העורך Editor

Forget the economic explanations of the market. Here’s the mystical one, from Breslov:

כל עסקי המשא ומתן, שמתגלגלים ובאים הסחורות והחפצים מאדם זה לאדם אחר, הכל כפי הניצוצות שבהם. ולפעמים צריך שיצא החפץ מרשותו לרשות אחר ואחר כך יחזר לרשותו, הכל כפי הניצוצות שבאותו הדבר וכפי החלקי נפש רוח ונשמה שיש להאדם בכל עת וזמן. על כן אין לדחק את השעה בשום דבר, לדחק עצמו ביותר למכר דוקא או לקנות דוקא באותה השעה שחפץ. כי לכל עת, כפי ברור הניצוצות וכפי חלקי נפש רוח נשמה שבאדם, כנזכר לעיל:

• Likutei Eitzos, Money and Livelihood 29 (based on Likutei Moharan I 54:3)

In Leshichno Tidreshu the Steipler is quoted as saying the number of traffic accidents is outrageous. If there were a Sanhedrin today, he goes on, they would forbid using cars entirely.

The important point here is that road tragedies are not the way of the world.

I have a different idea to reduce traffic accidents: desocialize the roads. That way someone has the incentive to protect customers. See more about this in The Privatization of Roads and Highways. How about we try my idea first?

See the first Mishna in Shekalim that Beis Din must fix broken roads…

Related: Someone once asked Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (during an Arab popular uprising, or “Intifada”) whether Israel was deemed a “Makom sakana” (a dangerous place) one must leave. Rabbi Elyashiv said: when the number of dead matches the number who die in traffic accidents, God forbid, then Israel will be a “Makom sakana”. (It never even got close.)

American expats get real taxation and highly doubtful representation. Still, if you wish to vote from Israel:

– (Repeat) Americans who wish to vote in the U.S. election from Israel, time to register is almost past. Here’s a link to make registration easy.

Excerpt from Mystical Paths, here.

I am told there is a song sometimes sung at weddings before the bride:

כשם שאני רוקד כנגדך ואיני יכול לנגוע בך, כך לא  יוכלו כל אויבי לנגוע בי לרעה

(The original purpose of which is the blessing on the New Moon.)

Isn’t this Nibbul Peh (profane speech), based on the bolded words? Also, there are rumors of ugly talk when escorting the couple to and from the Cheder Yichud.

Is this true?

There was a time when the advocates of socialism argued that it would lead man to material abundance, whereas free-market capitalism would lead only to increasing misery and would ultimately collapse under its own internal stresses. You don’t hear that too much these days, and for good reason. A century of empirical evidence has shown the contrary — that the free market leads to increasing wealth and material freedom, while socialism leads us only to poverty, state supremacy, and ultimately, mass murder.

These days the attack has shifted. Capitalism does not lead us to poverty; it leads us to too much wealth. This makes us “greedy” and “materialistic.” It leads us to excessive “consumerism.”

Indeed, there has been a recent resurgence of academic critiques and self-help literature lamenting excessive “materialism” and “consumerism,” much of which lays the blame squarely at the feet of free-market capitalism and its lifeblood, money. But does having more money really lead us to a narrow concern with material possessions? Does it lead us to an excessive desire for material wealth? Does it lead us to these things at the cost of spiritual impoverishment and the sacrifice of other concerns?

…

The opening of an article from Mises.org, here. The rest of the article is really good.