Open Orthodoxy, Rav Moshe, and the Importance of Being Earnest

 https://www.torahmusings.com/2014/01/open-orthodoxy-rav-moshe-and-the-importance-of-being-earnest/

In 1956, Rav Moshe was one of eleven rabbis who banned Orthodox participation in the interdenominational Synagogue Council. [7] In his responsa, Rav Moshe consistently referred to non-Orthodox clergy with a mocking transliteration (רבאייס) rather than acknowledge their rabbinical statuses.

As for his rulings, Rav Moshe never budged. To him, Reform and Conservative exponents were heretics. In 1950, he refused to recognize their conversions altogether and subsequently disregarded the non-Orthodox’s powers to officiate weddings. [8] A decade later, Rav Moshe denied the sanctity of a blessing pronounced by a Reform or Conservative rabbi and forbade Orthodox Jews from answering “amen” to those benedictions. [9] He refused to offer non-Orthodox rabbis aliyot in 1965. [10] In 1972, he strongly discouraged Orthodox Jews in need of a place to pray from renting space in Conservative synagogues. [11] Five years afterward, Rav Moshe prohibited Conservative rabbis from using Orthodox mikva’ot for conversion ceremonies. [12]

Rav Moshe’s attitude frustrated non-Orthodox rabbis, to say the least. Reform Judaism’s leading authority on Halakhah penned a learned response in opposition to “Orthodox aspersions against Reform marriages” in 1963. [13] In addition, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards acknowledged that Rav Moshe’s stance on conversion made matters difficult for its Conservative community but ultimately refused to augment its policies. [14] Conservative leaders revealed heightened irritation in the 1970s. After a review of Rav Moshe’s rulings, a Conservative writer asked: “what do his responsa do for the sanctity of marriage and unity of the Jewish people?” [15] Another leading Conservative halakhist applauded that sentiment and hoped that others would respond to Rav Moshe’s harsh decisions. [16]

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s request to keep billions in foreign aid frozen

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/05/politics/supreme-court-usaid-foreign-aid/index.html

A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid approved by Congress frozen.

However, the court did not immediately say when the money must be released, allowing the White House to continue to dispute the issue in lower courts.

The ruling was 5-4.

“The unsigned order does not actually require the Trump administration to immediately make up to $2 billion in foreign aid payments; it merely clears the way for the district court to compel those payments, presumably if it is more specific about the contracts that have to be honored,” Vladeck said. “The fact that four justices nevertheless dissented – vigorously – from such a decision is a sign that the Court is going to be divided, perhaps along these exact lines, in many of the more impactful Trump-related cases that are already on their way.”

Larry Summers Thinks Trump’s Tariffs Are a Disaster

 https://www.thefp.com/p/larry-summers-thinks-trumps-tariffs

The former Treasury secretary says: ‘I have never seen as irrational a consequential policy put in place by an American administration.’

U.S. stocks tumbled Tuesday, wiping out all of the markets’ gains since Trump’s return to power. The tariffs come at a moment of growing economic unease. U.S. consumer confidence dropped more quickly last month than at any point in the last four years. And while it’s true that Trump’s protectionist instincts are well-known—tariff, he said last year, is “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”—these new measures are more extreme than any he has imposed before.

Interactions with Non-Religious Jews

 https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Interactions_with_Non-Religious_Jews#cite_note-8

Rav Elyashiv's opinion was that there is a doubt whether they are a tinok shenishba or not and we're strict for both possibilities.[7]

Rav Moshe Feinstein held that we can't apply tinok shenishba status to someone who lived near an Orthodox community and was aware of religious Jews. However, Jews who didn't know of religious Jews can be considered tinokot shenishbau.[8]

Rav Ovadia Yosef held similarly that it depends on whether they were familiar with a Torah community. In practice that could mean non-religious Israelis and "in town" Americans are not considered tinokot shenishbau.[9]

Sin not to know – Netziv

Bamidbar (22:24) Balaam said to the messenger of G-d, “I sinned  because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.”

Netziv (Bamidbar (22:24) I sinned because I didn’t know – Bilam’s main sin was his ignorance. He should have thought more carefully to understand what was happening to him 

Republicans Told to Scrap Town Halls After Avalanche of Protests

 https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-scrap-town-hall-protests-2039753

Constituents have berated GOP lawmakers over cuts made by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly formed agency focused on slashing federal spending.

On Monday, Trump dismissed the town hall uproar as the work of "paid 'troublemakers.'" Many Republican leaders echoed this, claiming the protests were orchestrated by Democrats rather than genuine voter outrage over the cuts.

Furious constituents across the country have expressed concerns at Republican town halls, highlighting a growing pattern of public frustration over DOGE policies, particularly over Musk's apparently vast influence.

Measles Outbreak Spreads to Florida

 https://www.newsweek.com/measles-outbreak-florida-student-texas-vaccine-2039791

The ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, and smaller outbreaks in other states, has put Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. under the spotlight due to his long history of anti-vaccine activism.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. but has since made a comeback that experts have linked to rising anti-vaccine sentiment, with sporadic outbreaks that overwhelmingly impact the unvaccinated occurring somewhat frequently around the country.

The U.S. is experiencing measles outbreaks across multiple states, including California, Georgia, Kentucky, and New York.

The most significant outbreak is in Texas, where 159 cases have been identified since late January. The outbreak in the Lone Star State has primarily affected unvaccinated individuals, particularly within the Mennonite community in West Texas.

Megila Reading on PA System

 Igros Moshe (OC II #108) Question Can the Megila be read over a pa system? Answer It is difficult to give a clear answer to this question. The problem is determining the precise nature of the sound that is heard through a pa system.  Because of this problem it is best not to use a pa system for the Megila reading.  In fact no one has asked me this question before and I don’t recall your claim that I told a young rabbi not to protest against its use.  However I disagree with your view that hearing it on a pa system does not fulfill the mitzva because it is like hearing from the reading of one who has no obligation to read.  According to the experts I talked with, the sound that is produced by a pa system is not the actual sound of the person speaking into the microphone but it is like an echo that is the direct result of the original sound. Therefore it cannot be simply described as if it were made by someone who is not obligated in the mitzva. However I am uncertain even after hearing the experts whether the sound produced should not be considered as if it were the sound of the person speaking into the microphone. and it is to be viewed as a new sound which is derived from the original.  That is because when listening directly to a person reading, you don’t hear what comes from his mouth but rather it produces a sound which is replicated a number of times as it goes through the intervening air. So is the pa system viewed simply as an electronic transmission which is comparable to the natural sound transmission or is it to be viewed as something totally new?.  Thus its nature is unclear. Because of this doubt it might be possible to say not to protest the use of a pa system and you can’t state definitely that this against the halacha or that it should be prohibited since it might lead to additional problems if utilized for shofar and Torah reading on Shabbos and Yom Tov. However this is not true because it is already prohibited to use a pa system on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Nevertheless even though you can’t protest because  of those reasons but since the justification for using it is unclear and this is a major new innovation which might encourage other innovations something which is a strong problem in America it is best avoided as you have suggested. 

Igros Moshe (OC IV #126) Question On Purim the shul is very crowded and it is difficult for the congregation to hear the service properly without the use of a pa system. Perhaps in this unusual situation it is possible to utilize the leniency discussed in Igros Moshe (OC II #108) to permit the Megila reading with a pa system?Answer  Even though this is a relatively difficult situation, in my opinion it is best not to utilize a pa system. It would be better that after dark  to pray Maariv in a different shul. After dark he should not read the Megillah even in shul until everyone is gathered in one place in the dinning room and then it should be read in two places – in the shul and the dining hall. There should be a minyan of men in both places. This approach is preferred to doing something new of using a pa system. 

Standing Up for Greatness

 https://mishpacha.com/standing-up-for-greatness/

Several decades ago, when I was learning in yeshivah in Yerushalayim, I merited a close connection with the posek hador, Maran Hagaon Rav Elyashiv ztz”l.

One Thursday night, I asked the Rav what his opinion was about Shabbos clocks. He asked me why would I think there was any issue with using them, and I explained that I had seen that Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz”l raises several halachic concerns with regard to their usage.

To my surprise, Rav Elyashiv stared at me and answered emphatically, “There is no such Rav Moshe.”

Donald Trump Plans To Take Control of Greenland 'One Way or Another'

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-greenland-speech-us-take-control-2039714

Since his second presidential inauguration on January 20, Trump has suggested he wants to expand American territory in a number of directions. He has urged Canada to join the American Union as its 51st state, demanded the right to purchase Greenland from Denmark and called for U.S. sovereignty to be restored over the Panama Canal.

"We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we're working with everybody involved to try and get it.

"But we need it really for international, for world security, and I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it."

A poll conducted by Verian, on behalf of Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic publication Sermitsiaq, found only six percent of Greenlanders are in favor of the territory coming under U.S. sovereignty.

By contrast, 85 percent were opposed to the idea, whilst nine percent said they were unsure. The survey took place between January 22 and 27 and included 497 Greenlandic citizens over the age of 18.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister, wrote: "Trump repeats the threat of [USA flag emoji] occupying, annexing or absorbing [Greenland and Denmark flag emojis]. That's the Putin way of treating countries."

Fact-checking Trump’s address to Congress

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/04/politics/fact-check-trump-address-congress/index.html

President Donald Trump made numerous false and misleading claims in his Tuesday speech to a joint session of Congress. The falsehoods spanned a variety of topics, including the economy, climate, immigration and more.

In his speech, just under one hour and 40 minutes, Trump also made a number of false claims about his predecessor, Joe Biden. Here is a fact check of some of Trump’s statements:

Netanyahu's funding for Hamas via Qatar enabled October 7 invasion, Shin Bet reveals

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-844701

The Shin Bet also revealed that SIM cards and sensors along the border were activated ahead of time but were ignored.

While the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) took a significant amount of responsibility for the disasters on October 7 in its report published unexpectedly on Tuesday, it also implicated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by implying that his policies regarding the Temple Mount, the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, and the judicial reform led to Hamas’s decision to initiate its long-planned invasion.

Second nurse charged over video threatening Israeli patients posted online by influencer

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-05/nsw-sydney-man-charged-antisemitic-video-strike-force-pearl/105011996

NSW Police have charged a second Bankstown Hospital nurse over a video posted online that made threats against Israeli patients.

Police said 27-year-old Ahmad Rashad Nadir was arrested at Sutherland Police Station yesterday.

He has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend and possessing a prohibited drug.

He has been granted conditional bail and is due in court later this month.

How tariffs will make America poorer

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/04/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-address/

In the first chaotic weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump has demonstrated his contempt for the institutions and alliances that cemented the postwar democratic world. He has shown his disdain for the federal bureaucracy. And he has belittled Congress, repeatedly trying to usurp its powers.

Then on Tuesday, the president revealed his indifference to the voters who put him in office: By imposing substantial tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, countries that account for about 40 percent of U.S. exports and 42 percent of imports, he endangered the livelihoods of millions of the blue-collar Americans who make up his voting base.

But 25 percent across-the-board tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico (with an exception for Canadian oil, which was hit with a 10 percent levy), plus 10 percentage points added to the 10 percent tariffs imposed last month on Chinese goods, will raise prices and cut jobs in America.