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As thousands of Israelis prepare to spend Shavuos outside of Eretz Yisroel, a major halachic question surrounding Yom Tov Sheini Shel Goluyos has now received a clear ruling from the former Rishon Letzion, Rav Yitzchak Yosef.

The question was submitted by the rov of Uman, Rav Yaakov Jan, who sought guidance regarding the many Israeli visitors expected to spend Yom Tov in the city.

This year, Shavuos falls on Friday. In Eretz Yisroel, where only one day of Yom Tov is observed, the following day — Shabbos — will already feature the reading of Parshas Naso. Outside of Eretz Yisroel, however, Shabbos itself is observed as the second day of Yom Tov, and the regular weekly Torah reading is delayed. As a result, a gap develops between the parshiyos read in Eretz Yisroel and those read in chutz la’aretz, a discrepancy that will continue for several weeks until the readings are synchronized again around Parshas Balak.

In his letter, Rav Jan asked whether Israelis staying in Uman would be permitted to organize a separate minyan on Shabbos in order to hear the reading of Parshas Naso according to the Eretz Yisroel schedule.

Rav Jan noted that it is already well established that Israelis visiting abroad may not publicly perform melachah on the second day of Yom Tov. However, he suggested that given the unusually large number of Israeli guests expected this year, perhaps there would be room to allow a separate Torah-reading minyan without objecting to it.

Rav Yitzchak Yosef responded immediately with a detailed written teshuvah, ruling decisively that Israelis staying outside Eretz Yisroel must conduct themselves publicly exactly like local residents observing two days of Yom Tov.

According to the ruling, this requirement applies not only to melachah but also to the public structure of tefillah and Torah reading in shul. Therefore, separate public minyanim for the Eretz Yisroel Torah reading may not be held.

At the same time, the Rishon Letzion clarified that privately, within their homes, Israelis may daven and read according to the custom and schedule of Eretz Yisroel.

The issue of Yom Tov Sheini Shel Goluyos has long created fascinating customs and practices among various chassidic communities during the Yomim Tovim.

Visitors from abroad who travel to Eretz Yisroel for the regalim — particularly to spend Yom Tov in Yerushalayim or near their rebbes — continue observing two days of Yom Tov even while in Eretz Yisroel. Because these visitors are maintaining the stringencies of Yom Tov rather than relaxing them, their public minyanim do not create a concern of public desecration of Yom Tov.

In some chassidic courts in Eretz Yisroel, local chassidim have even adopted the custom of wearing their Shabbos clothing on the second day of Yom Tov as a visible sign of solidarity with their fellow chassidim visiting from overseas.

By contrast, Israeli chassidim who travel to the United States or Europe to spend Yom Tov with their rebbes are careful not to perform melachah publicly on the second day of Yom Tov, even when that day is an ordinary weekday back in Eretz Yisroel.

In typical years, when the second day falls during the week, some Israeli visitors quietly put on tefillin in complete privacy inside their lodgings so as not to appear to local residents as though they are violating Yom Tov. This year, however, that issue does not arise because the second day of Yom Tov coincides with Shabbos.

{Matzav.com}

Deep concern has spread throughout the Torah world and the halls of Yeshivas Ponovezh following reports that the famed masmid, Rav Chaim Berman, has become seriously weakened.

Rav Chaim, widely regarded in the yeshiva world as one of the greatest masmidim of the generation, has long been known for his extraordinary consistency in Torah learning and for never missing a single day in the famed Ponovezh bais medrash.

Several weeks ago, Rav Chaim was hospitalized for several days after his medical condition worsened. Although he has since returned home, he has yet to regain his strength, and his absence from the main bais medrash in Bnei Brak has been deeply felt by generations of talmidim.

For Ponovezh bochurim, the absence is especially painful. Rav Chaim is known as someone who virtually never left the walls of the yeshiva and who, despite his towering stature in Torah, would regularly enter the shiurim klaliyim and sit among the younger bochurim with humility and simplicity.

In light of Rav Chaim’s condition and prolonged absence from the yeshiva, Ponovezh rosh yeshiva Rav Berel Povarsky issued an unusual and emotional public letter addressed to current and former talmidim of the yeshiva, calling on them to intensify their tefillos for Rav Chaim’s recovery.

The rosh yeshiva went so far as to refer to Rav Chaim Berman with the rare title “hamaor hagadol – the great luminary” and wrote that “all of us are obligated to share in his suffering.”

The letter states: “To the holy sons of our yeshiva, throughout all generations: I hereby come with a request to increase prayer and supplication for the complete recovery of the great luminary, the gaon Rav Chaim ben Reisha Rizel Berman, shlita, whose image has served as a living example for generations of yeshiva students, like Yehoshua, the devoted student who never departed from the tent. His influence through his Torah, fear of Heaven, and tefillos upon the holy yeshiva is deeply evident.

“And now, to our great pain, his place is missing, as due to his suffering and weakness he is unable to come to the heichal Hashem as he did continuously throughout all the years until very recently. All of us are obligated to share in his suffering and to increase Torah, good deeds, and tefillos for his complete recovery. May Hashem hear our cries, and may the students of the yeshiva merit to continue benefiting from his light for many more years in health and tranquility.”

{Matzav.com}

Michal Waldiger sharply criticized Israeli government agencies and welfare authorities on Wednesday following the murder of yungerman Rav Yishai Por z”l in Bnei Brak, arguing that the tragedy reflects a deep systemic failure in the handling of severe mental-health crises.

Reacting to the shocking stabbing attack inside Kollel Chazon Ish, Waldiger described the incident as far more than an isolated criminal act and said the state bears responsibility for failing to properly address the suspect’s condition.

“The horrifying case in Bnei Brak gives me no rest. The death of Yishai Por z”l is first and foremost a failure of the state,” the Religious Zionism lawmaker wrote in a public post.

She questioned whether the suspect — described in reports as a homeless individual with a known psychiatric background — had received proper treatment or oversight from government agencies.

“‘The background is criminal,’ the headlines will scream. But what do we know about the background of the stabber?” Waldiger wrote.

She continued with a series of pointed questions aimed at the country’s welfare and mental-health systems: “Did he receive a proper support framework from the ministries? Was he under any supervision? Who sees him during the days of madness? Who takes him to the police station — a police officer in uniform or a social worker? And who will be able to say, ‘Our hands did not spill this blood’?”

As previously reported, Rav Yishai Por z”l, 50, was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon while learning alongside his son inside the Chazon Ish kollel on Rechov HaAri in Bnei Brak.

According to reports, the suspect fled immediately after the attack. Authorities later arrested him near Beit Shemesh.

Investigators say the victim and suspect were involved in a heated verbal confrontation several days earlier inside the kollel, during which the suspect allegedly threatened Rav Por, saying, “I’ll deal with you yet.”

Waldiger concluded her remarks with a broader warning about the state of mental-health care in Israel.

“If mental health remains in the backyard of the State of Israel, we will not be denying the problem — on the contrary, the neglected garden will grow thorns into the main street for all of us,” she wrote.

Her comments reignited the longstanding public debate over how Israeli law enforcement and welfare authorities handle individuals suffering from severe psychiatric crises, particularly those who may pose a danger to others.

The discussion has increasingly centered on whether existing government systems provide sufficient supervision, treatment, and intervention for mentally ill individuals before situations escalate into violence.

Several months ago, the Knesset marked World Mental Health Day for the first time during an event led by Waldiger herself. At that gathering, Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso stated that “during the war year, the State of Israel is treating hundreds of thousands” of citizens suffering from anxiety and emotional trauma.

Waldiger’s latest remarks drew widespread attention and shifted much of the public conversation from the specific crime itself to the larger unresolved questions surrounding Israel’s mental-health and social-service systems, as calls grow louder for broader reform and earlier intervention by trained welfare professionals.

{Matzav.com}

Fresh polling data released Wednesday indicates that Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s political bloc is strengthening, while opposition parties continue to fall short of forming a governing majority without relying on Arab parties.

A survey conducted by the Kantar Institute for Kan News found that if elections were held today, the Likud party would emerge as the largest faction with 27 seats. Naftali Bennett’s “Together” party would follow with 23 seats.

According to the poll, the “Yashar!” party would secure 16 seats, while The Democrats would receive 10. Otzma Yehudit and Shas would each win 9 seats, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu and United Torah Judaism with 8 apiece. Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am would each receive 5 seats.

Under that scenario, Netanyahu’s coalition bloc would rise to 53 seats. Parties aligned against Netanyahu would control 57 seats, leaving the Arab factions holding the balance with 10 seats.

The survey also showed movement among smaller parties fighting to cross the electoral threshold. Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party climbed to 3.1%, moving closer to reentering the Knesset, while Balad rose to 2.5%. Meanwhile, Blue and White dropped sharply to just 1.1%.

Respondents were also asked who they believe is best suited to serve as prime minister in head-to-head matchups.

In a direct comparison between Netanyahu and Bennett, Netanyahu led with 42% support, while Bennett received 32%. Another 26% said neither candidate was suitable for the role.

Netanyahu also held an advantage over Gadi Eisenkot, though by a narrower margin. In that matchup, 42% favored Netanyahu, compared to 35% for Eisenkot, while 23% said neither was fit to serve as prime minister.

A separate survey conducted by the Midgam Institute for Channel 12 News showed similar trends and found that the Religious Zionist Party would cross the electoral threshold for the first time in a considerable period, winning four seats.

According to that poll, Likud would receive 25 seats, while Bennett’s “Together” party would win 23.

The “Yashar!” party would capture 16 seats, The Democrats 10, Shas 9, United Torah Judaism 8, Yisrael Beiteinu 8, Otzma Yehudit 7, Hadash-Ta’al 5, Ra’am 5, and the Religious Zionist Party 4.

The Reservists Party, Blue and White, and Balad would all fail to reach the electoral threshold, receiving 2.4%, 1.4%, and 1.4% respectively.

Like the Kan News poll, the Channel 12 survey also projected Netanyahu’s coalition bloc at 53 seats, while anti-Netanyahu parties without Arab support would hold 57 seats.