A Question of Propriety

https://aish.com/386470611/ 

Zimri contented that he was not one of "them;" he was one of the leaders. He was not guilty of idolatry, only an old fashioned sin of the flesh, and his partner in this sin was not a Moavite, she was a Midianite. This last part of his defense was especially sensitive and was intended as a personal attack against Moshe: If a relationship with a Midianite woman was inappropriate, how did Moshe himself come to marry a woman from Midian - the daughter of Yitro, "Kohen of Midian?"

Even Moshe's "inaction" contains a great lesson: When it comes to leaders, we must expect not only the highest standard of personal comportment, but also the perception of decency. Any other type of behavior gives rise to cynicism, pollutes the public domain, and leads to "trickle down" immorality. Moshe, the greatest leader we have ever had, teaches us this invaluable lesson -- even when he does absolutely nothing.

Was Moses in a Forbidden Marriage?

 https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/5163568/jewish/Was-Moses-in-a-Forbidden-Marriage.htm

To question the legitimacy of someone’s marriage is to cut right to the bone. That is what happened when a leader of the Tribe of Simeon – a man we later discover1 went by the name of Zimri ben Salu – faced off against Moses over his assertion that he had a right to marry a Midianite woman. 

Rogan: Trump administration ‘gaslighting’ supporters on Epstein

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5425209-joe-rogan-trump-administration-epstein-files/

Rogan was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in the media during his 2024 run for president, hosting the president for a nearly three-hour interview days before the election and endorsing him ahead of his election win.

Podcaster Joe Rogan is turning up the heat on President Trump, a onetime ally whom he accused of “gaslighting” his supporters over the controversy involving his administration’s handling of information about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“This one’s a line in the sand, because this is one where there’s a lot of stuff about, you know, when we thought Trump was going to come in and a lot of things are going to be resolved, going to drain the swamp, going to figure everything out, and when you have this one hardcore line in the sand that everybody had been talking about forever, and then they’re trying to gaslight you on that,” he added.

Ben or Bas Nidah – marry

Igros Moshe (E.H. 4:14) Avoiding marrying a woman over concerns that she is a bas Nida as her parents are not observant Jews, even though she is modest and a good person is G-d fearing and loves Torah,. The Rambam (Issurei biah 15) and Shulchan Aruch (E.H. 4:13) state that the child of a Nida is blemished but is not a mamzer. All the commentaries state that the child is fit to marry even a cohen but the problem is he is blemished and therefore best to avoid. Therefore the question is whether to avoid marrying them because of this blemish? In particular this woman even though she is modest and a good person and refined and apparently has overcome the spiritual damage - that perhaps her children  will be bad. However it is also possible that the mother was not actually a Nida because she might have gone swimming in a lake - and even a bathing suit does not prevent her from becoming purified. Furthermore our Sages (Kallah) Rambam and Shulchan Aruch described the blemish of ben Nida as being bad personality traits such as brazenness. And even though we have authorities that a mamzer is a brazen person, we don’t rely on that to say that if the person is not brazen  he can’t be a mamzer The Nachlas Yakov said that this just means if a person is brazen he should be suspected of being a mamzer and needs investigation. However since a ben Nida is not prohibited to marry either by the Torah or rabbis it is possible to rely on the existence or absence of bad personality traits to determine whether she is a bas nida, and in this case with her good midos to assume she is not a bas Nida and that the mother must have gone swimming in a body of water similar to a mikve. Similarly the son of sinners who is modest and refined can be assumed not to be a ben Nida. 

Rav Sternbuch (5:313): Should a Ben Torah marry a bas Nida? Regarding the status of bnei Nida there is a dispute between the Taz and the Shach in Shulchan Aruch (Y,D.196:12). The Taz views it has a problem of yichus (pedigree) and is the result of a prohibited relationship while the Shach views that it causes the child to have a  bad personality because of the spiritual impurity. I have already cited the view of the Chazon Ish said that Torah and mitzvos have the power to purify a person from this blemish and thus rise higher than a person borne in kedusha and is not a ben Nida. Thus he and other major authorities actually ruled not like the Taz… It is possible to determine whether she has good midos and if so he should act quickly and not delay. So even though yichus is very important, it is not a reason to delay marriage. After getting engaged you should have minimal meetings with her prior to the wedding. You noted in your letter that a local rabbi advised you not to marry her for the sake of you families honor. In my opinion this is not a concern for the future, rather you should not delay for this reason because delaying might cause sin and damage your spirituality

Torah learning on Tisha b'Av

 Rabbi Freifeld told me that Rav Hutner held that one is allowed to learn seforim on Tisha B'Av that deal with correcting the sins that caused the destruction of the Temple

Haredi Yeshivot fear rising enlistment rates among their students

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/412410

Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, a prominent figure in the haredi community, recently held an emergency meeting at his home with leading rabbis from major yeshivot. The urgent gathering was convened to address growing concerns over a small but notable trend: yeshiva students from haredi backgrounds beginning to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Although the number of enlistments remains relatively low, senior haredi leaders fear that the trend may signal an erosion of the community’s long-standing opposition to IDF service.

Tevila – Bottles bought with Food and Drink

Igros Moshe (YD II #40) Question:Containers and bottles such as whiskey or juice that were bought with food and drink from non-Jews do they require tevila when reused? Answer  It is reasonable in my humble opnion that they don’t need tevila when they are reused to hold other liquids after the original content has been removed. The reason is that the container is subordinate to the liquid it was sold with. It is like the hide of an animal and thus it means it was never owned by the non-Jew as a container and therefore it first became a container  after it was bought by the Jew and thus it doesn’t require tevila. In a case where  it is possible that that the factory was owned by Jews and it was purchased from a Jewish store. But it is impossible to clarify the matter then the containers should be toveled without a beracha while if they are glass which is only a rabbinic obligation they don’t need at all to be toveled if their Jewish origin can not be clarified  when it requires great effort to tovel them. However if it is possible to clarify it is required to do so even just for the beracha.  

Tevilat Keilim

 https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Tevilat_Keilim

The Torah commands us to immerse metal[1] utensils that are purchased or otherwise acquired from a non-Jew in a mikva prior to their first use.[2] This mitzva is referred to as "Tevilat Keilim", the immersion of utensils.

The mitzva of tevilat keilim is often compared to the conversion of a Gentile to Judaism - just as a conversion to Judaism requires immersion in a mikva, so too a utensil which "converts" from Gentile to Jewish ownership requires immersion, as well.[3] One is not required to immerse utensils which one borrows from a non-Jew.[4]As we will see, the mitzva of tevilat keilim generally applies only to metal and glass utensils.

One of the most famous practical issues of tevilat kelim is glass bottles like Snapple. This seems to be a big issue as it is a vessel that we drink from (so it is klei Seudah), so it should require tevilah. Some think that one use would be allowed even without tevilah, but that seems to be made up. So just because we are richer than we used to be and throw out (or recycle of course) this perfectly good glass bottle, should that exempt us from tevilas keilim?

Rav Hershel Schachter (Ten Minute Halacha - Practical Tevilas Keilim Issues by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, min. 8) says that in fact it is forbidden to drink from these bottles. Rather, when you open the bottle, you must pour the contents into another vessel before drinking. On the other hand, Rav Moshe (Igrot Moshe YD 2:40) writes that it is not an issue to drink from the Snapple bottle since the Jew who opens it is considered the one who created the vessel and then it would not require tevilah. Chacham Ben-Zion Abba Shaul (Or Litzion OC 1:24) agrees. Alternatively, R' Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (Sridei Esh YD 2:29) suggests a different solution. He says when you buy the Snapple, just have in mind not to acquire the bottle and then you have no issue as you do not own the vessel and you can drink from the bottle. Rav Menashe Klein (Mishne Halachot 4:107) writes that it is permissible since one doesn’t have in mind to acquire the bottle because nobody wants to buy something prohibited. For a similar idea, see Yabia Omer 7:9:3.

Mitzva to live in Israel

Igros Moshe (E.H. I #102) Question: Is there is a mitzvah to make aliyah today like the Ramban or is the halacha like Tosfos that there is no mitzva today? Answer  The majority of poskim rule that it is still a mitzva. However it is not an absolutely obligatory mitzva on everyone because that would mean it is prohibited to live outside of Israel.  It is similar to the mitzva of tzitzis. It is prohibited to wear a four corner garment without tziizis but there is no Torah command to wear a four cornered garment. . The mitzva is directed to those who live in Israel that it is prohibited to leave and settle outside of Israel.  Rather it means it is a fulfillment of a mitzva when a person lives in Israel . This mitzvah is “kiyumis” not “chiyuvis”. In other words there is no obligation to do it but if you do it it is a meritorious act for which you receive reward

Igros Moshe (YD III #122) Question: Is there is a mitzvah to make aliyah today like the Ramban or his the halacha like Tosfos that there is no mitzva today? Answer  I want to clarify what I have written previously concerning living in Israel. I am not saying it is only a Rabbinic decree to live in Israel today. There is no reason that such a rabbinic decree should be made since we are widely dispersed around the world in exile. Consequently it is impossible for most Jews to fulfill it. It is well known that for many years after the period of Tanaim that very few people lived in Israel and never reached a level more than one out of a thousand. It is only in modern times after the main settlement of Jews was destroyed by the Nazis and the persecution by those haters of religion in Russia that a significant population developed in Israel.  So even if someone wants to claim there was a rabbinic decree it would be meaningless since it obviously was never accepted by most Jews or even a significant minority. Therefore there is only a Torah mitzva and no rabbinic one. But it is possible to at least say it is an important and desirable thing

US begins preparing Qatari jet to be used as Air Force One

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5lp4v594o

News that the US was accepting the Qatari plane earlier this year sparked fierce and immediate backlash from both sides of the US political spectrum - including from Trump's conservative base.

"I think the technical term is 'skeezy'," said conservative Daily Wire commentator Ben Shapiro on his podcast.

"Qatar is not allegedly giving President Trump a $400m jet out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts," he said. "They try to stuff money into pockets in totally bipartisan fashion."

Laura Loomer, an influential right-wing social media influencer, has said that accepting the plane would be a "stain" on the administration.

Trump and the EU Dodge a Trade War

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-and-the-eu-dodge-a-trade-war-tariffs-policy-economy-0064e989?mod=hp_opin_pos_5

The U.S. and Europe stepped back from the brink of a trade war Sunday, as the two sides announced a deal that avoids tit-for-tat escalation that could do larger damage to both economies.

President Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the deal as a major event, but that’s true mainly as a relief. Mr. Trump had threatened a 30% tariff on European Union goods, while Europe had armed for a retaliatory strike on U.S. aircraft, cars, poultry, steel and much more. Europe also could have fired a bigger bazooka that included limits on U.S. investment and a big tax on U.S. companies operating on the continent.

‘You can’t fake that’: Trump sees ‘real starvation’ in Gaza, says Israel must do more

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/you-cant-fake-that-trump-sees-real-starvation-in-gaza-says-israel-can-do-more/

Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, July 28, 2025. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is “not particularly convinced” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assurance that there is no starvation in Gaza, and later asserted there was “real starvation” in the Strip, adding: “You can’t fake that.”

Trump’s comments, along with promises to set up “food centers” in the Strip, came amid global condemnations of Israel for the humanitarian situation in the enclave, after images circulated last week of emaciated children in the war-torn territory.

Israel has said there is no widespread famine in Gaza, asserting that the photos are of isolated cases or are misleading, but started yesterday to pause all fighting in large swathes of the Strip for 10 hours each day, while facilitating a surge of aid by land and air.

Trump says there’s ‘real starvation’ in Gaza, contradicting Netanyahu

 https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-news-07-28-25

• Trump promises aid: President Donald Trump said there was “real starvation” in Gaza and said the US will set up “food centers,” although he didn’t offer details. The US president also said Israel “has a lot of responsibility” for limiting aid, but again called for Hamas to release the hostages to ease negotiations.

Judge Hit With Complaint Over Making 'Improper' Comments About Trump

 https://www.newsweek.com/judge-hit-complaint-over-making-improper-comments-about-trump-2105446

According to the Associated Press (AP), Boasberg's alleged remarks stem from comments he made to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges that the Trump administration could trigger a constitutional crisis if they intentionally sidestep rulings.

"Today at my direction, @TheJusticeDept filed a misconduct complaint against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg for making improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration. These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that," Bondi said on X.

Boasberg's comments were reportedly made at a meeting of the Judicial Conference, as first reported by The Federalist, citing a memo obtained of the meeting.

According to the AP, Bondi's complaint calls for Boasberg to be reassigned from the deportation case amid the investigation and possible impeachment if the allegations are substantiated.