Three timely teachings from the Gemara in Shabbos
From time immemorial doctors considered their treatments proprietary information, just like Coke hides its formula. Their primary interest is financial, not altruistic. When the masses know about simple treatments, the less they need to rely on doctors, and the less money doctors can make.
Why in the world do so many people believe that anything has changed? It’s always been about money and control, and it still is.
Our Talmudic sages — men of faith who were truly concerned with the greater good — publicly disseminated the best available knowledge, for the benefit of the masses.
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Fear Kills
אמר מר אם היתה צריכה לנר חבירתה מדלקת לה את הנר פשיטא לא צריכא בסומא מהו דתימא כיון דלא חזיא אסור קא משמע לן איתובי מיתבא דעתה סברא אי איכא מידי חזיא חבירתא ועבדה לי (שבת קכח:)
אף על גב דבפרק בתרא דיומא אמר חולה אין מאכילין אותו ביום הכפורים אלא על פי מומחה והכא שרינן משום יתובי דעתא היינו שיותר יכולה היולדת להסתכן על ידי פחד שתתפחד שמא אין עושין יפה מה שהיא צריכה ממה שיסתכן החולה ברעב (תוספות)
The master taught, “If the childbearing woman required a candle, her friend could light one for her.” But this is obvious! It was necessary to teach this in the case where the childbearing woman was blind. I might have thought that since she cannot see it would be forbidden. He comes to inform us that [the candle] would settle her mind, for she would reason that if she needs something, her friend will be able to see and do it for her. (Shabbos 128B)
Even though in the last chapter in Bava Basra it says that we only give a sick person to eat on Yom Kippur by the direction of an expert, and here we permit [a candle to be lit on Shabbos] to ease her mind — this is because a childbearing woman can be endangered through fear, for she will be afraid that maybe they won’t be able to do what she needs well, more so than a sick person is likely to be endangered by hunger. (Tosafot)
This is one of the clearest Torah sources I have seen that fear is dangerous and deadly. Even the seemingly remote fears of a childbearing woman are more serious than the actual hunger of a sick person, to the extent that we must light a candle on Shabbos to alleviate her concerns.
The people in power, the so-called “health experts”, and the media have done nothing but pump out a relentless diet of fear. They thrive off fear. They profit from it. They are empowered by it.
They kill with it.
Light a candle and banish the fear.
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They are wicked, yet they place their trust in Hashem
תניא רבי יוסי בן אלישע אומר אם ראית דור שצרות רבות באות עליו צא ובדוק בדייני ישראל שכל פורענות שבאה לעולם לא באה אלא בשביל דייני ישראל שנאמר שמעו נא זאת ראשי בית יעקב וקציני בית ישראל המתעבים משפט ואת כל הישרה יעקשו בונה ציון בדמים וירושלים בעולה ראשיה בשוחד ישפוטו וכהניה במחיר יורו ונביאיה בכסף יקסומו ועל ה’ ישענו וגו’ רשעים הן אלא שתלו בטחונם במי שאמר והיה העולם לפיכך מביא הקב”ה עליהן ג’ פורעניות כנגד ג’ עבירות שבידם שנאמר לכן בגללכם ציון שדה תחרש וירושלים עיין תהיה והר הבית לבמות יער ואין הקב”ה משרה שכינתו על ישראל עד שיכלו שופטים ושוטרים רעים מישראל שנאמר ואשיבה ידי עליך ואצרוף כבור סגיך ואסירה כל בדיליך ואשיבה שופטיך כבראשונה ויועציך כבתחלה (שבת קלט.)
We learned in a Baraysa, Rabbi Yosi ben Elisha said, if you see a generation in which troubles are coming upon it, go examine the judges of Israel, for all the punishment that comes to the world only comes because of the judges of Israel, as it says “Hear now, heads of the house of Yaacov and the rulers of the house of Israel. They abhor judgment, and they twist all that is straight, they build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with corruption. Her heads judge for bribes, and her priests rule for payment, and her prophets divine for money, yet they rely on God (Micha 3:9-11). They are wicked, yet they place their trust in the One who spoke and brought the world into existence!
Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, brings upon them three punishments, corresponding to the three sins in their hands, as it says “Therefore, on your account Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps, and Har Habayis will be like the high places of a forest.”
And the Holy One, blessed be He, will not settle His presence upon Israel until all the wicked judges and officers are eliminated from Israel, as it says “And I will return My hand upon you [to strike you repeatedly], and I will thoroughly cleanse you from your dross, and I will remove all your tin, and I will restore your judges as at first, and your advisors as in the beginning (Yeshaya 1:25). (Shabbos 139A)
Anyone who believes that the rabbis and other leaders of today are not predominantly corrupt and wicked does not believe the Torah.
No further commentary is necessary.
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