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Corona: The Numbers Lie

The CDC Confirms Remarkably Low Coronavirus Death Rate. Where Is The Media?

1:15 pm

By Daniel Horowitz, The Blaze

Most people are more likely to wind up six feet under because of almost anything else under the sun other than COVID-19.

The CDC just came out with a report that should be earth-shattering to the narrative of the political class, yet it will go into the thick pile of vital data and information about the virus that is not getting out to the public. For the first time, the CDC has attempted to offer a real estimate of the overall death rate for COVID-19, and under its most likely scenario, the number is 0.26%. Officials estimate a 0.4% fatality rate among those who are symptomatic and project a 35% rate of asymptomatic cases among those infected, which drops the overall infection fatality rate (IFR) to just 0.26% — almost exactly where Stanford researchers pegged it a month ago.

Until now, we have been ridiculed for thinking the death rate was that low, as opposed to the 3.4% estimate of the World Health Organization, which helped drive the panic and the lockdowns. Now the CDC is agreeing to the lower rate in plain ink.

Plus, ultimately we might find out that the IFR is even lower because numerous studies and hard counts of confined populations have shown a much higher percentage of asymptomatic cases. Simply adjusting for a 50% asymptomatic rate would drop their fatality rate to 0.2% – exactly the rate of fatality Dr. John Ionnidis of Stanford University projected.

More importantly, as I mentioned before, the overall death rate is meaningless because the numbers are so lopsided. Given that at least half of the deaths were in nursing homes, a back-of-the-envelope estimate would show that the infection fatality rate for non-nursing home residents would only be 0.1% or 1 in 1,000. And that includes people of all ages and all health statuses outside of nursing homes. Since nearly all of the deaths are those with comorbidities.

The CDC estimates the death rate from COVID-19 for those under 50 is 1 in 5,000 for those with symptoms, which would be 1 in 6,725 overall, but again, almost all those who die have specific comorbidities or underlying conditions. Those without them are more likely to die in a car accident. And schoolchildren, whose lives, mental health, and education we are destroying, are more likely to get struck by lightning.

To put this in perspective, one Twitter commentator juxtaposed the age-separated infection fatality rates in Spain to the average yearly probability of dying of anything for the same age groups, based on data from the Social Security Administration. He used Spain because we don’t have a detailed infection fatality rate estimate for each age group from any survey in the U.S. However, we know that Spain fared worse than almost every other country. This data is actually working with a top-line IFR of 1%, roughly four times what the CDC estimates for the U.S., so if anything, the corresponding numbers for the U.S. will be lower.

As you can see, even in Spain, the death rates from COVID-19 for younger people are very low and are well below the annual death rate for any age group in a given year. For children, despite their young age, they are 10-30 times more likely to die from other causes in any given year.

While obviously yearly death rates factor in myriad of causes of death and COVID-19 is just one virus, it still provides much-needed perspective to a public policy response that is completely divorced from the risk for all but the oldest and sickest people in the country.

Also, keep in mind, these numbers represent your chance of dying once you have already contracted the virus, aka the infection fatality rate. Once you couple the chance of contracting the virus in the first place together with the chance of dying from it, many younger people have a higher chance of dying from a lightning strike.

Four infectious disease doctors in Canada estimate that the individual rate of death from COVID-19 for people under 65 years of age is six per million people, or 0.0006 per cent – 1 in 166,666, which is “roughly equivalent to the risk of dying from a motor vehicle accident during the same time period.” These numbers are for Canada, which did have fewer deaths per capita than the U.S.; however, if you take New York City and its surrounding counties out of the equation, the two countries are pretty much the same. Also, remember, so much of the death is associated with the suicidal political decisions of certain states and countries to place COVID-19 patients in nursing homes. An astounding 62 percent of all COVID-19 deaths were in the six states confirmed to have done this, even though they only compose 18 percent of the national population.

We destroyed our entire country and suspended democracy all for a lie, and these people perpetrated the unscientific degree of panic. Will they ever admit the grave consequences of their error?

The Blaze

{Matzav.com}

From Matzav, here.

Coronavirus Tyranny Backfires…

For Whom The Covid-19 Bell Tolls

What Big-Government, Fascist, Left-Wing Indoctrinationists Never Thought Would Happen: Homeschooling, The End Of Doctoring, Reliance On Self-Care, Vitamin Pills In Place Of Vaccines And Maybe Even Gold-Backed Money

By Bill Sardi

May 30, 2020

What’s next?

The COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown has brought about unexpected changes in the fabric of America.  Whomever is behind the evil events that have transpired around the globe in the past five months knows what will come next.  Forced vaccination?  Welfare payments for all?  Permanent school closures?

The federal government created this mess with its lockdown, so now the populace is only left to plea to government for relief.  Any resistance to government, which is what this country was founded upon (limited powers) has been thrown to the winds.  The last whimper of resistance came from a President who advised what the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” -Ronald Reagan

Somewhere in the following two catch phrases, we realize Americans have lost any resistance in dealing with the overreach of government:

“If we have to kill 12 people to save 1 human life, it will have been worth it.” – Unknown

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.  It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” – William Pitt

We are at a disadvantage.  We can only be reactionary and defensive.  Like a friend of mine said, when you go up to bat in baseball you have to realize the pitcher has the advantage.  He knows what is coming next, you don’t.

The flip side of the coronavirus lockdown

But there is another ironic side to this unprecedented social engineering project that is underway.

  • Who would have ever thought that mothers, fearful of their children being infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus, aren’t thinking of taking their kids to the doctor for shots after the epidemic is over.
  • Who would have thought that doctors, fearful of getting infected by their patients, are retiring for good, ushering in an era of self-care.
  • Who would have thought the masses would be taking vitamins instead of Big Pharma’s drugs to protect against the COVID-19?
  • Who would have thought that parents may not be taking their kids back to school come Fall and have decided to homeschool.

If this moment in time is truly intended to reform and correct a false economy and to bring about lasting quality of life, then maybe some of the following things will happen, some good, some bad.  Regardless of any intended reforms, in some instances the citizenry has taken charge and refused to follow instructions by their overseers.  Here is what Americans could possibly see happen in the coming months:

1. According to economist John Williams, the U.S. is increasing money supply by 15-20%. That could mean inflation of 15-20%.  The U.S. Federal Reserve quotes 2.2% inflation which is its target number and the financial press conveniently publishes that number to the masses. But actual inflation prior to the entry of the COVID-19 virus has been ~6% according to Shadowstats.com, meaning a worker would have to ask for a 6-percent pay raise every year to keep up with inflation.  Well, now that number may rise to 20%.

2. This is how the idea of a guaranteed income arose. Low-income workers are doomed.  America has a real plague of low income workers (53 million workers — 44% of all workers — who have low-wage jobs of ~$10/hour and annual incomes of less $20,000; many of these being females with children in part-time jobs).  Something must be done apart from price controls to keep the price of food, energy, housing and transportation from pushing millions of Americans into the street.  If we don’t maintain free markets and competition the price of food will never go down.  Recognize, the federal government bought 1.4 billion pounds of cheese that it has stockpiled.  Rather than reduce dairy subsidies the USDA has been paying to have surplus milk made into cheese.  Food banks could use this cheese, especially now.

3. Many Americans fear 5-G networks for reasons of imagined gene mutations, impaired immunity and electronic toxicity. The problem with that thinking is, so does sunlight.  That drivel serves to distract from the real intent of the 5-G revolution. The impetus to usher in 5-G satellite networks is to bring in an age of robotic “workers” and AI-controlled vehicles.   This will be the new division of labor in America.  5G is needed so there is no lag-time in commanding these electronic slaves.

Robots will replace human labor, in particular low-skilled/low-income workers whose repetitive work can be automated.   By bumping millions of workers performing menial labor out of a job makes room for the 5-G controlled robots.

Then the U.S. will have a highly productive labor force of 24/7 robots that never require sick-time, vacations, or even FICA deductions out of their paychecks to fund Medicare and Social Security.  While this advancement makes America more competitive and independent, this new division of labor scuttles any idea of funding Medicare in its present form.  Un-skilled immigrants won’t be coming to America for jobs any longer.  Some may return to their country of origin.  Social welfare costs will decline.

Thus the U.S. will be able, via AI robotic labor, shed itself from reliance upon cheap foreign labor overseas to produce many products it now imports.  AI is a shot to the heart of China.  The Chinese will have to start paying their labor more money to create their own consumer economy.  (However, even China intends to utilize robotic labor.). The problem is, robotics and AI are a bonanza for the wealthy.  Where will the menial laborers go?  This question is asked with regard to the forecast by Deagel.com that the American population will decline by 230 million over the next five years.  Maybe the movie Soylent Green, which attempted to show what the U.S. would be like in 2022, was prescient.

4. The U.S. may sell off $16.8 trillion of its estimated $200 trillion of assets (oil leases, empty post office buildings, veterans’ hospitals, military bases) and bring the National Debt to zero, making the U.S. a creditor nation rather than a debtor nation. President Trump ordered the General Accounting Office to appraise the value of U.S. assets and came up with that $200 trillion figure.  Then the $574 billion in interest paid on the National Debt would vanish, the largest tax cut in history.

5. We would expect to see currency reform. There is talk of gold-backed currency, maybe in bitcoin form rather than paper money.  Gold-backed money is one way to fight inflation and stabilize the value of money and halt the practice of printing more money just prior to elections to win re-election, which is what is going on now.The U.S. has eleven aircraft carriers.  Any country that threatens to go to a gold-backed currency gets an aircraft carrier off their coastline.  Our fiat currency is backed by nothing more than the confidence we bestow upon it (good faith and credit of the United States).  Printing money to the point of absurdity (think Zimbabwe million-dollar paper money that was worth pennies), which is what is going on now, could make the U.S. dollar nearly worthless.  Then again, this might be used to usher in gold-backed currency.  Crash the currency to force a gold standard.  President Trump brought in Judy Shelton to study such an idea.

Also, maybe currency reform will be an opportunity to devalue the currency – maybe -30% on the dollar.

The U.S. owes over $1 trillion to Japan and China respectively.  If Japan or China decides to sell off their U.S. Treasury Notes (IOUs) at a 30% discount, the U.S. dollar would be worth 30% less in international trade.  The cost of imported good would soar.  It is difficult for the U.S. to compete with countries that internationally devalue their currency to out-compete American companies for business. A devalued dollar helps America compete internationally.

The problem is, the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency used in foreign exchange.  For example, when one country is buying something from the U.S., the other country’s currency must be converted to U.S. dollars.  Also, when economies weaken, foreign countries tend to buy U.S. dollars which they believe are safer.  The value of the U.S. dollar is somewhat determined by demand.

So, we must be prepared for something like devaluation of our currency.  This may be a move on the chessboard.  If you think unwelcome changes like this can be avoided, think twice.  Here is a chart from the CPA Journal that displays the unsustainable future America faces:

6. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are quasi-government entities that serve as a backstop for home loans that have soured. We should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shift to privatization.  President Trump has signed an executive order for that to happen.  These quasi-governmental organizations serve as a dumping ground for lenders to send their bad non-performing loans.  Wall Street is balking, but take away the dumping ground for bad home loans and maybe the banks won’t offer them anymore.  The lending industry would immediately be cleansed.  Already the mortgage industry has tightened home lending requirements, something that should have happened in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse.  You now actually have to have a job to get a home loan!

By the way, home values are now next to zero.  On a supply-and-demand basis, there is probably little if no demand to buy a house at the present moment.  Why should homeowners make their mortgage payments when the value of their property is zero and the lender has received a multi-billion-dollar bailout?

7. The era of doctoring is over. Many doctors have suddenly retired.  Hospitals are closing.  High-cost modern medicine has driven itself out of business.  Hopefully, an era of self-care may be ushered in to replace it. In the midst of an infectious disease lockdown, self-care is almost all that Americans have because they fear going to doctors’ offices and hospitals where they may acquire the dreaded COVID-19 coronavirus.

Unimaginably, the coronavirus epidemic has literally wiped out store shelves of natural remedies such as vitamins C, D and zinc.  Americans are learning to stay healthy without doctoring.  Even hospitals have now prescribed vitamins and minerals for their protocols to treat COVID-19 coronavirus in-patients.  This includes zinc lozenges.

I’ve written about the bewildered cardiologists in the U.S. who want to know where all their cardiac patients have gone.  A 30% decline in mortal heart attacks is guesstimated.  The disappearance of vitamin C pills from store shelves may be the answer as to why.  The same thing happened in 1970 when Linus Pauling published a book entitled VITAMIN C AND THE COMMON COLD.  The refusal of modern medicine to embrace preventive care is being exposed.  Will the people ever return to their doctors?

One nutraceutical, resveratrol, could replace almost all cardiac drugs as it is a blood thinner, vasodilator (widens constricted blood vessels), prevents damage to heart muscle during a heart attack, actually stimulates collateral circulation much like internal bypass surgery, and even inhibits growth of coronaviruses.  This remarkable natural remedy is shunned by modern medicine.  Maybe now it will get a second look as prevention may save the day in health care.

Childhood vaccinations have temporarily been suspended during the COVID-19 lockdown.  Now mothers are not sure about the safety of taking their children to the doctor’s office, given 30% of those affected are healthcare workers.  The vaccine model of health has become impractical.  Over 70 approved vaccines and another 240 under development.  By age 18 children receive 51-54 vaccine doses (shots or oral). There is strong evidence that vaccination induces autoimmune disorders.  How many jabs can our children tolerate?

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) reports UNVACCINATED kids are far healthier.  CHD is citing an authoritative study published at SAGE OPEN MEDICINE that reveals vaccinated children are twice as likely to experience developmental delays and ear infections and four times as likely to develop asthma compared to unvaccinated children.

It may not take long for mothers of small children to learn that zinc activates T-cells produced in the thymus gland to produce antibodies against each and every pathogen children (and adults) are exposed to.  No need for vaccines.  Instead of vaccinating against each and every disease, the thymus gland produces antibodies against all of them as a child is naturally exposed.  Zinc supplementation represents a natural alternative to vaccination, as explained at BEYONDVACCINES.com. Who would have ever thought this would happen?

8. The advantages of home schooling are now being considered by many parents. A survey shows six in ten parents are likely to homeschool in the next academic year.  The era of indoctrination education (examples: global warming, socialism, evolution, guaranteed medical care for all, guaranteed income, etc. ) may be over for many who choose to school at home.  The distaste for the politicization of education has brought about a push back by conservatives like Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla in the movie NO SAFE SPACES (see trailer).

Americans need to stop being so servile.  Americans are not here to please government.  It is supposed to be the other way around.

Throw down your useless masks and breathe the fresh air of freedom again!  Not convinced you’ve been duped over masks? Listen to health educator Peggy Hall inform how to defend your right to breathe and avoid brain damage (Watch parts 1,2,3,4,5).  Learn how to get your own MEDICAL CONDITION CARD at the TheHealthyAmerican.com  Learn there is no law that forces you to wear a mask. There are guidelines, but not laws.

The big, BIG, BIG story is that most of these unexpected changes are citizen driven.   The President gets some credit for planned reforms, but not until they take place.  This is not a political revolution.  It is individual Americans and families by virtue of their aggregate independent decisions that are pushing back against government tyranny.  Big Pharma with its 240 upcoming vaccines is going down for the fall and is responsible for its own undoing.  Big BANKSTERS may finally be reigned in — no more endless amounts of money that erodes the public’s wealth.  Self-care drives a stake into the delivery of health care that has previously been delivered on doctors’ terms.  The vitamin fanatics were right all along.  Now just how to wash the censorship out of the news media’s mouth with soap?  The best way to halt fake news is to stop watching or reading it.  The news media is a front for its big business advertisers.  Let’s put a halt to the propaganda together, regardless of which side of the political aisle you are on!  Health, wealth and freedom are apolitical.

From LRC, here.

מצות הכנסת אורחים בחשש קרוב לסכנה? – הרב בונים כץ אב”ד שווארצבורג, שנת תקל”א

ארחי ופרחי

נובמבר 5, 2014

לפרשת וירא

הכנסת אורחים היא מצווה חשובה. מאברהם אבינו למדנו שגדולה הכנסת אורחים מקבלת פני השכינה.

האם כל אורחים רצויים בביתנו ?

האם תכניסו לביתכם ארחי – פרחי ?   מי שיש חשש שיעביר מחלות מדבקות ?

אל תמהרו להשיב בחיוב.

בספריית הרמב”ם מצוי כתב היד של פנקס  קהילת  הייצפלד (כיום היידינספלד Heidinsfeld, מחוז וירצבורג, אשכנז).

הפנקס הוא מהשנים  תפ”ד (1724) ועד שנת תקל”ד (1774).

הפנקס עבר לאחרונה תהליך שימור.  מצאתי בתוכו  מכתב מקופל שהודבק בין דפיו.

המכתב הוא בחתימתו של הרב  שמחה בונים כהנא רפאפורט אב”ד במדינת שוורצבורג, והוא נשלח לגבאי הצדקה בקהילת גאסדארף. העתק נשלח גם לקהילת הייצפלד, ונאסף לתוף פנקס הקהילה.

המכתב נשלח כשהוא מקופל וסגור בחותם. בצדו החיצוני – התחתון בצילום –  נרשם:

כ’ אדר תקל”א

מכתב  מהרב… בונים כץ אב”ד במדינת שווארצבורג בגין ארחי ופרחי.

 

היינגספלד33א

לשון המכתב מדלגת בין עברית לז’רגון המקומי של שפת היהודים. המעט שהצלחתי להבין הוא החלק שנכתב בעברית.  אני מנחש  שהמכתב כנראה עוסק במגפה שפרצה באיזור ובאיסור השלטונות לקבל חולים נודדים מחשש להפצת המגפה.

המכתב פותח :

בודאי כבר נודע בשערים את אשר עשו לנו יושבי שטעפט זה פעמיים ושלש אותן תחלאים עניים מדוכאים בני עמנו… באזהרה גדולה מהשררה… הנה יום אתמול לעת ערב בא ג”כ חולי אחד אשר שלחתם אותו לכאן ומפני בגידת הזמן ואישן לילה שלחנו אותו לכפר… ותקפו בידם החזקה ע”י השררה יר”ה את העגלה עם הסוס, אשר הוכרחנו לשלם להם….

ומסיים:

ויהי’ זאת לכם לאזהרה ולהיות מן המודיעים ולחוץ, לק”ק הייצפעלד ולכל הסביבה ואתם מהתם ואנן מהכא תנו על לבכם לבקש רפואה לחולי רעה זאת  בעו”ה אשר מידות הדין גוברת עלינו  כי חלינו  המה נושאים וכמעט גוענו כלנו אבדנו ה’ יסיר חרון אפו ויצילנו מכל צרה וצוקה ובא המבשר ויאמר אקבצה להם ואשרקה הכ”ד רחימכם המדבר בצדקה שמחה בונים כהנא רפאפורט אב”ד הנ”ל ומדינות שוו”ב יע”א.

המשך לקרוא…

מאתר עם הספר, כאן.

Non-Governmental Zoning Restrictions

Zoning: Do We Need It?

Jun 15, 2017

Without zoning, we’re told, the layout of neighborhoods and cities would be hideous and irrational, and residents would be unhappy. Is this so? And would zoning exist in a free society? Subscribe to the Tom Woods Show: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t…
http://www.TomWoods.com/932
http://www.SupportingListeners.com
http://www.RonPaulHomeschool.com
http://www.FreeHistoryCourse.com
http://www.TomsFreeBooks.com

From YouTube, here.

Gold Bug

Shavuos: Where’s the Gold?

King David famously said that the Torah is even better than gold. In one passage, he writes, “The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold (zahav) and silver” (Ps. 119:72). Later in that chapter, he exclaims, “I loved Your commandments more than zahav and paz” (Ps. 119:127).  In yet another passage, King David writes, “They [the Torah’s Laws] are more desirable than gold and much paz” (Ps. 19:11). In these few passages, we have so far encountered two words for “gold” — zahav and paz. In addition to these two words, we will find another three words in the Bible that refer to “gold”: ketem, charutz, and betzer. This essay will explore these five different words for “gold” and discuss whether or not they are truly synonymous. Various commentators will suggest that these different words connote different places in which gold is found and/or different hues of gold.

The most common Hebrew word in the Bible for “gold” is zahav. Along with its Aramaic counterpart dahav — which is explained by the Hebrew ZAYIN morphing into an Aramaic DALET — this word appear more than four-hundred times throughout the Bible. The Talmud (Yoma 44b–45a) states that there are seven types (or grades) of zahav: regular zahav, zahav tov (“good gold”), zahav Ophir (gold imported from Ophir, I Chron. 29:4), zahav mufaz (explained below), zahav shachut (“beaten gold,” I Kgs. 10:16–17 and II Chron. 9:15–16), zahav sagur (“fine gold,” this term appears eight times in I Kgs. 6–7, II Chron. 4 and 9), and zahar parvaim (“gold from a Parvaim” or “gold whose color resembles cow blood,” II Chron. 3:6). A similar tradition about seven shades of gold in King David’s blonde hair can be found in Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun #70). [For an alternate list of the seven golds that replaces regular zahav and zahav Ophir with zahav tahor (“pure gold”) and zahav mezukak (“refined gold”), see Shemot Rabbah §35:1.]

Rabbi Aharon Marcus (1843–1916) explains that the root of the word zahav is ZAYIN-HEY (or perhaps even just the letter ZAYIN alone) which means “this,” because something shiny and sparkling like “gold” calls attention to itself. Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim (1740–1814) similarly explains that zahav is derived from the biliteral root ZAYIN-BET which means “flow,” because when one refines gold, the unalloyed gold simply “flows” away from its impurities. [Interestingly, though zahav literally means “gold,” Ibn Janach and Radak write that the word zahav can be borrowed to refer to anything pristine and clean (see, for example, Jer. 51:7 and Zech. 4:12).]

A popular etymology of the word zahav argues that it is a contraction of the phrase zeh hav (“give this”)—an allusion to gold’s role as legal tender. This explanation is cited by such luminaries as Peirush HaRokeach, Rabbi Todros Abulafia (1247–1306), Rabbi Binyamin HaRofeh Anav (a brother of the author of Shibbolei HaLeket), the Maharal of Prague (1520–1609), Rabbi Eliezer Papo (1785–1828), and more.

The Torah describes the Pishon River as circumscribing the Land of Havilah, reporting that the especially good gold is found there (Gen. 2:11–12). In explaining those passages, Nachmanides explains that this “good gold” in found in the sand and on the shores along the Pishon River. Based on this, Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer (1866–1935) writes that the word zahav is related to the word zav (“flow”), and denotes the type of gold found near “flowing” bodies of water.

Havilah is probably named after a person named Havilah son of Joktan (son of Eber), who was a brother to someone named Ophir (Gen. 10:29, I Chron. 1:23). The name Ophir also appears as a place name for the location from which both zahav (I Chron. 29:4, I Kgs. 9:28; 10:11; 22:49, and II Chron. 9:10) and ketem (Isa. 13:12, Ps. 45:10, Job 28:16) are brought. Rabbi Pinchas Eliyahu Horowitz (1765–1821) writes in his Sefer HaBrit that Ophir refers to the South American country Peru, where large deposits of gold are supposedly concentrated in the Andes Mountains and in the many rivers that flow across its jungles. Others identify Ophir as someplace on the Indian subcontinent, with the legendary lost city of Atlantis, with the Phillipines, and even with Australia. Nonetheless, the accepted understanding amongst scholars is that Ophir is somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula or in the Horn of Africa (i.e. Ethiopia). Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1832–1909) identifies zahav Ophir as “white gold” (perhaps platinum, or an alloy of gold and some other white metal) which he claims is found in Russia. The American archeologist William Foxwell Albright (1891–1971) identifies Ophir with Punt in Somalia.

The word paz appears nine times in the Bible. Although most commentators understand paz to mean “gold” (as Radak to Ps. 19:11 writes, it specifically means “good and unadulterated gold”), others disagree: Ibn Ezra (to Ps. 19:11 and Song of Songs 5:11) explains paz as a “precious stone,” while Rabbi Moshe David Valle (1697–1777) explains that paz refers to “royal jewels” that happened to be made out of gold. As Rabbi Wertheimer puts it, paz is the best type of gold in the world and is the most rare form of gold.

Rabbi Pappenheim explains that the two-letter root PEH-ZAYIN — from which paz is derived — refers to “fast movement.” Thus, when the Bible describes King David as being mifazez before the Holy Ark (II Sam. 6:16), this refers to him furiously dancing in honor of the Torah. Based on this understanding of the root, Rabbi Pappenheim explains that the word paz refers to extra pure gold which shimmers in the sunlight as though it were dancing. He also explains that the adjectives mufaz (I Kgs. 10:18), me’ufaz (Jer. 10:9), and ufaz (Dan. 10:5) all refer to shiny gold that has a glistening and glowing glimmer. [Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (to Gen. 49:23–24) notes that there ought to be a connection between mifazez and paz, but confesses that he does not know what it is. See also Rabbi Hirsch’s comments to Ps. 19:11.]

Others (like Ibn Janach and Radak) explain that the triliteral root PEH-ZAYIN-ZAYIN is separate from the word paz, and refers to “strength.” They explain mifazez as referring to the “strength” and “vigor” with which King David danced before the Ark. These commentators explain that when used to describe gold, mufaz and ufaz refer to gold that is especially unalloyed and thus “stronger” than other, adulterated types of gold. Radak explains that me’ufaz means “from [a place called] Uzaf,” which is identified by Targum (there) as Ophir (possibly because the ZAYIN of Ufaz is interchangeable with the REISH of Ophir).

The word ketem appears nine times in the Bible. Although Ibn Janach first defines ketem as “jewels,” he concludes that it more likely means “gold” — which is how most commentators explain the word. Like zahav, ketem is also said to be imported from Ophir (see above), and according to Dr. Chaim Tawil the very word ketem is said to be derived from the Akkadian word kutimmu and the Sumerian word kudim which mean “goldsmith.” [Interestingly, Rabbi Moshe Ibn Ezra (1055–1138) writes that the word ketem in Job 31:24 actually means “silver,” even though he agrees that elsewhere it is a synonym for “gold.”]

Alternatively, ketem is derived from the Hebrew root KAF-TAV-MEM, which also means “stain” or “dirtied” (for example, see Jer. 2:22). Rabbi Pappenheim writes that both meanings of ketem are actually derived from the monoliteral root KAF which refers to “hitting.” He explains that KAF-TAV specifically refers to “beating something through repeated rubbing,” such that ketem refers to especially pure gold whose malleability allows it to beaten into something very thin. Since such fine gold is especially eye-catching, the term ketem was borrowed to mean anything which noticeably sticks out, such as a “stain” or “dirt” on an otherwise pristine background.

The Modern Hebrew word katom (for the color “orange”) is derived from the same root as ketem, and the Modern Hebrew word tapuz (for the fruit “orange”) is a contraction of the Hebrew phrase tapuach zahav (literally, “Golden Apple”) — an expression found in Prov. 25:11. The English word orange, by the way, is related to the word Hebrew/Aramaic etrog/trunga, as both are derived from the Old Persian word narang and refer to various citrus fruit. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the initial o- in the English form of this word is probably influenced by the place name Orange, famous for the House of Orange.

The word charutz in the sense of “gold” appears six times in the Bible. This word is actually the standard Phoenician (Tyrian) and Akkadian word for “gold,” so some scholars claim that Hebrew borrowed the word from those languages. On the other hand, Rabbi Marcus explains that since the root CHET-REISH-TZADI refers to “cutting / digging with a sharp instrument,” gold is called charutz because it is dug up from underground. Indeed, Rabbi Wertheimer writes that the word charutz refers to gold found by “digging.” Rabbi Yishaya of Trani (1180–1250) explains that gold is called charutz because the pursuit of gold makes people “diligent” and “industrious,” which are alternate meanings of the Hebrew word charutz.

Psalms 68:14 refers to something called yerakrak charutz (“greenish charutz”), which Menachem Ibn Saruk explains is a type of gemstone. However, Dunash Ibn Labrat and others explain that charutz refers to “gold” (see also Tosafos to Nedarim 32a) such that this term references greenish gold (perhaps a reference to electrum or gold alloyed with cadmium). Indeed, Radak also defines charutz as “gold,” while noting that some say that charutz refers to gemstones.

The Israeli archaeologist Dr. Shmuel Yeivin (1896–1982) wrote (under the pen name Shebna) that the words in question reflect different colors of gold (usually depending on what other metals are present in the alloy). In fact, the Mishnah (Yoma 4:4) teaches that on normal days, the firepan used for the incense in the Holy Temple would be made of greenish gold, but on Yom Kippur, they would use one made of reddish gold. Yeivin thus explains that zahav is yellowish gold, ketem is reddish gold, and charutz is greenish gold. That ketem refers to something reddish is hinted to in the Mishnah (Niddah 8:1) which uses the word ketem as a “blood stain.” Indeed, gold alloyed with copper — known as “Red Gold” or “Rose Gold” — boasts a reddish color. Additionally, Yeivin argues that the word paz focuses on the shine/luster of gold, without regard to its particular hue.

The last word in our discussion is betezer. The debate concerning this word centers on a specific verse in which Eliphaz the Temanite tells Job that man’s best hope is to repent “and then you would have a betezer on the ground and Ophir [i.e. gold] with the rocks of the brooks” (Job 22:24, see also Job 22:25; 36:19). Ibn Janach, Radak, and Gersonides explain that the word betezr in this context refers to “gold.” However, other commentators disagree with this assessment and explain the word differently: Ibn Ezra (there) writes that betzer is “silver,” while Rashi (following Menachem) writes that it is a “stronghold.” Rabbi Isaiah of Trani explains that betezer does not actually mean “gold,” but is still related to gold because it refers to the crude ore which, when refined, can yield gold.

From What’s in a Word, here.