Psaki: Donald Trump does not appear to know what A.I. is

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher

 "Next, we consider the science of psychology. Incidentally, psychoanalysis is not a science: it is at best a medical process, and perhaps even more like witch-doctoring. It has a theory as to what causes disease—lots of different “spirits,” etc. The witch doctor has a theory that a disease like malaria is caused by a spirit which comes into the air; it is not cured by shaking a snake over it, but quinine does help malaria. So, if you are sick, I would advise that you go to the witch doctor because he is the man in the tribe who knows the most about the disease; on the other hand, his knowledge is not science. Psychoanalysis has not been checked carefully by experiment, and there is no way to find a list of the number of cases in which it works, the number of cases in which it does not work, etc."

Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/kshare?asin=B004OVEYNU&ref_=kar_wh_ca

Essays After Eighty

 "After a life of loving the old, by natural law I turned old myself. Decades followed each other—thirty was terrifying, forty I never noticed because I was drunk, fifty was best with a total change of life, sixty began to extend the bliss of fifty—and then came my cancers, Jane’s death, and over the years I traveled to another universe. However alert we are, however much we think we know what will happen, antiquity remains an unknown, unanticipated galaxy. It is alien, and old people are a separate form of life. They have green skin, with two heads that sprout antennae. They can be pleasant, they can be annoying—in the supermarket, these old ladies won’t get out of my way—but most important they are permanently other. When we turn eighty, we understand that we are extraterrestrial. If we forget for a moment that we are old, we are reminded when we try to stand up, or when we encounter someone young, who appears to observe green skin, extra heads, and protuberances."

Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/kshare?asin=B00HK3F0B4&ref_=kar_wh_ca

Tumah why Prohibhited

 Chinuch (159) The wisdom of God is greater than all wisdom and that He only commands a thing for our good and for our great benefit — we have no difficulty or question in all of the prohibition of foods and distancing of impurity, in everything that the benefit to us is not known and graspable by investigation; as we truthfully know, it is all for the good. And do not wonder, my son, about the matters of impurity, if it is very hidden from every creature — as it is possible that impurity injures the soul and makes it a little sick. 

Chinuch (362) The commandment to send the impure out of the camp of the Divine Presence: It is known to the Sages that the matter of impurity weakens the power of the intellect and mixes it up and separates between it and the pure and perfect Elevated Understanding. And it will be separated until it is purified. And it is as it is written regarding the matter of impurity  “and do not become impure with them and be impurified  in them” —The sources of intellect are stupefied by impurity. Hence it is not fitting for a person who is sullied by impurity to be in the holy and pure place, wherein the spirit of God is found And this matter can be compared metaphorically to the palace of a king from which we distance any man that is leprous or disgusting in his body, or even in his clothing. 

Derech HaShem (01:05): And there are surely many different levels about the matter of the powers of evil that we mentioned, and that which is influenced by them. And generally that which is influenced by them is called impurity, darkness, pollution, mundane or that which is similar. And that which is influenced by the shining of His countenance, is called holiness, purity, light, blessing and that which is similar to it

Kli Yakar (Vayikra 21:02) For his kin. The reason for the prohibition of impurity is because of the spirit of impurity that remains attached to the human body. Therefore it is said he shall not become impure for a soul and it does not say “by a soul” because the soul itself is pure and has no aspect of impurity. However, the soul is the cause of impurity because all other living creatures that do not have a rational soul but only a life force — their death is merely the separation of the four elements, and the Angel of Death is not involved with them at all. Therefore, they do not have severe impurity. But the human soul does not depart except through the Angel of Death, who removes it from there against its will,

Mamar HaIkkarim (03)However the truth of the existence of good and evil is that the Master placed holiness and impurity into the world. The explanation of holiness is the existence of closeness to Him and that of impurity is the existence of distance from Him. Holiness is the impact that the Master, effects upon someone who is fitting for it and the influence that descends upon him. And impurity is the distancing that G-d distances Himself, and the absence that He so produces. However the truth is that the Master, created various spiritual powers for this purpose. And darkness and pollution are effected by them, such that in every place that you find this pollution, He will remove His holiness from there and remove His light from there, . And these are called the powers of impurity. 

How R. Moshe Feinstein wrote responsa, and what was his window to the world.

https://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-r-moshe-feinstein-wrote-responsa.html

 Shaul Seidler-Feller conducted an interview with Rabbi Moshe Tendler in which he discusses his illustrious father-in-law Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. The middle paragraph, where R. Feinstein's four-step method of writing responsa is described, is particularly interesting:

My shver was uniquely sensitive to society. Despite what they write in all the books about him, my shver never failed to read the Yiddish newspaper – either the Tog in the early years or the Morgn-Zhurnal later on – cover-to-cover every single day. People publish that he would walk down the street and avert his eyes when he passed by newspaper stands. There are a thousand talmidim of his who will testify, “I bought the paper and handed it to him in the lunchroom in the yeshivah,” but it does not make a difference for some people – they do not want to hear that. Even when he was not well and the doctor insisted that he must lie down to sleep for an hour, he would go home, put on a bathrobe, and smuggle a newspaper into the bedroom so that his wife would not see it. He sat there reading the whole time, rather than sleeping. I used to ask him, “Why do you read this chazeray (junk)?” He would respond to me, “Dos iz mayn vinde” – this is my window [to the world]. He understood society and his piskei Halachah show that. He used to say, “People think that because I’m aware of society, I became a meikel (lenient decisor). What do they want me to do – paskn incorrectly? I’m not a meikel – I paskn the way it has to be. The Halachah takes into account societal factors.” This willingness to be exposed to society made his teshuvos more meaningful and more acceptable.

Journalism, Controversy, and Responsibility: halachic Analysis

 https://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/journal/oppenheimer-1.htm

 I would, however, like to discuss whether there are halachic guidelines involved in newspaper reporting. How should a Jewish newspaper conduct its investigative reporting? For that matter, what is our obligation as readers? Does Halacha take a position on whether and how stories should be reported in the press. The public revelation of an impropriety can result in a lesson for others in the greater community, even if the transgressor refuses to mend his ways. The Talmud tells us that we should expose the hypocrites, i.e. those people who pretend to be righteous. Otherwise, people might emulate such an individual, believing his flawed behavior to be proper. Moreover, when he is published, people would incorrectly surmise that his "righteousness" didn't protect him. This would result in a chilul HaShem, a desecration of G-d's name.46 For this reason, Rabbi David ben Chaim HaCohen (Radach) wrote a public criticism of a rabbi who acted inappropriately in the bestowal of a Get and refused to concede his wrongdoing.47

The prohibition of lashon hara does not apply where the information is needed for a reason. It also does not apply when the subject of the information is a wicked person.48 The Chafetz Chaim writes that if there are persistent rumors about an individual's transgressions, and if the general public opinion is that this person is suspected of being guilty of these transgressions, he may be considered a wicked person and it is permitted to shame him.49 Similarly, the Talmud tells us that it is permitted to embarrass someone who is reputed to be an adulterer.50 It is even permitted to embarrass his parents.51 Since the purpose of the embarrassment is to effect a change in the wrongdoer's behavior embarrassing the person's parents has the effect of bringing additional pressure to effect this change. This ruling applies only when a person repeatedly transgresses and deservedly has a reputation for this behavior.52

The Talmud53 relates that there was once a young rabbi who developed a distasteful reputation. Ritva writes that it involved his meeting privately with unmarried women.54 Even though the community needed this young rabbi's Torah instruction, Rabbi Yehuda concluded that it would be a chilul HaShem to allow a reputed sinner to teach Torah to those who are aware of his alleged transgressions. Furthermore, suggests Ritva, covering up the transgression and allowing him to continue to teach would also constitute a desecration. Rabbi Yehuda, therefore, excommunicated him, even though the community would be deprived of the young rabbi's talents.55 We see from here that even if a person performs an important community function if his behavior is offensive, he may not continue in his community positions? This article will explore these issues.

Rabbi Greenblatt told this writer that there was a Yeshiva Day School principal who was abusive to children in his school. The incidents were investigated and found out to be true. The principal had a year to go in his contract and agreed to go quietly after the year would be up. An assistant principal was hired for the specific purpose of supervising the behavior of the principal. This solution was recommended by the posek to whom the problem was referred. What would have happened had the principal refused to go along with this solution? Rabbi Greenblatt said it would then have been appropriate to go to the newspaper and write an article saying there was a principal who was accused of mistreating children. The name of the principal should not be mentioned so that there should not be further embarrassment to him. If he still refuses to accept the posek's decision, then his name and more details can be written because the rights of the community supersede the rights of the individual who is threatening the welfare of the community, according to Rabbi Greenblatt. Once the principal agrees to the plans for his departure, no other articles specifically referring to him may be written since that would cause needless embarrassment.

Discussing Journalism and Jewish Law with Rabbi J. David Bleich

 https://jewishaction.com/religion/jewish-law/discussing-journalism-jewish-law-rabbi-j-david-bleich/

The Chofetz Chaim was on the mark. If you are speaking of people who have no need for the news then reading newspapers is a waste of time. But, if you are talking about people who are communal leaders in one sense or another, the relevant source is the Ralbag’s commentary on Megillas Esther. The Ralbag authored two commentaries on Tanach. They are merged into one but are clearly demarcated. One is his commentary on the text, which is often philosophical in nature, the other is what he calls the “to’iliyos,” the “benefits” or moral lessons, that can be derived. In his work on Megillas Esther Ralbag enumerates fifty-one to’iliyos. Commenting on the phrase “U’Mordechai yoshev besha’ar hamelech,”   “Mordechai sits at the gate of the king,” Ralbag notes that Mordechai spent time in the corridors of the court to inform himself of the goings-on within the palace. The to’eles that one is supposed to derive from this narrative is that a leader or manhig—Mordechai was a member of the Sanhedrin—must be aware of matters of state. What transpires in the halls of government does affect us. Clearly, Jews have to be informed, or at least some Jews must be informed. Perhaps in this day and age a majority of Jews have a need to be informed.

The establishment of an Orthodox press in Europe was an attempt to produce what I would call a “name, rank and serial number” type of news reporting. It was necessary to present people with the bare-bone facts and, although I have not read the European press to any real extent, I am quite sure that there were editorial comments of one kind or another that also entered into excurses with regard to how events reported in the news columns would impact upon the Jewish community and how the community should react. That is what the Ralbag meant when he identified the benefit that can be derived from “news.” I am quite certain that one need not read a newspaper cover to cover, but I do believe that a person who is in the position of an opinion molder has to be aware of current events. Students and congregants require guidance. We do not live in an insular enclave.

It occurred to me not long ago that a close comparison may be drawn between the prohibitions against lashon hara and American constitutional jurisprudence regarding commercial speech. The First Amendment was never regarded as providing absolute protection to commercial speech. It was never regarded as allowing someone to advertise snake oil as a panacea for cancer. The government can restrict such speech; the government can criminalize it; the government can penalize a person who engages in such speech. However, in a seminal case, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, the Supreme Court established the parameters of the restrictions that may be imposed on commercial speech. The Court did not wave a judicial wand and proclaim that when the First Amendment says Congress shall make no law with regard to the abridgment of freedom of speech, it does not mean commercial speech, because commercial speech is not “speech” and therefore Congress can impose any restriction it wishes. Instead the Supreme Court said that commercial speech is “speech” and is included in the First Amendment. However, because commercial speech is a special category of speech, the freedom of commercial speech is limited; it is not absolute.

In Canada, vast majority agree both anti-Semitism & anti-Muslim views are problems; less consensus over severity

 https://angusreid.org/concern-over-anti-semitism-islamophobia/

New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds broad agreement in this country that both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim discrimination are problems domestically. Indeed, three-quarters see both as significantly problematic, while just 11 per cent of Canadians feel that each is “not really a problem”.

Most (75%) Canadian Jews see anti-Semitism as a major problem. However, Canadian Muslims place less emphasis on it, with half in that group saying it either is a minor problem (17%) or not really a problem at all in Canada (32%). Asked about the reverse, 48 per cent of Muslims perceive anti-Muslim discrimination as a major problem and 26 per cent of Jews agree. Few Jews describe anti-Muslim hatred as a minor problem (15%) or not one at all (4%).

Anti-Semitism is much more likely to be seen as a major problem by respondents who self identified as Jews in this survey. Three-quarters (75%) say it requires serious attention. Muslims are less likely to see anti-Semitism as a serious concern, with one-third (32%) viewing it as not a problem at all

Sen. Tim Scott takes aim at 'dangerous' Democrats in fiery convention speech

Halacha and Science

 Michtav M'Eliyahu (4:355): When Rav Dessler was asked concerning certain halachos that the reason that had been given for them is not in accord with modern science... for example  This that it is permitted to kill lice because they don't reproduce sexually. Rav Dessler stated that concerning this matter and those like them the Halacha never changes even though the reason doesn't make sense to us. We are to hold on to the Halacha with two hands whether to be strict or lenient [not like the Pachad Yitzchok]. The reason for this is that the Halacha was known to Chazal by tradition through the generations and they also knew things through experience.... The important point is that the reasoning they gave did not create the Halacha but rather the reverse was true, the Halacha created the reasoning. The reasoning given in the gemora is not the only possible explanation. If they happened to give explanations on occasion which were only true according to the science of their day, we have an obligation to search out alternative explanations that will justify the Halacha according to modern science.... Even if one cannot find a convincing explanation, we must still believe with perfect faith that the Halacha is still true and we hope that G d will enlighten us with an appropriate explanation.

Pesachim (94b) The Sages of Israel maintain: The sun travels beneath the sky by day and above the sky at night; while the Sages of the nations of the world maintain: It travels beneath the sky by day and below the earth at night. Said Rabbi: And their view is preferable to ours, for the wells are cold by day but warm at night.

Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin

 https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-bankrolled-russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-putin

Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the event. The oligarch paid to rent out one of the private islands, where a reception was held and where guests slept. He also covered other big-ticket items, like the fireworks show, and his team helped plan the event. Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. The wedding payments came from an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing association uses for financial transactions.

Kremlev’s previously unreported relationship with Trump Jr. represents an extraordinary development: a member of Putin’s circle financially supporting the president’s son and gaining intimate access to the Trump family. For a decade, Putin’s government, regarded as a chief adversary of the U.S., has been accused of efforts to influence American elections. Attempts by Russia to make inroads with the Trumps before the 2016 election exploded into controversy that dogged much of the president’s first term.

“If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired career FBI official who held senior counterintelligence roles. Oligarchs like Kremlev often act in coordination with the Russian government. While it’s unclear if that happened here, Trump Jr. put himself in a precarious position, Montoya said. “This should be unthinkable for the son of the president. End of story.”

The revelations come as Trump Jr. has emerged as a political power center in his own right. Beloved by the MAGA base, he reportedly played an active role in vetting White House cabinet picks for Trump’s second term and was dubbed his father’s “most essential political adviser” by The Wall Street Journal. “I certainly don’t think I’d be sitting here as the VP nominee without Don’s help,” Vice President JD Vance told the outlet in late 2024.

Bettina Trump defends letting Putin-linked Russian oligarch pay for Don Jr. wedding celebration

 https://nypost.com/2026/09/14/us-news/bettina-trump-defends-letting-putin-linked-russian-oligarch-pay-for-don-jr-wedding-celebrations/

 First daughter-in-law Bettina Trump claimed Monday that a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin was acting as a “close friend” when he footed the bill for the celebration of her May wedding to Donald Trump Jr.

Umar Kremlev shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars for several items related to the couple’s May 21 nuptials on a private island in the Bahamas, including paying for an additional private island to host the reception as well as a fireworks show, ProPublica reported.

Days before attending the wedding, Kremlev was in China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin on a state visit, according to Beijing’s official media. The 43-year-old is best known as head of the International Boxing Association, a position he has held since 2020. During that period, the International Olympic Committee revoked its recognition of the IBA due to a purported lack of progress in dealing with alleged corruption. Kremlev and Don Jr., a devotee of combat sports like his father, participated in an IBA panel event in Istanbul last year.

Kremlev is also tied to an organization called Healthy Fatherland, which is run by his wife’s twin sister. The group is under Ukrainian sanctions for allegedly helping abduct children from occupied territories and relocating them in Russia. Melania Trump has worked to reunite kidnapped Ukrainian children with their families.

Why Republicans struggle to prove the danger of socialism

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/15/gop-socialism-lite-risks-midterms-without-free-market-contrast/

When the GOP embraces big government, it’s harder to champion free markets.

When one party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, the midterm elections are a referendum on the party in power. With President Donald Trump’s approval ratings falling into the 30s and affordability remaining a top issue for voters, it is rational for Republicans to direct attention to how much worse the economic pain will be under Democrats. Fortunately for congressional Republicans, the Democratic base is obliging them by nominating candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, whose platform includes defunding the police and abolishing the U.S. Senate.

Unfortunately, the socialist attack would be more potent if the GOP offered a clear contrast. Instead, the last two years of Republican rule have ushered more government intrusion into the marketplace than a socialist congressional caucus could ever deliver.

The problem for Republicans this November is that they are not presenting a clear contrast between the failures of socialism and the blessings of free markets. Rather, they are increasingly adopting big-government policies and flexing federal power, while muddying the waters between their competing visions for the country’s future.

A Republican convention about fear collides with a midterm about prices

 https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6087693-trump-midterm-affordability-gap/

In a Reuters-Ipsos poll last week, 47 percent of voters said that the cost of living would be the single biggest factor in how they vote this November. Thus, when Republicans gathered in Dallas last week for their first-ever midterm convention, they had an important opportunity to show voters how the party would ease the affordability crisis.

Indeed, the Republicans had billed their convention as a showcase for its affordability agenda — no tax on tips or overtime, tax cuts and an economy they insist is finally turning the corner. However, the message that actually filled the American Airlines Center was not that Republicans would make life cheaper.  It was that Democrats are too extreme to be trusted with power.

So, lacking an appealing economic message, Republicans are betting that they can make November an election about fear of Democratic extremism.

Democratic voters driven more by opposition to Trump than party platform in fight for the House, poll finds

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/13/democratic-voters-trump-opposition-midterms-poll-01073868

Democratic voters are more motivated to get to the polls by their widespread dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump rather than the policies their candidates are putting forward, according to a CBS News poll released Sunday.

Among likely Democratic voters, 54% said they primarily wanted to stop Trump and the GOP from advancing their agenda, while 46% wanted to help Democrats enact theirs. By contrast, 57% of Republicans said they were seeking to help Trump and the GOP advance their policies, while 43% wanted to stop Democrats.

Voters gave Trump an overall approval rating of 39%, with 61% disapproving of his performance, per the poll. And his endorsement could actually serve as a liability for Republican candidates — with 48% of likely voters saying a Trump endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate, compared with 21% who said it would make them more likely.

Avodas HaShem

 Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz (Sichos Mussar #33 5731): Everyone is required to thoroughly examine his deeds especially before Rosh HaShanna - the Day of Judgment. This obligation is not just to discover transgressions and lapses in observance of the commands. It also includes the evaluation whether one's path in serving G d is the correct one for him since everyone has a unique path. The issue  of Avodas HaShem is such that a person could keep all the mitzvos yet have a completely false approach to serving G-d. The problem is compounded by the fact that he might have incorrectly assumed that what he was doing would be pleasing to G d. Nevertheless all his efforts would have been to accomplish a mistaken goal. Consequently if he has not carefully evaluated the correctness of his plan then all his efforts and sacrifices are wasted. Furthermore he is punished according to the degree of effort he made to accomplish this wrong plan. This can be seen from the fact that Rav Yochanon ben Zakkai who was not only the leading Torah scholar of his time but also had succeeded in saving Torah for all future generations was frightened before his death. He cried before his students and said "I see before me two paths - one to Gan Eden and the other to Gehinom and I don't know where they are taking me. Shouldn't I cry?" His fear was not because of failing to keep the whole Torah. His fear was solely because he might have failed to properly have done his Avodas HaShem. There is the additional problem with Avodas HaShem - that one simply can't repent for doing it incorrectly since it is easy to be mistaken and assume that you are doing the right thing.  

Why 3 years after Oct. 7, antisemitism in Canada remains at an alarming high

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-3-years-after-oct-7-antisemitism-in-canada-remains-at-an-alarming-high/

Amid a spate of attacks against Jewish targets in Toronto and Montreal, many Canadian Jews and their allies question whether the government is doing enough

Since Hamas’s terror attack on the Nova festival and on residents of several kibbutzim in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 — which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage — incidents of antisemitism in Canada rose dramatically.

What is clear is that this rise in antisemitism is a Canadian concern. And how we respond to it as a country says as much about our civic health as it does about the safety of any one community.

Aveira Lishma-Transgressing for a Mitzva

 Keser Rosh(132) An aveira Leshma has not been permitted at all from the time of the giving of the Torah otherwise why have the 613 Mitzvos

Horayos (10b) A transgression with good intent is more meritorious than the performance of a commandment with no intent; for it is said, Blessed above women Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed. Who are the women in the tent? Sarah, Rebeka, Rachel and Leah.

Nazir (23b): A transgression performed with good intention is better than a precept performed with evil intention.

https://minchasasher.com/shiur/parsha-shiurim/aveira-good-intentions-5776/

It would have seemed from this Gemara that one has an open license to commit an Aveira if one has a good intention in mind. However, Rav Chaim Volozhiner[5] flatly rejects such an interpretation. He says that if that were the case then there is no need for 613 Mitzvos. All one would need is good intentions; there would be no need for a structured list. He therefore says that once Torah was given that is the absolute rule. Only before Torah was given, and during our time to the B’nei Noach, there is permission to act in accordance to what seems to be correct, even if it’s an Aveira. What about Ya’el? To that he has two answers. Firstly that she knew and perceived deep Kabbalistic secrets pertaining to this relation. But none of us nowadays have such knowledge. Secondly, it was done to save all of Klal Yisrael.

The Ramchal[6] has a similar opinion to Rav Chaim Volozhiner. These Gemarahs play no practical role nowadays. Ya’el’s actions were a specific ruling due to deep Kabbalistic reasoning.

Kappores

Rashba  (1:295) Mar, the Master already wrote: I have found that this custom of kappores was widespread in our town, that they would slaughter an old chicken for the sake of atonement over a young man, they would cut its head and hang it by its feathers at the door with garlic. And this is nonsense in my eyes like the ways of the Ammorites. I've pushed this custom out and by the grace of Heaven, they listened to my word and none of these practices remain anymore in our city.I have heard from different people from Ashkenaz who sit with us in the beit midrash (house of study) that all of the rabbis of their land do this on erev Yom Kippur...I still withheld this from our town.

Shulchan Aruch(Orach Chayim 605:1)That which people are accustomed to perform kapparah before Yom Kippur by slaughtering a rooster for each male and to say verses over it, you should prevent the custom.

Rema (OC 605) And there are those from the Geonim that write about this custom, and similarly it is written from many Achronim, and so is the custom in all these countries  - and you shouldn't change, for it is an ancient custom.

Tzarich Iyun: Tashlich

 https://outorah.org/p/5695/

This custom was soon adopted by many Ashkenazic communities, albeit with variations. Tashlich is mentioned by the Rema (OC 583:2); since the Arizal also approved of the practice, a kabbalistic component was added, and it soon spread to Sephardic communities as well, although not to Yemen.

It is hard to believe that such a widespread custom originated in the fifteenth century without an earlier basis. The Rashban (OC 210) thus suggests that tashlich is based on a Biblical precedent. He cites the anointing of King Solomon (mentioned earlier) as well as Ezra gathering the people at the “water gate,” the nearest gate to the water source, on Rosh Hashanah for a public reading of the Torah (Nechemiah 8:1).

It is interesting to note that there were those who did not practice tashlich at all. The Gra reportedly did not perform tashlich, nor did his star pupil Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin.[17] The Chayei Adam fails to record the custom. From the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 583:4) it seems that tashlich was far from a universal custom; furthermore, the Aruch Hashulchan has an ancillary problem with the custom. He advises women not go to tashlich so as not to create a mixed scene. If they do go, he suggests the men should stay home.[18] Evidently, the custom was not very important to him.[19]

IT'S GROTESQUE': Joe slams Trump from blaming Ukraine for rising diesel prices

Trump LOSES IT After Supreme Court DELIVERS DEVASTATING TAX RETURN BLOW!!!

Tzom Gedaliah Fast Day

 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2316462/jewish/Tzom-Gedaliah-Fast-Day.htm

Tzom Gedaliah is a dawn-to-dusk fast (click here for exact times) observed on the day after Rosh Hashanah (if that day is Shabbat, it is observed on Sunday). Commemorating the tragic death of Gedaliah, governor of Judea, the day begins with special Selichot liturgy (click here for a Hebrew PDF).

After the Babylonians destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiled many Jews in 3338 (423 BCE), they appointed Gedaliah ben Achikam as governor of the remaining Jews in the Holy Land. Jews who had taken refuge in the surrounding lands of Ammon, Moab and Edom heard of his appointment and returned to Judea to join his group—the last remnant of the once-mighty Judea. Under his wise and pious leadership, they tilled, planted and cultivated, coaxing the ravaged land back to health.

Prior to Rosh Hashanah 3339, Gedaliah received word that a certain Ishmael ben Netaniah, jealous of his position of power and dissatisfied with his tactical alliance with the Babylonians, was planning to kill him and usurp the leadership for himself. But the trusting Gedaliah refused to believe that Ishmael would act treacherously, and restrained those who wanted to kill Ishmael.

On Rosh Hashanah, Ishmael came to Gedaliah with ten men, ostensibly to celebrate the holiday with him. While they were eating together, Ishmael and his men got up and killed Gedaliah, as well as all the other Jewish men and Babylonian soldiers who were present.

Lawler deflects on supporting Trump’s $5K dividend pledge: ‘How do you pay for it?’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6086944-lawler-questions-trump-dividend/

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on Sunday joined multiple Republican lawmakers in questioning the fiscal sense of President Trump’s proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult. 

Multiple GOP lawmakers have pushed back on Trump’s proposal. Outgoing Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) was among them, arguing the dividends would lead to government “dependency,” which he called evil.

Vice President Vance said Wednesday on Fox News’s “Hannity” that the administration could tap into tariff revenue to fund such a program, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday the administration will not utilize taxpayer money to dole out the dividends.

Trump Promised $5,000 Checks. Mike Johnson Won’t Guarantee Them

 https://www.newsweek.com/mike-johnson-wont-guarantee-trump-5000-checks-americans-12436543

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, declined on Sunday to guarantee that Americans will receive the $5,000 payments promised by President Donald Trump on Wednesday if the GOP maintains its majority in Congress in this year's midterm election, raising questions about the viability of one of the administration's most high-profile recent economic proposals.

Republicans cast Muslim Democrats as chief enemies in ‘dangerous’ midterm pitch

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6085055-gop-cruz-muslim-democrats-midterms/ 

The attacks ramped up at Republicans’ first-ever midterm convention in Dallas this past week, where a host of top GOP figures called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, two of the country’s most prominent Muslim American Democrats.

Republicans, however, say the strategy is not about religion but rather highlighting what the Democratic Party has become. 

RFK Jr. is going to war against SSRIs. Doctors and patients are caught in the middle.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/14/why-everyones-suddenly-talking-about-quitting-antidepressants/

For years, the issue lingered at the margins — on patient forums and in a handful of studies. It gained broader attention in early May, when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced an effort to study and support the “deprescribing” of psychiatric drugs. The Department of Health and Human Services said it will encourage other interventions such as therapy and lifestyle changes to treat mental health conditions, get experts to draft guidelines for going off psychiatric medications and develop materials on potential risks.

Kennedy has long been skeptical of SSRIs, particularly their use in children, which has at times sparked controversy. Still, many scientists — including those who say the administration is overstating the potential harms of SSRIs or missing nuance — say the underlying concern is real.

Some psychiatrists caution against overcorrecting. They worry that the growing focus on withdrawal could discourage appropriate use of antidepressants or lead patients to attribute symptoms during tapering to withdrawal when they may reflect a return of the underlying illness.

Houthis grow stronger as Trump turns his back on US allies

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/13/houthis-grow-stronger-as-trump-turns-his-back-on-us-allies/

The latest developments in Yemen are bad news for Israel. It is not only the Houthis' takeover of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with its damaging implications for global maritime trade and the boost it gives Iran's regional standing. More troubling is the US position, which is shying away from confrontation and effectively leaving Washington's allies to fend for themselves.

US President Donald Trump, addressing the issue over the weekend, said, "The Houthis called us and they don't want to fight with us." It is a striking and troubling retreat from the role of global policeman that Trump sought to project during the first half of his second term. He is presumably reluctant to open another military front ahead of the US midterm elections, amid reports of equipment problems in the US military and shortages of munitions.

Last year, Trump launched a campaign against the Houthis, only to pull back within weeks and leave Israel to fight them alone. Now he has left Saudi Arabia behind as well. Riyadh had pleaded for assistance and now finds itself caught in a pincer movement, with Iran on one side and the Houthis on the other, while its offensive capabilities, and especially its defensive capabilities, remain severely limited.

Kushner: US used fallout from Qatar strike to pressure Israel on Gaza deal

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/433088

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor, said Sunday that the Trump administration used the diplomatic fallout from Israel's September 2025 strike in Qatar as leverage to press Israel to accept an agreement ending the war in Gaza.

According to Kushner, the failure to eliminate the senior Hamas leaders targeted in the operation contributed to growing international pressure on Israel and gave the US administration an opportunity to advance an agreement.

Kushner's remarks follow comments he made last week regarding the implementation of the Trump administration's plans for the future of Gaza. He said that Israel's election campaign was complicating efforts to move forward with the plan.

Tumah and Goyim

 Shem MShmuel (Veschanon 678) It is well known that the forces of impurity are not known or have dominion over anything other than what is manifest; Thus, a concealed area  does not contract impurity. Consequently, when it appears outwardly as though the Name of God—which dwells among the people of Israel—has departed from them, the forces of impurity and the "external forces" step in and attach themselves to them, drawing them ever deeper into sin and transgression. This differs from the case of the nations of the world: just as they do not transmit impurity through death, neither do they become further degraded by sin; they remain in their natural, material state, lacking the intensely powerful force of attraction toward evil that exists among the people of Israel. This is akin to the impurity of the dead—which surges upward to the heavens—so too is the nature of the forces of impurity and evil that are drawn in upon the departure of God’s Name; they possess a potency far greater than that of the natural, material forces of evil.

Skeptical Vance reportedly sought direct intel from US generals on state of Iran war

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/skeptical-vance-reportedly-sought-direct-intel-from-us-generals-on-state-of-iran-war/

‘Sobering private assessments’ were often quite different from Trump’s boastful public rhetoric on US performance in the conflict and deeply alarmed the VP

Citing over half a dozen current and former US officials, The New York Times said in a Thursday report that the “sobering private assessments” received by Vance were often quite different from the often boastful public rhetoric coming from US President Donald Trump.

The commanders warned Vance about severely depleted military stockpiles, as well as the Iranian regime’s willingness to dig in for a major and drawn-out fight, the report said, citing “more than half a dozen” current and former officials.

Rabbi Sacks' 10 Short Ideas about Rosh Hashanah

 https://aish.com/what-rosh-hashanah-says-to-us/

What then does Rosh Hashanah say to us? How can it transform our lives? The genius of Judaism was to take eternal truths and translate them into time, into lived experiences. Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of the creation of humanity, invites us to live and feel the human condition in graphic ways.

The first thing it tells us is that life is short. However much life expectancy has risen, we will not, in one lifetime, be able to achieve everything we might wish to achieve. Untaneh Tokef tells the poetry of mortality with haunting pathos:

The historian Paul Johnson once wrote: “No people has ever insisted more firmly than the Jews that history has a purpose and humanity a destiny.” He concluded: “The Jews, therefore, stand right at the center of the perennial attempt to give human life the dignity of a purpose” (Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews, Prologue). That too is one of the truths of Rosh Hashanah.

Top Republicans didn’t expect Trump’s dividends. Now they’re scrambling.

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/10/republicans-split-trump-payouts-midterms-01071816

Top Republican lawmakers had no idea President Donald Trump was going to promise $5,000 checks to every adult American so long as his party keeps control of Congress. Now, they’re grappling with how to handle the fallout.

GOP leaders have privately pushed back on similar Trump promises of giving money to Americans in the past year, according to four people granted anonymity to share details of closed-door meetings. Senior Republicans on Capitol Hill were blindsided by Trump’s Wednesday night announcement in Dallas, and are trying to manage lawmakers’ and voters’ expectations about a trillion-dollar-plus proposal they cannot deliver.