"After a life of loving the old, by natural law I turned old myself. Decades followed each other—thirty was terrifying, forty I never noticed because I was drunk, fifty was best with a total change of life, sixty began to extend the bliss of fifty—and then came my cancers, Jane’s death, and over the years I traveled to another universe. However alert we are, however much we think we know what will happen, antiquity remains an unknown, unanticipated galaxy. It is alien, and old people are a separate form of life. They have green skin, with two heads that sprout antennae. They can be pleasant, they can be annoying—in the supermarket, these old ladies won’t get out of my way—but most important they are permanently other. When we turn eighty, we understand that we are extraterrestrial. If we forget for a moment that we are old, we are reminded when we try to stand up, or when we encounter someone young, who appears to observe green skin, extra heads, and protuberances."
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Essays After Eighty
Tumah why Prohibhited
Chinuch (159) The wisdom of God is greater than all wisdom and that He only commands a thing for our good and for our great benefit — we have no difficulty or question in all of the prohibition of foods and distancing of impurity, in everything that the benefit to us is not known and graspable by investigation; as we truthfully know, it is all for the good. And do not wonder, my son, about the matters of impurity, if it is very hidden from every creature — as it is possible that impurity injures the soul and makes it a little sick.
Chinuch (362) The commandment to send the impure out of the camp of the Divine Presence: It is known to the Sages that the matter of impurity weakens the power of the intellect and mixes it up and separates between it and the pure and perfect Elevated Understanding. And it will be separated until it is purified. And it is as it is written regarding the matter of impurity “and do not become impure with them and be impurified in them” —The sources of intellect are stupefied by impurity. Hence it is not fitting for a person who is sullied by impurity to be in the holy and pure place, wherein the spirit of God is found And this matter can be compared metaphorically to the palace of a king from which we distance any man that is leprous or disgusting in his body, or even in his clothing.
How R. Moshe Feinstein wrote responsa, and what was his window to the world.
Shaul Seidler-Feller conducted an interview with Rabbi Moshe Tendler in which he discusses his illustrious father-in-law Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. The middle paragraph, where R. Feinstein's four-step method of writing responsa is described, is particularly interesting:
Journalism, Controversy, and Responsibility: halachic Analysis
https://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/journal/oppenheimer-1.htm
I would, however, like to discuss whether there are halachic guidelines involved in newspaper reporting. How should a Jewish newspaper conduct its investigative reporting? For that matter, what is our obligation as readers? Does Halacha take a position on whether and how stories should be reported in the press. The public revelation of an impropriety can result in a lesson for others in the greater community, even if the transgressor refuses to mend his ways. The Talmud tells us that we should expose the hypocrites, i.e. those people who pretend to be righteous. Otherwise, people might emulate such an individual, believing his flawed behavior to be proper. Moreover, when he is published, people would incorrectly surmise that his "righteousness" didn't protect him. This would result in a chilul HaShem, a desecration of G-d's name.46 For this reason, Rabbi David ben Chaim HaCohen (Radach) wrote a public criticism of a rabbi who acted inappropriately in the bestowal of a Get and refused to concede his wrongdoing.47
The prohibition of lashon hara does not apply where the information is needed for a reason. It also does not apply when the subject of the information is a wicked person.48 The Chafetz Chaim writes that if there are persistent rumors about an individual's transgressions, and if the general public opinion is that this person is suspected of being guilty of these transgressions, he may be considered a wicked person and it is permitted to shame him.49 Similarly, the Talmud tells us that it is permitted to embarrass someone who is reputed to be an adulterer.50 It is even permitted to embarrass his parents.51 Since the purpose of the embarrassment is to effect a change in the wrongdoer's behavior embarrassing the person's parents has the effect of bringing additional pressure to effect this change. This ruling applies only when a person repeatedly transgresses and deservedly has a reputation for this behavior.52
The Talmud53 relates that there was once a young rabbi who developed a distasteful reputation. Ritva writes that it involved his meeting privately with unmarried women.54 Even though the community needed this young rabbi's Torah instruction, Rabbi Yehuda concluded that it would be a chilul HaShem to allow a reputed sinner to teach Torah to those who are aware of his alleged transgressions. Furthermore, suggests Ritva, covering up the transgression and allowing him to continue to teach would also constitute a desecration. Rabbi Yehuda, therefore, excommunicated him, even though the community would be deprived of the young rabbi's talents.55 We see from here that even if a person performs an important community function if his behavior is offensive, he may not continue in his community positions? This article will explore these issues.
Rabbi Greenblatt told this writer that there was a Yeshiva Day School principal who was abusive to children in his school. The incidents were investigated and found out to be true. The principal had a year to go in his contract and agreed to go quietly after the year would be up. An assistant principal was hired for the specific purpose of supervising the behavior of the principal. This solution was recommended by the posek to whom the problem was referred. What would have happened had the principal refused to go along with this solution? Rabbi Greenblatt said it would then have been appropriate to go to the newspaper and write an article saying there was a principal who was accused of mistreating children. The name of the principal should not be mentioned so that there should not be further embarrassment to him. If he still refuses to accept the posek's decision, then his name and more details can be written because the rights of the community supersede the rights of the individual who is threatening the welfare of the community, according to Rabbi Greenblatt. Once the principal agrees to the plans for his departure, no other articles specifically referring to him may be written since that would cause needless embarrassment.
Discussing Journalism and Jewish Law with Rabbi J. David Bleich
https://jewishaction.com/religion/jewish-law/discussing-journalism-jewish-law-rabbi-j-david-bleich/
The Chofetz Chaim was on the mark. If you are speaking of people who have no need for the news then reading newspapers is a waste of time. But, if you are talking about people who are communal leaders in one sense or another, the relevant source is the Ralbag’s commentary on Megillas Esther. The Ralbag authored two commentaries on Tanach. They are merged into one but are clearly demarcated. One is his commentary on the text, which is often philosophical in nature, the other is what he calls the “to’iliyos,” the “benefits” or moral lessons, that can be derived. In his work on Megillas Esther Ralbag enumerates fifty-one to’iliyos. Commenting on the phrase “U’Mordechai yoshev besha’ar hamelech,” “Mordechai sits at the gate of the king,” Ralbag notes that Mordechai spent time in the corridors of the court to inform himself of the goings-on within the palace. The to’eles that one is supposed to derive from this narrative is that a leader or manhig—Mordechai was a member of the Sanhedrin—must be aware of matters of state. What transpires in the halls of government does affect us. Clearly, Jews have to be informed, or at least some Jews must be informed. Perhaps in this day and age a majority of Jews have a need to be informed.
The establishment of an Orthodox press in Europe was an attempt to produce what I would call a “name, rank and serial number” type of news reporting. It was necessary to present people with the bare-bone facts and, although I have not read the European press to any real extent, I am quite sure that there were editorial comments of one kind or another that also entered into excurses with regard to how events reported in the news columns would impact upon the Jewish community and how the community should react. That is what the Ralbag meant when he identified the benefit that can be derived from “news.” I am quite certain that one need not read a newspaper cover to cover, but I do believe that a person who is in the position of an opinion molder has to be aware of current events. Students and congregants require guidance. We do not live in an insular enclave.
It occurred to me not long ago that a close comparison may be drawn between the prohibitions against lashon hara and American constitutional jurisprudence regarding commercial speech. The First Amendment was never regarded as providing absolute protection to commercial speech. It was never regarded as allowing someone to advertise snake oil as a panacea for cancer. The government can restrict such speech; the government can criminalize it; the government can penalize a person who engages in such speech. However, in a seminal case, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, the Supreme Court established the parameters of the restrictions that may be imposed on commercial speech. The Court did not wave a judicial wand and proclaim that when the First Amendment says Congress shall make no law with regard to the abridgment of freedom of speech, it does not mean commercial speech, because commercial speech is not “speech” and therefore Congress can impose any restriction it wishes. Instead the Supreme Court said that commercial speech is “speech” and is included in the First Amendment. However, because commercial speech is a special category of speech, the freedom of commercial speech is limited; it is not absolute.
In Canada, vast majority agree both anti-Semitism & anti-Muslim views are problems; less consensus over severity
https://angusreid.org/concern-over-anti-semitism-islamophobia/
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds broad agreement in this country that both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim discrimination are problems domestically. Indeed, three-quarters see both as significantly problematic, while just 11 per cent of Canadians feel that each is “not really a problem”.
Most (75%) Canadian Jews see anti-Semitism as a major problem. However, Canadian Muslims place less emphasis on it, with half in that group saying it either is a minor problem (17%) or not really a problem at all in Canada (32%). Asked about the reverse, 48 per cent of Muslims perceive anti-Muslim discrimination as a major problem and 26 per cent of Jews agree. Few Jews describe anti-Muslim hatred as a minor problem (15%) or not one at all (4%).
Anti-Semitism is much more likely to be seen as a major problem by respondents who self identified as Jews in this survey. Three-quarters (75%) say it requires serious attention. Muslims are less likely to see anti-Semitism as a serious concern, with one-third (32%) viewing it as not a problem at all
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Halacha and Science
Michtav M'Eliyahu (4:355): When Rav Dessler was asked concerning certain halachos that the reason that had been given for them is not in accord with modern science... for example This that it is permitted to kill lice because they don't reproduce sexually. Rav Dessler stated that concerning this matter and those like them the Halacha never changes even though the reason doesn't make sense to us. We are to hold on to the Halacha with two hands whether to be strict or lenient [not like the Pachad Yitzchok]. The reason for this is that the Halacha was known to Chazal by tradition through the generations and they also knew things through experience.... The important point is that the reasoning they gave did not create the Halacha but rather the reverse was true, the Halacha created the reasoning. The reasoning given in the gemora is not the only possible explanation. If they happened to give explanations on occasion which were only true according to the science of their day, we have an obligation to search out alternative explanations that will justify the Halacha according to modern science.... Even if one cannot find a convincing explanation, we must still believe with perfect faith that the Halacha is still true and we hope that G d will enlighten us with an appropriate explanation.
Pesachim (94b) The Sages of Israel maintain: The sun travels beneath the sky by day and above the sky at night; while the Sages of the nations of the world maintain: It travels beneath the sky by day and below the earth at night. Said Rabbi: And their view is preferable to ours, for the wells are cold by day but warm at night.
Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin
Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the event. The oligarch paid to rent out one of the private islands, where a reception was held and where guests slept. He also covered other big-ticket items, like the fireworks show, and his team helped plan the event. Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. The wedding payments came from an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing association uses for financial transactions.
Kremlev’s previously unreported relationship with Trump Jr. represents an extraordinary development: a member of Putin’s circle financially supporting the president’s son and gaining intimate access to the Trump family. For a decade, Putin’s government, regarded as a chief adversary of the U.S., has been accused of efforts to influence American elections. Attempts by Russia to make inroads with the Trumps before the 2016 election exploded into controversy that dogged much of the president’s first term.
“If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired career FBI official who held senior counterintelligence roles. Oligarchs like Kremlev often act in coordination with the Russian government. While it’s unclear if that happened here, Trump Jr. put himself in a precarious position, Montoya said. “This should be unthinkable for the son of the president. End of story.”
The revelations come as Trump Jr. has emerged as a political power center in his own right. Beloved by the MAGA base, he reportedly played an active role in vetting White House cabinet picks for Trump’s second term and was dubbed his father’s “most essential political adviser” by The Wall Street Journal. “I certainly don’t think I’d be sitting here as the VP nominee without Don’s help,” Vice President JD Vance told the outlet in late 2024.
Bettina Trump defends letting Putin-linked Russian oligarch pay for Don Jr. wedding celebration
First daughter-in-law Bettina Trump claimed Monday that a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin was acting as a “close friend” when he footed the bill for the celebration of her May wedding to Donald Trump Jr.
Umar Kremlev shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars for several items related to the couple’s May 21 nuptials on a private island in the Bahamas, including paying for an additional private island to host the reception as well as a fireworks show, ProPublica reported.
Days before attending the wedding, Kremlev was in China as part of a delegation accompanying Putin on a state visit, according to Beijing’s official media. The 43-year-old is best known as head of the International Boxing Association, a position he has held since 2020. During that period, the International Olympic Committee revoked its recognition of the IBA due to a purported lack of progress in dealing with alleged corruption. Kremlev and Don Jr., a devotee of combat sports like his father, participated in an IBA panel event in Istanbul last year.
Kremlev is also tied to an organization called Healthy Fatherland, which is run by his wife’s twin sister. The group is under Ukrainian sanctions for allegedly helping abduct children from occupied territories and relocating them in Russia. Melania Trump has worked to reunite kidnapped Ukrainian children with their families.
Why Republicans struggle to prove the danger of socialism
When the GOP embraces big government, it’s harder to champion free markets.
When one party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, the midterm elections are a referendum on the party in power. With President Donald Trump’s approval ratings falling into the 30s and affordability remaining a top issue for voters, it is rational for Republicans to direct attention to how much worse the economic pain will be under Democrats. Fortunately for congressional Republicans, the Democratic base is obliging them by nominating candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, whose platform includes defunding the police and abolishing the U.S. Senate.
Unfortunately, the socialist attack would be more potent if the GOP offered a clear contrast. Instead, the last two years of Republican rule have ushered more government intrusion into the marketplace than a socialist congressional caucus could ever deliver.
The problem for Republicans this November is that they are not presenting a clear contrast between the failures of socialism and the blessings of free markets. Rather, they are increasingly adopting big-government policies and flexing federal power, while muddying the waters between their competing visions for the country’s future.
A Republican convention about fear collides with a midterm about prices
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6087693-trump-midterm-affordability-gap/
In a Reuters-Ipsos poll last week, 47 percent of voters said that the cost of living would be the single biggest factor in how they vote this November. Thus, when Republicans gathered in Dallas last week for their first-ever midterm convention, they had an important opportunity to show voters how the party would ease the affordability crisis.
Indeed, the Republicans had billed their convention as a showcase for its affordability agenda — no tax on tips or overtime, tax cuts and an economy they insist is finally turning the corner. However, the message that actually filled the American Airlines Center was not that Republicans would make life cheaper. It was that Democrats are too extreme to be trusted with power.
So, lacking an appealing economic message, Republicans are betting that they can make November an election about fear of Democratic extremism.
Democratic voters driven more by opposition to Trump than party platform in fight for the House, poll finds
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/13/democratic-voters-trump-opposition-midterms-poll-01073868
Democratic voters are more motivated to get to the polls by their widespread dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump rather than the policies their candidates are putting forward, according to a CBS News poll released Sunday.
Among likely Democratic voters, 54% said they primarily wanted to stop Trump and the GOP from advancing their agenda, while 46% wanted to help Democrats enact theirs. By contrast, 57% of Republicans said they were seeking to help Trump and the GOP advance their policies, while 43% wanted to stop Democrats.
Voters gave Trump an overall approval rating of 39%, with 61% disapproving of his performance, per the poll. And his endorsement could actually serve as a liability for Republican candidates — with 48% of likely voters saying a Trump endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate, compared with 21% who said it would make them more likely.
Avodas HaShem
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz (Sichos Mussar #33 5731): Everyone is required to thoroughly examine his deeds especially before Rosh HaShanna - the Day of Judgment. This obligation is not just to discover transgressions and lapses in observance of the commands. It also includes the evaluation whether one's path in serving G d is the correct one for him since everyone has a unique path. The issue of Avodas HaShem is such that a person could keep all the mitzvos yet have a completely false approach to serving G-d. The problem is compounded by the fact that he might have incorrectly assumed that what he was doing would be pleasing to G d. Nevertheless all his efforts would have been to accomplish a mistaken goal. Consequently if he has not carefully evaluated the correctness of his plan then all his efforts and sacrifices are wasted. Furthermore he is punished according to the degree of effort he made to accomplish this wrong plan. This can be seen from the fact that Rav Yochanon ben Zakkai who was not only the leading Torah scholar of his time but also had succeeded in saving Torah for all future generations was frightened before his death. He cried before his students and said "I see before me two paths - one to Gan Eden and the other to Gehinom and I don't know where they are taking me. Shouldn't I cry?" His fear was not because of failing to keep the whole Torah. His fear was solely because he might have failed to properly have done his Avodas HaShem. There is the additional problem with Avodas HaShem - that one simply can't repent for doing it incorrectly since it is easy to be mistaken and assume that you are doing the right thing.