Thursday, August 29, 2024

5 Palestinian gunmen, including top commander, killed by IDF at West Bank mosque

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/5-palestinian-gunmen-including-top-commander-killed-by-idf-at-west-bank-mosque/

Islamic Jihad chief in Tulkarem area among dead; another operative detained; two soldiers hurt; Palestinian death toll since start of operation rises to 17

Israel kills one of most wanted West Bank commanders as operation continues

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/29/israel-operation-west-bank-gaza-war/

Israel’s military said it killed a prominent Palestinian militant commander as a major operation in the West Bank — which appeared to be one of the largest in the occupied territory in recent years — continued into a second day.

Sticks and Stones: Insults and How We React To Them

 https://outorah.org/p/28342/

Not long ago, I was studying a passage in the daily daf in Masechet Gitin (37b) when I came across a passage which also appears in tractate Shabbat 88b. As I stared at the words of the passage, I felt myself transported to a different time and place. The words before me, with their powerful and profound message, brought to mind my grandfather’s comment on this passage. My grandfather, Rabbi Bezalel Zev Shafran, authored the renowned Shelot U’tshuvot R’baz. It is a Sefer my father often counseled me and my siblings to study, telling us “teayenu ba’sefer shel saba”, to “…look into Saba’s sefer”.

“Our Rabbis taught: Those who are insulted ne’elavin but do not insult, hear themselves reviled shomeim cherpasan without responding, act through love and rejoice in suffering, regarding them the verse states: ‘But they who love Him as the sun goes forth in its might’ Judges 5:31”

Did Trump’s campaign break the law at Arlington National Cemetery?

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/28/trump-arlington-national-cemetery-law-explained/

“While the families’ statement that they invited and approved of the campaign photographer’s presence in Section 60 may soften the remarkable cynicism and crass behavior of the Trump campaign in the eyes of some people,” McElya said, “the law does not give them the authority to sanction campaign photography.”

Gold Star Father: Trump Exploited Sacred Ground for His Ego

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/gold-star-father-appalled-by-trumps-arlington-trip-there-to-exploit?ref=home?ref=home

But Kahn remembers reports of a question Trump asked on Memorial Day of 2017 in Section 60, the burial place for those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump was standing next to retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, at the time his homeland security secretary and subsequently the White House Chief of Staff. The surrounding tombstones included the one for Kelly’s son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, who had stepped on a land mine in 2010.

“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” Trump reportedly asked.

Kelly has since confirmed that account, along with remarks Trump reportedly made in France when explaining why he did not want to visit the resting place of 1,800 American Marines who died during World War I. He reportedly called them “losers” and “suckers.”

“He has proven his disrespect,” Khan noted on Wednesday. “Somebody needs to ask him, ‘You have shown that contempt multiple times and yet again, you go there.’”

'Furious': Veterans slam Trump team's altercation at Arlington National Cemetery

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/28/trump-arlington-cemetery-veterans/74980080007/

Wellman said Trump's desire to honor the fallen still had to conform with the law. "There's an actual federal law on the books saying it cannot be used political purposes," he told USA TODAY. "The families put out a statement saying, 'Oh no, we authorized it.' They don't get that right. The families don't get the right to make decisions for the other people buried there."

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Hostage Qaid Farhan Al Qadi rescued from Gaza

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/395248

It was cleared for publication that today, (Tuesday), the IDF and ISA rescued the hostage Qaid Farhan Al Qadi, aged 52, from Rahat, who was abducted by the Hamas terror organization into the Gaza Strip on October 7th, in a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel

 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3942331/jewish/The-Story-of-Elijah-and-the-Prophets-of-Baal-on-Mount-Carmel.htm

Knowing exactly what was going through their minds, Elijah continued. He asserted the fact that he alone had publicly remained faithful as a prophet to G‑d, while standing right there were hundreds of prophets of Baal. But he was ready to go to the test. Elijah proposed that two sacrifices should be brought, and the god who would answer the call by sending a fire to consume it, He would be deemed the true god. The people eagerly agreed.

Diabetes took over her life, until a stem cell therapy freed her

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/08/26/diabetes-stem-cell-therapy-insulin-success-story/

Despite the promise, the therapy developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals remains in early stages, and many experts consider it a major step forward, not the finish line.

Monday, August 26, 2024

Torah Study provides Parnossa

 Sefer Chasidim (309) All those who are constantly learning Torah, G-d sends  His angels to him to bring him all his needs and that is why Torah is described as bread

Rav Yaakov Emden(Migdal Oz): You won’t find a person who is engaged in studying Torah for the sake of Heaven who does not become great and wealthy. If you try refuting this with the verse in Koheles (9:11) that “the wise don’t have bread” – that is only referring to secular scholars. It is not referring to those who are accomplished Torah scholars. And this that we find that there are some of our holy scholars who are poor such as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa…one should not make the mistake and say that they were unable to find a respectful livelihood – rather the reason that they were poor is because they didn’t want to benefit from their status as Torah scholars … This is quite obvious and certain. There is no question that if Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and his colleagues wanted they could have been wealthy. They also did not want to interrupt their Torah study even for a moment in order to be involved in work or a trade because of their great love and desire for Torah. Therefore it was with their desire and free choice they bore poverty and lovingly accepted their suffering. However if they wanted to benefit then the option of enjoying wealth was always available and if they wanted to they could have avoided suffering. This of course is true only as long as they studied Torah purely for the sake of Heaven which gives merit to many things which are detailed in the 6th chapter of Avos.

Maharal (Tiferes Yisroel 11:1-2) A person will not acquire success through wisdom, but only through adherence to G-d.  And therefore the question is why man will not gain eternal success by knowing the wisdom that stands on natural means, or the knowledge of the celestial spheres, or the angels that are called  'the separate forms'. Rather success is obtained by learning the Torah laws of damages and the halachic differences between a stove and an oven and other Torah laws. In fact success does not come from worldly knowledge but only by clinging to G-d

Nefesh HaChaim (01:08) ‘You shall gather in your grain...’. What does it come to teach us in light of what is written in Yehoshua 1: ‘This book of the Torah shall not cease from your mouth...’? Could the words be taken literally, to teach: ‘“you shall gather in your grain”—‘behave in them per the ways of the world’—these being Rabbi Yishmael’s words? Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said: ‘Is it possible that a person should plow when it’s the season for plowing... what will then become of Torah?’ Rather, when Israel does G-d’s will, their labors are performed by others for them...; and when Israel doesn’t do G-d’s will, they perform their own labor, as it is said “And you shall gather in your grain...”’.” 

Netziv (Shemos 16:23) And all the manna that is left put aside for future use This was to show future generations that G-d helps those who give their lives to give priority to Torah study over earning a living

Rabbeinu Yonah (Avos 03:05): Anyone who accepts the yoke of Torah upon himself, they lift from him the yoke of government: G-d guards from every bad thing the one who makes his Torah study primary and his work flexible, so that he not have to refrain from Torah study. That is because the work of the tzadik receives blessing and he rejoices with whatever he gets. He is therefore not required to do much work for the needs of his livelihood.

Prophet commanding to transgress halacha

 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.

PMO hits back at 'misleading' fact-checking by TIME

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/benjamin-netanyahu/article-816321

On August 4, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed by TIME reporter Eric Cortellessa. Five days later, he published an article fact-checking Netanyahu, in which he made claims that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said were "incorrect."

Cortellessa asserted in his fact-checking that some responses “lacked context, were not supported by facts, or were not true.”

The PMO directly disputes this and says, "Everything Prime Minister Netanyahu said was true, and Eric Cortellessa misled TIME readers."

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Torah Study makes you Rich

 Rav Yaakov Emden(Migdal Oz): You won’t find a person who is engaged in studying Torah for the sake of Heaven who does not become great and wealthy. If you try refuting this with the verse in Koheles (9:11) that “the wise don’t have bread” – that is only referring to secular scholars. It is not referring to those who are accomplished Torah scholars. And this that we find that there are some of our holy scholars who are poor such as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa…one should not make the mistake and say that they were unable to find a respectful livelihood – rather the reason that they were poor is because they didn’t want to benefit from their status as Torah scholars … This is quite obvious and certain. There is no question that if Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and his colleagues wanted they could have been wealthy. They also did not want to interrupt their Torah study even for a moment in order to be involved in work or a trade because of their great love and desire for Torah. Therefore it was with their desire and free choice they bore poverty and lovingly accepted their suffering. However if they wanted to benefit then the option of enjoying wealth was always available and if they wanted to they could have avoided suffering. This of course is true only as long as they studied Torah purely for the sake of Heaven which gives merit to many things which are detailed in the 6th chapter of Avos.

A Court-Ordered Therapy That Separates Kids from a Parent They Love Stirs a Backlash

 https://www.wsj.com/us-news/reunification-therapy-custody-family-court-5b4e9279?mod=hp_lead_pos7

The treatment the Nielsens underwent is part of an industry of intensive “reunification therapy” that has sprung up during the past decade and is ordered by family courts to settle custody fights. Services like Building Family Bridges, where the Nielsens were forced to go, use videos and exercises to try to break a child’s pattern of rejecting a parent. The child is then ordered to live with that parent for an extended period and barred from having contact with the other parent. A battle has erupted over the approach in courtrooms and statehouses across the country.