Canada is no longer the safe haven it promised to Jews

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-804994

Twenty-five years ago, my parents immigrated to Canada from Israel. Throughout our childhood, my sister and I would ask them why they moved when they spoke of their homeland with such love and longing. When we grew older and became familiar with Israel ourselves, we asked them again why they moved, why they left such a beautiful, lively country for clinical Canada. Each time we asked, our parents gave us the same answer: Life is easier here and we wanted you girls to be safe.

This is not the life my parents envisioned for my sister and I. This is not the Canada we were promised, nor the Canada that continues to be promised to others. The hatred is here, and we cannot pretend otherwise. Today, it is Jews or, as they say, “Zionists,” but tomorrow it may be someone else. 

‘Morning Joe’ Skewers WSJ Over ‘Shocking’ Biden Mental Acuity Story

https://www.thedailybeast.com/morning-joe-skewers-wall-street-journal-over-shocking-biden-mental-acuity-story?ref=home 

The MSNBC pair further took issue with the article’s sourcing, claiming it relied mostly on partisan Republicans like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and associates of current House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Why didn't they just ask Marjorie Taylor Greene to weigh in?” Brzezinski scoffed. “And Lauren Boebert.”

Commonsense and Torah

 Toras Avraham (Toras HaSeichel HaEnushi #2): … Intellect (seichel) which characterizes man is not simply a means of knowing and understanding data. In fact the intellect is a moral faculty to know what is truly straight. G d created man with this faculty in order to teach him the path of life. Therefore it is obligatory for man to use it to know what is right and wrong and not to distort his straightness and wholesomeness. It enables him to be a moral judge to understand things in full. Thus man is obligated to keep things which he knows are right - as well as that which he has been commanded directly by G d. Both obligation serve to direct him properly…

Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon (Introduction to Talmud): The reason that there is punishment for activities not specifically commanded is because all those Mitzvos which are derived from commonsense are obligated on everyone from the day that G-d first created Adom HaRishon. Not only him but also all his descendants afterwards for all generations. 

Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:17): A person is rewarded for any good deed and punished for sin - even though these activities were not commanded by a prophet. This is because a person is held accountable for those things which are dictated by commonsense.

Ramban (Bereishis 6:13): The generation of the flood was punished for theft because it was an obvious sin. Our Sages (Sanhedrin 108a) say that this sin sealed their fate. That is because it was commonsense that it was a sin, there was no need for a prophets to warn them. Furthermore it was evil to both heaven and man.

Eruvin (100b): Even if the Torah hadn't been given it would be possible to learn proper conduct from observing animals.  Modesty from the cat, avoidance of theft from ants, avoidance of adultery from the dove and sexual conduct from the rooster.

FDA panel rejects initial MDMA therapy for PTSD

 https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/h1wxtatn0

Key concerns raised by the panel included the study design, potential for drug abuse, risks outweighing benefits, lack of diversity in trials, missing patient data, and potential bias from therapists and facilitators.

Tzadikim punished for Pride

 Bamidbar Rabbah (21:12) AND MOSES BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE. Some hold that the law was hidden from Moses. There are cases where righteous men have boasted of some matter connected with a precept and G-d weakened their power. You find that David boasts: Thy statutes have been my songs, as much as to say that they are easy and familiar like songs. Said G-d: ‘By your life! You will in the end err in a matter that children read in the Scripture! When he brought up the ark he erred and put it on a cart; as it says, And they set the ark of God upon a new cart. The ark suspended itself in the air and the cows beneath it slipped. Uzzah drew near to support it, And God smote him there for his error, for an error in learning amounts to presumption. And David was displeased, because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah. G-d said to him: ' Did you not say, "Thy statutes have been my songs"? Have you not learned: But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the holy things belonged unto them: they bore them upon their shoulders? David began to reflect: The Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not according to the ordinance. It was the same with Moses. Because he had boasted: The cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it, He diminished his mental powers. When the daughters of Zelophehad, however, came, He concealed the law from him, AND MOSES BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE BEFORE THE LORD. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD SPEAK RIGHT. This, He meant, is the law! G-d said to him: ' Did you not say, "The cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me"? The law with which you are unacquainted is decided by the women! '

Grabbing Bargains

 Shulchan Aruch (CM 237) Someone who is trying to buy or hire something and another person comes and makes the deal first. That second person is called wicked. The same is the case if someone applies for work., There is another view that if the object being sought is ownerless or is given as a present that the second person is not called wicked, because it is not something that he can readily obtain elsewhere. And similarly If involves property which is adjacent to his, he can buy it first and is not called wicked. Since it is a unique purchase. (the view of Beis Yosef citing the Mordechai). Also if it is cheaper than elsewhere, then it is a bargain and the second person can acquire it as long as the first one hasn’t.  Others say it doesn’t matter whether it is unique or a bargain Rema: The first view is the halacha and this is only regarding poor people unless it is clearly a unique bargain. Furthermore the problem occurs only when the first one has already established an agreed price and it only lacks kinyan. If the price has not been established. Than another can buy it first. There is a view that there is a cherem from Rabbeinu Gershom or custom  concerning renting houses from non-Jews.

Aruch HaShulchan (CM 237) The case of a  poor man who is turning an object and another person comes after and takes it away is called evil. Some of our rabbis say this applies only when the first is tring to buy or rent or hire himself to another or rent out his house or field. Why should the second take from the first when he can obtain it elsewhere. However if it is obtaining something ownerless or receive a present the second is not called evil since it is a unique bargain. There are other authorities that don’t make this distinction. The Rema rules like the first view. Thus any unique bargain is permitted as long as the price has not been set and the only thing lacking is the act of acquisition. The Shach says no distinctions are made in sales and it is prohibited to buy before the first one and this is the halacha and it seems this is the view of the Yerushalmi. The custom in many places is that if someone is trying to acquire something in the market that another person doesn’t try to get it first. This is a good custom and deserves blessing. The Perisha says this prevents hasagas gevul.

Igros Moshe (E.H.1:91 page 239). Concerning the case of someone who is engaged to a young lady. Is it permitted for another man to try and become engaged to her with her consent? Is this a case of Ani Hehapech becharara? It is clear that if the first couple has not yet decided to finalize the engagement there is no problem. However if they have decided but are still lacking the customary kinyan there is a dispute among the poskim whether it is permitted. Once the kinyan is made there is a cherem against nullifying the engagement

Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Hefker 10-11) If a  poor person is engaged in acquiring something and another person comes and takes it from him the second person is called evil  Some say this applies only to to hiring since he could readily obtain it elsewher with some effort. In contrast if it is a unique bargain. That is the halacha. Neverthelesss a pious person should be more stringent. If someone is trying to buy something whether land or object and a second  takes it first the second one is called evil since with effort he can purchase it elewhere unless it is very cheap and thus a bargain. However if the buyer and seller have not agreed to a price, then there is no problem for someone else to buy it. Some claim that there is a cherem of Rabbeinu Gershon when renting houses fron non Jews even when the price was not settled

Breaking an Engagement

 Igros Moshe (E.H.1:91 page 239). Concerning the case of someone who is engaged to a young lady. Is it permitted for another man to try and become engaged to her with her consent? Is this a case of Ani Hehapech becharara? It is clear that if the first couple has not yet decided to finalize the engagement there is no problem. However if they have decided but are still lacking the customary kinyan there is a dispute among the poskim whether it is permitted. Once the kinyan is made there is a cherem against nullifying the engagement.

What Trump really thinks about the war in Gaza

 https://www.vox.com/politics/353037/trump-gaza-israel-protests-biden-election-2024

Former President Donald Trump hasn’t said much publicly about the war in Gaza, despite implementing hardline pro-Israel policies while he was in office. But what he has said has put him squarely in line with a GOP base that is beginning to lose interest in the war, even as it maintains support for Israel.

And recently, he’s begun taking an increasingly hostile stance against Palestinians and their supporters in the US.

Trump’s turn against Israel offers stark reminder of what his diplomacy looks like

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/13/politics/donald-trump-israel-netanyahu-diplomacy/index.html

Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lauded Hezbollah militants as “very smart” and sought political gain from the attacks that killed 1,200 people by claiming that if the last election was not “rigged,” he’d be the American president and they’d never have happened.

Hunter’s Trial Reveals Trump’s Big Lie About Biden and Justice

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/hunters-trial-reveals-trumps-big-lie-about-biden-and-justice?ref=home

But let’s assume for a minute that Biden is the evil puppet master—not just in terms of telling his attorney general whom to target in federal cases, but also in terms of pulling the strings in states like New York and Georgia.

If Biden had that kind of power, wouldn’t he have already made this pesky case against Hunter Biden disappear?

Surely a president powerful and corrupt enough to summon the full weight of the judicial system against a former president could find a way to avoid the messiness of seeing his son raked through the proverbial coals.

Israel says more than a third of Gaza hostages are dead

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-804916

Hamas, which threatened at the outset of the war to execute hostages in reprisal for Israeli air strikes, has since alleged such attacks caused hostage deaths. Israel has not ruled that out in all cases, but said that some recovered hostage bodies showed signs of execution.

Donald Trump Attorney Tried to Kill Latest Legal Bombshell:

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-cease-desist-investigation-public-1907883

 Publica recently published a lengthy report claiming that at least nine witnesses who have given evidence in the various criminal investigations involving the former president have since received financial perks such as severance packages or raises, or even new jobs or shares and cash from Trump's media company.

Gazans facing nutrition insecurity despite Israel allowing adequate food aid

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-804843

In March 2024, the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC)) predicted that famine would manifest in Gaza between March 2024 and May 2024. 

Addressing this prediction, Israel’s report suggests that a famine in Gaza, should it occur, would likely be caused by issues in internal aid distribution in Gaza as Israel’s aid itself.

Once it reaches Gaza, the report says that the aid is at the mercy of various factors, including “theft, looting, and hoarding of food and other supplies, abetted by Hamas or others” which can limit the capacity of Israel to ensure the Gazan population has access to food. 

Why You Think Ty Cobb Was a Racist (When He Wasn't)

 https://www.newsweek.com/2024/07/26/why-you-think-ty-cobb-was-racist-when-he-wasnt-1907257.html

After that Cobb's reputation was in the hands of the masses—who retold and freely embroidered on his legend. Over the decades, repetition became truth. Instead of being seen as a specific human being, he became a kind of blank canvas on which people could paint a portrait of a miscreant, being as inventive as they pleased. It was fascinating to imagine a racist psycho at large in the major leagues. The bad Cobb—reiterated and further fictionalized by Stump in a 1985 book called Cobb—was someone they could shake their head at, denounce, and feel superior to. Spinning stories in a way that made Cobb look immoral was an artful way of saying, "I am not a racist because I reject this man who is." Cultures change as values change, wars are waged and the harvest waxes and wanes, but a villain who inspires self-congratulation makes for one hell of a tenacious myth.