Even Trump’s staunchest Republican congressional allies expressed outrage at the prospect of abandoning Syrian Kurds who had fought the Islamic State group with American arms and advice. It was the latest example of Trump’s approach to foreign policy that critics condemn as impulsive, that he sometimes reverses and that frequently is untethered to the advice of his national security aides.
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Which U.S. presidents led the nation into new wars?
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-modern-us-presidents-new-wa-idUSKBN2A22SN
Posts on social media say former U.S. President Donald Trump was “the first president in modern history” who “did not start a new war.” There have, however, been other U.S. presidents in modern history who did not enter the country into a new war. While defining military interventions can be difficult, Trump is not the only president not to start a new war during his administration.
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Tucker Carlson Accused Of Promoting Russian Propaganda As Putin Masses Forces On Ukraine Border
"Tucker Carlson's support of Putin's claim that he has a historical right to protect Russian-Ukrainians is the same as if Mexico claimed a right to take Texas back. I'm sure he'd parse a tortured way out of that historical similarity, but it would be his usual absurd double-talk," said Dr. Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of National Security, International Affairs, and Political Science at the University of New Haven.
Donald Trump Is Pretending to Be Subservient to Putin, Fox News Guest Says
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-fox-news-trump-putin-1681660
Fox News host Pete Hegseth has suggested that former President Donald Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin is part of a strategy to "troll" the media.
Hegseth appeared as a guest on the channel's Jesse Watters Primetime on Tuesday, to discuss Trump's description of the Russian president as "savvy" and "genius" for his tactics in the Donbass region of Ukraine.
Manafort not hunter Biden
Garnel commented
The desperation to divert from the weakness and ineptitude of Biden is stunning. It was under a Democrat that Putin took the Crimea and set up Donbas. It was a Democrat's son (Hunter Biden) who got embroiled in a scandal in the Ukraine which we all know about despite the media's attempts to make the story disappear. Meanwhile it's now under another Democrat that Putin is invading Ukraine. But who's to blame? Trump! I see why Trump likes Israel so much. Like Israel, he gets blamed for everything even though most of the time he's not responsible.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/05/ex-trump-aide-paul-manafort-approved-black-ops-to-help-ukraine-president supported pro Russian puppet
Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort authorised a secret media operation on behalf of Ukraine’s former president featuring “black ops”, “placed” articles in the Wall Street Journal and US websites and anonymous briefings against Hillary Clinton.
The project was designed to boost the reputation of Ukraine’s then leader, Viktor Yanukovych. It was part of a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort carried out by Manafort on behalf of Yanukovych’s embattled government, emails and documents reveal.
Putin’s absurd, angry spectacle will be a turning point in his long reign
Sergei Naryshkin, the hawkish head of Russia’s spy service, known for making aggressively anti-western statements, stuttered uncomfortably as Putin grilled him on whether he supported the decision.
“Speak directly!” Putin snapped, twice.
Eventually, when he was able to get the words out, Naryshkin said he supported “the LNR and DNR becoming part of Russia.” Putin told him that wasn’t the subject of the discussion; it was only recognition being weighed up.
G-d color of hair?
Chagiga (14a). One verse says: His raiment was as white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; and [elsewhere] it is written: His locks are curled and black as a raven! — There is no contradiction: one verse [refers to God] in session, and the other in war. For a Master said: In session none is more fitting than an old man, and in war none is more fitting than a young man. One passage says: His throne was fiery flames; and another Passage says: Till thrones were places, and One that was ancient of days did sit! — There is no contradiction: one [throne] for Him, and one for David; this is the view of R. Akiba. Said R. Jose the Galilean to him: Akiba, how long wilt thou treat the Divine Presence as profane! Rather, [it must mean], one for justice and one for grace. Did he accept [this explanation from him, or did he not accept it? — Come and hear: One for justice and one for grace; this is the view of R. Akiba. Said R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah to him: Akiba, what hast thou to do with Aggadah? Cease thy talk, and turn to [the laws concerning defilement through] leprosy-signs and tent-covering! Rather, [it must mean] one for a throne and one for a stool; the throne to sit upon, the stool for a footrest, for it is said: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My foot-rest.
Ben Yehoyada(Chagiga 14a) לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן בִּישִׁיבָה, כָּאן בְּמִלְחָמָה
הנה נודע דמה שנגלה לעיניהם הוא בדרך שאמר הכתוב (הושע יב, יא) וּבְיַד הַנְּבִיאִים אֲדַמֶּה, שאין הנביאים רואין מראה ממש אלא כל אחד יצטייר לפניו כפי מה שיוכל להשיג ולסבול וכן כאן נצטייר לעיניהם אורות חסדים עליונים במראה שערות לבנות ועל הים נצטייר לעיניהם אורות גבורות עליונים במראה שערות שחורות ומלבד שהיה זה המראה כדי להשכילם ענין סודיי ונסתר על הארת העולמות למעלה.
עוד לימדם בזה בינה להבין ולהשכיל דכן ראוי להיות בישיבה זקן ובמלחמה בחור ויבינו בזה דבר מתוך דבר דבמלחמה צריך זרוז ומהירות במעשה המלחמה ולא יתנהגו בכבידות אלא כטבע הבחור שהוא תקיף וזריז ומהיר אך בישיבה שהוא ענין לימוד תורה לתלמידים לא טוב החפזון ומהירות אלא יתנהג בכבידות כטבע הזקן.
Stars are intelligent beings
Mishna Torah (Yesodei hatorah 3:3) All of the stars and spheres are beings, endowed with a soul, intelligence and understanding; they continue a purposeful life and are conscious of the existence of Him Who spoke and the universe sprang forth. Each and every one, according to his greatness and degree, extol and glorify the Creator as do the angels; and to the extent that they recognize the Holy One, blessed is He! they also know their own selves and the angels above them. But the intelligence of the stars and spheres is lesser than the intelligence of the angels, but greater than the intelligence of man.
Moreh Nevuchim (2:5:1) SCRIPTURE supports the theory
that the spheres are animate and intellectual, i.e., capable of comprehending
things: that they are not, as ignorant persons believe, inanimate masses like
fire and earth, but are, as the philosophers assert, endowed with life, and
serve their Lord, whom they mightily praise and glorify; comp. "The
heavens declare the glory of God," etc. (Ps. 19:2). It is a great error to
think that this is a mere figure of speech: for the verbs "to
declare" and "to relate," when joined together, are, in Hebrew,
only used of intellectual beings. That the Psalmist really means to describe the
heavens' own doing, in other words, what the spheres actually do, and not what
man thinks of them, may be best inferred from the words, "There is no
speech, nor language, their voice is not heard" (ver. 4). Here he clearly
shows that he describes the heavens themselves as in reality praising God, and
declaring His wonders without words of lip and tongue. When man praises God in
words actually uttered, he only relates the ideas which he has conceived, but
these ideas form the real praise. The reason why he gives expression to these
ideas is to be found in his desire to communicate them to others, or to make
himself sure that he has truly conceived them. Therefore it is said,
"Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still" (Ps. 4:5).
Only ignorant or obstinate persons would refuse to admit this proof taken from
Scripture.
Moreh Nevuchim (2:5:2) As to the opinion of our Sages,
I do not see any necessity for expounding or demonstrating it. Consider only
the form they gave to the blessing recited on seeing the new moon, the ideas
repeatedly occurring in the prayers and the remarks in the Midrash on the
following and similar passages:--"And the host of heaven worshippeth
thee" (Neh. 9:6); "When the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). In Bereshit Rabba, on the
passage--"And the earth was empty and formless" (Gen. 1:2), our Sages
remark as follows: "The words tohu and bohu mean mourning and crying; the
earth mourned and cried on account of her evil lot, saying, 'I and the heavens
were created together, and yet the beings above live for ever, and we are
mortal.'" Our Sages, by this remark, indicate their belief that the
spheres are animated beings, and not inanimate matter like the elements.
Moreh Nevuchim (2:5:3) The opinion of Aristotle, that the spheres
are capable of comprehension and conception, is in accordance with the words of
our prophets and our theologians or Sages. The philosophers further agree that
this world below is governed by influences emanating from the spheres, and that
the latter comprehend and have knowledge of the things which they influence.
This theory is also met with in Scripture: comp. [the stars and all the host of
heaven] "which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations" (Deut.
4:19), that is to say, the stars, which God appointed to be the means of
governing His creatures, and not the objects of man's worship. It has therefore
been stated clearly: "And to rule over the day and over the night"
(Gen. 1:18). The term "ruling" here refers to the power which the
spheres possess of governing the earth, in addition to the property of giving
light and darkness. The latter property is the direct cause of genesis and
destruction; it is described in the words, "And to divide the light from
the darkness (ibid.). It is impossible to assume that those who rule a thing
are ignorant of that very thing which they rule, if we take "to rule"
in its proper sense. We will add another chapter on this subject.
Dancing with the Moon: innovations in the Kiddush Levana in light of the first moon landing
The day after humankind’s first landing on the Lunar surface July 20, 1969, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on a poetic and topical innovation to the Kiddush Levana, the Blessing over the Moon, by Israeli Armed Forces’ Chief Chaplain General Shlomo Goren in the IDF Siddur.
Rav Yakov and the Moon landing
אמת ליעקב פרשת בראשית
ודברי רמב"ן אלה הם שעמדו לי בשעה שראינו איך שבני אדם יורדים מעל המטוס ע"י סולם על גלגל הלבנה, וחשבתי בלבי מה יענה כעת הרמב"ם ז"ל שכתב שהלבנה היא בעלת צורה רוחנית11, והרהרתי בלבי שכעת נצחה הקבלה את הפיליסופיא, ונחמתי את עצמי בדברי רמב"ן אלו.
אבל כפי שאנחנו מתייחסים לדברי הראשונים שסוברים אנו בגדר של אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים א"כ אף על פי שבמקום זה אין הלכה כמותו אבל שיהיו דבריו דברי טעות לא יכולתי להשלים, ואם טעה הרמב"ם בהלכות יסודי התורה מדוע לא יטעה בהלכות שבת וכדומה?
והנראה בזה, דהנה לכאורה יש לתמוה על כל הענינים שכתב הרמב"ם בארבעת הפרקים הראשונים של הלכות יסודי התורה, הא כתב הרמב"ם בסוף הלכות אלו [פ"ד הלי"ג] וז"ל: ועניני ארבעה פרקים אלו הם שחכמים הראשונים קוראין אותו פרדס וכו', ובחגיגה [דף י"א ע"ב] איתא: אין דורשין במעשה בראשית כו' ולא במרכבה ביחיד אא"כ היה חכם ומבין בדעתו וכו', וא"כ בודאי לא נכתבו עניינים אלו אלא נמסרו בעל פה מפה לאוזן, וא"כ איך כתבן הרמב"ם בחיבורו ופירסמם לכל, ובפרט שהרמב"ם עצמו [בפ"ד הל"י] הביא הדין הזה שאין דורשין בדברים האלו ברבים וכו', וא"כ מדוע כתבן בספרו?
ובעל כרחנו אנו צריכין לומר שמה שמסר לנו הרמב"ם בפרקים אלו אין זה לא מעשה מרכבה ולא מעשה בראשית, אלא כתב כל הד' פרקים אלה מדעתו הרחבה מתוך ידיעות בחכמות חיצוניות, כלומר שלא מחכמת התורה, אלא הרי זה פיליסופיא בעלמא12 - ונאמר שכבר השיג עליו הגר"א ביו"ד סי' קע"ט סקי"ג שהפיליסופיא הטתו ברוב לקחה ועיי"ש, והרמב"ם כתב פרקים אלו רק בתור הקדמה לספר יד החזקה, ועיקר הספר מתחיל מפרק ה': כל בית ישראל מצווין על קידוש השם וכו', ואין לדמות טעויות בהלכות אלו לטעויות בהלכות שבת וכדומה, ודו"ק..
בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ.
כתב בעל הטורים: בראשית אותיות א' בתשרי נברא העולם עכ"ל. אמנם עיין בתוס' פ"ק דר"ה [דף ח' ע"א ד"ה לתקופות] שכתבו דלמאן דאמר בתשרי נברא העולם היינו בכ"ה אלול נברא העולם כי בא' בתשרי נברא אדם הראשון עיין שם, וא"כ לדבריהם אי אפשר לומר מש"כ בעל הטורים. ואולי דגם הבעה"ט כוונתו לבריאת האדם, אלא דמכנה בריאת העולם בשם בריאת האדם13.
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