John King takes on Trump Jr.'s attack: This is dangerous

Anderson Cooper on Rod Blagojevich claim: Just nuts

Blagojevich: I broke no laws, crossed no lines

does halacha change?

אמת ליעקב שמות פרק כד פסוק יח

(יח) ויהי משה בהר ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה.

עיין בפרקי דרבי אליעזר [פמ"ו] דאיתא בזה"ל: ריב"ק אומר מ' יום עשה משה בהר קורא במקרא ביום ושונה במשנה בלילה ולאחר מ' יום וכו', ועיי"ש. ונראה שבעל כרחך זמן תורה שבעל פה הוא בלילה, דהא קי"ל דברים שבכתב אי אתה רשאי לאומרן בעל פה32. ומזה [אנו למדים] שכל מצבי האדם מסוגלים לתלמוד תורה, אלא שכל מצב יש לו תורה מיוחדת, ודו"ק.

אמנם בעיקר דין זה יש לתמוה, הא הלכה פסוקה היא שדברים שבכתב אסור לאומרן בע"פ ודברים שבע"פ אי אתה רשאי לכותבן, ומה אנו רואין כעת הלכה למעשה, הפוסקים טרחו וגבבו לנו היתרים שונים לדברים שבכתב לאומרן בע"פ, ולהפך דברים שבע"פ התירו לכתוב משום עת לעשות ד', אבל ההיתר הזה נתרחב ונתפשט עד שכל גדולי ישראל ברכו ברכת שהחיינו כשזכו להעלות דבריהם על הכתב, ובלי שום היסוס וחשש כתבו דברים שבע"פ, ולמצוה וזכות הוא נחשב, ואיך נתהפך הדבר מן הקצה אל הקצה?

מקובל הוא אצל כל מאמין בעיקרי דתנו, כי התורה המצויה עתה בידנו היא היא הנתונה למשה רבינו. וברור הוא אצל כל אחד, כי משה רבינו ועזרא הסופר והלל הנשיא והרמב"ם והרמ"א כולן נטלו בימי החג אותן ארבעת המינין שאנו נוטלין. וכן תקעו באותו השופר שאנו תוקעין. ואותו התפילין והציצית והמזוזה המצויות עתה בידנו, הן הן שהיו בידי התנאים והאמוראים והגאונים והרבנים הראשונים והאחרונים. אבל מה נשתנה מצות ת"ת עד שמדור לדור רואין אנו שמשתנים אופני קיום מצוה זו וכמה מדיניה קבלו צורה אחרת לגמרי?

הבה נברר דברינו: בתחלה מי שיש לו אב מלמדו תורה מי שאין לו אב לא היה לומד תורה מאי דרוש: ולמדתם אותם ולמדתם אתם, התקינו שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בירושלים, מאי דרוש: כי מציון תצא תורה. ועדיין מי שיש לו אב היה מעלו ומלמדו מי שאין לו אב לא היה עולה ולמד, התקינו שיהו מושיבין בכל פלך ופלך ומכניסין אותו כבן ט"ז כבן י"ז ומי שהיה רבו כועס עליו מבעט בו ויוצא. עד שבא יהושע בן גמלא ותיקן: שיהו מושיבין בכל עיר ועיר ומכניסין אותן כבן ו' כבן ז' [ב"ב דף כ"א ע"א]. הרי שבמצוה זו שינו וחזרו ושינו, תקנו וחזרו ותקנו, ומי התיר להם לבטל דרשת ולמדתם אתם ודרשת כי מציון תצא תורה?

לפי דברי המשנה [אבות פ"ה מכ"א] בן חמש למקרא בן עשר למשנה בן ט"ו לגמרא, וכן היתה ההלכה הפסוקה, מתחלה חייב הבן ללמוד תורה שבכתב כולה ואח"כ לומד משנה וגמרא. ואעפ"כ בזמן גדולי הפוסקים האחרונים, הב"ח והש"ך, עד דורותינו אלו, דורות שהיו זהירים בקיום כל המצוות עם כל פרטיהן ודקדוקיהן, ובכל זאת הזניחו את התנ"ך. וזכורים אנו שגם בימינו כשהתינוק עדיין אין לו ידיעה ואפילו שטחית בתורה שבכתב כבר מתחיל הוא למוד הגמרא ומזניחין לגמרי את לימוד התנ"ך. וכבר טרחו אחרונים למצוא מקור למנהג זה [ש"ך ביו"ד סי' רמ"ה], אבל מי הוא שהרשה להם ריפורמות כמו אלו. ובאמת מצינו שגם בימי רבי מתחלה דרשו גמרא אין לך מדה גדולה מזו, ואח"כ דרשו ולעולם הוי רץ למשנה יותר מן הגמרא [ב"מ דף ל"ג ע"א], הרי ששינו אופני קיום מצות ת"ת לפי צורכי השעה. אבל מדוע באמת לא הגדירה התורה עצמה חוקי וגדרי קיום המצוה החשובה הזאת שהיא כנגד כולם וכל דור ודור תורתו בידו?

יסוד הדבר בכל אלה לפי דעתי הוא: ולמדתם אותם ושמרתם לעשותם "גדול תלמוד שמביא לידי מעשה". המעשה הוא הוא המגדיר את צורת מצות הלימוד, אופן קיומה וחומר הנלמד, צורתו ותכנו, ולפיכך עם שנוי העתים וחליפת הדורות משתנים אופני הלמוד וחלקי התורה הנלמדים. בתחלה כשכל ישראל היו למודי ד' וכל אחד מישראל היה יכול בעצמו ללמד את בנו תורה, ודאי שהאב הוא המלמד היותר מוכשר, כי מי כמוהו יודע ומכיר את אופי בנו וכשרונותיו, איזה ענין מסוגל הוא יותר לתפוס וכדומה, אבל אח"כ במשך הזמן שנתרבו עמי הארץ, וא"כ אם ננקוט שרק האב ילמד את בנו א"כ בני עמי הארץ יהיו עמי הארץ עד סוף כל הדורות, התקינו להושיב מלמדים. אבל מכיון שכן צריך להושיבם בירושלים, ששם ראו התלמידים את הקדושה השוררת בחיים וכהנים העוסקים בעבודתם, וזה ודאי שיפעל על התלמידים להתמסר לתורתם בכל לבם ונפשם [תוס' ב"ב שם], אבל היו נכנסים רק כבני ט"ז, ועד אותו הזמן שהיתה שולטת הקדושה לא היו בועטים ברבותיהם, אבל אח"כ היו בועטים ברבותיהם, והוכרחו להושיב בכל עיר ועיר בכדי שיוכלו להכניס גם בני ו' וז'. ואף שבכל פלך ופלך היה אפשר להושיב מלמדים יותר חשובים ומוכשרים, אבל מפני ירידת הקדושה הוצרכו לתקן גם זאת, כי בני ו' אי אפשר להוליך מעיר לעיר.

מתחלה ידעו חכמי הדורות להשתמש באותן המדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן; ידעו כל מדה ומדה איך היא נדרשת ובאיזה אופן יכולים להשתמש בה, והיו בקיאין בחסרות ויתרות, ואות יתירה לדרשה נאמרה, וגופי הלכות נלמדין מיו"ד או וא"ו יתירה, ולפיכך היתה קפידא יתרה שלא ללמוד תורה הכתובה בע"פ [אם לא לסומא] משום עת לעשות. ולהפך דברים שבע"פ נאמרו מפה לאוזן ע"י הרב המלמד, ורק המלמד בעצמו היה כותב בעצמו מגלות סתרים, השמועות החדשות ששמע מרבותיו, והיה מעיין בהן לעצמו, שעל ידי הנגלה יהיה זכור מה ששמע מרבו בע"פ, אבל ללמוד מתוך הכתב לא היו נוהגין, כי מי הוא שיכול לדקדק בסגנון ובלשון עד שיוכל המעיין מעצמו לדקדק להבין כל כוונות המחבר, ואין המחבר יכול לכתוב כל כך מדוקדק. עד שחיבר רבינו הקדוש חיבור המשנה מפני מעוט הלבבות ע"י הצרות שהלכו ונתגברו, והחיבור הזה נסדר ונכתב בדקדוק גדול עד שהליטו בה כל הלכות הברייתות (כתובות ס"ט ע"ב)33 בדקדוק לשונה, ומאז כבר התחילה תורה שבע"פ לדחוק רגלי תורה שבכתב, שהתחילו להשתמש כבר בסברות, ורק לפעמים הורו הלכה מתוך המקרא, עד שנשתכחו לגמרי גדרי המדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן ונחתם הש"ס שעליו אין להוסיף מעתה. זהו חתימת תקופת האמוראים, ומשם ואילך אין ההלכה יוצאת מתוך המקרא אלא מתוך המשנה והגמרא, אלא שגדולי הראשונים שאבו מן המקראות בצרוף אגדות חז"ל האמונות והדעות התורניות, ומפני מעוט הלבבות העלו כולם דבריהם על הכתב משום עת לעשות, ונמצאו גם אלה נעשו להלכות פסוקות, כמו של רבינו סעדיה גאון והרמב"ם והרמב"ן ודומיהם, וכיון שנכתבו גם אלו נעשה מעתה המקרא בבחינת אלפא ביתא [הגר"י סלנטר במכתביו34], כלומר כהכנה להבנת תורה שבע"פ הכתובה בזמננו משום עת לעשות, ולפיכך כל עיקר הלמוד נשאר אצלינו בתורה שבע"פ, כי היא היא המביאה לידי מעשה, ומחוייבים אנו לראות שהלמוד יהיה תלמוד המביא לידי מעשה, שכן היא חובת מלמדי תינוקות ללמדם ולחנך אותם בדרך טובה [רש"י ב"ב דף ח' ע"א] והיא צורת תלמוד תורה.

Violence In Syria Stokes Fears Of A Coming ‘Bloodbath.’ Will Trump Act?

https://time.com/5788258/violence-in-syria-stokes-fears-of-a-coming-bloodbath-will-trump-act/

 

Trump hasn’t been shy in vocalizing his aversion to overseas entanglements, but Middle East experts and human rights officials stress that there’s a middle road between refusing to act and engaging in open-ended U.S. military and diplomatic interventions of the kind seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“At the very least, the Administration has to come out and say it’s unacceptable to have one million people being uprooted because of a military offensive in which war crimes are routinely being carried out,” says Philippe Nassif, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa. “It’s shameful. Every diplomatic tool should be used to talk to the Russians, Syrians and Turks to deescalate and protect these people fleeing from violence. None of that is happening.”

Neil Cavuto: The president did not poll well after his debates

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6134406973001#sp=show-clips

Nunes drops a bombshell, reacts to reports of Russia trying to help Trump

Trump Is Mad Dems Know Russia Is Meddling To Get Him Re-Elected | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Trump's Latest Intelligence Meltdown Isn't About the Facts. It's About the Truth

https://time.com/5788479/trump-fires-maguire/

Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in public testimony that Russia was meddling in the 2020 election. So how to explain President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Acting Director of National Intelligence Adm. Joseph Maguire after Maguire defended a subordinate who had briefed Congress on much the same thing?

 

One important difference provides the answer. Maguire’s aide, Shelby Pierson, who heads the DNI’s election security unit, told the House Intelligence Committee last week that it was the consensus assessment of the CIA, National Security Agency, and FBI that Russian hackers aren’t just meddling in this year’s U.S. elections, they’re trying to help Trump win re-election, two officials familiar with the testimony tell TIME.

 

Trump Aides Have Loud, Gladiator-like Fights in the Oval Office and the President Doesn't Mind, Mulvaney Says

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-aides-loud-gladiator-fights-oval-office-president-mind-mick-mulvaney-1488180

But Mulvaney told the Oxford Union that aides leave their individual thoughts at the door once Trump makes a decision on a subject. As proof, he pointed to White House economic adviser and free-trade advocate Larry Kudlow, who now publicly backs Trump's use of tariffs.

"My party is very interested in deficits when there is a Democrat in the White House," Mulvaney said, according to the Post. "The worst thing in the whole world is deficits when Barack Obama was the president. Then Donald Trump became president, and we're a lot less interested as a party."

How Jewish American pedophiles hide from justice in Israel

Here's the secret to getting a Trump presidential pardon

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/18/politics/donald-trump-pardon-blagojevich-kerik-milken-debartolo/index.html

 President Donald Trump runs his White House (and his life) by two simple principles:

1. Reward your friends

2. Punish your enemies

 

It's just not any more complicated than that.

 

draining the swamp

https://time.com/5785970/trump-commutes-rod-blagojevich-clemency-blitz/

 President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik, among a long list of others.

Trump also told reporters that he has pardoned financier Michael Milken, who pleaded guilty for violating U.S. securities laws and served two years in prison in the early 1990s. Trump also pardoned Edward DeBartolo Jr., the former San Francisco 49ers owner convicted in a gambling fraud scandal who built one of the most successful NFL teams in the game’s history.

Blagojevich, who appeared on Trump’s reality TV show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” was convicted of political corruption, including seeking to sell an appointment to Barack Obama’s old Senate seat and trying to shake down a children’s hospital. But Trump said he had been subjected to a “ridiculous sentence” that didn’t fit his crimes.

 

Kerik served just over three years for tax fraud and lying to the White House while being interviewed to be Homeland Security secretary.

“We have Bernie Kerik, we have Mike Milken, who’s gone around and done an incredible job,” Trump said, adding that Milken had “paid a big price.”

Earlier, the White House announced that Trump had pardoned DeBartolo Jr., who was involved in one of the biggest owners’ scandals in the sport’s history. In 1998, he pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony when he paid $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license.

Boy Scouts File for Bankruptcy Following Sex Abuse Lawsuits

https://time.com/5785605/boy-scouts-bankruptcy/

Most of the newly surfacing cases date to the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s; the organization says there were only five known abuse victims in 2018. The Boy Scouts credit the change to an array of prevention policies adopted since the mid-1980s, including mandatory criminal background checks and abuse-prevention training for all staff and volunteers, and a rule that two or more adult leaders be present during all activities.

 

Liberals and Conservatives React in Wildly Different Ways to Repulsive Pictures

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/the-yuck-factor/580465/

 Why do we have the political opinions we have? Why do we embrace one outlook toward the world and not another? How and why do our stances change? The answers to questions such as these are of course complex. Most people aren’t reading policy memos to inform every decision. Differences of opinion are shaped by contrasting life experiences: where you live; how you were raised; whether you’re rich or poor, young or old. Emotion comes into the picture, and emotion has a biological basis, at least in part. All of this and more combines into a stew without a fixed recipe, even if many of the ingredients are known.

 

How the Right Wing Convinces Itself That Liberals Are Evil

https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/july-august-2018/how-the-right-wing-convinces-itself-that-liberals-are-evil/

 

IIf you spend any time consuming right-wing media in America, you quickly learn the following: Liberals are responsible for racism, slavery, and the Ku Klux Klan. They admire Mussolini and Hitler, and modern liberalism is little different from fascism or, even worse, communism. The mainstream media and academia cannot be trusted because of the pervasive, totalitarian nature of liberal culture.

Joe Orlow's theory that Evil came to the world solely because of liberals

The liberals have already hijacked democracy and imposed their mindset on the masses. Anything that rebalances society is for the better. If it takes an autocratic President, so be it. At least the autocratic President we have bends his will to that of the people who elected him. And isn't that what democracy is all about?

Donald Trump won the election! Get over it, already. In the past, a government from one party could rule over both parties. But now the country is too split. So the party out of favor feels like they have no say. Which is true, somewhat.

When Bernie gets elected, I'll feel like that, too. So let me enjoy the presidency I brought about while I can.

which situation do you prefer?

Living in USA with Trump as King and his family inherits the job or a democracy based on the present constitution and laws?

Preet Bharara sounds the alarm on Donald Trump's move

If William Barr Truly Believed in Rule of Law, He Would Resign

https://time.com/5784932/william-barr-resign-rule-of-law/

 Barr’s commitment at his most recent confirmation hearing, reaffirming that an Attorney General must prevent political influence from corrupting the course of justice in criminal cases, was important to legitimate his candidacy to lead the department, given the concerns that arose after his nomination. But he has proven himself unable or unwilling to live up to that commitment.

Since he joined the Administration just over a year ago, Barr has operated in a manner that has raised serious questions about whether he is working to benefit the President or the people. He misrepresented the conclusions of the Mueller report. On his watch, DOJ tried to protect the President from legitimate constitutional oversight by withholding the Ukraine whistleblower complaint from Congress. DOJ then summarily declined to open an investigation into the Ukraine complaint and defended Trump’s position that executive branch emails related to Ukraine did not have to be turned over to a media organization that sought unredacted versions, using the same privilege arguments Trump asserted to withhold them from Congress. Although the Department has responded to past questions about Barr’s personal involvement by saying he was aware but did not participate in decision-making, we know from his takeover of Roger Stone’s sentencing that he is fully capable of usurping a case when he does not like how it is being handled. He has also assigned a handpicked U.S. Attorney appointed by Trump to review matters the President has shown interest in.

 

She said a Bethlehem church was in Palestine. But ‘Jeopardy!’ accepted Israel as the right answer.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/13/jeopardy-bethlehem-church/

 The Church of the Nativity, which many believe is the birthplace of Jesus, sits by a white-stoned square in the heart of Bethlehem near the controversial concrete barrier that encircles the West Bank. UNESCO, which has selected the church as a World Heritage Site, lists it as one of three such locations in Palestine.

So for many of those who slammed “Jeopardy!” over the weekend, the trivia answer was, well, more than trivial. It was a commentary, implicit or not, on a hotly contested and deeply emotional question in Middle East geopolitics.

The Oslo accords of 1995 give the Palestinian Authority control over Bethlehem and the West Bank, though that is complicated by Israeli settlements and military checkpoints. Under a historic “Status Quo” agreement, the church and other holy sites near it area must be jointly shared and protected by various Christian denominations.

 

Trump's 'Deep State' conspiracy theory just took a big hit

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/14/politics/andrew-mccabe-donald-trump-department-of-justice/index.html

 President Donald Trump is deeply invested in the idea that there is a "Deep State" embedded within the government bureaucracy -- and centered in the Department of Justice -- which actively worked to defeat him in 2016 and then sought to undermine him once he won the presidency.That conspiracy theory, which has never had much merit, suffered a near-fatal blow Friday afternoon when the Department of Justice declined to pursue criminal charges against former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

That decision ends a nearly-two-year investigation into whether McCabe, in his role as a senior official in the FBI, lied to investigators about conversations he had with reporters. McCabe had long insisted that if he had done so it had been purely accidental, and noted that, in his role, he was authorized to speak to the media.

Trump spent much of the investigation dumping on McCabe, a man who he insisted was, along with former FBI director James Comey, at the center of the "Deep State" conspiracy against him.

Conservatives see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Trump

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/15/opinions/conservatives-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity-in-trump-brown/index.html

  While it may be easy to dismiss a significant number of President Donald Trump's supporters as members of a worshipful cult of celebrity, underneath that storyline is a stark policy reality -- one that's inadequately understood and reported on. In Trump, politically conservative America has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally alter the direction of the nation.

Chris Hayes: The Only Thing To Stop Trump Is Us | All In | MSNBC

Rule Of Law Already Broken Where It Involves Trump | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Judge slams Trump's remarks: Banana republic

Yisro taught us about judicial system to show Jews were not chosen because of superior knowledge

from Daas Torah - translation copyrighted

Ohr HaChaim (Shemos 18:21): Why did Yisro deserve being the source of the information about forming the judicial system? While it is true Yisro deserved being honored for honoring Moshe and thus he honored G-d, but there were other ways of honoring him not in this ways that  indicates - chas v'shalom - the lack of knowledge of G-d's people until Yisro came and enlightened them? It appears that the reason is that G-d wanted to teach the Jewish people a fundamental lesson not only for that generation but for all generations. The lesson being that there are among the nations of the world men of great intelligence and understanding such as Yisro and these nations have awareness of important and valuable information. G-d's intent was to show that the election of the Jews was not because their knowledge and insight was greater than other nations. They were not chosen because of their superior wisdom and knowledge. Their election was the result of G-d's supreme kindness and His love of the Avos. This explanation is more appropriate according to the view that Yisro came prior to the Revelation at Sinai. Accordingly G-d's message was that even though there are amongst the Nations greater wise men than amongst the Jews - the Jews were nevertheless chosen. We are thus to praise Him for choosing us because of his Kindness. However, even according to the view that Yisro came after the Revelation at Sinai - a similar lesson can be learned by the fact that Yisro is mentioned in the sequence of events of the Torah prior to the giving of the Torah.

Why were the Jews forced to accept the Torah? THEY had already accepted it willingly?

אמת ליעקב שמות פרק יט פסוק ג

(ג) כה תאמר לבית יעקב.

פירש"י וז"ל: בלשון הזה ובסדר הזה עכ"ל. וכן לקמן [פסוק ו']: אלה הדברים אשר תדבר אל בני ישראל, ופירש"י וז"ל: לא פחות ולא יותר עכ"ל. וצריך לבאר אמאי הקפיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לא פחות ולא יותר וכן בלשון הזה ובסדר הזה.

והנה אמרו רז"ל במסכת שבת [דף פ"ח ע"א]: ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר מלמד שכפה עליהם הר כגיגית. ועיין בתוס' שהקשו הא כבר הקדימו נעשה ונשמע ולמה לו לכפות ההר עליהם, ותירצו וז"ל: שמא יהיו חוזרים כשיראו האש הגדולה שיצתה נשמתן עכ"ל. והנראה בביאור הדברים על פי דברי התנא במסכת אבות [פרק א' מ"ג]: אל תהיו כעבדים המשמשין את הרב על מנת לקבל פרס כו' ויהיה מורא שמים עליכם, וביארתי בחידושי לפרקי אבות שם שבאמת צריכים לשני הענינים, היינו העבודה מאהבה והעבודה מיראה, כי לפעמים לא תספיק לו האהבה ולפעמים תחלש אצלו היראה, ועיי"ש, ולכן אף על פי שכבר קבלו על עצמן את התורה מאהבה, נעשה ונשמע, מכל מקום מיראה לא נסו, וע"ז רמזה האש הגדולה, וכמש"כ בפרשת ואתחנן [ד' פל"ו]: מן השמים השמיעך את קולו ליסרך גו' ואת אשו הגדולה כו', הרי שביאר הכתוב דהאש היתה ליראת העונש. ואלמלא באו לעשו וישמעאל בכפיית ההר ג"כ היו מקבלין את התורה, כדאמרינן ברפ"ק דע"ז [דף ב' ע"א]: כלום כפית עלינו הר כגיגית ולא קבלנוה, משמע דאז בודאי היו מקבלין אותה, אלא שאז היתה עבודה מיראה אבל לא מאהבה, משא"כ ישראל דמאהבה קבלוה מעצמם וכפיית ההר היתה רק כדי לקבלה גם מיראה, אבל אם לא היו מקבלים מצדם מאהבה לא היו נותנין להם את התורה לגמרי.

Trump Claims He Has 'Legal Right' To Meddle With DOJ But Former Officials Say It Would Be A 'Grossly Improper' Abuse of Power

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-claims-he-has-legal-right-meddle-doj-former-officials-say-it-would-grossly-improper-1487399

"The president arguably, as head of the executive branch, has the constitutional authority and discretion to give direction to the Department of Justice or any other executive branch. But it is grossly improper and an abuse of that discretion for the president to seek to influence a criminal investigation," David Laufman, the DOJ's former counterintelligence chief, told Newsweek.

He added that throughout the history of the Justice Department there have been "explicit understandings" in how the White House can communicate with the law enforcement agency—until now.

"I can't think of any president in recent modern history that has repeatedly made public statements about pending criminal investigations, prosecutions or trials with the intent to influence them," Laufman said.

Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman agreed, noting that there's nothing in the Constitution preventing Trump from telling the attorney general how to handle a certain case but that it's "just never done."

"It's never done because it looks like the president is interfering in the system of justice, that he is putting his own personal beliefs on top of what we want as even-handed enforcement of our criminal law," Akerman told Newsweek. "This is something unique to Donald Trump."

 

1 in 6 Women Suffer Sexual Harassment in Israeli Army, Survey Finds

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1-in-6-women-suffer-sexual-harassment-in-israeli-army-survey-finds-1.5449526

Some 60% of female soldiers say there is a sexualized atmosphere in units, while 35% said they were touched or subjected to sexual gestures or leers

 

'We Are All Sexually Harassed in the Israeli Army, Almost on a Daily Basis'

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium.MAGAZINE-israeli-choreographer-takes-on-routine-sexual-harassment-in-idf-1.6717980

“Being in the army is somewhat like being in the jungle,” she says. “Lots of young boys and girls. I think the army has to do some homework about relations between men and women, in order to provide physical protection for young women. There’s something about this jungle in which many bad things can happen.”

 

For President Donald Trump, It's Open Season for Getting Even

https://time.com/5784052/donald-trump-getting-even/

Trump has launched a season of getting even, lashing out at those who spoke out against him during the impeachment and Mueller investigations and openly demanding retribution. The spate of actions he’s taken in the last week alone underscores the fresh sense of empowerment he feels after the Senate cleared him of abusing the power of his office — and has critics worried he is dismantling the firewalls put up after President Richard Nixon’s abuses of power. The post-Watergate norms limiting executive power have evaporated, says William Cohen, the former Republican Senator from Maine and Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton, tells TIME. “There are no norms. Trump is basically corroding every institution in our system.”

'Not Fit For Office': George H. W. Bush Lawyer And Barr Colleague Slams Barr For 'Undermining' DOJ

Delaying Redemption 1 Girl @A Time

BS"D

Delaying the Final Redemption, One Girl At A Time

19 Shvat, 5780 °°  Feb. 14, '20 (v.2)


By Binyomin Feinberg,

FeinbergBinyomin@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~

To check for updates, on first view of this article, as well as throughout the week,  please visit https://saveHischildren.blogspot.com -

or/and see updates for month of Shvat '80:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lddXuWtrhFZxLVA4__PVS7Zo53zNRPk8Cz7nIfxSXBE
~~~~~

¥¥¥¥¥  Breaking News: ¥¥¥¥¥

1.  Tragically, yet another religious immigrant girl has been drafted into the Israeli military - Noa G., from France.  

2.  After the Army rejected her Tatzhir Dat (certification of religiosity), Noa had been in contact with various activists. We know for a fact that Noa had been contacted by knowledgeable volunteers, who would have been able to save her from conscription, via proper guidance. However, she had also been in contact with other women, who mis-advised her to submit to the Army directive of being interviewed in a Rayon Dat, a religiosity test. The Rayon Dat is administered by military officers trained in seeking ways to rob religious girls of their legal right to a military service exemption. Furthermore, Noa also submitted to a "Shimu'ah," a Hearing, which is even more serious, by far, something akin to an indictment. Eventually, and predictably, she submitted to the Army demand to enlist.

3.  The psychological pressure the Draft Offices bring to bear on these girls is often of monumental proportions. Nevertheless, every Jew is commanded to resist attempts to draw them away from G-d, even by sacrificing one's own life, if necessary.

4.  A girl is forbidden to enlist in the Israeli military due to the near impossibility of remaining morally pure there, in addition to other factors, including the intent to draw conscripts away from their religious devotion and observance.

5.  This tragic event was avoidable. In fact, if the organization that facilitated her fall into the Army opts to act decisively and in a timely fashion, perhaps they could still avert the loss of another priceless soul.

6.  It is apparent that the primary problem here was that even though Noa was contacted by those volunteers equipped to extricate her from Army entrapment, she declined to take advantage of the opportunity. Clearly, Noa had been convinced not to talk with those who could truly help her. Here's a prime example of where Lashon HaRah (rather, Motzi Shem Rah) can kill a person, spiritually.

7.  This incident also highlights the crucial need to alert girls and women to contact the right people prior to encountering problems with the Draft Office.  Volunteers with groups like Chomosaich and Shalhevet are equipped to provide proper information, based on Rabbinic guidance.

8. What are some of the important things to know about these volunteer networks?

a)  They are not in this line of activism as a business. 

b) The approach they take does not seek the self-promotional glamour of "success" at the expense of individual girls, or at the expense of the broader cause. 

c) Their strategy does not facilitate the Army Draft Office to dictate how they opt to help save the girls.

d) They do not regularly suggest that girls pursue psychological exemptions. They shunned such an approach even when the government clearly preferred that track over providing religious exemptions. Very recently, the Army ordered that psychological exemptions be severely limited, given only as a last resort. Furthermore, psychological exemptions already provided in the past may very possibly become subject to the specter of revocation, R"L, as per a recent Ma'ariv article.

In short, the volunteers of Chomosaich and Shalhevet seek to do what's ultimately most effective for the girls in distress.

e)  The women volunteering provide proper guidelines, accurate information, and ongoing Chizuk to girls of all types of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

f) Additionally, they also enable those able to intelligently and effectively publicize the plight of these girls to do so, unimpeded, and without undue sacrifice of privacy. If more organizations would similarly facilitate proper publicity of the unrelenting injustices perpetrated by the government against innocent Israeli teens and women - we wouldn't be seeing religious girls languishing in military prisons to save their souls from the Army's "Mizron Tzahali" paradigm.

~~~

The Army Fighting Hard Against... G-d and His People?

9.  Our Sages teach us (in Talmud tractate Sotah 11b), that in the merit of righteous women the Jewish People were redeemed from Egypt, over 33 centuries ago. The famous work "Kav HaYashar" adds that the same will hold true with respect to our Final Redemption, the "Geulah Achronah."

10.  It stands to reason that the Soton is fully aware of the timeless potential of righteous Jewish women. Therefore, he seeks all means of impeding their development. Drafting teenage girls - particularly religious and traditional ones - into the abrasive, exploitive, and immoral Israeli military is perhaps one of the most effective means available to advance this satanic agenda.

11. However, as stated previously, we have what to be optimistic about. Girls, their families, and their advocates should take inspiration from the many girls and families standing strong against the antireligious coercion of the IDF Draft Offices.

12.  One such family is the family of Avigail Leah H., who, as a 17 y/o Chabad girl, was increasingly popular harassed by the Army since February '19. In fact, her mother (a Ba'alas Teshuva, and previously an Israeli Air Force captain), was told explicitly by Keren Levy, now heading up the Jerusalem Draft Office, that she (Ms. Levy) will "decide" if Avigail is religious -- and she will profane (or "violate") "The Vineyard" ("acha'lail et ha'Kerem") - "and I'll start with your daughter (Avigail)!"

13.  In the face of this unmitigated anti-Jewish antipathy, Avigail's family remained steadfast in her demand for a religious exemption. The family braved months of Army threats of arrest (despite Avigail being below 18). Despite - or perhaps with the "help" of -government intimidation, Avigail remained persistent in her refusal to enlist in the IDF, or make any Halachic compromises in the process, including submitting to a "Rayon Dat." In their persistence, BE"H Avigail prevailed, and received her religious exemption. (See http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/12/crime-wave-strikes-israeli-girls.html .)

14.  Their fortitude stands as an example for all Jews to emulate. Over 21 centuries ago, the spiritual progenitors of the modern-day Hellenists similarly sought to draw Jews away from their fidelity to the Torah. And it was in the merit of righteous women, along with the saintly men who fought for them in a paradigmatic, miraculous Civil War, that the Jewish People were saved from the terrible, antireligious edicts of those days.

~~~

☞

Global Travel Advisory for Israeli Citizens:  

15. Any draft-age girls who have dual citizenship MUST employ great caution before travelling to Israel. Many citizens of other countries have encountered real problems, including being mal-advised to send their draft age daughters to enter the draft offices to deal with draft related problems. 

~~~

16.  Whom gets sent into the draft offices? It's not only those girls who are perceived as "halfway religious," who may be in real danger of falling into the army. (We're not justifying sending even those girls into the Lion's Den of a Rayon Dat, but it's easier to make such an error in those cases.) It is even the most observant girls as well. 

Even girls with dual citizenship from the U.S.and European countries have had problems. Here's one such account we received a few days ago:

"My mother-in-law was born in Israel, and her children have problems with the Army Draft. Each and every time they come to the Lud airport they have to tackle this. This morning (11 Shvat, 5780), she told me she wants to return to London, and she is now in Israel. She has a daughter who is 16. She was born and grew up in London. She tells me she has to get a tatzhir das for her in order to take off to London. ... 

She made many phone calls to family and chareidisha government members, and what came through was that her daughter needs to go to the Tel Hashomer Draft Office to receive a tatzhir das.

But, as I previously heard of Choimoisayich, I knew clearly that a girl is not allowed to go into the Lishkas Hagiyus (draft office). We spoke a lot, and she was frustrated, disputing my advice repeatedly, saying that ‘I have to do it according to the system.’ I answered, “their system doesn’t work!”

I stood firm, assuring her time and again that a girl may not enter the premises of the Draft Office. Finally, she responded, “I’m not going, I’m not going, I’m not going!”
I offered help and said, “I don’t want to mix in, but if you need my help I’m willing to. I have whom to ask.”

She called me back, and informed that she does indeed need my help. I called Choimoisayich, and guided her what to do. They assured that till age 18 a girl does not even have what to be scared of. She should go to the rabbinate and send the tatzhir das via registered post. The rabbinate provided a form she should show in the airport, and everything will be okay.

However, at the airport, the Israelis did hold her up for several minutes, and they did not allow her mother to be present. They ordered the girl to go to the Israeli embassy in England. The bottom line is that the Israelis wanted to scare her into entering the Lishkas Hagiyus. They had the unmitigated temerity to target an unaccompanied 16 year-old girl and do what they did.
For every story that’s gets published, there are many, many more which remains unknown. Be careful whom you trust!"

Caution advised.

John Kelly Finally Lets Loose on Trump

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/02/john-kelly-alexander-vindman-north-korea-and-trump/606496

Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said that Vindman is blameless and was simply following the training he’d received as a soldier; migrants are “overwhelmingly good people” and “not all rapists”; and Trump’s decision to condition military aid to Ukraine on an investigation into his political rival Joe Biden upended long-standing U.S. policy.

Vindman was rightly disturbed by Trump’s phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, Kelly suggested: Having seen something “questionable,” Vindman properly notified his superiors, Kelly said. Vindman, who specialized in Ukraine policy at the National Security Council at the time, was among multiple U.S. officials who listened in on the call. When subpoenaed by Congress in the House impeachment hearings, Vindman complied and told the truth, Kelly said.

The Atlantic: John Kelly says Vindman was right to report Trump's call with Zelensky

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/13/politics/john-kelly-trump-criticism-vindman/index.html

 Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said Wednesday that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in President Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, was right to raise concerns about Trump's July call to Ukraine's president, The Atlantic reported.

Kelly also believes that Vindman, who was fired from White House last week, told the truth during testimony before House investigators last fall.

"Having seen something 'questionable (in the call),' Vindman properly notified his superiors," Kelly said at an event at Drew University, according to the magazine. "When subpoenaed by Congress in the House impeachment hearings, Vindman complied and told the truth."

"He did exactly what we teach them to do from cradle to grave," he said, according to the magazine. "He went and told his boss what he just heard."

 

DOJ prosecutors resign after top brass reverses course on Roger Stone sentencing

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-prosecutors-resign-after-top-brass-reverses-course-on-roger-stone-sentencing

This official did acknowledge that the process has not played out as planned: “The way it happened is not ideal, but it's not unheard of that we correct the record and move on.”

Stone has been convicted on seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress on charges that stemmed from Mueller’s Russia investigation. Prosecutors charged that Stone lied to Congress about his conversations about WikiLeaks with Credico, although Stone was never linked to any criminal conspiracy to access or leak documents.

  Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, President Trump said he stayed out of internal DOJ deliberations, but strongly opposed their initial sentencing recommendation.

"I stay out of things to a degree that people wouldn't believe," Trump said. He added that the initial recommendation was "ridiculous" and called it "an insult to our country."

Later, Trump claimed the prosecutors quitting the case "cut and ran after being exposed" for the tough sentencing recommendation.

  Trump also took a shot at Jackson, writing on Twitter: "Is this the Judge that put Paul Manafort in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, something that not even mobster Al Capone had to endure? How did she treat Crooked Hillary Clinton? Just asking!"