The Hegseth Pentagon Chronicles

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/pete-hegseth-pentagon-leaks-dismissals-signal-chat-b296e38e?mod=hp_opin_pos_5#cxrecs_s

The Defense secretary is validating the concerns of his critics.

No doubt the Beltway press would love to knock Pete Hegseth out as Defense secretary, but that doesn’t come close to explaining the mess at the Pentagon. The staff infighting, dismissals, and leaks over Signal app chats look to be the self-inflicted mistakes of a management neophyte.

Three advisers were dismissed last week and hit social media to claim ill-treatment. Another departed adviser published an account of what he called “a month of total chaos at the Pentagon” in Politico. According to multiple media accounts, Mr. Hegseth ran a chat on the Signal messaging app that discussed a military strike and included his wife and other associates.

Dow Headed for Worst April Since 1932 as Investors Send ‘No Confidence’ Signal

 https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/dow-jones-stocks-worst-april-1932-74fe82ac?mod=hp_lead_pos1

Few think administration’s negotiations with trade partners will yield results soon enough to ease the strain

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed almost 1,000 points on Monday and is headed for its worst April performance since 1932, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The S&P 500’s performance since Inauguration Day is now the worst for any president up to this point in data going back to 1928, according to Bespoke Investment Group.

Trump Administration Sued by Harvard in Federal Court Over Frozen Funds

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-sued-harvard-federal-court-over-frozen-funds-2062300 

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump's administration sent a letter to Harvard outlining its demands, which included increased disciplinary actions against campus protesters, screening international students for "hostility to American values," and requiring audits to assess ideological diversity among faculty and students. The letter also called for broad leadership changes and the derecognition of some student clubs. Harvard President Alan Garber pushed back strongly, declaring that the university would not "bend to the government's demands."

In its 51-page complaint, filed in U.S. district court in Boston, Harvard accuses the Trump administration of retaliatory overreach, stating, "The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation."

Cremation

Igros Moshe (YD III #147.2)  Question Is it permitted to bury the ashes of someone cremated in a Jewish cemeyery?Answer A person who was cremated either because of the evil request of the children  or his own sinfulness it is not allowed that the ashes are to be buried in a Jewish cemetary and in fact the ashes of a corpse do not need to be buried 

Igros Moshe (YD IV #56.1) Question A  Jewish man died and was buried in Russia in a cemetary which is for all Russians including non Jews since the Soviets do not allow a cemetary exclusively for Jews.Later the family was allowed to leave Russia to go to America and the family doesn’t want to leave him buried in the public cemetary with non Jews but the Russians don’t want him to be taken from the cemetary. Therefore the family disinterred the body and cremated it and took the ashes to America with them. And they want to bury the ashes in a Jewish cemetary.  Should the ashes of a cremated corpse be buried even though this is not required by the children to show respect for their father. Answer The ashes from cremation do not require burial. However if they want to bury the ashes to honor his memory, they should not be stopped and it even might be good to do.especially for their father even though the halacha does not require it since the world considers this the respectful thing to do. And there is no actual prohibition. From the aspect of those buried in the Jewish cemetary there is no problem to bury the ashes even if the cremated person was wicked, so that even if he were not cremated he would not be buried next to a pious person. That is because the ashes are not the same as a corpse. However the relatives of those buried in the cemetary can  try and prevent the burial by claiming that this might give the rest of the Russian’s family the right to be to be buried there and that in general Russians are not pious Jews. If that happens the family of the Russian should give a document saying they are not assuming the right to be buried there by the burial of the ashes. 

Igros Moshe (YD IV #56.3) Question: Does the family need to ask forgiveness from the deceased for disinterring the body and cremating it? Answer  It seems that that according to halacha the family has done something improper enen though that was the only way to take him from the public cemetary. and to take the deceased to America . However while what they did was prohibited they only did it out of respect for the deceased and there were no rabbinic authority to ask.  Since most people would consider that they acted to show respect to the deceased and what they did was they mistakenly viewed as a mitzva and this is considered more lenient than a sin done by mistake. It would seem that the children do not need to ask for forgiveness while if non children were involved they do need to ask forgiveness.  

Clothing – Modern permitted?

Igros Moshe (YD I #81) Question Concerning  modern clothing in which there is no difference in America between Jewish and non Jewish clothing. Does a person coming from Poland which has distinctive Jewish clothing and his children born in America have an obligation to wear the clothing that was worn in Poland because of the prohibition of wearing non Jewish clothing? What if the father already has changed to modern clothing even though that was prohibited? The universal practice is to wear modern clothing, even very pious individuals. Is this permitted?Answer The Maharik says that there is not any obligation to wear different clothing than non Jews unless their clothing is immodest or arrogant.  Similarly it is prohibited if the modern clothing is worn soley in order to appear more like non Jews or there is a concern for idolatry. .  This is also the view of the Remah. The Maharik indicates it is permitted even for the slightest benefit or honor That is why doctors typically wear a special garment and it is not consider prohibited as a non Jewish garmemt since there is a benefit. In conclusion there is not the slightest prohibition wearing normal contemporary clothing in America. . Furthermore who says that the Non Jews wore these garments originally and only later were they worn by Jews? Perhaps initially everyonre wore them and thus even the Gra would permit them and it would be permitted also for those that came from Poland as they would not be considered non Jewish clothing

What’s the Truth About . . . the Jews in Egypt Keeping Their Jewish Names, Language and Dress?

 https://jewishaction.com/religion/jewish-law/whats-the-truth-about-the-jewish-in-egypt-keeping-their-jewish-names-language-and-dress/

Misconception: The Midrash states that after centuries of servitude, G-d redeemed the Jews from Egypt in the merit of the rigorous preservation of their own names, language and mode of dress.

Fact: While these three factors certainly would have contributed to the Jews maintaining an independent identity, and some of them are mentioned in various midrashim, there is no known classical midrash that presents a list of exclusively these three points of merit.

Mishnayos for girls?

Igros Moshe (YD III #87) Question Can girls be taught Mishnayos?Answer It is stated in the gemora and the Rambam cleaerly rules that women are not to be taught the Orah Torah which includes the Mishna and that this is like teaching them tiflos. Consequently the schools should not be teaching girls mishnayos. Only Avos since it is primarily ethical issues and proper behavior can be taught to them. 

Former Pentagon official warns department’s dysfunction could topple Hegseth

 https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/20/ullyot-pentagon-hegseth-chaos-00300695

“The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon,” John Ullyot, the former top Defense Department spokesperson, wrote in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece.

The Pentagon is in “total chaos” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his role, according to its former top spokesperson, who painted a scene of dysfunction, backstabbing and continuous missteps at the highest levels of the department.

“The building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership,” John Ullyot wrote Sunday in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece. “The dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership.”

Health Ministry warns that individual in Tel Aviv has been diagnosed with measles

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/health-ministry-warns-that-individual-in-tel-aviv-has-been-diagnosed-with-measles/

The Health Ministry warns that a person has been diagnosed with the measles in Tel Aviv.

The person in question arrived on an El Al flight Friday morning from London, took the train to the Tel Aviv University stop and spent time on Saturday at an escape room and a restaurant in Herzliya, the ministry says.

The ministry warns anyone who may have come in contact with the individual to ensure that they are fully vaccinated for measles.

Torah lesson at mixed meeting- Women can stay?

Igros Moshe (YD II:109) Question  An secular organization  has a mixed meeting of men and women. A rule they made was that every meeting someone needs to give a Torah lesson. Can the women remain for the lesson Answer  The rule is a good idea. As to whether the women can remain for the Torah lesson, it is not worse than the secular topics they talk about at the meeting. While it seems accepted in America to have mixed meetings and I don’t know the reason for the leniency. Nevertheless there is no reason why the woman should leave during the Torah lesson since they also need to know Torah. However if Mincha is prayed at the meeting  than the woman need to leave the room

Donating blood for pay

Igros Moshe  (CM I #103) Question Is it permitted to donate blood to a blood bank for pay which is used later when there is need?  Answer  There is a dispute if a person is allowed to hurt himself. Tosfos says that those who prohibit this is even when there is a need. This would include getting paid.  Others say it is permitted if there is a benefit. However donating blood, there is a basis not to prohibit it. Previous generations commonly used bleeding as is stated in the gemora (Shabbos 139) so even that today when it is not common there probably is some inherent benefit and it is done in a way that doesn’t cause so much pain therefore it is possible that it is not prohibited as wounding. If someone wants to be lenient there is no need to protest against it. 

Church convert it to synagogue

Igros Moshe (OC. I #49) Question: A Catholic church which was destroyed in a fire more than 26 years ago and then was rebuilt as a school which was destroyed 3 years ago and only the brick walls remained, is it permissible to buy it and make it into a synagogue? Answer  This that it is customary in America to convert churches into synagogues is that they rely on the ruling of the Magen Avraham. However I don’t approve doing this since it uses something disgusting for a mitzva.. I am not saying that those already converted are prohibited. The importance of using something disgusting is only to avoid it but not to prohibit that which has been done. However, in this case where it was destroyed already there is a basis for leniencies. It seems that it is best that when building it until it is changed that one should not sanctify it as a shul but treat it as a normal building. Only after it is finished than it should be sanctified

Read Conservative Judge’s Full Opinion Rebuking Trump Administration Over Abrego Garcia Case

 https://time.com/7278774/judge-harvie-wilkinson-opinion-read-full-text-trump-abrego-garcia/

The blistering Fourth Circuit opinion was penned by Chief Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, an 80-year-old conservative jurist nominated to the court in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan and who was on President George W. Bush’s shortlist of potential Supreme Court nominees. In it, Wilkinson described the Trump Administration’s defiance as “shocking” and implored the Administration to respect the rule of law, warning that it is “all too possible to see in this case an incipient crisis.”

Harish mayor arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a number of women

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/mayor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sexually-assaulting-a-number-of-women/

Police suspect Yitzhak Keshet of assaulting several women, reportedly believe there may be more victims; other suspects also detained