Celebrating bas mitzva

Igros Moshe (O.C. 02:097): Bas Mitzva and bar mitzva. This that you question why isn’t there a mitzva to make a meal for a bas mitzva when a girl is 12 and becomes obligated in mitzvos as there is there is for a boy when he is 13? Let me reinforce the question. Even though the girl does not give a Torah speech and even if she does – it has no significance since she is exempt from Torah study, nevertheless on the day of a bar mitzva it is considered a seudas mitzva even if he doesn’t give a Torah speech (Magen Avraham 225.4 and Yam shel Shlomo).So similarly it should also be for a bas mitzva that on the day she becomes 12 and one day that it should be considered a seudas mitzva. Look at the Pri Magadim who asks why isn’t the beracha (Baruch Shepatroni) said when a girl becomes 12 but does not ask why isn’t a meal made for her even though the reason for the meal is because it is greater to be obligated when you do mitzvos which also is relevant for girls. A possible explanation is because the change is not so obvious when a girl becomes an adult when compared to a boy who is now counted as part of a minyan or where three men are required. So with the knowledge of a change which is not so obvious we don’t make a seudas mitzva and celebration.

A Pro-Trump Mob Stormed the Halls of Congress. Photographs From Inside the Chaos at the Capitol

 https://time.com/5927132/donald-trump-mob-capitol-chaos/

A mob whipped up by the President stormed police lines, smashed windows and broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to block lawmakers from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The violent scene, which called to mind images of coups in foreign lands, was a culmination of two months of “Stop the Steal” rallies, fueled by Donald Trump’s baseless allegations that widespread voter fraud had cost him the election. The President has repeatedly incited his supporters to challenge the peaceful transfer of power, the essential marker of democracy.

Biden’s Electoral College victory certified -- hours after Capitol chaos

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-certifies-bidens-electoral-college-victory-after-day-of-chaos-at-capitol

The U.S. Congress early Thursday certified the Electoral College vote that gave Democrat Joe Biden his presidential victory -- after a day in Washington that was marred by pro-Trump protesters storming the U.S. Capitol.

Lawmakers returned to the chamber in an act of defiance, with some Republicans who initially vowed to challenge states’ results due to voter fraud concerns announcing they'd instead vote to certify.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the breach of the Capitol a "failed insurrection," adding that those who "tried to disrupt our democracy" had not succeeded.

Detractors of the president criticized him for stoking anger among his supporters and said a violent incident was inevitable. They say the president has been pushing the false narrative about election interference for the past month and his presidency was bound to end in chaos.

Congress finalizes Biden's win after riot disrupts Capitol

 https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/index.html

Following a formal affirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, President Trump said the decision "represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history."

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement.

"I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," Trump said while repeating false claims about the election that incited a mob to storm the Capitol.

 

Why I’m Fighting For Morality In New Jersey

 By Rabbi Noson Leiter

I was recently asked why I’m spending so much time fighting A4454 in New Jersey. This bill
states: “Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, each school district shall incorporate
instruction on diversity and inclusion in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in
kindergarten through 12.”
It requires this instruction to (1) “highlight and promote diversity, including economic
diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance, and belonging in connection with gender and sexual
orientation, race and ethnicity, disabilities, and religious tolerance”; (2) “examine the impact
that unconscious bias and economic disparities have at both an individual level and on society as
a whole”; and (3)  “encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students
regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities,
and religious beliefs.”
Many people instinctively support tolerance, but the fact is that teaching children to respect open
practitioners of LGBT sins erodes one’s natural revulsion for these sins. Sodomy is actually a
capital crime (Vayikra 20:13, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 9:6) and called an "abomination" in
the Torah (Vayikra 18:22).
However, some may wonder: Why spend so much time fighting this particular piece of
legislation? There are several reasons. Here are some:
1. Among the proponents of this bill are several Jews, so we must ensure that the broader
American community understands that Torah Jewry stands unequivocally against it and any
other bill that seeks to indirectly legitimize sin under the rubric of teaching tolerance.
2. Frum Jews are responsible for the actions of their representatives, especially if they vote for
them.
3. Unfortunately, several frum organizations publicize their involvement in public advocacy
when it comes to seeking government assistance, but are generally nowhere to be seen in
addressing spiritual threats. Such behavior conveys the impression that the average Orthodox
Jew cares more about financial needs than spiritual threats. We must correct this impression –
and chillul Hashem.
4. Even if one only cared about Jewish souls alone, it goes without saying that most non-
Orthodox Jews send their children to public school.
5. If we stay silent now, “tolerance" curricula will eventually make their way to yeshivos.
Already in England, the government harasses frum schools that don’t teach about homosexuality
and related matters. There’s no reason to believe that state governments and the federal
government in America won’t eventually follow suit. Indeed, New York two years ago tried to
push for such tolerance instruction in its controversial education guidelines.

6. Consider the new crop of voters that will emerge from such instruction. How will any
candidate be able to support traditional morality and win an election if the next generation is
taught that traditional morality is intolerant?
May we merit a speedy redemption in the merit of standing up for children who can't stand up
for themselves.

Donald Trump is a traitor on par with Benedict Arnold and Jefferson Davis

 https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-01-06/trump-is-an-american-traitor

 The first two failed to destroy our republic. As I read the news of the insurrection in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, I can only wonder what damage has been done by the third.

The Disgrace on Capitol Hill

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-disgrace-on-capitol-hill-11609979276

Fueled by lies about a stolen election, protesters overran police and stormed America’s seat of government on Wednesday, forcing a lockdown of the U.S. Capitol and a 6 p.m. city curfew. This sounds like a dispatch from some foreign correspondent in an unfortunate land. Instead it was President Trump’s parting gift to Washington, and the country, for denying him a second term.

VP revealed to have called in National Guard - NOT Donald Trump

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9120367/Trumps-national-security-advisor-Robert-OBrien-praises-Mike-Pence-courage-like-9-11.html

In an odd statement, acting Pentagon chief Christopher Miller – installed by Trump after he pushed out Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the election – said he had spoken to Pence – not Trump – about calling in the Guard.

 

 

After Illinois Rep. Mary Miller praises Hitler, Rep. Jan Schakowsky calls on her to resign

 https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/6/22217876/illinois-rep-mary-miller-praises-hitler-rep-jan-schakowsky-calls-on-her-to-resign-at-trump-rally

At the rally, Miller, said, “Each generation has the responsibility to teach the next generation. You know, if we win a few elections we’re still going to be losing unless we win the hearts of our children. It’s the battle. Hitler was right on one thing that whoever has the youth has the future. Our children are being propagandized.”

Trump's parting gift- Democrats take control with Warnock and Ossoff wins

 https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55556928

The Democratic Party of US President-elect Joe Biden has won control of the Senate - and of Congress overall - with two victories in the state of Georgia.

Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue respectively.

Democrats will control the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House for the first time since 2009.

An estimated four million Georgians turned out to vote in the run-off election.

The result is a severe blow for outgoing Republican President Donald Trump.

Orders of senior ultra-Orthodox rabbis on school closure remain unclear

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/orders-of-senior-ultra-orthodox-rabbis-on-school-closure-remain-unclear-654494

On Tuesday night Edelstein issued a statement that criticized the public for negligence in obeying health regulations, and called those who are lax in  observing health warnings “rodef” – that is, someone who poses a danger to the lives of others.

 

Guns drawn, lawmakers under desks as pro-Trump mob roams and loots Congress

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/guns-drawn-lawmakers-under-desks-as-pro-trump-mob-roams-and-loots-congress/

Where are they?” a Trump supporter demanded in a crowd of dozens roaming the halls of the US Capitol, bearing Trump flags and pounding on doors. They — lawmakers, staff members and more — were hiding under tables, hunkered in lockdowns, saying prayers, and seeing the fruits of the country’s divisions up close and violent. 

Orthodox Jewish Trump supporters decry violence, not movement behind mob

 https://www.jpost.com/us-elections/orthodox-jewish-trump-supporters-decry-violence-not-movement-behind-mob-654530

And on Wednesday, some Orthodox Jews took their support for Trump to the next level, traveling to Washington to participate in the Trump rally that turned into a mob.

Some of the Orthodox Jewish Trump supporters who attended even traveled to the rally on specially chartered buses from Orthodox Jewish communities, some of which were organized in special WhatsApp groups. One person who attended the rally said there were at least eight buses to Washington organized by Orthodox Jews.

Groups were formed for people from Monsey, New York, and Lakewood, New Jersey, two areas with large Orthodox populations. Two buses were reportedly chartered from Brooklyn.

Orthodox Jews were present at the rally where President Trump spoke Wednesday, telling the crowd to “walk down to the Capitol” and that “you will never take back our country with weakness.” But many Orthodox Trump supporters condemned the violence that followed when protesters stormed the capitol.

Trump Is to Blame for Capitol Attack

 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/opinion/trump-capitol-dc-protests.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

President Trump and his Republican enablers in Congress incited a violent attack Wednesday against the government they lead and the nation they profess to love. This cannot be allowed to stand.

Mr. Trump’s seditious rhetoric prompted a mob of thousands of people to storm the U.S. Capitol building, some breaking onto the House and Senate floors, where the nation’s elected representatives had gathered to perform their constitutional duty of counting electoral votes and confirming the election of Joe Biden as president.

It is fitting that some carried the Confederate flag as they attacked the seat of American government and forced the suspension of congressional debate. They shattered windows and broke doors, clashing with overwhelmed security forces as they shouted their support for Mr. Trump and their defiance of the lawful results of the 2020 election. One woman was killed. The nation’s leaders were sent scurrying for shelter.

Graham: Trump and I have had a hell of a journey, but enough is enough

Pence, McConnell and Schumer address Senate floor as Electoral College certification resumes

Graham calls Biden 'lawfully' elected, says 'enough is enough' following breach of Capitol

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lindsey-graham-calls-biden-lawfully-elected-enough-is-enough

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called President-elect Joe Biden "lawfully" elected and urged his Senate colleagues "Enough is enough" regarding election fraud allegations. 

Graham, at times, has been a critic of President Trump but he has often been a close ally during his presidency. 

The senator's remarks came as the Senate voted on certifying the Electoral College votes hours after a group of Trump supporters breached the Capitol, forcing an evacuation. 

He said while he supported his colleagues' right to object to the election results, he wouldn’t support it and felt it is a "uniquely bad idea to delay this election." 

Trump has been a "consequential" president, Graham said he believes, "but today…count me out. Enough is enough."

 

James Mattis denounces Trump, says he will be 'left a man without a country'

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/james-mattis-statement-trump-capitol-protests

Former Defense Secretary James Mattis rebuked President Trump on Wednesday, accusing him of fomenting violence at the U.S. Capitol and poisoning Americans' respect for fellow citizens.

 

Trump’s legacy ‘in tatters’ after supporters riot at Capitol

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/jonathan-turley-trump-legacy-in-tatters-capitol-riot

President Trump left his legacy "in tatters" Wednesday after his supporters rampaged through the U.S. Capitol and disrupted Congress' formal tallying of the Electoral College votes, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley said.

 

Dan Rather Explains How President Trump Incited a Coup

Parents listening to the singing of their young daughters

 Igros Moshe (O.C. 01:026):Listening to a young girl singing. This that you write that it is impossible to protest that parents should not come to listen to their children singing without causing great controversy, therefore you want to know my view regarding what the halacha regarding listening to children singing?  Beis Shmuel( E.H. 21.4) explicitly states that the voice of an unmarried woman is permitted except during prayer and the Magen Avraham (E.H. 75.6) states that only the singing of a married woman is always prohibited.  This that an unmarried female is permitted is only if she is not a nida.  This is stated by the Pre Magadim and it seems that nida is viewed as erva. The Be’er Heitiv (E.H. 21.4) cites the Be’er Sheva saying that unmarried females or a widow is prohibited and only the voice of a man’s wife is permitted except during prayer. That seems to mean that even an unmarried female who is not a nida and thus disagrees with the Beis Shmuel. Thus the halacha is in accord with  the  greater number of those that permit and furthermore the Be’er Heitiv does not note that the Be’er Sheva disagrees which indicates he has no concern that that view is halacha.In addition the Mishna Bereura (75.17) also permits an unmarried female who is not a nida when it is not during Shema. What needs to be a point of concern is that which the Mishna Berura writes that the singing of an unmarried girl is permitted as long as there is no intent for pleasure so that it doesn’t lead to lustful thoughts. So possibly there are some who come with the intent to listen and have lustful thoughts which is prohibited. But it seems that the Misha Berura means someone who listens for lustful rasons.and we can assume here also that people are not coming to listen for lustful reasons and we don’t need to be concerned that lustful thoughts will be produced by listening to girls singing. Thus the prohibition only applies to females that are prohibited to him inherently to get any pleasure from them which excludes unmarried girls who are not nida. So even if there is concern that listening will result in lustful thoughts, this is relevant only for older girls who might become nida and not young girls. In addition there is normally no lust for sex with children and consequently looking or listening to children does not produce lustful thoughts even when done for the sake of pleasure. This is true even for girls older than 9 years. In conclusion you asked for the actual halacha and that is that it is permissible for girls singing as long as they are not more than 11 ears old. More than 11, even if it is known that they are not nida and according to the straight halacha it is possible to be lenient as I have explained, nevertheless you should be strict since it is possible for some to be nida, If there is no pressing need you should always prohibit because in these matters all who take the strict view are called holy.

NJ LGBT bills scheduled for MONDAY

BS"D

22 Teves, 5781 / January 6, '21

Esteemed Leaders,

Two major NJ LGBT bills, as feared, have just been scheduled for this coming Monday January 11: A4454 (public schools), and S2545 (healthcare facilities).

The letter to the editor regarding the bills should already be online at the NJ Jewish Link (https://www.jewishlinknj.com, although I've not seen it yet).  A brief report should be coming out in the Jewish Press today too. 

Action Items:

1.)  Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D) of Passaic needs massive pressure to kill both bills, by exposing them and rallying others likewise to do so. Without pressure, he'll exploit the standard myth that "they'll pass anyway" (as Einstein is reputed to have said, a sign of an idiot is repeating the same acts -- in this case, doing nothing to expose the overt evils of both bills - and/ or even actively voting for them -- while somehow expecting different results).

2.)  For Lakewood residents, your legislators should be urged to lead the charge against both of these dangerous bills, to at least procure maximum Republican opposition. 

3.)  Tips:

1)  Even non-religious legislators need to hear that this "Education" bill isn't about education, it's about indoctrination. 

2) This Healthcare facilities legislation is not about healthcare or fairness, it's about enabling the sexual assault of our most vulnerable in long term healthcare facilities, of course, predictably perpetrated in the name of procuring newly concocted "rights" (for those who choose to flaunt biological reality). 

3)  That bill, which would ultimately make it practically impossible for religious people to use such facilities, also been accurately branded as one of NJs rape-enabling bills [along with the joint "no questions asked" Abortion / Human- Trafficking enabling legislation they've been trying to pass recently].

The recent escalation of Divine Judgement should prompt us to oppose all measures to legitimize immorality, inasmuch as when sexual immorality is rampant, G-d allows massive collective retribution which kills some good people along with the evil ones. Let us not be counted among the good people who could have done more to protest and combat the evildoers - so we may merit to avoid being punished along with them.

Thank you all again,

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

TorahJewsForDecency@gmail.com

US: 845.642.1679

Israeli Hotline: 03.721.3337

PS. some recent posts:

Why Rabbis Should Fight LGBT Exploitation:

 http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-rabbis-should-fight-lgbt.html
(Thu, Dec 31, 2020)

LGBT in Education, Healthcare facilities:
°  10Teves Alert: Making LGBT Exploitation Legal [Again]

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/12/10th-of-teves-alert-making-lgbt.html

(Fri, Dec 25, '20)

° S2545: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/S3000/2545_I1.HTM

° Educational Indoctrination:
A4454 2R
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A4500/4454_R2.HTM (Kindergarten version)

° https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/12/lgbtexploitation-of-njs-most-vulnerable.html

° Also: https://www.jerseyconservative.org/blog/2020/12/24/lgbt-exploitation-of-njs-most-vulnerable-kids-amp-elderly

 

Advice to Rav Reuven Feinstein

 Igros Moshe (Y.D. 03:96.9):   You will soon reach the age of 20 which is also the age for being liable to punishment also at the hand of heaven and you are asking how you should conduct yourself during your lifetime?  Obviously the primary thing is being engaged in Torah study as Rashi notes in Bechukosi if a person doesn’t learn it is possible to make mistakes and our Sages state that the mistakes of a talmid chachom are considered intentional because he should know better by learning everything to know the truth and then G-d will help that you grow in Torah and come to know everything clearly which will also lead to deed. As they say “Great is study since it brings about deed.” Thus your entire purpose in the world should be that all your life should be devoted to Torah and then I am sure that G-d will help you and also send you a generous livelihood and bountiful blessing because they are only gifts from G-d as our Sages(Kiddushin 82b) note  that poverty or riches are not the result of a specific job but everything is from Heaven according to our merit. G-d forbid that you accept this through an oath or promises which is prohibited but rather you need to be determined in your thoughts and mind and do it. You also need to work on having good personality traits especially to distance yourself from anger. Because pride and anger are things needed to be avoided to an extreme degree. And when a person wants to do this in a determined manner then G-d will help you but G-d forbid that this should be done by promises and oaths as we mentioned before. You also need to be careful in honoring your mother. This is typically very difficult for people since they are habituated from their childhood, therefore you have to be very careful because even if she is forgiving G-d forbid to rely on that. And this that you ask about the need to fast for various reasons? It is not appropriate for you and others who are engaged in Torah study because G-d forbid it can cause bitul Torah (time loss from Torah study) even if not in quantity - in quality. Our Sages (Taanis 11a) say a person who regular fasts is a sinner. So instead of afflicting yourself you should increase your Torah study. My words should always be before you and G-d will always help you.

Pence faces pressure from Trump to thwart Electoral College vote

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/05/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump-electoral-college/index.html

Vice President Mike Pence's four years of faithful service to his boss, President Donald Trump, will culminate this week in a ceremonial act he's under increasing pressure to thwart.

Over the past several weeks, Trump has become intensely interested in Pence's ceremonial role during the certification of the Electoral College. He has raised the matter repeatedly with his vice president and has been "confused" as to why Pence can't overturn the results of the election on January 6, sources told CNN.

As he was flying to Florida for his vacation last month, Trump retweeted a call from one of his supporters for Pence to refuse to ratify the Electoral College results on January 6 -- a prospect that has captured his imagination even if it remains completely impossible.

Daniel Dale on Trump rally: As a fact checker, I'm bored

Yichud of brother and sister

Igros Moshe (E.H. 04:064.3): Yichud of brother and sister The gemora )Kiddushin 81b) says that a person can have yichud with his sister and live with his mother and daughter. Rashi explains he is allowed to have yichud  with his sister occasionally but not live together with her constantly in a house. So what does occasionally mean? It is makes no sense to say to say it is once in 30 days we say for the beracha on seeing the ocean because the gemora only describes the time for berachos. Look at the brief rulings of the Rosh who says a person can live temporarily with his sister and permanently with his mother. In other words it needs to be clear that he comes to her house only occasionally as a guest and is ready to leave every day and not as one who comes to stay a fixed short time. Thus it is not the actual amount of time but rather that it transient and temporary. So even if he ends up staying for a year or two  or more and then leaves it is not consider permanent. Consequently  it needs to be clearly seen that he came to her house as a guest and not to live permanently which is prohibited even for a single night. As a guest he can sleep overnight even several nights. The same applies for his sister visiting him. Thus it is not a fixed time but the normal behavior of guests in that community. If there is any doubt it is forbidden and not like rabbinic doubts for which we are lenient. Regarding a brother and sister who are still living with their father and likely are very habituated and live closely together which was true even in Talmudic times and yet there were no concerns for yichud

Yichud between Father and adopted children?

Igros Moshe (E.H. 04:064.2): Yichud between Father and adopted children? It is a great mitzva for a person to raise an orphan. Also many people who didn’t have children adopt children and raise them and don’t inform the children that they are adopted until they grow up. Some don’t want to ever reveal this. But that is prohibited since it might result that they marry relatives that are prohibited to them. It is also prohibited to conceal from them the names of their biological parents unless the intent is merely to wait until they grow up. At some point it is required that they be informed not only the names of the father and mother but where she is. However in most cases this information is not known by the adoptive parents since the adoption was done through an agency which cannot be believed whether the mother was Jewish. Therefore we need to assume the child is not Jewish and there needs to be a conversion because of the doubt. Nevertheless when this is done properly we still have to be concerned about yichud even though this is often ignored until the age the adopted daughter reaches the age of 8 or 9 since she is being treated all these years as if she is the biological daughter.  Yichud is a bigger problem then showing her affection by hugging and kissing which are not done from lust and are not prohibited (Shach Y.D. 157.10).  It is possible to say there is not a problem of yichud for short periods of time because he is afraid his wife will find out. Therefore if his wife dies he needs to be careful not to have yichud with his daughter or his adopted daughter

Don't act surprised: Donald Trump was never going to accept the election results if he lost

 https://www.salon.com/2021/01/03/dont-act-surprised-donald-trump-was-never-going-to-accept-the-election-results-if-he-lost/

Though the media took his denial of election reality as a shock, President Donald Trump was never going to accept the results of this year's election unless he was declared the winner. He said so himself years ago.

This is the elephant in the room, the undeniable fact that demolishes his credibility when he says he was actually reelected — and, incidentally, the reason why both he and the people backing his unprecedented post-election temper tantrum will be remembered by history as forever losers. Indeed, long before the 2020 election, Trump's go-to response to even the possibility of losing any election has been to accuse the other side of cheating.

 At this point the president and his legal team have resorted to gish galloping, or attempting to win an argument by overwhelming an opponent with an excessive number of spurious claims — that all of these Republican and/or pro-Trump judges and officials are part of a giant conspiracy to steal the election from him, that large numbers of dead people voted, that Dominion voting machines changed results, and so on — in the hope that they will not be able to keep track of and thereby comprehensively debunk all of them. As my colleague Amanda Marcotte has written, there is evidence that many Trump supporters don't even sincerely believe that the election was stolen, but are making intentionally bad faith arguments out of a mixture of partisanship, wounded pride, a desire to delegitimize President-elect Joe Biden and the hope that they can perhaps help the president pull off a coup.

Trump's strategy: overturn result, cheat democracy

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/03/the-guardian-view-on-trumps-strategy-overturn-result-democracy

This week, Donald Trump will undermine democracy in the US by supporting the claim that Democrat Joe Biden did not fairly win last November’s presidential election. A peaceful handover of power in a democracy requires losing candidates and their followers to admit defeat. But Mr Trump has manufactured a controversy purely to maintain power and to overturn a legitimate election.

US courts have repeatedly thrown out Mr Trump’s evidence-free cases. This has not stopped the president’s accomplices in Congress. They, backed by Mr Trump’s vice-president, on Wednesday plan to challenge Mr Biden’s win to force a debate and votes in Congress. Some scholars point to a historical precedent as offering a slim, perhaps vanishing, chance that the nightmare will continue. Mr Trump will not let an opportunity pass to relitigate an election he lost.

For the good of America, he must fail. The alternative is ultimately the collapse of political norms and civil strife. A classic demagogue, Mr Trump is signalling to his supporters that they, like him, should refuse to respect the election’s outcome and reject Mr Biden’s presidency. There is a well-grounded fear that protests could erupt, some of them armed. Mr Trump might call out the national guard or send federal agents to deal with demonstrations. This chaos, Mr Trump no doubt hopes, will pave the way for an autocratic takeover.

'Traitors and patriots': Republican push to keep Trump in power seems doomed

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/03/trump-republicans-electoral-college-results-senators-cruz-hawley-romney

“It all recalls what Ulysses S Grant once wrote in 1861,” Jake Tapper said on State of the Union, before quoting a letter the union general wrote at the outset of a civil war he won before becoming president himself: ‘There are [but] two parties now: traitors and patriots.’

“How would you describe the parties today?” Tapper asked.

The attempt to overturn Trump’s defeat seems doomed, a piece of political theatre mounted by party grandees eager to court supporters loyal to the preside

As Georgia votes, Trump tries to destroy America's faith in democracy

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/05/politics/donald-trump-georgia-election/index.html

 Desperate, deluded and dangerous, President Donald Trump drove America deeper into a political abyss on Monday night in his zeal to steal an election he lost and to destroy faith in the democracy that fairly ejected him from office.

The President spewed lies, conspiracy theories and nonsensically false claims of vote fraud before an angry crowd in Georgia on a trip scheduled to help two Republicans in toss up run-offs Tuesday set to seal the Senate balance of power.

But as usual, and as it has been for the last four years, including during the fast-worsening pandemic that he ignored, the outgoing President's primary concern was himself.

Trump created a nightmarish picture of a ranting, demagogic commander-in-chief, wallowing in fantasies of the political fringe -- a frightening prospect since he retains the awesome powers of the presidency for another 15 days.

Yichud with daughter after conversion

Igros Moshe (E.H. 04:064.1): 1. Is it permitted for a father to have yichud with his biological daughter after they convert to Judaism? Those that convert with their children it is reasonable to say that there is no problem of yichud because there is no natural lust for his mother or daughter. It is irrelevant that according to halacha they are not considered relatives after conversion. Therefore is also no problem of living together with one’s mother or one’s daughter. But the situation is different regarding a brother and sister, even though there is also no natural lust but that is only because of the actions of the Men of the Great Assembly to weaken lust for relatives. Therefore there is still the possibility of pleasure and slight lust even though it is not overwhelming but yichud should only be occasionally and it is permitted to sleep in the same house at night. It is not permitted to live together permanently. The same applies to his father’s sister or mother’s sister This is true for Jews and non Jews.

Read the full transcript and listen to Trump's audio call with Georgia secretary of state

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/trump-brad-raffensperger-phone-call-transcript/index.html

 CNN has obtained the full January 2 audio call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump is joined on the call by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and several lawyers.

CNN obtained the audio from a source who was on the call and had direct knowledge of the conversation. CNN has redacted the name of one individual about whom Trump made unsubstantiated claims.

Here is the full transcript and audio of the hour-long call.

'Worse than Watergate': Bernstein says Trump tape the ultimate smoking gun

MSNBC Morning Joe 1/4/2021 6AM | MSNBC Breaking News Today Jan 4, 2021

Perdue says Trump call with Georgia secretary of state won’t affect runoff

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/perdue-says-trump-call-with-georgia-secretary-of-state-wont-affect-runoff

Perdue, who was a guest on "The Next Revolution," said he was "shocked" that a member of the Republican Party would tape a sitting president and leak it to the media.

"It’s disgusting in my view," he said. "But what the president said is exactly what he’s been saying the last few months."

Perdue said that Trump has been consistent with his claims that there were voter irregularities and said Trump just "wants some answers."

Trump's deranged phone call with Georgia secretary of state reveals a desperate man

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/03/opinions/donald-trump-phone-call-georgia-election-dantonio/index.html

 The latest turn in loser Donald Trump's campaign to overturn the 2020 election reveals a desperate man willing to say almost anything to get what he wants but instead getting rebuffed by officials who are made of finer stuff. As he pressures them to abandon their duty and come over to the dark side of politics, their refusal makes Trump's corrupt methods all the more obvious.

To their shame, nearly a dozen Republican senators and senators-elect and more than 100 House Republicans say they are going to challenge the vote certification. This will not alter the result but it will, like that call Trump made to Georgia, affirm what we already knew: Trump is a corrupting force who will reveal a politician's character.