Many people have been enraged by Candace Owen’s theorising on the assassination of her friend Charlie Kirk, but even more have been captivated by her real-time investigation into a colossal cover-up of his murder by his own organization Turning Point.
Is Candace searching for truth… or is it all a cynical ploy to exploit the most emotive and consequential story of the year for money and clout?
Charlie’s widow Erika Kirk issued a firm message to Candace: “Stop.” And the pair have since had a private four-hour meeting, which is now the catalyst for frenzied speculation that Candace may be having second thoughts.
Piers Morgan finds out more about what happened; and asks Candace – who’s releasing a new book called Make Him A Sandwich – if she ever will stop with the conspiracy theories.
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzchak Yosef used his weekly shiur to call for a change in how Sephardic yeshivos conduct Chanukah candle lighting, questioning the practice of interrupting seder learning for the mitzvah.
Addressing the issue of candle-lighting times, Rav Yosef discussed the customs followed by various Chassidic leaders and contrasted them with strict adherence to halachah. He noted that certain Chassidic rebbes would light Chanukah candles 18 minutes after sunset, explaining that this practice was followed by the Gerrer Rebbe, the Beis Yisrael, and later by Rav Pinchas Menachem Alter, who served as Rosh Yeshivah of Gur before becoming Rebbe.
“There are rebbes who light later,” Rav Yosef said, “but we follow halachah. Someone who is at home should not delay lighting without reason. Why delay? Light exactly on time. Someone who is late can still light afterward — at six or seven. If a person is working and cannot stop, or if stopping would cause a significant loss, or if he has a chavrusa at that time, why stop learning at five o’clock, bang on the bimah, and light Chanukah candles?”
Rav Yosef went on to propose a clear change for yeshivos: continuing the regular learning schedule and lighting the Chanukah neiros only at the conclusion of seder. He said that this has already been the practice for years at Yeshiva Chazon Ovadia, where candle lighting is held at 7:00 p.m., and added that he was told the same is done at Yeshivat Porat Yosef under Rav Moshe Tzadkah.
“In our yeshivah, Chazon Ovadia, for years already we light at seven,” Rav Yosef said. “I heard that in Porat Yosef as well they do the same. Meaning, they light at the end of seder. At seven, they close the Gemaras and then light. That is the best way to do it.”
Expressing hope that his guidance would be adopted more broadly, Rav Yosef said, “If only all yeshivos would do this. The Ashkenazim won’t listen to me — at least the Sephardim should listen. Light the Chanukah candles at the end of seder. It’s a shame — this is Toras harabbim. You stop the learning, then go to the room to light, sing songs — what kind of bitul Torah is this? Do all of that at seven. You have an hour break, do it then. But a person who is at home, not a yeshivah student, should light on time — exactly at five.”
{Matzav.com}
Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, Slabodka rosh yeshiva, delivered a powerful address of chizuk at the Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer Yeshiva following the arrest and imprisonment of one of its talmidim by the Israeli Military Police, sharply condemning the move and calling it a “horrific crime.”
The Rosh Yeshiva spoke Wednesday night in the beis medrash of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer after talmid Yitzchak Rebibo was taken into custody and incarcerated in a military prison on charges of being a so-called “deserter.”
“All observant Jews are shocked to the depths of their souls by the horrific crime of throwing a yeshiva student into prison,” Rav Landau declared. “A student of your yeshiva — Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer, led by my esteemed colleague the great gaon Rav Menachem Tzvi Berlin — is imprisoned solely because of his ‘crime’: that he learns in yeshiva and does not enlist in the army of their regime. This is something utterly terrifying.”
Rav Landau went on to say that the Torah world must respond with strength and clarity. “We must proclaim that ‘no weapon formed against you shall succeed,’ that their decrees will be nullified like dust of the earth, and that all will be able to continue learning Torah without interference.”
Addressing the imprisoned talmid directly, Rav Landau offered words of chizuk. “To the bochur Yitzchak Chaim ben Shlomit, we strengthen him that he stand firm against the plots of wickedness, that he pay no attention to empty temptations and false persuasion, and that he merit to emerge soon from the prison in which he is being held.”
Turning to the yeshiva and its leadership, Rav Landau urged them not to be demoralized. “Do not allow your spirits to fall. Be strong and courageous. In these days of Chanukah, grasp the attribute of the Chashmonaim, who stood with bravery against those who sought to make them forget Your Torah. Just as then, so now, may Hashem show us miracles and wonders in our time, and we will prevail.”
{Matzav.com}
