Feed aggregator

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

At a special tefillah gathering held Thursday night in Bnei Brak in response to the ongoing situation, Maran Rav Dov Landau delivered a message of chizuk, calling on the public to strengthen their commitment to Torah learning and prayer, while also emphasizing the importance of maintaining a calm, supportive, and even uplifting atmosphere at home.

Opening his remarks, Rav Landau described the current moment as one of danger, while also pointing to the clear Divine protection being witnessed. He said, “It is a time of distress for Yaakov, but from it we will be saved. The Jewish people are in a מצב of war, and the dangers are great—Hashem should protect us. Baruch Hashem, we are seeing great miracles, and the Ribbono Shel Olam is saving us from their hands.”

He explained that the gathering, held in a community known for its strong dedication to learning and prayer—especially during bein hazmanim—was meant to serve as a moment of collective tefillah and reflection. He added, “According to the natural order, there is no logic to being saved from so many cruel and dangerous enemies. There is no doubt that Torah protects and saves, along with prayer to the Creator, and faith that everything Hashem does is for the good.”

Turning to the challenges of this time of year, Rav Landau spoke about the pressures of bein hazmanim and the busy days leading up to Pesach, noting that this period can lead to a weakening in consistent learning, particularly for avreichim with young children at home. He said, “These are the days of bein hazmanim, and a time of pre-Pesach pressures, and it can bring a certain weakening in Torah learning—especially when young children are home, making it difficult for many to find uninterrupted time to learn.”

Despite these challenges, he stressed that each individual must take responsibility to ensure that learning continues. “Every avreich must reflect and find a time when he can sit and learn, and according to the effort is the reward. It is extremely important that not even a single day passes without Torah learning.”

He emphasized that the need for Torah is even greater during such times, while also reminding listeners to remain attentive to their families. “The Jewish people need our Torah now more than ever. But at the same time, one must be attentive to the needs of the home and the difficulties family members are experiencing, helping as needed and caring for the children, who are also going through an unusual and stressful time and may have fears.”

Rav Landau placed particular focus on the home environment, encouraging warmth and positivity. “Each person must create a pleasant and positive atmosphere at home. One can share light, sharp thoughts—even a bit of humor—and even sing at home. The main thing is to act with patience and create a calm environment.”

He also urged parents to set aside time to learn with their children. “It is very important to establish a set time to learn with the children, so that they remain connected to Torah, and the Torah of young children has great value.”

Addressing yeshiva bochurim, he noted that their responsibility is even greater, while also reminding them of their obligation to honor their parents. “Yeshiva students are not burdened in the same way, and therefore their obligation to be immersed in Torah is even greater—each one according to what his heart desires to learn. At the same time, they have the mitzvah of honoring their parents, and these days provide an opportunity to fulfill that mitzvah properly, with respect and with a good spirit.”

He concluded by calling for serious and heartfelt prayer, stressing that it must be said with focus and sincerity. “We need a great deal of prayer from the depths of the heart, that the Ribbono Shel Olam should have mercy on us and save us from all decrees and enemies. One must pray seriously, with proper intent, and not treat it as a burden. Even the additional Tehillim being said now must be recited with sincerity and heartfelt pleading for mercy.”

He also warned against treating the situation lightly. “There is an obligation to be careful and to protect oneself from danger, and not to treat the situation with dismissal or lightheadedness.”

Rav Landau concluded with a heartfelt tefillah that Klal Yisroel should soon see salvation, return to calm, and merit celebrating the upcoming Yom Tov with peace and joy.

[Video below.] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a deeply personal message during a press briefing on Thursday, recounting a conversation with his teenage son that underscored the human cost of the ongoing war and the stakes involved for future generations.

Speaking to reporters, Hegseth described how his 13-year-old son entered his office the night before as he was preparing his remarks and asked about the conflict and the families he had recently met at Dover Air Force Base.

“My 13-year-old son popped into my office last night while I was editing these remarks,” he shared. “He asked about the war and the families I met at Dover.”

Hegseth said he responded candidly, explaining the sacrifices made by fallen service members and what he believes those sacrifices are meant to protect.

“And I looked at him and I said, ‘They died for you, son, so that your generation doesn’t have to deal with a nuclear Iran.'”

Reflecting on that exchange, he emphasized that he believes those words capture a difficult but real truth.

“It’s the truth, and they did,” he added.

Hegseth went on to address the families of fallen soldiers, saying their calls to see the mission through would be honored, and he extended that message to Americans who support a strong national defense.

“So, to the families who said ‘finish this’ – we will. And I say the same to every American who wants peace through strength. May Almighty G-d continue to bless our troops in this fight, and again, to the American people: Please pray for them.”

In a moving and uplifting gathering during the days leading up to Pesach, Rav Moshe Sternbuch personally handed out kimcha d’Pischa envelopes to 180 yungeleit of his Teshuvos V’Hanhagos kollel, as part of a broad effort he leads each year to support thousands of families ahead of Yom Tov.

This distribution was only the opening stage of a much larger system of assistance that Rav Sternbuch oversees annually. The initiative includes support for hundreds of kollel yungeleit, additional aid for rabbanim and dayanim affiliated with the Eidah Hachareidis, assistance for rabbanim connected to his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh, and extensive support for many tzedakah funds both in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.

Despite the massive scope of this operation, Rav Sternbuch made a point of personally distributing the envelopes to the yungeleit, whom he regards with the closeness of children, following a halachic shiur he delivered at the end of the zman.

Those present wondered why, given the heavy burden on his time—including ongoing correspondence with major supporters of the olam haTorah—he chose not to delegate the task. In response, Rav Sternbuch shared a powerful and deeply stirring story he had heard decades earlier from Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, a story that sheds light on the depth of every act of tzedakah.

He recounted that Rav Abramsky once described an incident recorded in the ledger of the chevra kadisha in Vilna. It told of the wife of the Vilna Gaon, who would go together with a friend to collect funds for the poor of the city. At one point, they made an agreement that whichever of them would pass away first would appear to the other in a dream and reveal what takes place in the Olam HaEmes.

Years later, the friend passed away first. After some time, she appeared in a dream to the wife of the Vilna Gaon and said that it is impossible to describe how every small action is calculated in Shamayim. She explained that she had no permission to reveal what occurs there, except for one detail due to their agreement.

She reminded her of a specific incident: they had once seen a poor man across the street, and instead of going over to him, she motioned for him to come. Although he came and gladly received the money, she was later held accountable for not making the effort to go to him herself. That small lack of effort was viewed as a diminishment in the value of the mitzvah, and the level of judgment was described as profound.

The next morning, shaken, the wife of the Vilna Gaon told the Gaon about the dream. He instructed that the members of the chevra kadisha be gathered to hear it and record it for future generations, so that people would understand the depth of judgment in matters of mitzvos.

Rav Abramsky added that from then on, whenever he would send money to a poor person or institution by mail, he would not send a messenger, as was common at the time. Instead, he would personally go and place it in the mailbox, so as not to lose the merit of physically exerting himself for the mitzvah of tzedakah.

The message Rav Sternbuch conveyed was clear: when it comes to tzedakah, there is no substitute for personal effort. Every small act is counted. For him, personally distributing the funds was not just a practical step—it was an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah fully, with personal involvement, dignity, and care.

A remarkable and deeply moving incident took place in Bnei Brak, offering a powerful glimpse into the refined character of Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein. What began as a routine trip home from his weekly shiur turned into a quiet but unforgettable lesson in gratitude.

On Monday evening, Rav Zilberstein was returning from his well-known shiur at the central shul in Ramat Elchanan when, at exactly 9:00 p.m., a siren sounded warning of incoming missiles from Iran. Traveling along Rechov Rav Kahaneman on his way home to Ramat Gan, he immediately began looking for the nearest protected area.

According to his driver, Reb Dovid Tzivyon, one of his close talmidim, the closest safe space was inside the well-known “HaTzvi” bakery across from the entrance to Ramat Elchanan. The car stopped right away, and Rav Zilberstein entered the bakery together with everyone else, acting like any ordinary person seeking safety.

As the siren continued, everyone moved into the reinforced shelter. Rav Zilberstein stood there for several long minutes, repeatedly reciting Tehillim in his familiar, moving tune.

Those who were present described the experience as deeply calming. Being in a shelter during a missile alert is naturally frightening, but standing together with such a towering figure brought a sense of calm and reassurance to everyone around.

Witnesses also noted that when someone offered him a chair, he firmly refused, pointing instead to women standing nearby with their children and indicating that they should sit first. He remained standing the entire time.

Once the all-clear was given, Rav Zilberstein stepped outside, quickly surrounded by people eager to receive a brachah or a few words—something that usually requires scheduling and waiting.

Then, unexpectedly, he paused, turned around, and went back into the bakery. He asked his driver to take a few baked goods so he could pay for them. When asked if he needed anything specific, he replied simply that he didn’t actually need anything, but wanted to buy something out of gratitude for the bakery allowing them to take shelter there during the siren.

And so, Rav Zilberstein stood in line like any other customer, took out his own wallet, and paid for a few items. No attention, no ceremony, just a sincere act of appreciation.

Those who witnessed it were deeply moved, capturing the moment and reflecting on the purity and sincerity they had just seen.

Reb Tzivyon later described the moment: Even with a crowd pressing around him for brachos and questions, Rav Zilberstein still noticed the smallest details and acted on them, despite not needing anything he purchased.

{Matzav.com}

The Boyaner Rebbe paid a special visit to the Belzer Rebbe to express appreciation after the wedding of his granddaughter was relocated to Belzer facilities following a security incident earlier in the week.

After a projectile fragment struck the Boyaner kloiz, the chasunah was moved to the underground complex of Belz, in the heichal of the “Groisseh Shtib” in Kiryas Belz in Yerushalayim. Ahead of the mitzvah tanz, the Boyaner Rebbe came to personally thank the Belzer Rebbe during a private meeting.

At the outset of their conversation, the Boyaner Rebbe warmly expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and gracious hosting extended by the Belzer Rebbe and his community. The Belzer Rebbe inquired about the beis medrash where the fragment had fallen, asking whether it was a temporary or permanent structure. In response, the Boyaner Rebbe spoke about the many nissim being witnessed during this period across Eretz Yisroel, while noting that there is still a need for rachamim, chassadim, and the coming of the geulah sheleimah.

The Belzer Rebbe responded that the galus has already lasted long enough, to which the Boyaner Rebbe replied, “בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל.”

The Boyaner Rebbe then requested that a Belzer niggun be sung, and together they sang “Meherah Hashem Elokeinu.” During the singing, the Boyaner Rebbe held the Belzer Rebbe’s hand, creating a moving moment of connection. Afterwards, they recited a bracha over wine, and the Belzer Rebbe offered his brachos for the simchah, while the Boyaner Rebbe in turn blessed the Belzer Rebbe with arichus yamim v’shanim tovos and extended wishes ahead of the upcoming Yom Tov of Pesach.

Later, before the mitzvah tanz, the Boyaner Rebbe publicly expressed words of praise and heartfelt thanks to the Belzer Rebbe and the Belz community for their assistance and support in ensuring the simchah could proceed despite the circumstances.

Israel’s education system is set to expand its reopening next week to additional regions outside the central Dan area, with a phased return focused primarily on younger children and subject to strict safety conditions.

The Home Front Command announced that beginning Sunday, a broad range of areas will shift from a limited activity status to a partial activity framework, allowing for a cautious and gradual return to routine under defined restrictions.

The areas included in the updated guidelines span parts of the southern Golan Heights (excluding Katzrin and Kedmat Tzvi), the Lower Galilee, the Carmel region (excluding Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya), Wadi Ara, and the Menashe region, with certain exceptions such as Or Akiva, Hadera, and Jisr az-Zarqa. In the south and the Shfela, the eased measures will apply to the Judean Lowlands except for Beit Shemesh, the Lachish region excluding major population centers like Ashdod, Yavne, Gedera, and Gan Yavne, as well as parts of the central Negev, excluding Be’er Sheva and Omer. Areas not listed will remain under existing restrictions.

Under the partial activity classification, educational institutions will be permitted to operate provided that students and staff can reach a properly protected shelter within the required response time. Similar conditions will apply to workplaces, which will be allowed to function only if they meet the same safety requirements.

The updated policy also introduces eased limits on gatherings and services, allowing up to 50 people in open areas and up to 100 people indoors, as long as all participants have quick access to an approved protected space.

A serious aviation incident was narrowly avoided Tuesday evening at Newark Liberty International Airport when an Alaska Airlines passenger jet came dangerously close to a FedEx cargo aircraft during a last-second aborted landing, according to radar tracking data.

Officials said Alaska Airlines Flight 294 was instructed to pull up and circle rather than land after FedEx Flight 721 had already been cleared to descend onto a runway that intersects with the one the passenger plane was approaching. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the sequence of events.

Flight tracking information indicated that the two aircraft passed within roughly 300 feet of each other—about the length of a football field—highlighting how close the situation came to becoming a catastrophe.

Audio recordings from air traffic control captured the tense moments, revealing that controllers redirected the Alaska Airlines jet just moments before it was scheduled to touch down.

Michael McCormick, a former FAA deputy administrator, explained that the complexity of intersecting runways can create difficult timing challenges for controllers.

“”It is a challenge for a tower controller to try to get that timing perfect, it doesn’t always work and that’s what happened in this case, so the tower controller waited and unfortunately, in my opinion, too long and they had to send the aircraft on a go-around,” McCormick said.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the near collision to determine exactly what went wrong.

The incident comes as airports across the country continue to grapple with staffing shortages tied to the ongoing partial government shutdown, with Transportation Security Administration workers still reporting to duty without pay.

Economic analysts at the White House have estimated that the shutdown has already resulted in losses exceeding $2.5 billion.

Efforts to resolve the funding impasse have stalled in Washington. Senate Democrats last week blocked legislation that would have restored funding to the Department of Homeland Security for the fourth time in recent weeks.

Airline industry leaders have voiced growing frustration. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sharply criticized lawmakers over the situation, calling their failure to reach a resolution “inexcusable.”

“We’re outraged,” Bastian seethed.

As of Thursday, the partial government shutdown had stretched into its 33rd day, with no immediate resolution in sight.

Hundreds of bochurim from abroad learning in Eretz Yisroel gathered in Yerushalayim for a special asifah of chizuk focused on strengthening themselves against the growing nisyonos of modern technology, with a particular emphasis this year on the dangers of artificial intelligence and the widespread breaches found in phones used in chutz la’aretz.

The asifah, held at the call of gedolei Yisroel, is an annual gathering aimed at reinforcing awareness and responsibility among bochurim regarding the sakanos of technology. This year, special attention was given to the increasing accessibility of AI and the serious peritzos that exist in devices commonly used outside Eretz Yisroel, challenges that are becoming more difficult to guard against.

Addressing the gathering were leading roshei yeshiva, including Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein, Rav Yisroel Binyomin Schreiber, and Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, who spoke about the importance of maintaining kedusha and yiras Shamayim in a world filled with constant distraction and exposure.

A particularly moving moment came with the arrival of the mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, whose presence brought a powerful sense of hisorerus to the tzibbur. He delivered heartfelt words about the chovah to guard oneself from the influences of technology, and at the conclusion of his remarks, the bochurim burst into a stirring rendition of “V’taher Libeinu,” filling the room with emotion.

Closing words of inspiration were delivered by Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, while the asifah was guided with clarity and warmth by Rav Shlomo Miller, who served as the emcee for the event.

At the conclusion of the gathering, the bochurim accepted upon themselves a formal kabbalah to use only machshirim kesheirim approved by the Vaad HaRabbonim L’Inyanei Tikshores. They also committed to refraining from engaging with AI and to maintaining taharah and kedusha within their dormitory and yeshiva living environments.

{Matzav.com}