It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the petirah of Reb Aharon Blum zt”l, one of the prominent members of the Toldos Aharon community, who was niftar at the age of 76.
Reb Aharon was well known as the founder of the renowned publishing house A. Blum, the longtime proprietor of the famed Seforim Gesheft bookstore, and the mechaber of Mishnas Eliezer on Mishnayos.
The levayah is being held this evening beginning from his home at 4 Rechov Yoel, continuing to the main beis medrash of Toldos Aharon in Meah Shearim, and proceeding to Har Hazeisim for kevurah.
Reb Aharon was born on Lag BaOmer 5709 (1949) to his father, Reb Mordechai Dovid Blum zt”l, and his mother, Mrs. Breina a”h.
From his youth, he was deeply connected to the Admorim of Toldos Aharon and served faithfully for many years as a devoted gabbai in the chassidus’ central beis medrash in Meah Shearim. With selfless dedication, he tended to every need of the beis Hashem, always first to respond to matters of kedushah. He became a pillar of the kehillah and a model of yiras Shomayim and avodas Hashem.
He established the A. Blum publishing house, which gained recognition throughout the Torah world, and for decades ran the beloved Seforim Gesheft on Rechov Yoel.
Reb Aharon was among the pioneers in publishing classic seforim in large, clear type and with vowels, beginning with the Ohr HaChaim and later many works of chassidus. Long before modern publishing houses became common, his editions set the standard and were found in virtually every cheder and beis medrash.
A highlight of his life’s work was authoring Mishnas Eliezer, a comprehensive commentary on all six sedarim of Mishnayos, explaining every word with clarity.
He was a walking treasury of knowledge about tzaddikim of past generations. Each Motzaei Shabbos, he would host a seudas Melaveh Malka in the beis medrash, recounting stories of tzaddikim whose yahrtzeits would occur in the coming week.
Reb Aharon was also a distinguished talmid chochom who immersed himself in Torah day and night. His avodas Hashem was marked by deep sincerity and simplicity. Alongside his Torah endeavors, he operated the unique Mokir Shabbos gemach, discreetly providing small loans of 100–200 shekels every Erev Shabbos to avreichim in need.
He leaves behind a legacy of Torah, chessed, and yiras Shomayim that will remain etched in the hearts of all who knew him.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
As the shiva for Rabbi Yosef David Hy”d, who was killed in the recent terror attack at the Ramot Junction in Yerushalayim, came to a close, the Rishon Letzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, delivered strong words directed at the conduct of the Palestinian Arabs.
Rav Yosef stated that they “only engage in robbery, murder, and that is the main source of their livelihood.”
He continued by saying: “Each of us must check how many cars they steal, how many houses they break into, how many people they have murdered out of a religious commandment. This is terrible, simply, terrible.”
Rav Yosef mentioned that he has personally met with Palestinian religious leaders who “justify themselves and say, ‘No, we want peace.'”
He then remarked: “I know that everything is just lip service, everything is a lie. This is not a nation, this is a mob, and we say it openly and frankly.”
These comments came in the wake of the Ramot Junction terror attack, where six Jews were brutally murdered: Yosef David, Yisrael Matsner, Yaakov Pinto, Levi Yitzchok Pash, Sarah (Sarita) Mendelsohn, and Mark Steintzag.
{Matzav.com Israel}
“I am submitting, in the first week of the winter session, a bill to split the Attorney General’s position,” he told Kol Chai Radio. “If the chareidim do not support it, they are giving power to persecution. This must pass — the Attorney General blocks policy and disrespects ministers. The Supreme Court will examine the chareidi representatives — they do not represent their voters if they do not support this.”
Turning to Israel’s actions in Qatar and Egypt, Rothman remarked: “Qatar is a kingdom of terror, funding incitement on campuses and in mosques. Al Jazeera has blackened our name for years. The operation in Qatar — the elimination of senior Hamas leaders — is an important message: Hamas is not safe anywhere. Whether or not the specific target was eliminated, the message is victory.”
On the spread of antisemitism worldwide, Rothman commented: “Israel speaks the truth loudly, but the machine of lies is being amplified — antisemitism, money, media. The Haaretz newspaper is quoted by antisemites. [Former Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert laments harm to Hamas — this is what we are creating. There are some Jews who are fueling the lie.”
He also cautioned about the danger of political violence in Eretz Yisroel, stating: “Yes [it happens], and Gali Baharav-Miara enables incitement. She assists incitement against the Right, comparing it to so-called ‘effective’ protest. This is crossing a red line — the Supreme Court is releasing Yolanda Yavor from incitement to murder. I have seen threats, but the complaints are closed.”
Reflecting on recent clashes, Rothman added: “This is violence meant to silence opinions. At Tel Aviv [University] campus I was attacked, and professors supported it — there must be enforcement. This could lead to internal destruction.”
When it came to the widespread animosity against chareidim, Rothman was unequivocal: “This hatred unites communists, anti-religious, Islamists, and soft Right. They agree on nothing except hating the chareidim. It is a sin — the chareidim are the punching bag of society.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
President Trump revealed on Monday that the United States military had conducted a second strike against what were described as Venezuelan drug traffickers operating in international waters.
The president shared that three “male terrorists” had been eliminated, making the announcement on his Truth Social platform.
“The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S,” Trump wrote.
“These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests,” he continued.
The president clarified that no American forces were injured during the operation.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has increased its campaign against Venezuela, announcing a $50 million reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and authorizing an earlier airstrike on September 2 that left 11 suspected traffickers dead.
“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump declared.
{Matzav.com}
Sen. Ted Cruz wants you to know how he spent his weekend. The GOP lawmaker shared photos and videos of himself Sunday painting over freeway graffiti in Houston that read “[Curse] Charlie Kirk.” Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot and killed during a campus event in Utah on Wednesday.
“Erasing evil,” Cruz captioned a video showing himself armed with a roller and white paint.
In another post on X, Cruz said the Texas Department of Transportation had been notified and would also assist in removing the graffiti. “Some deranged [mamzer] put this graffiti on the 59 freeway in Houston,” he wrote. “TXDOT has been notified & I’m sure sure they will remove it expeditiously. But, in the meantime, Texans don’t have to look at this hateful garbage anymore.“
The videos, which have racked up over 3 million views on X, were mocked by some liberal, leftist social media users. “The form of a man who’s never had a hard job in his life,” independent journalist Talia Jane quipped in a post that drew thousands of likes.
Read more at CBS News Texas.