Aharon's sons why did they die?

 Ksav Sofer (Vayikra 10:1): And they offered before G‑d an unauthorized fire which He had not commanded them. Question: The Tanchuma (Achrei Mos #8) says that Aaron’s sons died because they didn’t get married and didn’t have children. Furthermore it says that they walked behind Moshe and Aaron and said, “When are these old men going to die so that we can take over the leadership of the community?” It is necessary to understand this medrash since it does not seem to fit in with the Torah which gives the explicit reason for their death as being punishment for offering an unauthorized fire before G‑d?  It is also astounding that these righteous men - who were in fact greater than Moshe and Aaron according to Rashi (10:3) – should transgress G‑d’s command and not fulfill the mitzva of having children and also that they would speak in such an arrogant manner – “when are these old men going to die?” Answer: It appears to me that the reason that they didn’t get married is that they saw that Moshe’s children did not turn out properly as is well known. If Moshe’s sons were not fit then they felt that a lesson could be learned that surely would apply to the masses. They ascribed the failure of Moshe’s children to the fact that Moshe was constantly preoccupied with the problems of the community and therefore he didn’t have the ability to properly supervise his children. (We see a similar judgment of Chazal regarding the children of Shmuel who did not go in his righteous path because he was constantly involved with community problems.) In contrast Aaron’s sons were great tzadikim because Aaron was not so much preoccupied with the community and thus was successfully able to supervise his children. On the other hand Aaron himself never reached Moshe’s spiritual level because his energy was devoted to his family. Being aware of this they decided that the best solution to the inherent contradiction between serving the needs of the community and the needs of the family - was not to get married. They were fully aware that with the death of Moshe and Aaron they would become the leaders of the community. They reasoned that if they had children they would not be able to supervise them properly and they would end up going in the wrong path. Or if they took the path of Aaron and properly supervised their children – then they would not be able to devote the needed time to leading the community. Consequently they decided the best way to serve G‑d and His people was not to get married. We need to add two other aspects from the medrash regarding their following after Moshe and Aaron and saying “When are they going to die?” It doesn’t mean chas v’shalom that they were looking forward to their deaths or that they were discussing between themselves that when they would die they would become the leaders. The medrash means to describe that they were concerned with understanding what Moshe and Aaron lacked. Moshe was very concerned with the needs of the community and therefore he had children who were not good. Aaron who supervised his children did not have so much time for the community and therefore he did not have the merit of serving the masses so much. Therefore Aaron’s sons concluded that they should get married. In truth they erred in this conclusion. Because “what business did they have with G-d’s secrets.” Their job was not to second guess what G-d wanted. Their job was to fulfill His mitzvos which clearly commanded them to have children. (We find a similar mistaken understanding described in Berachos (10a) concerning King Chezkiyahu. He also didn’t have children because he knew through the power of prophesy that his children would be wicked. However this was a mistake and his father-in-law, the prophet Yeshayahu, was sent to him with the message,”You will die now in this world and you will not have any portion in the next world because you didn’t have children.” Yeshayahu rejected Chezkiyahu’s justification that his children would be wicked people by saying, “What business do you have with G-d’s secrets?”). Thus we see that Aaron’s had a strong passion for loving G‑d and His people and therefore they decided that to be successful as leaders and serving G-d it was best not to have children. This in fact was the “unauthorized fire” which they had not received from G-d. They in fact had not been commanded to lead the people in a manner that differed from Moshe – but they were required to fulfill G‑d’s commandments and get married and have children. Thus this mistaken idea was the “unauthorized fire” and it was the reason why they died. So even though their motivation was for the sake of Heaven it was a mistake. This is my explanation and I think it is very correct.

Radio by Hatzala on the Sabbath

Igros Moshe (O.C. IV #81): Question Hatzala using walkie talkie on Shabbos? Answer The question posed to me concerns the wearing of a radio by members of the Hatzolah organization. If they could not wear the radio and be in contact with the central office while away from home, it would necessitate their staying in their apartments with a radio receiver turned on waiting for a call for their services. Not to be able to leave home on the Sabbath would be surely a great burden and would reduce the number of volunteers so necessary for the proper functioning of this organization. The Talmudic discussion in tractate Shabbos [63a] makes it clear that an object can be classified as an ornament even though it does not serve the usual function of clothing, namely, to protect the body from the elements. The controversy recorded there concerns a soldier wearing his sword or carrying his bow, and involves the aesthetic evaluation of these items. If they are regarded as a sign of his status and importance as a defender of society, he may wear it on the Sabbath. If, however, it is a degrading symbol of his association with killing and warfare, then he may not. Clearly, if the item under discussion has no negative connotations, it can be considered an accessory to clothing, even though it may not be made of anything more than base metal. The Hatzolah beeper certainly does not signify an individual involved in a degrading activity. On the contrary, it identifies someone who is waiting to serve his fellow man in time of need. Although there is a controversy in the Talmud as to whether weapons will be needed during the Messianic era, and those who believe they will not be needed (for there will be no wars) do not look upon the sword as a symbol that gives honor and importance to the wearer, this does not apply to a beeper. Even if we accept the opinion of Rebbe Eliezer that there will be no illness in the Messianic era, and hence there will be no need for the Hatzolah organization, this in no way casts aspersions on the social approval accorded those who wear the beeper because of their great mitzvah work. There are no negative connotations to the wearing of the beeper as there may be to the wearing of a sword. In my opinion, therefore, it is permissible to wear a beeper on the Sabbath. They may leave their homes with it attached to their belts, so that they may respond quickly to a call from someone in need. It would be too burdensome to expect these people to stay at home waiting for the call to come, and as I have said, this would surely reduce the number of volunteers for this important work. Someone has suggested that the Sabbath work should be done by hiring non-Jews to serve as Hatzolah members. This contravenes the halachah that says that activities should be performed only by Jews and not by non-Jews, even when a non-Jew is readily available. In addition, a staff which works for money cannot be expected to respond with the same alacrity, the same devotion as those who do it in order to perform the great mitzvah of .

Shabbos save life of Goy

Igros Moshe (OC IV #79) Question Can doctor profane Shabbos to save non Jew? Answer The excuse stated in the gemora saying that he can’t do it since violates religious law would not be accepted in America. In fact if he is the only doctor available and he refuses to save the non Jew’s life he will be viewed as a murderer. Therefore if a non Jew comes to him on Shabbos in a life threatening condition he has to deal with him even if it involves violating a Torah law of Shabbos. To avoid treating the non Jew is not only a danger to the non Jew but also to the doctor from the patient’s relatives. Even if he thinks that his own life is not actually threatened, he needs to be concerned with the great hatred (aiva) to Jews this will produce in America from the people and government. It is necessary to understand that according to the way that today that there is a problem of his refusal to save a non Jew’s life producing great hatred even in countries in which there is legally religious freedom. I am astonished at the Mishna Berura (130.8) where the Chofetz Chaim wrote criticizing the doctors who violate Shabbos to save a non Jew’s life that even though not doing it causes aiva it is still considered a deliberate violation of Shabbos. I can certify that in Russia, in small towns where there was only a single physician for an entire district, a Jewish physician who refused to travel to care for a non-Jew on the Sabbath, regardless of his defense that his religion did not allow it, would surely have endangered his life and the lives of other Jews. Even the police would have made no effort to protect him from the wrath of the patient's relatives, who would have claimed that his failure to treat their relative had caused his death. It is obvious to me that the Chofetz Chaim was concerned with this problem, because he appended a footnote to explain that his position that the prohibition of a Jewish physician treating a non-Jew on the Sabbath applies "to the country of India, whose inhabitants are even today true idolaters." Even if there is only a small possibility, nevertheless since this is a matter of life and death (Pikuach nefesh) we are lenient. This is also the view of Chasam Sofer. Today there is a concern the world over especially with the instant widespread publicity through newspapers. There is a real concern that provacatours will magnify the hatred until there is will be massacres. Thus there needs to be concern that today this refusal to treat a non Jew will result in actual danger and therefore treatment is permitted. It has been reported, in the name of the Klausenberger Rebbe, that physicians should not take any fee for treatment rendered on the Sabbath. This ruling is right and proper. Surely, it is forbidden to profit from any Sabbath transgression, and therefore in this case, his entire motivation should be the saving of a human life and the performance of that mitzvah.

Trump Reveals Russia's 'Pretty Big Concession' in Peace Talks with Ukraine

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-reveals-russias-pretty-big-concession-peace-talks-ukraine-2063802 

President Donald Trump asserted Thursday that Russia has already made a "pretty big concession" in the war against Ukraine by not attempting to seize the entire country. The president also said that Russia's willingness to engage in peace talks that could "stop the war" is a concession.

Trump's assertion has been met with strong resistance from Ukraine and many European nations, who argue that merely halting a full-scale land grab hardly qualifies as a meaningful concession.

Torah: Prizes for learning Torah

Igros Moshe (YD III:87.2) Question: Prizes of honor to encourage students for learning fixed amount?Answer This is a good thing to encourage learning and it is is possibly more effect than monetary prizes. .However my opinion is that every yeshiva needs to have the head of the yeshiva decide what is a good prize. It is also a good idea if several yeshivas join together.  Nevertheless this should not be an obligation but should be done willingly and joyfully. The idea to make a program for all the yeshivas I think is not beneficial because what ever is publicized causes harm. 

Torah What is proper Torah learning?

Igros Moshe (YD III:87.2) Question What is proper Torah learning in Yeshiva? Answer  The mitzva of Torah study  is to learn the entire Talmud  and to to know all the Torah laws in addition to studying in depth each subject in the gemora  as well as the Rishonim and Achronim which are indespensible  even for a big Torah scholar. It is important also to understand the reasoning and the halacha as well as the explanations given by the Rosh Yeshiva

Education of girls Maaser money for tuitition?

Igros Moshe (YD II:113) Question: Can tuition for a daughter’s Beis Yakov be paid from Maaser? Answer  There is certainly a distinction between sons and daughters in Torah study since the father has a clear obligation to educate his son in Torah even if he has to pay for it. And thus it is a Torah obligation and he should not use maaser money. In contrast there is no obligation to educate his daughter and if there is need then it is possible to pay from masser money. .However in America the law requires girls to be educated and due to G-d’s kindness they are allowed to study in proper religious schools.  Thus if she doesn’t go to Beis Yakov  then she would be required to attend public school where she will not get religious training. However he has an obligation that she get a proper religious education even if it costs him money and thus he actually has an obligation to send her to beis Yakov in America so Maaser money can not be used. However according to the Mishneh Berura the obligation is to save her from the goyim and thus it is not a special obligation on the father but a general one and accordingly maaser money could be used  However this is problematic since the halacha is that the father is obligated to properly educate his daughter in proper faith mitzvos and avoiding sin.  Therefore it is obvious that the father needs to pay for the education of both sons and daughters and therefore maaser can not be used for either. It is only if additional payment is required then for both sons and daughters maaser can be used. 

Deception to get mitzvos & spiritual perfection

Shaarei Teshuva(482:2): It says in Bava Metzia (62a) that your needs come before that of other people even in a matters of life and death. This is learned by R’ Akiva in the case of two people in the desert with a single container of water from the verse of “Your brother shall live with you” - which means that his life is secondary to yours. So if this principle is true in physical issues then surely it is true in spiritual issues. (This is written in Igros Shmuel to Megila Ruth. He says that Boaz knew by ruach hakodesh that Ruth would be the ancestress of the Davidic kings and therefore he described her as a Moabite in order that she would be rejected for marriage and he could marry her and he would merit having the royal descendants. Even though it is prohibited for someone to deceive others even to take that which is rightfully his. But that prohibition is in monetary matters but not concerning mitzvos. Even though it is impossible to take a mitzva away from someone who already has obtained the rights to it such as mila, nevertheless if no one has actually claimed the mitzva yet then it is viewed as a wilderness and available to all and everyone has the obligation to perfect his soul and merit having mitzvos. We see this principle also with Yaakov and how he took the rights of the first-born and the berachos since he knew that Esav was headed to do evil and Yaakov needed them to reach spiritual perfection as is explained by the Akeidas Yitzchok…).

Dating Marriage – play house

Igros Moshe (Y.D. I #90): Question A boy and a girl want to get to know each other for the purpose of marriage to determine whether they will like each other. They want to know whether it is permitted to rent two separate bedrooms in one house where the owner and his wife also live. Answer It is clear that if it is known to the owner and his wife that they are not husband and wife – there is reason to be lenient. However if they have  not informed then it is possible that they might mistakenly assumed that they are married and therefore it won’t help that the owner lives there. If the owner doesn’t know that they are not married it would thus be prohibited to rent the separate rooms because the owner is no longer a protection against sin because they are not embarrassed to be alone together and other similar problems. Regarding the issue of whether it is permitted for her to prepare meals for him, it seems that there is no concern that this is prohibited according to all authorities. That is because this is not included in the prohibition of utilizing a woman’s services. This type of service is permitted as is serving as a maid – even if she does it for free. All of this is permitted according to the strict letter of the law – however in actuality it is not worth doing. A person shouldn’t try to be too “smart” in these matters. It is sufficient if she finds favor in his eyes - regarding her appearance, her family and her reputation concerning her religious observance - that he can rely on that to get married with the hope that she was the one designated for him from Heaven. It is not necessary to examine her first. Furthermore this “test” is worthless to determine if she will be a good wife. Rather the Torah tells us to be “tamim” (to have simple trust) with G‑d. 

Dating: What to look for in a spouse

Igros Moshe (YD I #90) Question Is it a good idea to be cautious in dating and that more is better to make sure it is “the right one”? Answer :Regarding a couple dating excessively to make sure it is ‘the right one’. “One should not be overly smart with regards to shidduchim. Therefore, one could marry the woman that finds favor in his eyes in her appearance and has a good family, and has a good reputation about her mitzvah observance, and assume that she is the one destined to him from heaven. He does not need to excessively tryout if they are compatible because it will not help, as the verse says “tomim tihiyeh im Hashem”, you shall be faithful with Hashem”.

Fact-Checking What Donald Trump Said in His ‘100 Days’ Interview With TIME

 https://time.com/7280129/donald-trump-fact-check-2025-interview/

What Trump Said: “We lose $200 to $250 billion a year supporting Canada.”

The Facts: Trump has often made the claim that the U.S. is “subsidizing” Canada—it’s a key reason behind his desire to annex the country. In his interview with TIME, he mentioned Canadian cars, lumber, and energy, so it’s possible was referring to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which in 2024, amounted to $63 billion for goods. 

But that number still is far short of $200 billion. In the interview, Trump also mentioned “taking care of their military.” Trump officials have often highlighted military spending as part of the $200 billion. The Department of Defense requested a budget of $849 billion for the 2025 fiscal year—though the request does not break down spending by region. In March, a White House official pointed The Washington Post towards North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a shared air defense program between the two countries. The U.S. is responsible for 60% of the cost of the radar system—though the system costs just $20 billion, an expert told the Post.

3 children who are US citizens — including one with cancer — deported with their mothers, lawyers and advocacy groups say

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/27/us/children-us-citizens-deported-honduras/index.html

Taken together, the families’ advocates say their removals from the United States underscore concerns about a lack of due process amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Trump First 100 Days Approval Rating Double-Digits Below Biden, Obama—Poll

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-first-100-days-approval-rating-double-digits-below-biden-obama-poll-2064801

New polling released by CNN on Sunday shows that Trump's approval rating stands at 41 percent. That is 18 points under his disapproval rating, which stands at 59 percent—including 45 percent who disapprove strongly.

Comparatively, former Democratic President Joe Biden's approval hovered at 53 percent at the same point in 2021, according to CNN. That puts Biden's approval at the 100-day mark 12 points ahead of Trump's.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, a Democrat, and George W. Bush, a Republican, had even higher marks at the same point. Obama enjoyed a 63 percent approval rating and Bush was nearly the same, at 62 percent. That's 22 points and 21 points ahead of Trump respectively.

Notably, Trump's current approval rating is even lower than it was at the same point during his first term in office. At the end of April 2017, Trump's approval rating stood at 44 percent—3 points higher than it is now.

Rav Moshe Feinstein: Prohibition of social dating

Igros Moshe(E.H. 4:60): Concerning the issue of a young man who is not ready to get married and has no interest in getting married and he is interested in having social dates with young women who also are not ready to get married and have no interest in getting married. They say that since they are careful to avoid the prohibition of yichud (seclusion) there is no prohibition in dating. Even though they know that this is not nice but they say they are not interested in issues of piety and extra measures of modesty and they don’t want to listen to lectures of mussar and rebuke. However they say that they will stop if they hear from me that this is prohibited according to the halacha. Therefore I am forced to respond immediately because this applies to a current activity… There is also a severe prohibition from the Torah in close friendships between a young man and woman. That is even if they avoid hugging and kissing as well as touching and yichud. The problem is that he talks with her for extended times in expressing love and he gets pleasure from this and stares at her. Even according to the Ramban who disagrees with the Rambam and holds this is only a rabbinic prohibition nevertheless agrees that this is a severe prohibition since it has an asmachta from a verse and that it is punished with rabbinic flogging. It is clear that dating is done because of love of women and not because of ordinary friendship since he clearly prefers being with a woman then with male friends. Why is he interested in this woman when it doesn’t give him greater respect or a good name? It is obviously because of love of a woman because she is a woman. In addition even though she is unmarried, she is a nidah which is prohibited with the punishment of kares…

Trump approval rating underwater in Fox News survey

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5265210-trump-approval-rating-fox-news-poll/

The poll showed Trump with an approval rating of 44 percent, down 5 points from the 49 percent he had in March. Fox noted the latest number is lower than where all of his most recent predecessors were at this point in their presidencies.

Former President George W. Bush had the highest rating among 21st-century presidents with 63 percent approval, followed by former President Obama with 62 percent and former President Biden with 54 percent. Trump also had a rating 1 point higher at this point in his first term than his current one.

CNN Data Guru Touts Historic Poll Showing Trump Most Unpopular Prez Since 1953

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-data-guru-harry-enten-flumps-donald-trump-as-worst-new-president-since-us-records-began/

An overwhelming majority of Americans say the president is botching the job just months into his second term.

“These numbers are just horrible—there’s no way to sugarcoat it,” CNN data guru Harry Enten said while diving into the results of a new survey the network released on Saturday

Musk demoted again! Elon retreats as he loses $1 billion PER DAY under Trump

Trump Tore Up Obama’s Iran Deal. Is He Now Negotiating Something Worse?

 https://www.thefp.com/p/trump-obama-iran-deal

“The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” President Donald Trump declared in 2018 as he withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He has always claimed that President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement was terrible. And he has always been right.

But if Trump lets Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, continue to negotiate with Iran along the current lines, he will end up with an agreement even weaker than the JCPOA. Witkoff is driving Trump on the road to Obamaland.

A stunning reversal of fortunes in Canada's historic election- Trump saves the Liberals

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78jv246n91o

Last year, the Conservatives held a 20-point lead in national polls over the governing Liberals for months. Poilievre's future as the country's next prime minister seemed baked in.

Then a series of shockwaves came in quick succession at the start of 2025, upending the political landscape: Justin Trudeau's resignation, Carney's subsequent rise to Liberal leader and prime minister; and the return of Trump to the White House with the threats and tariffs that followed.

By the time the election was called in mid-March, Carney's Liberals were polling neck-and-neck with the Conservatives, and by early April they had pulled slightly ahead, national surveys suggest.

Trump's late-March announcement of global levies on foreign automobile imports allowed Carney to step away from the trail and take on the prime minister's mantle, setting up a call with the president and meeting US Cabinet ministers.

Poilievre, in contrast, is a veteran politician and polished performer. But on the shifting political ground, Conservatives appeared to struggle to find their footing, pivoting their message from Canada being broken to "Canada First".

Poilievre had to fend off criticism from political rivals that he is "Trump lite", with his combative style, his vows to end "woke ideology", and willingness to take on the "global elite".

American Battleground: Trump dreams of empire while struggling to keep some promises

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/26/politics/donald-trump-immigration-foreign-policy/index.html

For months, the Danes have effectively said the only threat is from the United States. They’ve pointed out that Greenland, an autonomous land under the Danish umbrella, has happily hosted American military forces for decades. They note that Vance’s stop is at a US base established in 1943 and still operating. They argue the White House can easily keep an eye on Chinese and Russian movements in northern waters from the island and can even expand America’s military footprint there without owning the earth beneath it. Anyway, Denmark says, Greenland is not for sale. Locals give an icier answer to Trump, Vance and their representatives: “We don’t want you here.”