With Haredi volunteers, an Israeli entrepreneur, 28, rescues Jewish refugees in Lviv

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-haredi-volunteers-an-israeli-entrepreneur-28-rescues-jewish-refugees-in-lviv/

Outside, a variety of Ukrainian charities and aid organizations have opened tents to provide food and medical care to the refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

As I walked through the chaos outside the station last Tuesday, I was astounded to stumble across an Israeli flag banner stretching across a fence, and Haredi men in orange vests with Hebrew writing standing next to steaming pots and talking amicably with passersby.

The men were from the ZAKA rescue organization, a major element of Israel’s emergency response services at home and abroad.

Magic is real - Ramban

 Ramban (Devarim 18:9) THOU SHALT NOT LEARN TO DO AFTER THE ABOMINATIONS OF THOSE NATIONS. This also is an explanatory commandment, for He has already stated, and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes,¹⁵²Leviticus 18:3. and now he mentions their deeds and declares them to be abominations before G-d. He mentioned anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,¹⁵³Verse 10. which, by way of the simple meaning of Scripture is a type of witchcraft, or, in the opinion of our Rabbis,¹⁵⁴Sanhedrin 64b. it is the Molech. This is the truth as I have explained it in its place.¹⁵⁵Leviticus 18:21. He mentioned a sorcerer,¹⁵³Verse 10. an inclusive term for all sorcery. Or a charmer, or one that consulteth a ghost or a familiar spirit¹⁵⁶Verse 11. — these are specific forms of sorcery. He also prohibited them to consult [the sorcerer] or the necromancer who uses the ov (ghost), or, in any manner to seek information from them. He mentioned ‘koseim k’samim’ (one that useth divination)¹⁵³Verse 10. which involves divining future events, from the word ‘kesem’ (an oracle) is in the lips of the king; his mouth trespasseth not in judgment,¹⁵⁷Proverbs 16:10. just as Scripture states, Balaam also the son of Beor ‘hakoseim’ (the soothsayer),¹⁵⁸Joshua 13:22. and he was an enchanter, as it is said concerning him, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments,¹⁵⁹Numbers 24:1. and it is further written, ‘kasomi’ (divine unto me), I pray thee, by a ghost.¹⁶⁰I Samuel 28:8. He mentioned specifically m’onein¹⁵³Verse 10. who is a diviner interpreting by [the formations of] the clouds, and the m’nacheish¹⁵³Verse 10. who divines by looking at the wings of the birds [in flight] or by listening to their chirping, something similar to what is written, for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.¹⁶¹Ecclesiastes 10:20. The word m’nacheish is derived from the expression ‘chashti’ (I made haste) and delayed not,¹⁶²Psalms 119:160. because whatever expedites knowledge of the future before it transpires is termed nacheish, that is to say, “we will hurry” and know sooner. Scripture states, For ‘all’ that do these things are an abomination unto the Eternal,¹⁶³Verse 12. but it does not say “for those that do ‘all’ these things …” because Scripture [in calling the practitioner an abomination] refers to most [but not all] of these practices. For the m’onein [who divines by observing the clouds] and the m’nacheish [who prophesies by means of the wings or chirping of birds] are not abominable, and G-d did not dispossess the Canaanites on their account, because all human beings desire to know things that are to come upon them, and engage in what they consider to be pursuits of wisdom.

And now, know and understand concerning the subject of sorcery, that when the Creator, blessed be He, created everything from nothing, He made the higher powers to be guides for those below them. Thus He placed the earth and all things that are thereon¹⁶⁴Nehemiah 9:6. in the power of the stars and constellations, depending on their rotation and position as proven by the study of astrology.¹⁶⁵It should be noted that Ramban wrote this explanation of the world order in terms of scientific concepts known to his generation. Yet is it not a fact that conditions on the earth are affected by the atmospheric conditions above? Do not the sun-spots millions of miles away affect terrestrial magnetism and meteorological phenomena? So conditions on the earth are indeed affected by the powers above us. The central point in Ramban’s theme is thus easily applicable. Over the stars and constellations He further appointed guides, angels, and “lords” which are the soul [of the stars and constellations]. Now, their behavior from the time they come into existence for eternal duration, is according to the pattern the Most High decreed for them. However, it was one of His mighty wonders that within the power of these higher forces, He put configurations [as explained further on] and capacities to alter the behavior of those under them. Thus if the direction of the stars towards the earth be good or bad to a certain country, people, or individual, the higher dominions can reverse it of their own volition, as they¹⁶⁶The origin of this dictum is unknown to me. have said, “The apposition for the word oneg (pleasure) is nega (plague).”¹⁶⁷The thought conveyed is that both words oneg and nega are spelled with the same letters ay’in, nun, gimmel. Thus if a nega (plague) is destined to come upon a country, etc., because of certain forces operative on the earth, the higher powers can change these letters to spell out oneg (pleasure), or vice versa. G-d ordained it so because He, blessed be His Name, changeth the times and the seasons;¹⁶⁸Daniel 2:21. He calleth for the waters of the sea¹⁶⁹Amos 5:8. to do with them at His Will, and bringeth on the shadow of death in the morning¹⁶⁹Amos 5:8. without changing the natural order of the world, and it is He Who made the stars and constellations move about in their order. Therefore, the author of the Book of the Moon, the expert in [the field of] necromancy,¹⁷⁰Rabbeinu Bachya in quoting the language of Ramban adds: “and astrology.” The following subject quoted from this medieval work is indeed one which is a combination of necromancy and astrology. said, “when the moon, termed ‘the sphere of the world,’ is, for example, at the head of Aries (the Ram)¹⁷¹See Vol. II, p. 118, Note 116. and the constellation thus appears in a certain form, you should make a drawing of that grouping, engraving on it the particular time [when this relative position appears] and the name of the angel — one of the names mentioned in that book — appointed over it. Then perform a certain burning [of incense] in a certain specified manner, and the result of the influence [of the relative position of the stars] will be for evil, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to overthrow.¹⁷²Jeremiah 1:10. And when the moon will be in a position relative to some other constellation you should make the drawing and the burning in a certain other manner and the result will be for good, to build and to plant.”¹⁷²Jeremiah 1:10. Now this, too, is the influence of the moon as determined by the power of its [heavenly] guide. But the basic manner of its movement is by the wish of the Creator, blessed be He, Who endowed it so in time past, while this particular action is contrary thereto. This then is the secret of [all forms of] sorcery and their power concerning which the Rabbis have said¹⁷³Chullin 7b. that “they contradict the power of Divine agencies,” meaning that they are contrary to the simple powers [with which the agencies have been endowed] and thus diminish them in a certain aspect thereof. Therefore, it is proper that the Torah prohibit these activities in order to let the world rest in its customary way, in the simple nature which is the desire of its Creator. This is also one of the reasons for the prohibition of kilayim (mixing seeds), for the plants resulting from such grafting are strange, giving rise to changes in the ordered course of the world for bad or good, aside from the fact that they themselves constitute a change in Creation, as I have already explained.¹⁷⁴Leviticus 19:19 (Vol. III, pp. 295-297). Now, many scholars¹⁷⁵The reference is obviously to Rambam and his followers, who hold, as Rambam says in Mishneh Torah, (Hilchoth Avodath Kochavim 11:15) with regard to sorcery and witchcraft: “they are all imaginary and foolishness which attract only those that are deficient in knowledge.” dispose themselves to be liberal with regard to these enchantments by saying that there is no truth in them whatsoever, for who tells the raven or the crane what will happen? But we cannot deny matters publicly demonstrated before the eyes of witnesses. Our Rabbis also, acknowledged their existence, as they have said in Eileh Shemoth Rabbah:¹⁷⁶I found it in Vayikra Rabbah 32:2. “For a bird of the air shall carry the voice¹⁶¹Ecclesiastes 10:20. — this refers to the raven and the craft of tiarin.” Birds in Arabic are called tiar and those versed in the divination of birds are called tiarin. This subject is also mentioned in the Gemara.¹⁷⁷Gittin 45a. See in my Hebrew commentary p. 428, Note 97.

But there is a secret to this matter. We have already made known¹⁷⁸Exodus 20:3 (Vol. II, p. 294). that the constellations have lords that lead them, these being “the souls” of the circuits of the spheres, and the lords of the tail and [head of] Aries (the Ram)¹⁷¹See Vol. II, p. 118, Note 116. are near the earth, these being termed “the princes of the quiver,” that make the future known. It is through them that the signs in the birds indicate things to come, not for long duration or distant future do they tell, but only of events that are about to happen. Some make them known by utterance of bitter sounds [resembling wailing] over the dead, and some by spreading their wings. This is what has been said, for a bird of the air shall carry the voice¹⁶¹Ecclesiastes 10:20. [a reference] to those who suggest by their wings. Now all this is not considered abominable for the nations, instead it is considered wisdom for them. Thus the Rabbis have said:¹⁷⁹Pesiktha of Rabbi Kahana, Parah. Bamidmar Rabbah, 19:3. — See Vol. I, p. 13, where Ramban similarly quotes this text. “And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east.¹⁸⁰I Kings 5:10. What was the wisdom of the children of the east? They were wise and crafty in divination of birds.” Similarly it is stated in Scripture, for they are replenished from the east, and with soothsayers like the Philistines.¹⁸¹Isaiah 2:6. And Solomon learned all this as part of his wisdom. Now, the knowledge [referred to by the Midrash] is understanding the chirping of birds, and “the craftiness” to explain a matter through spreading wings.

Now, when Scripture included the diviner by clouds and the [other] diviners with the abominations mentioned, it reverted and explained, these nations, that thou art to dispossess, hearken unto diviners [by clouds], and unto [other] diviners¹⁸²Verse 14. for their wisdom is to know future events, but as for thee, the Eternal thy G-d hath not suffered thee so to do.¹⁸²Verse 14. Scripture is thus stating, “G-d has prohibited you these specified practices [such as passing a child through the fire] because they are abominations before Him and because of them He drove these nations out from before you.¹⁸³Verse 12. He further forbade the enchanters and the diviners to you, because He gave you great eminence in setting you on high above all the nations of the earth,¹⁸⁴Further, 28:1. in that He will raise up a prophet in the midst of you¹⁸⁵Verse 15. and place His words in his mouth and you will hear from him what G-d will do.¹⁸⁶See Numbers 23:23. To know the future it will be unnecessary for you to resort to a diviner or soothsayer who receives [the knowledge] from the stars or from the lower powers among the lords of above, whose words are not all true and who do not provide all necessary information. But prophecy informs us of G-d’s desire and not one of its words will fall to the earth.”¹⁸⁷See II Kings 10:10. It is this which Scripture explains [that if ever an ostensible prophecy does not come to pass], that is the thing which the Eternal hath not spoken.¹⁸⁸Verse 22. Thus you are His portion and His treasure, hearing His counsel from His mouth, while theirs is the portion of the constellations which they follow, this being the sense of the verse, but as for thee, the Eternal thy G-d hath not suffered thee so to do.¹⁸²Verse 14. This is the meaning of, which the Eternal thy G-d hath allotted unto all the peoples,¹⁸⁹Above, 4:19. as I have explained.¹⁹⁰Ibid., Verse 15. And in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:¹⁹¹Sifre, Shoftim 174. “They hearken unto diviners [by the clouds] and [other] diviners.¹⁸²Verse 14. Perhaps you will say, ‘They have a source from which to inquire [about the future] and I have nothing [from which] to inquire.’ Scripture therefore states, but as for thee, the Eternal thy G-d hath not suffered thee so to do.”¹⁸²Verse 14. This is proof to all what we have explained that with respect to the diviners some root of the matter is found in them,¹⁹²Job 19:28. and therefore Israel had a [legitimate] complaint in being enjoined from making use of them [i.e. the diviners].

Marjorie Taylor Greene accuses fellow Republicans of ‘beating the drums of war’ over Russia in new ad

 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-russia-ad-b2034520.html

Far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has accused Republicans of “beating the drums of war” in a 2022 re-election campaign ad targeting “globalists” and heavily featuring clips of Donald Trump.

Her latest video comes after revelations that the congresswoman purchased thousands of dollars worth of stock in Lockheed Martin, major US defence contractor, just two days before Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

The congresswoman purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock on 22 February, according to financial disclosures made public last week.

She said “war is big business

The Nordic way to stop bullying

 https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220307-the-best-way-to-stop-bullying

The Olweus Program encourages the school to set out very clear expectations for acceptable behaviour – and the consequences if they breach those rules. "The [sanctions] should not be a surprise to the child," Limber says. The adults must act as positive role models, who reinforce good behaviours and show zero tolerance for any forms of victimisation. They should also learn to recognise the locations within the school where bullying is most likely to occur and to supervise them regularly. "Every adult in the school needs some basic training about bullying – the people who work in the cafeteria, the bus drivers, the custodian," says Limber.

Cigarettes-for-kids Purim habit among Haredim must stop, pleads government campaign

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/cigarettes-for-kids-purim-habit-among-haredim-must-stop-pleads-government-campaign/

And in this spirit, in parts of the Haredi community, it’s become accepted for children to try the adult habit of smoking. It’s widely seen as a quirky exception to the rules.

But a Health Ministry campaign is urging against the practice, as healthcare providers are running general anti-smoking campaigns tailored to the Haredi community, with the backing of rabbis who say the efforts are saving lives.

Advertisements placed by the ministry across the Haredi media cite research suggesting that one in ten children who smoke got addicted after their first cigarette.

Don't embrace Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of the Ukraine crisis

 https://thehill.com/opinion/international/597728-dont-embrace-saudi-arabia-and-the-uae-because-of-the-ukraine-crisis

As the Wall Street Journal has noted, the de facto rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed, appear to be pressuring the Biden administration over the oil issue to get more support for their devastating war in Yemen. Both men have declined to speak by phone with President Biden in an attempt to draw U.S. attention to the quid pro quo they are seeking — more oil output for more arms and assistance in fighting the Houthi movement in Yemen.

Closer U.S. military relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE pose serious human rights issues, which should be reason enough to cut off U.S. military support. But cozying up to these regimes also undermines U.S. security interests in the Middle East and beyond. The war in Yemen has stoked anti-U.S. sentiment there and destabilized that country in ways that may create an opening for a resurgence of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The UAE has supplied weapons to the forces of Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, and has launched drone strikes there that have killed scores of civilians. This reckless behavior by U.S.-armed allies not only diminishes the United States’s reputation and influence in the greater Middle East, but it also threatens to pull us into more conflicts there at a time when we should be reassessing our military footprint in the region.

Trump Says 'Lot of Love' Behind Putin Wanting to 'Make His Country Larger'

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-says-lot-love-behind-putin-wanting-make-his-country-larger-1687555

Trump discussed the conflict during an appearance on Fox News host Jeanine Pirro's radio show Sunday. He said he believes Putin's ultimate goal is to eventually rebuild the Soviet Union, and he went on to explain what he believes to be Putin's mindset.

"You say, what's the purpose of this? They had a country. You could see it was a country where there was a lot of love and we're doing it because, you know, somebody wants to make his country larger or he wants to put it back the way it was when actually it didn't work very well," Trump said.

White House faces oil standoff with Saudi Arabia and UAE as prices soar

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/13/white-house-us-joe-biden-oil-output-prices-saudi-arabia-uae

However, the standoff involves far more than oil. In Riyadh, Prince Mohammed feels snubbed by Biden’s refusal to engage with him ever since he took office. The murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi by the crown prince’s security aides, the war on Yemen, the jailing of rights activists and the boycott of Qatar have made him a pariah to the administration.

Sir John Jenkins, a former British ambassador to Riyadh and a senior fellow at the UK thinktank Policy Exchange, said ties that had been growing between Riyadh and Moscow, particularly since Biden sidelined Prince Mohammed, would probably need to be recalibrated if a reset was to take place.

NY State releases new guidelines for private schools — and yeshivas push back

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/323882

The New York State Education Department released long-awaited guidelines Thursday on teaching secular subjects in parochial schools. They were met with immediate pushback from Orthodox Jewish leaders.

The new proposals offer several options for schools to prove their instruction is “substantially equivalent” to public schools, and will take into account different religious and cultural methods for teaching.

The proposal offers schools options if they do not want to be reviewed by their local public school authorities. One option is for schools to test students using NYSED-approved assessments for core subjects like English, math and science. Another option allows schools to become accredited by an Education Department-approved accreditation organization.

Orthodox leaders, however, still consider the guidelines an assault on education at haredi Orthodox yeshivas, where the bulk of instruction is devoted to Jewish texts in their original languages. In a public statement, Agudath Israel of America, which represents haredi interests, rejected the new guidelines, insisting that they do not take into account the “educational value of religious study.”

Russia shifts stance on hospital bombing that sparked world outrage

 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-claim-that-it-bombed-childrens-hospital-are-fake-news-2022-03-10/

In the face of worldwide condemnation there were rare signs of inconsistency in the response from Russian officials, who since the start of Moscow's invasion on Feb. 24 have stuck tightly to the same narrative for what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Russian forces bomb a mosque in Mariupol as attacks continue in Kyiv

 https://www.axios.com/russian-forces-strike-mosque-mariupol-kyiv-47f4a329-777d-4d4f-b45c-e0accfadafe1.html

Russian forces shelled a mosque in the port city of Mariupol on Saturday that was sheltering more than 80 people, including children, the Ukrainian government said, AP reports.

Driving the news: There were no immediate reports of casualties, per AP.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey said 86 Turkish nationals, including 34 children, were among those who sought safety in the mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roksolana.

The views of Rav S. R. Hirsch (part 1): : Understanding Korbanos

Guest Post  by Hirschy

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch famously criticized the Rambam [1] for (among other things) ignoring the details of the mitzvos while explaining their ta'amim. Perhaps the clearest example of their different approaches can be found in their approach to korbanos. The Rambam says explicitly that there is no rhyme or reason (at least that we can detect) for why the torah requires that one type of animal as opposed to another be brought for a particular korbon. [2] Rabbi Hirsch completely rejects this approach. The reasons for this wide ranging machlokes are not the focus of this post. Rather, I would like to simply take one example of the intricate explanations offered by Rabbi Hirsch that highlight how fruitful his approach can be. Since my goal is more to get others to learn the material inside themselves than to present any kind of comprehensive analysis, I will not quote how Rabbi Hirsch arrives at his conclusions. However it should be noted that while some of this may seem arbitrary, it is anything but. Rabbi Hirsch develops his ideas in rigorous- some might even say tedious, detail.

The first thing to note about korbanos is what they are NOT. Rabbi Hirsch notes that we have no word in western languages that accurately translates what the word "korbon" means. He stresses that the common translations of 'offering' and 'sacrifice', completely distort what the Jewish concept of a korbon is all about. Those words tend to imply a sense of destruction for Some Being's sake. This is exactly wrong, according to Rabbi Hirsch. The purpose of a Korbon is to raise up the person bringing it. The death of the animal is necessary, but is definitely not the ultimate purpose. Rabbi Hirsch stresses the fact that shechitah does not need to be done by a kohen. This is highly significant given what the kohen represents.

Rabbi Hirsch even take issue with how most meforshim translate korbon o'lah. He rejects the common pshat which explains that it means totally burnt. Instead, he explains that it means to uplift.[4]

To be continued...


[1]See his 19 Letters, letter #18

[2] "Bringing korbanos is greatly beneficial, as I will explain. But this that this one has to be a sheep and that one has to be a ram, or that there must be a specific number [of animals]- for that it is impossible to provide any reason at all. Those that trouble themselves to find the the cause for any of these detailed rules [of a mitzvah] are in my eyes void of any sense....the repeated assertions of our sages that there are reasons for allcommandments...refer to their general purpose, and not to the objective of every detail" Moreh Nevuchim 3,26   (Part of this translation is from Rabbi Joseph Elias's edition of the 19 letters Page 157-158)

[3]The rambam's view of korbanos has been famously controversial. The Ramban criticized it in very sharp terms since it seems to indicate that korbanos were simply meant as a means of distancing people from serving avoda zara. There is a lot of discussion about what exactly the Rambam meant. See Emes Le'Yackov vayikra 1:9, as well as the sources in the maf'tayach section of the Frankel Rambam hilchos me'ilah 8:8. See also the explanation/defense of the Rambam's view in Rabbi Elias's edition of the 19 letters, pages 289-90. (A quick google search of "Rambam view of Korbanos" can also be used) While that discussion is interesting, it largely irrelevant to our's, since we are simply summarizing the opposing view which is held by Rabbi Hirsch.

[4] See the note on Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's 'The Living Torah' Bereishis 8:20. Rabbi Hirsch actually argues against the common translation on the grounds that the names of all the other korbanos express something about the nature fof the korban itself- e.g. a chattas is brought for a cheit. It therefore would be strange to simply identify the o'lah by the fact that it is completely burnt. In Rabbi Hirsch's conception the term 'o'lah' also expresses it's nature and purpose.

Off the Derech - Tough approach makes things worse

Scientific American     Psychologists have long struggled with how to treat adolescents with conduct disorder, or juvenile delinquency, as the condition is sometimes called when it comes to the attention of the courts. Given that the annual number of juvenile court cases is about 1.2 million, these efforts are of great societal importance. One set of approaches involves “getting tough” with delinquents by exposing them to strict discipline and attempting to shock them out of future crime. These efforts are popular, in part because they quench the public's understandable thirst for law and order. Yet scientific studies indicate that these interventions are ineffective and can even backfire. Better ways to turn around troubled teens involve teaching them how to engage in positive behaviors rather than punishing them for negative ones.

One get-tough technique is boot camp, or “shock incarceration,” a solution for troubled teens introduced in the 1980s. Modeled after military boot camps, these programs are typically supervised by a drill instructor and last from three to six months. They emphasize strict rules and swift punishments (such as repeated push-ups) for disobedience, along with a regimen of physical work and demanding exercise. According to the National Institute of Justice, 11 states operated such programs in 2009. Indeed, Mike S. was sent to a boot camp program following his discharge from the hospital.

Even so, research has yielded at best mixed support for boot camps. In a 2010 review of 69 controlled studies, criminologists Benjamin Meade and Benjamin Steiner, both then at the University of South Carolina, revealed that such programs produced little or no overall improvement in offender recidivism. For reasons that are unclear, some of them reduced rates of delinquency, but others led to higher rates. Boot camps that incorporated psychological treatments, such as substance abuse counseling or psychotherapy, seemed somewhat more effective than those that did not offer such therapies, although the number of studies was too small to draw firm conclusions.

Another method is “Scared Straight,” which became popular following an Academy Award–winning documentary (Scared Straight!), which was filmed in a New Jersey state prison in 1978. Typically these programs bring delinquents and other high-risk teens into prisons to interact with adult inmates, who talk bluntly about the harsh realities of life behind bars. Making adolescents keenly aware of prison life is supposed to deter them from criminal careers. Yet the research on these interventions is not encouraging. In a 2003 meta-analysis (quantitative review) of nine controlled studies of Scared Straight programs, criminal justice researcher Anthony Petrosino, now at the research agency WestEd, and his colleagues showed that these treatments backfired, boosting the odds of offending by 60 to 70 percent.

The verdict for other get-tough interventions, such as juvenile transfer laws, which allow teens who commit especially heinous offenses to be tried as adults, is no more promising. In a 2010 summary, psychologist Richard Redding of Chapman University found higher recidivism rates among transferred adolescent offenders than among nontransferred ones.

Perils of Punishment

Psychologists do not know for sure why get-tough treatments are ineffective and potentially harmful, but the psychological literature holds several clues. First, researchers have long found that punishment-based strategies tend to be less effective than reward-based strategies for lasting behavioral change, in part because they teach people what not to do but not what to do. Second, studies indicate that highly confrontational therapeutic approaches are rarely effective in the long term. For example, in a 1993 controlled trial psychologist William Miller of the University of New Mexico and his colleagues found that counselors who used confrontational styles with problem drinkers—for example, by taking them to task for minimizing the extent of their drinking problem—had significantly less success in helping their clients overcome their addictions than did counselors who used supportive styles that relied on empathy. Similarly, a 2010 review by criminal justice researcher Paul Klenowski of Clarion University and his collaborators found that delinquency programs that involved confrontational tactics, such as berating children for misbehavior, were less effective than programs that did not use them. [...]

These results show that merely imposing harsh discipline on young offenders or frightening them is unlikely to help them refrain from problematic behavior. Instead teens must learn enduring tools—including better social skills, ways to communicate with parents and peers, and anger management techniques—that help them avoid future aggression. Several effective interventions do just that, including cognitive-behavior therapy, a method intended to change maladaptive thinking patterns and behaviors, and multisystemic therapy, in which parents, schools and communities develop programs to reinforce positive behaviors. Another well-supported method, aimed at improving behavior in at-risk children younger than eight years, is parent-child interaction therapy. Parents are coached by therapists in real time to respond to a child's behavior in ways that strengthen the parent-child bond and provide incentives for cooperation [see “Behave!” by Ingrid Wickelgren; Scientific American Mind, March/April 2014]. 

Authority of scientific statements of our Sages

R’ Sherira Gaon (Otzair HaGaonim—Gittin 68b page 152): Our Sages were not doctors and what they said is merely a reflection of what was known by the medical experts of their times and therefore there is no mitzva to accept their statements concerning medicine….

R’ Avraham ben HaRambam (Discourse on Agada): We are not obligated to accept the views of the sages of the Talmud on matters concerning medicine, natural science or astronomy — simply because of their greatness and authority — as we are concerning their explanations of the Torah. That is because concerning Torah, they were the ultimate experts and they had the exclusive authority to teach it as it says in the Torah, “You should do according to the Torah that they teach.”

Ramchal (Introduction to Agada): It is important to know that when our Sages expressed important issues in terms of nature and astronomy — they utilized the science of their days as a metaphor or analogy. Thus, the validity of their ideas is not dependent upon the validity of their descriptions which served only as vehicle to express the ideas. In fact had they expressed their ideas in the more accurate science of today they would not have been understood. It is also important to understand that they believed that material things are influenced and directed by spiritual forces such as angels and demons. The physical world is thus influenced by the higher spiritual worlds and the converse is also true — that the physical world impacts the spiritual world. Whoever isn’t aware of this cannot comprehend our sages at all.

R’ S. R. Hirsch (Letter on Agada p 9–10): in my humble opinion the first principle for understanding the words of our Sages is that they were experts in the law of G﷓d. They received, transmitted and taught His Torah, commandments, laws and statutes but they were not necessarily experts in science, mathematics, astronomy or medicine — except when it was relevant to knowing and observing the commandments of the Torah. We do not find that secular knowledge was transmitted at Mt. Sinai… The greatest of our Sages knew the wisdom and the science according to what was accepted as true by the leading secular scientists of their day. Thus, they were the equals of these scholars but they did not transcend the secular knowledge of their day.