A former Monsey resident who joined a fringe sect of ultra Orthodox Judaism and is accused of kidnapping two children to return them to the group in Guatemala testified at his federal trial that he was convinced the children were being abused so he needed to help free them.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Republicans Have an Internal Polling Problem
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-have-internal-polling-problem-1883984
An analysis by The New York Times concluded that Republicans in 2022 were misled by "right-leaning pollsters using opaque methodology, in some cases relying on financial support from hyperpartisan groups and benefiting from vociferous cheerleading by Mr. Trump."
These impacted the polling averages calculated by groups like RealClearPolitics exaggerating the GOP's position.
The New York Times said: "The skewed red-wave surveys polluted polling averages, which are relied upon by campaigns, donors, voters and the news media.
Yeshiva Education was not meant for the welfare of Everybody
Michtav M’Eliyahu (03 page 356) The main problem is the difference between the education system of Frankfurt and the education system of the Yeshiva World . Frankfurt - allowed science and included studying at the university as being acceptable as being their guiding principle in education. The price they paid for this was that the number of Torah greats that they produced was even of those who studied Torah in the Yeshivas of Lithuania and Poilin and science in Ashkenaz, only a very few of them became great scholars. While it is true Frankfurt had very few who left religion, the purity of their views regarding the absolute truth of the Torah system. instead of being contradicted by science, their view of Torah became subtlely distorted by belng a strange partnership with it as if it were possible to combine inherently contradictory ideas in one heart. Nevertheless almost all remained mitzvos observers with great devotion while some achieved the highest level of observance. In contrast the goal of the yeshiva was not quantitative but focused on quality by producing a few gedolim and comsequently they prohibited their students from attending universities since this was viewed as undermining the possibility of becoming a godol. Don’t think that they were not fully aware that this elitist goal would not destroy the religious observance of many of the students of the yeshivos who would not survive this extreme environment. But they were willing to pay the price to obtain gedolim. Obviously they tried hard to prevent the damage to those who would not become gedolim as long as it did not impact the others. For those who had to leave the yeshivas, it was conditional on getting only menial low status jobs such as being clerks in stores that don’t require special training or degrees and thus they would not be devoted to these occupations. Anyone wanting a good job or academic training was rejected so as to not harm the other students.I heard that they found support for such an approach by the statement found in Vayikra Rabba (2:10), One thousand students enter to study Bible and only one comes out as a posek and G-d says “that is the one I desire.” They also mentioned the words of the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, “It is better that 1000 fools die in order to obtain one Torah scholar.”
[Rav Sternbuch told me to append a note to this letter of Rav Dessler’s letter. He said that the halacha is clear that it is not allowed to produce gedolim if it causes others to stop being observant. He said that Rav Dessler doesn’t mean that it is certain that people will go off the derech because of this approach – but only that it can happen. In addition that going off the derech here refers to a possiblity of losing the yeshiva standard of observance - not giving up religious observance entirely.]
Newsmax got funding from Qatari royal family during Trump administration: WaPo
Newsmax, the conservative cable news channel touted by former President Trump and his allies, received funding from a member of the Qatari royal family during Trump’s years in the White House, according to a new report.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that a member of the Qatari royal family invested roughly $50 million in Newsmax in 2019 and 2020, citing documents and representatives for the media company and the royal.
Blaming UN vote, Israel pulls negotiators from Qatar after Hamas rejects truce deal
Israel on Tuesday recalled its negotiating team from Qatar after Hamas rejected its latest offer in talks on a hostage deal and truce, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.
The delegation had been in Doha for eight days.
However, several news outlets reported that a small Mossad team remained in Qatar to continue talks. The Prime Minister’s Office would not comment on the reports. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters that negotiations on a truce in Gaza were still ongoing, without providing details.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas’s decision to reject a US-brokered compromise is “clear proof it is not interested in continuing talks, and a sad testament to the damage caused by the UN Security Council resolution,” referring to a call for a ceasefire passed Monday night that the US did not veto, thus enabling its passage.
Michael Oren: Trump unclear on Israel; Biden is supportive
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-793456
Trump also hates Netanyahu and does not forgive him for congratulating Biden when he was elected. He also criticizes us. There is no pro-Israeli option here. I don't know, and neither does he, what his policy will be."
Regarding Biden, Oren said: "Really, compared to other people, there's [not a lot bad to say about him], he pays a price for helping us. Decisions were made to force a ceasefire on us and Biden vetoed it, he saved us."
The Utter Ridiculousness of ‘Trump Bibles’
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-utter-ridiculousness-of-trump-bibles?ref=home?ref=home
Hence, he’s selling the “God Bless The USA” Bible—a reference to the Lee Greenwood song of the same name—for $59.99 a pop (plus shipping and handling). For those wondering why the price point is so high, a site dedicated solely to selling the books notes that it’s “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump.” Not like those other worthless Bibles that aren’t endorsed by Trump.
Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas speaks out on her abduction and sexual assault in Gaza
Amit Soussana has become the first Israeli woman to speak publicly about enduring what she says was a sexual assault and other forms of violence during her 55 days in captivity following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, according to reporting by The New York Times on Tuesday.
Suspended government spokesman Eylon Levy dismissed from his position
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-793894
A week after being suspended, the government's spokesman Eylon Levi is dismissed from his position, N12 reported on Tuesday evening. The government's office gave a list of reasons.
Hamas Hails Biden's 'Clear Changes' on Israel Policy
https://www.newsweek.com/hamas-hails-bidens-clear-changes-israel-policy-1883665
Asenior Hamas official has told Newsweek that the Palestinian movement has identified shift in the United States' position toward Israel after Washington declined to back its ally's stance at the United Nations, a change the group believes is due to pressure being felt by President Joe Biden from at home and abroad.
NBC Drops Ronna McDaniel as Host
https://www.newsweek.com/nbc-drops-ronna-mcdaniel-host-1883845
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has been dropped by NBC News after fierce backlash from several prominent on-air personalities.
The network reversed its hiring decision on Tuesday after MSNBC hosts including Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Lawrence O'Donnell and Nicolle Wallace all voiced their strong disapproval of the hiring within days of it being announced.
McDaniel was hired on Friday to provide political analysis on MSNBC and NBC as the November presidential election approaches. She left her position at the RNC earlier this month following a request for new leadership from former President Donald Trump.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
'South Africa came to attack Israel': Anti-Israel proposals defeated at IPU
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-793748
Israel's delegation at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) annual conference on Monday was able to put a stop to two proposals that condemned Israel's actions in the war against Hamas and called for an immediate ceasefire, a Monday release from Likud MK Danny Danon's office reported.
Steven Spielberg warns: 'Jews may again have to fight for right to be Jewish'
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/387399
In an interview with Fox News, he commented on the growing antisemitism in the world. “I find it very, very surprising because antisemitism has always been there. It’s either been just around the corner and slightly out of sight but always lurking, or it has been much more overt, like Germany in the 30s,” he said. “But not since Germany in the 30s have I witnessed antisemitism no longer lurking but standing proud with hands on hips like Hitler and Mussolini.
Everything is a Miracle
Ramban (Toras HaShem Temima) And when we take a good look, we see that a person has no part in the Torah of Moses until he believes that all our words and actions are miracles there is no worldly nature in them. That is because the essence of the Torah is complete miracles and wonders, because there is no difference for those who take a good look between a righteous man who lived eighty years quietly and safely and without illness, ... and between the splitting of the Red Sea. …The general rule is everything in the Torah are either miracles or potential miracles and that is why G-d specifies them in the Torah. ..For example, , no man knew that the deliverance of so-and-so from an illness was from charity he gave, and the death of a healthy person was due to eating prohibited fat, but both are equivalent. That is why astonishment was expressed regarding the Rambam because he is always minimizing miracles and emphasizing the natural. He also claimed that miracles are only temporary aberrations when in fact they are permanent – as he himself admitted in his Letter on Resurrection of the Dead.
Rabbeinu Bachya (Shemos 30:12) In fact it is axiomatic to remember that a person is not a true believer, i.e. does not really have a share in Moses’ Torah unless he is absolutely convinced of the fact that G-d performs such hidden miracles all the time, that there is no accident and no coincidence in the universe. G-d is aware of all that occurs and has had a hand in it
Sefer HaChinuch (132) The thing is known amongst us and among every sage that the great miracles that God does for people in His great goodness, He always does hiddenly. And these matters appear a little as if they were truly done by way of nature, or close to nature.
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