Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. Astronomers know that the universe is being pushed apart at an accelerating rate and they have puzzled for decades over what could possibly be speeding everything up. They theorize that a powerful, constant force is at play, one that fits nicely with the main mathematical model that describes how the universe behaves. But they can’t see it and they don’t know where it comes from, so they call it dark energy. It is so vast it is thought to make up nearly 70% of the universe — while ordinary matter like all the stars and planets and people make up just 5%.

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Target Corp. shares plunged Wednesday after the retailer trimmed its full-year earnings outlook, warning that a flat sales quarter and a buildup in inventory hurt profitability.
Executives said US consumers spent less on nonessential items such as clothes and home products – a weaker third-quarter picture than the one provided by Walmart Inc. earlier this week.
Profit also took a hit after Target stockpiled more products in preparation for the US port strike last month. Holding the additional inventory was more expensive than the company expected, eroding earnings.
Target shares tumbled 18% in New York, their biggest one-day drop since May 2022. The shares are trading Wednesday without the right to receive a dividend payout.

Israel Defense Forces Maj. (res.) Ze’ev Erlich, 71, a renowned scholar of the Land of Israel, was killed by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, the Binyamin Regional Council announced on Wednesday evening.
“Jabo Erlich, 71, a reservist, joined IDF forces operating in Southern Lebanon. He was a prominent researcher in the field of research into the Land of Israel and its settlement,” the council confirmed in a statement.
“We are shocked by Jabo’s departure,” said council head Israel Ganz, describing Erlich as “a man whose name was a symbol of knowledge and love of the land” and one of the founders of the community of Ofra in the Binyamin region.
(JNS)

Family getting up: Shacharis: 7:00 am Mincha: 2:00 pm Maariv: 9:45 pm Mrs.

On Wednesday, the Senate decisively voted down three resolutions introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that sought to block a major arms deal with Israel.
The Vermont senator had aimed to prevent the delivery of $20 billion worth of military supplies, including tank rounds, mortar rounds, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Sanders cited what he called “unacceptable civilian death and harm” in Gaza as his reason for opposing the deal.
Although the arms sale had already been approved by Congress, the vote provided an opportunity to gauge Democratic support in the Senate for the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to Israel’s war with Hamas.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
This week we study Parshas Chayei Sarah, as we continue our trek through Sefer Bereishis, learning about our forefathers and mothers so that we can follow in their ways.
While the Torah reports on the passing of Sarah Imeinu, the Medrash provides additional context about what brought about her death. It explains that the Soton told her about the akeidah, and she was so overwhelmed by the pain of the thought that she died.
At first glance, it seems obvious that if Avrohom had gone through with the initial plan and Yitzchok had died, Sarah Imeinu would certainly have passed away upon hearing such news.

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