Is supporting Israel and Jewish causes the most important value for citizens of America? More than welfare of America?

 

ראש תכנית החלל הישראלית: יש חוצנים במאדים; הם בקשר עם טראמפ

 https://www.bhol.co.il/news/1160618

 בראיון שהעניק פרופ' חיים אשד לידיעות אחרונות, הוא מספר בביטחון על בסיס תת-קרקעי במאדים, בו שותפים יחד חוצנים ואסטרונאוטים אמריקניים | "אם הייתי בא עם מה שאני אומר היום לפני חמש שנים, היו מאשפזים אותי"

 

 

The Supreme Court decision won’t change anything for synagogues like mine

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/the-supreme-court-decision-wont-change-anything-for-synagogues-like-mine-650773

 As the rabbi of a synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I have been keeping a close eye on pronouncements by the governor about the ever-changing New York state guidelines governing houses of worship. Since reopening in the summer, we have taken note of how quickly synagogues have had to adapt when they found themselves subject to occupancy limits of 10 or 25 people. When the US Supreme Court rendered a decision about the legality of these state-imposed restrictions, we followed it with great interest.

In last week’s split decision, the court set aside the attendance limits that Governor Cuomo had imposed on houses of worship in red and orange zones. The decision does not immunize synagogues, mosques or churches against government restrictions. It simply insists that those restrictions must not be more severe than those placed on comparable secular gatherings.

Legal Bombshell: DOJ Investigating 'Bribery-For-Pardon' Scheme | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC

Leifer case to come before Supreme Court for what could be final time

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/leifer-case-to-come-before-supreme-court-for-what-could-be-final-time

The Supreme Court will convene Thursday morning to adjudicate what could well be the final appeal from Malka Leifer’s defense team, with its six-year effort to prevent the alleged child rapist from being extradited to Australia just about out of options.

The latest appeal is against the Jerusalem District Court’s September decision in favor of extraditing the former headmistress of Melbourne’s Adass Israel ultra-Orthodox girls’ high school back to Australia, where she is wanted on 74 charges of child sex abuse.

AG Barr Breaks With Trump On Voter Fraud Allegations | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Bill Barr bashed in right-wing media after election fraud comments: 'He is either a liar or a fool or both'

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/02/media/bill-barr-right-wing-media-reliable-sources/index.html

Since he was confirmed as attorney general, William Barr has been somewhat of a hero in the right-wing media universe. He has assailed the Russia probe. He has talked a big game about cracking down on Antifa. He has sharply criticized the news media. On and on it goes.

But his celebrity status took a hit on Tuesday when he undercut President Trump's brazenly false contention that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election. Speaking to the Associated Press, Barr said that, "to date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election."

The statement from Barr, which merely recited a simple fact, not only cut against what Trump has been saying, but also what Trump's propagandists and allies in right-wing media have been feeding their audiences. For weeks, these media personalities have strung their audiences along, suggesting that damning proof of fraud was just around the corner. Which is why the comment from Barr stung so bad.

Defense of Chasidic Sexual practises

מכתב מרב נחום רוטשטיין בעני... by mer361

Trump declares war on GOP officials as Barr rejects fraud claims

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-declares-war-on-gop-officials-as-barr-rejects-fraud-claims

 As President Trump intensifies his election-fraud rhetoric, we are witnessing some serious Republican-on-Republican violence.

Trump’s own attorney general, Bill Barr, essentially broke with the president yesterday. A lifelong Republican who also held the job under the senior George Bush, Barr told the AP that his investigators hadn’t found much. “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” he said.

But the election has put Republican state officials in a box. They have had to choose between backing the president’s unproven fraud allegations and doing their jobs. They are legally required to certify their state elections unless there is evidence of widespread cheating, and silence is not an option.

Trump inciting violence, says Georgia election official

 https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55153918

• A US state of Georgia election official has said President Donald Trump will bear responsibility for any violence that results from unsubstantiated election fraud claims he has stoked.
• In a fiery statement, Gabriel Sterling, a Republican, said: "It's all gone too far! All of it! It has to stop!"
• Georgia is carrying out a second recount of votes in the state at the Trump campaign's request.

US attorney general finds 'no voter fraud that could overturn election'

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55153366

"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election," he said.

His comments are seen as a big blow to Mr Trump, who has not accepted defeat.

He and his campaign have filed lawsuits in states that he lost, as they begin certifying Joe Biden as the winner.

How one Trump-loving governor totally shut down the President's voter fraud claims

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/doug-ducey-donald-trump-arizona-voter-fraud-claims/index.html

"In Arizona, we have some of the strongest election laws in the country, laws that prioritize accountability and clearly lay out procedures for conducting, canvassing, and even contesting the results of an election. We've got ID at the polls. We review EVERY signature (every single one) on early ballots — by hand — unlike other states that use computers. Prohibitions on ballot harvesting. Bipartisan poll observers. Clear deadlines, including no ballots allowed after Election Day."

Arizona Certifies Election Results, Confirming Biden Win | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Talmid Chachom should have beautiful wife

Ohr HaChaim (Bereishis 29:18) And Yakov loved Rachel Not because of her beauty but because they were a predestined couple or alternatively as our Sages (Shabbos 25b) say that a talmid chachom should have a beautiful wife to protect against lust. So even though Yakov was a very spiritual man who defeated his lust nevertheless the Torah  teaches a person to have common sense.

Talmid chachom doesnt look at women and needs the help of an am haaretz

 Bava Basra (168a) Abaye said: A Torah scholar who goes to betroth a woman should take an ignoramus with him to establish a positive identity of the woman, lest people exchange another woman for her when given to him for marriage, taking advantage of his innocence.

המאבק נגד גיוס נשים: רבנים משכנעים עולות חדשות שלא לשרת בצה"ל

 https://www.ynet.co.il/judaism/article/B1XSZkVcw

ארגון חותם השיק קמפיין הסברה בכמה שפות, המציע לעולות חדשות העומדות לקראת גיוס, להצהיר כי אינן יכולות לשרת מטעמי דת ולפנות לשירות לאומי-אזרחי: "הצבא מנצל את תחושת השליחות שלהן ואת תמימותן כדי לגייסן בניגוד לרצונן". דובר צה"ל: "יותר בנות דתיות משלבות בין אמונתן לשירות משמעותי בצבא"

 The struggle against the recruitment of women: Rabbis persuade new immigrants not to serve in the IDF

The Chotam organization has launched an information campaign in several languages, offering new immigrants about to enlist, declaring that they cannot serve for religious reasons and turning to national-civilian service: "The military exploits their sense of mission and innocence to recruit against their will." IDF Spokesman: "More religious girls combine their faith with meaningful service in the army"

Kobi Nachshoni Posted 14:34, 19/11/2020

The struggle for the place of women in the army is expanding and extending overseas: Chotam organization that opposes the recruitment of girls has launched an information campaign that appeals to Jewish girls from abroad seeking to come to Israel to donate to the state, and encourages them to apply for religious exemptions and volunteer for national-civil service only.

Chotam, headed by senior rabbis from the Conservative wing of Religious Zionism (including Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira and Rabbi Elyakim Lebanon), has been claiming for years that the IDF has made it difficult for observant girls to declare their lifestyles, and is conducting forbidden investigations against them, their credibility and bring about their recruitment.

They now accuse the army of recently investing a lot of effort among new immigrants and teenage girls from the Diaspora who want to volunteer in Israel, in order to attract them to the right path for him - according to the rabbis, "against their will." Following this, the religious organization goes out to fight for the ... of those girls, and tries to convince them that even within the national service there is a possibility of a "significant contribution."

"Language and Mental Gaps"

According to Chotam, many foreign candidates, keeping tradition, are unaware of their rights and the "methods used by the military" to recruit them, so the organization produced a notebook in various languages with essential information for them and instructions on how to deal with complex situations.

The head of public policy at Chotam, Avner Porat, estimated that there are hundreds of candidates for service each year from this population, which has large concentrations in the country, in addition to those who come there especially from abroad, noting that they suffer from triple difficulty compared to older Israelis: language gaps, lack of order. In educational institutions - and various religious norms.

Porat explained that in many Jewish families in the Diaspora it is customary for girls not to necessarily adhere to the dress codes and modesty customary among observant people in Israel, and some even attend "public" schools that are not religious (or not Jewish at all). For them, this does not contradict their strong religious consciousness and their way of life on issues such as Shabbat and kosher, but in the eyes of the military it automatically raises suspicion that their religious statement is false.

"Because they come with a sense of mission and contribution to the country, the military's motivation is growing," Porat argued. "They are comfortable for .... to operate the information systems on ... in an attempt to persuade them to enlist and thus 'improve' for him the data on the serving religiosity." He said, "It is no secret that the IDF has definite goals for this and it wants to reach a significant amount."

"Invasive Investigation Mask"

The director of the Chotam organization, Amital Barali, added: "Recruitment authorities are taking advantage of the innocence of some of the new immigrants and putting pressure on them to enlist and not do national service even though it goes against their lifestyle. "These girls, who come from religious backgrounds, are interested in making a significant contribution to society and the state within the national service, and they are invited to interrogation regarding religion in a stressful and hostile atmosphere, during which they have difficult conversations and are pressured to give up volunteering in the national service."

"We hope that the military system will put an end to the abusive conduct of the recruitment bureaus, who exploit the innocence of the new immigrants, who are unfamiliar with the options before them," Barley said. "A girl who wants to contribute her share to the state within the framework of national service, as the law allows her, does not have to go through a mask of invasive investigations."

The IDF spokesman responded: "Every new immigrant who is required by law to enlist is summoned to the recruitment bureau in order to begin the recruitment process. If you want to declare and ask for a religious exemption, you can do so. Over the years, more religious girls enlist in the IDF and find a place there that allows them to combine their....

Trump presidency's final days: 'In his mind, he will not have lost'

 https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55134022

 

To prevent failure, Trump denies reality, say those who know him. He filed multiple bankruptcies as a businessman, yet acted as though it was part of a plan. "He would say: 'I did it intentionally,'" recalls Jack O'Donnell, who worked for him, adding: "It's nonsense."

"In his mind, he will not have lost," says O'Donnell, describing the election. "He will never concede. It will always be: 'It was taken from me.'"

Trump is now fighting for Republican control of the Senate and plans to go to Georgia on Saturday to support candidates in run-off elections.

Meanwhile, outside Morgenstern's office, one of the empty desks is decorated with a coaster: "Failure is not an option."

The motto sums up Trump's philosophy and his approach to the presidency - at least until he leaves.

Arizona, Wisconsin certify election results for Biden

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/live-updates-election-12-1-2020

President Trump suffered another setback in his push to overturn his defeat in the presidential election, as Arizona on Monday certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the state.

The results of the election were certified by Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who's a Democrat, with GOP Gov. Doug Ducey, Republican state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Brutinel in attendance.

Hours after the certifying of the vote in Arizona, Wisconsin finalized their results, becoming the last of the remaining contested battleground states to do so.

Dr. Scott Atlas resigns from Trump administration

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/30/politics/scott-atlas-resigns-trump-administration-coronavirus-task-force/index.html

A source close to the task force told CNN on Monday that Atlas' departure comes as welcome news, as his discredited theories will no longer have a seat at the table. A separate official said the task force remains intact following Atlas' departure.

Atlas' months-long stint in the White House was marked by controversy as he became a close adviser to Trump on the pandemic, adopting public stances on the virus much closer to the President's -- including decrying the idea that schools cannot reopen this fall as "hysteria" and pushing for the resumption of college sports.

Rav Kaminetsky says

 In this synopsis of the AIA convention, R. Shmuel Kamenetzky is reported to have stated that every Jew is obligated to sanctify the Name of Heaven in public. Presumably, this would mean that Ms. Tamar Epstein must leave the home of an alien gentleman such as Mr. Adam Fleischer, as per the relevant laws of Kiddush Ha-Shem presented by Rambam, Hilkhot Yesodei ha-Torah, ch. 5. Furthermore, even if my presumption of R. Shmuel Kamenetzky's intention is not correct, this need not deter me from reaching the same practical conclusion, as per the Gemara, Eiruvin 63a that one may not defer to his superior rabbi in a situation of obvious transgression.

Arizona certifies Biden as election winner, with Wisconsin expected to follow

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arizona-wisconsin-election-certification-biden-trump

President Trump suffered another setback in his push to overturn his defeat in the presidential election, as Arizona on Monday certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the state.

The formalizing of the vote in Arizona leaves Wisconsin as the last remaining contested battleground state yet to certify its vote. Certification in Wisconsin is expected to take place later on Monday.

Eating - chasidic stories see #4

 

Torah not given on Sinai - Mizrachi

Mizrachi (Bamidbar 11:10) They cried amongst the families concerning the sexual relations that had been forbidden at Sinai In Sifri it states that when Moshe told them to separate from prohibited relations the Jews were distressed since some were married to a sister or the father’s sister or the sister of the mother. I don’t know why they were upset now after departing Sinai that they would cry about the separation ordered by Moshe several months before. In fact even though Moshe was told the prohibitions on Sinai possibly the Jewish people were not informed of these prohibitions until Sivan when the Mishkan was erected.

Fired election security official calls fraud claims 'nonsense'; Trump slams system as 'international joke'

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fired-elections-official-says-fraud-claims-nonsense-in-interview-trump-slams-system-as-international-joke

Former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Chris Krebs on Sunday emphatically defended the security of the 2020 election in the wake of his firing by President Trump, as the president slammed the report on Twitter and claimed that U.S. election security is an "international joke."

The firing drew immediate backlash from many in Congress, including Republicans, and from Krebs himself, who has repeatedly reiterated in online comments that there is "still no evidence that election systems and votes were manipulated." He doubled down on those claims on Sunday. 

"There is no foreign power that is flipping votes. There's no domestic actor flipping votes. I did it right. We did it right. This was a secure election," Krebs said.

Two Beit Shemesh teens accused of sexually abusing children for years

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HJtKpEMsv

Police say some of the abuses took place inside a local synagogue, while one of the teens, aged 16, is suspected of persuading the children, aged 4 and 7, to commit similar offenses on one another

Two teenagers from the Haredi city of Beit Shemesh have been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing two small children over a period of two years, the police said Monday.

 

 

A leaderless America slips deep into a grim pandemic winter

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/30/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-coronavirus-economy/index.html

 America is sliding into a winter limbo of alarming spikes in Covid-19 cases and deepening economic pain while an apathetic lame duck White House and a deadlocked Congress provide no political leadership.

The darkest holiday season in modern history beckons, yet President Donald Trump and his closest aides, sulking after his election defeat, are doing little to save lives, apart from claiming credit for a vaccine that represents a way out of the nightmare of 2020 but remains months away for most Americans.

 The current President spent Sunday firing off delusional new claims to bolster his fantasy that the election was stolen, which did nothing to advance his inept legal cases but further poisoned hopes of national unity when he's gone.

 

Trump goes OFF THE DEEP END in first interview since election loss

Trump: 'I'm ashamed that I endorsed' Kemp in Georgia

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/527882-trump-im-ashamed-that-i-endorsed-kemp-in-georgia

 "And the governor’s done nothing. He’s done absolutely nothing," Trump added of Kemp. "I’m ashamed that I endorsed him. But I look what’s going on. It's so terrible."

Trump: DOJ 'missing in action' on alleged election fraud - Barr rigged election?!

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-doj-missing-in-action-alleged-election-fraud

 He went on to tell host Maria Bartiromo in the exclusive interview that he has “not seen anything” from the DOJ or the Federal Bureau of Investigation on investigating the 2020 election.

“You would think if you’re in the FBI or Department of Justice, this is the biggest thing you could be looking at,” Trump said. “Where are they? I’ve not seen anything.”

“They just keep moving along and they go on to the next president,” he continued.

Trump, who has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, went on to stress that he believes “this election was a fraud,” adding that he thinks it was “rigged,” claims he has repeatedly made.

Trump’s legal team is attempting to prove through various legal battles that the president is the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election, despite Biden being the projected winner.