Rabbi Max - Baruch Dayan HaEmes

 

Chochma (wisdom)

 Moreh Nevuchim (03:54) The term wisdom in Hebrew is used of four different things: (1) It denotes the knowledge of those truths which lead to the knowledge of God. The word occurs frequently in this sense. (2) The expression ḥokmah denotes also knowledge of any workmanship. (3) It is also used of the acquisition of moral principles. (4) It implies, lastly, the notion of cunning and subtlety It is possible that “wisdom” expresses the idea of cunning and planning, which may serve in one case as a means of acquiring intellectual perfection, or good moral principles; but may in another case produce skill in workmanship, or even be employed in establishing bad opinions and principles. The attribute “wise” is therefore given to a person that possesses great intellectual faculties, or good moral principles, or skill in art; but also to persons cunning in evil deeds and principles.

Soul is in Brain

 Ibn Ezra (Shemos 23:25) Man’s body comes from the lowest world. However, man’s soul, which is tied to the body, comes from on high. There are two powers that are intermediate between the body and the soul. These two powers are referred to in the main in Hebrew as ru’ach  and nefesh, for the soul  is the rational part of man and its place is in the brain of man. From it comes the power of all emotions and the desire to move. The ru’ach is situated in the heart. Life depends on the ru’ach. The ru’ach desires to dominate; that is, it seeks to overcome all opposition. It is the source of anger. The seat of the nefesh is in the liver.

Ibn Ezra (Shemos 31:03) Wisdom  refers to the type of intelligence that is stored in the back of the brain. The word tevunah  and also the word binah  are related to the word ben (between). They refer to the intellectual faculty that lies in the middle cavity of the brain between knowledge and wisdom. For wisdom is situated in the posterior cavity of the brain, and knowledge, which is gathered by the senses, is located in the cavities of the brain that are adjacent to the forehead. Knowledge is called al takyil in Arabic. Understanding is called al fakrah and wisdom al hakhmah. Now Bezalel was endowed with every wisdom. He mastered the science of mathematics, geometry, proportions, astronomy, biology, and the secret of the human soul. He also towered over the people of his generation in that he knew all manner of workmanship. Many intelligent people do not possess even one practical skill. Hence Scripture prefixes a vav to the word kol (and) and reads, and in all manner of workmanship.

ICE suspends vehicle stops after two deadly shootings

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-15/trump-administration-orders-ice-to-suspend-most-vehicle-stops/106916922

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered its officers to suspend most vehicle stops around the country after agents fatally shot two men six days apart during stops in Maine and Texas.

This marks a significant shift in arrest tactics, and comes after the shooting of two US citizens in January sparked In a post on X, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called the shooting of Mr Guerrero a targeted killing "at the hands of the US government".

Mr Petro, who has openly quarrelled with Mr Trump, urged his US counterpart to explain and accused ICE officers of treating Mr Guerrero as "an inferior being without rights".

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that her government plans to file criminal complaints in the US regarding Mexican citizens who have died in immigration custody or while being targeted in anti-immigration operations.nationwide protests.

'They don't want you there': Trump tells Netanyahu to pull IDF troops from Syria, Lebanon

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902520

IDF sources told the Post the Axios report caught them by surprise, adding there has been no change on the ground in Lebanon or Syria.

US President Donald Trump allegedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should remove IDF troops from Syria and Lebanon during a phone call on Thursday, according to a Tuesday Axios report citing US and Israeli officials.

Trump claimed that the presence of Israeli military personnel in Syrian territory could create tension and may lead to escalation, one US official told Axios.

“They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” Trump allegedly told Netanyahu, according to the official.

Trump pressed Netanyahu to pull out of Syria, Lebanon

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/430164

According to Axios, President Trump urged Netanyahu to redeploy Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon while Israel cites ongoing security concerns.

US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Thursday that Israel should begin redeploying its forces from Syria and encouraged him to do the same in Lebanon, according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios.

The request comes as Israel maintains military positions in parts of southern Lebanon and southern Syria, with Israeli officials saying the deployments are necessary to prevent future attacks similar to the October 7th Massacre.

According to Axios, a US official said Trump told Netanyahu that the Israeli military presence in Syrian territory was creating tensions and could lead to escalation. The official quoted Trump as saying, "They don't want you there. You should redeploy," adding that the same message applied to Lebanon.

Knesset passes law that will freeze Haredi enlistment, halt draft-dodger arrests

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-july-14-2026/

The Knesset votes 58-54 to pass a coalition-backed law banning the arrest and prosecution of ultra-Orthodox men evading military service, a measure that will, in practice, halt Haredi enlistment to the IDF for at least the next few months.

The law grants tens of thousands of Haredi draft evaders immunity from arrest until November 30, and extends that protection to those who become eligible for military service after it takes effect, effectively eliminating both the threat of arrest and the incentive to enlist during that period. It also suspends ongoing criminal proceedings against those already facing enforcement measures.

Yesterday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the proposal “inconceivable,” saying it was “clearly and unequivocally inconsistent with the IDF’s needs” and amounted to “providing mass exemptions from prosecution.”

There are roughly 72,000 Haredi men who were liable to arrest until today, according to figures released in May by the attorney general.

Judge: Trump sought to ‘manipulate the judicial process’ with his IRS lawsuit and attempted $1.8B fund

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/politics/trump-irs-judge-ruling-settlement-sanctions

A federal judge on Monday said a controversial lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against the IRS sought to “manipulate the judicial process” and that he acted in bad faith in bringing it.

US District Judge Kathleen Williams is ordering sanctions for the attorneys involved in the lawsuit, which led to an attempt to create the now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for allies of the president. It was also used to justify a Trump administration order giving the president and his businesses amnesty for any past tax issues.

Williams’ 56-page opinion blasted the behavior of both the Justice Department — arguing that the administration’s response to the case disregarded DOJ policies and potentially the law — and of the private attorneys who brought the lawsuit on Trump’s behalf.

“The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law,” the judge wrote.

She ordered that her opinion be submitted to attorney disciplinary boards in in New York and Washington, DC, that are reviewing preexisting professional ethics complaints against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.

Can your smartwatch predict a fall? New research points to early warning signs

 https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/byo5i5m4ml

Smartwatches and smartphones may help identify early changes in walking patterns linked to fall risk among older adults; Research suggests the technology can track functional decline and support earlier intervention, though it does not replace medical evaluation

Although measurements taken by a smartphone or smartwatch are not as accurate as those performed in a professional gait laboratory, studies show they are accurate enough to track changes over time, identify deterioration in walking patterns and alert users when a professional evaluation or therapeutic intervention may be needed.

In other words, instead of relying only on a one-time clinic assessment, continuous monitoring can provide a broader and more realistic picture of how a person walks during everyday life — at home, on the street, while shopping or during other routine activities. Continuous monitoring in a person’s natural environment may reveal information that is not always visible during a short clinical examination.

The United States has a fundamental interest in relocating its Middle East bases to the Jewish state. But does Israel?

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/430058

srael’s enemies might think twice before striking a country that hosts hundreds of advanced U.S. warplanes, naval vessels and intelligence centers. But along with the advantages of building American bases in Israel come significant costs and risks.

As our neighbors in the Gulf painfully learned, the presence of such installations in their countries did not enhance their security but compromised it by drawing Iranian missile fire. The rows of U.S. fueling planes lined up wing-to-wing at Ben-Gurion International Airport present an attractive and convenient target for Iran, even more than Israel currently represents.

Most problematic for Israel, though, would be a situation in which American leaders limit our ability to defend ourselves with the claim that doing so would endanger U.S. forces stationed in the country.

ICE shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine. This is the 2nd time in a week the agency used deadly force

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/ice-shot-and-killed-a-colombian-man-in-maine-this-is-the-2nd-time-in-a-week-the-agency-used-deadly-force

 A federal immigration officer fatally shot a Colombian man in Maine on Monday, marking the second time in a week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have used deadly force.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the officer opened fire after the man tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers who were pursuing him for deportation in Biddeford, a coastal city of about 23,000 people roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Portland.

ICE arrested 546 people in Maine between the start of President Donald Trump's second term and March 11, 2026, the most recent data available, according to ICE arrest data provided to the UC Berkeley Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the AP. About 45% of those arrested had criminal backgrounds. During the equivalent 416-day period before Trump took office, roughly 69% of those arrested had criminal backgrounds, the data show.

Could Taking a Popular Joint Supplement Be Risky for People With Dementia?

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/glucosamine-dementia-death-risk/

 New research suggests glucosamine may have unexpected effects in people with mild to severe cognitive impairment

A large study links regular glucosamine use to higher death risk in people with dementia.

People with mild cognitive impairment taking the supplement were slightly more likely to develop dementia.

The findings don’t prove cause, and factors like health and activity levels may play a role

4 surprising (and evidence-based) health benefits of drinking coffee

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/07/02/4-proven-health-benefits-drinking-coffee/

Most people drink coffee for a bit of buzz and a boost in their energy levels.

But coffee has wide-ranging effects on your health. Coffee is, arguably, the world’s most scientifically scrutinized beverage. Researchers have collectively carried out thousands of studies looking at its effects on lifespan, to cardiovascular health, blood sugar levels, weight loss, cancer risk and more.

Coffee contains more than 1,000 chemical compounds, many of which are active in the body, such as magnesium, potassium, niacin and other B vitamins.

For a while, scientists suspected that drinking coffee was hazardous to your health. In 1991, the World Health Organization listed coffee as “possibly” carcinogenic because of studies linking it to bladder cancer. Other studies suggested that drinking coffee might also increase the risk of lung cancer.

Trump says US will control Strait of Hormuz, get paid for it

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902364

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States will probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling the vital waterway.

"We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that," Trump said in a phone interview on Fox News's "Fox & Friends" program. "We're taking over the strait. They've got nothing."

"We're going to ​guard it. We're going to get paid for guarding it - a lot of money," he added. "We're going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They're on our side, and we can't be expected to do that for nothing."