Republicans Smear And Slander Ahead Of Testimony | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Impeachment Hearings Won't Change Their Minds

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/19/780540637/poll-americans-overwhelmingly-say-impeachment-hearings-wont-change-their-minds?sc=tw

But 65% of Americans say they can't imagine any information or circumstances during the impeachment inquiry where they might change their minds about their position on impeachment. And 30% say yes, it's possible.

Shock at Yeshivah

https://ajn.timesofisrael.com/shock-at-yeshivah/

THE appointment of former Yeshivah Committee of Management (COM) member Michael Goldhirsch to the Yeshivah Centre Limited (YCL) board has been met with shock by sections of the community.

Chabad Institutions of Victoria Limited (CIVL) announced this week that Goldhirsch is a new member of its board, and that it has nominated him as one of three representatives on the YCL board, which is the roof board of CIVL and Yeshivah and Beth Rivkah Colleges.

Goldhirsch was a member of the COM until soon after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2015.

During the time he was on the COM, children were sexually abused within the organisation and victims were re-victimised when they came forward.

Israel's nurses bear brunt of teetering healthcare system

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5622515,00.html

A report published by the OECD last week shows that in Israel there are five nurses for every 1000 citizens. This is far lower than the average for developed countries, which stands at nine nurses for every 1000 citizens.

"This is an unbelievable travesty," says Ilana Cohen, head of the Nurses' Union.

"The impossible overcrowding has finally reached the public consciousness," she says.

"There is no resemblance between how hospitals are told to operate by law and the facts on the ground. We are seconded for immunization campaigns with no replacements. It's time to settle the issue. We can't wait for a new government to form," she says.

West Bank settlements not illegal, Pompeo announces in historic shift

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/West-Bank-settlements-not-illegal-US-decides-in-historic-US-policy-shift-608222

In a historic reversal of US policy, the Trump administration announced on Monday that it does not view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. The policy change was announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington.

“After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with president Reagan,” Pompeo said in reference to Ronald Reagan’s position that settlements were not inherently illegal. “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.

What Does Rudy Giuliani’s Son Do?

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/11/andrew-giuliani-white-house/602110/

Yet for the differing opinions on the nature of Giuliani’s role, the officials I spoke to were certain that Giuliani had nabbed a White House post in the first place because of his father. A second former senior White House official plainly called it “a nepotism job.” But Munisteri said that anyone who frames it this way “has an ax to grind.” He added that Giuliani, a former professional golfer, was qualified on his own for this particular role, because “it’s the type of position where you need someone with an outgoing personality.” (Andrew Giuliani didn’t return a request for comment.)

Rep. Scalise defends Trump in fiery interview on impeachment

Injurious': Trump Attacks Impeachment Witness During Testimony | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC

HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR SAYS TRUMP ATTACKING WITNESS DURING IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS IS ANOTHER 'IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-attacking-witness-impeachable-offense-1472095

President Donald Trump attacking a witness during his impeachment inquiry hearings on Friday is a separate "impeachable offense," a Harvard Law School professor opined.

Trump tweeted attacks at ousted U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch—whom the president described as "bad news" in his controversial July 25 call with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy—as she offered her testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.

"Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad," Trump tweeted on Friday morning. "She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President's absolute right to appoint ambassadors."

Harvard law professor John Coates noted, "the President of the United States is publicly attacking a witness in a Congressional impeachment hearing while she is testifying."

He is lying about her, her record, and the Constitution, and is threatening her—itself an independent impeachable offense," Coates concluded.

Coates added that "once caught in a crime, Trump's mob-schooled instinct is to intimidate witnesses—yet another crime," and shared a link on whether Trump committed witness tampering.

Roger Stone Found Guilty of Witness Tampering, Lying to Congress

https://time.com/5730128/roger-stone-guilty/

Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of President Donald Trump, was found guilty Friday of witness tampering and lying to Congress about his pursuit of Russian-hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election bid.

Stone was convicted of all seven counts in an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

He is the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Rav Tendler's addendum to Igros Moshe

I was asked recently whether this is consistent with the view of Rav Moshe found in Igros Moshe קIV #106

שו"ת אגרות משה אבן העזר חלק ד סימן קו

בענין ההשתדלות לעשות חוק שיהודי הנפרד מאשתו בגירושין של המדינה יצטרך לפוטרה בגט כשר. 

כ"ב מר - חשון תש"מ מע"כ הרה"ג מהר"ר יעקב הכהן זעלצער שליט"א הגאב"ד דקה"י עדת ישורון ביאהאנעסבורג יצ"ו. 

הנה בדבר ההשתדלות שיעשו חוק בפרלאמענט שכל מגרש אשתו כשהוא בן ברית יהיה מחוייב לפטור את אשתו גם בגט כשר בב"ד כשר של ישראל, ודאי הוא ענין גדול מאד, ואין בזה משום עישוי ע"י נכרים מאחר דבידו שלא לגרש כלל גם לא בגירושין (דיווארס) של המדינה, ורק מחמת רצונו לקבל גירושין של המדינה להפטר מחיוביו לאשה זו ולהיות רשאי ליקח אשה אחרת והם לא יתנו לו בלא גט כשר של ישראל רוצה ליתן הגט, דדמי זה ממש לאחד שלא רצה ליתן גט וכשנתנו לו איזה אלפים שקלים נתרצה ליתן גט דלא נחשב עישוי מאחר דרצונו בהממון עדיף לו מרצונו שלא ליתן גט ומעשים בכל יום שמשחדים להבעל ליתן גט בכל תפוצות ישראל, ועישוי שהוא פסול הוא כשמכין אותו או מחזיקים אותו בבית האסורין או עושין לו יסורים אחרים כדי שיתן גט הוא נחשב מגרש באונס שפסול, וכן אף אונס ממון בכה"ג שיחייבו אותו המדינה ליתן לה משלו לעונש על שאינו נותן לה גט הוא נחשב מגרש באונס ממון שלא יפסיד, וכן כשאחד יחטוף מהבעל סך גדול ולא יחזיר לו עד אחר שיתן גט הוא נחשב מגרש באונס, אך יהיה הנידון אם אונס ממון הוא בדין מגרש באונס עיין בש"ע אה"ע סימן קל"ד סעי' ד' ברמ"א ובפ"ת ס"ק י"א, אבל כשנותנין לו ממון שירצה בשביל זה ליתן גט הוא פשוט שאינו אונס כמעשים בכל יום, וכמו כן ממש הוא כשיתן גט מחמת שרוצה להשיג גירושין של המדינה. ואף באסור בבית האסורים בשביל איזה ענין אחר, והאשה היה לה מי שישתדל להוציאו לחפשי כשיתן גט נמי אין זה בחשיבות מגרש באונס, דמאחר דלא היו היסורין שלו כדי שיתן גט אלא בשביל ענין אחר ונתינת הגט היתה להצלתו מהיסורין הוא רצון גמור והוא דבר פשוט ומסתבר, וזה גט כשר אף כשליכא חיוב גירושין. 

אבל יצטרכו לראות שהחוק יקבעו בצורה שלא יתנו גירושין של המדינה אלא אחרי שיפטרנה בגט בב"ד כשר ותהיה מותרת להנשא לאחר מצד התורה והאמונה, דאם יקבעו בלשון שבן ברית צריך להיתר נישואיו לאחרת לא רק לגירושין של המדינה אלא גם גט כשר מב"ד של ישראל ואם ישא אשה בלא גט כשר יענש כמו מי שנושא אשה בלא גירושין של המדינה, לא ברור אצלי להחשיב שהוא בלא אונס מאחר דלא היה הגט לעיכוב להשגת גירושין של המדינה אלא שקבעו חוק למי שהיה נשוי שאסור לו לישא אחרת אף שיש לו גירושין של המדינה כשאין לו גם גט אף שידע זה מתחלה ונתרצה לזה, הרי נמצא כשחזר בו ואינו רוצה לגרשה ומצד יראת העונש אינו חוזר בו ומגרשה שהוא נותן הגט מצד עונש הגוף דחוק המדינה שאפשר נחשב אנוס אף דמתחלה הבטיח ליתן מצד רצונו בגירושין של המדינה, ולכן צריך שיהיה לשון החוק דלא יתנו לו גירושין של המדינה עד שיגרש את אשתו בגט כשר. 

גם כיון שבעוה"ר איכא קהלות הרשעים שהם הרעפארמער וקאנסערוואטיוון צריך להשתדל שיהיה החוק שיתן לה גט כשר אצל ארטאדאקסי /אורטודוקסי/ ולהסביר להם שמה שהוא גט כשר שנעשה ע"י רב ארטאדאקסי יהיה כשר גם אצל הרעפארמער וקאנסערווטיוון וגט של ב"ד רעפארמער וקאנסערוואטיוון אינו כלום אצל כל ישראל. 

ובדבר שאלה השניה שאם השופט דמדינה יטיל על הבעל כשאינו רוצה לגרשה תשלום דכסף למזונותיה ולכל צרכיה עד שיגרשנה בגט כשר אם נחשב זה גט מעושה, הנה הא עד שתתגרש מבעלה הא הוא חייב במזונותיה ובכל צרכיה מדינה ורשאה לילך לערכאות שיכופו אותו ליתן לה מזונותיה וכל צרכיה, ואף שהם יוסיפו שצריך לזונה אף כשהיא עושה מלאכה ומרווחת נמי כשיחייבוהו שיתן לה למזונותיה ולכל צרכיה בכל אופן פשוט שאם יגרשנה ליפטר מחיוב זה אין זה בחשיבות גט מעושה ויהיה גט כשר לכתחלה. 

ודבר גדול הוא מאד והשי"ת יצליח אותם בדבר הגדול לתקנת בנות ישראל. 

ידידו, משה פיינשטיין. 

I responded it is dealing with a different question i.e. whether Get me'usa requires an explicit or implicit threat if husband does not give get and indicates only explicit threats are problematic

Turkish media paints White House visit as Erdoğan triumph over Trump

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/470559-turkish-media-paints-white-house-visit-as-erdogan-triumph-over-trump

Turkish media are seizing on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments that President Trump had “no reaction” to his returning the American leader’s notorious letter to him, saying it shows a clear victory over Trump.

A headline in Sabah Daily, a pro-government media outlet, said that international media were reporting that Erdoğan returned the “scandalous” letter to Trump and the American president was “silent.”

Rudy Giuliani’s Op-Ed Defense Of Donald Trump Backfires Spectacularly

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-op-ed-wall-street-journal_n_5dcbc31ae4b0d43931cc8308

Giuliani, in the piece titled “The Case for the Impeachment Defense,” attempted to defend Trump by noting how the president spent only a fraction of his July phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky (which sparked the impeachment inquiry) asking him to investigate potential 2020 rival Joe Biden allegedly in exchange for withheld military aid.

“The focus was on Ukrainian corruption broadly speaking and out of a five-page transcript Mr. Trump spent only six lines on Joe Biden,” Giuliani wrote on the eve of the public impeachment hearings.

Online Updates in the Culture Wars - Parshas VaYaira, 5780 °° Nov.14, '19

BS"D

Online Updates in the Culture Wars

Parshas VaYaira, 5780 °° Nov.14, '19

By Binyomin Feinberg, Contributor to The Jewish Press*

feinbergbinyomin@gmail.com

* The perspectives and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press.

~~~~~~~~~~~

To check for updates throughout the week please visit ("Updates for Cheshvan" at: )

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11EUa2a_8OwXs7T1vMfek3MehHfC2Rd9mWt6NetNxLm0/edit?usp=sharing

~~~~~~~~~~

Update on Ziva bas Mazal:

This week, the Army called Ziva yet again to harass her over her steadfast fidelity to Jewish Law and personal modesty in her unwavering refusal to enlist in the Israeli military. She responded with characteristic firmness, stating that she is religious and therefore cannot and will not enlist, and there is really nothing to talk about.*

{* Ironically, it is this demonstrably resolute young woman whom someone recently described as "weak," in regards to her ability to resist the religious persecution of IDF. That individual was seeking a pretext to propose that Ziva avoid fighting for her religious exemption (and instead, to obtain a different type of exemption, but in a quiet manner, which would allow the Army to continue to continue to deny religious exemptions with impunity).}

For background on her case, see:

Giyus Banos: The Outrage Continues

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/outrage-upon-outrage.html

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/making-racism-great-again.html

***

IDF ANNOUNCES MASSIVE CRUSADE AGAINST GIRLS IN THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMP:

The IDF is targeting a whopping 40 percent of the graduates of National Religious girls' high schools for the military draft by the year 2022, according to the military reporter for Maariv (Nov.5).

According to the IDF, the number of religious girls now being drafted is approximately 2,500 per year (which includes 27 percent of girls from National Religious schools).

The IDF recruits these girls with effective marketing techniques and appealing enticements often aimed at weaker girls. It should be emphasized that this agenda is aimed at Torah-observant girls who are legally exempt from serving.

°°°

In related news, Olga S., an 18-year-old baalas teshuva, reports that she was denied her religious exemption despite properly following procedures, at an August 14 hearing at the Tel HaShomer Draft Office.

The officer reportedly told her that the army decided not to provide her an exemption, without providing any legal rationale or pretext. Consequently, she was given a draft-date of October 27.

She refused to enlist, and thus lives daily under the threat of imminent arrest.

Her strength of character is inspirational to the activists helping her. There are multiple girls like her, about whom we don't hear - until an arrest, if then.

Is she being discriminated against because she's a baalas teshuvah without a support system?

~~~

Israel may be heading for a Unity Government, comanaged by the Likud and Blue & White mainstream blocks. That means that the religious parties will be asked to, or seek to compromise to join. On what will they compromise? Will they agree to sacrifice on the drafting of girls, for which they failed to properly advocate when they had the power in the government to meaningfully protest? The saintly Brisker Rov ZT"L (see "The Brisker Rav," pp. 49–51, 56–57), to whom many of them pay lip service as a Gadol, held that it was better to close all the Yeshivos if need be rather than to draft even one girl. But the political parties, in contrast, allow the drafting of girls to pass quietly, apparently under the pretext of helping their own institutions.

~~~

UK Clergy Push Back Against LGBT School Requirements

Recently, the British Confraternity of Catholic Clergy issued a statement in response to rules in Great Britain requiring UK schools to teach respect for conduct that the Torah regards as immoral.

It declares, in part: "Parents are the principal educators of their children and their right to teach their own children about matters of human intimacy and relationships must be maintained. The right to withdraw children from lessons parents judge to be age inappropriate, insufficiently tailored to their childs unique needs or against their own legitimate religious beliefs must be held as an unassailable principle." ( http://www.confraternityccb.org.uk/ )

We wish the Catholics in England success in their campaign to resist state overreach. On this issue, we are in the same boat. We, too, must be prepared to tell New York state that we will not go along with any educational requirements requiring us to teach our children values that stand in contrast to those of the Torah, particularly the LGBTQ agenda, which is the flagship crusade of the NYS Democratic Party Establishment -- which been pushing for the Educational Equivalency Regulations, and which has been advancing LGBTQ indoctrination in Public Schools since well before it enacted it in 2010 (in the Dignity for All Students Act).

~~~

According to the Akeidas Yitzchak on this week's parsha (VaYairoh, 20). Even Sodom didn't sink to the depth of depravity of celebration of sodomy. They employed Sodomy as a evil method of detering visitors, but did not revel in it as a normal mode of activity.

Even Sodom did not host Pride Parades. Even Sodomites didn't clamour for "rights" for flagrant practitioners of sodomy. But in what passes for modern Civilization, this abomination (VaYikra 18:22) is celebrated. Do we expect a favorable Divine Judgement?