https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/395117
Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that posed an imminent and extensive threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said early Sunday morning.
Hezbollah was reportedly preparing to fire about 6,000 rockets and missiles at Israel when the IDF launched its pre-emptive strike.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4845063-gaza-war-protesters-harris-dnc/?tbref=hp
During her speech, Harris vowed to always defend Israel against terrorist attacks, calling out Hamas for the deadly Oct. 7 attacks that killed some 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages in southern Israel, while also expressing her concern about the toll in Gaza, where more than 40,000 people have died.
Sanhedrin (90a)R. Abbahu said in R. Johanan's name; In every matter, if a prophet tells you to transgress the commands of the Torah, obey him,18 with the exception of idolatry; should he even cause the sun to stand still in the middle of the heavens for you [as proof of Divine inspiration], do not hearken to him.
Ramban (Bereishis 15:14): … When a person kills because of an order from a prophet then he is only doing what is required of him. Therefore if he obeys because he wants to fulfill the will of G d then there is no sin in the killing and in fact it is considered a meritorious act. However if he heard the command of the prophet to kill but he killed out of hatred then he is punished because he intended to do a sin and his compliance with the prophet is considered a sin… Thus we know that Nevuchadnezzar heard that all the prophets had said that he should go and destroy Yerushalayim. He and his entire people were commanded to do this by the prophet… Nevertheless they were eventually punished. There were two reasons for this punishment. 1) His intent was not to fulfill the command of the prophet but it was to destroy the land of Israel and thus increase the size of his empire…2) Because he caused the Jews to suffer much more than he had been commanded.
Radvaz (2:652): Question: We have an established principle that if an established prophet should command us to transgress one of the mitzvos of the Torah except for idolatry we are to listen to him. For example Eliyahu on Mt. Carmel transgressed on the command not to offer sacrifices outside of the Temple. He didn’t do this to nullify the mitzva but rather as an emergency measure to refute the prophets of Baal. Your question is whether such a prophet said to kill someone or destroy a particular city or to pillage a particular city as an emergency measure to protect the Torah – how can we obey such a command since no court would do such a thing even as an emergency measure? And even if it were commanded by G d – but we have the principle of “it is not in Heaven”? Since a person is not killed except with witnesses and with proper warning – how is it possible to listen to the prophet to transgress that which is stated in the Torah? Even if he gives an explanation for the need to do this – that would not be sufficient – but he says it is a mitzva to listen to him according to the Torah. Answer: Also in my eyes this is was puzzling until it occurred to me to say that this principle only applies to mitzvos between man and G d. But concerning mitzvos between men, there is no command to listen to him. However I saw in Sanhedrin (90a): Concerning all sins if a prophet tells you to transgress the words of Torah you are to listen to him except for idolatry, because it is possible that he has the ability to stop the sun in the middle of the sky so don’t listen to him…. Thus this gemora clearly states that the only sin not to commit at the command of a prophet is idolatry. … So since it is explicitly stated that it is a mitzva to transgress when commanded by a prophet…. therefore even to kill a person would be required or to destroy a particular city. This is similar to the statement that “I heard that one flogs and punishes not according to the law of the Torah but for the emergency needs of the times and to save the Torah and its mitzvos.
Mishneh Torah, (Foundations of the Torah 9:3) When a prophet - who has already proven himself to be a prophet - instructs us to violate one of the mitzvot of the Torah or many mitzvot, whether they be of a severe or light nature, for a limited amount of time, it is a mitzvah to listen to him. The Sages of the early generation taught as part of the oral tradition: If a prophet tells you to violate the precepts of the Torah as Elijah did on Mount Carmel, listen to him with regard to all things except the worship of false gods. This applies when his command is temporary in nature. For example, on Mount Carmel, Elijah offered a sacrifice outside [the Temple's premises], even though Jerusalem was chosen for such [service], and one who offers a sacrifice outside [the Temple's premises] is liable for karet. Since he was [already established as] a prophet, it was a mitzvah to listen to him. The commandment, "Listen to him," applies in these circumstances as well. If they would have asked Elijah: How can we violate the Torah's command [Deuteronomy 12:13]: "[Be careful...] lest you offer your burnt offerings everywhere"?, he would have told them: We should not say anything, but anyone who offers a sacrifice outside [the Temple premises] is liable for karet, as Moses said. [The present instance,] however, [is an exception]. I am offering a sacrifice today outside [the Temple] at God's command in order to disprove the prophets of Ba'al.
Similarly, if any [other] prophet commands us to transgress for a limited time, it is a mitzvah to listen to him. If, however, he says that the mitzvah has been nullified forever, he is liable for execution by strangulation, for the Torah has told us: "[It is] for us and our children forever."
Yermiyahu (35) The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD in the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah:
Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them to the House of GOD, to one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, all his sons, and all the men in the household of the Rechabites;
and I brought them to the House of GOD, to the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the agent of God, which is next to the chamber of the officials and above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the guardian of the threshold.
I set bowls full of wine and cups before the Rechabites, and said to them, “Have some wine.”
They replied, “We will not drink wine, for our ancestor, Jonadab son of Rechab, commanded us: ‘You shall never drink wine, either you or your children.
Nor shall you build houses or sow fields or plant vineyards, nor shall you own such things; but you shall live in tents all your days, so that you may live long upon the land where you sojourn.’
And we have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab in all that he commanded us: we never drink wine, neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.
Nor do we build houses to live in, and we do not own vineyards or fields for sowing;
but we live in tents. We have obeyed and done all that our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.
But when King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon invaded the country, we said, ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem because of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of Aram.’ And so we are living in Jerusalem.”
Then the word of GOD came to Jeremiah:
Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Go say to the citizenry of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “You can learn a lesson [here] about obeying My commands—declares GOD.
The commands of Jonadab son of Rechab have been fulfilled: he charged his children not to drink wine, and to this day they have not drunk, in obedience to the charge of their ancestor. But I spoke to you persistently, and you did not listen to Me.
I persistently sent you all My servants, the prophets, to say: ‘Turn back, every one of you, from your wicked ways and mend your deeds; do not follow other gods or serve them. Then you may remain on the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.’ But you did not give ear or listen to Me.
The family of Jonadab son of Rechab have indeed fulfilled the charge that their ancestor gave them; but this people has not listened to Me.
Assuredly, thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster with which I have threatened them; for I spoke to them, but they would not listen; I called to them, but they would not respond.”
And to the family of the Rechabites Jeremiah said: “Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the charge of your ancestor Jonadab and kept all his commandments, and done all that he enjoined upon you,
assuredly, thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: There shall never cease to be someone from the line of Jonadab son of Rechab standing before Me.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/23/politics/trump-businesses-campaign-spending-invs/index.html
Some of the candidates who’ve spent the most money on Trump businesses in recent years have been new politicians who won the former president’s endorsement despite a lack of past electoral experience or success, including Moreno, former Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker and Arizona Senate hopeful Kari Lake.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-815531
In a video on Sunday, Owens claims that a “Zionist media empire” is shielding criminals and protecting what she describes as a criminal syndicate.
Owens’ rant included several inflammatory statements, such as: “We are existing right now in a Zionist media empire which is working to protect criminals.” She went on to link this so-called syndicate to blackmail and coercion, referencing Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger, which recounts alleged Hollywood scandals from the 1900s to the 1950s.
Owens then zeroed in on Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, questioning whether anyone truly believes he is a victim. “Is anyone buying that Rabbi Shmuley is a victim and not a thug that goes around threatening people’s lives?” she asked.
https://en.yhb.org.il/revivim1043/
In military service, two great mitzvot are fulfilled that are equivalent to the entire Torah – saving Israel from its enemies, and settlement of the Land * Torah study is crucial for the existence of the nation of Israel, and must be assigned regular and serious frameworks, but it does not override the mitzvah of military service * Nevertheless, in a situation where there is no security necessity to mobilize all yeshiva students, a handful of elites should be allowed to continue studying, so they can grow to become rabbis and public leaders
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…
Rambam (Torah Study 03:10) Anyone who comes to the conclusion that he should involve himself in Torah study without doing work and derive his livelihood from charity, desecrates G-d's name, dishonors the Torah, extinguishes the light of faith, brings evil upon himself, and forfeits the life of the world to come, for it is forbidden to derive benefit from the words of Torah in this world.
Rambam (Torah Study 03:10) "Whoever benefits from the words of Torah forfeits his life in the world." Also, they commanded and declared: "Do not make them a crown to magnify oneself, nor an axe to chop with." Also, they commanded and declared: "Love work and despise Rabbinic positions." All Torah that is not accompanied by work will eventually be negated and lead to sin. Ultimately, such a person will steal from others.
Rambam (Torah Study 03:11) It is a tremendous advantage for a person to derive his livelihood from his own efforts. This attribute was possessed by the pious of the early generations. In this manner, one will merit all [types of] honor and benefit in this world and in the world to come, as [Psalms 128:2] states: "If you eat the toil of your hands, you will be happy and it will be good for you." "You will be happy" - in this world. "It will be good for you" - in the world to come, which is entirely good.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-808098
What remains possible, and necessary in this moment, is to defiantly distinguish haredi ideology regarding military service from authentic Torah ideology. To rigorously reject haredi dogma on this matter and debunk haredi distortion of religious sources. To me, doing so is no less an obligation for the sake of the “honor of Torah” than it is an emotional and social imperative.
THERE ARE four pseudo-foundational concepts that haredi ideologues cite in defense of their refusal to participate in “carrying the burden” of military service.
Shas described summons for military service as outrageous, and added: “The Great Rabbis have instructed, categorically, that as of now, as a new law defining the status of Yeshiva students has not been passed, there shall be no response to any summons or even summons for a first order, and therefore, not to show up to the recruitment stations.”
“It’s our duty now to stand strong, like a wall that can’t be breached, and make clear for the world to know, that there’s no force in the world that will, God forbid, succeed in detaching the students of the Torah from their studies.”
So far, however, only a small minority of the community members who have received a call-up have actually reported to recruitment offices, amid staunch opposition to military enlistment by most ultra-Orthodox leaders, who fear the army service will secularize recruits.
The IDF is suffering manpower shortages caused by the hostilities on the northern border and the ongoing war in Gaza, which began on October 7, when Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern communities, slaughtering 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
On Tuesday, the defense establishment started recalling to duty some 15,000 previously exempted reservists, many of whom have already served in Gaza combat.
Police sprayed demonstrators with so-called skunk water and arrested several protesters. The Israeli army recently began sending draft notices to yeshiva students, in response to a Supreme Court ruling
Nonetheless, Mueller found extensive evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The evidence was summarized in a report by Just Security. It uncovered multiple secret meetings and communications between the two, including, but not limited to. Trump campaign officials met with Russian agents in Trump Tower and were receptive to the offer of campaign assistance; Russian agents shared with Trump their plan to leak embarrassing emails; Trump’s campaign manager shared polling data with a figure linked to Russian intelligence; Trump appeared to have advance knowledge of the timing of the release of stolen Russian emails; and the campaign and Russia coordinated a response to Obama administration sanctions punishing Russia for its efforts on Trump’s behalf.
But because collusion is not a crime, Mueller refrained from stating an opinion as to whether this extensive pattern of furtive meetings in pursuit of a shared objective constituted “collusion.”
There was an investigation into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. That investigation was conducted by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee. And that report found even more evidence of collusion, including multiple links between Russian intelligence and the Russian figures interfacing with Trump’s campaign. The Senate identified Konstantin Kilimnik, the business partner of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, as a Russian intelligence agent. And it found two pieces of evidence that “raise the possibility of Manafort’s potential connection to the hack-and-leak operations” — the most direct kind of collusion — that it redacted for national-security reasons.
https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/is-collusion-a-crime.html
In March 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued his final report to then-Attorney General William Barr. He stated that Russia had interfered in the election in support of Trump. But, he concluded that there was insufficient evidence to show conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report highlighted several instances where Trump's actions raised issues of obstruction of justice. Federal crimes involving obstruction of justice can be found in 18 U.S. Code Section 1505.
Prior Department of Justice guidance says the government should not bring criminal charges against a sitting president. In light of this, Mueller said it would be up to Congress to decide whether there was cause to pursue charges or other sanctions. Many saw this as an allusion to Congress' ability to use the impeachment process.
Rabbeinu Bachya (Avos 3:17) If there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah, that is, if a person does not have ethics and morality, his Torah is not complete, and this morality comes to evoke that if a person has Torah, which is the main thing, he will nevertheless not neglect morality, and it will not be enough for him to have only Torah and not have morals, according to that the moral is the completeness of his Torah, that if he had a Torah and would often gluttonously eat meat and drink wine... then his Torah is despicable and despicable in the eyes of mankind, and there is no need to say that it has no completeness
