Thursday, March 30, 2023
Bar Ilan Professor Solves Age Old Issue: How Big Was the Talmudic Egg? Was The Shiur of the "Chazon Ish" Correct?
As the Jewish holiday of Passover approaches, new questions about eggs, an important component in the festive seder feast, are being answered.
When in history were the first eggs eaten and what size were they? The answers have emerged from a new study, published in the scientific journal JSIJ, conducted by Prof. Zohar Amar, an expert in ancient flora and fauna from Bar-Ilan University’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology. Back in 2019, we reported his discovery: Israeli Scientist Reveals First Temple Period Eggs Differ Little Than Today’s Fare On the Passover Plates of Jerusalem Residents. His research is more
complete now and was recently published (שיעור “כביצה” לאור המציאות הקדומה – seventh PDF document down on the list of Bar Ilan University’s Dept. of Jewish Studies published articles for 2022).
Due to their delicacy and fragility, eggs are generally difficult to preserve and, therefore, a rare archaeological find. In his in-depth study, Prof. Amar surveyed 15 of the most ancient, well-preserved eggs ever found in and outside of Israel.
The earliest evidence examined is large eggshells from the First Temple period uncovered during excavations of the City of David. Eggs dating to the Roman period and the Middle Ages were also studied. These eggs, completely intact, were well-preserved because they were found in septic tanks and sewage
According to the findings of the study, chicken eggs became a significant part of the food basket only during the Hellenistic-Roman period, and their size at the time was different than thought until now. Further, Amar’s analysis of historical sources revealed that the average egg volume in all periods was 40-44 cc, less than that accepted in Jewish law (Halakha). This new data may carry important halakhic implications, as various halakhic rulings are determined according to the size of an egg, for example, the directive to eat matzah “the size of an olive” during the Passover seder. According to different halachic opinions, this is calculated as between a quarter to half an egg.
“The eggs are smaller than what is accepted nowadays according to the calculation of 57 cc made by the late halachic scholar Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh,” explains Prof. Amar. “The late leader of Haredi Judaism in Israel, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, also known as the Chazon Ish, thought that modern-day eggs were smaller, and twice the size in the past, approximately 100 cc.”
The eggs’ relatively small volume existed until the middle of the twentieth century. Their size and volume increased only in recent generations, following the cultivation of hen breeding.
Ehud Barak Explains how a mere 3.5% of Israel Population will Take Down Israel’s Elected Government
On Monday, former Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak sat down for an interview on the stage of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, a.k.a. Chatham House, in London, to describe his counter-revolution (Ehud Barak’s words) strategy that involves mobilizing a mere 3.5% of the Israeli population to force the democratically elected government to “either fall or capitulate.”
Analyst J Michael Waller, who tweeted the excerpt below, noted that “the same people have been trying to do this in the United States, using legal mechanisms and mob action. They will not stop.”
ORGANIZED INSURRECTION IN ISRAEL: Left-wing former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak describes what he calls his 'regime change' strategy to mobilize 3.5 percent of the population to make the Israeli government 'either fall or capitulate.' pic.twitter.com/MaJOmmKYQ9
— J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) March 29, 2023
Waller was referring, of course, to the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
‘Outrageous’ For Biden To Lecture Israel On Domestic Issues: Nikki Haley
“It’s outrageous for Joe Biden to lecture Israel on a matter that is entirely their domestic concern,” Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and presidential candidate for 2024, said in a statement that the campaign provided JNS and that she posted on Twitter.
“We would never want the Israeli government to push America on issues surrounding our Supreme Court, and they wouldn’t do it,” she added. “We should let Israelis decide this themselves.”
Legal experts recently told JNS that the White House and U.S. State Department have criticized Israeli judicial reform in bad faith. “You get this sort of pious talk coming out of these characters, but they are as anti-democratic as you could possibly imagine with respect to the way in which they do this business,” Richard Epstein, law professor and director of the Classical Liberal Institute at NYU Law, told JNS of the Biden administration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. President Joe Biden’s intervention in the debate. Nonetheless, Netanyahu declared on Wednesday that U.S.-Israel ties remain “unshakeable.”
Overdose-Reversing Drug Will be Sold Over-the-counter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.
It’s a move that some advocates have long sought as a way to improve access to a life-saving drug, though the exact impact will not be clear immediately.
Here’s a look at the issues involved.
WHAT IS NARCAN?
The approved branded nasal spray from Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions is the best-known form of naloxone.
It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.
Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year. The majority of those deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.
Advocates believe it’s important to get naloxone to the people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives.
Police and other first responders also often carry it.
WHAT DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN?
Narcan will become available over-the-counter by late summer, the company said.
Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not yet be available over the counter, but they could be soon.
The nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc., which has funding from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, has an application before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription.
HOW IS NALOXONE DISTRIBUTED NOW?
Even before the FDA’s action, pharmacies could sell naloxone without a prescription because officials in every state have allowed it.
But not every pharmacy carries it. And buyers have to pay for the medication — either with an insurance co-pay or for the full retail price. The cost varies, but two doses of Narcan often go for around $50.
The drug is also distributed by community organizations that serve people who use drugs, though it’s not easily accessible to everyone who needs it.
Emergent has not announced its price and it’s not clear yet whether insurers will continue to cover it as a prescription drug if it’s available over the counter.
DOES MAKING NALOXONE OVER-THE-COUNTER IMPROVE ACCESS?
It clears the way for Narcan to be made available in places without pharmacies — convenience stores, supermarkets and online retailers, for instance.
Jose Benitez, the lead executive officer at Prevention Point Philadelphia, an organization that tries to reduce risk for people who use drugs with services including handing out free naloxone, said it could help a lot for people who don’t seek services — or who live in places where they’re not available.
Now, he said, some people are concerned about getting naloxone at pharmacies because their insurers will know they’re getting it.
“Putting it out of the shelves is going to allows people just to pick it up, not have stigma attached to it and readily access this life-saving drug,” he said.
But it remains to be seen how many stores will carry it and what the prices will be. The U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which now cover prescription naloxone for people on the government insurance programs, says that coverage of over-the-counter naloxone would depend on the insurance program. The centers have not given any official guidance.
Maya Doe-Simkins, a co-director of Remedy Alliance/For The People, which launched last year to provide low-cost — and sometimes free — naloxone to community organizations, said her group will continue to distribute injectable naloxone.
ARE THERE DRAWBACKS TO OVER-THE-COUNTER SALES?
One concern is whether people who buy Narcan over-the-counter will know how to use it properly, said Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University addiction expert, though the manufacturer is responsible for clear directions and online videos on that.
One benefit of having pharmacists involved, he said, is that they can show buyers how to use it. One key thing people need to be reminded of: Call an ambulance for the person receiving naloxone after it’s been administered.
He also said there are fears that if the drug isn’t profitable as an over-the-counter option, the drugmaker could stop producing it.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Police Return Lost Chareidie Child in Bet Shemesh Bet, Instead of thanking them, They Riot and call Police "Nazis"
Watch the video, and you will notice that it isn't only a handful of ungrateful Chareidim, but actually a mob of hundreds. I am not the one causing a Chillul Hashem and I'm not the one causing Sinas Chinum, I am just posting how these "tzaddikim" behave. As far as Loshon Hara is concerned I suggest you learn the Chofetz Chayim' sefer on Loshon Hara before you criticize me.
Their was a WhatsApp message to all who live in Beit Shemesh that a child from Beit Shemesh Bet was lost. Beit Shemesh Bet is where the crazed "ahrelich" live and it was actually one of their own that went missing.
Well the police were notified, and they found the child walking near highway 3885 or Route 10, a very dangerous highway in Beit Shemesh that has no lights, and cars speed there all the time. The Police called the parents notifying them that they found their little "jewel" and are coming to return him.
When the police came to return the child, instead of having a welcoming committee greet them, they were met with a full blown riot with grown men yelling "Nazi" at the cops, and who tried smashing the police cruiser and putting obstacles on the road so that they could beat the hell out of the cops that found the child.
No good deed goes unpunished!
*Beit Shemesh News*
Chairman of the Likud in the city of Shalom Edri condemning the violence against the police officers
As we reported yesterday, there was a violent incident against policemen in the Rambash B neighborhood, this after policemen returned a missing child.
The residents of the neighborhood gathered around the policemen shouting insults and using severe violence.
Shalom Adri, chairman of the Likud and a member of the city council, commented on the event:
"It is unthinkable that Israel Police officers, after doing their job, would receive a barrage of curses and unbridled behavior from residents of the Rambash 2 neighborhood.
Nasty chants such as Nazi nicknames are a red line that must not be crossed.
I request that they be treated with intolerance and that the city leadership, and the police take enforcement action against them."
יו"ר הליכוד בעיר שלום אדרי בגינוי נגד האלימות כלפי השוטרים*
כפי שדיווחנו אתמול התקיים אירוע אלים נגד שוטרים בשכונת רמב"ש ב', זה לאחר ששוטרים החזירו ילד נעדר.
תושבי השכונה התקבצו סביב השוטרים בקריאות גנאי ואלימות קשה.
שלום אדרי, יו"ר הליכוד וחבר מועצת העיר הגיב על האירוע:
"לא יעלה על הדעת ששוטרי משטרת ישראל, לאחר שעשו עבודתם, יקבלו שטף של קללות והתנהגות חסרת רסן מצד תושבים בשכונת רמב"ש ב'.
קריאות נאצה כמו כינוי נאצים הם קו אדום שאסור לחצות.
אני מבקש לנהוג בהם בחוסר סובלנות ונקיטת אכיפה נגדם מהנהגת העיר והמשטרה."
Israel launches 'Ofek 13' satellite into space
משרד הביטחון והתעשייה האווירית שיגרו בהצלחה לחלל את לוויין "אופק 13", לוויין תצפית מכ"מי בעל יכולות מתקדמות, משדה ניסויים במרכז הארץ
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2023
(צילום: קובי ריכטר, TPS) @ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/Al2ByWTtdH
The IMoD Space and Satellite Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) successfully launched the "Ofek 13" satellite into space at 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday.
The launch took place at a test site in central Israel using a "Shavit" launcher.
The "Ofek 13" satellite is a SAR observation satellite with advanced capabilities. Once the satellite enters into orbit, it will undergo a series of tests to ensure its propriety and performance levels.
The IMoD's Space and Satellite Administration has led the development and production of the satellite and its launcher. The development process also included the IDF's 9900 Intelligence Unit and the Israeli Air Force.
The Space & Missile Division in IAI is the prime contractor for the program alongside with ELTA, an IAI subsidiary, and other divisions in the company.
The launch engines were developed by Rafael Advanced Systems and Tomer, a government-owned company.
Ministers blast Biden for 'meddling' in Israel's internal affairs over judicial overhaul remarks
Netanyahu was quick to respond to Biden's warning with a statement in which he said Israel will not make decisions "based on external pressures, including from our best friends."
Government ministers expressed similar opinions on Wednesday morning, claiming Biden should not meddle in Israel's internal affairs, and accusing the U.S. government of failing to recognize Israel's sovereignty.
"The Americans need to understand that Israel is an independent state and not another star on the American flag," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "It needs to be clear to the whole world that the nation here has had an election and it has its wishes."
Some lawmakers took a more fiery line in response to Biden's remarks, including Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi of Netanyahu's Likud Party, who went so far as to blame former U.S. President Barack Obama for the death of IDF soldiers during Israel's 2014 military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
"There was a case during Operation Protective Edge in which the U.S. decided on an arms embargo on Hellfire missiles for Apache [helicopters], and Israel got by," he said. "In my opinion, soldiers were killed also because of the quote-unquote American support."
Vaturi was then asked to clarify whether he truly believed that IDF soldiers were killed as a result of what he called an "American embargo", to which he replied "yes."
"The question is whether this is a democracy for the U.S. president to come and dictate to us," he continued. "The U.S. cannot meddle in Israel's internal affairs. This is a democracy, he shouldn't force anything on us."
The firebrand lawmaker also claimed that while he understands the security reliance on the U.S., Israel will be able to defend itself without U.S. aid if need be.
"If Biden will be so kind as to meet with Netanyahu, he will be able to explain the judicial reforms to him," he scoffed. "Right now, he is influenced by left-wing journalists and opposition members."
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar tweeted "It's sad that President Biden has also fallen victim to the fake news that was spread in Israel against our justified judicial reform."
He deleted his post shortly after and shared another tweet that read: "Out of respect for our important relations with our greatest ally, the U.S., I deleted the tweet. My heart is broken seeing how much damage is being done to Israel due to all the fake news being spread on our justified judicial reform."
Yad Vashem records names of millions of Holocaust victims in new commemoration project
Experts estimate that the final number of names recorded would be around 5.1 million, which means hundreds of thousands of Holocaust victims will go unrecorded.
While experts believe the number of those who perished at the hands of Nazi Germany and its accomplices stands at around 5.8 million, the rounded figure of 6 million has been cemented into Jewish consciousness.
All names are available on Yad Vashem's official website, and are the result of decades of research, collecting WWII-era manuscripts, diaries and other types of documents.
The project's curator Alexander Abraham, says that the sources for additional names of victims could be exhausted within a few years.
"With time, generations of those who were there have naturally passed away and there is no other way to know their names," he says. "We're in contact with many different archives that deal with commemorating historical data of this kind, but we're on the verge of exhausting those options as well.
"Collecting the names of the children who perished is the most difficult part since they were forcibly separated from their parents and their names were never listed in any document. The Nazis wanted the names to be lost to history, which is why every name collected is a victory."
Yad Vashem Chairman Danny Dayan says: "Each Jew who perished had a name, a story and an identity. They weren't nameless figures devoid of identity like the Nazis wanted us to remember. It is incumbent upon us to exhaust every avenue to collect every name possible.
"The book enables everyone to touch those names and be mindful of the deep sense of loss of the Jewish people."
The names in the book are accompanied by each person's place of birth, their birth date and the location where they perished, provided those details are known. The book itself is quite large, standing at over 26 feet long. Its size is meant to signify the collective loss humanity has sustained when these horrors occurred.
As the full list of names will never be known, the latter pages of the book are kept empty in their memory.
Biden Contradicts his Ambassador: Won’t Invite Netanyahu to the White House
There were several tweets on Tuesday that cited President Joe Biden essentially contradicting his ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who earlier in the day told Israel’s Army Radio Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was going to be invited to the White House soon (US Ambassador: Netanyahu Will Be Invited to the White House after Passover).
Below are all the citations taken from Biden’s two conversations with reporters on Tuesday that touched on the subjects of Israel and Netanyahu. In summation: there will be no invitation to the White House any time soon, and it’s hard to tell whether the president had been briefed on Netanyahu’s announcement that he is suspending the judicial reform:
Biden: "Like many strong supporters of Israel I'm very concerned. I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. Netanyahu won't be invited to the White House in the near term" pic.twitter.com/YeuH6QbT3c
— Yosef Yisrael (@yosefyisrael25) March 28, 2023
Humans will achieve immortality in eight YEARS, says Google engineer who has predicted the future with 86% accuracy
A former Google engineer has made a stark realization that humans will achieve immortality in eight years - and 86 percent of his 147 predictions have been correct.
Ray Kurzweil spoke with the YouTube channel Adagio, discussing the expansion in genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics, which he believes will lead to age-reversing 'nanobots.'
These tiny robots will repair damaged cells and tissues that deteriorate as the body ages and make us immune to diseases like cancer.
The predictions that such a feat is achievable by 2030 have been met with excitement and skepticism, as curing all deadly diseases seems far out of reach.
Kurzweil was hired by Google in 2012 to 'work on new projects involving machine learning and language processing,' but he was making predictions in technological advances long before.
In 1990, he predicted the world's best chess player would lose to a computer by 2000, and it happened in 1997 when Deep Blue beat Gary Kasparov.
Kurzweil made another startling prediction in 1999: he said that by 2023 a $1,000 laptop would have a human brain's computing power and storage capacity.
Now the former Google engineer believes technology is set to become so powerful it will help humans live forever, in what is known as the singularity.
Singularity is a theoretical point when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence and changes the path of our evolution, LifeBoat reports.
Kurzweil, an author who describes himself as a futurist, predicted that technological singularity would happen by 2045, with AI passing a valid Turing test in 2029.
It is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human
He said that machines are already making us more intelligent and connecting them to our neocortex will help people think more smartly.
Contrary to the fears of some, he believes that implanting computers in our brains will improve us.
'We're going to get more neocortex, we're going to be funnier, we're going to be better at music. We're going to be sexier', he said.
'We're really going to exemplify all the things that we value in humans to a greater degree.'
Rather than a vision of the future where machines take over humanity, Kurzweil believes we will create a human-machine synthesis that will make us better.
The concept of nanomachines being inserted into the human body has been in science fiction for decades.
In Star Trek, tiny molecular robots called nanites were used to help repair damaged cells in the body.
More than ten years ago, the US National Science Foundation predicted ‘network-enhanced telepathy’ – sending thoughts over the internet – would be practical by the 2020s.
'Ultimately, it will affect everything,' Kurzweil said.
'We're going to be able to meet the physical needs of all humans. We're going to expand our minds and exemplify these artistic qualities that we value.'
The process began centuries ago with simple devices such as eyeglasses and ear trumpets that could dramatically improve human lives.
Then came better machines, such as hearing aids and devices that could save lives, including pacemakers and dialysis machines.
By the second decade of the 21st Century, we have become used to organs grown in laboratories, genetic surgery and designer babies.
AOC the "coward" Refuses To own Up to Her Lies to LIbs of Tiktok
During a hearing in February, Ocasio-Cortez went after Libs of TikTok for sharing videos regarding Boston Children’s Hospital's gender transition procedures for minors. She eemed that Libs of TikTok posted a "lie" that was "circulated by other prominent far-right influencers" and that the information led to "real life harassment and ultimately a bomb threat" to Boston Children's Hospital.
On Friday, Raichik traveled to Washington and filmed herself inside the Cannon House Office Building approaching Ocasio-Cortez' office. She knocked on the door and encountered a staffer who said the lawmaker was not in, and to "give me one second."
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
‘Resistance’ Coup Defeats Israeli Democracy with Its False Narrative.
After months of increasingly strident mass protests against his government’s plans to reform Israel’s out-of-control and highly partisan judicial system, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have given in to the pressure. He said he was going to be “delaying judicial reform to give real dialogue a chance.” But it’s highly doubtful that this will merely be a timeout that will help his supporters regroup and enable opponents to calm down and accept a compromise on the issue.
On the contrary, Netanyahu is waving the white flag on judicial reform—and everyone knows it. And since the ultimate goal of the protests was not just preventing legislation from being passed but to topple the government, it’s far from clear whether the prime minister can long stay in power after this humiliation since his allies are shaken and his opponents won’t be satisfied until he’s ejected from office.
Whether that will happen remains to be seen. But the one thing that is clear is that the consequences of the events of the last months go far beyond the future of the Israeli legal system.
Monday, March 27, 2023
250,000 Pro-Reform Protesters Counter Anti-Government Demonstrators in Jerusalem
At least 250,000 right-wing protesters arrived in Jerusalem Monday evening to launch a counter demonstration opposing the anti-government ranks thronging outside the Knesset and elsewhere in the capital.
Right-wing organizations that included Regavim, Im Tirzu, Ad Kan, Bezalmo and Torah Lehima announced their counter protest would start at 6 pm near the Supreme Court.
“Friends, under no circumstances should we stop the judicial reform to strengthen Israeli democracy,” Religious Zionism chair and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement. “We are the majority. We must not give in to violence, anarchy . . . and wild strikes.
“Let’s make our voice heard. Let’s meet tonight at 6 pm in Jerusalem, in front of the Knesset. I’ll be there.
“We can’t let them steal our voice and our country!”
National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chair Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a brief one-line statement, via Twitter: “Today we stop being silent. Today the right wakes up. Share this.”
As the right-wing demonstrators began to make their way to Jerusalem from across the country, there were reports that Israel Police were making an effort to impede their progress as much as possible.
One police roadblock was seen on Route 1, the main highway leading to Jerusalem.
“I am receiving more and more updates that the police are stopping cars with pro-reform supporters on their way to the rally,” Berale Crombie, one of the organizers of the pro-reform rally, wrote in a tweet.
“Friends, don’t give up!,” he exhorted. “At the point where you are being stopped, leave your vehicle and walk!”
Chaim Weiss Investigation Making Progress
Since we again put the brutal murder of Chaim Weiss a"h on the agenda, we received a lot of new leads and information.
One of Chaim's former classmates has volunteered to be the point man, the person who will sift thru information and will then transfer pertinent leads to the Nassau County detective in charge.
Some have also suggested that in order to give this priority we start a "Go Fund Me" page to hire a private detective.
We will put together a committee that will decide where to go from here!
Anyone who has any new information, even if you think its trivial, should immediately email us.
Also very important: Anyone out there that was in Camp Horim in 1986? I need to ask you some questions!
dusiznies@aol.com
Once we have the committee in place, all info will be sent to them directly. We will update as soon as we get this off the ground.
.jpg)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)