Shemos Raba (2:1) NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL, WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WITH JACOB; EVERY MAN CAME WITH HIS HOUSEHOLD (Shemos . I:1): Thus we read: He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Mishlei 13:24). Ordinarily, if a man's friend says to him: ' So-and-so, smite your son, he is ready even to deprive him of his livelihood. Then why He that spareth his rod hateth his son? To teach you that anyone who refrains from chastising his son causes him to fall into evil ways and thus comes to hate him. This is what we find in the case of Ishmael who behaved wickedly before Abraham his father, but he did not chastise him, with the result that he fell into evil ways, so that he despised him and cast him forth empty-handed from his house. What did Ishmael do? When he was fifteen years old, he commenced to bring idols from the street, toyed with them and worshipped them as he had seen others do. So when Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport she immediately said unto Abraham: Cast out this bondwoman and her son lest my son learn of his ways. Hence And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son, because he had become depraved. And God said unto Abraham: Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad a proof that Abraham was subsidiary to Sarah in the matter of prophecy. Presently we read: And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water... and sent her away, to teach you that he hated Ishmael because of his evil ways and sent him together with his mother Hagar away emptyhanded and expelled him from his house on this account. For otherwise, do you really think that Abraham, of whom it is written: And Abram was very rich in cattle, could send away his wife and son from his house empty-handed without clothes or means of livelihood? But this is to teach you that when Ishmael became depraved he ceased to think about him. What became of him in the end? After he had driven him out, he sat at the cross-roads, and robbed and molested passers-by, as it is said: And he shall be a wild ass of a man: his hand shall be against every man. Another example: Now Isaac loved Esau; hence because he did not chastise him, he became depraved. As we have learnt: On that day, Esau the wicked committed five transgressions. He seduced a betrothed maiden, killed a man, denied resurrection, rejected the fundamental principles of religion, and despised his birthright. Moreover, he longed for the death of his father and sought to slay his brother, as it is said: Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. He caused Jacob to flee from his father's home and he also went to Ishmael to learn of him evil ways and to get more wives, as it is said: So Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. Similarly, because David did not rebuke or chastise his son Absalom, he fell into evil ways, seeking to slay his father, sleeping with his concubines, and becoming the cause of his wandering bare-footed and weeping, and of the slaughter of many thousands and tens of thousands of Israelites, as well as of other sorrows without end. For it is written: A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son and is followed by:Lord, how many are mine adversaries become!. Depravity in a man's family is more grievous even than the war of Gog and Magog!; for whereas in reference to the war of Gog and Magog it is written: Why are the nations in an uproar , in the case of Absalom it says: How many are mine adversaries. David treated Adonijah in a similar fashion, neither rebuking nor punishing him, and therefore he became depraved, as it is written: And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: Why hast thou done so. And he was born after Absalom. Was not Absalom the son of Maachah, and Adonijah the son of Haggith? Then why And he was born after Absalom’? Only to show us that because Absalom had become corrupt on account of his father's failure to chastise him, while in the case of Adonijah we are told: ’And his father had not grieved him all his life,’ therefore he also became corrupt. On this account does it say: ’And he was born after Absalom. But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. This refers to G-d; because of His love for Israel, as it is written: I have loved you, saith the Lord, doth He heap upon them chastisements. You will find that the three precious gifts which God gave unto Israel were all given after much suffering: The Torah, Eretz Israel, and the Life to Come. The Torah, for it is written: Happy is the man whom Thou chastisest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy Law. Eretz Israel,-for it is written: And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee, and see what is written after this: For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land. ' The Life to Come, -for it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction arethe way of life. But a father who chastises his son causes the son to have additional love for him and he honours him, as it is said: Correct thy son and he will give thee rest; yea, he will give delight unto thy soul, and it also says: Chasten thy son, for there is hope. He will increase the son's love for him, for it is said ’But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes; because he chasteneth him betimes, therefore doth he love him. You will find that Abraham chastened Isaac his son, and taught him Torah and to walk in his ways, for in reference to Abraham, it says:Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and it is written: And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac, to teach you that he was like his father in all things: in beauty, wisdom, riches, and good deeds. You must know that Isaac was thirty-seven years old when his father was about to sacrifice him, yet though it says: And Abraham was old and advanced in years he bound him like a lamb and he did not restrain him; therefore And Avraham gave an that he had unto Isaac -a proof that He loveth him who chasteneth him betimes . Similarly, Isaac used to chasten Jacob betimes, for Isaac taught him Torah and rebuked him in the schoolhouse, as it is said: And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. He learnt all that his father taught him and then separated from his father, and secluded himself in the house of Eber to study Torah; therefore did he merit the blessing, and inherited the land, as it is said: And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.Also Jacob, our ancestor, chastised his children and taught them of his ways, so that no dross should be in them; for thus it is written: NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL, WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WITH JACOB. comparing them all to Jacob, because all of them were as righteous as he-a proof that ’He that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Bilaam : Source of Beracha
Monday, May 12, 2025
Trump repeatedly bypasses Netanyahu, stoking dismay among Israelis
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/12/trump-netanyahu-middle-east-trip/
Benjamin Netanyahu has long trumpeted his ties to Trump. But the president is sidelining him on urgent issues like the Iran nuclear talks and the conflict with Houthi rebels
Last week, Israelis believed they saw more cracks emerge between the “America First” president and Israel, after Trump said he had struck a truce with Yemen’s Houthi rebels that curbed the group’s attacks on U.S. ships — but did not cover Israel. Days later, reports emerged that Trump was considering offering Saudi Arabia access to civil nuclear technology without demanding that the kingdom normalize relations with Israel, a precondition that had been set by former president Joe Biden.
Pam Bondi's Qatar Links Under Scrutiny Over Trump's Luxury Plane Gift
https://www.newsweek.com/pam-bondi-qatar-links-under-scrutiny-over-trump-luxury-plane-gift-2070774
Attorney General Pam Bondi's links to Qatar are under scrutiny again following reports that President Donald Trump will be gifted a luxury plane from the Qatari government.
Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022.
In this role, she lobbied Congress on behalf of Qatari interests. She also worked in a separate lobbying position for the Washington, D.C., based firm Ballard Partners, where she also lobbied on behalf of Qatari interests and several conglomerates including Amazon.
Gerim relationship with Biological parents
Igros Moshe (Y.D. II #130): Concerning a giyores whose non-Jewish mother is sick. Should she go to her mother with her children as her mother requests? Concerning the matter of a giyores who has been following the appropriate Jewish practices and has kept a distance from her father and mother from the time that she has converted 20 years ago even though they live in the same city. But now her mother has fallen ill and requests that she come with her children to see her because she has a great longing to see her grandchildren. Even though the giyores knows that according to the Torah there is relationship anymore with her parents, nevertheless she wants to know if it is appropriate because she has a very strong natural love to her parents and she wants to fulfill her mother's request at this time of sickness. Her rabbi wants to permit it because of the concern that she might revert to her old ways as we see that there is such a concern regarding inheritance that a decree was made that a convert inherits his non-Jewish father because of this fear (Kiddushin 17).Answer: I agree that the halacha is as her rabbi wrote that it can be permitted but because of logic. Because it is not clear that this fear for other things can be compared to loss of money because the desire for them is not so strong. However the more appropriate reason is that they might say that the laws of Torah are not correct if she is told not to go and this is a very significant point by itself even without the concern that she might revert. We see this from the fact that the halacha is that we visit sick non-Jews for the sake of peace as well as sustain the poor non-Jews and bury their dead for the sake of peace (Gittin 61).... So it is obvious that she and her children would be going against the ways of peace of they don't visit her mother. So besides that factor the Rambam (Mamrim 5;11) states that it is prohibited for a ger to curse his non-Jewish father or hit him and not to shame him so that people won't say that the ger went from a higher religion to a lower one so he should at least not shame his father (Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 241)... So if she doesn't go to visit her sick mother with her children it will cause the mother suffering and maybe it will drive her crazy. Thus we see it is an insult to the mother if she doesn't go and it is such pain that it is like hitting and cursing her. So therefore going to her mother is not only permitted but is obligatory to comply with the wishes of her mother to come and bring her children....
Trump Mideast visit: Israel shifts from central player to distant observer
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-853657
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. Among the meetings, one stands out: an expanded session in Riyadh that will include Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (also known as al-Julani). For Israel, this development is troubling on several fronts.
Mahmoud Abbas is not attending because he insisted; he was invited by the crown prince. He will be part of a group of Arab leaders meeting the US president during his visit to Saudi Arabia. The invitation is a deliberate move, intended to place critical regional issues directly before Trump.
Regardless of Trump’s intentions, the regional message is unmistakable: the US is stepping back, leaving Israel to manage its own threats. The US is no longer Israel’s “Iron Dome.” That is the current reality, whatever anyone may claim.
Trump, acting according to a pragmatic and transactional approach, may not recognize the reputational and strategic damage this is causing Israel. If normalization is no longer a condition for US-Saudi ties, Israel’s role is diminishing. Riyadh can obtain trade and possibly nuclear deals without needing to talk about Israel.
Israel’s diplomatic relevance is slipping. Its standing is at a historic low. Netanyahu has no compelling offer for a US president focused on outcomes. Trump is pressing ahead with his priorities — and that is what matters.
The Trump Family Crypto Business
President Trump likes flying close to the sun regarding his family business, and the flight is closer than ever in his second term. Is no one advising Mr. Trump that his family’s crypto plans are inviting trouble?
Mr. Trump said last month that he’ll host a dinner with the top 220 holders of his $TRUMP meme coin at his Washington, D.C.-area golf club on May 22. Step right up and invest in the Trump crypto enterprise for a chance to rub elbows with the leader of the free world. The President says all of this is above board. But it nonetheless raises the appearance of a conflict of interest in selling access to the President.
The Trump Organization and affiliates hold 80% of $TRUMP coin tokens, which are subject to a three-year unlocking period. Any price appreciation caused by frenzied buying boosts the Trump family fortune, at least on paper. The Trump family businesses and their partners have benefited from more than $300 million in revenue generated by trading in the coin, according to the blockchain firm Chainalysis. A percentage of each trade is routed to crypto wallets linked to the coin’s creators, similar to a transaction fee.
Jewish Names Praise of Jews in Egypt didn’t change
Igros Moshe(EH III #35) Question What is significance that most American Jews even the religious ones and rabbis are called by their English non Jewish names? This seems to be against the praise of Chazal of our ancestors in Egypt in many medrashim that they didn’t change their Jewish names and that was the reason they were redeemed from Egypt.Answer An important question is how does a non Jewish name become a Jewish name – there are hundreds of such names? There are names both Ashkenaz and Sefardim that are now considered Jewish names. We even find some Rishonim who have non Jewish names such as Rabbeinu Vidal. The Rivah mentions many major rabbis of Sefard that had non Jewish names as well as Arab names. An additional problem is that at least in America the English name is usually given before the Hebrew one The English name is given in the hospital and later for boys at the mila the Hebrew one is given while girls receive the Hebrew name the first Shabbos after birth. The fact that people change to non Jewish names is very disgraceful since we see that Chazal praised having a Hebrew name and said it was one of the reasons for redemption. However it is not prohibited to use a non Jewish name. It is similar to the fact that they didn’t change their language. So even though it is a mitzva to speak Hebrew but it is not a sin to speak in other languages as in fact Jews have done since they went into Exile. It is well known that many great Torah scholars and pious people did not speak Hebrew. It is not required but desirable and similarly with names
Shemos Rabbah (1:28) Israel was redeemed from Egypt on account of four things, one being because they did not change their names. Whence do we know that they were not suspect of adultery?
Vayikra Rabbah (Emor 32:5) Israel were redeemed from Egypt on account of four things, viz. because they did not change their names, they did not change their language, they did not go tale-bearing, and none of them was found to have been immoral.
Trump Loses His Cool Over Pushback to Qatar Jet Deal
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-loses-his-mind-over-pushback-to-his-qatar-jet-deal/
“This isn’t a good idea even if the plane was being donated to the U.S. government. But Trump GETS TO KEEP THE PLANE???” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) wrote on X. “It’s simply a cash payment to Trump in exchange for favors. Just wildly illegal.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) similarly slammed the gift on X, writing: “Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present ‘of any kind whatever’ from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift).”
Laura Loomer, an influential Trump adviser, led the MAGA pushback to the jet deal.
“I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade,” she said. “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true… I’m so disappointed.”
The Obamas' net worth: How Michelle and Barack Obama make their money - Contrary to Garnel it didn't come from corruption
https://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-michelle-obama-net-worth-2018-7
The Obamas entered the White House with a $1.3 million net worth in 2008
Here Are the 10 Richest US Presidents of All Time
Contrary to Garnel it didn't come from corruption
Bill Clinton made his money after leaving office, earning millions from his 2005 autobiography, My Life. His wife’s wealth also helps boost the ex-president’s bottom line. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is thought to have gotten a $14 million advance for her 2014 memoir Hard Choices. Both Clintons have made millions giving paid speeches.
South Florida Homes for Sale Quadruple As Residents Leave En Masse
https://www.newsweek.com/south-florida-homes-sale-quadruple-residents-leave-en-masse-2070177
South Florida's housing market is undergoing a sharp reversal as the number of homes for sale climbs to its highest level in nearly a decade—quadrupling since 2022, figures show. Real estate analysts say the surge is driven by a drop in demand and a wave of homeowners deciding to sell amid rising costs and stagnant affordability.
How Trump’s Justice Department has gutted the government’s ability to chase public corruption
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/14/politics/corruption-justice-department-trump-new-york
Since Inauguration Day, the Justice Department has paused all investigations into corporate foreign bribery, curtailed enforcement of a foreign agent registration law and deemphasized the criminal prosecutions of Russian oligarchs. And senior administration officials have considered eliminating the Department’s Public Integrity Section, which investigates and prosecutes alleged misconduct by federal, state and local public officials.
At the same time, President Donald Trump has fired inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies.
US senators attempt to ban Trump's 'profoundly corrupt' crypto schemes
A new report estimates the president's crypto holdings now represent nearly 40% of his net worth, or approximately $2.9bn (£2.1bn).
"Currently, people who wish to cultivate influence with the president can enrich him personally by buying cryptocurrency he owns or controls," said Senator Merkley.
"This is a profoundly corrupt scheme. It endangers our national security and erodes public trust in government. Let's end this corruption immediately."