העורך Editor

First and foremost, keep your men happy and “inspired”.

After the Iron Curtain came down there were stories of secret police who had switched sides long ago, to spy for the dissidents. In one case, a Czechoslovakian spy-master was secretly running messages from the dissidents and underground chooches to the west, and ensuring the replies got through by using his own government-paid border couriers.

I know, it’s hard. Reality has a way of undermining certain doctrines (eventually).

“Consent of the Governed” has its limits

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded, thousands rounded on the nearest government agent or informant saying “You should investigate those guys” indicating negligent party bosses and similar risk takers. Not only did the secret police realize everyone knew who they were but with the threat of imminent death from radiation, no one was afraid of them. People were begging to be sent to Siberia where the was no threat of radiation. They were thrown out of shops, refused services, and came home to find their locks glued up. The Party was beaten and they knew it.

Keep your enemies close. And always look both ways before crossing the street

There was a dissident in the 1980’s who was being regularly tracked by the secret police. One day he noticed he lost his tail. He doubled back to find that the spy had jaywalked to catch up and had been run over by a car. The dissident got the man to the hospital, paid a bribe for proper care, and contacted his family (since he knew the man’s name). The two men are the best of friends today.

Some dissidents manage to influence even the secret police

In Hungary after the fall of communism one dissident announced a ran for government office. Fifty people showed up the first day to help. Most were former secret police assigned to watch him over the years. They all wanted to help. Some could quote his secret samizdat newsletters by heart!

Obvious, but easy to forget

The greatest thing a dictator must fear is his own men. Once they switch sides it’s all over.

As a survivor of abuse, I resent the way Walder’s suicide was recieved by the powers that be in Bnei Brak. There have been so many times in my life that I contemplated suicide. The pain was too much to bear. Killing myself seemed like the only respite. I would fantasize about it and do things that would allow me to feel closer to death. But I never did it. Not because I was afraid, not because I didn’t want to, but because I would have to answer up to my creator. I knew that suicide would not really put me out of my misery but cause a whole new problem for all of eternity. I fulfilled the mitzvah of vechai ba’hem lishmah, without any other ulterior motive other than I cannot go against my creator. Then comes this monster, the one who caused so many people to find themselves in the same predicament as me, and for no other reason other than not being able to face the music when the party was over, goes and murders himself and gets kavod melachim. It’s a chilul Hashem at its finest! Don’t think for a minute that suicide didn’t just become a little lighter in the eyes of those struggling with it. Don’t think for a minute that adultery and pedophilia didn’t just become a little less severe in the eyes of those who commit them or are tempted to. The churban they caused is immeasurable!

(Found on VIN News here.)

מתוך עלון הרב יהושע גריינימן על פרשת בא:

ולטטפת בין עיניך וגו’ (י”ג ט”ז), בגמ’ אמרינן טט בכתפי שנים וכו’, ולכאו’ צריך ביאור הכונה, ועיין דרשות ר”י אבן שעיב (מזמן הרשב”א) פרשת נח ושל”ה וגור אריה וט”ז ועוד, דר”ל שנשתרבב תיבות מלשון הקודש לבין העמים כדאיתא בגמ’ בכמה מקומות, ולא דח”ו מביאין מהן ראיות, וכעת ראיתי כתוב שמקרי דרדקי אחד שאל למרן ז”ל מה להסביר לתלמידיו ע”ז והשיב כנ”ל, א.ה. ז”ל ר”י אבן שועיב אבל דור הפלגה הכל היה שפה אחת ודברים אחדים והוא לשון הקדש כי כלם היו מדברים בו וכשנתפרדו בעונם נתקלקל הלשון ונתפרדו לשבעים אומות ולשבעים לשון, ונשאר לשון הקדש בישראל ובזרעם ואבדנו ממנו הרבה, ונשאר ממנו קצת בפי האומות, וזהו אמרם ז”ל ריש פרקין דסנהדרין טט בכתפי שתים פת באפריקי שתים, כי הוא לשון הקדש, וכן בראש השנה אמרינן שכן בערביא קורין לדכרא יובלא, כי חלילה שנלמוד מצותינו הקדושות מלשונות הגוים, ושנביא ראיה מלשונם הגרוע, אבל הוא לשון קדש נשאר בידם, והיתה הקבלה ביד חכמי ישראל כי אותו לשון הוא לשון הקדש, עכ”ל, ועי’ עוד בחו”ב מנחות ל”ד ב’ שכתוב בתוך הדברים והנה סבר ר’ עקיבא דלשון לטוטפת עצמו פירושו כמה בתים, ואין צריך למילף מרבויי, והוסיף עוד דאשכחן דטט ופת הם לשונות של שנים וכו’, עי”ש.

From Shimon Apisdorf’s “Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit” Leviathan Press 2000, p.60:

An Israeli newspaper reported that tens of thousands of recent Russian immigrants, children and adults, have received a bris mila (circumcision) upon their arrival in Israel. Many of these take place in almost assembly line fashion with the mohel performing one after another. A newspaper reporter was questioning the immigrants waiting in line about the motivation for their actions. When asked if he believed in God, one middle-aged Russian who was raised on a steady diet of communist propaganda declared, “No, I don’t believe in God, I’m an atheist.” The curious reporter, a bit taken aback, went on, “Then why are you having a bris?” There in the land of Israel, the land of King David and the Maccabees, of the Western Wall and Ethiopian Jews, the Russian answered proudly, “Without a bris, it is impossible to be a Jew!”

I have read the following syllogism, inscribed in earnest and sent abroad in search of mass consent. Aristotle himself would be proud:

1. Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu supports the Corona vaccine.
2. Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu accuses Chaim Walder (well, Rabbi Eliyahu isn’t alone… but let’s ignore that).
3. Ergo, CW is probably innocent.

Q.E.D.

With crushing logic like this, I don’t suppose I stand a chance, but let me try to argue for the prosecution here.

You see, CW also supported the Corona vaccine, and I mean publicly.

Worse, Rabbi Eliyahu hasn’t stated an opinion one way or another on wearing masks (Note: this claim is unsupported in keeping with the honored custom of occasionally inserting unsupported claims in these sort of coolly-reasoned discussions), while CW has crudely propagandized for masking on behalf of the Health Ministry.

So, if anything… (vagueness is my friend here, so we’ll just stick with the ellipses.)

While your head spins, I now quote a recognized authority to appear smarter:

There is simple ignorance, which is the source of lighter offenses, and double ignorance, which is accompanied by a conceit of wisdom.

~ Aristotle 

Anyway, how am I doing so far (Quick note to graphics guy: we need that impressive, bearded image of Aristotle in here before this goes out to our subscribers. I hope you’re listening this time)…?