Why do US Jews leave Orthodoxy? A new study tries to map out the reasons

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-do-us-jews-leave-orthodoxy-a-new-study-tries-to-map-out-the-reasons/

A new survey of American Jews who have left Orthodox Judaism asks tough questions of the community as it describes the complicated web of factors causing people to leave the fold.

Published by the Orthodox Union (OU), one of the Orthodox world’s most prominent organizations, the survey’s conclusions call for synagogues and schools to adopt more inclusive mindsets, for rabbis to look out for children on the fringes and for parents to establish clear expectations with love and support.

One of the study’s biggest surprises was that many of the surveyed individuals who left Orthodoxy remain connected to the community.

Secular studies in spare time in a superficial Manner

 Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.16) Question Those yeshiva students who desire to study medicine or other secular subjects in spare moments during the day in a superficial manner Answer I don’t see any problem with this as long as it doesn’t interfere with their Torah study schedule in yeshiva. This is not required but is merely permitted as long as it it a simple survey of the material without great effort or depth in spare time because it is viewed as pleasurable and perhaps useful. 

Those who are not capable of growth in Torah learning but are interested in Secular Studies

 Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.16) Question You ask about how to deal with those who are not capable of growing in Torah either because they lack the intelligence or because of laziness? Answer. Obviously it is not relevant to require them to learn as I wrote that the bnei Torah is required. It would be appropriate to teach them a skill that is most appropriate to their nature. Even if this largely interferes with their Torah learning to prepare them for this work. The Yavetz lists in his siddur those things that a person who can not learn a lot of Torah must be taught. If he is fit for learning engineering or medicine it is appropriate that he learn it as long as he can learn without being taught heresy and in classes without girls. It is best if the program is under rabbinical supervision.

Rav Ovadiah is watching you from Heaven! Hashgocha Protis

US Dollar Down, Global Stocks Plunge Ahead of Trump's Looming Tariffs:

 https://www.newsweek.com/us-dollar-down-global-stocks-plunge-ahead-trumps-looming-tariffs-live-updates-2052993

Stock markets around the world tumbled on Monday ahead of Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" on Wednesday, which will impose a slew of tariffs on "all countries."

The Dow fell 292 points, or 0.6%, in pre-market trading, while the S&P dropped 0.9% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 1.3%. Monday marks the end of an uncertain month for the market. The S&P 500 nearly hit correction territory in March as it dropped 9.2% below its all-time high, and is set to end the month down by more than 6%.

The US dollar has also had its biggest drop in years as it fell by 3.5%, a fall not seen since November 2023.

RFK Jr. Is Already Vindicating His Critics

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-jr-david-geier-vaccines-autism-hhs-cdc-health-trump-administration-policy-184c242f?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Shrinking HHS makes sense, but giving power to antivaccine crusader David Geier doesn’t.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been secretary of Health and Human Services for all of six weeks, but he’s already vindicating his critics. First he downplayed a measles outbreak in Texas. Then he reportedly hired a trial-lawyer ally to work on a government study of the link between vaccines and autism. Now he has pushed out a top Food and Drug Administration official because he helped accelerate approval of the Covid vaccines.

Mr. Kennedy grabbed headlines on Thursday by proposing to consolidate sundry HHS agencies and cut 20,000 jobs. The bloated department could use some shrinking. Most of his plan, such as refocusing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its core mission of preparing for and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, isn’t radical.

Mike Waltz Used Signal for More Sensitive National Security Chats:

 https://www.newsweek.com/mike-waltz-used-signal-more-sensitive-national-security-chats-report-2052875

 U. S. national security adviser Mike Waltz used the Signal messaging app to host other sensitive discussions with Cabinet members, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing two unnamed officials.

Among those discussions were threads on brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine, and military operations, according to the Journal.

Bnei Torah – Those who left yeshiva Should be Viewed as Bnei Torah So they will not become worse?

Igros Moshe (YD IV #36. 15) Question: This that you objected to my statement that all those who leave yeshiva for secular studies in college even if they are still fully observant are not considered Bnei Torah. You objected because it means all those who are involved in earning a living by going to college will give up trying to grow in Torah learning if they are not considered Bnei Torah. Answer. I am surprised that you don’t view leaving yeshiva as being more deleterious than not being called a Ben Torah. People will say that if everyone is considered a Ben Torah and Talmid Chachom even those who have left yeshiva for secular studies than why should those remaining in yeshiva exert themselves in Torah and fear of G-d.  This concern is found in the gemora (Menachos 99b) that even through the daily reciting of Shma in the morning and evening a person fulfills the obligation to spend his time in Torah study, nevertheless the gemora concludes that it is prohibited to teach this to the ignorant. Rashi says because they might think the minimum is sufficient and they won’t try harder. It is even worse if the talmidei chachomim think that. .  In fact I am simply saying the facts a person who does not devote himself totally to Torah study is not a ben Torah.  Those who go to medical school they want to be not only doctors but they want the honor of also being viewed as bnei Torah? If in fact he is a godol in Torah than of course he should be described as such even if there is concern that others will imitate him and leave yeshiva thinking they can also have both.  This that you write that there are many businessmen who place the majority of their efforts into Torah study so why shouldn’t they be viewed as bnei Torah? I have already stated that they while are obviously good Jews they are not bnei Torah since all their efforts are not directed at Torah.  It was only the Jews in the wilderness and that generation that entered Israel with Yehoshua as well as the generation of Chezkiyahu that all were bnei Torah. Even in the time of Dovid and Shlomo not all were bnei Torah. Even in the time of Chezkiyahu only two of the tribes were bnei Torah. 

This reminds me of a chance encounter I had with a kiruv rabbi during a stop over in the Paris airport. He said "I can not forgive the rabbis and roshei yeshiva who tell everyone that they will become a gadol when in fact only a few have the ability. 

The head of the Diaspora yeshiva Rav Goldstein related that he was once in America raising money for his yeshiva and he met Rav Moshe. Rav Moshe asked him “How are you doing?” He responded byrelating a list of his medical problems. Rav Moshe said I wasn’t asking about your health, I was asking whether you had some real concerns in understanding a Rashi or Tosfos. 

‘Large bucket of stupid’: Ex-officials slam Republicans for minimizing the Signal chat leak

PM: ‘Fact, not conspiracy’ Shin Bet chief knew Oct. 7 attack likely, didn’t wake me

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-fact-not-conspiracy-shin-bet-chief-knew-oct-7-attack-likely-didnt-wake-me/

After previously doing so anonymously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday claimed that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar knew several hours before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre that an invasion by the terror group was likely but did not alert him.

“This is a fact and not a conspiracy,” a statement from the premier’s office read, asserting that at 4:30 that morning, “it was already clear to the outgoing Shin Bet head that an invasion of the State of Israel was likely.”

The statement went on to ask: “Why at that moment did he not wake up the prime minister? Why didn’t he warn the community heads in the Gaza periphery? Why was the prime minister’s military secretary only updated minutes before the start of the attack?”

Israeli officials react to 'puzzling' appointment of outsider as Shin Bet head

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-848230

MK Avigdor Liberman, however, told KAN's Reshet Bet that the appointment of someone from outside the Shin Bet was "puzzling."

“Sharvit was an excellent commander, but he has no intelligence background or training," Liberman said. "The considerations that led to his appointment, after years outside the military framework, raise many questions.”

Clash of the Early Zionists”

 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQZTqDfKXxMHkBXtNfJXtsFQPtC?projector=1

Join us, either in person or via zoom, on Sunday May 27th at 11am,

as Brandeis University scholar Gilad Cohen presents

“Clash of the Early Zionists”     

If you are familiar with Zionism's popular history, but open to critically assessing your ideas and opinions in light of academic sources, you will find this an engaging event.

Tickets are free.  Donations are welcome.  For more information about the presentation and the speaker, or to reserve your ticket, visit  https://zionists.eventbrite.com  

Suicide – Violate Shabbos to Save attempted Suicide

Igros Moshe (OC I #127) Question: You are uncertain about the question of a whether Shabbos can be profaned to save the life of a person who caused the danger by attempting suicide. You cite the Magen Avraham that it is prohibited to profane Shabbos to save his life. Answer In my humble opinion it is impossible to say that because such a distinction is not to be found anywhere in the halachic sources. And there is an established principle that nothing stands in the way of saving life including Shabbos even if the danger was brought about by the person’s own actions. 

Igros Moshe (YD III #90) That which I wrote that one is obligated to even violate Shabbos to save life of one who attempted suicide – there is no question that that is correct and your questions from the Mishneh Berura and Rema are not relevant. The point is that one needs to do what he can to save the life of his fellow .  

Are Trump’s policies a sign of the Messiah? Some religious leaders think so

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1esnx5okx

Some religious Jewish and Christian groups believe the Messiah's arrival—whether for the first or second time—could be imminent. In their view, God has set the stage by returning Donald Trump to the White House.

"Purim is where God orchestrates all these natural and political events in order to save Israel," explained Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder and CEO of Israel365. "And God places Esther in the palace 'for such a time as this.'"

Speaking on the ILTV News Podcast, Weisz said, "A lot of people said that God placed Trump in the White House," but now they are starting to believe it.

He pointed to Maimonides' teachings, which outlined three key events that would signal the coming of the Messiah.

The first, he explained, is the destruction of Amalek, which many—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after October 7—equate with modern-day Hamas.

The second is a religious revival among the Jewish people. Some American Jews believe they see this happening in a growing "surge" of interest in religious involvement, while in Israel, it is reflected in the rise of the religious right.

According to Weisz, the final stage is the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.