Families in which the father does not work at least 24 hours a week but is involved in academic or vocational studies will still be eligible for the subsidies, which will end for yeshiva students only.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
4th Of July Shootings Across The Country Killed More Than 180 People
More than 180 people were killed in shootings across the country over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive and reviewed by NPR.
By 11:30 p.m. on Monday, the Gun Violence Archive reported 189 people killed and 516 injured in shootings over the course of a 72-hour period starting Friday. In total, there were more than 540 shootings over the holiday weekend, the organization reported.
Those numbers may increase as the organization continues to collect statistics from the weekend.
News of major shootings in Chicago, Texas, Virginia and Ohio comes as many of the nation's largest cities are struggling to contain a continued rise in violent crimes. Officials from across the country had spoken of serious fears of a bloody summer earlier this year.
Albany, N.Y., Mayor Kathy M. Sheehan told The Washington Post in May that her city was experiencing a rise in gun violence. At the time, she said she was "really worried" about the approaching summer months.
Some major cities faced concerns about violent crime last summer similar to what they do this year. In 2020, nearly 90 people were shot in Chicago over Independence Day weekend and 17 of them died.
Eric Adams declared winner of NYC Democratic mayoral race
Eric Adams declared victory in the city’s Democratic mayoral race Tuesday after holding on to a razor-thin lead in a pivotal new tally of votes, putting him on track to become just the second Black mayor in Big Apple history after running a centrist campaign heavily focused on crime-fighting.
Adams, Brooklyn’s current borough president and a retired NYPD captain, led former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia by just 8,426 ballots — or 1% of the total — after more than 120,000 absentee votes were added to the Board of Elections’ unofficial tally of ranked-choice results.
US, Guatemalan forces raid extremist haredi Lev Tahor cult compound
US and local Guatemalan police have begun raiding the compound of the extremist ultra-Orthodox (haredi) cult, Lev Tahor, arresting at least three top officials in the cult, Globes reported on Tuesday evening.
Another reporter for Globes reported that cult-members Yoel and Shmuel Weingarten have been arrested.
Forget about who catches COVID-19, the serious cases matter - analysis
What is understood is that as of now, the vaccine is at least 90%-95% effective against stopping hospitalization or serious disease – the metric that at least these health professionals believe should be used in determining policy.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Lace-Front Sheitels: An Exploding Controversy
http://www.5tjt.com/lace-front-sheitels-an-exploding-controversy/
Rabbi Yitzchok Berkowitz rules that since there is no ma’aris ayin in sheitels according to the responsum of Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt’l (Igros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. II #12), there would be no problem in lace-front sheitels. Rav Moshe’s letter was written in the summer of 1962 to Rabbi Dovid Lappa, z’l (who lived in Bayswater at the end of his life), and contained a number of rationales as to why there is no ma’aris ayin regarding sheitels. (1) Ma’aris ayin is only for a lav and not an issur aseih; (2) Most of the time it is recognizable that it is a wig; (3) Even if men do not recognize that it is a wig, women do recognize it, and that is enough to prevent a ma’aris ayin, as we can see in regard to shaving with an electric razor; (4) Since she is known as an ishah kesheirah, no one would dare suspect her of not following halachah.
The Rebbe on the Jewish Woman's Hair Covering
The Rebbe went so far as to state that wigs might even be more
attractive than one's own hair. At the time, it was meant to encourage
and educate women who were of the opinion that all wigs were
aesthetically lacking. In comparison to what women might have worn in
earlier generations, the new wigs, the Rebbe said, were attractive.
Mitzvah to Live in Israel
https://www.aish.com/atr/Mitzvah_to_Live_in_Israel.html
The general approach today is that if both places (Israel and the
Diaspora) are equally "livable," one should make the effort to live in
Israel. Every year, approximately 3,000 Jews make aliyah from North
America – 90 percent of them religious.
Is There a Mitzva to Settle the Land of Israel?
https://etzion.org.il/en/halakha/yoreh-deah/eretz-yisrael/there-mitzva-settle-land-israel
The first question that arises in any discussion regarding the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel is whether or not such a mitzva exists? The Rambam, as is well known, did not include the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel in his count of the 613 biblical mitzvot. The Ramban, in his criticisms of the Rambam's Sefer ha-Mitzvot, adds the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel as one of the commandments unjustly omitted by the Rambam:
Are We Required to Live in Israel?
But Maimonides’ position is less easily understood. As Nachmanides observes, Maimonides does not count possessing or living in the land of Israel as a mitzvah. Meggilat Esther offers a well-known explanation for Maimonides’ position. He explains that according to Maimonides, a commandment can only be included among the 613 mitzvot if it applies for all generation. Any commandment that is given to be performed at a specific time in history cannot be included among the 613 mitzvot. For example, at the time of the giving of the Torah Bnai Yisrael were instructed to not approach or ascend Sinai. This injunction was related to a specific time – the Revelation. After Revelation, the mitzvah no longer operates. There is no prohibition against climbing Sinai today. Therefore, this injunction cannot be counted among the 613 mitzvot.[2] Meggilat Esther contends that the command to posses the land of Israel was given to Moshe and Yehoshua to perform. The command continued to be binding and active until the exile from the land of Israel. But with exile, the command was suspended. It will reemerge with the Messianic era. But in the interim, there is no requirement to posses or conquer the land. Therefore, this is not a command that applies for all generations. Like the injunction to not ascend Sinai, the requirement to conquer the land of Israel emerges and reemerges at specific moments in history. As a result, it cannot be counted among the 613 mitzvot.[3]
Topic: Israel, Obligation to Live in
https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/152/Q1/
Other factors to consider: How will you deal with living far from family? How will you adapt to a new culture? What suitable marriage prospects are available? What appropriate Torah study program will you connect with? Will you be able to live in a Torah neighborhood?
G-d forbid anyone should say a life isn't 'worthwhile' just because it's lived outside of Israel. A life dedicated to Torah and Mitzvot is certainly worthwhile, wherever it is. Sometimes a person's contribution to the Jewish People can be even greater outside of Israel, especially a person involved in Jewish education or outreach.
The Mitzvah Of Making Aliyah (Living In Israel) Today
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l (Igros Moshe E.H. 102) discusses whether there is a mitzvah to make aliyah and why many rabbanim have lived in the Diaspora. He writes that even according to the opinion of the Ramban, that there exists a biblical obligation, the nature of this obligation is different than many other mitzvos. He feels that this mitzvah is “kiyumis” not “chiyuvis”.
Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l agreed with the premise of Rav Moshe
Feinstein. He also felt that the mitzvah to live in Israel is a mitzvah
“kiyumis” and not “chiyuvis” (oral ruling cited by Rav Herschel
Schachter shlit”a sefer Peninei Harav).
Gang who held French Jewish family hostage sentenced to up to 12 years in jail
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309304
A French court has sentenced a nine-member gang who violently kidnapped a Jewish family to sentences of up to 12 years in prison.
The Assize Court in Seine-Saint-Denis, located near Paris, tries some of the most egregious crimes committed in France.
The judge ruled in this case that the gang receive sentences ranging from 4 to 12 years in jail.
The lengthiest sentence was handed down to the ringleader of the three main assailants who attacked Mireille Pinto, 75, Roger Pinto, 89, and their 52-year old son David.
The elder Pinto is a well known leader of the French Jewish community.
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