Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a long speech full of heavy sighs and dark grievances, made clear today that he has chosen war. He went to war against Ukraine in 2014; now he has declared war against the international order of the past 30 years.

What happens next depends on two things: whether Putin actually follows through on the decree; and, if he does, whether the tanks roll just into the sections of Donbas controlled by the separatists—or whether he tries to occupy the entire region, some of which the separatists do not control. The latter would be an act of war against Ukraine. (Arguably, doing the former would be as well.)

Whatever follows Russia’s large-scale military maneuvers, and the announcement Monday to recognize the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian regions and orders to send troops there, Mr. Putin has made clear he wants to redraw the post-Cold War security map of Europe.

Let’s look at the reasons for the inflation… the reason for the inflation is the supply chains were cut off, meaning that the products, for example, automobiles — the lack of computer chips to be able to build those automobiles so they could function; they need those computer chips. They were not available.

…it turns out that Democrats aren’t much better at making excuses for their failures than they are at governing in the first place. Fortunately… voters will get a chance to hold someone accountable.

Blaming inflation on supply lines is like complaining about your sweater keeping you too warm after you’ve added several logs to the fireplace.

Iran, which openly chants “death to America” and “death to Israel,” is highly likely to use sanctions relief to fund its malign activities.

The supervision and most of the restrictions will remain in place for many years, and in any case, Iran won’t be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Moreover, had the agreement still been in force, the reduced sanctions and Iran’s increased profits would have made it possible to scrutinize its intentions more seriously…

The original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action allowed Iran to maintain its nuclear infrastructure, from advanced centrifuges to a robust research and development plan. Now, though the fate of a follow-on deal remains uncertain, it seems diplomats in Vienna are looking to ink an agreement with the same basic problem.

In early December, Judaism’s Conservative movement sent a disquieting message to dozens of synagogues looking for a new rabbi: Many of you won’t make a hire this year. At least 80 Conservative synagogues anticipated rabbi vacancies — approximately one of every seven affiliated with the movement, the email said. At most, 50 to 60 rabbis would be looking for new jobs.

“It used to be, the ultimate goal was to be the senior rabbi at a large synagogue,” said Emily Hendel, director of career services for the Rabbinical Assembly, an association of 1,500 Conservative rabbis. “Now the ultimate goal is career fulfillment. Sometimes that means shifting your career.”

“There’s just a ton of rabbis who are retiring, and primarily because [of the] pandemic, economy and all of those things, it just led to a glut of rabbis retiring this year,” Gruenberg said.

Another factor is how rabbis today have a more diverse array of opportunities available to them outside of the pulpit, including in education and other areas, Gruenberg added.

The problem with counting is not that it highlights the individual; on the contrary, the problem with counting is that it reduces the individual to a number… Shmuel David Luzzatto (Shadal) associates the prohibition of counting with royal arrogance.

Few religions have as much history and symbolism as Judaism. As the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, it dates back nearly 4,000 years. In Judaism, architecture and houses of worship serve as places not only for liturgical services but also for assembly and study. Today, architects are rethinking the design of synagogues and community gathering spaces to celebrate Judaism, reflection and community.

The Talmud (Bava Batra 14b) teaches that the broken pieces of the Luchot were placed in the Aron side-by-side with the second tablets, luchot v’shivrey luchot munachim b’Aron. Not hidden. Not buried. Not forgotten. Instead, the shattered shards were restored to a place of honor in the Holy Ark alongside the new, restored Tablets.

…barring shoes outright just to keep your floors clean is bringing a gun to a pillow fight. Turns out there’s already an effective old-fashioned way to achieve your goal of a clean floor while neither insulting my hygiene habits nor endangering my delicate, vulnerable, long-suffering feet: It’s called a doormat.

Here’s the thing: in Asia and many other parts of the civilized world, there are social customs that are focused on preserving the health, comfort and safety of the people around us. Some of these customs require a little bit of personal sacrifice, like swapping your street shoes for some sweet Hello Kitty slides when you come inside.

… in the hierarchy of potential health hazards at home, bacteria-caked shoes rank comparatively low, according to Donald W. Schaffner, a food microbiologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.