Gur Hassidic factions fight for second night in a row, clash with police

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-707329

Clashes broke out between members of the Gur Hassidic sect in Jerusalem for the second night in a row on Saturday evening.

Israel Police arrived and attempted to use crowd dispersal methods to break up the crowd.

Female Jewish leaders sue Haredi news site for blurring their faces

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/female-jewish-leaders-sue-haredi-news-site-for-blurring-their-faces/

A branch of the Reform Movement in Israel is suing a popular ultra-Orthodox news website in Jerusalem over its policy of blurring the faces of women.

The Israel Religious Action Center said Wednesday it was seeking NIS 345,000 ($100,000) in damages from the Behadrei Haredim website for a picture it ran last year of female leaders of Jewish movements meeting with President Isaac Herzog, in which the faces of the women were digitally smudged.

The photo in question was published on Behadrei Haredim in December 2021. Initially, IRAC demanded that Behadrei Haredim publish the original photo and pay NIS 50,000 in compensation for each woman appearing in the photo. When the website refused, the group began preparing the lawsuit.

Hospitals strike after relatives of deceased patients attack staff

 https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-707077

A day-long hospital strike was announced on Thursday in response to a series of violent attacks against hospital staff, including one at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya on Wednesday and another at Hadassah University Medical Center at Mount Scopus on Monday.

Modern Orthodox ,moderate in passion

 https://www.jta.org/1997/06/05/lifestyle/focus-on-issues-modern-orthodox-navigate-moderation-amid-the-tensions

Yeshiva University President Rabbi Norman Lamm has often said that modern Orthodoxy”s central problem today is that its adherents tend to be moderate about their passions, rather than passionate about their moderation.

Blemished Gedolim IV

 Ramban (Bereishis 12:10) Know that Abraham our father unintentionally committed a great sin by bringing his righteous wife to a stumbling-block of sin on account of his fear for his life. He should have trusted that G-d would save him and his wife and all his belongings for G-d surely has the power to help and to save. His leaving the Land, concerning which he had been commanded from the beginning, on account of the famine, was also a sin he committed, for in famine G-d would redeem him from death. It was because of this deed that the exile in the land of Egypt at the hand of Pharaoh was decreed for his children. 

Failure of rabbinical leadership to see the consequences of their actions

Mesilas Yeshorim(Chapter 20): It is important to understand that one should not view an act of piety according to its initial consequences but he should examine and think about also the long-term consequences. That is because an action might initially look good but according to its consequences it is bad – so therefore he should avoid it. If he does it anyway, he is a sinner not a pious person. For example consider the incident with Gedalial ben Achichem. It is clear to us that because of his great piety he did not judge Yishmael for the bad and did not accept lashon harah…. The consequences were that he was killed and the Jewish people were dispersed in exile and the flicker of hope that remained – was extinguished. In fact the people that were killed as a result of his actions have been described as if he personally killed them. … We also find that the Second Temple was destroyed because of this type of unthinking piety. This was the incident of Bar Kamtza. It says in Gittin (56a) that the Rabbis thought that they should offer the blemished animal as a sacrifice. But R’ Zechariya ben Avkulas told them that they could not - because people would say that it is permissible to sacrifice a blemished animal. They said so we should kill this animal so it can’t be sacrificed. He replied that people will mistakenly think whenever a blemish is found in a sanctified animal it should be killed. Thus the animal was not sacrificed and the informer went to the Roman government and told them that the had Jews refused to offer the sacrifice. The Emperor came and destroyed Jerusalem. Thus the gemora concludes, “Because of the humility of R’ Zechariya, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed and the Jews were sent in to Exile.” Thus we should not judge an act of piety solely by itself. We need to examine it carefully from all the perspectives that a person can think of until he judges it truly as to whether doing the deed is preferable to not doing it. This is found more commonly with the mitzva of chastisement (Vayikra 19:17). Many times a person will chastise another at a place or time when his words won’t be listened to and this will cause the person to strength his wicked behavior. In such a case the chastisement is not an act of piety but rather he should remain silent. That is why our Sages say (Yevamos 65b): Just as it is a mitzva to say chastisement when it will be heard it is also a mitzva not to say it when it won’t be heard. Thus while it is obvious that all Jews should be enthusiastic and run to do mitzva and to try to be involved in them – but there are times when this can lead to fights which actually debase the mitzva and causes a desecration of heaven. In such cases it is clear that the pious person should not try to do the mitzva and even avoid it – rather than causes a profanation of G‑d name.

^[1]  מסילת ישרים (פרק כ): והנה מה שצריך להבין הוא כי אין לדון דברי החסידות על מראיהן הראשון, אלא צריך לעיין ולהתבונן עד היכן תולדות המעשה מגיעות, כי לפעמים המעשה בעצמו יראה טוב, ולפי שהתולדות רעות יתחייב להניחו, ולו יעשה אותו יהיה חוטא ולא חסיד. הנה מעשה גדליה בן אחיקם גלוי לעינינו שמפני רוב חסידותו שלא לדון את ישמעאל לכף חובה או שלא לקבל לשון הרע, אמר ליוחנן בן קרח שקר אתה דובר על ישמעאל (ירמיה מ'), ומה גרם? גרם שמת הוא ונפזרו ישראל וכבה גחלתם הנשארה, וכבר ייחס הכתוב הריגת אנשים אשר נהרגו אליו כאילו הרגם הוא, .... והבית השני גם הוא חרב ע"י חסידות כזה אשר לא נשקל במשקל צדק - במעשה דבר קמצא, אמרו (גיטין נו.): סבור רבנן לקרוביה, א"ל רבי זכריה בן אבקולס יאמרו בעלי מומין קריבין לגבי מזבח, סבור למקטליה א"ל רזב"א יאמרו מטיל מום בקדשים יהרג, בין כך ובין כך הלך אותו הרשע והלשין את ישראל, בא הקיסר והחריב ירושלים, והוא מה שאמר ר"י על זה: ענותנותו של ר' זכריה החריבה את ביתנו ושרפה את היכלנו והגליתנו. הרי לך שאין לדון בחסידות המעשה באשר הוא שם לבד, אך צריך לפנות כה וכה לכל הצדדין שיוכל שכל האדם לראות, עד שידון באמת איזה יכשר יותר העשיה או הפרישה. הנה התורה צותה (ויקרא יט:יז): "הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך", וכמה פעמים יכנס אדם להוכיח חטאים במקום או בזמן שאין דבריו נשמעים וגורם להם להתפרץ יותר ברשעם ולחלל ה' להוסיף על חטאתם פשע, הנה בכיוצא בזה אינו מן החסידות אלא לשתוק. וכך אמרו ז"ל (יבמות סה:): כשם שמצוה לומר דבר הנשמע, כך מצוה שלא לומר את שאינו נשמע. ראה פשוט הוא שראוי לכל אדם להיות מקדים ורץ לדבר מצוה ולהשתדל להיות מן העוסקים בה, אך הנה לפעמים יכול להולד מזה מריבה שיותר תתבזה המצוה, ויתחלל בה שם שמים ממה שיתכבד, בכיוצא בזה ודאי שחייב החסיד להניח את המצוה ולא לרדוף אחריה.

Blemished Gedolim III

 Rambam (Shemonah Perakim #7): You should know that every prophet only experienced prophecy after he has acquired all the appropriate personality traits… Chazal indicated this by saying that “Prophecy only manifests itself in one who is wise, strong and rich.” … Strength here is referring to moral strength not physical strength as we find in Avos (4:1), “Who is strong? He who controls his passions.” However prophecy is not conditional on these personality traits being perfect. We see that even though Shlomo HaMelech was a prophet nevertheless he possessed imperfections as we see by his desires i.e., his many wives… We also see that David HaMelech was a prophet in spite of acting cruelly. Even though this cruelty was only manifested against idol worship and heretics and he was merciful with Jews, nevertheless G‑d said that because of this imperfection he was not allowed to build the Temple. We find that Eliyahu had a problem with anger - even though it was directed entirely to heretics - our Sages tells us that he was consequently not fit to be a leader nor was his zealotry appropriate for others to emulate. We find Shmuel also manifested failings in his fear of Shaul and Yaakov in his fear of Esav. These type of improper attributes are a barrier against a prophet getting close to G‑d. The more imperfection the greater distance is created. Consequently the imperfection can diminish the quality of prophecy or eliminate it altogether…

Women and witchcraft

 Moreh haNevuchim (3:37) In most cases the condition is added that women must perform these actions. Thus it is stated in reference to the means of obtaining rain, that ten virgins dressed with diadems and red garments should dance, push each other, moving backwards and forwards, and make signs to the sun: the result of this long process was believed by the idolaters to be a downpour of rain. It is further stated that if four women lay on their back, with their feet spread and lifted up, said certain words and did certain things whilst in this disgraceful position, hail would discontinue coming down in that place. The number of these stupid and mad things is great; in all of them without exception women are required to be the agent.

Moreh haNevuchim (3:37) It is the object and center of the whole Law to abolish idolatry and utterly uproot it, and to overthrow the opinion that any of the stars could interfere for good or evil in human matters, because it leads to the worship of stars. It was therefore necessary to slay all witches as being undoubtedly idolaters, because every witch is an idolater: they only have their own strange ways of worship, which are different from the common mode of worship offered to those deities. But in all performances of witchcraft it is laid down as a rule that women should be employed in the chief operation; and therefore the Law says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exod. 22:17). Another reason is the natural reluctance of people to slay women. 

Russia Accuses U.S. of Blocking Peace Deal So War Kills More Russians

 https://www.newsweek.com/russia-accuses-us-blocking-peace-deal-war-kills-more-russians-1707471

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on Tuesday that the United States and the United Kingdom have been exerting influence over Ukrainian negotiators to prolong the war in Ukraine with the intent of killing off more Russian soldiers.

Retired colonel speaks out on Russian TV

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61484222

The Kremlin still maintains that the Russian offensive is going according to plan.

But on Monday night, studio guest Mikhail Khodarenok, a military analyst and retired colonel, painted a very different picture.

He warned that "the situation [for Russia] will clearly get worse" as Ukraine receives additional military assistance from the West and that "the Ukrainian army can arm a million people".

Convicted paedophile Grynhaus released despite minister's call to keep him jailed

 https://www.thejc.com/news/news/convicted-paedophile-grynhaus-released-despite-ministers-call-to-keep-him-jailed-5BYqqG5WsjTy0pITrvT3BI

Convicted paedophile Todros Grynhaus has been released from prison after serving just over half his sentence despite an application from Justice Secretary Dominic Raab for the Parole Board to reconsider its decision.

Grynhaus, 57, from Salford, the son of a prominent rabbi, was jailed for 13 years and two months in July 2015 for indecent assault and sexual assault against two girls aged around 14 and 15.

Health minister allows artificial insemination for ‘chained’ women

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-minister-allows-artificial-insemination-for-chained-women/

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz changed his ministry’s policies on Tuesday to give so-called “chained women” access to artificial insemination and other fertility treatments, following years of efforts by activists.

Until now, such options were all but off-limits for “chained” women — whose husbands refuse to grant them a divorce, or get in Hebrew, leaving them in a tragic state of religious and legal limbo — as Health Ministry guidelines required the consent of a married woman’s partner before she could use them, which they were unlikely to request or receive from their divorce-refusing husbands.

This week, Horowitz revised those guidelines, despite stiff opposition from the Chief Rabbinate, the Walla news site reported.

Madison Cawthorn Concedes Primary, Loses to Chuck Edwards

 https://www.newsweek.com/madison-cawthorn-concedes-primary-loses-chuck-edwards-1707624

Cawthorn, who is a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, was seen as a rising GOP star two years ago when he was first elected. Since then, the representative who had received a highly sought-after Trump endorsement has made repeated scandalous headline appearances in the recent months.

Finland and Sweden want to join NATO. Here's how it works and what comes next

 https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/14/europe/sweden-finland-nato-next-steps-intl/index.html

Finland's neutrality has historically proved more difficult, as it shared a massive border with an authoritarian superpower.

A Finno-Soviet treaty known as the Agreement of Friendship, signed in 1948 and extended on occasion through the decades, prohibited Finland from joining any military alliance considered hostile to the USSR, or from allowing a Western attack through Finnish territory.

To keep the peace, Finns adopted a process some call "Finlandization," in which leaders acceded to Soviet demands from time to time. The term was coined during the Cold War and has been applied to other countries in which a superpower exerts control over smaller neighboring states.