Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Teflon Don

 There is much discussion about reward for righteousness and punishment for sin in the gemora, However there is a category of the wicked which clearly indicates the lack of apparent justice in this world. That is  those who are successful in spite of behavior and midos which typically discredit most human beings. They are those who are typically  described in our society as having teflon coatings - nothing negative lowers their status

Berachos (07b) It is permitted to contend with the wicked in this world. For it is said: They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them. It has been taught to the same effect: R. Dosthai son of R. Mattun says: It is permitted to contend with the wicked in this world. For it is said: ‘They that forsake the law praise the wicked, etc.’ — Should somebody whisper to you: But is it not written: Contend not with evil-doers, neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness, then you may tell him: Only one whose conscience smites him says so. In fact, ‘Contend not with evil-doers’, means, to be like them; ‘neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness’, means, to be like them. And so it is said: Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the Lord all the day. But this is not so! For R. Isaac said: If you see a wicked man upon whom fortune is smiling, do not attack him. For it is said: His ways prosper at all times. And more than that, he is victorious in the court of judgment; for it is said: Thy judgments are far above out of his sight. And still more than that, he sees the discomfiture of his enemies; for it is said: As for all his adversaries, he puffs at them.

Megila (06b) If you see a wicked man being favored by fortune do not contend with him, as it says, Do not contend with evildoers. Nor is this all, but he may even prosper in his undertakings, as it says, His ways prosper at all times. Nor is this all, but he may even be declared right, as it says, Thy judgments are far above out of his sight. Nor is this all, but he may even triumph over his enemies, as it says, As for all his adversaries, he puffs at them.

Pesachim (112a)  Strive to be on good terms with the man upon whom the hour smiles. R. Papa observed: That does not mean to buy from or to sell to him, but to enter into partnership with him. But now that R. Samuel b. Isaac said: What is meant by the verse, Thou hast blessed the work of his hands? Whoever took a farthing  from Job was blessed; even to buy from and to sell to him is advisable.

Pesachim (113a) strive to be on good terms with him upon whom the hour smiles

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Trump And Harris Spar Over Jobs At Debate: Here Are The Facts

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/09/11/trump-and-harris-spar-over-jobs-at-debate-here-are-the-facts/


KEY FACTS


At the highest level, Biden holds a massive advantage over Trump.

The U.S. added about 16 million jobs during Biden’s first 43 months in office, compared to a 2.7 million contraction during Trump’s presidency, according to total nonfarm payrolls, the most-cited measure of total employment which encompasses most American workers.

Similarly the unemployment rate rose 1.7 percentage points from 4.7% to 6.4% under Trump, declining 2.2 percentage points under Biden to the latest reading of 4.2%.

U.S. Unemployment Rate by President

 https://www.investopedia.com/unemployment-rate-by-president-8637843

Ford 1974–1977
7.8%
Reagan 1981–1989
7.5%
Obama 2009–2017
7.4%
Carter 1977–1981
6.5%
Bush Sr. 1989–1993
6.3%
JFK 1961–1963
6%
Bush Jr. 2001–2009
5.3%
Clinton 1993–2001
5.2%
Trump 2017–2021
5%
Nixon 1969–1974
5%
Eisenhower 1953–1961
4.9%
Truman 1945–1953
4.2%
LBJ 1963–1969
4.2%
Biden 2021–
4.1%
4.1%      
4.1%

4.1%4.1%

Trump begins final full day of campaign with repeat lies about immigration and jobs

 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/04/politics/fact-check-trump-campaign-final-day-election/index.html

The jobs revision in August: Trump repeated his false claim that a “whistleblower” was responsible for a downward revision to jobs numbers by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which announced in August that its annual revision of labor data found that the economy added about 818,000 fewer jobs than initially reported for the 12 months ending in March.

William Beach, a conservative economist who was appointed by Trump to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wrote on social media: “For those who think the big revision to the BLS jobs numbers ‘leaked’ and was meant to come out after the election, remember that BLS always announces its draft revisions in August and announced this year’s date, August 21, many months ago. It is important to check your facts.”

Trump’s Final Numbers

 https://www.factcheck.org/2021/10/trumps-final-numbers/

The economy lost 2.7 million jobs. The unemployment rate increased by 1.7 percentage points to 6.4%.

IDF launches first ultra-Orthodox combat brigade

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/11/04/idf-launches-first-ultra-orthodox-combat-brigade/

The military has adopted a new approach, moving away from viewing itself as an "educator" for the ultra-Orthodox community. Instead, it aims to demonstrate that religious observance and military service can coexist. The strategy focuses on building broad-based support for recruitment, including seeking rabbinical endorsement.

Should you vote for Trump? The facts on his first term

Goy who keeps Shabbos is liable to Death Penalty - Because the Earth Seems to run Naturally?!

 Rav Yakov (Bereishis  08:22) and day and night shall not cease.Sanhedrin (58b)  An idolator who keeps Shabbos is liable to the death penalty because the Torah said “And day and night shall not cease.” Rashi explains  that means they must continue working on Shabbos. Apparently, this  interpretation is not according to the Bible's simple meaning (pshat)  because the simple meaning is that G-d promises that the times and the seasons will not change so how is this connected to saying that an idolator who keeps Shabbos is liable to the death penalty? But it seems that the Gemara's intent is the depth of simple meaning of the verse. Here G-d  revealed to us that the conduct of the world will be in a different way after the flood than it was before the flood. Before the flood G-d behaved with His world in such a way that it could be clearly understood  that the world is new and is renewed in other words nature wasn’t fixed so it couldn’t be changed and thus it was clearly apparent that G-d was running the world at all times. Whereas now comes the promise of G-d that from now on the conduct of the world will be as if the world was ancient and eternal, that is, that everything is fixed according to order and as if everything behaves on its own without any leader and creator. 

Therefore the seed and the harvest and the heat and the day and the night will not cease but will behave according to a pre-determined order as if there is never a permanent overseer who determines the order of the world as it will be, this is the depth of the intention of G-d in the promise For all the days of the earth, it will not cease. Therefore it was derived by our Sages that an idolator who keeps Shabbos is liable to the death penalty. As I have explained a number of times that while the descendants of Noach (bnei noach) were commanded to keep 7 mitzvos as well as the belief in one G-d, they were not commanded to believe that the world had been created. In fact it is actually prohibited for a person to look what preceded the world and what comes after [Chagiga (16a)]. Regarding Jews, since they received the Torah at Sinai  which clearly states that G-d created the world from nothing, we are required to believe that the world is not eternal  but that it had been created by G-d. And Shabbos is the sign that G-d established for the Jews to remember "For in six days God made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested" Therefore the non Jew who were not commanded to believe in the creation of the world were are also not commanded to observe Shabbos. Therefore a goy who keeps Shabbos is liable to the death penalty. Because if he observes Shabbos, he may come under the prohibition of looking forward and backward. Any thing they are warned against not doing, they are liable to the death penalty . Consequently G-d reveals in this verse that His manner of running the World after the Flood will be different  than what it was before in that it will now seem that the world is eternal and not created. In other words after the Flood it will appear that the World runs by itself in a natural manner. It is no longer apparent that this needs to be investigated or that there are doubts about this and therefore it is obvious why our Sages said that a goy who keeps Shabbos is liable to the death penalty

Monday, November 4, 2024

Voting





I could not find this in the Igros Moshe though I don't know why it was left out. It is readily found on the Internet