1. Mari bar Issak was a wealthy, powerful man who was known to intimidate people. One time a long-lost brother showed up from another land and requested half of their father's inheritance. Mari said he did not know him. They came before Rav Chisda, who instructed the claimant to produce witnesses that he was Mari's brother.

“I have witnesses,” said the man, “but they are afraid of him, for he is a tough guy.”

Rav Chisda turned to Mari. “You go and bring witnesses that he is not your brother.”

“Is that the law?” retorted Mari. “One who claims money from his fellow must bring the proof.”

“That is how I judge you and your fellow gangsters,” replied Rav Chisda. Ultimately witnesses came forward and testified that the man was indeed his brother. (See Bava Metzia 39B.)

This source is codified in Jewish law.

The Zera Shimshon finds an allusion to it in the first pasuk of this week's parsha. The Torah states “ושפטו את העם משפט צדק” – "and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment” (Devarim 16:18). The words “את העם” appear superfluous.

The Zera Shimshon cites the incident with Mari bar Issak, when Rav Chisda went against the usual law precisely so a righteous judgment could come to light. He adds that “העם” typically refers to gangsters and lowlifes. The Torah is hinting that they are judged differently than other people. The burden of proof is always on them; even if they are the defendant in monetary matters, they are guilty until proven innocent.

One doesn't need to be a Talmudic sage to apply this law to our current situation. Those who are trying to force us to take toxic injections and engage in other forms of self-harm are gangsters. The politicians, bureaucrats, media, and “social influencers” are all unsavory, untrustworthy people – often far worse. The powerful companies who pull their strings have a long history of corruption, racketeering, and every crime against humanity under the sun. Their trail of blood is staggering beyond comprehension.

We're supposed to believe their numbers, and their studies, and their assurances? We're supposed to accept their testimony about anything at all?

Not according to the Torah.

If they want us to believe anything they say, they must produce incontrovertible evidence. Studies they pay for, which are conducted by people they own, published in journals they sponsor, broadcast in media they control, “fact-checked” by liars they employ, promoted by bureaucrats in their pocket, have zero value as evidence.

In addition, known liars and lowlifes are ineligible to testify according to Jewish law, not to mention anyone with a vested interest. Anyone who is connected to the world's largest organized crime syndicate – otherwise known as the government, pharmaceutical industry, and global companies – is ineligible to testify that their products are “safe and effective”. Not surprisingly, those pushing the injections and supporting tyranny are almost invariably connected to the syndicate in some way (or wish to be, or admire it).

The burden of evidence is squarely on them, and the normal rules do not apply; they are guilty until proven innocent, and we must be leery of everything they say.

As Rav Chisda said, that is how we judge them and their fellow gangsters.

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2. Many Jews have been swayed by orders from corrupt rabbis to take needless, toxic injections. Those of us who have been battling these false prophets often hear about the instruction from this week's parsha to follow the judges of our time in all that they instruct us, even if they tell us that left is right and right is left (Devarim 17:8-11).

It should be self-understood that this instruction does not apply to rulings that violate the Torah. The Torah makes it abundantly clear that no one, not even a prophet, has the authority to overrule the Torah. The Torah forbids people to endanger their lives with needless, dangerous drugs, irrespective of how much authority figures and their propaganda machine demand otherwise. If a drug is dangerous, a rabbi cannot make it safe by declaring it so. He is not God, nor does God bend to his words.

The context of this section also makes it clear that it is referring to rulings that clarify ordinary cases of doubt, such as matters of purity and monetary judgments. Even if someone believes the court got it wrong – which is common for those who receive an unfavorable ruling – he must accept the ruling of the court. This section does not apply to imposing medical interventions on the entire Jewish nation.

In addition, this law only applies to the Sanhedrin, not contemporary rabbis who instruct people to gamble their lives on the integrity of godless, corrupt “experts”. These rabbis have no power to declare that left is right, nor even that right is right. They have discredited themselves. And even the Sanhedrin cannot change the Torah or permit the forbidden.

Here is a nice hint to all the above. The Torah states in pesukim 10-11:

ועשית על פי הדבר אשר יגידו לך מן המקום ההוא אשר יבחר ה' ושמרת לעשות ככל אשר יורוך: על פי התורה אשר יורוך ועל המשפט אשר יאמרו לך תעשה לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין ושמאל

The beginning of pasuk 11, “על פי התורה אשר יורוך ועל המשפט אשר יאמרו לך תעשה”, seems redundant. The Torah is hinting that we must do “like all they instruct us” only if it is “על פי התורה”, according to the Torah.

Maybe this is a chassidishe vort – it's my own chiddush – but the lesson is true.

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3. No chiddush here, just an important reminder.

Devarim 18:13 reads: תמים תהיה עם ה' אלהיך

“You shall be complete with Hashem your God.”

Rashi explains:

התהלך עמו בתמימות ותצפה לו ולא תחקור אחר העתידות, אלא כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו

“Go with Him with innocence [complete, simple faith] and look toward Him, and do not delve into trying to determine the future. Rather, whatever comes upon you, accept with innocence, and then you will be His nation and for His portion.”

Keep it simple and let God run the world.