https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/trump-rioters-weren-t-policed-like-blm-protesters
Thursday, July 21, 2022
The Double Standard for Policing Capitol Rioters and BLM Protesters
Donald Trump's 187 Minutes of Inaction To Be Key Focus of Jan. 6 Hearing
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-187-minutes-jan-6-hearing-thursday-1726602
Jews and mazel
Meiri (Shabbos 156): …. The gemora here says that in general Jews are not controlled absolutely by mazal. Don’t pay attention to the alternative view that says that Jews are in fact controlled by mazal. That view is the result of some of the sages became confused after they saw the lack of order in the manner of mankind’s reward and punishment. This confusion is also manifest in Moed Koton(28a) which states that “Lifespan, children and livelihood are not the result of merit but rather mazal.” This statement was made only because the author saw someone who was a tzadik and great scholar who was unsuccessful in these three areas.Another one of these confused sages stated in Bava Kama (80b): “A door which is locked is not readily opened” and “All those who suffer misfortune do not quickly obtain good fortune” while another one of this group said, “He will never obtain good fortune” . This statement was only made because of bad personal experience as the gemora itself concludes that it was not a general rule but he was only describing his own personal experience. All this shows that these statements asserting the importance of mazal were only made in response to their authors’ personal experiences or what they observed with others. Thus these are only exceptions to the general rule that “Jews are not governed by mazal.” In other words reward and punishment typically determines what happens to a person and not mazal. Our gemora here (Shabbos 156a) provides testimony concerning incidents predicted by astrologers such as being on the verge of death and yet nevertheless being saved through the merit of giving charity. There is no need to repeat the events described in this gemora because they are clearly stated.
Video of David Hogg Blasting Committee on Guns Viewed More Than 1M Times
https://www.newsweek.com/video-david-hogg-blasting-committee-guns-viewed-more-1m-times-1726557
People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Israel is no haven for sex criminals - editorial
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-712631
Righteous people can also change
Berachos (28b) The Sages taught: Shimon HaPakuli arranged the eighteen blessings, already extant during the period of the Great Assembly, before Rabban Gamliel, the Nasi of the Sanhedrin, in order in Yavne. Due to prevailing circumstances, there was a need to institute a new blessing directed against the heretics. Rabban Gamliel said to the Sages: Is there any person who knows to institute the blessing of the heretics, a blessing directed against the Sadducees? Shmuel HaKatan, who was one of the most pious men of that generation, stood and instituted it.
The next year, when Shmuel HaKatan served as the prayer leader, he forgot that blessing,
and scrutinized it, in an attempt to remember the blessing for two or three hours, and they did not remove him from serving as prayer leader.
Berachos (29aWhy did they not remove him? Didn’t Rav Yehuda say that Rav said: One who was serving as the prayer leader before the congregation and erred in reciting any of the blessings, they do not remove him from serving as the prayer leader. However, one who erred while reciting the blessing of the heretics they remove him, as we suspect that perhaps he is a heretic and intentionally omitted the blessing to avoid cursing himself. Why, then, did they not remove Shmuel HaKatan?
Shmuel HaKatan is different because he instituted this blessing and there is no suspicion of him.
Let us suspect that perhaps he reconsidered and, although he had been righteous, he had a change of heart? Abaye said: We learned through tradition that a good person does not become wicked.
And does he not become wicked? Isn’t it explicitly written: “And when the righteous one returns from his righteousness and does wicked like all of the abominations that the wicked one has done, will he live? All of the righteous deeds that he has done will not be remembered given the treachery that he has carried out, and in his sin that he has transgressed, for these he shall die” (Ezekiel 18:24)? Abaye responds: That verse refers to a righteous individual who was initially wicked and repented, but ultimately returned to his evil ways. However, one who is initially righteous does not become wicked.
And does he not become wicked? Didn’t we learn in a mishna: Do not be sure of yourself until the day you die, as Yoḥanan the High Priest served in the High Priesthood for eighty years and ultimately became a Sadducee. Even one who is outstanding in his righteousness can become a heretic.
Abaye responded: He is Yannai he is Yoḥanan. In other words, from its inception, the entire Hasmonean dynasty had the same positive attitude toward the Sadducees, and there was no distinction between Yoḥanan Hyrcanus and Alexander Yannai. Yoḥanan the High Priest had Sadducee leanings from the outset. Rava said: Yannai is distinct and Yoḥanan is distinct. They did not share the same position in this regard. Yannai was wicked from the outset and Yoḥanan was righteous from the outset. If so, it works out well according to Abaye’s opinion; however, according to Rava’s opinion, it is difficult. How could Yoḥanan, a righteous individual, have changed and turned wicked?
Rava could have said to you: There is also room for concern that one who is righteous from the outset will perhaps reconsider and turn wicked, as was the case with Yoḥanan the High Priest. If so, the original question is difficult: Why did they not remove Shmuel HaKatan from serving as the prayer leader?
Kosher phone dispute grips ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv suburb
Three weeks are period of danger from demons
Eichah Rabbah (01:29). Within the days of distress from the seventeenth of Tammuz to the ninth of Ab, during which Keteb meriri is prevalent The demon Keteb stalks through the greater part of the midday period, from the beginning of the sixth hour until the end of the ninth. R. Levi said: It spoils the course of the day from the end of the fourth hour until the beginning of the ninth; and it does not walk in the sun or shade but in the shadow near the sun. R. Johanan said: It is all over full of eyes, scales, and hair. R. Simeon b. Lakish said: It has one eye set over its heart and whoever looks at it falls down dead. Once a pious man looked at it and fell dead upon his face, and some say that it was R. Judah b. Rabbi. Samuel saw it but did not fall; for he said, ‘It is the snake of the house.’
Pesachim (111b) Seeing a Keteb Meriri approaching him
on the left, he transferred R. Papa to his left and R. Huna son of R. Joshua to
his right. Said R. Papa to him: ‘Wherein am I different that you were not
afraid on my behalf?’ ‘The time is in your favour,’ replied he. From, the first of Tammuz until the
sixteenth they are certainly to be found; henceforth it is doubtful whether
they are about or not, and they are found in the shadow of hazabe which have
not grown a cubit, and in the morning and evening shadows when these are less
than a cubit [in length], but mainly in the shadow of a privy.
Pesachim (111b) Keteb Meriri: there are two Ketebs, one before noon and one after noon; the one before noon is called Ketheb Meriri, and looks like a ladle turning in the jug of kamka. That of the afternoon is called Keteb Yashud Zaharaim [Destruction that wasteth at noonday]; it looks like a goat's horn, and wings compass it about.
Bamidbar Rabbah (12:03) Our Rabbis explain that
‘keteb’ is a demon. And why was he called keteb’?’ R. Abba son of Kahana said:
Because he breaks into the daily studies from the beginning of four hours of
the day to the end of nine. Levi said: Because he robs pupils of their noonday
lessons from the end of four hours to the beginning of nine hours. He holds
sway neither in the shade nor in the sun but between the shade and the sun. His
head is like that of a calf and a horn grows out from the center of his
forehead, and he rolls like a pitcher. R. Huna, in the name of R. Joseph, said:
‘Keteb meriri’ is in form covered with scales, hairy all over, and full of
eyes. And, said R. Simeon b. Lakish, he has one eye set in his heart, and
anyone who sees him can never survive, whether it be man or beast. Anyone who
sees him drops down dead.
The Secret Service's actions on text messages don't pass the smell test
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/19/opinions/secret-service-texts-raise-questions-wierson/index.html
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Why Democrats are begging Trump to start 2024 right now
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/15/dems-dreaming-of-trump-pre-midterm-announcement-00045969
Interior Ministry: US rabbi convicted of sexual assault won’t receive citizenship
The Interior Ministry has denied the immigration request of an American Orthodox rabbi convicted of sexually assaulting his pupils, the ministry said Tuesday.
However, the disgraced rabbi, Baruch Lanner, will be able to remain in Israel for nearly a full year with the temporary residency status he was granted a few weeks ago, a spokesperson for the ministry’s Immigration and Population Authority told The Times of Israel.
The Civics Project: A constitutional ban on bullets would be a difficult target
"Thanks to failed Dem policies, beer is 9.1% more expensive."
Like many other products, the price of beer has steeply increased since 2020, rising just under 10% since April 2020.
Experts say there are a host of reasons that prices have risen, including the Russia invasion of Ukraine, supply chain issues and the resonating impacts of the pandemic.
In other words, it can’t be solely attributed to the policies and spending under Democrats, such as the American Rescue Plan.