Morality Independent of Torah?

 Bereishis (18:25) Be it far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, be it far from you; Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Eruvin (100b): Even if the Torah hadn't been given it would be possible to learn proper conduct from observing animals.  Modesty from the cat, avoidance of theft from ants, avoidance of adultery from the dove and sexual conduct from the rooster.

Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon (Introduction to Talmud): The reason that there is punishment for activities not specifically commanded is because all those Mitzvos which are derived from commonsense are obligated on everyone from the day that G-d first created Adom HaRishon. Not only him but also all his descendants afterwards for all generations.

 Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:17): A person is rewarded for any good deed and punished for sin - even though these activities were not commanded by a prophet. This is because a person is held accountable for those things which are dictated by commonsense.

Ramban (Bereishis 6:13): The generation of the flood was punished for theft because it was an obvious sin. Our Sages (Sanhedrin 108a) say that this sin sealed their fate. That is because it was commonsense that it was a sin, there was no need for a prophets to warn them. Furthermore it was evil to both heaven and man.

Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky (Emes L’Yaakov): According to the Halacha, Avraham was not obligated to risk his life to save his nephew Lot…. Avraham risked his life because the Patriarchs were yeshorim . That means that their actions were not governed only by the strict letter of Torah law - but by straight thinking. G d made man inherently yashar . According to uprightness, there was an obligation to try and save Lot… Avraham felt responsible for Lot’s welfare because Lot’s father had died in a furnace because of his belief in the G d of Avraham. Therefore, according to uprightness (menshlikeit) Avraham had to organize his men and pursue after Lot’s captors. In truth the lives of the Patriarchs - which was before the giving of the Torah - was based on the attribute uprightness. This is the meaning of the expression  that derech eretz (civility) preceded the Torah… Therefore, this civility and menshlikeit can be expected even from non Jews. Even though they weren’t given all the mitzvos, but everyone can live in accordance with the inherent uprightness - if he wants.

Toras Avraham (Toras HaSeichel HaEnushi #2): … Intellect (seichel) which characterizes man is not simply a means of knowing and understanding data. In fact the intellect is a moral faculty to know what is truly straight. G d created man with this faculty in order to teach him the path of life. Therefore it is obligatory for man to use it to know what is right and wrong and not to distort his straightness and wholesomeness. It enables him to be a moral judge to understand things in full. Thus man is obligated to keep things which he knows are right - as well as that which he has been commanded directly by G d. Both obligation serve to direct him properly…

Haley Stevens endorses GOP’s Mike Rogers in Michigan as Democrats fume

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6186882-stevens-rogers-church-michigan/

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) on Sunday endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) to serve in the Senate over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in a bitter primary battle over the summer.

Anger over Israel and the Gaza war was at the heart of the Stevens-El-Sayed primary fight, their subsequent feud and Stevens’s decision to endorse a Republican.

Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/01/democrat-haley-stevens-praises-michigan-gop-senate-candidate-mike-rogers/

The endorsement by Stevens, who recently clashed with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed over an ad, marked a stunning turn. She previously said she wanted a Democratic victory in the Senate race.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Detroit on Sunday, following days of tensions with the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in the primary.

Stevens made the announcement in a video posted to X, in which she said El-Sayed said she was no longer welcome in his campaign.

“He’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers,” Stevens said, adding a criticism of the political commentator Hasan Piker, who campaigned with El-Sayed during the primary.

“What our students see, what our children see and who we are as Michiganders is not hate and is not what we are getting out from our Democratic nominee right now,” Stevens said.

Rift between El-Sayed and pro-Israel Democratic primary rival puts Michigan Jews on edge

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-913420

An 11th-hour public feud between Michigan Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his pro-Israel former primary rival is further exacerbating tensions between Jewish voters and the nominee ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

US Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the race for the Democratic nomination to El-Sayed this summer, had previously endorsed her former competitor and was set to join him at a rally Sunday in the crucial final days of campaigning. Michigan is locked in a tight race that could help determine which party controls the Senate.

Instead of a show of unity, Stevens is now forcefully criticizing El-Sayed for his recent criticism of Israel and for not condemning a PAC ad, made by an outside group to boost his campaign, that blamed Israel for rising grocery prices. El-Sayed has shot back, invoking Stevens’ close relationship with the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

Fish oil supplements may not help your brain, study finds

 Fish oil supplements may not help your brain, study finds

Fish oil supplements are a multibillion-dollar business, touting support for brain, heart, joint health and more. But a study suggests that although omega-3s — the main nutrient in fish oil supplements — play an important role in the brain, supplementation may not affect cognitive function or brain structure.

In the two-year, randomized controlled trial, 365 adults, aged 55 to 80, who did not have dementia but had risk factors, were given either high-dose DHA — a type of omega-3 — or a placebo.

The researchers found that supplementation did largely increase the level of omega-3s in the brain compared to placebo. But there was no noticeable effect from it, suggesting that increasing the levels of omega-3s in the brain did not translate into a reduced risk of dementia, said Hussein N. Yassine, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Personalized Brain Health at the University of Southern California

Trump Rages as Leaks Reveal How Aides Soothe Him With Midterm Hopium

 https://newrepublic.com/article/217353/trump-rages-leaks-reveal-aides-soothe-midterm-hopium

Donald Trump is in a dark mood about the midterms, reports The New York Times in an epic piece. Numerous administration insiders confide that he’s raging at naysayers and negative press. They’re also leaking that he’s “increasingly cloistered with a small group of acolytes” like Natalie Harp, as the Times puts it. The result:

As the elections approach, Mr. Trump is feasting on a media diet of fawning press coverage, disparaging clips about his perceived enemies, and helpings of flattering photos and “A.I. slop,” as one official put it.

Mishmar Parshas Vayera with Rabbi Dovid Hojda at Scheiner's Shul

LevinAt11 Bill Weber for Senate

 בס"ד

ע"ש פרשת וירא, תשפ"ז, "... ונדעה אותם"

Linked below* is this week's pre-election radio broadcast of LevinAt11, Oct. 29, '26.

* https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NakbZe_YcarsXKRLaICNfi88uKn7bvA2ZhWWds5s8idw00nUXSCp9M75IL2Zc9Y09vmSxEDO3Kv5EJUlGY9C4S4WYH8mMHfQ4qBQ1ZIlJuA5jStDSDX5sfFAw=s0-d-e1-ft#https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/doclist/images/icon_10_generic_list.png

תכנית ראדיו רב יהודה לעוין, שליט"א, פרשת וירא

Topics Covered: 

Elections in our Communities: The Good, the Bad, and the Unconscionable.

• Of the most important races which we could easily influence is that for State Senate (District 38), between incumbent Bill Weber (R) and Joe Rand (D/ LGBT).* 

See the full-page ad in this week's MonseyMevaser.com, page 25, featuring a Rabbinic statement directing the tzibbur to oppose Assisted-"Suicide"/ Euthanasia legislation by all means available. [Psak posted here: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/psak-halacha.html ]

The ad urges support for Senator Bill Weber - for his advocacy against the measure.  It also urges opposition to all those who helped pass the lethal legislation in NY State, including Gov. Hochul (along with many legislators, including those representing Orthodox communities in NYC, Rockland, KJ (Sen. Skoufis and Asmb. Eachus), Sullivan (Assemblywoman Paula Kay), and Westchester).

For more information, or to share feedback: Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter, Help Rescue Our Children:  torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com.

* Below is also a bit of information on KJ's democratic state senator Skoufis (D/ LGBT/ Assisted-Suicide), who's also running, unfortunately.

** On page 9 of the Mevaser, there's a Hebrew clarification letter of interest from Rabbi Chaim Schabes.

Fair Use: 

https://dailyvoice.com/article/rand-sells-nyack-property-to-rockland-county-pride-group/

Rand Sells Nyack Property To Rockland County Pride Group

NYACK, N.Y. -- Rand Commercial is pleased to announce it has sold a property at 28 South Franklin St. in Nyack, NY, which will be used as the Rockland County Pride Center.

...

...

 Tom Renner

09/18/2016 6:00 p.m.

“This is an incredible moment in social justice history,” said Brooke Malloy, executive director of Rockland County Pride. “The Pride Center will be a cornerstone for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender affirmation and inclusivity in Rockland County, a safe place for all youths, adults, seniors, and families to gather, find support, make new friends, access resources, and feel at home.”

The newly formed Rockland County Pride organization needed a home for its community center and headquarters, and with the “pro bono” assistance of Rand Commercial’s Joseph Rand and Paul Adler, the acquisition of this property made that dream a reality for the LGBTQ population in Rockland.

Rockland County Pride is temporarily housed in the Nyack office of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty until their permanent home is ready for occupancy and use. ...

“This project has been a labor of love, and I’m honored to have been a part of it,” said Adler, regional manager for Rand Commercial and board of directors member for the Rockland County Pride Center. “

...

“I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of something our company has done for a worthy non-profit like Rockland County Pride,” said Rand, managing partner for Rand Commercial. “Over the years, this organization has become a significant factor in the ever-growing diversity of Rockland, and I’m thankful for the work they do to provide support for the individuals of our local LGBTQ community.”

...

~~~~

Also see:

Fair Use: ( emphasis added )

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.rand/posts/congratulations-to-my-friend-senator-james-skoufis-on-receiving-the-lgbtq-access/1788689575789258/

Joe Rand for State Senate

July 1 ·

Congratulations to my friend Senator James Skoufis on receiving the LGBTQ+ Access to Justice Distinguished Leadership Award yesterday at the Rockland County Courthouse from the Ninth Judicial District. He has been a staunch supporter of our Pride communities throughout the Hudson Valley, and we are all very grateful for his wonderful work as a legislator and community leader.

Congratulations also to the other honorees, the Duchess Community Pride Center and the Hon. Hector D. Lasalle of the Appellate Division, Second Department. Well-deserved.

My thanks to the Ninth Judicial District for putting the ceremony together."

###

•  Thematic to the synchronization of the elections with the Parsha, please see the post of Yossi Gestetner, on his argument to abandon Senator Bill Weber in favor of Joe Rand - out of his unabashed affinity for Benjamin Franklin, and that which bears his image.  It's apparent from the Akaidas Yitzchak on this week's Parsha (20) that such a post would have had Gestetner and his funding- obsessed teleprompter expelled from Sodom - a town which would never have tolerated flagrant deviants like Rand, or their enablers. One benefit of such embarrassingly anti-Torah posts is the sharp pushback provided by commenters.

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

The Real-Estate Industry Strikes Yet Again:

Bloc-vote manipulation continues - and in the traditional manner - in the service of the bipartisan* LGBT/ abortion-at-whim/ trafficking movement:

* Regardless of what one feels is necessary to do to secure a maximum number of Republicans in Congress, voters need to realize that Mike Lawler is one of the most pro-LGBT Republicans in Congress, as we've shown on previous broadcasts and in various postings. He's also on record as opposed to a national prohibition on abortion-at-whim.

https://monseyscoop.com/belzer-kehilla-and-mosdos-in-monsey-endorse-lawler-rand-and-wieder-ahead-of-november-elections/

https://monseyscoop.com/viznitzer-kehila-and-voting-committee-endorse-mike-lawler-joe-rand-aron-wieder-and-other-democratic-candidates-ahead-of-november-elections/

https://monseyscoop.com/bobov-kehilla-leaders-from-brooklyn-and-rockland-unite-to-back-lawler-rand-and-wieder/ 

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

Related Items of Interest:

Avi Schnall (the unsung CEO of "Aid In Dying" passage in NJ; as described in detail in previous broadcasts) endorsed Brooklyn democratic candidate Joey Saban:

https://cbnunfiltered.com/agudah-coo-avi-schnall-discusses-electing-frum-representatives/

In wake of that, and last week's expose' (The Benjamin Franklin Cult: Don't let any cognitive Yid fall for the latest endorsement of pro- LGBTQ/pro-death Hochul: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/10/agudas-latest-chillul-hashem.html), marvel at the sophistry of Chaskel Bennett, in "A Seat at the Table. A Line in the Sand," MonseyMevaser.com, p.64, 67 (feedback:  ChaskelBennett@gmail.com).

In a word-salad that appears to spit its' dressing back in your face, Aguda's surrogate obfuscator challenges the boundaries of cognition, without fear of readers actually employing critical thinking. (Committing the latter would undoubtedly violate "Da'as Torah," as they've undefined it.)

Purporting to boldly confront legitimate critiques of Aguda's standing policy of selling out Torah principles for material gain, Bennett heroically performs the best he can, via concatenated, strident talking-points, that delude the casual, Beta-state reader into thinking he actually addresses said objections -- while actually demonstrating how much he cannot.

The end of the article humbly assures the devout vaping in this material that Bennett is a "nationally recognized Jewish communal leader and advocate."  A careful read reveals which specific illusionist performance skills have apparently earned him that distinction.

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Broadcast weekly over: Davidzon Radio davidzonradio.com | 718) 303-8000

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For more information, or to share feedback: Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter, Help Rescue Our Children:  torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com.

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Link to Parshas VaYaira broadcast Oct 30, 2026:

 Levin 10-29-2026_HQ.mp3

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Last week's broadcast and write-up:

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/10/agudas-latest-chillul-hashem.html

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Previous week: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/10/levinat11-10-15-2026-broadcast.html

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Jewish Philosophy - Skepticism

A distinguished talmid chachom rosh yeshiva once told me that David Hume was the most Jewish of all philosophers.  He was known as the great skeptic who destroyed the basis of psychology, religion but also science and even the concept of causality. Ultimately saying everything was the result of belief not reason and logic.

"David Hume (1711–1776) at the age of twenty-six shocked all Christendom with his highly heretical Treatise on Human Nature,—one of the classics and marvels of modern philosophy. We know the mind, said Hume, only as we know matter: by perception, though it be in this case internal. Never do we perceive any such entity as the “mind”; we perceive merely separate ideas, memories, feelings, etc. The mind is not a substance, an organ that has ideas; it is only an abstract name for the series of ideas; the perceptions, memories and feelings are the mind; there is no observable “soul” behind the process of thought. 

The result appeared to be that Hume had as effectually destroyed mind as Berkeley had destroyed matter. Nothing was left; and philosophy found itself in the midst of ruins of its own making. No wonder that a wit advised the abandonment of the controversy, saying: “No matter, never mind.” 

But Hume was not content to destroy orthodox religion by dissipating the concept of soul; he proposed also to destroy science by dissolving the concept of law. Science and philosophy alike, since Bruno and Galileo, had been making much of natural law, of “necessity” in the sequence of effect upon cause; Spinoza had reared his majestic metaphysics upon this proud conception. But observe, said Hume, that we never perceive causes, or laws; we perceive events and sequences, and infer causation and necessity; a law is not an eternal and necessary decree to which events are subjected, but merely a mental summary and shorthand of our kaleidoscopic experience; we have no guarantee that the sequences hitherto observed will re-appear unaltered in future experience. “Law” is an observed custom in the sequence of events; but there is no “necessity” in custom. Only mathematical formulas have necessity—they alone are inherently and unchangeably true; and this merely because such formulae are tautological—the predicate is already contained in the subject; “3 X 3 = 9” is an eternal and necessary truth only because “3 X 3” and “9” are one and the same thing differently expressed; the predicate adds nothing to the subject. Science, then, must limit itself strictly to mathematics and direct experiment; it cannot trust to unverified deduction from “laws.” “When we run through libraries, persuaded of these principles,” writes our uncanny sceptic, “what havoc must we make! If we take in our hands any volume of school metaphysics, for instance, let us ask, ‘Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number?’ No. ‘Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence?’ No. Commit it then to the flames, for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.”4" "Imagine how the ears of the orthodox tingled at these words. Here the epistemological tradition—the inquiry into the nature, sources, and validity of knowledge—had ceased to be a support to religion; the sword with which Bishop Berkeley had slain the dragon of materialism had turned against the immaterial mind and the immortal soul; and in the turmoil science itself had suffered severe injury. No wonder that when Immanuel Kant, in 1775, read a German translation of the works of David Hume, he was shocked by these results, and was roused, as he said, from the “dogmatic slumber” in which he had assumed without question the essentials of religion and the bases of science. Were both science and faith to be surrendered to the sceptic? What could be done to save them?"

Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/kshare?asin=B0CQLH69CF&ref_=kar_wh_ca

Skepticism

Lawrence: Trump boasts about passing the one test you're never supposed to boast about passing

Israel’s election yielded a stalemate. Which means Netanyahu won

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-election-yielded-a-stalemate-which-means-netanyahu-has-won/

The anti-Netanyahu parties — Jewish and Arab — secured most of the seats in the Knesset, but they do not have the means to translate that into even a minority government. The failure is staggering, and may echo long into Israel’s future

There seems to be some confusion about the result of Israel’s election, specifically as regards who won.

That’s somewhat understandable. Neither of the two main rival camps secured a Knesset majority.

But it’s also incorrect. The election, and the stalemate, leave one clear winner: Benjamin Netanyahu.

October 28, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

There seems to be some confusion about the result of Israel’s election, specifically as regards who won.

That’s somewhat understandable. Neither of the two main rival camps secured a Knesset majority.

But it’s also incorrect. The election, and the stalemate, leave one clear winner: Benjamin Netanyahu.

How so? Simply because he does not have to do anything in order to retain power — not to concede anything, not to compromise on anything.

And that’s because the political forces arrayed against him have no realistic means of ousting him.

Trump's quiet ultimatum to Israel: Form a unity government

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/29/trumps-quiet-ultimatum-to-israel-form-a-unity-government/

With the actual vote count leaving Israel's political future uncertain, the White House is sending an urgent message to Israeli leaders: Form a stable coalition that can advance a major diplomatic initiative. A senior US administration official warns that the window of opportunity will close in about two years, after which Israel's struggle for survival will become far more difficult. "Trump is hardly known for his diplomatic niceties, and when the time is right, he will use whatever influence is needed."

Officials in Washington believe US President Donald Trump will actively push for the formation of a broad-based government in Israel. Two weeks ago, Israel Hayom revealed that messages conveyed by Washington to senior Israeli party officials made clear that this was the president's preferred outcome, as he seeks to secure Israeli support for his sweeping diplomatic initiative in the Middle East.

In other words, Trump is making sure Israeli leaders understand his clear preferences. When the time comes, he intends to apply the pressure necessary to turn those preferences into reality.

Israel’s election ended in deadlock. Here are four ways out

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/29/middleeast/israels-election-deadlock-four-scenarios-vis-intl

Israel faces weeks, possibly months, of political limbo after final results show there’s no clear winner in its elections.

Neither of the two main blocs – one led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, the other led by the centrist Yashar party of his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot – have reached the required 61-seat majority to form a government in Israel’s 120-seat parliament.

With all votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats, Eisenkot’s 48, Arab parties 19

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-all-votes-counted-netanyahus-bloc-at-53-seats-eisenkots-48-arab-parties-19/

Official turnout was 77.9%, with 5,716,665 total votes cast; Central Elections Committee reiterates that investigation into alleged voter fraud ‘will not affect final results’

The final voter turnout was 77.9% of eligible voters — the highest figure in decades — with 5,716,665 votes cast.

The final results give Likud 27 seats, Yashar 21, B’Yachad 12, the Joint List 11, The Democrats 8, Ra’am 8, Yisrael Beytenu 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Otzma Yehudit 7, Shas 6 and Religious Zionism 6.