For What it’s Worth: Warren Hecht

If you had looked at the QJL for the past two weeks, you would have had no idea that I was on vacation since I had written two columns in advance. Now that I have returned, it feels, as the phrase goes, “Same story, different day.” For one week, I will not address the madness in our country. Instead, I will share about the trip I took with my wife, Beth, to Israel. This was the first time since the year we were married that we have gone to Israel together. The impetus for the trip was that my first cousin’s son was getting married.

One of the least reported stories by the media involved the trading of Americans held in Venezuela for the 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador, who were sent there by the Trump administration based on the Alien and Sedition Act.

We live in a world full of hypocrisy. It exists at a national level, a political party level, a state level, a city level, a community level, and even on an individual level. For example, every time a frum Jew sins or neglects to do a mitzvah that he is required and able to do, that is an act of hypocrisy.

The advantage of having the fast days of the 17th of Tamuz (Shivah Asar b’Tammuz) and the 9th of Av (Tishah b’Av) on a Sunday is that you do not lose any days of work. The downside is that I am unable to ride a bike. I missed the Gold Coast Ride on July 13.

There have been many pillars of society who, before Trump became president, acted as if they were tough and fair, only to fold under pressure. This includes major law firms and media outlets such as ABC, which settled with Trump, and The Washington Post, whose owner Jeff Bezos exerted control even over outside editorials. But perhaps the worst example is CBS.

We live in a country where conspiracy theories run rampant. The underlying cause is a distrust in government. This past week, the case of Jeffrey Epstein has reemerged with results unsatisfactory to many – especially those in the MAGA movement. It is important to understand where they are coming from.