Interesting Posts and Articles #267

1. This week's Haveil Havalim -- The Experimental Edition, hosted at The Rebbetzin's Husband:
   

   So what's the Experiment?
   
   Usually, we divide up Haveil Havalim categories based on the subjects of the posts – Israel, Personal, Torah, Humor, and so on. This time around, though, I thought I might do it a bit differently; I tried to categorize posts based on the way the blogger’s voice came across to me.

2. DovBear thinks that an interchange between Rabbi Akiva and his colleague regarding the sin of Tzelophchad demonstrates that Tannaim were innovating midrashim, though he gives alternatives. I would agree, as I discussed last year.
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3. Thomas Jefferson used "subjects" instead of "citizens" in an early draft of the Declaration of Independence. (See image.)
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4. Another fight in Beit Shemesh, as the mayor refuses to grant a land allotment to a Modern Orthodox shul, or rather, took it off the City Council's agenda.
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5. Also via Vos Iz Neias, a recent poll showing the majority of Israelis fed up with Ultra-Orthodox parties:
   

   The general public thinks the haredi community shows disrespect for and rejects democracy, according to the survey. Fifty-eight percent of the Jewish public supports the establishment of a national unity coalition government that would include Kadima, but not the the haredi Shas or United Torah Judaism parties.

   The survey data “demonstrates unequivocally that the haredi parties managed to make themselves an anathema among the general public that supports the rule of law and democracy,” Regev said.

6. At Rambam, Maharal et al., how the Rambam's view that Sheidim is a Daas Yachid may be seen in various gemaras. He refers to this letter of the Rambam. In part, in response to a post here at parshablog, about whether there is a dispute within Chazal as to whether sheidim exist. I'll have to save my response for a separate post, as one or two sentences cannot suffice for this subject.