Please take the time to give a name other than anonymous to your posts. It just causes confusion. I am returning to reinforcing my policy of automatically rejecting anonymous posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Anonymous posts automatically deleted
Please take the time to give a name other than anonymous to your posts. It just causes confusion. I am returning to reinforcing my policy of automatically rejecting anonymous posts
Condolences and Request for Content Removal
Dear Rabbi Eidensohn,
Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your dear brother, David, זצ"ל. It was truly an honor to have known him. I had the privilege of referring several couples to him over the years, and I witnessed firsthand his remarkable ability to restore שלום בית in the most extraordinary way. His memory is a blessing.
Upon learning of your loss and reflecting on your brother's legacy, I felt compelled to reach out to you regarding a matter that has weighed on my mind.
Years ago, in connection with your coverage of the Yoel Weiss case, content was published on your platform that included defamatory statements about me that are demonstrably false. This included references to arrests that were subsequently dismissed shortly thereafter, as well as allegations that originated from Moshe Rosenfeld, who has since been convicted in federal court on serious charges and has served his sentence.
In the spirit of justice and truth, and as a זכות for your brother's נשמה, I respectfully request that you remove any defamatory content, including my name and photograph, from your website related to these matters.
I hope you will consider this request favorably as an עילוי נשמה for David זצ"ל.
With sincere condolences and respect,
Rabbi Israel Meir Farkash
Witches consult for sick
Teshuvos Maharshal (#3) Question Is it permitted for a sick person to consult with witches through non Jews? Answer This has already been answered by the Terumas HaDeshen who wrote that asking witches and diviners is not explicitly prohibited. The Torah only prohibited Ov or Yedoni since that is very severe but it doesn’t apply to other type of witches or diviners even as a chumra as can be seen from the gemorah in Yevamos concerning the death penalty for a witch and it doesn’t learn the halacha from Ov and Yedoni. It would seem that the prohibition is solely because of Tamim Teheyu as the Rambam writes. He claims that it appears from his words that there is no actual prohibition. With all due respects I think he misread the Rambam who says elsewhere that it is prohibited to ask a diviner and he receives makos mardus while the diviner who did an act of divination receives regular makkos. Obviously he holds that both violated a prohibited act. The asker since he didn’t do an act receives Makkos mardus. We learn this from Shaul’s asking the diviner and the gemora says it was a violation of Tamim teheyu. But that is only to believe completely in them and they are called fools. Even so the Ranbam states that only if they follow the advice of the diviner do they receive makkos. I have found that the Ramban claims that only Ov and Yedoni are prohibited to be asked by the Torah and not other types of diviners. He says asking other types of diviners is prohibited by Tamim teheyu as was the case of Shaul. It would seem that any sick person is not prohibited to consult a diviner according to the Rambam.. The verse of Tamim teheyu is to simply have faith in G-d and have trust in Him engraved in the heart, therefore a sick person need not be strict in the prohibition. However since the basic prohibition is because divination of all types is nonsense and stupidity and lacks a real basis, it should not be permitted at all to consult a diviner because of Tamim teheyu. So if the sick person is in danger it should be permitted even according to the Rambam since the diviner sometimes says things that are true. We say even a doubtful lifesaving permits transgressing Shabbos which would result in capital punishment so surely our case is permitted. However if he is not in danger it is not permitted even if he might lose a limb. Nevertheless there are times to permit it even when there is no danger to life but only to a limb. This is in cases where it is known that the sickness was caused by witchcraft or evil spirit it would be permitted to consult a diviner according to the Rambam. In these matters, most witches or diviners are knowledgeable and can provide genuine help possibly even according to the Rambam. And it is possible to say that the Torah did not prohibit diviners in that case where their only purpose is to drive away the evil spirit. The Torah seems to have only prohibited asking them or to pursue them and to believe in them but the gemora permits nullifying witchcraft with witchcraft and surely through a goy. But all this does not apply to a normal sick person who is not in danger. In fact there is no leniency for him at all.
Perfection and Reality
Fifty years ago, I as a recently married young man arrived with my beautiful bride in Jerusalem during the week of Sheva Berachos. We got deluxe accommodations at the home of a relative Dr. Wanderman who also was making Sheva Berchos. Rabbi Bulman who was then Mashgiach at Ohr Someach had consented to come. I had gotten to know Rabbi Bulman when he was the Rav of the Young Israel in Far Rockaway. As an interesting coincidence we had rented our apartment there from the new owner of his former house in Far Rockaway. Everything was perfect.
Rav Bulman got up to give a drasha. It was the week of Parshas Ki Savo. I still remember to this day the excitement from the guests at seeing the beloved Rav Bulman as many knew him from New York. . He started out by noting the apparent strangeness of the Parsha discussing the announcement by a Jew that he had perfectly done all the mitzvos and commandments and yet this is described by Chazal as a Confession. He asked why should announcing you did everything correctly be called a confession. The term is usually used only for admission of errors and sins?
He said this is to teach us an important message. We need to know even when things seem perfect the reality is – even for marriage - is rarely achieved and yet we need to know what the ideal is even if we don’t actually accomplish it but we need to strive for it.
I found a similar idea in the letters of the Chazon Ish. True moderation is only for those who have strived for and yet have failed to accomplish perfection. Not those who strive directly for moderation
Devarim(26:13-14) You shall declare before your God “I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the family of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments: I have not eaten of it while in mourning, I have not cleared out any of it while I was impure, and I have not deposited any of it with the dead. I have obeyed my God have done just as You commanded me.
Shabbos (25a) It is written in the confession of the Maaser: “I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I destroyed from it while impure”
Chazon Ish (Letters 3:61): Just as the unvarnished facts and truth are synonymous so are uncompromising perfectionism and greatness. Perfectionism means to develop something to the ultimate degree. One who advocates moderation and despises perfectionism, his lot is with the frauds or with those lacking understanding. Without perfectionism, there can be no completion and if there is no perfection, there is no beginning. The beginning is with constant questions and replies. The perfecter is the brilliant respondent who orders everything in its rightful place. We regularly hear announcements from well known groups that they have nothing to do with uncompromising perfectionists. They nevertheless describe themselves as being the true Jews with appropriate faith to Torah. We simply note, however, that just as there is no such thing amongst lovers of wisdom as love for minimum knowledge and hate for the very wise there is similarly no such thing as loving Torah and mitzvos moderately and hating the uncompromising perfectionists. All the foundations of emuna, the 13 principles and their derivatives, are inherently incompatible with the lightweight wisdom and superficial life that exists in this world. In contrast clear recognition, energetic involvement; high precision in emuna is the hallmark of the perfectionist. Those who proudly testify on themselves that they have not tasted the sweetness of uncompromising perfection are simultaneously testifying that they are missing emuna in the foundation of religion both intellectually and emotionally. Their attachment is only lukewarm. The perfectionists, who despite their genuine wish to have pity on these doctrinaire moderates, do not honor and respect their opponents. The yawning abyss that separates them is naturally only widened as the result of the disputes that occur when they interact with each other. The only true moderation that can exist is that which results naturally to those who love the perfection and strive towards it and educate their children to strive for the peak. In contrast how unfortunate are those “moderates” who cast aspersions on the perfectionists. The obligation of our education is to perfection. The only genuine protection of the educational system is to be contemptuous and to ridicule those who denigrate perfection. However given the burning spirit of youth it is not appropriate to strongly condemn specific individuals amongst the unfortunates. Instead, the youth should be developed to have true love of Torah that requires personal effort and heavenly pleasantness and they should not have obstacles placed on this road. Those schools that are labeled as moderate schools, they are not successful because of the fraud that is inherent in moderation…
Hegseth rerouting Pentagon funds to refurbish Qatari jet into Air Force One
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just found nearly a billion dollars — $934 million to be exact — hidden deep in the Pentagon couch cushions. That money was supposed to fund Sentinel, a $77.7 billion modernization project for America’s aging nuclear missile system. Instead, it’s being rerouted to a classified project.
But here’s what we know about that classified project, thanks to reporting from The New York Times: part of it is funding a personal, Qatar-backed Air Force One project for President Trump.
Monday, September 15, 2025
Dedication to my brother Reb Dovid
The story begins in Russia where both sets of grandparents lived before coming to America. I think a lot of my brother’s personality came from my mothers’s mother Freida Drazen. She was a person of strong beliefs, very confident a natural leader and totally dedicated to what she viewed as Truth. She was also a strong Zionist and was president of her Pioneer Women organization. She lived not far from Yeshiva Ner Yisroel and my bother often visited her with his friends and would spend much time in friendly though heated debates. She was the anchor of yiddishkeit for the family. She had received a set of Mishnayos in Russian for an engagement present. This was eventually given to me. She would often tell my brother “I have forgotten more Torah than you have learned.” He was also strongly influence by our father who was trained as a physicist but worked for the Navy Department as an expert in batteries – in particular submarine batteries. He received many patents and was given the highest honor the navy had for civilians for improving submarine range and underwater operation – this was before atomic submarines. He was also obsessed with not only doing the right thing but also everything had to be understood and not be done for social pressure. While he was disappointed that my brother didn’t go to YU on a full scholarship he fully supported his desire to go to Lakewood instead. When my brother decided to go every Shabbos to the Malin brother’s yeshiva in Washington he supported him. My mother was also very supportive. Even after my father was niftar and Rav Aharon told him to go home and help support the family, she told him to stay at Lakewood and continue learning. After Rav Aharon’s passing she supported his going to Morocco where he learned in a small yeshiva in the Atlas mountains. He left it when the Rosh yeshiva decided he would be a good husband for his daughter
My brother was born in Washington D.C. As the first born he naturally got a lot of attention, He grew up as a talented and very intelligent American. He was handsome, athletic, academically successful as well as a talented piano player. He was also a natural leader and got along with everyone. He had many friends. However he was willing to sacrifice his obvious bright future to leave the American idea of Judaism for what he saw was the more authentic European form as represented by the Malin Brothers.
He ended up going to Chofetz Chaim yeshiva in Baltimore where he was a stand out student, and personality as well as head of student government. He was also a basketball star. Dr Kranzler who was the English principal in those days told me that everyone was greatly impressed by my brother and viewed him as a future godol. After Chofetz Chaim he was in Ner Yisroel for two years before he went to Lakewood
Lakewood was a different world. He was no longer the only smart student. In addition Rav Aharon was a European and didn’t coddle his students. My brother often said he spent a lot of time talking to Rav Aharon because he didn’t realize like the other students to be afraid and avoid Rav Aharon. When he had a chiddush he would simply go over and say it. He once went over after a shiur and told Rav Aharon that he didn’t understand it. Rav Aharon reviewed it with him but he still said he didn’t understand it. Reb Aharon tried again but he still didn’t understand it. Rav Aharon simply slapped him. My sister remembers that when he came home for visits from Lakewood she was about 6 andhe would review Rav Aharon's shiur with her
At some point my brother decided his purpose should be to influence others to be frum and he started writing anf publishing pamphlets – such as Dear Robert which he also paid for publication. He told me many times that the reason he could focus on doing what was true was because he was not dependent on others that might get offended. He was not a rosh yeshiva who needed the support of the parents or rich donors. He was basically supported by the efforts of his wife who ran a clothing store in the house.
It is important to note that he didn’t claim the authority to disagree with contemporary poskim and rabbis. However he had no problem saying they were mistaken because he had had a close relation with gedolim of the previous generation such as Rav Aharon, Rav Moshe and Rav Yakov and Rav Eliyashiv and had heard directly from them their views. In addition he was a real talmid chachom. In fact he had gotten strong approbations to his halacha seforim from Rav Yakov and Rav Moshe. In fact he had clear sources for everything he said and did. He was constantly by Rav Moshe and Rav Yaakov. I heard from Rav Wozner of Monsey that there was not a day that his father was not consulted by my brother. He became a major voice for many topics such as not taking money from government programs- especially not by fraud, Not to seek support of politicians who support immorality. He spent much time opposing drafting women into the army. However his major effort involved Gitten and Aguna. I once went with him to see a major posek in Israel. After relating the major halachic concerns about gitten in America. He was told that while the problems obviously existed it was simply an American problem and he would not get involved. When he was writing about gezel Akum (stealing from goyim). He consulted many gedolim. In Israel he went to see a major posek. While waiting, the Gadol’s son asked him why he was wasting his father’s time when he could tell him his father’s views. So he told him the question. The son replied that he had talked to his father many times and his father clearly held that it was permitted. My brother said he would still wait to hear it directly from the father. When he finally got to see the gadol he replied, "I hold it is prohibited but don’t tell anyone this in my name."
It was not simply that my brother collected information from Gedolim but he also had a close relationship with them. I remember when my daughter was born and my wife wanted a beracha from Rav Yakov there was a major problem. Rav Yakov was recuperating from a major stroke and could not even speak. .Nonetheless my brother got me to Rav Yakov. I still remember sitting holding Rav Yakov’s hand while his wife told me to ask for whatever I wanted and she conveyed it to her husband. In addition there were times that these gedolim asked him to serve as an intermediary.
Aside from his community concerns he was a father to a large family of talented and successful community assets as well as being a good husband and son. This was reciprocated. For the last almost 4 years he was hospitalized with a life threatening condition. He was intubated and thus couldn’t speak and had lost the ability to recognize even family. The doctors of course wanted him dead. For the entire period his devoted wife stayed by him day and night and ensured he got the care he needed. He was visited regularly by family.
He often consulted others. For example he had a Rebbe for Kabbala – Rav Shmuel Toledano. Once the famous Maggid of Jerusalem Rav Schwadron visited Monsey. At that time someone had started a business of renting movies. He asked him what should be done since it was obvious that Monsey was not the place for movies. Rav Schwadron replied he didn’t understand the problem. My brother replied that there was a Hashchasa(destructive factor) being introduced into the community. Rav Schwadron than understood the question. ”You mean there is a problem of Hashchasha?” The real issue of hashchasa is yeshivos
My first exposure to the problem of abuse was when he took me to a well known yeshiva for the summer, There was a wild guy there who was constantly beating up the other students. The Rosh yeshiva simply kicked him out of the yeshiva. My brother contacted the boy’s father who said his son was crazy and once even hit his mother in the head with a hammer. My brother went back to the rosh yeshiva and told him it was not a good idea and irresponsible to simply kick the kid out because he was dangerous and that he should take him back on the condition of therapy or he would call the police.
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Loss of an Advocate for the Sanctity of Jewish Marriage: R. David Eidensohn zatza"l
R. David Eidensohn has ascended to the Heavenly Academy. He was the brother of (yibadel le-chaim) R. Daniel Eidensohn, editor of Daas Torah blog, where I serve as an associate writer. See https://daattorah.blogspot.
It was R. David Eidensohn who originally sounded the alarm against the blood libel that was inflicted by R. Hershel Schachter (acting on behalf of Ms. Tamar Epstein) against Reb Aharon Friedman [falsely claiming that Reb Aharon is obligated to write her a get, a terrible violation of Exodus 20:14 by Rabbi Schachter]. And then, when thanks to the good advice of R. David Eidensohn, Reb Aharon refused to write any get, it was R. David Eidensohn who subsequently sounded the alarm against the fraudulent Kamenetzky-Greenblatt heter [directing Ms. Epstein to "remarry" with no get whatsoever], inspiring numerous batei din worldwide to declare that Ms. Epstein is still the wife of Reb Aharon, and further prompting the Beit Din Tzedek of the Edah ha-Charedit in Jerusalem to instruct all rabbis throughout the globe to protest the fraudulent Kamenetzky-Greenblatt heter. I have published several articles on this matter, including most recently at https://daattorah.blogspot.
I would like to follow up on the letter I sent the Rabbanan earlier this week (Tuesday, Sept. 9), inspired by the ascent to the Heavenly Academy of R. David Eidensohn, a scholar who defended the sanctity of Jewish marriage from the disciples of Saul Lieberman who sought to mislead every Jewess to receive a get upon demand and say shalom yihiyeh li ki bi-shrirut libi elekh (Deut. 29:18). [I personally consulted by long-distance telephone with R. David Eidensohn when I formulated my prenup at https://www.scribd.com/
R. David Eidensohn identified three pitfalls that occur with corrupt mesadrei kiddushin today, including (a) those mesadrei kiddushin that will arrange a chuppah for the ex-wife of an innocent husband who was coerced by the 1992 New York Get Law [-forbidden by Maran Rav Bleich, and as mentioned this past Tuesday, Maran Rav Bleich also forbids the analogous situation where the 1990 Canada Get Law was used against an innocent husband. Not only that, but even in a case of seemingly remote doubt, where no secular court was involved and the couple divorced in Beth Din amicably, in an actual shiddukh with a divorcee that was proposed to me, Maran Rav Bleich denied me the right to pop the question to the lady, and this despite R. Ariel Wasserlauf's independent investigation (at my request), the results of which he generously shared with me, that the ex-husband was delighted to jettison the ex-wife in order to marry a second wife, to whom he is now happily married with five children. Furthermore, this father of five (from the second wife to whom he is happily married) currently serves as the ba'al korei of one of the Dayanim of the Jewish Community Council of Montreal R. David Rephael Banon, and in fact Rabbi Banon supervised the actual get in question, such that li-kh'orah "all systems go" and this was a glatt kosher divorce. No, Maran Rav Bleich holds I still have to be choshesh that the innocent ex-husband (who is not in the category of kofin le-garesh) was afraid of the 1990 Canada Get Law, and so better I should be stuck as a bachelor rather than risk even the possibility of adultery. See with your own eyes how serious this problem of the 1990 Canada Get Law has become.]; (b) those mesadrei kiddushin that will arrange a chuppah for the ex-wife of an innocent husband who was coerced by the 1993 Beth Din of America prenup [-an illegitimate and heretical prenup like that of Saul Lieberman, unlike mine which is recognized as valid by the universal consensus of poskim]; and (c) R. Nota Zvi Greenblatt who fraudulently arranged a pseudo-chuppah for Ms. Tamar Epstein who had no get altogether. Taking my cue from R. David Eidensohn [and after shimush with Maran Rav Bleich], I published a series of refutations to all of these corrupt mesadrei kiddushin, and as a result of this, I was able to ensure that a double get zikkuy was arranged for the agunah whose case I brought to the Supreme Court of Canada. Yodu la-Ha-Shem chasdo, ve-nifle'otav li-vnei adam (Psalm 107).
R. David Eidensohn also tackled a fourth pitfall which I have never addressed in published form: The humiliation tactics of ORA as representing a form of illicit coercion on gittin [in the case of innocent husbands]. He discusses this here: https://torahhalacha.blogspot.
I also draw your attention to a video that the late R. David Eidensohn published during his lifetime entitled "Reb Aharon Kotler - Do We Still Follow His Ways," warning the public about Ms. Tamar Epstein's false antics in claiming that she can remarry without a get [-this video was released in 2014 even before she actually went ahead a year later in 2015 and was makhshelet R. Nota Zvi Greenblatt in a berakhah le-vatalah at an adulterous pseudo-chuppah]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
"And those of us who remember Reb Aharon[*], who remember that there's such a thing as a Shulchan Arukh and that being a rosh yeshivah doesn't make you a gadol that you're bigger than the Shulchan Arukh. So, those of us - we're outnumbered badly, but there's plenty of us, and we have to unite and be strong and keep up the derekh ha-yashar in Torah."
[* = The reference is to R. Aharon Kotler.]
So this is why I am writing the present e-mail. R. David Eidensohn has left this world, but if we coordinate ourselves as he advocated, we can continue his legacy and rescue Klal Yisrael from a mamzer epidemic. "A conference of the righteous is beneficial to them and beneficial to the world" (Sanhedrin 71b).
This week, when we will read "a lady shall be betrothed, and another gentleman shall cohabit with her" (Deut. 28:30), I pray that tikhleh ha-shanah ve-kileloteha (Megillah 31b).
Thank you,
Shalom C. Spira
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
BDE: Petirah of R’ Dovid Eidensohn Z”L, Mechaber of Hilchos Bayis Ne’eman
https://monseyscoop.com/bde-petirah-of-r-dovid-eidensohn-zl-mechaber-of-hilchos-bayis-neeman
The Levaya will take place this evening (Monday) at 7:30PM at his home, 2 Phyllis Terrace, Monsey. The Aron will then leave for JFK at 8:15 PM, with Kevura to be held in Eretz Yisroel, in the Lakewood Chelka in Beit Shemesh.7:30 from ארץ החיים בית שמש.
Shiva will be observed in Eretz Yisroel until after Shabbos, and will continue in Monsey beginning Sunday.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Harvard secures win in fight with Trump over federal research funding
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/03/harvard-victory-battle-trump-federal-funding-00542654
A federal judge ruled Wednesday the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more than $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard University was illegal.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, a Barack Obama appointee, in an 84-page opinion, acknowledged the university “could (and should) have done a better job of dealing with” antisemitism on campus. But Burroughs said research grant terminations and antisemitism are not particularly connected.
“A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that Defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,” Burroughs wrote.
. “The idea that fighting antisemitism is Defendants’ true aim is belied by the fact that the majority of the demands they are making of Harvard to restore its research funding are directed, on their face, at Harvard’s governance, staffing and hiring practices, and admissions policies—all of which have little to do with antisemitism and everything to do with Defendants’ power and political views,” the judge wrote.
Garber, in a statement late Wednesday, acknowledged the university isn’t fully in the clear yet.
“Even as we acknowledge the important principles affirmed in today’s ruling, we will continue to assess the implications of the opinion, monitor further legal developments, and be mindful of the changing landscape in which we seek to fulfill our mission,” he said in a letter to the campus community.
Terrorists in Jerusalem attack killed by two ultra-Orthodox men, one serves in Haredi IDF unit
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1jjv7ncll#autoplay
“He was on his way to yeshiva. He emptied the magazine on the terrorists.”
The second responder was an IDF Haredi soldier, a platoon commander in the Hasmonean Brigade, who also fired at the attackers and helped neutralize them.
Police arrest revered Haredi rabbi suspected of preying on underage girls
Police on Sunday arrested a prominent Haredi rabbi suspected of committing sexual offenses against several young women, some of whom were underage girls at the time of the alleged incidents.
Rabbi Haim Yosef Abergel — a revered rabbi from Netivot known for his unwavering support for IDF conscription and secular studies — is suspected of exploiting his power to pressure girls as young as 12 into divulging sexually explicit information about themselves, according to Hebrew reports.
His victims had approached him seeking halachic advice regarding their personal relationships and family issues. Instead, he was said to have questioned the girls over phone calls about their sexual desires and “immodest thoughts,” Ynet reported.
Terror in Jerusalem: Six dead in shooting attack at Ramot Junction
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414564
Two terrorists open fire at passersby at Ramot Junction in Jerusalem, murdering six people; reports say terrorists boarded bus, shot at passengers' heads from close range using automatic weapons.
Johnson backs off claim that Trump was an ‘FBI informant’ in Epstein case
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/07/trump-epstein-johnson-fbi/
Last week, Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill that Trump cares deeply about the crimes Epstein committed and said that Trump “was an FBI informant to try to take this stuff down.”
“The Speaker is reiterating what the victims’ attorney said, which is that Donald Trump — who kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago — was the only one more than a decade ago willing to help prosecutors expose Epstein for being a disgusting child predator,” the statement from Johnson’s office read.
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Experts skeptical of legality of Trump’s strike on alleged drug boat
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/06/politics/venezuela-boat-strike-trump-legality
The president has the authority under Article II of the Constitution to use military force when it is in the national interest, and when it does not amount to “war” in the constitutional sense, which requires an act of Congress. Past administrations have interpreted these standards fairly broadly — especially in the decadeslong war against al Qaeda, ISIS and other evolving Islamist terror groups — and Trump officials have also claimed the president was exercising his inherent Article II powers here.
But again, legal experts say, there is a wrinkle: That amorphous power still requires that the president establish that its targets are legitimate military targets who should be treated as combatants under both international and domestic law. Cartel members and drug smugglers have traditionally been treated as criminals with due process rights — not enemy combatants — and the Trump administration has yet to offer a justification beyond the FTO defense that it is in a state of armed conflict with Tren de Aragua.
Finucane and others pointed to Rubio’s admission that the boat could have been interdicted rather than destroyed — as has been done in the past — but that the president ordered a lethal strike as a matter of first, not last, resort.
Friday, September 5, 2025
Harvard Beats Trump Admin—Judge's 5 Key Takeaways
https://www.newsweek.com/harvard-trump-admin-judges-takeaways-2124329
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to reverse its cuts of more than $2.6 billion in funding for Harvard University.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the cuts amounted to illegal retaliation for Harvard's rejection of the Trump administration's demands for changes to its governance and policies.
The Trump administration had tied the funding freezes to Harvard's delays in dealing with antisemitism. But Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, said in her ruling that there was "little connection between the research affected by the grant terminations and antisemitism."
She wrote: "In fact, a review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that (the government) used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country's premier universities."
Burroughs said it resulted in the government terminating Harvard's grants without complying with the law and retaliating against the school in violation of its free speech rights under the First Amendment.
Burroughs said that it was "clear, even based solely on Harvard's own admissions, that Harvard has been plagued by antisemitism in recent years and could (and should) have done a better job of dealing with the issue."
Thursday, September 4, 2025
DC sues Trump administration over National Guard deployment
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/04/politics/washington-dc-sues-trump-national-guard
Washington, DC, officials are suing the Trump administration, accusing the president of violating the Constitution and federal law by sending thousands of National Guard troops into the city without consent from local leaders.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday by DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, claims the troops – many from out of state – have been deputized by the US Marshals office and are patrolling neighborhoods, conducting searches and making arrests, despite federal laws that generally bar the military from acting as local police.
The lawsuit argues that the deployment undermines the city’s autonomy, erodes trust between residents and law enforcement and damages the local economy by discouraging tourism and hurting businesses.
Federal judges anonymously criticize Supreme Court for overturning decisions with emergency rulings
A group of anonymous federal judges is criticizing the Supreme Court for overturning lower court rulings and siding with President Donald Trump's administration with little to no explanation, NBC News reported Thursday.
NBC spoke with 12 federal judges, appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents including Trump, who pointed to a trend of lower court decisions being overturned by emergency rulings from the high court. These cases often see prominent members of Trump's administration lashing out at lower court judges before their cases are overturned.
Ten of the 12 judges argued the Supreme Court should offer more explanation when overturning such decisions, saying emergency rulings in such cases imply poor work on the part of lower court judges.
Expressing Hostility through being overly helpful
I recently heard of a situation where a devoted mother took her obese daughter shopping to help her deal with disappointment in shidduchim. She found a beautiful skirt that her daughter liked and it was 50 off. but it was too small for her daughter. Trying to be helpful the mother loudly called out - "Is this available in extra large!" The daughter was embarrassed and is now angry with her mother but the mother felt she was being helpful. How would you handle this?
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Donald Trump Suffers Big Legal Blow Over Migrant Deportations
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-legal-blow-deportation-migrants-alien-enemies-act-2123573
President Donald Trump was blocked by a federal appeals court from using an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to deport Venezuelan migrants his administration says belong to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua.
The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that there was not an "invasion or predatory incursion" by a foreign power as required by the 1798 statute to justify its invocation in the case of this group of migrants.
‘Giddy’ Republicans cheer Mamdani’s impact on Democrats
Zohran Mamdani’s front-running campaign to lead the nation’s largest city is stoking fear among moderate Democrats that his far-left politics will cost them at the ballot box.
They worry a Mamdani mayoralty will deepen an existential crisis for a party desperate to win back power in Congress — simultaneously handing Republicans a cudgel to paint their moderate opponents as socialists and encouraging hard-left copy cat candidates to primary Democratic incumbents, potentially pushing the party further to the left.
“I’ve never seen Republicans more giddy about the idea of a socialist mayor of New York City,” said former Nassau County executive Laura Curran, a Democrat. “They’re more excited about this than Mamdani’s followers or supporters.”
More than 1,000 HHS staff call on RFK Jr. to resign
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5483021-hhs-employees-call-for-rfk-resignation
More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are demanding that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resign, following his ousting of the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other actions they say are “compromising the health of the nation.”
“Should he decline to resign, we call upon the President and U.S. Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science. We expect those in leadership to act when the health of Americans is at stake,” a letter by the group of former and current employees, sent to Kennedy and members of Congress on Wednesday, states.
Minyan:Child is counted for 10th
Igros Moshe(O C II #18) Question: Can a child be counted as one of the 10 for a minyan in an emergency? Answer If it is the case that without the child there is concern that minyan will disband than that is definitely considered an emergency even if there are other places to pray. It is possible that some will not make the effort of going elsewhere and will end up not praying with a minyan. In addition there is concern that the classes being taught will also stop even if there are classes elsewhere. In conclusion if there is concern that the failure to have a regular minyan will cause it to be abandoned then that is clearly a case of emergency and therefore one can rely on the Rema and Magen Avraham and include a child. However in general this is a dispute in the Rishonim and we are not able to resolve it and the accepted custom seems to be to not allow a child to be counted. It seems that the requirement for ten is only a rabbinic association and thus in an emergency one can be lenient. If possible the child should be at least 12 years old in addition he does not need to hold a chumash but it is best if he is holding a sefer Torah even one that is invalid. It is important that he not hold it during Shma or Amidah but it should rest on a small table and he holds the Aitz Chaim. In addition the shliach tzibbor should not say the silent Amida but only say the Repetition out loud
High School Rejection Sparks Outrage Over Discrimination Against Sephardic Girls in Yerushalayim
A growing controversy has erupted in Yerushalayim amid claims of severe discrimination in admissions to girls’ high schools, with some institutions allegedly refusing entry to Sephardic students based on their family background
After Years of Boasting About His Health, Trump Faces Questions He Can’t Shake
https://time.com/7314050/trump-health-speech-takeaways
After years of being told Trump is the model of health, an exemplar of youth, and a man always in his prime, there is well-earned skepticism about his wellbeing—so much so that the public is conditioned to doubt even their own eyes when it comes to Trump’s existence. Trump’s unhinged cognitive swerves—a constant but perhaps intensifying trait—don’t much help, either.
After all, earlier this year the White House physician praised the President’s health by boasting that he logs "frequent victories in golf events." During his first term, Trump’s doctors kept him just one pound away from being classified as obese but said he was nevertheless a machine. "Some people just have great genes. I told the President if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years he might live to be 200,” Dr. Ronny Jackson said in 2018, years before joining Congress. During the 2016 campaign, Trump’s personal physician released a letter lauding his excellent health—one that Trump himself prescribed, it was later reported. "He dictated that whole letter. I didn't write that letter," Dr. Harold Bornstein said three years later. "I just made it up as I went along."
Mount Sinai Study Supports Evidence That Prenatal Acetaminophen Use May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Autism and ADHD
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children. The study, published today in BMC Environmental Health, is the first to apply the rigorous Navigation Guide methodology to systematically evaluate the rigor and quality of the scientific literature.
Acetaminophen (often sold under the brand name Tylenol®, and known as paracetamol outside the United States and Canada) is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever medication during pregnancy and is used by more than half of pregnant women worldwide. Until now, acetaminophen has been considered the safest option for managing headache, fever, and other pain. Analysis by the Mount Sinai-led team of 46 studies incorporating data from more than 100,000 participants across multiple countries challenges this perception and underscores the need for both caution and further study.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
A possibility many Republicans won’t consider: Trump did something wrong
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/31/trump-republicans-conviction-weaponization
What if the indictments and the investigations were not, as Trump insists, political attacks but, instead, a valid response to Trump’s actions?
It’s an argument that holds enormous sway with Trump’s base of support and the broader right-wing media bubble that surrounds it. It is also an obvious extension of Trump’s long-standing rejection of any criticism, any investigation into him or his family. With Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, though, it would behoove Trump supporters and Republicans more broadly to consider an alternative view of that outcome and the other indictments Trump faces: They are a function not of some indirect effort to damage him politically but, instead, of the criminal justice system responding to violations of the law.
It would be beneficial to America if more Trump supporters entertained the idea that maybe he actually did something wrong.
Judge rules Trump can't act as national police chief
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/02/trump-los-angeles-national-guard-ruling-00539393
A federal judge has declared President Donald Trump’s use of military troops in Los Angeles illegal, barring the Pentagon from using National Guard members and Marines from performing police functions, like arrests and crowd control.
In a 52-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer warned that Trump appears intent on “creating a national police force with the President as its chief.”
Breyer’s ruling bars the Pentagon from “ordering, instructing, training, or using the National Guard currently deployed in California, and any military troops heretofore deployed in California” from “engaging in arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants,” without demonstrating they have permission from Congress.
Judge rules Trump's use of National Guard in LA violated law
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-department-defense-war-announcement-hegseth-live-updates-2123249
Judge Charles Breyer ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump's use of the National Guard to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles over the summer is illegal and "violated" a nearly 150-year-old federal law.
Breyer cited the Posse Comitatus Act in 1878, which prohibits the use of the U.S. military to execute domestic law.
"Nearly 140 years later, Defendants—President Trump, Secretary of Defense [Pete] Hegseth, and the Department of Defense—deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, ostensibly to quell a rebellion and ensure that federal immigration law was enforced," Breyer wrote in his ruling, as he granted an injunction.
"There were indeed protests in Los Angeles, and some individuals engaged in violence. Yet there was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law."
Breyer also wrote in the 52-page ruling that nearly three months after National Guard troops were first deployed to Los Angeles, 300 National Guard members remain stationed there.
Breyer froze the injunction until noon on September 12, which could provide the Trump administration with time to challenge the ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Economy 'On the Brink' of Recession by End of Year, Moody's Economist Warns - Reality Check for Trump Supporters!
https://www.newsweek.com/economy-brink-recession-mark-zandi-2122414
President Donald Trump has rarely passed up the opportunity to tell Americans that the U.S. economy, with his hand at the wheel, is roaring.
His administration has held up GDP growth rates, high levels of foreign investment and relatively benign inflation readings as evidence that tariffs have been a resounding success, and that it is only skeptical policymakers within the federal government holding back an otherwise unrivaled boom.
But to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, the warning signs—or "red indicators"—are showing up in every corner, from housing to employment to consumer prices. In an interview with Newsweek, Zandi said that his monthslong fears of a major economic downturn may soon come to a head, and that the U.S. economy could slip into a recession by the end of 2025.
"I don't think the economy is in a recession, at least not at this point," he said, "but it feels like it's on the brink, it's on the precipice of this recession."
Monday, September 1, 2025
Kabbalist took benefits fraudulently and evaded taxes
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/665534
The Supreme Court permitted publication of the name Raziel Dahan, a kabbalist, who is suspected of fraudulently receiving benefits from the National Insurance Institute and of evading taxes of millions of shekels over several years.
Mazel Tov!
With great appreciation of the chesed I have received from G-d, I have reached an important milestone in life - this week. It is the 50th year of marriage. I have gotten this far through the devotion and love of my wonderful wife. It is clear that the essence of a good marriage is having two people who feel that doing things for their spouse is the first priority. It is also critical to have a loving and supportive family.
Apparently only Chabad actually celebrates this
---------------------------------------------------------------------
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
December 13, 1978
To Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Schneerson
I am pleased to join your family and friends in sending you my warmest congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary. May love and devotion continue to bless your marriage.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem M. Schneerson
770 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11213
Republican Senators Clash Over Vaccines
https://www.newsweek.com/republican-senators-clash-vaccines-2122565
Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Rand Paul have clashed on social media over giving newborns the hepatitis B vaccine.
Paul, an ophthalmologist, wrote on X that there was "no medical reason" to give newborns the vaccine if the mother was not infected.
Cassidy, a physician, responded that Paul's claim was "not true" and that children who are infected at birth have a "much higher chance of developing liver cancer and spreading hepatitis B to others."
Both Cassidy and Paul are on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, with Cassidy serving as the committee's chair.
Stiff necked
Shemos (32:9) And G-d said to Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people;
Shemos Rabbah (42:9): What is meant by saying that the Jews are a stiff necked people? R. Judah b. Poloyah said: They deserve to be beheaded. R. Jakim said: There are three who are inherently arrogant and overly self confident. The dog amongst animals, the rooster amongst birds, and the Jews amongst the nations. R. Yitzchok b. Redifa said in the name of R. Ammi: You think that this is said disparagingly, but it is really a praise. It means that a Jew will more readily be hanged then give up Judaism. R. Abin said: To this very day Israelites in the Diaspora are called the stiff necked people. R. Nahmani said: To prove to you that they are stiff necked, you should note that when G d was about to give them the Torah it says, On the morning of the third day, there were thunder and lightning and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of a very loud shofar . G d said: ‘I will show them all My miracles, and I only hope that it will be of some purpose.’
Beitza (25b) Why was the Torah given to Israel? Because they are arrogant The School of R. Ishmael taught: At His right hand was a fiery law unto them’;G-d said: These are worthy to be given the fiery law. Some say: The laws of these are like fire, for had not the Law been given to Israel no nation or tongue could withstand them. And this is what R. Simeon b. Lakish said: There are three distinguished in strength: Israel among the nations, the dog among animals, and the cock among birds. Some say: Also the goat among small cattle. And some say: Also the caper-bush among shrubs.
Maharsha (Nedarim 20a): The fear of Him should be on your faces – this is shyness – … This is one of the inherent qualities of Jews and it is a desirable personality trait for a person to be shy but in regards to the nature of learning our Sages say that a shy person can’t learn. However we note in Beitza (25b) that the Torah was given to Jews because they are inherently arrogant. We can explain both these gemora. The Torah was in fact given because of two reasons. Since Jews are inherently arrogant they are natural students because they are not ashamed to ask question. Secondly it was given to them because the Torah diminishes arrogance as it says that fear of G d should be on their faces which is shyness.
Maharal (Netzach Yisroel 14) I have already explained with clear proofs that the soul is the dominant factor in the nature of the Jew. For example, being stiff necked is one of the bad qualities that Jews have. Practically speaking that means that Jews refuse to accept chastisement and will not listen to corrective advise. This is in fact because they are not intrinsically materialistic. Only something which is materialistic is readily altered. Consequently Jews are very resistant to change and will not accept the advice of others. Furthermore, Beitza (25b) states that they are the most aggressive and pushy people. That is because they have the power associated with being the defining figure that is separate and distinct from the readily altered material. In contrast, the non Jews readily change their ways and readily accept correction. The Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin 11:5) therefore explains that Yonah did not want to go on a mission to Nineveh because he knew that this people would readily repent after hearing his chastisement. This would reflect badly on the Jews who stubbornly resisted repenting.
Trump Is Leaning in on Crime. Democrats Need a Better Response — and Fast
Trump Is Leaning in on Crime. Democrats Need a Better Response — and Fast
The problem is that while some voters might not like overtly political power grabs, history shows they dislike feeling unsafe even more. Expanding homeless encampments and drug overdoses in plain view have left many of them fearful.
Polling suggests he’s on to something. A recent survey by the left-leaning group Data for Progress found that majorities of voters agreed that Trump’s power play was “authoritarian” and an attempt to distract from bad headlines. But the same group found that more than half of those polled agreed with this statement: “Trump is doing what’s necessary to crack down on crime.”
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Trump dispels health rumors, hits golf course
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5478949-donald-trump-health-media-rumors
President Trump on Saturday spent time on the golf course, dispelling rumors that health issues were keeping the president out of the public eye.
He was spotted at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., after his schedule was void of public events for several days in a row. The empty agenda set off a flurry of social media posts raising questions about the president’s health after a photograph of bruising on his hand during a White House Cabinet meeting went viral.
GOP rehabilitates ‘thoughts and prayers’ after Minneapolis shooting
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5477870-democrats-criticize-gop-prayer-response
Democrats and liberal pundits in particular have seen expressions of thoughts and prayers, particularly coming from the GOP and prominent commentators on the right, as an empty gesture when uncoupled with specific actions on gun control to prevent mass shootings.
Those arguments were reignited this week after two children, aged 8 and 12, were killed by a lone shooter targeting a mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Wednesday.
Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki was in the middle of the discussion for a series of posts on the social platform X in which she said “enough with the thoughts and prayers” as she expressed frustration with another senseless shooting that left young people dead.
FBI chief’s girlfriend sues podcaster for claiming she’s an Israeli ‘honeypot’ agent
“He’s got a girlfriend that is half his age,” he said, claiming that “she’s also a former Mossad agent.But I’m sure that’s totally because, like, she’s really looking for like a cross-eyed, you know, kind of thickish built, super cool bro who’s almost 50 years old who’s Indian in America,” the podcaster quipped.Anyway, I’m sure that’s totally just, like, love,” he said. “That’s what real love looks like.”
Saturday, August 30, 2025
The CDC is falling deeper into crisis. What it means for the nation’s health.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/30/cdc-vaccines-rfk-jr-future
Months of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have undercut the agency’s work, employees said, and put the future of vaccines into doubt.
Senior officials resigned this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, revolting against efforts to upend U.S. vaccine policy that they warned could lead to resurgences of preventable disease. But months of upheaval at the agency have already undercut its work to shield Americans from harm, officials and public health experts said, with the worst possibly yet to come.
Under the Trump administration, the agency has slashed billions in funding, shed hundreds of employees and rolled back programs to help Americans quit smoking and to prevent infant and maternal deaths, including support for monitoring sudden unexpected infant deaths. Funding for programs to prevent drowning, youth violence and sexual assault is in limbo, while they are under review by the U.S. DOGE Service.
Federal appeals court rejects Trump’s emergency tariffs
https://thehill.com/homenews/5478213-trump-tariffs-rejected-appeals-court
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected President Trump’s assertion that emergency powers justify his worldwide tariffs, a blow to his efforts to refashion global trade.
In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the tariffs were not authorized by the statute Trump cited to justify them.
The ruling does not take effect immediately, as the court withheld the mandate for its decision until Oct. 14, so the administration can appeal to the Supreme Court.
What happens next after Trump tariffs ruled illegal?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy983g8jr5do
A federal appeals court has ruled that most of Donald Trump's tariffs are an overreach of his use of emergency powers as president.
The so-called reciprocal tariffs - imposed on nearly every country the US trades with - are being illegally imposed, the US Court of Appeals said on Friday.
The decision upholds a ruling in May from the Court of International Trade, which also rejected Trump's argument that his global tariffs were permitted under an emergency economic powers act.
Many of the tariffs that would be affected by the ruling stem from an announcement in April of a flat 10% rate on imports from all countries, which Trump said would even out "unfair" trade relations with the US.
The court did not halt the tariffs but instead said they would remain in place until mid-October, setting up a further legal challenge in the US Supreme Court.
Trump, 79, Fundraises Off His Desperate Push to Get Into Heaven
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-fundraises-off-his-desperate-push-to-get-into-heaven
President Donald Trump is now fundraising off his newfound push to make it into Heaven.
The 79-year-old president’s Super PAC fired off an email to supporters on Saturday morning with the opening line, “Friend, I want to try and get to Heaven.” That sort of talk is not entirely out of the blue for Trump,
Psak of Baltimore Beis Din for the morons who are either ignorant or afraid
I am reposting this because I am tired of the men and women who don't know either facts or the halacha but think they are being righteous or smart rabbis or gedolim whether in Lakewood, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia or Washington - for attacking Ahron Friedman or myself
there is only one beis din that both husband and wife agreed to accept their view and that is the Baltimore beis din
any idiot claiming he is obligated to give a divorce or that his wife claims he has an intolerable personality disorder or that it is just to force him to give a get should read the following very carefully
‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy
Witkoff’s solo approach has led to repeated miscues with Russia, leaving Trump’s pledge to quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine adrift.
President Donald Trump’s surprise Anchorage summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin could have been a signature achievement for Steve Witkoff, the developer-turned-diplomat who facilitated the meet up.
But promised follow-up meetings between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have not materialized, ceasefire demands were dropped, threats of tough action have disappeared and Trump’s team has offered no clear road ahead.
Some frustrated U.S., Ukrainian and European officials say part of the problem is the go-it-alone style of Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for peace missions and go-to negotiator on Ukraine. He has refused to consult with experts and allies, leaving him uninformed at times and unprepared at others, according to seven people familiar with internal discussions. Two said he misses the mark by viewing the conflict through a real estate lens, like a land dispute.
Common heart attack drug doesn’t work and may raise risk of death for some women, new studies say
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/30/health/heart-attack-beta-blockers-wellness
A class of drugs called beta-blockers — used for decades as a first-line treatment after a heart attack— doesn’t benefit the vast majority of patients and may contribute to a higher risk of hospitalization and death in some women but not in men, according to groundbreaking new research.
“These findings will reshape all international clinical guidelines on the use of beta-blockers in men and women and should spark a long-needed, sex-specific approach to treatment for cardiovascular disease,” said senior study author Dr. Valentin Fuster, president of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in New York City and general director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Investigation in Madrid.
Houthi Prime Minister Ghalib al-Rahawi, eight ministers killed in IAF Thursday strike
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-865760
Houthi Prime Minister Ghalib al-Rahawi and several other ministers were killed in the IAF strike in Sanaa on Thursday, the news agency run by the terror group said on Saturday, citing a statement by the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat.
The Houthis' director of the political bureau, the prime minister's chief of staff, the cabinet secretary, the justice minister, the economy and trade minister, the foreign minister, the agriculture minister, and the public relations minister were killed in the strike, Army Radio reported, citing Israeli security sources.
The Houthis further announced that several other ministers who were present were seriously and moderately injured in the strike and are receiving medical treatment.
Friday, August 29, 2025
Brain Death or permission to take organs
I'm reading "Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole: A Renowned Neurologist Explains the Mystery and Drama of Brain Disease" by Allan H. Ropper, Brian David Burrell and wanted to share this quote with you.
"Committee accomplished was to find a good reason not to utilize resources on people who would unquestionably die without ever regaining consciousness. Being able to change their classification and call them dead had virtue for society. They said, in effect, “It’s not living if your brain is irrevocably gone; it’s not living, so you can go ahead and take the organs.” They had a clear mandate to protect the physician. They recommended, for example, that the patient be declared dead before the respirator is disconnected, so as to avoid the appearance of pulling the plug on a living person. They also recommended that any physicians involved in transplanting the organs recuse themselves from the decision process. But they were guided by practical motives, not strictly scientific ones, and the legacy of the Beecher Committee and the Presidential Commission have now trapped us. What somebody needed to say was: we’re going to have a societal shift, and if your brain is so irrevocably and totally damaged that there is no hope of recovery, and it’s total (so that there won’t be any quibbling), then the patient is in a state where it is reasonable to do organ transplants. Calling it death was the problem."
Mishpatim 76 – Questioning Authority [ Kaminetsky-Greenblatt Heter] by Allan Katz
Guest Post by Allan Katz
A teacher walked around a school wearing a T-shirt with ' Question Authority ' written on it. A kid approached the teacher and asked ' Who is Authority '. It is difficult to imagine a teacher wearing such a shirt in a religious school, but it is the same message we see in the Talmud, Shevuot 31. In court, a student thinks that a poor person is in the right and innocent and the rich person is liable and in the wrong, but his Rabbi, the judge holds differently. He is told to voice his disagreement with the judge, and not remain silent. When, according to his opinion he thinks that his Rabbi, the judge is making a mistake he should not wait but intervene and express his opinion and of course in a respectable way. He does not have to be concerned about his Rabbi's possible loss of esteem and respect and he should not fear any reprisals or retaliation by the rich man. He should speak out for the sake of coming to the truth and distancing himself from dishonesty. The Talmud here is not speaking about a disagreement in learning, but in actual p'sak, how a case in a beit din, a law court should be judged. And it obvious that the student should question his rabbi, the authority figure when it comes socio-moral learning, as to how the rabbi conducts himself in the world. This is especially true where corruption and a lack of honesty is involved.
The Talmud learns this from the verse - מדבר שקר תרחק - Distance yourself from dishonesty and untruths. A person has to take steps to live his life in a way that he is not forced to lie or be dishonest. Being financially independent goes a long way in helping a person's be honest and have integrity. In this area religious institutions are challenged and pressure can be brought that can make one compromise one's integrity and adhering to God's will. When one is involved in mitzvoth, good deeds, expressing gratitude , providing a livelihood for teachers and support for students learning in a Yeshiva , people can feel a sense of self- righteousness – נגיעה הצדקות and justify ' cutting corners' and permitting one to be dishonest for the sake of a greater cause. And when the cause involves a woman who is ' perceived as an agunah', a woman who is ' chained' because he husband refuses to free her by giving her a divorce- get, and the husband is being called an evil person, a rasha, the eyes of people are totally blinded. They then believe and act in a way that' the means justify the end. '
In fact, after the Torah encourages one to distance oneself from dishonesty, it warns people not to take bribes. The Alter from Slabodka explains that we might expect people of lesser greatness to take bribes and certainly justify it for the sake of a greater cause, but the great people, ' gedolim', would never do such a thing. So when the Torah talks about bribery and great people --do not take a bribe, because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and corrupts the words of the righteous - it is not about money. The Alter from Slabodka explains that the word for a bribe – sho' chad implies that because of a favor being done to them or for some other reason, there is an oneness, a total identification with that person. This oneness and identification prevents a person from seeing the other in a bad light and being the guilty partner. So to identify with a woman who is having problems getting a get- a religious divorce is Ok , but this identification blinds one, and one cannot act as a judge in the dispute between the husband and wife. Each case is different, sometimes the woman is getting the worst end of the deal and it can even be a majority of cases, but sometimes the man is the more innocent party. And of course a final decision has to take into account the children and how the couple will co-parent after the divorce, so identification with either party is problematic.
Questioning and challenging authority is encouraged because it is for the sake of truth and establishing God's authority in the world and personal growth in Torah. And this process means that people have to see ' mistakes as our friends ' in the knowledge that אין אדם עומד על דברי תורה אא"כ נכשל בהם - one only really understands the words of the Torah until one stumbles, makes a mistake in them. Mistakes are also not the problem, because the focus is on Teshuva, repenting and improving, not the falling, but getting up. People who are constantly involved in Teshuva are ready to admit mistakes and see them as a learning opportunity. In fact, it is acknowledged that great leaders are the ones who have to courage to expose their vulnerability and admit their mistakes or lack of knowledge or competence in certain areas. The lesson - being willing and have the courage to expose one's vulnerability is learned from Yehuda and King David. Exposing vulnerability promotes connection and trust, the cornerstones of leadership. Great leaders welcome those who question their authority, because as the sages tell us – we learn a lot from our teachers, but the most from our students and this is not only in the intellectual and academic area but also in the area of socio-moral learning.
Encouraging students to be more challenging also fosters connection and more respect between teachers and their students.We want students to question not only out of a desire to find out what is true but to care and do what is right. They should acquire the insight needed to recognize injustices and the courage needed to oppose them and be willing to take a stand.
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