Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Why do many still insist on a Heimish hashgocha, The Halo Effect!

What is the Halo Effect! 


                        The "Halo Effect" is a cognitive bias that 

                occurs when an initial positive judgment 

               about a person unconsciously colors the 

               perception individual as a whole.


Thursday, June 17, 2021

חן אשה על בעלה-seeing a picture does not have that qualification. Update: They should ask for the girls mothers' picture only.

 סוטה מז ע' א'
שלשה חינות הן 
חן אשה על בעלה
Therefore, the "Bashert" can not happen with a picture.

After Marriage, the girl will actually start looking like her mother, most of her married life, she'll look like her mother, so ask only for her mothers' picture.
לבן אמר "לא יעשה כן במקומנו, לתת הצורה לפני הבחורה"וכו'

Organic, raw farmer found in contempt by federal court for eastern Pennsylvania-Note: They also sell Camel's milk


Federal Judge Edward G. Smith Wednesday found farmer Amos Miller in contempt of court in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.


The judge is discussing with counsel how to resolve the issue of sanctions for the seller of unpasteurized, raw milk, etc. 

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/06/organic-raw-farmer-found-in-contempt-by-federal-court-for-eastern-pennsylvania/?utm_source=Food+Safety+News&utm_campaign=c9eb2b4aa4-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f46cc10150-c9eb2b4aa4-40160463 

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Re: Rabanut Bais Din does not recognize the "fraudulent" Bais Yosef Bais Din in Brooklyn.

 

בעקבות "הגביר המעגן": הרבנות ביטלה הכרה בבית הדין

בית הדין הניו יורקי, התערב לטובתו של "הגביר המעגן", בכך שהקפיא את ההרחקות והחרמות ממנו, בעקבות כך, ברבנות הראשית החליטו בהחלטה תקדימית, לבטל את ההכרה באותו בית דין (חדשות)

קובי אטינגר  |  ו' בתמוז תשפא   20:58  16.06.21
הרשי פריד
הרשי פריד (צילום: ארכיון 'כיכר')

פרשיית "הגביר המעגן": הרבנות הראשית לישראל החליטה בהחלטה תקדימית, לבטל את ההכרה בבית הדין "בית יוסף" בניו יורק, שבארצות הברית, ושמו של בית הדין יוסר לאלתר מרשימת בתי הדין המוכרים על ידי הרבנות.

מדובר בהחלטה חריגה, הבאה בעקבות החלטת בית הדין בית יוסף בארה"ב, להתערב בסוגיית פרשת המעגן הרמן פריד מישראל, בניגוד להחלטת בית הדין והרבנות הראשית לישראל.

יו"ר הוועידה להכרה בבתי הדין הרב יצחק אלמליח שיגר לפני מספר שבועות, מכתב חריף לבד"צ בית יוסף, בעקבות החלטתו להקפיא את ההרחקות וחרמות רבינו תם על הרמן פריד המעגן את אשתו מזה שנים, כך על פי הרבנות.

במכתב כותב הרב אלמליח: "החלטה מטעם בית הדין הנכבד, עומדת בסתירה לפסקי דין של בית הדין הרבני האזורי ובית הדין הרבני הגדול בישראל שחייבו את הבעל, מר הרמן פריד, ליתן לאישה, גב' סוזן פריד, גט, וקבעו, בין השאר, כי יש לנהוג עמו על פי הרחקות דרבנו תם".

עוד כותב הרב אלמליח במכתבו: "ברבנות הראשית לישראל רואים בחומרה רבה את ההתערבות של בית הדין בברוקלין בפרשת הגט ובדיונים המתנהלים זה שנים בישראל".

ההתפתחות האחרונה בתיק, היא בעקבות החלטת הרב ראובן אלט אב"ד ביד"צ "בית יוסף" בברוקלין, ניו יורק, להתיר למעגן הרמן פריד לבוא בקהל והסיר מעליו את החרמות שהוטלו בעקבות העיכוב המתמשך במתן הגט לאשתו.

בפס"ד שפרסם בית הדין בארה"ב נכתב כי "הבעל השליש גט בידי בית הדין, וזה יינתן לאשה לאחר שתחתום על הסכם בוררות, ההחלטה ניתנה מבלי שצד האישה נשמע בדיונים ובניגוד חמור להלכה, שבית דין אינו רשאי להיכנס ולדון בתיק בו מתקיים הליך בבית דין אחר".

במכתב שכתב תחילה הרב אלמליח לבתי הדין, הוא כתב כי במידה ובית הדין לא ישנה את החלטתו בהקדם האפשרי, אז 'הוועדה להכרה בבתי הדינים בעולם', תמליץ לרבנות הראשית לישראל לבטל את ההכרה בבית הדין, משמעות החלטה כזו היא מרחיקת לכת, שכן בכך לא יוכרו הנישואין ויתר הפעילות המתבצעת בבית הדין הנ"ל, מה שבסוף כאמור אכן קרה.

ל'כיכר השבת' נודע, כי המתקפה הקשה על ביה"ד בארה"ב וההחלטה החורה שלא להכיר עוד בבית הדין האמריקני באה בעקבות התופעה בה מעגנים וסרבני גט בורחים לחו"ל, ופועלים בבתי הדין שם במעמד צד אחד לבטל את המגבלות המוטלות עליהם מכוח החוק, זאת במטרה למנוע את הסבל הרב שעוברות העגונות, והדבר הביא לכך שבתי הדין של הרבנות שפועלים רבות כדי למנוע את תופעת סרבני הגט - עומדים בפני שוקת שבורה.

כזכור, הרשי (הרמן) פריד (68), דמות מוכרת כנגיד בחסידות ויז'ניץ ומקורב לאדמו"ר הקודם, בעל ה'ישועות משה' זצ"ל, היה נשוי לסוזן (מלכה) ויזל (66) במשך למעלה מעשרים שנה, עד שזו ביקשה להיפרד ממנו, אלא שהוא סירב לתת גט.

לטענתו של פריד, שכאמור יצאה עליו הודעת חרם מצד בית הדין הרבני הגדול, הסיבה לסירוב לתת גט היא סוגיות כספיות שבינו ובין רעייתו - הממאנת לדון עמו בדבר ודורשת לקבל גט ללא תנאים ודיונים מוקדמים.

מקור:

© כל הזכויות שמורות כיכר השבת

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Ei Kligman Shomer Shabbos all the way


 

Rav Ovadia Yosef stated 8 years ago Re: Bennett- "His Eyes are bigger than his Kipah"

From Avrohom Birenbaum's article

Motzoei Shabbos shiur at the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim, Rav Ovadiah said, “There are certain people who many mistakenly [think of] as religious Jews. They call themselves ‘Habayit HaYehudi.’ [I hereby tell you that] they are not representing a bayit shel Yehudim. They are representing a bayit shel goyim! They want to uproot the Torah! They want to permit civil marriages. They want to permit public desecration of Shabbos in Eretz Yisroel... They are sonei Torah umitzvos and are chotei umachti es harabbim who cause assimilation… How can anyone mistake them as [being] religious, G-d-fearing Jews? 

Shatnez Alert

from an email;
Zanetti is a brand at the Emporio 50% off sale currently going on. Emporio prefers to work with the infamous "checker" Kreitman.
 

Monday, June 07, 2021

Kellogs Cereal is in the forefront of LGBT movement-Ban all kellogg cereals/products from your home

https://www.rt.com/usa/524801-kellogg-gay-pride-cereal/ 

Corporate America’s alliance with LGBT activism has been brought to the breakfast table with the rollout of a new Kellogg’s gay pride cereal that encourages children to choose their own pronouns.

The “Together With Pride” cereal, which went on sale in stores across the US last week, features rainbow-colored hearts “dusted with edible glitter,” according to Kellogg Co. It was produced in collaboration with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Kellogg’s is donating $3 to the activist group for each box purchased when buyers upload their receipts through a special promotion.


Tuesday, June 01, 2021

Whan can you do if you find a bug in your food?

 By Admin on May 26, 2015 4:11 PM

Beware of beetles!

Most people don't order salads with a side of beetles, but some are getting them regardless. Consumerist recently reported that several consumers have found Iron Cross Blister Beetles in packaged organic salads. Yuck!

What do you do if a bug of any kind makes an appearance in your food?

Iron Cross Blister Beetles

Most of the time, bugs and other foreign objects in food are gross but usually harmless.

However, the Iron Cross Blister Beetle can be toxic. When stressed, the beetles release a toxin call cantharidin. While the substance isn't exactly fatal, in can cause nausea and sickness in healthy adults. Also, touching the beetles can cause skin blistering. The beetles are even used in wart removals.

Cases of blister beetles found in salad have popped up in Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, Massachusetts, and California.

FDA's Rule

Don't freak out, but the Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to include some bugs in their food products without repercussion. Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations Part 110.110 establishes maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in food. According to the FDA low levels of bugs and other defects pose no inherent hazard to your health.

For example, frozen broccoli can have up to 60 aphids per 100 grams of broccoli. Ground paprika can have up to 11 rodent hairs per 25 grams. Chocolate can have up 60 insect fragments per 100 grams. Canned fruit juices can have up to five fly eggs per 250 ml. Macaroni and noodle products can have up to 225 insect fragments per 225 grams.

What Can You Do?

If you do find a bug, or more specifically a blister beetle, in your salad, you should take pictures and keep the product and bug, if possible, as evidence to send to the manufacturer.

Report the incident to the grocery store where you bought it and the company that produced it. Many companies will want to investigate where the bugs may have entered their production process. They should offer you a refund.

An up-grade to kashrus in Lakewood!

 Any infested herbs, vegies may be used at their establishments if they do "eppes" a blend.





Re: מבטלין, it's not blended that well.

and it's דבד שיש לו מתירין




Friday, May 28, 2021

From an Email

 To: Subscription Dept. of The Jewish Press

I was shocked to hear you have fired Mr Resnick, your chief editor for the worst of reasons:
    • Resnick attended President Trump's rally in January.
    • Resnick ok'd the publishing of anti LGBT literature in the Jewsih Press .
    The Jewish reader is interested in the truth and in true Torah values. If you are embarrassed of such, you are not for me.

    I therefore demand you cancel both of my subscriptions and reimburse me for the remainder.  
     


    Sincerely, 

    Friday, May 07, 2021

    UPDATE: Blueberries, Raisins: "The rest of the story"

    All raisins (including DOLE) are still infested.
    Blueberries [all varieties] are commonly infested with
    thrips, scale insects, mites and maggots.

    Some Rabbonim seem not to be aware of the facts and the seriousness of this issue and issued some misleading  information.

    Different seasons & different localities will harbor some or all of the above insects.
    Wild and organic blueberries are the most infested.
    Washing may get rid of some but not necessarily all of the insects.

    Some of the areas that are more heavily infested include, New Jersey, California, Mexico, Canada, the Carolinas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maine, etc

    Therefore all Blueberries, all seasons, all locals should not be used unless they were checked by trained experts in these insects.


    The above includes, fresh, frozen, dried, filling, jams, etc




    Tuesday, May 04, 2021

    Alert: Lakewood Moisdois medicate 1/3 of children-R"L- All for the $$$$$ from the Government

    There was a student that made a lot of problems in class; he fought with classmates, made a lot of noise The teacher tried a lot of things, but nothing helped. He decided to tell the father about his son’s behavior.

    Father: What do you want me to do? Teacher: Maybe take him for a check-up. Father: How is that going to help? Teacher: Maybe the child should take Ritalin (a calming drug). Father: How am I going to get this Ritalin? Teacher: No problem, I’ll get it, and the child should take the pill every morning and everything will be o.k.

    Father: Who is going to remember to give it to the child every day in a house full of children? Teacher: I’ll worry about it. I’ll make sure he takes it every morning. Father: But I don’t want the whole class to know about it. Teacher: No, no, I’ll make sure that no one sees. I’ll put the pill in the teacher’s room next to the coffee machine. Every morning I’ll send your son to make my coffee and at the same time he’ll take his pill. Like this no one will know.

    The father agreed to the plan. Every morning the teacher prepared the pill next to the coffee machine and went into class. After a few minutes the child would come in with the coffee, and everything went fine. And now the atmosphere in the class was calm. The child wasn’t sent out of class and there were no fights! After a few weeks, the mother asked the child: Nu, what’s doing in class? Child: Great! Mother: What happened that everything’s so good?

    Child: It’s very simple. Every morning the teacher sends me to make his coffee. I go into the teacher’s room and there there’s a special pill! I put the pill into the coffee and after he finishes to drink it, everything in the class is 100%!!!

    Monday, May 03, 2021

    An Email "To Rabbi Yehuda Shain"

    No clue as to why I am writing this to you but something pushed me to write this letter and send it to you.

    I grew up in Boro Park and come from a great religious family I went to 2 great yeshivas and my parents are seriously great true people as well as my 2 sisters and brothers.

    I was raised with no TV, no video, no magazines, the most id hear about the outside world would be a small amount of radio.

    When I was approx. 12 years old I really started to feel the urge to leave the whole religion, seriously I would cry and wonder what is wrong with me, I would wonder what's pushing me to do bad things, and when I spoke to my close friend about it right before my bar mitzvah he told me he had the same feelings.


    Now I started thinking its normal and even the Mashgiach told me its normal but what I didn’t get is why could I not win the inner fight, why was I so weak, why even with the support of my parents my family my friends I just couldn’t help myself and I got worse and worse.

    By age 16 I started trimming my beard something that was a serious NO NO, the side curls I had got shorter monthly, at one point it was 3 inches past shoulder length.

    A month after my 16th birthday I went to Israel with the supervision of my aunt and uncle and while we where there he decided to make an appointment with a Mikubul Rabbi Yitzchuk Kadiri.

    I saw him in his private office full of holy books and I started crying and told him my problem, I explained to him I want to be a good Jew, I want to follow the Jewish laws, I want to be just like my parents my grandparents etc. but I just can’t, I try so hard but its like I feel powerless, he asked me multiple times if I am careful about kashruth, If I am careful about what I eat and how I eat, I said yeah.

    At the time I ate either at home my mother would cook or we would every other week maybe order from a local restaurant or a pizza store here and there, He spoke for 10 minutes non stop about the importance of being careful what you eat, I don’t remember exactly what he told me because to be honest I was thinking to myself this guy is full of it, I mean tell me to stop looking at women clothing catalogs we would get in the mail, tell me to stop listening to bad radio stations late night but please don’t tell me “keep kosher” and “watch what I eat”.

    Seriously all these years went by and I never even thought about my meeting with Rabbi kaduri.

    Today I don’t keep anything no kosher no nothing, I don’t look Jewish and don’t keep the holidays, I am not happy about it at all.

    The class that I was in approx 12 other kids turned out just like me and my situation of turning complete off the way (derech) has unfortunately become very very common.

    A few days ago im listening to a interview (4th interview) you did regarding the recent kashrus situation in the Jewish community, and you threw in some words that to many people wouldn’t mean much but to me it meant so much, you said “and then they wonder why the kids go off “le-tarbas rue” (off the way)”.
    Hearing you say this even thou you said those words rather quick in the interview just threw an image of my head of Rabbi kadiri stressing for over 10 minutes to me about being careful what I eat.

    Yes I am to blame for my actions but seriously I feel the food that I ate in Yeshivah growing up was not kosher like it should be, the yeshivah just cares about money and that’s where I ate most of my meals too, and that in turn didn’t give me the proper strength to fight off the bad thought and ways.

    For the sake of those kids who are still innocent and for the sake of the true people who just want to eat kosher food continue the fight and expose the liars who will do anything for money.

    There is no doubt in my head that the food issue is in part what is contributing to the huge increase of kids that go off the way.
    Yeah I'm sure the internet and the society as a whole don’t help, but please myself and the so many others in my class and others I know had no internet, what we did have is food that wasn't made for a kid that wants to be a strong Jew.

    I call the hotline or as Rabbi Goldman calls it the cold line every few weeks I grew up speaking Yiddish 99% of the day even thou I don’t talk with my family that much because of the huge amount of friends I have just like me we I still speak lots of Yiddish maybe I shouldn’t.

    This chol hamoyed sukkus I was at a rest stop in Connecticut at a McDonalds I see 4 yeshivah bouchrim there eating inside they still have the curls the clothing everything, so I walk up to them (they have no clue im jewish or anything) and I ask them politely why is it that my co-worker wont eat from m'cdonalds he says Jews can't eat it and here I see they are eating, they started laughing and saying how its all the same Jews just charge more money for non kosher meat because they add a little sticker they told me the story about finkle and claimed almost everything is corrupt.

    I mean seeing hassidic people in nightclubs in these days is the norm, wouldn’t surprise me if one of those guys I see in the clubs with the long beared and side curls if for a living he gives “hechshers”.

    My grandmother was a WWII survivor I remember going with her as a young boy a few times to the butcher he sometimes shechted the chicken right there she would take it home and make it kosher herself etc a long very tedious process, but I would do all that work today myself not to be where I am today spiritually.

    I hope one day to be the nice Jewish boy I was once.

    Sunday, April 25, 2021

    REUTERS- Israel examining Pfizer COVID -19 vaccine heart inflammation

     

    JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday it is examining a small number of cases of heart inflammation in people who had received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, though it has not yet drawn any conclusions.

    Tuesday, April 20, 2021

    Lakewood "IHR HATORAH", another breach of Pritzus, R"L at Gourmet Glatt plaza parking lot

     Breach of tznius a outdoor fashion show at a busy shopping plaza: 

    "Speaking of Lakewood there was a horrific breach of tznius  this passed Sunday .” 

    A collaborative event like none other “. 

    The hired models were prancing around in the heart of Lakewood with inappropriate evening wear and used extremely inappropriate body language . 

    How low have we stooped to allow this to go on? ..It starts with the “food shopping experience “.... and this is what evolves ...pritzus !

    Saturday, April 10, 2021

    We received the following consumer alert Re: B'Gan / Bertram foods

    Subject: B'gan Food Products / Bertram foods



    April 8, 2021

    Dearest Kosher Consumer,

    This communication is in response to the recent issue that B'gan / Bertram had with margarine that it marketed as Kosher for Passover with a certification from KAJ and the Nirbater Rov. As already publicized, some boxes of margarines reportedly had a chometz issue.

    The aforementioned fiasco brings to light very serious questions how such a disastrous event happened, regarding the checks and balances that B'gan / Bertram, KAJ and the Nirbater Rov have, and regarding the questionable recall and notice that went out from B'gan/Bertram (attached), amongst other issues.

    I believe we can all agree that had there been no inside margarine wrapper which indicated that the product may have had a kashrus problem - as publicized by B'gan - this serious issue would have never been found out even by the most stringent Kosher consumer. I suspect that this joins other kashrus issues at B'gan/Bertram Food products that until today are unknown to anyone.

    Until there is full transparency and accountability from B'gan/ Bertram, KAJ and the Nirbater Rov, all B'gan/Bertram food products cannot be recommended to the kosher consumer at this time.

    Thank you,

    We have written to them twice for specific clarification on certain points, we did not receive any satisfactory responses. 


    Tuesday, March 30, 2021

    UPDATE: REFRESH Fruits of Brooklyn- They need some major changes in their quality of checking-

    CRC put out an alert before Pesach that all romaine is much more infested that usual, including Andy Boy Hearts.

    The ORB (Florida hashgocha) put out the CRC alert on the first day of Chol Hamoed, while giving a Pesach hashgocha to many hotel, many caterers, etc. without being aware that it's heavily infested.

    Shocked? NO- the ORB is consistent. 



    It is suggested that everyone should do a cursory check prior to use.

    Rabbi Eisen of the 5 Towns Vaad is very much at fault, single handedly has brought down the quality of kashrus in the entire industry of infestation, etc.






    Friday, March 26, 2021

    CRC ALERT: Romaine heaviy infested- Therefore, Buy only the Positive or kosher Garden brands

    March 25, 2021

     

    Please be advised that in recent days we have been finding romaine lettuce to be more infested than usual.  In particular, we have been finding more thrips than would be expected. 


    Accordingly, extra care and diligence should be used when preparing romaine lettuce for the Seder.  The “thrip cloth method” (https://www.crcweb.org/askcrc/Thripcloth.php)  remains effective, but the procedure may have to be repeated several times to remove all insects.  


    An alternative method is to separate the leaves, soak them in soapy water, and then rub all parts of each leaf with a sponge or scrubber. The leaves can then be used as is.

     

    The above concern is, because of the unusually high levels of infestation in romaine lettuce, we have just determined that the usual washing process has not been sufficient in some instances. 


    Therefore, we recommend that the whole leaf romaine lettuce be rewashed by placing the leaves into soapy water and then rinsing each leaf front and back under running water. The chopped variety may be used as is, without additional washing.

     

    Kehiloth Magazine is a "Treif" publication



    Thursday, March 25, 2021

    UPDATE: Shatnez Alert: Don't buy clothing from Lakewood Emporio stores, until it's checked by a Lab affiliated with the International testers

    SUITS sold in EMPORIO- Lakewood has been found to contain Shatnez. Therefore, all of their suits must be re-checked by a qualified shatnez Lab.

    Shatnez has been found in David Oliver suits sold at the Suite Shoppe.

    All shoulder pads that have been put in by the right place may contain Shatnez and must be replaced.

    GEFLOCHTENE SILVER ATOROS sold by Judaica Plaza have been found to contain linen within the Atorah.




    Tuesday, March 16, 2021

    Alert: A completly unreliable fraudlent Hashgocha on wigs, per Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, per Rav Eliyashev, Z"L & many others

    RAV MORDECHAI GROSS'S GOOD NAME WAS HI-JACKED BY AVROHOM SCHLESINGER, RAV GROSS HAS "NO IDEA" OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THESE HASHGOCHAS.

    Shatnez Alert


    ROCK SALMON-WHAT IS IT??? it's non-kosher canned salmon

    From Wikipedia encyclopedia: Rock Salmon is the flesh of the dogfish, wolffish or catfish, also known as hass/huss. [Non-kosher, of course- Y.S.] Renamed by marketeers to make the fish more appealing to consumers. it is from the Shark family.
    Note: Canned skinless and boneless Rock Salmon has the flesh texture an reddish color of late season canned salmon- Per US Fisheries Department the one way to differentiate the difference is by a simple sodium test. As canned Salmon has a few grains of salt put into the can prior to cooking the raw salmon in the can. Rock Salmon does not have any salt put in the can prior to cooking the raw Rock Salmon.

    Therefore, flesh color of salmon is not reliable 

    Wednesday, March 03, 2021

    KAJ pulled the Hashgocha from Empire, due to serious issues- FYI- "only" Some Lakewood caterers refuse to use Empire's kashrus standards

    Always ask caterer, "do you use Empire"?

    FYI- ONLY SOME Lakewood caterers will not use the Empire poultry.

    KCL is a  Lakewood political Organization, making a lot of money off of Kashrus.

    KCL subscribes to PAY FOR PLAY.

    Tuesday, February 23, 2021

    Danger on the horizon

    Dear Yehuda,

    What’s next in the legal revolution to reshape America?
     
    Bruce DeBoskey writes a nationally syndicated column regarding charitable matters.  I met Bruce at a meeting of the Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises event and ended up on his newsletter list.

    Recently he has been writing more about changing the charitable exemption laws.  I take his writing to indicate the leading edge of this change in America.  He is describing a problem and a solution and lobbying for that solution.  I take him seriously.  He is the kind of person who writes about something he is not merely suggesting, but actually working to lobby for the change he is advocating.  I would expect that this will be seen in the mainstream discourse in short order.  He is seeding into the public consciousness the next step in the transformation of America.  In other words, I think is unwise to dismiss his ideas as “it will never happen.”  I explain later how it could happen.
     
    Here’s are the problems he identifies.  He points to his desired solutions through questions:
     
    Problem #1 – Too many organizations have 501(c)(3) status that have no genuine “public good.”  Groups saving pot-bellied pigs are questionable and hate groups are even more obvious.
     
    Solution #1 – Create a definition of what is really for the “public good” and eliminate the exemption for those organizations who don’t meet the standard. 
     
    Problem #2 – Churches, synagogues and non-profits do not pay local property taxes but still use services such as roads, police and fire. 
     
    Solution #2 – Eliminate property tax exemption for religious institutions
     
    Problem #3 – Megachurches – make too much money and it’s all tax free. And their leaders, make too much money, too. 
     
    Solution #3 – Mr. DeBoskey is not explicit, but I would guess it would involve taxing income from sales of products and salary limits on clergy. 
     
    He asks:
    • How does society define the “public good” in a way that prioritizes those nonprofit programs needed by our country and whose missions actually advance our shared values?
    • Does the cost/benefit of the charity exemption and donation deductibility make good economic and policy sense for 21st century society?
    So donation deductibility is also on the table.
     
    “This reexamination will involve the honest commitment of policy and tax experts, economists, elected officials and the nonprofit sector itself to ensure that the charity “deal” actually works to improve our cities and states, our country and our world in ways that make the most sense for the times in which we live.”
     
    Now was DeBoskey just musing on matters that concern him, or is he part of the larger campaign to bring about these changes?  Is there something in between the lines in his mind?  I don’t know.  But, I believe that there is a campaign to bring about these changes and I’ll address what I see as between the lines, the consequences of the campaign, how it might play out and what we can do about it.
     
    Between the lines #1: Ideological purge of charitable status for any organization that is not meeting the “standard” as applied by a bureaucrat all for the public good.  DeBoskey singles out the protection of pot-bellied pigs and hate groups as making a questionable or no contribution to the public good.  But I don’t think anyone is really after the pot-bellied pig protectors.  They are just a convenient showcase since few feel moved by pot-bellied pigs.  And the ‘hate groups’ are something everyone agrees to hate but they cannot be the real target because they are only a tiny fraction of non-profits and getting rid of their exempt status will not increase tax revenue.  The larger goal here is to empower the government with the ability to decide what is in the “public good.”  Today the list may look agreeable to almost all, but the ideological purity test will rapidly shift and expand to exclude a whole range of causes.  The key is to get the discussion and agreement going that we all agree to exclude “them” and later we will find ourselves excluded, originally just from exempt status and then later labelled as “not for the public good.”   
     
    Between the lines #2:  Shutter the doors on the small churches that cannot afford the real-estate taxes.  Talk about hitting the poor communities whose membership cannot afford the contributions.  The exemption from real estate taxes not only shows that religious worship is the top American priority and that we all are willing to pay for it, but the exemption levels the playing field for new congregations that do not have the coffers of long established houses of prayer.  (Parking space requirements similarly work to harm new congregations while old established congregations sometimes have not a single parking spot.)
     
    Between the lines #3:  Salary caps for clergy will be pushed just as they are being pushed for publicly traded companies and non-profits.  In the mind of socialists, everything is measured by the public good, as defined by them, and not by the consumers choice.  The mega churches are offering something that people are willing to pay for.  If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.  
     
    Here is how I predict this will play out:
     
    Expect a trickle, then a steady stream of news articles and new programs about groups that “should not” have exempt status, that do “no public good.”  Stories that show that terrible ideas are getting exemptions, or most of the money is going to administration or the lavish lifestyles of a church leader.  Stories about a church that burned and required a lot of local firefighting resources but since it was exempt for real estate taxes it did not contribute to the cost of that fire-fighting.  Maybe a Congressional investigating committee to hear supporting testimony.
     
    As urged in the DeBoskey article, the process will be dominated by experts and the public encouraged to defer to those experts.  “Policy” experts, tax experts, economic experts, non-profit experts, all to override the common sense of the average man and woman. 
     
    And, the current non-profits will have a voice too, but they are actually not reliable.  They have a vested interest in creating a test they will mostly pass, but that will be a barrier to entry to new non-profits in the future.  There is a false perception that non-profits are more civic minded than the regular citizen.  In some cultures, the concept of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) is on par with the government and given equal status to implement policy and objectives.  They become the means to reshape society in the image of the agenda without the obstacles faced by government.  But non-profits are run by humans with an agenda that is often, but not always, reflected in the name of the organization.  We can’t defer our responsibilities to them either.   
     
    In response to the call to regulate non-profits and eliminate exemptions, the non-profits will divide into three groups:  Those that think this is fantastic because they are confident they will survive the ideological purges.  Those that will fight it.  And those who will pretend it does not require their involvement and let others fight against it.
     
    First, those that fight it will first say it is outrageous and the “public good” standard should not be made more exact.   Then they will form a coalition to fight it, perhaps calling themselves the US Chamber of Non-Profits or the American Non-Profit Alliance.  Advocates of the non-profit changes will lay the groundwork by attacking the coalition as supporters of terrorists and extremists.  The coalition will then decide that to receive more public support they need to tone down their position to sound more reasonable and will start to offer compromise solutions.  They will agree to the elimination of exemptions for the “fringe” – after all they are not the fringe.  Soon after they will be writing position letters to the US Treasury stating that the problem is great and a solution is needed but the proposal is too extreme and should be merely tweaked to address some issues.  They might even have “discussions” seeking compromise with the change proponents and may even come to agreement on who they are willing to eliminate because all sides agree that “those” organizations are offensive and not for the “public good.”  And the members of the coalition will be told that this is the only way to go, that they must compromise because it’s the only way to have any influence on the process.  And then once the regulations are approved, the coalition will not challenge it in court since they helped craft it.  The people who didn’t wake up in time will now be stuck and they won’t have the financial resources to challenge it in court because the coalition will not back them.  And then everyone will discover that the limited list they had agreed on is being expanded.
     
    This my friends is how freedom is lost.  Voluntarily.  This is the playbook on issue after issue.  Oppose, set up a phony dialectic, then compromise to look more supportable, then lose outright.  This is how programs and agencies became part of everyday life in America, and how the revolutionary objectives will now be rolled out and become reality, G-d forbid, in America.  And subsequent administrations that promise to restore freedom will at most only chip away at the infrastructure but never actually dismantle the infrastructure.     
     
    The solution is to stick to the truth.  America supports religion.  America was founded by religion.  The idea that we have G-d given inalienable rights is a religious idea.  And we are willing to pay for the government services needed to keep that priority first.  When I am driving on a Sunday and I see police officer directing traffic at a church, I don’t complain “why am I paying for that?”  I don’t need similar city services because an Orthodox Jewish synagogue by definition cannot make a traffic jam on Shabbos.  But, rather than complaining, I am grateful to live in America.
     
    And we specifically do not want to define the public good.  We don’t want to have the discussion that DeBoseky calls for.  That some groups that I do not agree with receive tax breaks and their donors receive deductions is the price of my liberty.
     
    We already know where this discussion is going.  They will not be asking me or you to vet which groups are for the public good.  I would guess that they will look, as an example, to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) which maintains a list of who they have decided are “hate” groups and “extremist” groups.  Using the term “extremist” implies that there is the agreed upon center.  But that is not agreed upon.  The SPLC has positioned itself as the “authority” on which groups are good and bad and their work is now relied on by media, banks, social media and even government authorities.  Whether you agree with their ratings, they have an agenda and a worldview and clear operational objectives and those are reflected in their “ratings.” 
     
    Let’s dig deeper: If someone or something is for the “public good” there must be those who are “not for the public good.”  Something “not for the public good” quickly becomes a danger to the public good and under the socialist principles afoot today, must be eliminated, “for the public good.”   Don’t fantasize that you can agree to the distinction and emerge unscathed.
     
    Our shared values in America are already established.  We encourage charitable donations to non-profits and facilitate that by allowing a charitable deduction.  We put religion first by exempting houses of worship and the homes of clergy from real estate taxation.  That’s already long established.  The shared value is also that we don’t give the government the power to decide which is a good use of our charitable money.
     
    The laws don’t suddenly change.  National priorities don’t suddenly change.  They shift through concerted campaigns that sway public outrage at a “problem” or “crisis” and then focus public demand for the “solution.”  All these changes are voluntary, usually because you voluntarily chose not to pay attention.  So read the leading indicators and know what is at stake.  And take action to refocus America on the source of liberties and the price we have to pay to have them.
     
    As to the problems and solutions DeBoskey highlights, the real solution is not to agree to the discussion in the first place. 
     
    Sincerely,
     
    E. David Smith, Esq


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    Monday, January 04, 2021

    Shatnez Alert- De Ja Vu

    Some consumers are under the impression that garments purchased at Jewish-owned
    businesses need no shatnez testing, especially when the proprietor states so. 

    The attached consumer notice should lead the kosher consumer to a different conclusion.