In an unusual and symbolic gesture, the Gerer Rebbe recently sent the famed silver bowl that graces his table on Shabbos and at tishen as a personal gift to a leading benefactor in the United States.
The recipient of the rare present is Reb Yosef Aryeh Breiner of Borough Park, a prominent supporter of Torah causes and one of the major backers of the Toraso initiative in Ger. The gift was sent on behalf of the Rebbe by Rabbi Yaakov Eisen, director of the organization.
Within the Gerer chassidic court, outward symbols of royalty are notably restrained compared to other chassidic dynasties. The Rebbe does not don white garments or ornate bekitches, does not carry a silver staff, and does not wear a decorative crown atop his tallis. As a result, the silver bowl that sits on his table has become one of the most recognizable and meaningful symbols associated with the Gerer Rebbe.
The silver bowl is placed before the Rebbe at every tish, on Shabbos and Yom Tov, at family celebrations, and even at simchos held outside the main beis medrash. Over the years, it has become closely identified with the Rebbe’s presence and the avodah of the Gerer chassidus.
The decision to present this historic item to Rabbi Breiner was made as an expression of deep appreciation for his exceptional support of Toraso, an initiative especially dear to the Rebbe. The program spearheads a major effort to strengthen bekius and memorization-based Torah learning among kollel members, while also encouraging thousands of Gerer chassidim who are working baalei batim to master Torah baal peh.
{Matzav.com}
A mysterious and striking incident took place at the ancient Jewish cemetery in Peshischa, the site of the kevorim of generations of the tzaddikei Beis Peshischa. In recent years, large numbers of visitors have been arriving at the site, particularly since the establishment of the hachnasas orchim building there.
This week, a local non-Jewish woman, who together with her husband had safeguarded the keys to the tziyun for decades, passed away at the entrance to the gravesite. Visitors to the cemetery were accustomed to calling the couple upon arrival, and they would open the ohel in all weather conditions, throughout the year.
According to sources, the caretaker collapsed and died of cardiac arrest at the entrance to the site after a group of mispallelim concluded their tefillos. She had come to lock up the ohel when she suddenly collapsed. Her passing occurred just one month after the death of her husband, who had long been regarded as the guardian of the site.
The ohel itself was constructed many years ago by emissaries of the Vaad for Peshischa, at the initiative of the Gerer Rebbe. It was built on the precise location of the graves, based on testimony from elderly residents of the town who remembered the site from before World War II. Responsibility for guarding the tziyun was passed down within the family, from the original caretaker to his son, who, as noted, passed away a month ago after suffering paralysis in recent years. This week, his wife died at the very entrance to the tziyun.
Dovid Rubinstein, director of Der Biala Hoif in Peshischa, said that a number of changes have been implemented at the site in recent years, including upgrades to the facility. He noted that access to the tziyun is now also controlled by a coded entry system.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump disclosed that the United States military employed a previously undisclosed “secret sonic” weapon during the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, while boasting that no other country possesses the technology and highlighting what he described as America’s unmatched military capabilities.
Speculation about the use of a sonic device intensified after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the equipment deployed in the raid caused Venezuelan troops to suffer severe physical reactions, including nosebleeds and vomiting blood.
Despite the growing attention, Trump declined to offer specifics when asked about the weapon during an interview on the NewsNation program Katie Pavlich Tonight, adopting a notably guarded tone.
When host Pavlich asked whether Americans should be worried about the weapon’s strength, Trump reacted with a raised eyebrow and replied, “Well, yeah.”
He then added, “It’s something I don’t wanna…nobody else has it,” before continuing, “But we have weapons nobody else knows about.”
Trump went on to say, “And, I say it’s probably good not to talk about it, but we have some amazing weapons.”
Reflecting on the operation itself, he remarked, “That was an amazing attack,” without elaborating further.
As uncertainty remains over the exact nature of the device, Russia has demanded additional details from Washington. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has assigned its special services to seek more clarity regarding Trump’s comments.
Sonic weapons are designed to incapacitate targets through powerful sound waves. Some systems emit concentrated, painful beams aimed directly at individuals, while others rely on higher-frequency sounds that can affect people differently depending on their hearing range.
Such weapons are known to trigger symptoms including headaches, disorientation, balance issues, confusion, and, in some cases, lasting hearing damage.
According to Leavitt, however, the effects of the U.S. device were even more extreme. Citing an eyewitness account from someone who claimed to be among Maduro’s guards, she said the individual was unable to remain standing after the weapon was activated.
“At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it,” the statement said, as quoted by Fox News. “It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly, I felt like my head was exploding from the inside.”
“We all started bleeding from the nose,” the account continued. “Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon — or whatever it was.”
The witness added that he had “never seen anything like it.”
Venezuela’s interior minister said the assault on Maduro’s compound resulted in at least 100 deaths, according to Reuters, though it remains unclear whether any of those fatalities were directly linked to the sonic weapon.
While the deployment of sonic weapons is not prohibited under international law, members of Congress have raised questions about the legality of Trump’s decision to seize the Venezuelan president.
Commenting on the aftermath of the raid, Trump said, “It’s a whole different Venezuela, and Venezuela is going to be very successful, and the people of the United States are going to be big beneficiaries.”
He later wrote on Truth Social that “BIG OIL” intended to invest “at least 100 billion dollars” in Venezuela.
{Matzav.com}
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Noach Heisler zt”l, the longtime rov of the Sanhedria Hamurchevet neighborhood in Yerushalayim, who collapsed in his home and was niftar at the age of 89.
Emergency medical teams were summoned to his residence on Re’im Levin Circle in Sanhedria Hamurchevet after he suddenly collapsed.
The levayah is scheduled to take place this evening, departing from his home at Re’im Levin Circle 125 in Sanhedria Hamurchevet and proceeding to Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.
Rav Heisler was born in Kislev 5697 (1936) to his father, Rav Zalman Zeidel Heisler, and his mother, Mrs. Tamar, daughter of Rav Moshe Porush, one of the founders of Agudas Yisroel in Yerushalayim. In his youth and formative years, he studied at Yeshivas Eitz Chaim. Upon reaching marriageable age, he married into the Rokeach family.
In 5731 (1971), Rav Heisler was appointed rov of the Sanhedria Hamurchevet neighborhood, a position he held for decades with dignity and devotion. Residents recall the sense of majesty and warmth he brought to the community. Each morning he davened at the Maor Chaim beis medrash, where he greeted every individual with a welcoming countenance and patiently answered questions in halachah and hashkafah. His derashos on Shabbos Shuvah and Shabbos Hagadol drew large crowds who came to hear his words.
He maintained a close and special relationship with the leaders of the Torah world, including Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach and Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who trusted him and would refer matters to him.
In Sanhedria, his passing is a tremendous loss, particularly following the earlier petiros of the neighborhood’s leading figures, including Rav Boruch Shmuel Deutsch and Rav Uri Lupolianski, the founder and longtime chairman of Yad Sarah.
During his lifetime, Rav Heisler endured profound personal tragedy, losing two daughters: Mrs. Bila Weinberg a”h and Mrs. Sarah Rachel Drebkin a”h of the Ramat neighborhood of Yerushalayim, an educator at Bais Yaakov in Givat Shaul, who passed away at the age of 57.
Rav Heisler leaves behind a dor yesharim umevorach: his rebbetzin, his sons, among them Rav Naftali Heisler, rav of Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled, who is expected to continue his father’s role in the rabbanus of Sanhedria Hamurchevet, and Rav Meir Heisler, a dayan with the Badatz of Bnei Brak. His brother is Rav Meir Heisler.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
A court in Yerushalayim approved a compromise agreement on Thursday in the high-profile daycare case in the city, ordering the caregivers involved to remain under house arrest for nine days under restrictive conditions, even as the mother of a child who died in the tragedy appeared in court to speak forcefully in their defense.
Under the agreement reached with the prosecution, the caregivers were placed on house arrest and barred from returning to their workplace. Additional conditions imposed by the judge include a 45-day prohibition on working in childcare and a ban on contacting parents of the children or other individuals connected to the case.
In an extraordinary development, Chani Katz, the mother of Aharon Katz, the infant who died in the daycare tragedy, left her home during the shivah period to testify on behalf of the daycare director and staff. Addressing the court, she said the caregivers were being treated unjustly and insisted they bore no responsibility for her son’s death.
“We are like family. A terrible wrong is being done here,” Mrs. Katz told the court. “She lost a child just like I did.”
Standing before the judge only days after her loss, Mrs. Katz added, “I lost my son two days ago. I have known these caregivers for seven years. I sent all my children to them. I still have two children who have been with them for years. My children always loved being there. I know exactly who they are, and I am the most anxious mother in Jerusalem.”
Fighting back tears, she recounted the decision she made the night before the tragedy. “I hadn’t planned to send him to a permanent daycare. The night before, I debated where to place my most precious treasure — with my family or with Miriam. I chose Miriam because I felt calm and safe. This decree was from Heaven. He was meant to pass away on that day and at that hour, and God showed me kindness by not taking him while he was at home with me.”
Mrs. Katz went on to criticize the way the caregivers were being portrayed. “It hurts me to see them sitting here like two terrorists,” she said. “My pure Ari merited to be with Miriam longer than he was with me. Just as I lost a son, Miriam lost a child. I will get up from this and choose life, but she will never recover from this. It’s important to me to seek justice. They are innocent.”
Turning directly to the daycare director, Mrs. Katz concluded, “Miriam, be strong. We are with you.”
At the same time, other parents whose children attended the daycare submitted a letter to the court expressing their support for the educational staff. In the letter, they wrote that the caregivers’ “care, devotion, and sense of responsibility went far beyond what is expected,” adding that “each child received personal attention, meals on time, and every mother received a full report on her child’s day.”
The parents further stated that since the daycare was shut down, the absence has been clearly felt by the children. “The rumors, suspicions, and publications that have circulated are nothing more than fabrications and lies that harm innocent people,” the letter said.
Emergency response at the scene of the incident involved United Hatzalah, which assisted in evacuating children from the daycare following the tragedy.
{Matzav.com}
The Trump administration is intensifying efforts to bring about a political shift in Cuba, aiming to dismantle the island’s communist leadership and reach an agreement that would end decades of one-party rule before the close of the year, according to a new report.
As part of that effort, U.S. officials are attempting to identify figures within the Cuban government who might be willing to cooperate with Washington in easing the current leadership out of power, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
While officials have not yet finalized a specific strategy to topple the communist system that has governed Cuba for nearly seven decades, they believe the regime is now more vulnerable than at any point in recent memory.
That assessment follows the removal of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, an event U.S. officials say has sent shockwaves through Havana and pushed Cuba’s already weak economy toward the brink.
According to U.S. intelligence evaluations cited in the report, Cuba is grappling with widespread shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials, alongside rolling power outages that have become a regular feature of daily life.
The situation is being compounded by the island’s dependence on Venezuelan oil supplies, which officials warn could dry up within weeks. Washington is now seeking to block any additional Venezuelan crude from reaching Cuba as a way to further strain the government’s ability to function.
Senior U.S. officials told the Journal that the operation that led to Maduro’s capture — and the leverage it gave Washington in extracting concessions from Caracas — is being studied closely as a possible model for dealing with Havana.
That Jan. 3 mission, which resulted in Maduro’s arrest, succeeded in part because of assistance from someone inside his inner circle, officials said.
In hopes of finding a comparable opening in Cuba, Trump administration officials have been holding discussions with Cuban exile leaders and civic organizations in Miami and Washington, according to the report.
At the same time, the administration is considering escalating pressure on the Cuban government while offering a negotiated exit path for senior figures, including 94-year-old Raúl Castro, brother of the late Fidel Castro, and current President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
President Trump has already publicly signaled to Havana that patience is running out and urged the leadership to come to terms with Washington.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump wrote in a Jan. 11 post on Truth Social.
“I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he added.
{Matzav.com}
