Sukka Exemption

 It is a clear halacha that a traveler is exempt

But this is not anyone on a Chol HaMoed trip but rather a serious business trip or other important travel

Rav Moshe even includes a tourist who strongly wants to see certain sites OCiv 72.8

A hospital patient or dialysis patient is also exempt from Sukka

שו"ת אגרות משה אבן העזר חלק ד סימן לב

ח. אם מותר לטייל בחג הסוכות ועי"ז יבטל ממצות סוכה. 

והא דמסתפק כתר"ה לענין מה שכתבתי בח"ג דאו"ח סימן צ"ג דלצאת לטיול ולתענוג בעלמא למקום שלא יהיה סוכה שאסור דל"ד זה להולכי דרכים אפילו לדבר הרשות שפטורין דהוא דוקא כשהוא לצורך שהיה יוצא מביתו אבל מה שהיה הולך מביתו לתענוג בעלמא אינו כלום מה שהיה יוצא מביתו בשביל זה, אם יש בזה חלוק בין א"י לחו"ל ולא כתב כתר"ה טעם לספקו דבלא טעם ודאי אין לחלק, אבל אולי כוונתו לאחד מחו"ל שבא על זמן קצר לא"י שכל טירחא הגדולה והוצאה הגדולה היתה בשביל שרוצה לראות כל א"י ואין לו ע"ז רק ימים מועטין שאולי אצלו הוא צורך ממש לא ענין טיול והנאה בעלמא שלא נפטר בשביל הנאתו יותר לישן בבית ובחוץ מבסוכה דראיית המקומות הוא לו צורך גדול, שלכן לזה מסתבר שמותר אם אינו יכול להיות עוד איזה ימים בשביל הטיול, והוא לאו דוקא א"י שיש אולי גם מצוה בזה אלא אף הנוסע למדינה אחרת שאיכא דברים שרוצין האינשי לראות יהיה רשאי אם לא יוכל להיות שם איזה ימים אחר הסוכות לראות זה. אבל לצאת לטיול ולתענוג היציאה לבד אסור כשלא יוכל לאכול ולישן בסוכה. וכן כשיש לו איזה ימים לטייל אחר הסוכות אינו רשאי אף בא"י לילך לראות במקום שלא יהיה סוכה כדכתבתי. 

Sinwar's death is serious blow to Hamas, but not the end of the war

 Bowen: Sinwar death is serious blow to Hamas, but not end of war (bbc.com)

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, praised the soldiers and made clear that however big a victory, it was not the end of the war.

"Today we made clear once again what happens to those who harm us. Today we once again showed the world the victory of good over evil.

"But the war, my dear ones, is not over yet. It is difficult, and it is costing us dearly."

"Great challenges still lie ahead of us. We need endurance, unity, courage, and steadfastness. Together we will fight, and with God's help - together we will win."

Netanyahu and the overwhelming proportion of Israelis who support the war in Gaza needed a victory.

'It Is Bull': Fox News Anchor Calls Out Trump On Live TV Over Hurricane 'Misinformation'

 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-neil-cavuto-donald-trump-hurricane-relief_n_6708a56ce4b0f3da645647e9

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto knocked Donald Trump for being “wrong” in his attempts to push misinformation and lies about the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton on Thursday.

“That kind of misinformation gets out there, and whether it’s perpetrated by a politician or someone you think is someone of note and authority, it is wrong and it is bull and it cannot be tolerated,” Cavuto said.

How Israel found and killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj9zzz8xm7o

While Sinwar was not killed during a targeted operation, the IDF said that it had for weeks been operating in areas where intelligence indicated his presence.

In short, Israeli forces had narrowed Sinwar's rough location to the southern city of Rafah, and were slowly moving in to get him.

Sinwar had been on the run for more than a year. He had undoubtedly felt the Israeli pressure growing as other Hamas leaders, such as Mohammad Dief and Ismail Haniyeh, were killed, and as Israel destroyed the infrastructure he had used to prosecute the atrocities of 7 October.

Why you should care about JD Vance's real agenda

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden React to Yahya Sinwar's Killing: 'Good Day'

 https://www.newsweek.com/yahya-sinwar-dead-hamas-leader-israel-biden-harris-1970852

Harris hailed Israel's killing of Sinwar and said that "Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated" during a Thursday campaign speech at a Wisconsin college campus.

"Justice has been served," Harris said. "And the United States, Israel and the entire world are better off as a result. Sinwar was responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent people, including the victims of October 7 and hostages in Gaza. He had American blood on his hands."

She went on: "This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza. And it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom and self-determination."

Six days of Trump lies about the Hurricane Helene response

 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/06/politics/fact-check-trump-helene-response-north-carolina/index.html

While various misinformation about the response has spread widely without Trump’s involvement, the Republican presidential nominee has been one of the country’s leading deceivers on the subject. Over a span of six days, in public comments and social media posts, Trump has used his powerful megaphone to endorse or invent false or unsubstantiated claims.

IDF confirms: Yahya Sinwar eliminated

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397749

The Hamas leader was eliminated after a tank fired at a building in Rafah which was thought to contain terrorists.

After that, infantry from the 450th Battalion raided and searched the building. During the searches, the forces found Sinwar's body.

In the building where he was eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. On the terrorists' bodies, the forces found cash and false ID cards.

It was reported that the confrontation with Sinwar was by chance.

Alternative Medicine and Frum Community

 https://mishpacha.com/the-guru-will-see-you-now/

Stories of people trusting in quasi-medical “practitioners” are, unfortunately, not an anomaly in our frum circles. There’s a growing receptivity to alternative medical approaches — much of which has little to no scientific backing — and conventional doctors are noticing the shift.

Republicans grapple with storm misinformation from their own party

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4935039-hurricane-misinformation-republicans/

 Republicans representing states hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton are grappling with the spread of storm misinformation, much of which has stemmed from prominent figures in their own party — including sitting lawmakers and former President Trump.

The false claims have run rampant on social media since the deadly pair of storms made their way through parts of the Southeast — most notably Florida and North Carolina — with Republicans floating inaccurate allegations about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), disaster relief and the weather.

Zohar and Rambam

Contrary to what a certain reader of this blog claims - the issue of the Zohar its origin and relationship to Rambam is neither a new issue or one easily answered. Simply do a google search and you will see many discussions regarding all aspects and including the claim that Rambam knew the Zohar and ruled with it in a number of issues to the view he learned about it only at the end of his life and wanted to retract his works because of his new knowledge. Others claim Rambam was always a kabbalist and the Moreh Nevuchim is not philosophy but kabbala. No one has succeeded in satisfying everyone

For earlier sources than Rabbi Moshe de Leon (e.g. the Gaonim) who quote or rely on Zohar, see Rabbi David Luria's Kadmut Sefer HaZohar. In addition, see Dr. Chaim David Chavel's article Sefer HaZohar k'makor Chashuv l'Pirush HaRamban and Rabbi Reuven Margolis's article HaRambam v'HaZohar.

Death of Tzadik atones for Our Sins is a Jewish belief

page 640-641 in my sefger on parnossa and bitachon

Berachos (62b) 'And He said to the angel who was destroying the many people….' Said Rabbi Eleazar: 'G-d, Blessed is He, said to the angel, "Take for me the greatest man  among them, who is able to pay back their many debts.’ At that moment there died Abishai son of Zeruiah, who alone was equal to the majority of the Sanhedrin.

Kli Yakar (Bamidbar 20:02) ...and the importance of the atonement brought about by the death of righteous men is brought up in the midrashim in 4 places, 1, the juxtaposition of the death of the sons of Aaron to the Day of Atonement, 2, the juxtaposition of the death of Miriam to the red heifer. 3, the juxtaposition of Aaron's death to the sacrificial priestly garments, 4, the juxtaposition of Aaron's death to the breaking of the tablets. 

Moed Koton (28a) Wherefore is the account of Aaron's death closely followed by the account of the disposal of the priestly vestments? To inform you that just as the priest's vestments were means to effect atonement, so is the death of the righteous conducive to procuring atonement.

Moed Koton (28a) Wherefore is the account of Miriam's death placed next to the laws of the red heifer? To inform you that even as the red heifer afforded atonement by the ritual use of its ashes, so does the death of the tzadikim afford atonement [for the living they have left behind.

Shabbos (33b)  When there are tzadikim in the generation, the tzadikim are seized by death for the sins of the generation; when there are no tzadikim in a generation, school-children are seized for the generation. 

Torah Temima (Vayikra 16:1.1): The Yerushalmi (Yoma 1:1) states that just as Yom Kippur atones for the Jewish people so does the death of tzadikim. This gemora does not explain the significance or the reason why the death of tzadikim atones for the Jewish people. It appears that an answer can be found in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (Chapter 17) concerning the death of Shaul. In Shmuel (2 Chapter 21) it mentioned that the bones of Shaul were buried. This indicates that when G d saw how they cried and mourned for Shaul that this aroused the attribute of Mercy. We see then that it is not the death per se of the tzadik that brings about atonement but rather the honor and mourning for the tzadik, because the honor of the tzadik is in fact the honor of G d.

Vayikra Rabbah (20:12) For what reason was the section recording the death of Miriam placed in close proximity to that dealing with the ashes of the Red Heifer? Simply this, to teach that as the ashes of the Heifer effect atonement, so the death of the tzadikim effects atonement. R. Judan asked: For what reason was the death of Aaron recorded in close proximity to the breaking of the Tables? Simply this, to teach that Aaron's death was as grievous to G-d, as the breaking of the Tables. 

Vayikra Rabbah (20:12) The sons of Aaron died on the first of Nisan. Why then is their death mentioned in connection with the Day of Atonement? It must be to teach that as the Day of Atonement effects atonement, so the death of the tzadikim effects atonement. Whence do we know that the Day of Atonement effects atonement? From the fact that it says, For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. And whence that the death of the tzadikim effects atonement? From the fact that it is written, And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son, and it is also written, After that God was entreated for the land.

The Mishnah Berurah’s Treatment of Kabbalistic Sources

 https://www.kolhamevaser.com/2017/11/the-mishnah-berurahs-treatment-of-kabbalistic-sources/

However, the exact appropriation of this methodology of the Mishnah Berurah is understood by modern halakhic experts in different ways. Many, such as the Sdei Chemed, think that the methodology the Mishna Berurah spells out applies not only to the Zohar, but also to practices found in the writings of the Arizal.[9][10] However, the more likely opinion is that of R. Moshe Feinstein, who maintains that Kabbalistic sources used in this fashion are only those from the Zohar. Since the Arizal is a 16th century figure, R. Feinstein argues that he does not have the status of a Tanna that the Zohar has, and simply represents another Acharon who has an opinion in a given case. [11] Thus, it is only because the Zohar is considered a Tannaic source, that the Mishna Berurah must acknowledge its views, and decide between those and other earlier opinions. Stemming from this argument, the Sdei Chemed views the Mishnah Berurah’s words of “divrei kabbalah” as referring to both the Zohar and the Arizal, while R. Feinstein interprets them as only referring to the Zohar.

Kabbala vs. Halacha

 https://theshc.org/kabbala-vs-halacha/#_ftn11

The Kenesset HaGedola’s Doctrine

Ribbi Hayim Benveniste in Kenesset HaGedola[11], cited by the Mishna Berura[12], issues a detailed guideline as to when we follow the opinion of the Mekubalim and when we follow the opinion of the Poskim:

Regarding any matter that there is a dispute between the Mekubalim and the Zohar and the Gemara and Poskim, we must follow the Gemara and the Poskim. If the Mekubalim assume a stricter position, we must be strict as well. If the matter is not mentioned in the Gemara and Poskim, even if it is mentioned in the [writings of] Kabbala, we cannot enforce the Kabbala’s position. If the Halacha is not contradicted in the Talmud or Poskim, we must follow the Kabbala. Similarly, if there is a dispute among the Poskim, the Kabbala will decide”