Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City, delivered the keynote address at the Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism Conference in late May. The conference convened "thought leaders, Jewish scholars, philanthropists, and committed lay leaders from throughout the US and Canada for an extraordinary opportunity to assess this crossroads moment and offer a call for a bright future." In part, this was designed to address "the growing distance between North American liberal Jews and Israel, and their fraying connection with the concept of Jewish peoplehood."
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Fox News stirs outrage after labeling Biden a ‘wannabe dictator.’ The network says it ‘addressed’ the situation
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/14/media/fox-chyron-trump-biden/index.html
“WANNABE DICTATOR SPEAKS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AFTER HAVING HIS POLITICAL RIVAL ARRESTED,” the onscreen text read.
The chyron, which aired during the 8 p.m. hour hosted by Brian Kilmeade, was shockingly dishonest, even by the standard set by Tucker Carlson, who occupied the prime-time slot before his abrupt firing in April.
Biden and his White House have repeatedly stressed that he does not involve himself in Justice Department investigations and have said that the DOJ works independently of the White House’s influence.
Fox Cuts Away From WH Press Briefing After ‘Dictator’ Chyron Mentioned
During its midday show, America Reports, the channel went live to the White House where Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was taking questions, one of which was if the White House would like to comment on the blatantly partisan chyron.
“There are probably about 787 million things that I can say about this,” Jean-Pierre said, referring to Fox having to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million in a settlement after the voting machine company sued the right-wing network for defamation.
“That was wrong, what we saw last night, but I don’t think I’m going to get into it,” Jean-Pierre said as her audio levels were lowered in the Fox broadcast.
Why is Adam being prohibited to marry his daughter called chesed?
Sanhedrin (58b) If God had not specially permitted Cain to marry his sister, she would have been forbidden to him. This is difficult according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, who deems it permitted for a gentile to marry his sister. The Gemara rejects this proof: Once it was permitted for Cain to marry his sister, it was permitted for all descendants of Noah to do so, and it was forbidden only to Jews. Rav Huna says: A gentile is permitted to marry his daughter. And if you say, for what reason did Adam not marry his daughter? It was so that Cain would marry his sister, because it is stated: “The world shall be built on kindness.” And there are those who say that Rav Huna did not say this; rather, Rav Huna says: A gentile is prohibited from marrying his daughter. Know that this is the halakha, as Adam did not marry his daughter. The Gemara rejects this statement: But that is not so, as there, this is the reason Adam did not marry his daughter: So that Cain would marry his sister, because it is stated: “The world shall be built on kindness.” §
Trump ‘winced’ at ‘Happy Birthday’ serenade because he hates calling attention to turning 77
https://nypost.com/2023/06/14/real-reason-trump-winced-at-happy-birthday-serenade/
“Insiders say he feels even more so this year as he doesn’t want to call attention to the fact he’s turning 77,” said the source, noting how the aging presidential candidate “winced” at the tribute.
Tucker Carlson Says Trump Indicted Because He Opposes 'Neocon War Agenda'
Carlson denounced former Trump allies including former Vice President Mike Pence, ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Senator Lindsey Graham for "slobbering over" the ex-president "as if they were addressing a monarch or a god" before turning on him.
"They all called Trump a visionary genius up until the moment he lost power," said Carlson. "And then they unsheathed their real agenda—as always, the neocon war agenda. And they piled on with maximum force."
Carlson reserved his harshest criticism for Pompeo, denouncing him for undermining "Trump's often stated commitment to peace and non-intervention abroad" after playing a clip of the former secretary of state saying that it was "wrong" for Trump to retain sensitive documents during a Fox News appearance earlier in the day.
Tucker Carlson: Trump’s sins ‘are minor compared to those of his persecutors’
“Whatever else you say about him, Trump is the one guy with an actual shot at becoming president who descends from Washington’s long standing pointless war agenda,” he said. “And for that one fact, they are trying to take Trump out before you can vote for him. And that should upset you more than anything that’s happened in American politics in your lifetime.”
“In this life, we don’t get to choose our martyrs,” Carlson concluded his latest video. “We can only choose our principles. And America’s are at stake.”
Trump’s Distortions of Federal Indictment
https://www.factcheck.org/2023/06/trumps-distortions-of-federal-indictment/
Trump and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham have misleadingly objected to Trump being charged under the Espionage Act, saying he wasn’t a “spy.” He was charged under a section of the act concerning willful retention of national defense documents.
Trump’s main 2024 election goal is now to save himself
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/14/politics/donald-trump-indictment-2024-campaign/index.html
As his court battles grind on, his biggest aim appears to be recapturing the presidential authority that might give him the power to make his potential criminal liability – and even the threat of jail time, if convicted – go away.
HITLER COMES TO POWER
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hitler-comes-to-power
Adolf Hitler and the Nazis won followers by promising to create a strong Germany. The Nazis promised to
fix the economy and put people back to work;
return Germany to the status of a great European, and even world, power;
regain territory Germany had lost in World War I;
create a strong authoritarian German government;
and unite all Germans along racial and ethnic lines.
The Nazis played on people’s hopes, fears, and prejudices. They also offered scapegoats. They falsely claimed that Jews and Communists were to blame for Germany’s problems. This claim was part of the Nazis’ antisemitic and racist ideology.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Donald Trump Is About to Have His Wile E. Coyote Moment
Sure, you’re hearing that Trump being indicted is actually helping him with his base. But that is pure hooey peddled by the hooeymongers in the media who have been serving as stenographers simply repeating verbatim talking points produced by the Team Trump’s ACME Hooey Machine. The facts show that Trump’s support is beginning to erode in multiple meaningful ways. The ground is literally giving way beneath his feet, even if he and a goodly chunk of the punditerati don’t know it yet.
Nobody is saying Trumop is innocent!
Despite claims that Trump is a victim - none of his supporters are saying he was innocent and did not do what the indictment says.
The most popular defense is what about Hillary? What about Biden? Which is totally irrelevant.
The evidence - especially Trump's own words clearly establish that his case is unique.
Despite Trump's strong efforts to Lock her up. His own Attorney generals decided there was no case as well as did the FBI and his DOJ. With Biden there is no evidence he deliberate took documents or refused to return them nor is there any hint of obstruction of justice. Additionally no one has claimed that the documents that Trump took are equally important secret documents and are just as big a threat to American security.
In sum, Trump whose only defense is that the documents were his property will be going to jail for the rest of his life and that is primarily based on his own words and none of his supporters think otherwise. His only viable option is a plea deal which he rejects.
Yad Yisroel to the rescue
I have been asked of what use is an index to the Mishna Berura? Aside from the fact that it is one of the foundations of modern halacha why does it need to be indexed. After all it is based on the Shulchan Aruch and is readily accessible as opposed to the Igros Moshe where countless topics are concealed in unrelated matters
The fact is the Mishna Berura contains much hidden wealth since he discusses topics such as incarnation or the status of the Meiri and Kabbala. There is the story Rav Yaakov Kaminetsly once said at a rabbinic convention, I heard this story from Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz.
Rav Yaakov as a young man was traveling on a train when he noticed he was approaching the town of Rav Schwadron. He noted that the Rav was already a very old man and perhaps he would never have another chance to meet him. So he got of the train to pay him a visit. He got to him and noticed he was indeed very old and frail but engaged him in a conversation regarding a question that had been bothering him. The Rav told him the answer to his question could be found in the Mishna Berura. He returned to the train very upset. Rav Schwadron one of the leading halachic minds of any age obviously was obviously senile since he had said the answer was in the Mishna Berura which deals with Orech Chaim and not the issue that was bothering him. However when he got back to yeshiva he told himself that it was not being respectful to ignore the words of Rav Schwadron. So he looked at the Mishna Berura and in fact saw that it answered his question.
Now he was really upset so he traveled back to Rav Schwadron to apologize for thinking he was senile. Rav Schwadron told him that there was no need to apologize, He said "Give me the first volume of my Shulchan Aruch." He opened the cover and showed him that it was covered with marks. "Each mark is put there when I complete reviewing the entire Shulchan Aruch So even if I was senile I could have answered your question!"
I was once in shul for Shacharis when a fight broke out between an avreich who had been quietly learning his gemora before the minyan started. We were now up to Berchas Cohanim and one member of the minyan was upset that the avreich did not stand up. So he grabbed his head and pulled him to a standing position. I grabbed my Yad Yisroel and quickly located the statement that standing is only a minhag and is not required. I showed the Mishna Berura to the kanoi. He admitted he was wrong and apologized publically for his action. Apology was accepted.
Republican Admits Biden Tapes Might Not Be Smoking Gun
https://www.newsweek.com/republican-admits-biden-tapes-might-not-smoking-gun-1806407
The Washington Post reported last week that the allegations contained in the FD-1023 document being sought by Republican lawmakers was reviewed by the FBI under former former Attorney General William Barr, only for the agency to conclude the allegations were found not to be supported by facts. The investigation was later dropped, a fact confirmed by several outlet
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)