70 nations gather in Paris to discuss two-state solution, Israel and Palestinian Authority skip

  -- Russia Today (with many similar headlines gracing the front of many other news media sites)

1. without saying anything many others are not also noticing and feeling, the event of 70 nations of the world gathering together to oppose Israel and its existence in Jerusalem has a prophetic feel to it

2. What kind of peace process can be dscussed with any value without the participation of the Israelis and the Palestinians...

topics include Rubashkin, media in Israel's democracy, Jared Kushner as Trump's adviser, and Barak Obama being banned form a Jewish golf course

I like this new series...

huh?

huh?

very cool

I generally find Rabbi Yudel Shain's writings and comments (from what I have seen, usually about matters of kashrut) to be on the extreme side and, to me, distasteful.

However, I found this post of his intriguing:

Pros and Cons of "MUST go" to Seminary in Israel
There has been lately many that strongly oppose the ingrained concept that "must go to Seminary in Israel" in order to marry the right Ben-Torah.
The Pros are self evident.
The Cons;
The huge expense that most can't afford.
That $20,000.00 plus [saved] can help the new young couple.
Training for a parnosah delayed by at least a year.
They don't receive the tools needed to prepare for a Torah marriage, etc.
Delaying marriage by at least a year.
A girl should be under the supervision of their parents (enough said!)
We have heard of the tragic experiences in some Israel seminaries.
If we are talking about hashkofah, yahdus, etc in order to go into chinuch? Gateshead is more geared to that element.

Machon Puah has issued a psak stating that one must report sexual molestation to the police.

Before getting to the details of the psak, I'll add that what I find interesting about this is not the psak itself, as it is not really new or unique (though some of the explanation is), even if not [yet] consensus, but where it came from. The Puah Institute deals with reproductive medicine and fertility treatments, in the sense of supervising treatments from a halachic perspective, along with counseling and support. Sexual molestation and such issues has not quite been in their repertoire. It seems that for their upcoming conference, they have added this topic to their discussion, and the issued psak is in advance of that.

Now to the psak... According to Machon Puah, one is obligated to report sexual abuse/molestation. They reason that times have changed and nowadays calling the police is not considered being a "moiser" - under the prohibition of reporting fellow Jews to the authorities. When a person presents a danger to the public, one can even give him over to non-Jewish authorities. They refer to Rav Dov Lior as to having said that today's criminal law in Israel is not like "din torah" but it is like halacha and despite the fact that the laws were established by people who do not keep the Torah's laws and commandments, but the religious parties have agreed to these laws so it is ok.

Further, Rav Burshtein, head of The Puah Institute, determined that the police today is different - today the Chief of Police is religious, the police have appointed a police rabbi to the force, there are religious detectives and investigators, and there is a common language between the religious community and the police more than before.
sources: Srugim, Israel Hayom

I admit these are arguments that I never heard before, so I consider them noteworthy.

MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) has proposed a law that would change the status of the Rabbanut Kashrut division from that of a monopoly with the only authority to declare a food item as kosher to one of a regulator of other kashrut agencies.

Azaria says this is a situation of a classic monopoly that makes things unnecessarily more difficult for the citizens. And, the third-party kashrut agencies, the various 'Badatzim", all operate without any standing in law. Azaria says there are millions of shekels being passed around unreported, and it is very possible the validity of the kashrut is actually in question.

Azaria explains that a report prepared for the Ministry of Fniance concludes that the kashrut monopoly held by the Rabbanut costs the Israeli economy more than half a billion shekels per year, while in the Haredi community various kashrut organizations operate without really any need for a Rabbanut.

The current kashrut system has many flaws, such as; lack of set standards, lack of transparency in costs and prices, and more. Official comptroller reports have determined that religious councils around the country have operated with conflicts of interest regarding their kashrut authority, they use their power to coerce businesses to register and pay for kashrut certificates they do not need, unreported monies, pressure on restaurant owners to order from specific suppliers (a criminal offense). Restaurants or food establishments that want an alternate hechsher cannot obtain one without continuing to pay the relevant Rabbanut religious council, regardless of any service actually being performed.

So, Azaria is proposing to legalize the private hechsherim that operate in the Haredi community in order to mkae the system more efficient, and the Rabbanut would become a regulatory body. The Rabbanut would appoint people to certify private organizations wishing to give kashrut certification. Halachic criteria would be publicized, and people working for the Rabbanut regulatory system would not be allowed to work for the private kashrut organizations.

This would trun the kashrut certification market into a competitive market and thus lower the affected costs to the consumer.
source: Kipa

Azaria is a member of the coalition, and this is going to have to pass through the Haredi parties who hold a coalition agreement regarding religious issues. This will surely be determined to be a religious issue, rather than just a commercial issue. So, we'll have to see what they say about this. What might help is a recent report that claimed the Rabbanut itself was leaning towards moving in this direction to operate as a regulatory body rather than to continue as the sole authority able to give kashrut certification.

Madoff reportedly cornered the hot chocolate market in prison

  -- Fox News


I don't know why but I am fascinated by this.

you can take the horse to the trough, but you can't make him drink. You can take a crook like Madoff to prison, to reform his ways, but you can't make him learn the lessons and actually reform his ways...

I'm also a bit surprised Madoff hasn't yet gotten a shiv stuck in him...

thanks, Wild Bill!!