A$2 billion Saudi deal involving Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and former adviser, resurfaced on Thursday after the GOP announced a plan to investigate a possible connection between President Joe Biden and the alleged finances of his son, Hunter Biden.
Friday, November 18, 2022
Fox News Co-Host Rips House GOP for Targeting Bidens Instead of Inflation - the real Red Wave?
https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-co-host-rips-house-gop-targeting-bidens-instead-inflation-1760479
Fox News co-host Geraldo Rivera criticized House Republicans on Thursday for opening an investigation into the Biden family, rather than focusing on inflation and other issues the nation is facing.
"Republicans get control of the House & the first they do is...No not explore how to tame inflation or crime etc. They launch an investigation of President & Hunter Biden," Rivera wrote in a tweet. "Boring. Divisive. Retro. Unwanted. Zero positive impact on the lives of Americans. Is this the real Red Wave?"
Thursday, November 17, 2022
House Republicans vow to investigate Biden and his family’s business dealings
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/17/politics/house-republicans-white-house-hunter-biden/index.html
“Instead of working with President Biden to address issues important to the American people, like lower costs, congressional Republicans’ top priority is to go after President Biden with politically motivated attacks chock full of long-debunked conspiracy theories” spokesmen for the White House Counsel’s office, Ian Sams, said in a statement to CNN.
House GOP seeks revenge against Democrats
Now that they’ve taken the majority at last, House Republicans made it explicit on Thursday: Their long-simmering investigation into Hunter Biden investigation is really about his father.
“I want to be clear: This is an investigation of Joe Biden, and that’s where the committee will focus in the next Congress,” said incoming Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who’s seen as the party’s leading player in Hunter Biden oversight.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Kari Lake’s Loss in Arizona Destroys ‘Stop the Steal’
If anyone needs more evidence that “Stop the Steal” was a loser for the GOP this year, the party’s Arizona wipeout is definitive. On Monday Kari Lake joined the list of Republicans in the Grand Canyon State who ran on the stolen 2020 election and lost.
The Time Is Now
BS"D
"The Time Is Now" to Free ALL Israeli Women from the Military Draft °° Degel, Aguda & Lot's Vittur On His Own Daughters °° Same-Sex Marriage in U.S. Senate
22 MarCheshvan, 5783 / November 16, '22
By Binyomin Feinberg, former contributor to The Jewish Press
° QUESTION: Why is it that, when it comes to emulating Lot's apparent vittur (compromise) on the purity of his own daughters (according to some commentaries), we find so many ostensibly anti-zionist politicians, activists - and even some Rabbis - venerating and genuflecting to the Israeli government party-line - by relegating "non-religious" girls [as antireligious/ secularist headhunters at the Israeli Draft Office opt to qualify them] to forced military service, and, so often, military incarceration, with all of the indignities that go along with that leftist, male-dominated milieu - especially for Ba'alos Teshuva, sefardi, Ethiopian, immigrants, and sundry "periphery" girls? At least Lot was sincerely trying to save his guests from woken "Equality" treatment by the indigenous Rainbow barbarians, rather than seeking to advance his real-estate development career via government largesse.
° The following is a link to a Guidebook ("pocketbook") provided by the pro-Israel advocacy organization "Chotam." It's an English guide for religious girls to avoid enlistment in the IDF:
Right now, there's a rare opportunity
to push for foundational policy changes in Israel, via an unprecedented level of religious clout that could be leveraged to stand against Israeli government promotion of immoral, anti-Torah policies. This window of time obliges us even more to push to eradicate the entire female draft, without delay -- for ALL girls, not only those the Draft Office recognizes as "religious enough" to be saved from indignities endemic to the Army milieu.
Given the recent gains by followers of the martyred Rabbi Meir Kahane, HY"D, who's broad platform unequivocally opposed drafting women into the Israeli Army, we would hope that the golden opportunity to finally eliminate the female military draft altogether isn't squandered. The fact that MK Avi Maoz of the pro-morality No'am Party is publicly advocating for prioritizing restoration of basic morality accentuates the obligation on other members of Knesset who campaigned as representing religious parties to finally grow a spine on those issues of foundational morality, including the escalation female military draft disaster.
The experience of the past few years, in which the Army Draft Office is encroaching on more and more traditional and religious girls, with increasing impunity, demonstrates that no approach other than fighting for a truly universal female military service exemption will suffice. And that's one policy that actually may endure subsequent leftist governments, because, once free from conscription, even many "nonreligious" women won't agree to be again forced into military service.
° Despite hopes to the contrary, Maital bas Tamar, a 20-year-old sefardi female refusenik, has still not been granted a military service exemption by the Israeli Army, despite demonstrating her depth of conviction by enduring two stints of military incarceration over her refusal to enlist. See http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2022/10/true-strength.html (Sun., Oct. 16, 2022)), the most recent post on her plight. There we report some of the inexcusable human rights abuses to which she was allegedly subjected, by Israeli military police.
° Readers may wonder why we sometimes publicize allegations (by Israeli girls being pursued by the Army Draft Office) before being proven. Reporting a PLAUSIBLE allegation - AS an allegation - remains a judgement call we're called to make on a regular basis. Some of the relevant factors we must often way include:
(1) the preponderance of evidence, consisting of similar allegations of misconduct by the Army, Military Police, etc., in previous cases;
(2) the inability to prove or disprove the allegations, especially within the requisite time-frame;
(3) the High Stakes: in case they are true, not publicizing credible allegations risks enabling more mistreatment of innocent girls standing up for their religious values and/or personal modesty and dignity;
(4) the existence of a presumption of responsibility (a "chazaka," if you will) on the part of the headhunters at the Army Draft Office, who, to begin with, have no moral right to draft, threaten, intimidate, dupe, arrest, or persecute ANY girl altogether - of ANY religious, racial, national, or cultural background. Thus, the burden of proof of overall innocence lays squarely on the Army Draft Office, rather than on the refusenik girl, even if her specific allegations are not yet proven.
° Another point requiring clarification is that when we critique the Israeli Army for individual abuses (which truly do abound), we do so cognizant of the fact that not everyone in the system is actively perpetrating said abuses. Nevertheless, the very tolerance of such abuses, even if they are clearly only aberrations, is wrong. How much more so when such abuses are commonly, credibly reported or alleged. Thus, our description of the Israeli Army as "exploitive," for example, is not an exaggeration, but rather a critique of those in leadership positions who indeed are responsible for all of the exploitation that occurs on their watch.
May we merit to see the day when the righteous efforts of all good people yield their fruit.
~~~
° SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ALERT:
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a national same-sex "marriage" bill, today, Wednesday. No matter what changes Congressional leaders are making to the bill - to render it palatable for sellouts of religious persuasion - the legislators need realize that our opposition is based on principle, and therefore remains irreconcilable. Additionally, practically speaking, it's been observed that "the Road to H--- is paved with Religious Exemptions." Once the depraved "Rainbow" policies are accepted by "the People," as represented by Congress - it's just a matter of time before we lose those religious protections. Once society accepts these abominations, in principle, as civil rights -- those faux Civil Rights will ultimately trump our religious liberties.
The United States faces grave threats, spiritual and physical. Another vote for this rebellion against G-d (e.g., see Chullin 92b, Maharal) brings America ever closer to the looming fate shared by precursors of the contemporary Rainbow Mob: the generation of the Mabul (Great Deluge; see VaYikra Rabbah 23:9) and Sodom. A sign of an idiot is repetition of identical actions expecting different results. Also realize how passage of such legislation will impact Israeli society and law.
Call your senator today, as soon as possible, to actively oppose the "Respect (sic) For Marriage Act."
Congressional Switchboard: 202.224.3121 (ask for the number of the specific Senator or Congressman needed)
~~~
"... And if someone, like Pinchos, is one among a multitude, and every man is against him when he dares to speak out for truth and to fight for the Law -- the more lonely his stand, the greater the number of his adversaries, the more powerful is his word, the mightier his deed."
-- Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch OB"M (1808-1888), (in "Judaism Eternal," vol. 2, p. 293)
###
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Golden calf was an assistant G-d?!
Devarim Rabbah (01:02) R. Isaac said: When Israel made the Golden Calf, the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to destroy them, whereupon Moses said to Him: ‘Master of the Universe! This Calf will be of great help to Thee.’ God then asked him, ‘How can it help Me?’ Thereupon Moses replied: ‘Thou causest rain to fall, the Calf will produce dew; Thou bringest out the winds, the Calf will bring out lightnings.’ Said God to Moses: ' So you also are going astray after the Calf! ' Whereupon Moses exclaimed before God: ' Then," Why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people" seeing that the Calf is nought?’ To Israel, however, he said: ' Ye have sinned a great sin.’
Bamidbar Rabbah (02:15) Moses’ plea: Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, etc. . Moses suggested: ‘This calf which Israel have made can now be of assistance to Thee.’ He can send down rain while Thou wilt produce the dew! ‘‘But,’ replied the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘is there any such hope from him?’ ‘Then,’ came Moses’ retort, ‘if there is no substance in him, why art Thou wroth? ' ‘Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people... wherefore should the Egyptians speak... For evil did He bring them forth... Remember Abraham,’ etc. (ib.11 ff.). What follows in the text? And the Lord repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people (ib. 14). ‘His people.’ Thus has been explained the text, ‘And it shall come to pass that, instead of that which was said to them,’ etc.
Shemos Rabbah (43:06) WHY, O LORD, DOTH THY WRATH WAX HOT AGAINST THY PEOPLE? R. Nehemiah said: When Israel committed that act, Moses arose to appease God and said: ‘Lord of the Universe! They have given Thee an assistant yet Thou art annoyed with them? Why, this Calf which they have made will be Thy assistant; Thou wilt cause the sun to rise while it will cause the moon to rise. Thou wilt look after the stars and it will see to the constellations; Thou wilt cause the dew to descend and it will cause the winds to blow; Thou wilt make the rains to come down, while it will be responsible for the growth of plants.’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him: ' Moses, thou dost err as they do, for surely there is nothing real in it.’
Yalkut Shimoni (795)ד"א מהו אחרי, כביכול משה שהוכיח אותי אחר ישראל והוכיח לישראל אחרי. לישראל אמר אתם חטאתם חטאה גדולה. להקב"ה מר למה ה' יחרה אפך, מהו למה, אמר לפניו העגל הזה טוב הוא לך לסייע לך, אמר הקב"ה מה מסייע לי, א"ל משה אם אתה מוריד גשמים הו מוריד טללים, אתה מוצא את הרוחות והוא מוציא את הברקים, אמר לו משה הקב"ה אף אתה טועה בעגל, אמר משה רבש"ע א"כ למה ה' יחרה אפך בעמך, ולישראל אומר אתם חטאתם חטאה גדולה, משל למה הדבר דומה למלך שכעס על אשתו וטרדה והוציאה מביתו, כששמעו השושבינין הלכו אצל המלך ואמרו לו יאמרו כך אדם עושה לאשתו מה עשתה לך, והלכו אצלה ואמרו לה עד מתי את מכעסת אותו, קדמותך הוא תנינותך הוא. ד"א אלה הדברים ראויות היו התוכחות לומר על פי בלעם והברכות ע"פ משה, [אלא] אלו הוכיחן בלעם היו ישראל אומרים שונא מוכיחנו, ואלו ברכן משה היו אומות העולם אומרים אוהבם ברכם, אלא אמר הקב"ה יוכיחן משה שאוהבם ויברכם בלעם ששונאם כדי שיתבררו התוכחות והברכות ביד ישראל.
Tanchuma (Ki Tisa 22:2) Thereupon Moses stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, and asked: “Wherein am I guilty?” He replied: “Your people have dealt corruptly.” “My people,” Moses responded; “they are Your people and Your inheritance which You did redeem with Your own power. But what is their sin?” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth.” Whereupon Moses said: “Master of the Universe, are You indeed jealous of an ox? Is he Your helper? Do You bring the winds while he causes the rain to fall? Do You make the sun shine, and he the moon to glow? Do You cause the trees to grow, and he the blossoms to sprout? After all, the ox is powerless; it merely eats grass and then is slaughtered. Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax against thy people? (Exod. 32:11).” He replied: “Is it honoring Me when they prostrate themselves before it and offer sacrifices to it? I have watched this people, and it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot (ibid., vv. 9–10).” From this verse you may infer that the Holy One, blessed be He, is suggesting to Moses that he should plead for mercy in their behalf, since it is said: And I will make of thee a great nation (ibid., v. 10).
Ramban (Shemos 32:11) ETERNAL, WHY DOTH THY WRATH WAX HOT AGAINST THY PEOPLE? Now when Moses prayed about this great sin, it would have been fitting that he do so by way of confession and supplication, similar to what he said later on, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and just as Ezra prayed and confessed because of the faithlessness of them of the captivity, and there is no reason why he should say, why doth the Eternal etc.? Our Rabbis, prompted by this difficulty have in various homiletic ways tried to mention several reasons for Moses’ minimizing the sin before Him.
Berachos (32a) Moses spoke insolently towards heaven The school of R. Jannai learnt it from here: And Di-Zahab. What is ‘ And Di-Zahab’? They said in the school of R. Jannai: Thus spoke Moses before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, the silver and gold which Thou didst shower on Israel until they said, Enough, that it was which led to their making the Calf.
Monday, November 14, 2022
Chazal have disputes only on correct viewpoint - all they say is true
From Daas Torah - translation copyrighted
Shomer Emunim Hakadmon (Second Introduction First Principle):… Included in our faith (emuna) is to believe in all the words of the Talmudic Sages – even if some of their words appear unlikely and against the laws of nature. We are to ascribe the problem to our understanding and not them. That is because all their words were said with ruach hakodesh that was within them. Therefore all those who ridicule any aspect of their words is severely punished as we see in Eiruvin (21b), Gittin (57a), “All those who ridicule the words of the Sages are punished in Hell in boiling excrement.” Bava Basra (75a) relates that a certain student ridiculed words of the Sages [and was turned into a heap of bones]. And this prohibition also applies in the case of midrashim where there is a dispute between the Sages. That is because there is nothing in the words of the Sages that is insignificant or meaningless. All that they say is true (eilu v’eilu) and therefore both sides are saying something of value… For example Rav and Shmuel have a dispute in Berachos (61a). One says that Eve was a attached to Adam (like Siamese twins) while the other said she was simply an insignificant appendage like a tail. In fact both views are true from different perspectives as we know from the teachings of the Arizal. This is the way it is for all other matters which two Sages disagree – both sides are true and correct depending on the place and time or world and perspective. You should know that even those matters mentioned in the Talmud which appear to be unnecessary or imprecise – that is simply not true. In fact these matters have esoteric meaning or important allusions…
Powers of gemstones
Rabbeinu Bachya (Shemos ) It is perfectly in order to accept what Aristotle says as there is no gemstone which does not contain some power given to it by celestial sources. Just as we have been taught in Bereshit Rabbah that there is no herb on earth which does not have its counterpart in the celestial regions providing it with its individual mazzal, so the same is true of the precious stones.
Antisemitic books from Kyrie Irving scandal removed from Barnes & Noble
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-722342
The antisemitic book series popularized when the film adaptation was shared by basketballer Kyrie Irving has been removed from Barnes & Noble's online store, The Jerusalem Post found on Monday morning.
Entries in the Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America series were available for purchase on the bookseller's website as recently as November 4. The first book in the series was also found to be number 69 on Barnes & Noble's top 100 bestselling books. However, by at least Monday morning all copies had been removed from the list and store.
Yakov was called G-d
Bereishis (33:20) And he erected there an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Megila (18a): How do we know that G-d, called Jacob G-d Because it says, And the G-d of Israel called Jacob G-d. For should you suppose that what the text means is that Jacob called the altar G-d, then it should be written, ‘And Jacob called it’. But as it is not written so, we must translate, ‘He called Jacob G-d’. And who called him so? The G-d of Israel.
Bereishis Rabbah (79:8) AND HE ERECTED THERE AN ALTAR, AND CALLED IT EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL Jacob declared to Him: ‘Thou art G-d in the celestial spheres and I am a G-d in the terrestrial sphere.’ R. Huna commented in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: G-d reproved him: ' Even the synagogue superintendent cannot assume authority of himself, yet thou didst take authority to thyself. To-morrow thy daughter will go out and be dishonoured!’
Rabbeinu Bachya (Bereishis 33:20) A kabbalistic approach: the G’d of Israel called Yaakov “EL.” This is also what our sages have said in Bereshit Rabbah 79,8. The wording there is that G’d said to Israel: “I am G’d in heaven whereas you are “EL” on earth.” This would reflect what we have quoted repeatedly that Yaakov’s likeness is engraved on the throne of G’d. The meaning of these strange words in the Midrash is that the שכינה resides in the land of Israel. This would account for Bileam having said in Numbers 23,8 “how can I curse when “EL” has not cursed?” He referred to Yaakov when he said “EL.”
Rashi ((Bereishis 33:20) G-d called Jacob by the name El. The verse therefore should be translated “and the God of Israel called Jacob El”. And in reference to all these different explanations it may be said that the words of the Torah — just as a hammer splits the rock into many different pieces may be given many different explanations. I however make it my aim to give the plain sense of Scripture.
Ramban (Bereishis 33:20) And by way of the Truth as being in accord with the Midrash which the Rabbis have expounded in Tractate Megillah: There is in this matter a great secret, which the Sages have additionally mentioned in Bereshith Rabbah in another way: “Jacob said to G-d, ‘Thou art the G-d of those on high, and I am the master of those down below.’” The Sages thereby alluded to that which they constantly say: the likeness of Jacob is engraved in the Heavenly Throne. The intent of Jacob’s statement quoted in the Midrash — “I am the master of those down below” — is that the Divine Glory rests in the Land of Israel. The student learned in the mystic lore of the Cabala will understand.
Chovas HaLevavos (6:1) You made him but slightly less than the angels. This [phrase] refers to Yaakov, Our Sagessaid “The God of Israel called him [i.e., Yaakov] God.”
Netziv (Bereishis 33:20) The medrash explains that Yakov called himself G-d. The doesn’t mean that he called himself G-d, Heaven forfend!, but that he called himself Israel and consequently G-d was called the G-d of Israel. In other words that Yakov prayed before the altar “ The G-d of Avraham and the G-d of Yitzchok and the G-d of Israel. Yakov was punished for this with the incident of his daughter Dinah being raped as is stated in Bereishis Rabbah (79:8). In other words even though an angel had told him that his name had been changed to Israel, nevertheless G-d had not called that as we see in the gemora. .
Warning: Popular Vitamin Supplement Causes Cancer Risk and Brain Metastasis
https://scitechdaily.com/warning-popular-vitamin-supplement-causes-cancer-risk-and-brain-metastasis/
Commercial dietary supplements like nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, were linked to benefits related to cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological health in previous studies. However, new research from the University of Missouri (MU) has found NR could actually increase the risk of serious disease, including developing cancer.
Why Ron DeSantis’s post-midterms glow up may fade
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/13/23454213/desantis-trump-2024-president-republican
“I think that DeSantis can win many Trump Republicans over, but there are some who are just implacable,” Hynes said.
Trump is still Republican voters’ odds-on favorite. Hynes cautions the party establishment against trying to change voters’ minds because many party leaders, like McConnell, remain distrusted by the grassroots and it could backfire.
And for all the talk of a GOP presidential candidate DeSantis, Trump may simply not be defeatable. To win a primary, DeSantis would need to convert some of Trump’s voters. Amandi said that it’s not even possible to change voters’ minds.
“The MAGA wing of the Republican Party is a political cult. You can only have one cult leader at a time and anybody who threatens the leader of the cult must pay the ultimate price,” he said. “Right now, if DeSantis directly challenges Trump, he’s risking political oblivion.”
Redistricting battle further positions DeSantis for 2024 presidential bid
Republican gerrymanders are nothing new in Florida politics. A decade ago, flouting the voter-approved state constitutional amendments that prohibited politicians from drawing the lines in a way that benefited any political party or incumbent, Rick Scott and the GOP majority forced through a plan that cemented the party’s control over the state’s senate and congressional districts. Their gerrymander set in motion a protracted legal battle that culminated in the state courts declaring the maps unconstitutional.
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