Parshat Shoftim ...

by Rabbi Shmuel Knopfler

Parshat Shoftim delves into the need to establish a judicial system in every town and village, for every tribe. The Torah adamantly requires us to maintain an incorruptible judicial system, forbids taking bribes, and so on. Our sages emphasize the severity of taking bribes, and describe how judges kept away from anything that had the . remote semblance of a conflict of interest. The Talmud tell us that a judge would never entertain the thought of hearing the case of a friend who had “greeted him nicely” a few days earlier.

The Torah also commands us to establish a certain hierarchy in our judicial system, so that when the need arises, substantial issues will be deliberated at the high court, which was seated in Jerusalem.
Anyone who refused to abide by the court’s rulings would be considered a “zaken mamreh” – a “rebellious elder” – and severely punished.

Oldest hippopotamus in captivity dies at Jerusalem zoo

Tami, believed to be the oldest hippopotamus in captivity, died on Thursday at the age of 59 in her sleep at Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo, the zoo announced.

She was found dead in the lake of the African-themed area where she lived in the zoo run by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, a statement said.

She was "the oldest hippopotamus living in a zoo," it said.

"She died at an advanced age, surrounded by lots of love and respect."

She was the last hippo at the zoo after the death of Mati, a male, some 10 years ago.

Tami had quickly established herself as dominant among the giraffes, zebras and rhinos in the African area, it said.

"It is a difficult day for us," zoo employee Gilad Moshe told the Yisrael Hayom newspaper. "A little like losing a friend."

In July 2017, Bertha, believed at the time to be the world's oldest hippopotamus in captivity, died aged 65 at Manila Zoo in the Philippines.

Prior to that, Donna, who died in 2012 at the age of 62 at the US Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden in Evansville, Indiana, was said to be the world's oldest hippo, according to media reports at the time.

Hippos tend to live for between 40 and 50 years. The mostly herbivorous and semiaquatic animals are found in central and southern Africa.

Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo was founded in 1939 and contains some 250 species, most of which are named in the Bible.

Hamas Agree With Satmar Policy : Western Wall belongs to Muslims

The Hamas terror organization has decried any religious or historical connection between the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.

Hamas' Falestine newspaper on Saturday will publish a special edition dealing with the Western Wall, which is called Kotel Al-Buraq in Arabic.

It will discuss the Wall's geography, which according to Falestine is "the first line of defense for Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Another section, the paper will discuss the laws and agreements which make the Wall Islamic, and claim that any harm to it is a war crime. The paper will also discuss "crimes" against the Western Wall and Israel's attempt to legitimize its rule over the site.

In 1967, Israel conquered Jerusalem's Old City, as well as Judea and Samaria, from Jordan.

The Western Wall is the last remnant of the retaining wall around the Temple Mount's base. It was built during the Second Temple Period (530 BCE-70 CE) by Herod the Great and is considered to be Judaism's holiest site.

Islam was founded in the seventh century CE. Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the Temple Mount in 705 CE.

Julius Reich Sentenced For Savagely Butchering His Wife

Julius Reich in court (center)

Dr. Robin Goldman a"h

A Scarsdale man was sentenced to 20 years behind bars on Wednesday for the savage slabbing death of his physician wife in 2016.

Julius Reich, a former financial services executive, stabbed Dr. Robin Goldman, a prominent pediatrician, 22 times with an 8-inch kitchen knife as she took a shower.

They were getting a divorce but still living together in their Scarsdale home when Reich killed her.

Reich, 64, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May.

The DA said the couple’s adult children had a “strong desire” to “avoid the trauma of a trial.”

“I shall bear the guilt forever,” Reich told the court, according to the Journal News.

The couple’s three adult children were not in court on Wednesday.

Reich fought back tears and acknowledged the damage he’s inflicted to all his loved ones. Goldman was 58.

“I hope and pray that they stay strong,” he said, “to continue their lives and careers with the love and devotion their mother exemplified.”

Westchester County Court Judge Barry Warhit signed off on the plea bargain and reminded Reich he’ll always be known as a cold-blooded killer.

“What you did was unforgivable,” Warhit told him. “Your legacy for all time will be what you’ve done. You’ll always be known for that.”

After Reich stabbed his wife to death on Jan. 20, 2016, he walked downstairs, and smoked a cigarette before calling cops to report the slaying.

He’s been in jail, held without bail, ever since that day.

Photos from the Levayeh Jan 2016 

Kol Hadash Group promotes "Humanistic Judaism" a Judaism "without God"

There is nothing really new overall with this group; we had the Haskala movement, the Yiddishistin etc, and they all died out and assimilated, and no one knows who they are today, but this is different in one very important aspect because these guys want Judaism, they want Shabbos and Yomim Tovim, except they want G-D out of this!

“Religion is just a piece of [Jewish] culture, so when you remove religion from it, intermarriage is not a negative at all, because being multicultural is a positive value,” said Golin, whose wife is Japanese.

Paul Golin, is the New York-based executive director of Society for Humanistic Judaism, which they claim has 28 communities in North America.

This mashiginar who calls himself Golin said:
"“Humanistic Judaism sees the value in continuing holidays and rituals, those that provide meaning, we still find meaning in the High Holidays, reassessing your life each year, but it does not require you to say a bunch of stuff to a God you don’t believe in. It’s about human life right here.”

Kol Hadash, the Northern California Community for Humanistic Judaism, has scheduled  "talks" on August 25 featuring this Golin character and he will be joined by a bunch of atheists,  Jim Barnett (Bay Area Humanists), Mashariki Lawson-Cook (Black Humanists and Non-Believers of Sacramento) and "Rabbi" Judith Seid (Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, a secular congregation in Pleasanton)!

Alana Shindler, a Kol Hadash member, who booked the panelists, said, that two of them are from non-Jewish communities, in part because sometimes Humanistic Jews have “concerns” about their own movement. Also, she added, “We are interested in growing, and we can certainly learn from other humanist communities as they can learn from us.”

HANNAH JANNOL writing for The Jewish News of Northern California wrote that Golin told her that Humanistic Judaism keeps the  “good parts of religion while throwing out the parts that we can’t abide by,” Golin added that he did not attend High Holiday services for 25 years after his bar mitzvah.

Guy Masquerading as a Lady May be Governor in Vermont

I thought there were only two genders, well there is a third ..... someone who thinks Purim or Halloween is all year round! What's even more bizarre is that people in Vermont take this meshiginar seriously!

Vermont Democrats made history Tuesday by nominating Christine Hallquist as the first transgender individual to be a major party candidate for governor.

Meanwhile, preliminary results showed that Gov. Phil Scott survived a challenge animated by his former Republican allies in the gun-rights movement.

The general election matchup pits Hallquist, a former utility executive who has never held statewide elected office, against Scott, a former construction company owner seeking a second term.

"I'm going to tell you why we're going to win in November," said Hallquist, holding a clipboard as she addressed a cheering crowd of supporters at the Skinny Pancake restaurant in Burlington. "Because nothing is impossible when you're on the side of justice."

"She?" ........ "justice?" What the hell is going on? Did I just wake up from a nightmare? 

Insane Vintage Ads You Won't Believe

Great advice from your family doctor, when you smoke, make sure it's Camels

And from the 1960's

 Good way to convince your wife to get you a good cup of coffee: Don't try this at home! 

A good ad for your favorite "candyman" in shul!

Yes.....give your toddler Cola to keep him nice and calm 

Oh that was the reason everyone looked forward to have toothache

I'm glad they invented the Shaver....

Yup! Put aside the doll, and take the revolver ... all for $6.00

It sure will "curb your appetite" and it may curb your life too!

45 years after alleged UFO encounter, Mississippi man breaks his silence

Calvin Parker

As the Yiddish saying goes "Ess felt nisht kein meshugaim" 
"there is no lack of crazies out there!"

On October 11, 1973, Calvin Parker, Jr and Charles Hickson reported being abducted by aliens in Pascagoula, Mississippi. 
Decades later, in a rare interview with the Associated Press, Parker breaks his silence and stands by his story. 
(Oct. 11) AP

It was an event he has been reluctant to speak about, yet it shaped much of his life. Calvin Parker, now of Moss Point, along with friend Charles Hickson, claimed they were abducted by aliens while fishing on the Pascagoula River and now Parker has written a book he hopes will set the record straight.

"Pascagoula — The Closest Encounter, My Story" was recently published. It contains the first full account of the event given by Parker along with how it affected his life. It includes photos, documents and newspaper articles written through the years. It also marks the first time a transcription of a hypnosis session with Parker has been published.

Parker hopes it will clear the air.

San Fransicko Will Finally Get It's "Crap" together 💩

The city of San Francisco has created a new "poop patrol" to clean up its streets because everyone there is really tired of seeing massive amounts of shit all over the sidewalks.

The new program will include a team of six people using pressure washers and steam cleaners to scrub feces from the city's sidewalks, according to San Francisco Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon. The "Poop Patrol" — "I guess that is its official name," Gordon said — will begin work in September, focusing on areas that have generated high numbers of complaints about sidewalk poop.

"We know that there’s a problem and people want it cleaned up," Gordon told BuzzFeed News Tuesday.

The scope of the problem is actually quite staggering. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city's public works department has received 14,597 complaints about feces just since Jan. 1. The situation received renewed attention last month after a 20-pound bag of human feces was discovered sitting on a sidewalk, prompting multiple complaints to the Public Works Department.

The complaints have coincided with an explosion of calls about other street problems, such as public drug use and discarded needles, in a city that was once considered among the most beautiful and livable in the US.

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said that the city's "cleanliness has been impacted by human waste on our streets."

"We have increased the number of public restrooms and added street cleaners, but now we have a dedicated team to tackle this poop problem," Breed said.

Mayor boycotts Sam Adams after cofounder thanked Trump for tax cuts

Joseph Curtatone, the mayor of Somerville, Mass., said Sunday that he will never drink Sam Adams beer again after the cofounder of the Boston brewery thanked President Trump for a corporate tax cut.

“I will never drink Sam Adam's beer again!” the Democrat said on Twitter.

Ron Lauder Stabs Israel In The Face!

Why does the head of a major Jewish organization go to the Times with his complaints about Israel, instead of one of the many Jewish newspapers? What is he saying between the lines?

I glanced at this morning’s headlines and saw quite a few things that could use some attention from the president of the World Jewish Congress.

Palestinians threw bombs at the Tomb of Rachel. 

How about a campaign, led by the World Jewish Congress, for international action to protect Jewish holy sites from violent attacks?

Kite-bombers are destroying thousands of acres of farm land belonging to kibbutzim in southern Israel. 

How about a World Jewish Congress fundraising campaign to restore the damaged property?

Several American Jews who advocate boycotting Israel (or boycotting Jews living beyond the 1948 armistice line) were questioned for 20 or 30 minutes when they entered Israel recently. As a result, they are being made into martyrs and heroes by the international news media. 

How about the World Jewish Congress defending Israel’s right to question those who harass and bash the Jewish state?

Muslim Woman who called Israel ‘apartheid’ wins local primaries

No..... this is not a Satmar Vaaabel, this is an anti-Semite

Ilhan Omar, who once called Israel an “apartheid regime,” but who more recently came out against the boycott Israel movement, handily won the Democratic nomination in a Minneapolis-area congressional District.

Omar, a Somali-born community activist and representative in the State House, is favored to win in November in the 5th District now held by Keith Ellison, who won the DFL primary for state attorney general. DFL is the state’s Democratic Party.

There were primaries Tuesday in four states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Vermont.

Omar’s tweets about Israel have earned her notoriety in the pro-Israel community. In 2012, she said that Israel had “hypnotized the world” to ignore its “evil doings.” Defending that tweet earlier this year, she said on the same platform that calling attention to the “Israeli Apartheid regime” was not anti-Semitic.

Speaking last week at a candidates’ forum at the Beth El synagogue she affirmed her belief in Israel’s right to exist and she said she opposed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel.

“It is going to be important for us to recognize Israel’s place in the Middle East and the Jewish people’s rightful place within that region,” she said, according to a report by a local news site, TC Jewfolk.

Eida Chareidis Covers Over Hechsher On Psagot Wine Labeled “Israel’s 70th Anniversary”

The Psagot Winery, which marketed a special bottle on the occasion of Israel’s 70th anniversary, was forced to hide the Kashrus symbol of the Badatz Eida Chareidis as reported by KAN News, but not necessarily because of the anti-Zionist ideology attributed to it. It is pointed out, the wine is still certified Kosher under the Eida Chareidis.

Journalist Uriah Elkayam exposed the behavior of the Badatz, which took place at the Psagot Winery in the Binyamin Regional Council, Shomron. A senior member of the Eida explained this was for reasons that are connected to outside parties, and not within the organization. However, the KAN News report states the Eida kashrus symbol was indeed removed because of the 70th anniversary label.

In a conversation with Kikar Shabbos News, the senior official from the Badatz said: “It’s not because there’s the symbol of the 70th anniversary on the bottles. It does not bother us. The point is, we do not have the time and the energy to fight over this with the faction that is more extreme than us.”

The official noted the Eida handled this exact issue the same way during Israel’s 60th anniversary.

“During the 60th anniversary of the Zionists, even more extreme activists from among us began a struggle to boycott the Osem Bamba company because of the it contained the symbol of the festivities”, he said.

It should be recalled that the inscription ‘Special Edition on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel’, which appeared about a decade ago on a nougat-flavored Bamba stirred the wrath of the extremist circles, leading to pashkavilim calling for a boycott of the snack.

Then, in 2009, senior members of the Eida’s Vaad Kashrus were forced to defend themselves and prepare to absorb the economic damage to the large conglomerate under their supervision, said the Eida official.

Malka Leifer The Alleged Sexual Abuser has been found mentally competent and fit to undergo an extradition hearing. VIDEO

An Israeli woman accused of molesting several girls while serving as principal of the Charedi Adass Yisroel girls’ school in Melbourne has been found mentally competent and fit to undergo an extradition hearing.

Jerusalem’s District Psychiatrist submitted two reports yesterday asserting that Malka Leifer, 54, is fit to face a hearing despite her longstanding claim that she suffers from crippling anxiety issues that would prevent her from being tried.

Leifer fled to Israel in 2008 amid allegations that she had sexually abused students. She is wanted on 74 charges of child sexual abuse in Melbourne.

In the beginning of July she lost an appeal for release to house arrest during extradition proceedings, the same day that an Australian newspaper quoted an Israeli man as saying she molested his daughter. She had previously missed several court appearances by saying she was feeling unwell. She was arrested in February after an undercover investigation found that she lived a normal life and was mentally fit to face extradition proceedings.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that a resident of Emmanuel, the Charedi Samaria town where Leifer lives with her husband and 10 children, has alleged that she sexually molested his daughter while tutoring her in religious studies.

The man, identified as Daniel, told the newspaper he saw her touching another girl as well and alleged that she lures children into her apartment by offering them food, or to tutor them for free.

Posting on Facebook on Monday, Dassi Erlich, one of the students allegedly molested, wrote that her “abuser Malka Leifer has played the court system for 10 years,” adding the hashtag #nomoredelays.

Pipe bombs thrown at Kever Rachel

Border Police officers discovered two pipe bombs which had been thrown into the Kever Rachel complex in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem).

No one was injured.

The pipe bombs did not explode. 

The police  called to the area are currently working to neutralize them.

Border Police have closed the area off, and vehicle traffic is being limited.

Thousands visit Rabbi Kook's grave

Today, the third of Elul, is the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, who died 83 years ago.

The Rabbi's grave, whose teaching is one of the cornerstones of national-religious thought, is now being visited by yeshiva heads and their students to read psalms and say Kaddish.

This morning's pilgrimage was attended, among others, by Yeshivat Har Hamor heads Rabbi Tzvi Tau, Rabbi Amiel Sternberg, and Rabbi Mordechai Sternberg; Deputy Defense Minister Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan; Deputy Mayor Hagit Moshe; Rishon Lezion Hesder Yeshiva head Rabbi Shlomo Levi.

Rabbi Kook's House Educational Director Rabbi Avraham Teitz said, "The Rabbi's legacy shines forth from one end of the world to the other. Rabbi Kook left behind a great educational, Torah, and Zionist legacy. We at Rabbi Kook's House in Jerusalem make every effort to imbue this heritage into the entire nation. We embarked on a huge fundraising campaign to improve the accessibility of his legacy to every household and sector."

Rabbi Kook's Greatness: for his Yahrzeit on 3 Elul

Only rarely is the world privileged to see a man of such greatness as the icon of religious Zionism, HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook.

In Memoriam

by Rabbi Shmuel Knopfler


HaRav Kook ... His Personality

There have been scores of Torah giants in recent generations, but the stature of none compares to that of Rabbi Avraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, zt”l (1865 -1935). His genius was astounding - there was no field of Torah study that he had not mastered. His recall was astonishing – great scholars related that no matter what Torah subject they
discussed with him it would appear as if he had just recently learned the issue in depth.

Not only was he versed, sharp, and innovative in the arenas of Talmud and Halakha, he was at home in all areas of Jewish thought: Bible, Midrash, philosophy, and mysticism. On top of all this, he was unmatched in piety and righteousness, and his entire existence was dedicated to the service of the Creator.

Rabbi Kook was a mighty figure who fought for truth and was willing to put himself on the line for the sake of Torah justice.

It is not uncommon for extreme brilliance to result in strange
character traits, but Rabbi Kook was friendly and pleasant, so much so that all who knew him were captivated by his warm character. He was intellectual and emotional, sharp and poetic. He possessed a rich inner life, while at the same time was very active spiritually and publicly on behalf of the Torah, the nation, and the land.

That all of these talents could reside together harmoniously in one soul is itself remarkable.

The Respect of His Contemporaries

Rav Kook with Rabbi Sonnenfeld 

Netanyahu is freezing building in Frum neighborhoods of Yerushalayim

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office refuses to approve the construction of hundreds of housing units in the capital city of Jerusalem, despite the end of the era of pressure from the US administration, as was the case during President Hussain Obama's term.

According to a report by journalist Michael Shemesh in "here," a document by local officials in Jerusalem shows that Netanyahu's office ordered a freeze on construction of hundreds of housing units in Jerusalem. The officials are now asking the Prime Minister's Office to approve the plans urgently, but at this stage Netanyahu refuses to approve the construction.

According to the report, there are about 1,000 housing units for the ultra-Orthodox sector. Including the neighborhoods of Ramat Shlomo, Ramot and Neve Yaakov.

After  DIN's Jerusalem Office called The Prime Minister's Office, the spokeswoman  said that "the Prime Minister's Office is not delaying construction in Jerusalem"

Cancer breakthrough: Scientists discover how to target ‘undruggable cancers’ which affect 50% of cases

Scientists have discovered a drug that can target a signalling pathway that switches about half of all cancer cases into overdrive, offering hope to treat drug-resistant tumors

An experimental drug could finally let doctors treat half of cancers, which often become drug resistant, defying treatment.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco used a drug being developed by Revolution Medicines to slow the growth of lung, skin, colon and pancreatic cells in the lab. 

The cancers they hope to treat are particularly stubborn thanks to mutations that make ells grow out of control. 

Since their experiments in animals so successfully disrupted this process, the researchers plan to expedite it to clinical trials, where it could change the way doctors treat half of the most stubborn, deadly cancers they encounter.   

Any body tissue can become cancerous because any cell's copying process can be corrupted by genetic mutations that cause it to grow out of control. 

Our tissues are constantly repairing themselves by creating more cells, which is accomplished through cellular division. 

These divisions are triggered by communications passed through a sort of cellular game of telephone, or a signalling pathway. 

As the instructions for cell division are passed down the line, they're vulnerable to get interrupted, which can then cause a genetic mutation that causes cells to multiply out of control. 

One of the signalling pathways involved is the MAPK/ERK pathway. Messages to turn cell division 'on' or 'off' travel through this pathway. 

But if one of the proteins that acts like a switch gets stuck in one position or the other, divide out of control, becoming a cancer. 

Listen To the Entire Meeting Where Omarosa Is Fired

2 men found dead after standoff were sons of slain Cleveland Frum Jewish doctor

Dr Richard Warn

Ohio authorities said Monday that two men found dead inside a house after a 12-hour SWAT standoff were the sons of Dr. Richard Warn, whose body was discovered in his home on Thursday.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said 29-year-old Mark Warn and his 31-year-old brother Michael Warn died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Dr. Richard Warn, a 59-year-old Jewish podiatrist, was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at his home in a Cleveland suburb. Police said there was no sign of forced entry into the Beachwood house, but that foul play was suspected.

Law enforcement officers were called after Warn’s wife, Jane, returned from vacation without her key and found her husband was not answering the door, even though his car was in the driveway, cleveland.com reported

Upon gaining entry to the home, police officers discovered Warn’s body.

On Saturday, police announced that two men described as persons of interest, later identified as the victim’s sons, were found dead inside a home owned by Warn after a 12-hour SWAT standoff.

The standoff with a regional SWAT team began around 7:30 p.m. Friday when an armored vehicle breached the front door. Police said someone in the home responded with high-powered rifle fire and that officers returned fire. No officers were injured in the exchange.

Friends and neighbors described Warn as a devoted family man.

The State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people. We longed for this place, and we prayed for our return

The Palestinian flags waving in Tel Aviv on Saturday night are the real narrative, which no amount of wording, impersonating or mountains of hypocrisy can conceal.

The protesters at Rabin Square are fighting for the right of return to Sheikh Munis (Ramat Aviv), Khirbet Azoun (Raanana), and the lands of the Abu Kishk tribe in Ramat Hasharon. They want to make Nakba Day their day of independence. Their fight is over the 1948 borders, not the 1967 borders. The protesters in the square, led by the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee in Israel – MKs Ayman Odeh, Hanin Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka – are voicing their truth. We should heed what they are telling us and stop already with the Left's foolish march of naiveté.

50-year-old man dies while immersing himself in the Netanya sea before his grandson's Brit Milah.

A 50-year-old Jewish man drowned at a Netanya beach Monday.

The Kikar Hashabbat news site reported that the man was a religious Jew who sought to ritually immerse himself in the sea prior to the Brit Millah of his newborn grandson, which was to take place today.

Magen David Adom paramedic Ron Levi said: "When we reached the shore, we saw a man of about 50 lying unconscious north of the declared beach. The rescuer who saw him from a distance dragged him out of the water. He was unconscious, not breathing, and had no pulse."

"We carried out long-term resuscitation activities that included medicine, respiration and massages, but unfortunately after a long time we have had no choice but to determine his death."