Tuesday, September 1, 2026
The Republican Party’s Midterm Nightmare Is Taking Shape
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/30/republican-party-midterms-trump-01055934
He’s in serious trouble in farm country,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told me. “He being Trump — and Trump is us. I’m not very optimistic.”
The triple-whammy of tariffs, expensive diesel and fertilizer and now imported beef has created a crisis for agriculture-state Republicans.
The culprits are obvious: the exorbitant cost of living, Trump’s deep unpopularity with the political center and the massive enthusiasm gap Democrats enjoy over Republicans.
Florida, Vaccines and Religious Liberty
State Attorney General James Uthmeier threatens to bar Catholic schools from voucher programs if they insist on vaccinations.
Monday, August 31, 2026
Republicans are worried about the midterms. Trump is focused on his legacy
As his approval ratings sag ahead of US midterm elections, Donald Trump is on a mission to burnish his legacy, but Republicans worry that his focus on himself is backfiring with voters.
One senior administration official said the president has entered “legacy mode.” He is fixated on how he will be remembered by future generations, according to aides, conscious of avoiding the fate of past occupants of the White House he views as weak, such as Jimmy Carter.
Despite his low approval ratings, Trump plans to put himself at the center of the midterms, a move that will test whether his influence with voters is waning. As the president’s team debates how to spend MAGA Inc.’s enormous fundraising haul, Trump has told advisers that he wants to produce a series of television ads centered on his agenda, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Republican Party’s Midterm Nightmare Is Taking Shape
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/30/republican-party-midterms-trump-01055934
As the traditional start of the campaign season draws near, though, Republicans are increasingly worried they may be consumed by a worsening prairie fire.
Will 2026 bring a backlash against the party in power, but one largely confined to House losses because of polarization, limiting Democratic strength in Senate races? Or will there be a greater wave that grows high enough to sweep out Republicans thought to be safe, flipping both chambers of Congress in the process?
Absent a drastic shift in voter sentiment, this election is poised to mirror the last time a Republican was besieged by ornery voters upset with corruption, the price at the pump and an unpopular Middle Eastern war: complete Democratic takeover.
The Great Unknown: Seven Journeys to the Frontiers of Science
"Just as I can talk about space having a shape, I can also talk about space-time having a shape. My initial instinct is to think of time as a line, which makes it very difficult for me to think of anything other than a line that is finite and therefore has a beginning and an end, or a line that is infinite. But there are other possibilities. Since time and space make up four dimensions, I must consider shapes that I can’t see. I need mathematics to describe them. But I can picture shapes representing parts of space-time that enable me to understand what I mean by the question of what happened before the Big Bang. For example, imagine there was only one spatial dimension, so that space-time is two-dimensional. This creates a surface that I can see, like a rubber sheet that I can play with and wrap up in interesting ways. I think most people’s model of two-dimensional space-time would be an infinite flat sheet with time extending infinitely backward and forward and space also one-dimensional and infinite. But, as I explored in the last Edge, space could be finite. I could wrap space up to make a circle and then time would extend this circle to make space-time look like a cylinder. I could, of course, join the cylinder up to make a bagel- or torus-shaped space-time. That would make time finite too. In this model of space-time I could loop around and return to a previous moment in history. Logician Kurt Gödel proposed solutions to Einstein’s equations of general relativity that have this feature. Gödel, as I shall explain in my final Edge, greatly enjoyed messing with people’s logical expectations. But Gödel’s circles of space-time are generally regarded as curiosities, because going back in time causes too many problems when it comes to causality. Possible shapes for a two-dimensional space-time To get a more realistic picture of space-time, I need to create a geometry that takes into account our current model of the history of the universe, which includes a beginning: the Big Bang. To see this point in my two-dimensional space-time universe, I could wrap up the surface so that it looks like a cone. The universe, which is just a circle, shrinks as I go back in time until I hit the point at the end of the cone. This is where time begins. There is nothing before that. No space. No time. Just a point of infinite density. This is a good model for something rather like the Big Bang. Or, rather than pinching space-time at a point, perhaps it could look like a sphere—like the surface of the Earth. This has its own implications for how I answer the question of what happened before the Big Bang. If I head south along a line of longitude, then when I hit the South Pole there is a sudden flip and I find myself on another line of longitude on the other side. But these are just numbers that we give to these points on the Earth’s surface. It doesn’t actually represent a discontinuous flip in the shape, just a jump in the way that we measure it. So by changing the coordinates, what appears to be a singular point can look quite smooth. This is one of Hawking’s ideas for time. Perhaps I should try to embed space-time in a shape such that this point that seems to show time stopping is actually just the south pole of the shape. After all, how do you answer the question, what’s south of the South Pole? The question doesn’t really make sense. It is striking that often when a question arises to which it seems we cannot know the answer, it turns out you need to acknowledge that the question is not well posed. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is not really an expression of the fact that we cannot simultaneously know both the momentum and position of a particle, so much as that these two things don’t actually exist concurrently. Similarly, attempts have been made to show that the question “What happened before the Big Bang?” isn’t one whose answer cannot be known. Rather, the question does not really make sense. To talk about “before” is to suppose the existence of time, but what if time existed only after the Big Bang?"
Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/
Psychedelic Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Restoring Your Mental Health and Reclaiming Your Life
"As the pioneering psychologist Peter Levine writes, “Trauma is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, and misunderstood cause of human suffering.”[1] He explains that trauma is not simply what happens to us; it is our inability or lack of opportunity to move through the emotions evoked by traumatic events, causing us to get stuck in them. When we are young, to move past a painful experience we need the presence of a supportive adult. We become traumatized not primarily because painful things happen to us, but because we must endure that suffering alone, without support. In fact, we might suppress even the conscious awareness of what happened to us simply to survive. Suppressed, deeply imprinted, sublimated, diverted, and compensated for in many ways, the trauma itself and our defenses against the suffering it imposed become ingrained—mostly unconsciously—into our brain, nervous system, body, and mind. This response, which is unique to each individual, becomes a potent source of addictive patterns and of coping mechanisms that lead to many illnesses of body and mind. The healing capacity of psychedelic experiences stems, in part, from their ability to evoke the painful imprints of your childhood self while those experiences are witnessed by the empathic curiosity of your adult self—crucially, as our authors repeatedly stress, in a safe environment. I can’t overemphasize the provision of safety, especially the relational space between therapist and patient. As the authors rightly point out, “Decades of psychotherapy research have shown that the quality of the relationship between a client and therapist is the strongest predictor of successful outcomes—often more important than the therapist’s specific methods or qualifications.” In a safe setting, the capacity of psychedelic medicines to help people transcend the limitations of what the authors call our “personal ego and narrative” can reframe how we view ourselves, our lives, and even our world. As they insist, both the set and the setting must be right. The set is the client’s mindset and intentions, while the setting is composed of the context: physical comfort, emotional safety,and the expertise, self-awareness, patience, and compassion of the therapeutic guide. There is no mystery about the potential gifts of psychedelic therapy. Understanding trauma is the key—an understanding that is sadly missing from much of mainstream medicine and psychiatry. As the authors point out, trauma imposes deleterious core narratives “about who we are, how the world works, and what is possible in our lives,” narratives that “tend to sharply limit the possibilities of our lives.” Psychedelics can, as it were, dissolve such narratives and loosen their power over our sense of self, allowing us to cultivate self-love, forgiveness, and compassion. They may, according to some promising research, help rewire certain brain circuits in a positive way.""
Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/
Beracha
Rambam (Prayer 15:06) A priest who does not have any of the factors which hinder the recitation of the priestly blessings mentioned above should recite the priestly blessing, even though he is not a wise man or careful in his observance of the mitzvot. This applies even though the people spread unwholesome gossip about him, or his business dealings are not ethical.He should not be prevented from reciting the priestly blessings because reciting these blessings is a positive mitzvah incumbent on each priest who is fit to recite them. We do not tell a wicked person: Increase your wickedness by failing to perform mitzvos.
Rambam (Prayer 15:07) Do not wonder: "What good will come from the blessing of this simple person?" for the reception of the blessings is not dependent on the priests, but on G-d, as the Torah states: "And they shall set My name upon the children of Israel, and I shall bless them." The priests perform the mitzvah with which they were commanded, and God, in His mercies, will bless Israel as He desires.
The Trouble With Trump’s Attempt to Rename Lake Ontario
https://time.com/article/2026/08/28/the-trouble-with-trump-s-attempt-to-rename-lake-ontario/
As two geographers who have spent decades studying political toponymy, or the politics of place naming, in both the United States and Canada, we are dismayed by the careless nature of Trump’s impulsive use of place renaming as a form of political rage baiting.
Renaming Lake Ontario is part of a larger pattern of using place naming to promote the Trump brand and his “America First” ideology. From the very outset of his second presidential term, Trump launched the so-called “Golden Age of America” by announcing that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the “Gulf of America.” This has now been followed with “Lake America,” and Trump even mused about possibly renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, we presume to something along the lines of “American Ocean” or “Ocean of America.”
Over the past year, Trump’s obsession with naming places has given rise to a new term—toponymic narcissism—which refers to the condition of being obsessed with naming places after oneself.
Are Therapists to Blame for the Rise of Adults Cutting Off Their Parents?
Many moms and dads believe that their adult children are getting bad advice—and a growing number of researchers agree. ‘Everything becomes trauma.’
Shoshana Rubli was shocked by her therapist’s advice, given in her second session. But the counselor was recommended by someone she knew and had impressive credentials, so she did as she was told.
She cut off all ties with her mother.
Therapy Has a Relationship Problem
https://time.com/article/2026/08/29/therapy-has-a-relationship-problem/
Psychotherapy itself is predicated upon the healing power of human connection, yet therapists can be surprisingly quick to undervalue relationships outside the therapy room. Furthermore, relationships themselves teach basic psychological capacities such as regulating emotions, tolerating disappointment, and negotiating differences—skills which therapy is supposed to cultivate.
Too often, we mistake relational distress for relational dysfunction. Wall Street Journal columnist Elizabeth Bernstein recently highlighted this eloquently. She reported on therapists who encouraged adult children to go “no contact” with their parents, often after surprisingly little effort to mend ruptures. In a survey of roughly 7,000 estranged parents, one-third believed their adult child’s therapist had influenced or even recommended the decision to cut ties. That should give us pause.
The issue extends well beyond parents and children. Similar patterns appear in marriages and among siblings, friendships, and other close bonds. Therapists have become too quick to support ending difficult relationships instead of helping people develop the skills to repair them.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
https://www.newsweek.com/popular-sugar-substitute-linked-higher-risk-heart-attack-stroke-12373750
An ingredient found in everything from sugar-free foods to oral care products has been linked to higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
A study due to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026 found that people with higher blood levels of xylitol, a commonly used artificial sweetener, were more likely to experience major cardiovascular events over the long term than those with lower levels.
The sugar alcohol is often used as a substitute for sugar in foods, drinks and dental products. While it occurs naturally in the body and in some foods at very low levels, it is frequently added to products in much larger amounts.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Donald Trump’s Hardcore Support Is Shrinking
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-hardcore-support-shrinking-poll-12382506
President Donald Trump’s hardcore support is shrinking, with the share of Republicans who strongly approve of his job performance falling 14 percentage points since January, a Newsweek analysis of Reuters/Ipsos polling found.
The shift occurred without a comparable collapse in his broader Republican coalition, with 82 percent of GOP respondents still approving of his performance in the latest survey.
Instead, the polling suggests that—less than 10 weeks before the November midterm elections—some of Trump’s support has softened, leaving fewer Republicans firmly enthusiastic, even as most continue to back him.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Fauci texts release revives false claims linking Covid-19 vaccination, miscarriages
https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.C4HE6ZQ
Numerous large scale studies have found Covid-19 vaccines to be beneficial during pregnancy, with no evidence they increase the rate of miscarriages. But conservative US politicians and influencers have latched on to newly released private text threads involving infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci to revive false claims that the mRNA shots led to an 82 percent miscarriage rate -- and accuse Fauci of pushing vaccination despite a known risk.
"Dr. Fauci publicly BOASTED that tens of thousands of pregnant women took the COVID vaccine, with 'no red flags' Privately, he knew it was likely causing MISCARRIAGES," says an August 11, 2026 X post from Eric Daughtery of the website Right Line News. "PRISON!!!!"
The post comes after Republican US Senator Rand Paul released thousands of pages of the immunologist's personal diary and, along with vaccine-skeptic Republican Senator Ron Johnson, published text messages obtained from Fauci's government-issued phone (archived here and here).
No, COVID-19 vaccines don’t increase miscarriage rates
https://19thnews.org/2026/08/covid-vaccine-pregnancy-miscarriage-fauci/
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, has revived a years-old inaccurate theory that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to higher rates of miscarriages.
As part of a Senate investigation into former U.S. infectious diseases chief Dr. Anthony Fauci, Johnson pointed to publicly released text messages Fauci exchanged with two of former President Joe Biden’s top health officials. In them, Fauci wrote that some reported vaccine effects “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.”
In a video posted August 10 on Fox News Digital, Johnson said these texts showed Fauci knew about miscarriage risks that health officials weren’t publicly acknowledging at the time.
Citing a 2021 study of pregnant women who received the vaccine, Johnson said the study found “an 82 percent miscarriage rate with women who got the injection in the first or second trimester.”
But a look at the April 2021 findings, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that Johnson misrepresented the data. His statement ignores numerous studies showing the vaccine is not associated with a heightened risk of miscarriage.
Johnson’s spokesperson Grace Carnathan said Johnson was quoting from a 2022 open letter by Dr. James Thorp, an OBGYN who has argued that COVID-19 vaccines increase miscarriage risk. Asked for additional data, Carnathan pointed PolitiFact back to Fauci’s text messages.
Fauci’s texts, Trump’s executive order and the resurgence of anti-vaccine rhetoric
Vaccine skepticism has come roaring back into the political spotlight after months of relative silence on the subject from the Trump administration, which for a time seemed to be focusing on more mainstream health issues ahead of the midterm elections.
Fauci, Covid Vaccines and Miscarriages
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/anthony-fauci-covid-vaccines-pregnant-women-miscarriage-26cd1e3f
He didn’t lie to pregnant women about vax safety. Trump’s CDC agrees.
Anti Vaxxer lies Welcomed in Frum Community and Spread as a Religious Mitzva
The lie that Dr, Fauci deliberately concealed the danger of the COVid vaccination and as a result many suffered and continue to suffer damage from it. This lie has now become something everybody knows to be true
This lie has been spread by Trump followers and eagerly accepted by frum women as obviously true since commonsense and rumor is preferred to medical training. It of course becomes lashon harah that is a mitzva
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/anthony-fauci-covid-vaccines-pregnant-women-miscarriage-26cd1e3f
Chasam Sofer and Copernicus
Devarim (04:19) And lest you lift up your eyes to the skies, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the skies, should you be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole sky.
תורת משה דברים פרק ד פסוק יט (פרשת ואתחנן)
Toras Moshe (Devarim (04:19)
* אשר חלק ה' אלקיך אותם לכל העמים. יל"פ ע"פ מה דאיתא דקופערניקוס אחד מחכמי העמים אמר דהארץ סובבת לקבל אור השמש, דאיך עצם השמים הטהורה יסבב וישמש את הארץ, ואחרים הביאו ראיה כנגדו דאם הארץ מסבב איך אפשר שיזרוק חץ בעוף וישיגהו ויפול שם כיון שהארץ כבר השתנה מקומה, וע"ז השיב די"ל דהארץ וכל אשר עליה וגם האויר מסבבקיט. אמנם ראיותיו מכח השכל שאינו ראוי שישמש העליון לתחתון, הוא רק לפי דעות האוה"ע, אבל לנו בני ישראל אדרבא הארץ אשר בה בני אדם וישראל עם קדושו הם תכלית הבריאה ובעבורם נברא העולם תבל וכל אשר בה וגלגלי השמים ושמי השמים לצורך הארץ, וא"כ ראוי שישמשו שאר חלקי העולם לעולם התחתון שבו ישראלקכ, וגם עי"ז כל העולמות הם אחד ולתכלית אחד נברא, דלא כדעת האוה"ע שכל אחד הוא עולם בפ"ע ולתכליתו נברא. וזה שאמר אשר חלק ה' אותם לכל העמים, דאצלם הוא חלק משא"כ אצלנו הכל חד.
ועפ"ז י"ל מאמר חז"ל דרבה בר בר חנה אזיל במדברא והראה לו חד טייעא היכא דנשקי רקיעא וארעא להדדי והניח שם מקלו ותרמילו והלך להתפלל, אדצלי הדר להתם ולא מצא אמר איכא גנבי הכא אמר ליה האי טייעא גלגל הוא דהדר ולמחר תמצאנה (ב"ב ע"ד ע"א). ועפ"י הנ"ל יש לפרש דבר"פ כיצד מברכין (ל"ה ע"ב) אמרו הרבה עשו כרשב"י ולא עלתה בידם וכר' ישמעאל ועלתה בידם, ואין הכונה שי"ז ניכר שאין דרך רשב"י טוב, אלא דצריך לידע שאינו מוכרח שישיג ארוחתו אם יעשה כרשב"י, אפשר שיהיה עני ואעפ"כ לא יזוז מדרכו, דשכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא (קידושין ל"ט ע"ב). והיינו דקאמר דהראה לו היכא דנשקי ארעא ורקיעא, דהיינו בשביל צדיק נברא העולם (יומא ל"ח ע"ב) ובו נשקי ארעא ורקיעאקכא, נתן פתו וסלו ועמד להתפלל, ר"ל שעלה בדעתו לעשות כרשב"י והשליך על ה' יהבו ואפ"ה לא מצא, ואמר לו הטייעא דגלגל הוא דהדר דהיינו דמזלו גורם, אבל אין הקדוש ברוך הוא מקפח שכר דלמחר לעוה"ב ימצא לפום צערא אגרא (אבות סופ"ה)קכב.
ואתם עוברים וגו' השמרו לכם פן תשכחו וגו' ומסיים אל קנא. רש"י פי' אנכי מת אינני עובר אפילו עצמותי אינם עוברים. וקשה היא גופי' קשיא ומי גרע מיוסף וכל השבטים. וי"ל שהיה אי אפשר שהרי לא ידע איש את קבורתו ואי אפשר להעביר עצמותיו, ואי' במד'קכג מ"ט לא ידע איש את קבורתו שלא יעשוהו ע"ז. והיינו דקאמר מרע"ה אינני עובר אפילו עצמותי, ואתם עוברים ע"כ השמרו לכם פן תשכחו ברית אלקיכם ותעבדו ע"ז חלילה, דא"כ לחנם לא עברו עצמותי כי בין כך ובין כך אתם עובדי ע"ז, ע"כ ה' אל קנא עבורי יקנא קנאתי מכםקכד.
Disagree wit5h Rishonim
Igros Moshe (Y.D. 3:101): You ask how is it permitted to rely on these type of innovations such as I have explained in actual rulings – and in particular since it is against certain Achronim? In answer let me ask whether an end and limit to Torah has been made, G d forbid!, so that we only make rulings in that which is already in books and thus when we come across questions which are not answered in the books we are unable to decide them even though we know how to do so? There is no question that is prohibited say such a thing. It is certain that the Torah can still develop and expand even now in our time. And we are obligated to do what we are capable of to decide every halacha that we encounter according to what is possible after investigation and serious analysis in the Talmud and poskim with clear thinking and proper proofs – even though it is a new halacha that is not mentioned before in the halacha books. And even regarding an issue that is discussed in halacha books – it is still necessary for the posek to understand it and decide the correct position prior to making a ruling. He should not make a ruling because that is what is says in a book – that is the similar to teaching out of the Mishna that the gemora says that the Tannaim who make mechanical rulings from codes of laws destroy the world (Sotah 22a). Look carefully at that gemora and Rashi’s comments. And even if the ruling goes occasionally goes against certain great Achronim – so what! There is no question that we have the right even to disagree with Achronim and also on occasion with certain Rishonim when there are proper proofs and more important with proper reasoning. Concerning this and similar matters the gemora says that a judge can only make a decision based upon what he sees (Bava Basra 131, Rashbam). This is true as long as the ruling doesn’t go against the well-known poskim such as the Shulchan Aruch which has been accepted in all countries. This is what is meant by the saying that there was a place left to make a fence. And this is in fact what the majority of teshuvos of the Achronim do – they decide many practical issues on the basis of innovations. However it is important not to be arrogant in making rulings. Thus one should avoid using innovations when possible except in situations of great need and surely in situations involving aguna such as the case under discussion. Thus we are obligated to make a ruling even if it appears to us that there is a basis for a heter. It is prohibited for us to show false modesty and cause a Jewish women to be trapped as an aguna or to cause a stumbling block with prohibitions or even to cause loss of money. Look at Gittin (56) where it condemns the humility of R Zechariah for causing the destruction of the Temple! The obvious question is what does humility have to do with the destruction? Look at Maharetz Chajes who gives a proper explanation. This is exactly what we are concerned about. Thus we must make halachic rulings according to what appears correct with proper proofs and understanding – and in particular in cases of aguna like this – to save from this difficult situation.
Igros Moshe (O.C. 5:24.6):… The Gra disputed even in those matters which were the basic customs of the Sephardim, French or Ashkenazim. It was agreed by the scholars of his generation that he was greater than the other sages of his generation who themselves were very great Torah scholars. In fact they agreed that he would have been one of the greatest scholars even many generations earlier and thus he had the right to dispute with the gedolim of many generations earlier. All of his students who were gedolim in that generation agreed that the Gra was able to dissent as if he were one of the Rishonim. And furthermore that since he was the latest such authority he was the final word and therefore his rulings were to be accepted. Gradually they began to follow his rulings in all matters even when it was against the established practice.
Yam Shel Shlomo (Yevamos 12:7): The Rosh (Sanhedrin 4:6) has written if the words of the early authorities are not convincing and you have support for your position it is possible to disagree with them – even with the Gaonim…
Shach (Yoreh Deah 242:8 Kuntres Hora’ah): In all cases where the words of the earlier authorities are written in a book and they are widely known and the later poskim disagree with their views – we accept the views of the later authorities. However occasionally we find a ruling of one of the Geonim – but it was never published in a book and we find his view is disputed – it is not necessary to rule in accord with the recent authorities because it is possible that they didn’t know the words of the Geon. And if they learned of it, it is possible that they would retract their views in favor of his. There are others who insist that we do not follow later authorities against the great early scholars. And therefore we should be strict. However if the later authority cites the words of the early authority and he still disagrees with him and it is well established that this later authority is qualified to disagree – then we can rely on the view of the later authority and it is necessary to reconcile the matter. Nevertheless if the posek has the freedom to decide, he is able to rule according to whichever view he wants. Nevertheless we are not to disagree with the early Geonim. Prior to the Rif, the generation of the Geonim ended.
Chazon Ish (Shalom Yehudah):… I took it upon myself to research and examine the words of the gemora and commentaries as much as possible – even if the conclusions were against the Rishonim. While we need to accept that the words of our Rabbis are the essence and we are simply orphans of orphans, nevertheless that doesn’t prevent clarify, explaining and making sense according to what we are capable of despite our lowly status. Even making halachic rulings is permitted as long as it is in areas where there is no explicit accepted halachos which say the opposite. Because if I don’t do this I am lacking in my involvement with Torah. However this approach is only applicable to me, but it is obvious that others who aren’t attached to my words - their obligation is to choose the words of the Rishonim which are primary.
Torah Study brings Greatnesss and Wealth
Rav Yaakov Emden (Migdal Oz): You won’t find a person who is engaged in studying Torah for the sake of Heaven who does not become great and wealthy. If you try refuting this with the verse in Koheles (9:11) that “the wise don’t have bread” – that is only referring to secular scholars. It is not referring to those who are accomplished Torah scholars. And this that we find that there are some of our holy scholars who are poor such as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa…one should not make the mistake and say that they were unable to find a respectful livelihood – rather the reason that they were poor is because they didn’t want to benefit from their status as Torah scholars … This is quite obvious and certain. There is no question that if Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and his colleagues wanted they could have been wealthy. They also did not want to interrupt their Torah study even for a moment in order to be involved in work or a trade because of their great love and desire for Torah. Therefore it was with their desire and free choice they bore poverty and lovingly accepted their suffering. However if they wanted to benefit then the option of enjoying wealth was always available and if they wanted to they could have avoided suffering. This of course is true only as long as they studied Torah purely for the sake of Heaven which gives merit to many things which are detailed in the 6th chapter of Avos.
Censoring to protect Faith
Ohr HaChaim (Devarim 34:6): I saw in the commentary of the Ibn Ezra that Yehoshua - and not Moshe - wrote the last verses in the Torah. However, when explaining the plain meaning of the text one should not state the view that Moshe did not actually complete the writing of the Torah [Even though this view is stated by our sages in Bava Basra 15a]. I myself have heard that people get confused from this view which can lead to denial of the validity of the Torah. In fact, this is the claim of the non Jews that the Jews made up the text and that there are things in it that didn’t happen … Therefore one should only present the view that Moshe wrote the whole Torah as it states in Bava Basra (15a).
Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 1:17): Don’t think that theology is the only thing that should be withheld from the masses. Most of science should also be kept from them. In fact, we have repeatedly cited the statement of our sages (Chagiga 11b) that Maaseh Bereishis [physics according to the Rambam] should not be taught in the presence of two people. This concealment of information from the masses is not unique to Judaism but was also characteristic of the philosophers and the non Jewish sages of the ancient world. They would conceal the basic principles of wisdom by presenting them as riddles… Now if the secular sages found a need to conceal information from the masses by using figurative expressions and similes - even though there was no danger of loss - surely it is appropriate for the religious community not to express issues which are difficult for the masses to understand or that they understand it different than what is meant.
Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim Introduction): The seventh reason why an author seems to contradict himself occurs when discussing very deep and profound issues. It is necessary to conceal some aspects of the information and to reveal some. In order to accomplish this concealment it might be necessary in one place to utilize one set of principles and in another context it might be necessary to utilize a different set of fundamental principles - even though the principles contradict each other. Obviously, the author should write in such a way that the ignorant masses are totally unaware of the internal contradiction.
R.Smason-Kiruv-LevinAt11
בס"ד
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children
Email: torahjewsfordecency@
845.642.1679
Direct: 771.215.8892
Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337
Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Another item of interest:
IDF Yeshiva Platoon Confined To Barracks For Refusing To Board APC With Female Soldier
By Yehuda Dov
According to a report by Channel 7, the incident occurred while the battalion was operating in combat in the Gaza Strip. Following the incident, commanders imposed a 21-day confinement on all soldiers in the yeshiva platoon. The IDF also considered removing the three soldiers from their combat positions.
The report said that Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner, head of Yeshivat Mitzpe Ramon, and Rabbi Shlomo Shushan, head of the Beit She’an Yeshiva, had instructed students from their institutions serving in the platoon not to board a combat vehicle when a female medic was present.
After the three soldiers announced that they would not board the Namer, the other members of the platoon were reportedly asked whether anyone was willing to enter the vehicle together with the female medic. According to the soldiers, none of the platoon members agreed to do so.
The commanders subsequently decided to impose the 21-day confinement on the entire platoon. At the same time, the possibility of removing the three soldiers from combat service was examined.
The incident has renewed tensions surrounding the service of religiously observant soldiers in the IDF, particularly questions concerning mixed-gender service and the extent to which yeshiva students can follow the instructions of their rabbis while serving in the military. The incident also comes amid an ongoing debate within the religious community over the balance between halachic requirements, rabbinic guidance and military orders during wartime.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit had not issued a response to the report at the time of publication.
Ruach Hakodesh Today
Divrei Chaim (Y.D. #105): Question: There is a teacher who has insulted the honor of the Ohr HaChaim by claiming that his seforim were not written with ruach hakodesh. Answer: I received your letter and I don’t know what doubt you have as to whether ruach hakodesh occurs today to those who are fit for it – even though prophecy has ceased from the prophets. This is explicitly stated in Bava Basra (12a), “From the day that the Temple was destroyed, prophecy was taken from the prophets but it was not taken from the sages. Therefore a sage is superior to a prophet…” We see from this that even after the destruction of the Temple that ruach hakodesh rests on those who are deserving, i.e., the ruach hakodesh of intellect. It is important to realize that ruach hakodesh is not the same thing as ruach hakodesh of intellect as is explained in Moreh Nevuchim (2:38)… So Bava Basra (12a) is understood as, “Even though they took the power of prophesy from the prophets which is visions and imagery, but the prophesy of intellect was not taken away but the sages were able to know the truth through the ruach hakodesh that was in them. The Ritva says this explicitly. He says, “And it was given to the sages, meaning that the sages comprehend with their intellect many things which their natural intellect was not capable of understanding. Therefore a sage is superior to a prophet. In other words, he is superior to a prophet who has the power to see the future but is lacking the type of prophesy which the Shechina rests on him because of his intellect. This is explained by the Rambam in his well known sefer [Moreh Nevuchim 2:38] that this type of intellectual prophesy only rests on the sage.” Thus we see explicitly in the Talmud and Rishonim that the ruach hakodesh of the intellect of sages never stopped. This is also explicitly in Gittin (6b) concerning R’ Avesar. “R Avesar’s views were in agreement with G d.” Rashi explains, “G d revealed to him the secret to ascertain the truth that has been concealed.” Thus we see that ruach hakodesh and the agreement with G d never stopped from the sages who were deserving of this ability. This is also clear from the statement of Rav Pinchas ben Yair (Avoda Zara 20b). And this that is says in Sotah (48b) that after the days of the Prophets that ruach hakodesh was taken away – that means the ruach hakodesh of prophesy but not the ruach hakodesh of intellect and the ability to have one’s intellect be in agreement with the halacha that was given to Moshe at Sinai or Rav Avesar - that never stopped. Only a heretic denies this. And this that he claims that contemporary gedolim have written that ruach hakodesh has totally stopped – I don’t believe that such a statement would be issued by our gedolim. Who knows what this disgusting deceiver wrote them. The truth is that even in our days there is to sages of the truth - who are not influenced in the slightest by the material – ruach hakodesh as is explained in Moreh Nevuchim (2:36) and the Ramban explicitly. Therefore the Ohr Hachaim definitely composed his sefer with ruach hakodesh – but he wasn’t the only one. In fact all authors – even in our generation – if they are deserving compose their sefer with ruach hakodesh. In other words their ideas and reasoning are in agreement with the truth of the Torah as they said in the Talmud regarding Rav Avesar. This principle is also expressed by Rav Yonason Eibshuetz (Urim v’Tumim Kitzur Takfu Cohen C.M. 25:123-124). He says that a person cannot claim “kim li” (rely on a minority opinion) against what is stated in the Shulchan Aruch because the Shulchan Aruch was written with ruach hakodesh. Therefore the teacher who denied the ruach hakodesh of the Ohr HaChaim is a heretic who does not believe the gedolim. They testified that the Ohr HaChaim was deserving of ruach hakodesh. This teacher denies the fundamental belief in ruach hakodesh and ridicules the words of the Talmud that we mentioned before. Therefore you have done well in not leaving your children in his hands – yasher kochachem. However in regards to the paying his wages – it is not possible to issue a ruling regarding this without him being present and being able to witness his deeds. Because it is possible that he simple erred in this matter. In this it is possible to rely on a teacher in your community and there should be peace.
Ohr HaChaim (Vayikra 11:43): We find that our Sages (Pesachim 49b) said, That the ignorant masses are detestable and their daughters are vermin … All the Sages words were said with ruach hakodesh and are very profound and deep.
Rav Yosef Ber Soloveitchik (Hesped for Rav Chaim Ozer): The very same priest, whose mind was suffused with the holiness of the Torah of R. Akiva and R. Eliezer, of Abbaye and Rava, of the Rambam and Rabad, of the Beth Yosef and the Rema, could also discern with the holy spirit [roeh be-ruah hakodesh] the solution to all current political questions, to all worldly matters, to all ongoing current demands
Ohr HaChaim (Bereishis 6:3): … When the Temple was destroyed and the vision was blocked then we were left with ruach hakodesh. However when the eyes of Israel became blocked, we no longer experienced the fragrance of holiness and surely not ruach hakodesh itself. This is the worst of the sufferings of the Jewish people who are thirsty to smell the fragrance of our Father in Heaven and have our spirits revived.
Ohr HaChaim (Bereishis 1:1): You should know that we have permission to explain the implication of the verses after careful study - even though our conclusions differ from the explanation of our Sages. That is because there are 70 faces to Torah (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:16). There is no prohibition against differing from the words of our Sages except if it changes the Halacha. Similarly, we find that even though the Amoraim did not have the right to disagree with Tannaim in halachic matters - but we find that they offered alternative explanations to verses.
Ohr HaChaim (Bereishis 46:8): Don’t be bothered by the fact that our explanation is the opposite of what our Sages stated. We have already asserted that concerning the understanding of the non halachic verses of the Torah permission is given to the diligent student to innovate.
Ohr HaChaim (Devarim 32:1): Even though I am explaining this differently than our Sages but we know that there are 70 faces to Torah (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:16). Concerning Agada it is permitted to offer explanations even if they contradict those of our Sages as long as they don’t contradict the Halacha….
Ohr HaChaim (Vayikra 26:3): Vayikra Rabbah (22:1) states that Scripture, Mishna, Halacha, Talmud, Tosefta, Agada and even what a faithful student would say in the future - were all taught to Moshe on Sinai. It is clear from this medrash that permission has been granted for Torah scholars to explain and interpret in various ways and for the diligent students to provide new insights in expounding verses - to the degree that it can be justified with the verse.
Putting the ‘me’ in ‘Meilitz Yosher’
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/putting-the-me-in-meilitz-yosher-opinion-679373
Many hespedim conclude with the supposedly comforting prayer: “May they be a meilitz yosher for their family.” Meaning, may they be an ambassador of righteousness, a faithful advocate and defender of the living before God in the highest court. That’s a whole lot of pressure to place on the recently deceased.
Looking for source for this common practise
Loss of an Advocate for the Sanctity of Jewish Marriage: R. David Eidensohn zatza" First Yahrzeit
R. David Eidensohn has ascended to the Heavenly Academy. He was the brother of (yibadel le-chaim) R. Daniel Eidensohn, editor of Daas Torah blog, where I serve as an associate writer. See https://daattorah.blogspot.
Who is trying to drag Israel into war? The answer is painful
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/08/27/who-is-trying-to-drag-israel-into-war-the-answer-is-painful/
The damage MK Zvi Sukkot failed to do to a monument, he did to the State of Israel, and his latest provocation is only part of a broader breakdown of the rules that could set Judea and Samaria ablaze. While the political echelon warns of Palestinian forces "turning their guns" on Israel, it is itself creating the conditions for that to happen.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Half of Israel's flagship faculties signed a War Crimes letter
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/432304
Half of the faculty audited at Israel's most prestigious research universities put their name to a document accusing the IDF of war crimes and crimes against humanity, during a war that responded to the deadliest single massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Opinion.
The Black Flag Letter "An Urgent Call to the Heads of Academia in Israel," released in May 2025 and addressed to the Association of University Heads in Israel, Israel's academic leadership. It asked those leaders to "mobilize the full weight of Israeli academia to stop the Israeli war in Gaza."
Trump’s Biggest Middle East Crisis Looms Not in Iran, But Among Two Allies
As President Donald Trump attempts to land a decisive blow against Iran with an intensified economic campaign, another battle is brewing on the sidelines of the six-month war that could prove even more challenging for the United States.
The feud between Israel and Turkey took a new turn last week with an Israeli strike against a Syrian airbase reportedly visited just hours earlier by a Turkish defense delegation. Israel accused Damascus of moving to violate security arrangements by inviting Ankara's military presence, while the Turkish government railed against the Israeli move as a violation of Syria's sovereignty and called for the Israeli premier's arrest on charges of genocide and other crimes.
As the war of words escalated on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an "antisemitic dictator" behind a "pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel," to which Erdogan's communications office soon hit back at Netanyahu’s “petty political tactics” and efforts “to present Türkiye as a new threat."
Interactions with Non-Religious Jews
https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Interactions_with_Non-Religious_Jews#cite_note-1
The Rambam writes that the children and grandchildren of the Karaites were considered like tinokot shenishbau since he was brought up by a mistaken ideology. It is as though they were forced to accept heretical beliefs and even if they are exposed to Orthodox Jews they are still a tinok shenishba because they were brought up with those ideas.[1]Mamrim (03:03) The children of these errant people and their grandchildren whose parents led them away and they were born among these Karaities and raised according to their conception, they are considered as a children captured and raised by them. Such a child may not be eager to follow the path of mitzvot, for it is as if he was compelled not to. Even if later, he hears that he is Jewish and saw Jews and their faith, he is still considered as one who was compelled against observance, for he was raised according to their mistaken path. This applies to those who we mentioned who follow the erroneous Karaite path of their ancestors. Therefore it is appropriate to motivate them to repent and draw them to the power of the Torah with words of peace. Even though many rishonim disagree,[2] theoretically they agree for someone completely brought up with a secular upbringing but they consider that the Karaites were too exposed to Jews to say they were forced to believe their beliefs.[3]
Most poskim applied the Rambam's approach to Karaites to secular and non-religious Jews today.[4] However, not all poskim agree to this assertion,[5] especially where a non-religious Jew was raised in a non-religious home but was in the presence of an Orthodox community.[6]
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]
Rav Asher Weiss held that non-religious Israelis are tinokot shenishbau since they have developed a disdain for Orthodoxy because of the media.[10]
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach held that non-regiligous Israelis are not considered tinokot shenishbau.[11]
It is impossible to make a general statement for everyone and it really depends on a case by case judgement of a bet din.[12]
Concerning someone who strayed from Torah factors that are important to consider in order not to consider him a mumar are: was he abused physically or sexually by a parent or teacher and was he exposed to a critical amount of Torah learning he was exposed to.[13]
A non-religious Jew who doesn't believe in Hashem even if he is a tinok shenishba can't get an aliyah.[14]
A non-religious Jew even if is a tinok shenishba is culpable for not believing in the primary tenants of our faith.[15] Others contend with this assertion.[16]
It is forbidden to hate any Jew today even if they are a mumar and not a tinok shenishba.[17]
Astrology is not from Sinai
Maharam Schick (E.H. #7): My opinion is that these matters of planetary motion were not received by our Sages as halacha l’Moshe m’Sinai (Divinely given on Sinai) but rather were said according to their own reasoning. In such matters which are not part of our Tradition and have no root in our Torah but rather are the result of investigation and experience – it is difficult to determine if it is actually true. There are many times when sages decided matters according to their own intellects, but later generations investigated deeper and rejected the findings of the earlier generations. Therefore all matters that are based upon experience are impossible to decide unequivocally but can only be described in terms of whether most people agree with it. That is why in Pesachim (94b), Rebbe says that, “the view of the secular sages appears to be correct.” He did not simply say that they were correct. That is because they only produced logical proofs and thus it is impossible to declare that the matter is finally resolved…. Final resolutions are only relevant concerning the laws of the Torah where we are commanded to do according to that which appears correct – “a judge can only decide based on what he sees” – and G d agrees to the decision of man. This is not so concerning investigations of nature and science.