In Parshas Shemini, we read about the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. But immediately following, we have a long detour where the Torah discusses the laws of kashrus, tumoh and taharah of animals and sheratzim, and then laws of yoledes, metzora and tumas odom. We veer far off from the death of the sons of Aharon and suddenly in Acharei Mos we resume the subject. Why the large digression? What was the sin of the sons of Aharon? The posuk says they brought ketores that was not commanded. Chazal have many other opinions. One says it was because they were not married. Another says it was because they were drunk. Yet another says they issued a halachic ruling in the presence of their rebbe. How do we reconcile all these views? After the sons of Aharon died, Moshe tells Aharon that Hashem chose to ...
President Donald Trump fumed at former national security adviser Michael Flynn over a delayed return call to Russian President Vladimir Putin. That's what two people familiar with the call told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Trump's displeasure with Flynn was revealed late Thursday in memos written by former FBI Director James Comey detailing his conversations with Trump. The identity of the foreign leader, with whom Trump spoke on Jan. 28, 2017, was blacked out in the copies of the memos sent to Capitol Hill on Thursday and obtained by the AP. Comey recounts how Trump at a private White House dinner pointed his fingers at his head and complained that Flynn "has serious judgment issues" over fa...
NEW YORK (AP) — Wells Fargo is being fined a combined $1 billion by two federal regulators for abuses tied to its mortgage and auto lending businesses. The bank will pay $500 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, its main bank regulator, as well as $500 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This is the first fine that Mick Mulvaney, appointed as acting director of the CFPB by President Trump, has imposed since he took over the bureau in late November. Wells Fargo was fined $100 million by the CFPB in September 2016 after its employees opened as many as 3.5 million bank and credit card accounts without getting customers' authorization. The bank has been under investigation for other practices since then.
We read this week the laws that pertain to tzaraas as it affects the body, garments and houses, as well as the laws regarding discharges from the human body, both of which contaminate and require a process of purification and the possible bringing of offerings. In the introduction to these laws the Torah states how “Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying...” This very same description: “Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying...” precedes the laws defining kosher animals, fowl and fish, and the laws of contamination as it pertains to them as outlined in last week’s portion. There are only thirteen references in Chumash to Torah being transmitted through Moshe and Aharon together. Rashi notes how the laws of kashrus were taught immediately following the ...
No, really: What does the word mean? And where did it come from?In a recent New York Times book review of Jonathan Weisman’s (((SEMITISM))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump, the famed author Simon Schama counseled, as a defense against anti-Semitism, “an aggressive defense of … the integrity of the democratic process, the protections of the Constitution and the preservation of the ideal of a nation of immigrants.” And, he added, “A little davening now and then wouldn’t do any harm.” Ah, daven. A Yiddish word whose source is as elusive as the act itself–praying–is common. Theories abound about the word’s etymology, none of them terribly compelling. Some point to the Arabic word ...
BERLIN (AP) — A theater in southern Germany is proceeding with plans to open a satirical play Friday about Adolf Hitler's youth in which some patrons will be wearing swastika armbands, despite objections and legal complaints. The Konstanz Theater's production of George Tabori's "Mein Kampf " opens Friday night for a monthlong run. Though named after Hitler's infamous anti-Semitic manifesto, the play tells a fictional story of how a young Hitler is befriended in Vienna by a Jewish man who takes pity on him for his futile pursuit of a career as an artist and puts him on his political path, as well as helping him with his hairstyle. Tabori, who was born into a Jewish family in Budapest in 1914, was known for his avant-garde works that confronted anti-Semitism...
TRENTON, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say two Florida sheriff's deputies were shot dead through the window of a Chinese restaurant by a man who then killed himself. The shooter was identified as a man from a small town just up the road from the restaurant, and his motive wasn't immediately known, but the sheriff blamed Thursday's killings on hatred toward law enforcement. "What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent it's been demonized? Every type of hate, every type of put-down you can think of," Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz said at a news conference. This shooter was a "coward," the sheriff said. "The only thing these men were guilty of is wanting to protect you and me. They just wanted to get something to eat, and they ju...
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's president and the country's foreign minister on Friday downplayed a statement from the leader of Romania's ruling party that the country was ready to soon join the U.S. and move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Liviu Dragnea, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party who effectively runs the Romanian government, said in a television interview late Thursday that the government had decided to move the embassy from Tel Aviv. On Friday, President Klaus Iohannis, who is in charge of Romania's foreign policy, said he hadn't been informed and that the decision lacked "a solid ... base." However, he said such a decision could be made "after a deep analysis which takes into consideration all the foreign policy consequences an...
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. Huge black plumes of smoke from the blazing tires engulfed the area, as Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets, witnesses said. Gaza's Health Ministry said 40 protesters were injured, but did not say how many of those were wounded by gunfire or overcome by tear gas. The protests are part of what organizers, led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group, have billed as an escalating showdown with Israel, to culminate in a mass march on May 15. Organizers have made...
Jerusalem, Israel - Apr. 20, 2018 - The 65th annual Israel Prize ceremony took place in Jerusalem, Israel, as the Israel Independence Day came to a close. Twelve Israelis who have excelled in varied field were honored, among them Natan Shransky, David Levy, Gil Shwed, and Professor Shlomo Havlin,  As is custom, one winner speaks of behalf of the group, after videos of each recipient are shown and their prize certificate received. This year the final recipient and speaker was Miriam Peretz, an educator who had two sons fall in defense of Israel. From her tragedy, Peretz has gone on to inspire thousands of young soldiers and students to live better lives. Peretz received more than one standing ovation, and many wiped away tears as she spoke about being one nation that must come togethe...
Jerusalem, Israel - Apr. 20, 2018 - The televised Israeli  state ceremony for Yom Haatzmaut, began at sunset after Yom Hazikron on Har Herzl, with the recitation of Yizkor by Nobel Prize winner Professor Yisrael Aumann. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein spoke and lit a torch, as did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by twelve torches lit by honorees, one torch for each of the twelve tribes. Those honored this year to light torches represented diverse Israel, including a Druze leader. A short video was shown highlighting each torch lighters accomplishments before they took light from military escorts who assisted.  The program was filled with drama, music, fire and dance. Actors, students and choirs performed. A special drone display was added in the program program ...
HURST, Texas (AP) — Police have released dashcam video showing a North Texas house exploding just as a police officer steps into the yard while responding after an SUV hit the residence. Hurst police released the video Wednesday from the April 7 explosion. Officers had responded to the house after an SUV crashed into it on April 7. Officer Travis Hiser said it was "crazy" to have what seemed to be a safe and secure scene turn into "now everything is on fire and everything has been turned upside down." After the explosion, Hiser and Cpl. Ryan Tooker rescued three people — a couple and their adult son — from the home. Police have said the home's primary gas line and meter were severed in the crash.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump told former FBI Director James Comey that he had serious concerns about the judgment of his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and Trump's chief of staff asked days later if Flynn's communications were being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant, according to memos maintained by Comey and obtained by The Associated Press. Trump also told Comey that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Russia had "some of the most beautiful hookers in the world" even as he adamantly, and repeatedly, distanced himself from a salacious allegation involving prostitutes in Moscow, the documents state. The 15 pages of documents contain new details about a series of interactions with Trump that Comey found so unnerving that ...
In the laws dealing with the time of impurity after giving birth, the Torah instructs us that there is an initial seven day period of Tuma.  The Baal Haturim points out (Tazriya, 12:2) that this parallels the seven days of mourning observed when a person dies.  The same way one comes in (7 days) is the way he goes out.  While there are many mysteries surrounding the concepts of Tuma and Tehara, there should not be so much obliviousness as to what is and isn’t appropriate behavior and topics of discussion when being menachem avel one who has lost a close relative. This week seems an appropriate time to discuss some of the proper protocolFirst, it is worth clearing up some of the misconceptions surrounding mourning in general.  While there are a multitude of Mitzvos...
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that his rival, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, isn't asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, this would seem to remove a major sticking point to a potential nuclear disarmament deal. North Korea, a small, authoritarian nation surrounded by bigger and richer neighbors, has always linked its pursuit of nuclear weapons to what it calls a "hostile" U.S. policy that is embodied by the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, the 50,000 stationed in Japan, and the "nuclear umbrella" security guarantee that Washington offers allies Seoul and Tokyo. Although Moon reported that North Korea isn't asking for the U....
The Associated Press has obtained 15 pages of memos that former FBI Director James Comey drafted about his interactions with President Donald Trump. The Justice Department provided the documents to Congress on Thursday. The memos include details about several interactions in the first few months of the Trump administration. They include a January 2017 dinner at which Comey says Trump asked him for his loyalty, and a conversation the following month about former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn. Some of the episodes have been recounted in Comey's congressional testimony last year and in his new book, "A Higher Loyalty." __ 7:45 p.m. The Justice Department has sent Congress confidential memos written by former FBI Director James Comey. In a letter sent to three...
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Zachariah Gelley, zt”l, rov of K’hal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan in New York City. He was 85 years old. Rav Gelley was a noted talmid chochom and manhig, who guided KAJ, which is comprised of an elementary yeshiva for boys and girls, a Bais Yaakov middle school for girls, a mesivta high school for boys, a bais medrash and kollel, a mikvah, a kashrus supervisory organization, a chevra kadisha, and more. Rav Gelley hailed from Tapolcany, Slovakia, and survived the horrors of World War II by hiding, enduring imprisonment and other tribulations. Rav Gelley immigrated to Eng...
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has agreed to provide Congress with copies of several memos written by former FBI Director James Comey. That's according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person declined to be named because the documents had not yet been sent to Congress. The move comes as House Republicans threatened to subpoena the documents and criticized department officials. Comey revealed last year that he had written the memos after conversations with President Donald Trump, who later fired him. Justice officials had allowed some lawmakers to view the memos, but had never provided copies to Congress. Last week, three House chairmen demanded the memos by Monday. The Justice Department asked for more time, and the lawmakers agreed.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is joining President Donald Trump's personal legal team. "I'm doing it because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the president and for Bob Mueller," Giuliani told The Washington Post. Giuliani is a close ally of the president's and was a top Trump supporter on the campaign trail. Last month, John Dowd resigned as the president's top outside attorney representing himin the investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. Trump considered Giuliani for an administration post when he won the 2016 election, but did not end up choosing him for a job. Ty Cobb, the White H...
Losses among technology and consumer products companies weighed on U.S. stocks Thursday, snapping a three-day winning streak for the market. Banks bucked the trend, rising along with bond yields. Energy companies also eked out a slight gain, despite a late-afternoon downturn in oil prices. The broad market slide came as investors pored over the latest corporate quarterly results. "The earnings were a little bit disappointing today and we're just really seeing, especially within the tech sector, follow-through on some of the big names that have reported disappointing numbers in some key spaces," said Lindsey Bell, an investment strategist at CFRA Research. The S&P 500 index fell 15.51 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,693.13. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 83.18 points, or 0.3...
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