Igros Moshe(C.M. 2:68): … The Torah reserves capital punishment for those sins which are very serious such as murder, kidnapping, sexually prohibited relations and idolatry. The perpetrator in these cases is unrestrained and is capable of doing whatever disgusting and cruel acts in the world that are in his heart that he thinks are for his benefit. However the death penalty is not administered out of hatred to evildoers or fear for the welfare of society because Bava Metzia (83b) tells us that G‑d will punish transgressors. That in fact is the halacha as poskened by the Rambam (Hilchos Chovel u’Mazik 8:9) as well as all other poskim. So on the one hand the purpose of capital punishment is to let people know the severity of these prohibitions so that they will not transgress them. On the other hand the laws of capital punishment emphasize the importance of each soul and other concerns. Therefore we are commanded that only the Sanhedrin with proper semicha can judge these cases. Only the greatest people in Torah scholarship and other knowledge receives this semicha. In addition to their knowledge they also need to have perfected their character and be very humble as well as G‑d fearing people. They also need to hate money and love the truth as well as wonderful people who are beloved by all…They don’t have any imperfections or bad reputations and they are very merciful. That is why very old people are not appointed judges because they have forgotten the stress of raising children. Also people without children are not appointed because they lack mercy to some degree and they will be too angry at those who have committed sins. Even these great and good people cannot judge unless they constitute a Sanhedrin of 23 people. However it is not enough there are 23 such people to make a Sanhedrin. They also need to have before them 3 rows of very great Torah scholars who are not yet great enough to be part of the Sanhedrin – but are almost great enough. This is to protect the Sanhedrin from making a mistake in judgment. That is because when these three rows of scholars think that the Sanhedrin is mistaken in their ruling of innocence they will protest and will not listen at all to their words. Another safeguard against making a mistake is that they do not convict based on circumstantial evidence – no matter how convincing. They only convict a person based on two valid witnesses who have not the slightest bias in the matter... Furthermore the witnesses are warned concerning the severity of the sin of false testimony as well as the seriousness of the sin of murder so that they are very afraid of mistakenly convicting or mistakenly declaring the suspected murderer innocent. Even with all of this the witnesses also have to warn the person against murder and the suspected murderer has to acknowledge the warning by saying that even though he is aware of the seriousness off the crime he is still doing it. As a consequence of all these safeguards, only once in many years would someone be convicted of murder. In addition it was impossible to judge capital cases unless the Temple existed and that the Sanhedrin of 71 of the greatest scholars was in session on the Temple Mount. In fact capital cases were not judged even in those countries where the king gave the Jews permission to judge their own people according to the law of the Torah. As a consequence of these two factors there were almost no Jewish murderers because of the awareness of the severity of the prohibition of murder and because they were educated by means of the Torah and the punishments of the Torah to understand the seriousness of the crime. They were not simply afraid of punishment in the sense of getting caught but were afraid of the crime itself. However this use of the Torah system to run society was only when the crime of murder was not common but was simply the result of someone’s great lust or some quarrel concerning money or honor. But when people killed simply because it was viewed as an insignificant thing and the murderer was simply a callous and cruel person or similarly if there was a great deal of murders and wickedness – then a different system of law was utilized that was concerned with the pragmatic question of stopping killing and the goal became saving the society
Friday, May 29, 2026
Torah law is used as long as society functions properly/Igros Moshe
Igros Moshe(C.M. 2:68): … The Torah reserves capital punishment for those sins which are very serious such as murder, kidnapping, sexually prohibited relations and idolatry. The perpetrator in these cases is unrestrained and is capable of doing whatever disgusting and cruel acts in the world that are in his heart that he thinks are for his benefit. However the death penalty is not administered out of hatred to evildoers or fear for the welfare of society because Bava Metzia (83b) tells us that G‑d will punish transgressors. That in fact is the halacha as poskened by the Rambam (Hilchos Chovel u’Mazik 8:9) as well as all other poskim. So on the one hand the purpose of capital punishment is to let people know the severity of these prohibitions so that they will not transgress them. On the other hand the laws of capital punishment emphasize the importance of each soul and other concerns. Therefore we are commanded that only the Sanhedrin with proper semicha can judge these cases. Only the greatest people in Torah scholarship and other knowledge receives this semicha. In addition to their knowledge they also need to have perfected their character and be very humble as well as G‑d fearing people. They also need to hate money and love the truth as well as wonderful people who are beloved by all…They don’t have any imperfections or bad reputations and they are very merciful. That is why very old people are not appointed judges because they have forgotten the stress of raising children. Also people without children are not appointed because they lack mercy to some degree and they will be too angry at those who have committed sins. Even these great and good people cannot judge unless they constitute a Sanhedrin of 23 people. However it is not enough there are 23 such people to make a Sanhedrin. They also need to have before them 3 rows of very great Torah scholars who are not yet great enough to be part of the Sanhedrin – but are almost great enough. This is to protect the Sanhedrin from making a mistake in judgment. That is because when these three rows of scholars think that the Sanhedrin is mistaken in their ruling of innocence they will protest and will not listen at all to their words. Another safeguard against making a mistake is that they do not convict based on circumstantial evidence – no matter how convincing. They only convict a person based on two valid witnesses who have not the slightest bias in the matter... Furthermore the witnesses are warned concerning the severity of the sin of false testimony as well as the seriousness of the sin of murder so that they are very afraid of mistakenly convicting or mistakenly declaring the suspected murderer innocent. Even with all of this the witnesses also have to warn the person against murder and the suspected murderer has to acknowledge the warning by saying that even though he is aware of the seriousness off the crime he is still doing it. As a consequence of all these safeguards, only once in many years would someone be convicted of murder. In addition it was impossible to judge capital cases unless the Temple existed and that the Sanhedrin of 71 of the greatest scholars was in session on the Temple Mount. In fact capital cases were not judged even in those countries where the king gave the Jews permission to judge their own people according to the law of the Torah. As a consequence of these two factors there were almost no Jewish murderers because of the awareness of the severity of the prohibition of murder and because they were educated by means of the Torah and the punishments of the Torah to understand the seriousness of the crime. They were not simply afraid of punishment in the sense of getting caught but were afraid of the crime itself. However this use of the Torah system to run society was only when the crime of murder was not common but was simply the result of someone’s great lust or some quarrel concerning money or honor. But when people killed simply because it was viewed as an insignificant thing and the murderer was simply a callous and cruel person or similarly if there was a great deal of murders and wickedness – then a different system of law was utilized that was concerned with the pragmatic question of stopping killing and the goal became saving the society
Tzadik HaDor - Importance of Attatchment
Likutei Moharan (123) The essence and foundation on which everything depends is one’s binding oneself to the tzaddik of the generation:accepting his word in whatever he says, “This is how it is,” in matters small and great; not deviating, God forbid, from his word “to the right or the left”, as our Sages teach: even if he tells you that right is left… ;casting off from oneself all pseudo-wisdoms;and dismissing one’s knowledge as if one had no intelligence other than what one receives from the tzaddik and rav of the generation, because as long as one retains some of one’s own intellect, one lacks completion and is not bound to the tzaddik.
Tzadik suffers for sins of Generation
Rav Kook (Shemoneh Kevatzim 02:99) The tzadik hador sometimes takes it upon himself to suffer pain to purify the sins of the generation.
Abortion/transgender-tyranny in NJ Assembly
בס"ד
ע"ש פרשת נשא, תשפו
May 29, '26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tefillah request, for expeditious recovery of:
Rav Yehuda Ben Masha HaLevi;
Shimon Ben Masha; and
Lea Bas Freeda~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linked below is this week's LevinAt11 Radio broadcast, of May 28, '26, including a vital update regarding the antireligious abortion/transgender-tyranny edict looming in NJ Assembly.
Please share with anyone living in NJ, today.
מצורף: תכנית ראדיו רב יהודה לעוין, שליט"א, פרשת נשא, תשפו
--------
Selected Topic Highlights:
Quarter 1:
• Looking in the wrong direction;
• Discerning authentic Bitachon from narcissistic obliviousness, and a quest for the superficial tranquility of shedding responsibilities;
• Distinguishing between authentic Emunas Chachomim and the desire to fit in to the local clique by subscription to their placebo Gedolim;
• Desensitization to Bloodshed & Murder in our communities;
• Distorted Priorities Beget Distorted Advocacy;
• Partisanism begets blindness to critique of associates, and impedes succeeding in combating the anti-Torah edicts that abound; including an insight from my paternal great- grandfather Rav Nosson Nota Leiter זצ"ל, HY"D (see Kuntrus Divrei Chaim Ve'Emes, page 85).
• Authentic Da'as Torah from the Brisker Rov, ZY"A, regarding priority levels. As stridently as he opposed drafting boys, his opposition to drafting any girl - especially non-frum girls - overrode his opposition to drafting boys - and even Yeshiva bochurim - even when it translated into an existential threat to Torah, at the time. How much more so would he stridently oppose today's frum political elements caving in to the Left's agenda to legalize Marriage De-definition ("Mabul-Marriage") to secure an exemption for Yeshiva boys/men.
• Why was it that the tiny Yishuv in Israel in the early days of the State won against the dominant anti-Torah establishment, while the powerful political frum voting blocs fail nowadays?
Quarter 4:
• Update on S2260/A2218*: a virulent, toxic, antireligious abortion/transgender-tyranny edict looming in NJ Assembly as early as June 4. This wicked bill is similar to the evil decrees of the Greeks against which the Maccabees fought to the death. (Will Rabbonim raise vital awareness via the Adirei Torah event this coming Sunday, May 31?)
* addressed previously on our pre-Shavous broadcast: https://daattorah.blogspot.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Parshas Behar Bechukosai, '86:
https://daattorah.blogspot.
com/2026/05/authentic-torah- priorities-levinat11.html Parshas Emor, '86:*
https://daattorah.blogspot.
com/2026/05/chillul-hashem- root-causes.html
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children
845.642.1679
Direct: 771.215.8892
Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337
Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]:
Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2
Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
A letter relevant to next Sunday's Adirei Torah event:
BS"D
Rav Shraga,
Thank you again. That selection of the Shaarei Teshuva (1:148) has some exceedingly relevant points, if one is medayek in the language and its contemporary relevance, perhaps as deep as it is broad.
For one prominent example, from this Rabbeinu Yonah
והמבזים לתלמיד חכם ויראתו מבטלים הידיעה הזאת, ומראים ההפך בהנהגתם, וכאילו אומרים אמור כי אין העבודה עיקר, וכי שורש הדבר נמצא מבלתי עבודת השם יתברך. והם מחללים את התורה
one can see the imperative of the proper identification of authentic Torah authority, and rejection of imposters.
Furthermore, the model of the authentic Ben Torah is sorely needed in the age of entitlement, superficiality and self-focus, as emphasized by Rav Dovid Soloveitchik ZY"A (Droshos) - that much of Torah is being learnt nowadays for selfish reasons: Money, kovod and Shidduchim.
A true Ben Torah will stand up for the Torah and Kovod HaTorah when needed, especially when it's unpopular and not politically correct, and especially when the assault on the Torah emanates from within, under the guise of Torah sanction; see Mishnas Reb Aharon 1:2:3:6 (I think I sent you a copy this week).
I urge you to publicize that Mishnas Reb Aharon - on occasion of the celebration of the legacy of Rav Aharon ZY"A, namely honoring and emulating Omlei Torah.
הצלחה מרובה והערת עינים תמיד!
Rabbi Leiter
---------
Davidzon Radio: davidzonradio.com 718) 303-8000
5 things to know about tentative US-Iran ceasefire deal
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5900355-us-iran-ceasefire-extension-deal/
A tentative agreement has been reached between the U.S. and Iran to extend a fragile ceasefire in the three-month conflict by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and establish a framework for broader talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to U.S. sources.
If approved, the agreement would mark the biggest breakthrough on a permanent deal to end hostilities since the war began in late February. However, it falls well short of Trump’s stated goals in the war.
The proposed memorandum leaves some open questions about the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program and stockpiles, which has long been a sticking point in the negotiations.
Sources said the MOU would include a pledge from Tehran that it will not seek to develop a nuclear weapon, while opening a new round of talks to negotiate the matter further.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Demons are like Doves
Netziv (Devarim 32:17) They will sacrifice to demons who are not God. All the idolatry of the first generations had a known power that God had allotted to them, and that was true also of the heavenly realm including the sun. But the demons have no power at all, and they are created from the foundation of the spirit, and their place is in the desolate wilderness, and they feed as other creations on what God, their Creator, has determined for them. They also have a food of desire, which is the spirit of animal blood. The demons also have an internal power to fly up and hear behind the veil what will be as is memtioned in Chagiga (16a). In fact they are like a dove which has an internal power to perform a mission as is mentioned in the story of Noah. However not all doves have this ability but only those specifically trained and this is rare and their owners get great benefit. This is also true of demons and they are rewarded by animal sacrifices. The Torah says they have no real power only the information which they hear, The sacrifices made to them motivates them to gather information and is sometimes done solely to anger G-d
Trump looks for a way down from the Iran tree and a photo op, too
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/hybjoy7lzg
U.S. President Donald Trump wants a deal with Iran. More than he wants a deal, he wants a victory photo. Trump is not only negotiating over the nuclear issue, Hormuz and sanctions. He is fighting a war over the narrative. Against the backdrop of growing criticism of the details of the emerging agreement, Trump needs to prove that the deal he brings, if he brings one, will be far better than Obama’s nuclear deal. For him, that is the heart of the problem.
That is why the issue of enriched material has become the central test, though here too there is uncertainty. Opening the Strait of Hormuz could provide Trump with an important achievement, but not a sufficient one. To claim he won the argument with Obama, he needs something tangible: the removal of enriched material from Iran, its destruction, or at least a credible inspection mechanism that would allow him to say the threat was not postponed but addressed. But it is unclear whether the gap between destruction, removal and dilution translates for him into a strategic diplomatic difference, not just a technical one. Diluting the material, an option the Iranians may be willing to discuss, is not the same as removing it from the equation.
But that is precisely where the danger of deterioration lies. The more Trump wants a deal, the more he may find himself on a path toward escalation. If he accepts a weak Iranian formula, he will be accused of bringing an agreement worse than Obama’s. If he rejects it, he will have to prove that American pressure still works. And if Iran continues to apply pressure on the ground, especially in Hormuz, he may be pushed into another military action to preserve his credibility. The U.S. strike overnight against Iranian vessels that Central Command said were trying to lay mines illustrates that the negotiations are not taking place alongside the military reality but inside it.
Reported terms of Trump’s Iran deal would confirm the war as an epochal failure
US president claims to have almost finalized a ‘Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE’ with Iran; he’s also mused that Iran might ‘perhaps’ join the Abraham Accords. Wishful thinking cannot mask an unfolding catastrophe for Iranians, the free world and Israel
On February 28, the US and Israel opened a military campaign against Iran’s murderously rapacious Islamic extremist regime, aiming to destroy its nuclear weapons program, crush its ballistic missiles industry, halt its support for proxy terrorist armies Hezbollah and Hamas, put an end to its decades of global terrorism, and create the conditions for the Iranian masses to oust it from power, once and for all.
Apparently over-confident after their 12-day war last June battered Iranian military targets, eliminated numerous key nuclear scientists, and bombed three key underground nuclear facilities, however, the US and Israel, it has become evident, underestimated the regime’s tenacity, and failed to carry out even basic strategic steps to ensure the success of the operation.
To state the blindingly obvious: wishful thinking, disconnected from reality, cannot replace coherent policymaking and strategic planning.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Antireligious Edict in NJ Senate
BS"D
May 27, '26/ Parshas Nosso, 5786
EMERGENCY: NJ Bill S2260/ A2218 Would Criminalize Lo Sa'amod, Endanger Children
S2260 criminalizes Torah-mandated efforts to save kids and others from "transforming" their "gender" - and from committing abortion.
We addressed a slightly earlier variant of this bill on our weekly radio broadcast before Shavuos, see https://daattorah.
Proponents also try to hide the true nature of this bill (https://www.njleg.state.nj.
Action Needed:
1) Urge Every NJ Senator to (a) VOTE NO against S2260/ A2218 - and (b) to EXPOSE this as an Antireligious Edict - similar to those evil Greek decrees against which the Maccabees fought to the death to defeat.
Please act NOW, before this THU., May 28.
2) Please share this immediately with anyone you know in NJ.
3) Help get the message out ASAP to every NJ Kehillah (by early next week) - contact us at torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com or call/text 845-642-1679.
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Sample email to legislators to actively oppose NJ's transgender/abortion-at-whim-
Here's a medium-length sample email, for the NJ Senate vote tomorrow:
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
"BS"D
May 27, '26
Dear Senator Singer,
As a voter living in Lakewood, I urge you to please:
(a) VOTE NO against S2260/ A2218 - and
(b) to EXPOSE this evil bill - which criminalizes Torah-
A Yeshiva Rebbe, Rov, Rosh Yeshiva, Principal, Teacher/Morah, Social Worker, mental health professional, therapist, chevrusa, mentor - perhaps even a parent - could potentially face massive fines - and hefty jail time - for merely:
• trying to verbally convince a girl or boy out of getting drugs or surgery to "become" (sic) that which they are not, or
• convince a young woman not to murder her preborn infant (and pursue adoption if need be), or even for just
• saving her/him from remaining under the influence of evil parties (e.g. predatory therapists, "eductors," social workers, coaches, "medical" staff, mental health professionals, "friends") - grooming susceptible, often disadvantaged victims into their anti-Torah, heretical transgender/abortionism worldview.
Whether this evil decree passes or not, we cannot allow our representatives to remain on the sidelines in this governmental war being waged against our youth and against our Torah.
Thank you in advance for employing genuine leadership when truly needed."
Name,
Town,
Email Address
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Contact Info for Lakewood:
Call & email Assemblyman Avi Schnall today at:
848-245-9486 / Asmschnall@njleg.org.
Email Assemblyman Sean Kean:
State Senator Bob Singer:
732-987-5669 / sensinger@njleg.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Passaic residents, and others, are asked to urge Assemblyman Gary Schaer to vote NO - and to use his influence to lead on this issue:
973-249-3665 / asmschaer@
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To identify, or get contact info on your rep:NJ Legislative Info For Senate & Assembly:v: 609-847-3905 or (800) 792-8630e: LegInfo@NJLeg.org~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Even if the bill would pass regardless of what we do, our silence - and worse - provides it the moral cover needed to pass as an acceptable form of legislation.In the merit of such a communal Kiddush HaShem, may we merit to be saved from unrelenting tzoros.
Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children
For more information:
Direct: 771.215.8892
Antisemitic House Democratic candidate loses Texas race
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427659
Texas Democrat Johnny Garcia wins primary runoff, defeating rival Maureen Galindo who threatened to jail Zionists.
A highly volatile intra-party conflict concluded in Texas on Tuesday, with mainstream Democrats successfully blocking an extremist congressional hopeful who sparked national outrage with overt antisemitic threats.
The rejection of Galindo's candidacy resonated across the full spectrum of the Democratic Party, uniting both establishment figures and prominent left-wing progressives in disgust.
Did Donald Trump Just Hand Texas to Democrats?
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-ken-paxton-john-cornyn-democrats-james-talarico-11994199
President Donald Trump got another endorsement win under his belt when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the state's U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, but it could deliver a defeat Republicans haven’t seen in over 30 years.
Trump wants allies in the Senate, and he’s used his platform and power to persuade voters to kick Cornyn out of office for being “very disloyal.” But Cornyn voted with Trump over 99 percent of the time, according to his campaign, and now, Trump risks losing a Republican in the Senate—however disappointed he may be with them—because an open seat is much easier for Democrats to flip than ousting an incumbent.
But Republicans are nervous about the upcoming election.
"I think the chances of the Democrats winning in Texas are better now than they've been in 25 years," Republican strategist Mike Madrid previously told Newsweek. "You have to have a favorable political environment for the Democrats. You have to have a remarkable Democratic candidate with crossover appeal, and they have that. And the third is you have to have a remarkably damaged Republican candidate, and they have that."
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