desired then the yoke of constant worry characteristic of mankind will be taken from him. He will be sanctified, as holy of holies and G d will be his portion and inheritance forever. He will consequently obtain in this world that which he needs in the same way as the Cohanim and Leviim…
Astrology is harmful
Rambam (Letter on Astrology). The reason that we lost our kingdom and the Temple was destroyed and we arrived at our present condition is the result of our ancestors sinning. This is because they found many astrology books which are essentially avoda zara…and they thought they were magnificent science which would be very helpful. Consequently they did not study warfare and military strategies but thought that astrology alone would save them. That is why the prophets described them as fools and idiots…
Supreme Court decision on Trump’s 14th Amendment case could come Monday
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4505293-supreme-court-trump-14th-amendment-case/
The Supreme Court in an unusual announcement signaled it will release at least one opinion on Monday morning, a signal the justices could hand down a decision on former President Trump’s 14th Amendment case that kicked him off the Colorado ballot.
Sunday, March 3, 2024
It’s Nuts That Trump Will Soon Have Classified National Security Intelligence Briefings Again
In a normal world, this wouldn’t happen. No responsible party would nominate for president a person who had disclosed classified information in the past, is under credible suspicion of having stolen and concealed classified information in the present, and who is under immense pressure to sell classified information in the future.