US approves Rafah op. in exchange for no Israeli counterstrikes on Iran - report

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-797675

The US has approved a potential Israeli Rafah operation in exchange for the Jewish state not conducting counterstrikes on Iran, according to a Thursday report from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.

A senior official told The New Arab that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to obtain American approval for a military operation in Rafah, in exchange for [Israel] refraining from carrying out a wide military operation against Iran in response to its recent attack."

He claimed that "discourse of an Israeli response to Iran contradicts  the desires of the American administration, and is not realistic, given the Israeli claims that the United States played the major role in repelling the Iranian attack and preventing its success."

Egyptian sources: US agreed to Israel's plan for Rafah operation

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388699

Egyptian sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the US agreed to accept Israel's plan for an operation in Rafah - so long as Israel does not carry out a widescale strike on Iranian soil.

The source said that his country's military is on high alert along the Gaza-Egypt border, in preparation for a potential ground incursion by the IDF into Rafah.

According to the source, Egypt raised its alert level following a lengthy conversation with Israel and the understanding that the IDF is carrying out intensive preparations for a widescale operation in the area.

On Wednesday, ABC News quoted three Israeli sources as saying that Israel prepared for and then aborted retaliatory strikes against Iran on at least two nights this past week.

Moment of Truth on Ukraine and Israel

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/moment-of-truth-on-ukraine-and-israel-war-ammo-aid-package-iran-russia-7ed30288

Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel this weekend, with a barrage of missiles and drones. Around the same time, some 1,500 miles north, Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine, which has intensified dramatically in the last month.

Both Ukraine and Israel defended themselves against these attacks, holding the line and protecting their citizens. And both did it with critical help from the U.S.

Now is not the time to abandon our friends. The House must pass urgent national-security legislation for Ukraine and Israel, as well as desperately needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

Frum Talk is prohibited?

 Bava Metzia (58b): If a person is overcome by calamity is visited by suffering, afflicted with disease, or has buried his children, one must not speak to him as his companions spoke to Iyov , is not your fear of G d your source of bitachon, And and your hope that you will lack nothing? Please remember that the innocent don’t perish

Ramban (Sales 14:13) If a person was afflicted by illness and suffering or he is forced to bury his children, one should not speak to him in the manner that Iyov 's friends addressed him "Your fear of G-d was for your own security.... Can you recall anyone who was innocent who perished?"

Shulchan Aruch (CM 228:04) If a person was suffering a person may not tell him what Iyov was told by his friends, “is your fear of heaven not your confidence? Do you remember, please, anyone innocent who was destroyed?”

Punishment resulting from circumstantial evidence

 Bava Metzia (83b) R. Eleazar, son of R. Simeon, once met an officer of the Roman Government who had been sent to arrest thieves, How can you detect them? he said Maybe, you take the innocent and allow the guilty to escape? The officer answered, What shall I do? It is the King's command. Said the Rabbi, Let me tell you what to do. Go into a tavern at the fourth hour of the day. If you see a man dozing with a cup of wine in his hand, ask what he is. If he is a learned man, you may assume that he has risen early to pursue his studies; if he is a day labourer he must have been up early to do his work; if his work is of the kind that is done at night, he might have been rolling thin metal. If he is none of these, he is a thief; arrest him. The report of this conversation was brought to the Court, and the order was given: Let the reader of the letter become the messenger. R. Eleazar, son of R. Simeon, was accordingly sent for, and he proceeded to arrest the thieves. Thereupon R. Joshua, son of Karhah, sent word to him, Vinegar, son of wine! How long will you deliver up the people of our God for slaughter! Back came the reply: I weed out thorns from the vineyard. Whereupon R. Joshua retorted: Let the owner of the vineyard God come and weed out the thorns. One day a fuller met him, and dubbed him: Vinegar, son of wine. Said the Rabbi to himself, Since he is so insolent, he is certainly a culprit. So he gave the order to his attendant: ‘Arrest him! Arrest him! When his anger cooled, he went after him in order to secure his release, but did not succeed. Thereupon he applied to, the fuller the verse: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Then they hanged him, and R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon stood under the gallows and wept. Said his disciples to him: ‘Master, do not grieve; for he and his son seduced a betrothed maiden on the Day of Atonement Yet in spite of this, his conscience disquieted him. Thereupon he was given a sleeping draught, taken into a marble chamber, and had his abdomen opened, and basketsful of fat removed from him and placed in the sun during Tammuz and Ab, and yet it did not putrefy

Respect the Rich

 Pele Yoetz (Chanufa): It is in fact proper and fitting to show respect to the wealthy – as we see that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and Rabbi Akiva honored the rich (Eiruvin 86a). The reason is that because G-d desires that this man be valued and He therefore has bestowed upon him an abundance of blessings from Above – we are also obligated to honor him. This is especially true for any person who has been the beneficiary of the rich person that he is clearly obligated to honor him. Furthermore the rich person since he has more possessions he is more likely to increase the amount of mitzvos and good deed that he does – compared to the less wealthy and this in turn reverses the spiritual damage done by his sins. Therefore it is appropriate to show him some respect - even if he has done something inappropriate and has deviated slightly from the correct path - and consequently he shouldn't demean the rich man as much as a poor man. 

Beis Din can have Layman as a Judge?

 Shulchan Aruch (CM 3) A Court of Law must consist of not less than three [Judges]1 and every [group of] three [Judges] is called a Court of Law even if they be laymen.2 For it is impossible that there should not be among them [at least] one who has a knowledge of logical inferences in [civil] laws.3 However, if there is not among them [at least] one [who has such knowledge], they are disqualified to judge.4 Nevertheless, they may receive the pleas [of the contesting parties] and forward them to one who is qualified to render legal decisions.5 They may try the defendant6 against his will7 if the latter8 declines to come down before Court,9 or he is not willing to attend the Court with the plaintiff in his10 home town.11 But if he is willing to attend the Court with him12 in his10 home town, only that he is not pleased with the three [Judges] whom the plaintiff has chosen, — then [the law is that] each [litigant] chooses one [Judge and the two Judges together choose a third].13 Gloss: As stated infra § 13. It seems to me [that this applies] only to Judges who are not permanent, but if there are permanent Judges in town he cannot say, 'I will attend Court in their presence only on [the condition that] each [litigant] chooses [one Judge and the two Judges together choose a third]'.14 Thus is the accepted custom in our town. , infra § 22, par. 1 end.

Beit Din and Dayanim

A bet din can’t function with less than 3 judges. These 3 judges can be any 3 people even if they’re not knowledgeable as long as one of them is familiar with the laws of judging.[32]

If none of the judges are knowledgable, the bet din doesn’t function unless they are the communally accepted bet din.[33]

Even though theoretically one expert judge can judge cases without any other judges, nowadays we don’t have an expert judge of that caliber.[34] However, if the one expert judge was accepted by the disputants and the case is simple, he can judge the case, otherwise an individual judge should not judge alone.[35]

The more judges on a bet din the better, though, the judges need to be fit to be judges.[36]

https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Beit_Din_and_Dayanim#cite_note-32

After Iran's attack repelled, Zelensky demands same defense alliance as Israel

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjy11zhhla

Israel's alliance with the U.S. helped it defeat missiles and UAVs from Iran, and now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects to receive similar assistance against the Russians: 'Israel is not a NATO member, yet they helped save lives, Moscow, like Tehran, spreads terror'

Emboldened Iran Makes Dangerous Gamble on Open Confrontation

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-emboldened-israel-confrontation-dd7136b7?mod=hp_lead_pos1

Still, in contrast to previous rounds of escalation, the scale of the attack suggested an attempt to inflict real damage inside Israel, military analysts said, with more than 300 total missiles and drones of various types deployed. It took a complex joint operation with the U.S. and Arab neighbors to down most of the projectiles.

“If they wanted to stage a symbolic strike, why use so many systems? If it’s just symbolic, what does the real strike look like? They can’t launch a thousand missiles at once,” said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles and drones with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 

Is Lonna Kin trying to get an annulment?

GUEST POST: by Shmuel Halevi

After many years of producing many false Seiruvim against Meir Kin, and after her using the Social Media and ORA to condemn Meir, Lonna has appealed to a new Bais Din, “The International Beit Din” of Rabbi Simcha Krauss and Rabbi Ronnie Warburg. This Bais Din was specifically formed for the purpose of issuing annulments. The Frum Orthodox world has never accepted annulments; but only under very rare and exclusive conditions. See: Jewish Week and  Jewish Weekly a letter from the Rogatshover below, strongly condemning annulments.

However a recent Summons to Meir Kin from this Bais Din hints to the upcoming annulment.

After Meir Kin  left her a Get in 2008, see Mishpat Tzedek and Mishpat Tzedek. Lonna still wants to remain obstinate and continue to pretend that she is an Aguna. Meir has remarried with a Heter Mea Rabbonim after years of her prosecuting him in the civil courts and obtaining a Gag-order prohibiting him from divulging certain facts to a Bais Din that would of awarded him custody in a Bais Din. In the next few weeks their son Moshe will be Bar_Mitzva and thanks to Lonna, she had arranged once again in the courts that Meir cannot attend  the Bar Mitzva celebration .  It is after seeing  Lonna for years  maliciously prosecuting Meir in the civil courts, coupled with her muzzling him via the Gag-Order, and refusing to come to Din Torah to dissolve their marriage, did the Bais Din issue a Heter Meah Rabbonim to remarry. Boruch Hashem the new couple seem to be very happy together. While most women after seeing their ex-husbands remarry, end their conflicts and move on, Lonna has refused to do so and instead chooses to pursue  an annulment. Unfortunately ORA has empowered these women to never “NEGOTIATE” a divorce but believe in hard-line arm-twisting, Hamas-style tactics to achieve their goals. Lonna and ORA have even succeeded in getting Meir expelled from Shul. (This in  itself is a future topic for discussion if the Chabad rabbis were justified in doing this to a man who has A Bais Din justifying his position.) 

We have seen these similar social media  tactics play out before, in the Rivky Stein  and Gital Dodelson . see: Youtube   and Youtube    (see the segment at 21:38 minutes where Lonna hints to wanting an annulment.)    One can notice from Rabbi Ronnie Warburg’s letter that   a) his demeanor diminishes any right of Meir in choosing a Bais Din.  Also notice that he doesn’t offer an alternate Bais Din or Zabla option   b)  it shows clear and concise refusal of Lonna to accept his executed GET   c) He declares without ever seeing the GET or hearing testimony from anyone at the GET writing, that it’s a “gerushin al tenai” D) He  clearly acknowledges that A  GET has been prepared on her behalf and if in fact he issues her an annulment despite the GET,  it would be the first time that an orthodox Bais Din would issue an annulment EVEN AFTER LEARNING THAT  A GET HAS BEEN EXECUTED!   

Rabbi Ronnie Warburg, will you be issuing an annulment or another false Seiruv #4 , against a man who responded to your summons? Why would Lonna Kin after issuing Meir 3 false Seiruvim, using strong arm ORA tactics for 10 years with multiple ORA rallies , condemning Meir in the public eye,  suddenly go to a different  Bais Din?

The unfortunate case of Meir and Lonna Kin - the perspective of Meir Kin

The following documents were sent to me by a supporter of Meir Kin - I am willing to publish a similar post from Lonna Kin's perspective. 

THE HIPPOCRISY AND THE LIES FROM THE RABBIS AND ORA  AS WELL AS THE TRUE CREATORS OF AGUNOT :   By Akiva Wasserstein

It is astounding and disgusting how the Rabbis and ORA are knee deep in their corruption as well as their hippocrisy.  Daattorah has covered extensively the fake heter issued to Tamar Friedman to remarry without a Get  by Shmuel Kaminetsky and Nota Greenblatt. Then we see that Aharon Friedman, Tamar’s husband, is still barred from entering shuls in his area despite the fact that she is remarried! Then we have the Bais Din of Rabbi Dovid Feinstein that has ruled that The Kaminetsky heter was erroneous but failed to instruct the couple to separate. They also failed to publish their ruling for public viewing,  after all this can create confusion in the public eye whether a future child is a Mamzer?  Now lets move to a different case where the similar has occurred with Halacha on the mans side but with hippocritical and vicious condemnation of the man. I’m referring to the divorce between Meir and Lonna Kin. Meir has been seeking a Bais Din resolution all along, and Lonna Kin immediately sued him in Divorce court and Family court against halacha! Meir deposited a GET in 2008 at his Bais Din but Lonna has not come to his Bais Din. Meir remarries with a Heter from 100 rabbis and lo and behold the masses came to his own wedding to shame him and his new wife for remarrying with a heter?!

Why is Meir Kin’s Halacha allowed remarriage condemmed, yet  Tamar Friedman s remarriage which was  disallowed  by a Bais Din of the choosing of Kaminetsky and that marriage was accepted without public condemnation?! According to the Torah Tamar has violated a serious Aveira, yet Meir Kin has not?! Why has ORA not organized rallies at Tamar and Adam Fleischer’s home? Why have Tamar and Adam not gotten  kicked out of their local shuls and Aharon Friedman and Meir Kin have? Ladies and gentlemen, this is  A DOUBLE STANDARD, DISTORTION AND CORRUPTION  IN HALOCHO !!!

Now , Lets begin to analyze the Meir/ Lonna Kin case. Most people are ignorant of the facts and do not understand why Lonna Kin has not picked up her Get. The reality is that the Rabbis in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as ORA have essentially “blocked” her from receiving the GET as their continuous aggressive measures against Meir constitutes “kefiya” (coercion)and  according to most poskim, such a GET would be invalidated as active coercion is ongoing. The rabbis and ORA have unsuccessfully ejected him from his local synagogues,  and continue to defame him using the internet and other publications . Rabbi Gestetner, Meir’s Bais Din in Monsey Ny, has repeatedly asked Lonna herself as well as her emissaries who have called him to remove all acts of coercion prior to negotiating an end to this saga. According to Rabbi Gestetner, Halacha dictates that this be a precursor to negotiating delivery of a kosher Get.  Lonna, the Rabbis and Ora have refused to make this first step and therefore 12 years later still have  no Get.  The Rabbis, Lonna Kin, and Ora have essentially assured themselves that Lonna Kin will remain “stuck” so long as the harassment, intimidation and humiliation continues.  How stupid can they be to continue the same strategy for 12 years which yielded no results!   After Meir was expelled from all of las Vegas shuls, the Rabbis and Ora have expended their last bullet and now have no new strategy to end this case. Lonna as well as her 3 daughters have on a ORA website video admitted that their shidduchim have been adversely affected by this  acrimonious divorce.  If Lonna  Kin would stop listening to the bad advice that the rabbis and Ora are giving, and begin to make the necessary steps as outlined by Rabbi Gestetner to remove coercion tactics, then a resolution can be achieved. In the meantime no resolution is possible so long as the rabbis and Ora continue the status quo .  Therefore what we see here is that the very same Rabbis and Ora that shout loud about Agunas,  are in fact the very ones that enable them and prevent the resolution as they seek only methods that empower the feminist women with disregard to a man’s halachic rights.  Until the masses will wake up and stand against these evil Rabbis and Ora , we will see countless women paraded as “Agunot” where in fact they are not Agunot but have statuses as “Moredet”- rebellious women who have violated the Torah on many fronts. Ironically, these women have no right to even receive a GET for their audacious and atrocious crimes committed against their husbands. In the meantime, Meir is happily married while Lonna and her daughters appear stuck in their quest to move on with their life.  In my next article I will explain and cite sources that forbid the expelling of a man from a shul which the rabbis and Ora have been instituting against innocent men.

 ============================================================

From: Shmuel Attal
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 5:47 PM
To: israkin@hotmail.com
Subject: Confidential only for Israel kin

Israel

Due to your present situation,
I would just like to clarify that you are not welcome at our Shul until:

You sign a notarized letter that you are willing, and accept to go to a Beit Din ( besides Rabbi Gestetner/Rabbi Abrahams) to discuss the get with your ex wife.

I don't want to be Mebaysh Pene Chavero Berabim, and this is why I did not ask you to leave the Shul last night, but from today if you come either by yourself, or with others, during weekday, Shabbat or Yom Tov, I will have no other choice but to ask you to leave the Shul.

Rabbi Attal

........................................................

From: Chabadofsummerlin
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 11:44 PM
To: israel kin
Subject: Confidential - for Isreal Meir Kin

Dear Isreal Meir,

Due to the fact that you have entered a new marriage without giving a universally recognized Get, you are no longer welcome in Chabad ofSummerlin and may not attend. I have heard your side of the story and the unfortunate situations that you endured, yet Torah dictates the necessity of a bringing disputes to a proper Beis Din. Once you resolve this issue with a reputable and recognized Beis Din in both Isreal and the US we will be happy to have you back.

Wishing you Haztloch to overcome your obstacles and do what is proper in the eyes of HaShem and in the eyes of man.

Sincerely ,
Rabbi Yisroel Schanowitz

WHY IS IT FORBIDDEN TO EXPEL A MAN FROM A SHUL :   By Akiva Wasserstein

In Shulchan Oruch Orach Chaim , Siman 153 , Seifim 16-22, it discusses halochot pertaining to davening in a shul. In seif 16, the Shulchan Oruch (SA) rules that even in a shul belonging to a private individual, the owner cannot decide to exclude a particular person. This is mentioned in Orchot Chaim as one of the Cherems(ban) of Rabbeinu Gershom.  Rabbeinu Gershom instituted many bans and this was one of them. You can learn more about Rabbeinu Gershoms bans from the Beer Hagolah on the SA at the end of a section on “Nidui Vecherem” (Yoreh Deah 334).  The Mishna Berura s.k.88 cites the Gemara Gittin which talks about the story of Kamtza Bar Kamtza as a reason why it is forbidden to expel someone from a shul. The expelling of Bar Kamtza led to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh.  The Tashbetz IV:7 brings another reason. The Rema rules in accordance with his contemporary, Maharam Padua 85, that the Cherem Rabeinu Gershom can be circumvented by arranging an advance stipulation. Essentially, the owner of the shul can first exclude EVERYBODY and afterwards readmit them on condition. However this ruling would be problematic to the Mishne Berura as how can a stipulation be permitted to be used to humiliate a neighbor? The Tashbetz explains that the reason one may exclude an ENTIRE congregation is that we may assume that the congregation as a whole will manage to find another place to daven, whereas an individual does not have this option if there is no other shul as is in the case of Meir Kin who has just 1 shul in his area.  Therefore we see that the evil rabbis today make up halacha as they go, and choose to expel men from shul as they see fit, disregarding the poskim and Cherem Derabeinu Gershom. They continue to  invent the Torah as they go. The sin of expelling a man not only violated the Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom, but causes these men untold public shame which we know the Gemoro states that a person who shames one in public loses their share in Olom Haba. It is my sincere hope that my articles penetrates the hearts of these rabbis/activists and lend them understanding that not only are they guilty of heinous crimes in the eyes of Hashem, but that their tactics have served no purpose as kicking out Meir Kin and Aharon Friedman have not helped achieve a Get on behalf of Tamar Friedman or Lonna Kin.  Attempting to extort a Get  from a man by violating the Torah is like going to the Mikva while holding a dead insect in your hand.  After the conclusion of the Mendel Epstein debacle, the world can see that these rabbis have been committing fraudulent acts under the “DISGUISE” of helping women receive a GET. The time has come to change gears and approach hilchot Gittin the correct way by using Torah principles and by approaching resolution using Darkei Noam.

TJC Inteview with Lonna Kin - one side of a two sided story

TheJewishChannelTJC  

Lawsuit Targeting Jewish Organizations in Agunah Case Dismissed

 https://jewishlink.news/lawsuit-targeting-jewish-organizations-in-agunah-case-dismissed/

In October 2023, Ari Satz sued ORA, its executive director Keshet Starr and The Jewish Link, as well as a Bergenfield rabbi who had been involved with advocating for the get. Ari Satz claimed that the photograph that was printed in ORA’s flyer violated his privacy, and that those who shared the flyer had defamed him and purposely made him appear “disheveled.” The lawsuit sought $30 million in damages.

Ari Satz

 https://www.getora.org/satz

FACTS:

● Ari and Chavi married in 2006 and separated

in 2018.

● Ari has been refusing to give Chavi a get, a

Jewish bill of divorce.

● Without a get, Chavi is unable to remarry and is

left an agunah, chained to a dead marriage.

● Vaad Hadin of New City issued a psak

against Ari, stating that he is a sarvan ladin

(recalcitrant to submit to beis din) and that he is

obligated to give Chavi a get