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A festive pidyon haben was held on Motzoei Shabbos in the Belzer chassidus for Moshe Yehoshua Rokeach, a great-grandson of the Belzer Rebbe and the son of Rav Yisroel Menachem Nochum Rokeach.

Three Kohanim participated in the pidyon haben: the child’s great-uncle, Badatz member Rav Shammai Kehos Gross; his uncle, Rav Shmuel Mordechai Zelfreind of Ashdod, who serves as a dayan; and a relative, Rav Yisroel Dovid Ullman of Ashdod, a dayan and mashpia in the bais medrash where the child’s father davens.

During the maamad, the Belzer Rebbe bestowed a bracha upon his great-grandson, Moshe Yehoshua.

Thousands of Belzer chassidim who participated in the celebration received garlic and sugar, distributed as a segulah in connection with the pidyon haben.

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

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{Matzav.com}

[Video and photos below.] There was tremendous excitement Sunday at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, NJ as Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler, the only son of the rosh yeshiva, delivered his first shiur in the yeshiva, marking another chapter in the continuation of the Kotler family’s leadership of the Lakewood yeshiva.

Rav Shneur delivered the shiur in BMG’s Bais Medrash Hayoshon, the Bendheim Bais Medrash, the same room where his grandfather and namesake, Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler zt”l, delivered shiurim decades ago.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur is a great-grandson of the yeshiva‘s founder, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur, the only son of his parents alongside three sisters, was regarded from childhood as a unique figure within the Lakewood family. In addition to his exceptional hasmadah and yiras Shomayim, he is known for a refined and gentle demeanor that was evident from a young age.

During his yeshiva years, Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur learned at Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg. He later traveled to Eretz Yisroel, where he learned under Rav Yonason David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchok, whom he regards as his rebbi muvhak.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur married the daughter of Rav Shmuel Baddoush, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Lev Eliyahu of the Aram Soba community in Mexico City.

His new role follows a series of appointments in recent years involving sons and sons-in-law of BMG’s roshei yeshiva: Rav Dovid Schustal’s son, Rav Aharon Schustal; Rav Yeruchem Olshin’s son, Rav Aharon Olshin; and Rav Yisroel Neuman’ son-in-law, Rav Yehoshua Abba Budel.

On Sunday, Rav Shneur entered the bais medrash accompanied by the roshei yeshiva before delivering his inaugural shiur.

The shiur was given on the masechta currently being learned in the yeshiva, Maseches Bava Kamma, focusing on the sugya of “Toldoseihen kayotzei bahem.”

{Matzav.com}

A 7-year-old boy was critically injured Sunday after being struck by a bus while riding his bicycle in Bnei Brak and becoming trapped beneath the vehicle.

The serious accident occurred on Ezra Street, near the intersection with Rav Kahaneman Street. Emergency responders arriving at the scene found the child unconscious underneath the bus.

Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah and Hatzalah personnel worked to extricate the boy before providing emergency medical treatment. According to MDA, he suffered severe injuries to his abdomen and limbs.

After being freed, the child was rushed to the trauma unit at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer in serious condition.

MDA EMTs Yishai Citron and Yehuda Nordman described the difficult scene.

“This was a serious incident. When we arrived at the scene, we saw the child trapped under the bus, unconscious and suffering from severe injuries to his abdomen and limbs. Together with additional EMTs and paramedics, we extricated the child, placed him in the ambulance, and urgently evacuated him to the hospital’s trauma room.”

United Hatzalah said that according to information provided at the scene, the boy had been riding his bicycle when he was struck by the bus and became pinned underneath it. Its volunteers treated him immediately after he was extricated before he was transported to Sheba Medical Center.

United Hatzalah EMTs Akiva Kaufman, Yisrael Slav and Nachman Aharoni said the boy sustained injuries to his head and limbs.

“We were told at the scene that he was struck by the bus while riding and became trapped underneath it. Immediately after he was extricated, we provided him with medical treatment at the scene, and he was evacuated to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer suffering from injuries to his head and limbs, with his condition defined as serious.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu issued a direct warning to Hamas on Sunday, saying Israel will sharply escalate military action in Gaza if drones, incendiary balloons, and kites continue to be launched toward Israeli territory, including by targeting those responsible and areas being used for the launches.

Netanyahu convened a security assessment Sunday evening with Defense Minister Israel Katz to examine the renewed threat posed by drones, balloons, and kites originating in the Gaza Strip and being sent toward Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the head of the National Security Council, and other senior military officials took part in the high-level discussion.

Following the assessment, Netanyahu and Katz delivered an ultimatum to Hamas, making clear that continued launches would bring an Israeli military response. “Israel is warning Hamas that if launches toward Israel are not stopped immediately, the IDF will act to intensify interdiction against those responsible for the launches and will move populations out of areas from which kites, drones, and balloons are set to be launched,” they said.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not tolerate a return to the security conditions that preceded the October 7 attack. “We will not return to the reality that existed before October 7,” Netanyahu said. “Israel will not allow the Hamas terror organization, or any other factor in the Gaza Strip, to return and threaten our settlements and undermine the sense of security of our citizens.”

The warning came after Netanyahu earlier Sunday released a video focusing on the expanding danger posed by drones and the possibility that the weapon could once again be deployed from Gaza. Netanyahu described even commercially available drones as potentially deadly weapons, particularly when modified, armed, and deployed in large numbers.

“Do you have a drone at home? It can be lethal. If it comes in swarms, and you arm it, it is very accurate and hard to see. For several years, we have been working on a solution to the drone problem. We are the most advanced in the world, but this is a global problem. We saw it in Ukraine, we saw it in Lebanon, we saw it in Iran, and now they are trying to renew it and bring it into Gaza.”

Netanyahu said he has ordered Israel’s defense establishment and the IDF to respond forcefully to any attempt to establish a renewed drone threat along Israel’s southern border, including striking those operating the drones and the locations from which they are launched.

“My directive to the security establishment and the IDF is to do everything against this lethal tool. To strike it, to strike its operators, to strike from the place where it was launched, to do everything to protect our citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

Shlomi Ziv, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and rescued 246 days later in the daring Operation Arnon, has opened up about the horrors of his eight months in captivity, the dramatic moments of his rescue, and the renewed faith that he says emerged from the darkest period of his life.

Speaking with Eliyahu Liebman on the “Growing Along the Way” podcast, Ziv described how his ordeal in Gaza transformed his relationship with Hashem and ultimately brought him back to putting on tefillin, something he had stopped doing years earlier.

Ziv and Liebman have known each other since a battle in Chevron 21 years ago. Ziv said that following that episode, his faith had been shaken and he eventually stopped putting on tefillin. His experience in Hamas captivity, however, sent him in the opposite direction.

“I’m not angry at Hashem,” Ziv said. “I simply say: Okay, I believe. I believe. There is just anger if this is the way… Show me that You are there.”

Every morning in captivity, Ziv said, he thanked Hashem simply for having survived another night.

“I thanked Hashem that I woke up and they hadn’t murdered me, or that some missile hadn’t fallen on us,” he recalled.

Along with that gratitude came one request that he repeated day after day.

“Give me the privilege of returning to put on tefillin. That is what I asked Him.”

Since his rescue, Ziv said, that request has been fulfilled.

“Every single morning, boruch Hashem, I have been given that privilege, and every morning I put on tefillin.”

Ziv also went back to the terrifying first moments of October 7, describing how he fled after terrorists opened fire toward the command post near Nahal Gerar. He ran into the area and hid inside a bush as gunfire continued around him.

“They were shooting anyone who ran… and then I told myself: Okay, stay here,” Ziv recalled.

Eventually, a terrorist spotted him.

“There was a point when I closed my eyes. I said: This is the moment. Either he shoots… You think that in another moment you are going to leave this world.”

When the terrorist ordered him out of hiding, Ziv pleaded in Arabic, “Don’t shoot.”

The terrorist responded, “I’m not going to kill you.”

Ziv was subsequently taken to a pickup truck together with Andrey Kozlov, who would remain alongside him in captivity and ultimately be rescued in the same operation.

At one point, Ziv considered trying to overpower or surprise the terrorist. But Kozlov, who had not yet realized that the armed man was a terrorist, spoke to him in English and asked for a weapon so that he could help.

“That’s when I realized there was no one to work with in that situation,” Ziv recalled.

Looking back, Ziv believes the misunderstanding may actually have saved their lives. Even if they had somehow managed to overpower their captor, he said, dozens of Gazans were waiting farther along their route.

Once in captivity, Ziv was subjected to searches, restraints and violent interrogations as his captors sought to determine whether he was an Israeli soldier.

“They tie you up, bind you, cover your eyes… They search to see whether you have a chip. During the first three days, there were interrogations accompanied by violence, because they wanted to know whether you were a soldier or not. If you’re a soldier, you’re worth more.”

The first two months were particularly devastating emotionally, Ziv said, and he found himself reduced to a state of near-total despair.

“There were two months of crisis… two months of being like a baby, crying, really the lowest of the low.”

Only afterward did something begin to change. Ziv described experiencing “an uplifting feeling of acceptance… trusting in Hashem, faith, hope.”

During conversations with his Hamas captors, Ziv said he sometimes tried to understand what future they envisioned and what they ultimately wanted from Israelis. Their responses, he said, left little room for ambiguity.

“Either you leave here and go back to where you came from, or you convert to Islam, or you die,” he recalled being told.

One captor went even further, warning him directly.

“On the next October 7, Shlomi, we’re going to reach the Galil… and next time we won’t kidnap you. Next time, you die.”

Then came the morning of June 8, 2024.

It initially appeared to be an ordinary Shabbos morning in captivity. Without warning, however, an explosion shook the area. Gunfire quickly followed from inside the building, and Ziv realized that something extraordinary was happening.

“It was a regular morning, a Shabbos morning, until suddenly there was an explosion. A moment later, there was already shooting inside the house, and then you understand that these are our security forces.”

Within moments, he heard something he had not heard in eight months: Hebrew.

“Hebrew! Hebrew! There! There!”

The battle inside the building continued for several tense minutes. During the rescue, Israeli officer Arnon Zamora was mortally wounded after leading the force into the building.

“That is where we lost a hero of Israel, our personal hero, Arnon Zamora, may Hashem avenge his blood, who fell as he was the first to break in,” Ziv said.

Ziv said he subsequently struggled with feelings of guilt over Zamora’s death, but Zamora’s family helped him understand that the officer would have acted exactly the same way regardless of which hostage was inside.

“You understand that it didn’t matter whether it was Shlomi Ziv or any other hostage — Arnon would not have hesitated for a moment.”

Even after Ziv and the other hostages were removed from the building, the rescue was far from over. Their vehicle became stuck after traveling only about 600 meters, leaving them exposed during what Ziv described as “15 minutes of fear.”

Then Israeli armored forces appeared around them.

“Armored personnel carriers, tanks surrounding us… and they rescued us from that stuck truck.”

Returning to Israel did not mean leaving Gaza entirely behind. Ziv said seemingly ordinary smells can suddenly transport him back to captivity. He asked his wife to throw away hand soap she had purchased because its scent reminded him of wipes his captors had distributed in Gaza. Even the smell of pita with olive oil and za’atar can trigger memories.

“There are flashbacks. There are smells,” he said.

But Ziv says he has chosen to move forward with a message he calls “Forward, Home” — words with a painful double meaning for him, having been used both when people were told to leave on October 7 and again during his rescue.

His experience has also left him with a message about Jewish identity that he now shares openly.

“Don’t be afraid to be Jewish,” Ziv said. “Don’t be afraid to be proud of where you came from and where you are going.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yigal Cohen, rosh mosdos Yabia Omer and a member of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, spoke emotionally at the opening of the weekly shiur of Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchak Yosef, following Shas’ announcement regarding the continued leadership of the movement in the path of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef.

Rav Cohen revealed that he had anxiously awaited the decision and had personally done whatever he could to help bring it about.

“This week I had a great simcha; we made a seudas mitzvah,” Rav Cohen said. “I was on edge the entire week, and I also took whatever steps I could so that, with Hashem’s help, our dream would come true — that our teacher, our rebbi and the crown of our head should lead us until the coming of Moshiach and beyond.”

“I davened to the Creator of the World, I pleaded with the Creator of the World, and I, as insignificant as I am, did whatever I could so that we could receive this beautiful crown,” he added.

Rav Cohen said he was deeply moved by the development and by the privilege of sitting alongside Rav Yosef.

“I am truly emotional. I don’t know who I am or what my life is that I merit sitting here next to Maran, and I’m not saying this as flattery. This week, I was genuinely so moved. Boruch Hashem, we have a crown, a beautiful crown, a crown of goodness, a crown filled with Torah, a crown filled with love, which leads us and will lead us until the coming of Moshiach.”

Rav Cohen then connected Rav Yitzchak Yosef’s leadership with the lifelong mission of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef, particularly his work to bring Jews closer to Torah and mitzvos.

“The path of Maran, our teacher, our rebbi and the crown of our head, Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, and the one who continues his path, may he be distinguished for a good, long life, our leader, who, boruch Hashem, we follow by his light,” Rav Cohen said.

He added that the very fact that Rav Ovadia Yosef’s leadership has a continuation is itself reason for profound gratitude to Hashem.

“Not only did Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef come down to this world, Hashem also gave us continuity. For that alone, we should spend the entire day praising, thanking, glorifying and exalting the Creator of the World.”

Rav Cohen concluded with a bracha to Rav Yosef.

“May he continue to lead us until the coming of Moshiach and beyond. And we, with Hashem’s help, will give everything we have for the advancement of Torah, for the holy Torah, for Am Yisroel and for Toras Yisroel.”

Rav Yitzchak Yosef responded by praising Rav Cohen and his work spreading Torah, describing him as someone who “sits and immerses himself in Torah and teaches Torah to the masses.”

Rav Yosef recalled attending a large gathering together with Rav Cohen and being struck by the enormous following he had attracted.

“I couldn’t believe it. There were a thousand, two thousand… so many people, and somehow he draws them in,” Rav Yosef said.

“Today he is one of the strongest forces bringing Am Yisroel closer,” Rav Yosef added, explaining that he has watched Rav Cohen’s work develop over the years.

“It’s true. I have followed him for years. He follows Maran… and he does what Maran did.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu has issued a sharp warning regarding Rav Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri, widely known as the Yenuka, saying that in his view, the popular figure cannot be compared to the great tzaddikim and baalei mofes he personally knew and urging those who seek his advice to keep their distance.

Speaking during an appearance on Avi Shushan’s podcast, Rav Eliyahu addressed the enormous following that has developed around the Yanuka, with large numbers of people seeking his brachos and guidance. Rav Eliyahu said that he believes such figures must be judged against the example set by genuine tzaddikim of previous generations.

Rav Eliyahu warned that there are “fake rabbis,” and said that one of the standards he uses is the Baba Sali, whom he knew personally. “I tell people, is the Yenuka like the Baba Sali or not? If he is, then he is a righteous person,” he said.

He recalled the extraordinary simplicity with which the Baba Sali lived in Netivot despite the considerable sums of money that people gave him. Rav Eliyahu noted that the Baba Sali could easily have chosen to live “in the most luxurious place,” but “did not want to.”

Rav Eliyahu also questioned the publicity and public-relations apparatus that can develop around prominent rabbinic personalities, contrasting that with the tremendous personal investment required of a genuine rov or tzaddik. Giving a bracha, he stressed, is itself an avodah requiring sincerity and emotional investment. “People don’t know that giving a blessing is difficult. A person has to bless with his heart.”

When asked directly about the tremendous excitement surrounding the Yenuka, Rav Eliyahu said that what he sees does not resemble the great rabbinic figures with whom he was personally familiar.

“He is not like your grandfather [the Baba Haki]. In my eyes, he is not a [rabbinic] figure. He is not like my father, not like Rav Tzadka, not like any of the righteous people I knew, who were truly miracle workers,” he said.

The interviewer then pressed Rav Eliyahu on how he accounts for the huge numbers of people who nevertheless flock to the Yenuka.

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about other people,” Rav Eliyahu responded.

Still, he made clear what he tells people who approach him privately and ask how they should relate to the phenomenon.

“Stay away from him. Stay away,” said Rav Eliyahu.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yaakov Jan, the rov of Uman, is urging those traveling to Uman for the annual Rosh Hashanah trip to pay the city’s tourist tax following what he says is a commitment from Uman officials to improve and renovate streets in the city’s Jewish area.

The appeal comes amid a growing dispute over the tax, with some activists calling on visitors to refuse payment. Rav Jan said that while the tax should be paid, there must also be oversight to ensure that the money collected from visitors is actually used for its intended purposes.

According to Rav Jan, the municipality’s spending of the funds should be carefully monitored, particularly when it comes to infrastructure and streets in the areas where tens of thousands of visitors stay during the annual pilgrimage. He said cooperation with municipal officials, combined with proper accountability, should allow visitors to see tangible improvements on the ground.

Ichud Breslov, meanwhile, pointed to three reasons for travelers to take care of the payment before arriving in Uman.

Those who pay through the designated website in advance are charged $27, a lower amount than visitors who wait until they arrive in the city. Paying ahead of time is also expected to reduce long lines and congestion at the collection station near the bus terminals.

Breslover officials said there is another important consideration: Advance payment helps formally coordinate the massive Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage with local authorities, an issue that has taken on added importance while Ukraine remains at war.

Breslover activist Levi Yitzchak Gewirtz also sharply criticized those encouraging visitors to withhold the tax.

“In light of publications by certain individuals calling for people not to pay the tourist tax in the city of Uman, we wish to make it unequivocally clear: Breslover chassidim disassociate themselves from these irresponsible calls and from the nonsense being published on the subject,” Gewirtz said.

He argued that Ukraine’s willingness to permit tens of thousands of Breslover chassidim to enter the country during wartime, while devoting resources to accommodating them and protecting their safety, carries with it an obligation for visitors to respect Ukrainian law.

Gewirtz noted that tourist taxes are commonplace in cities around the world and said the Uman levy is collected in accordance with Ukrainian law.

“We come to Uman as law-abiding guests, and we must respect the laws of the country and the local authorities,” he said.

Gewirtz acknowledged that visitors have every right to engage municipal officials and demand that more of the money be invested in infrastructure and services benefiting those who come to Uman. Such concerns, he said, do not justify violating the law or refusing to pay the required tax.

“G-d forbid that we should become partners with revolutionary and irresponsible elements who decided on their own to launch a ‘tax war’ against the Uman municipality and the State of Ukraine,” Gewirtz said.

He added that the Breslov community appreciates the willingness of both Ukraine and the Uman municipality to continue accommodating the tens of thousands of visitors despite the difficult circumstances created by the war.

The proper way to seek better conditions, Gevirtz concluded, is through dialogue with officials and oversight of how the funds are spent, not through calls to withhold payment.

{Matzav.com}

Humanoid robots shattered longstanding human athletic records while also producing plenty of awkward spills and comical mishaps at the World Robot Games in Beijing over the weekend, as China put its rapidly advancing robotics technology on full display.

Scores of humanoid machines, accompanied by the engineers and operators controlling them, gathered Sunday at Beijing’s Olympic speed skating arena for competitions ranging from track events and soccer to boxing and martial arts.

One of the weekend’s most striking performances came during Saturday’s opening ceremony, when a Chinese humanoid robot recorded a 100-meter time faster than the world record held by Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt. The achievement quickly became a major story across Chinese state media.

Tiangong Ultra, a white humanoid robot without a head, completed the 100-meter sprint in 9.39 seconds, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Bolt’s world record, established in 2009, stands at 9.58 seconds.

The machines delivered another record-breaking performance on Sunday when the same model demolished the human world record in the 400 meters by nearly five seconds.

Tiangong Ultra, which was created by a Beijing research center backed by the local government, crossed the finish line in 38.16 seconds. Officials subsequently adjusted the recorded time slightly, to 38.15 seconds.

The racing was not always graceful. During one 400-meter heat, a robot covered in a white shell swung its arms wildly from side to side as it raced around the track, pitching so far forward that spectators openly wondered whether it was about to crash.

As it approached the finish line, the machine began wobbling noticeably but somehow managed to complete the race without toppling over.

In fact, some of the biggest reactions from the crowd came when things went wrong. Several robotic competitors were unable to get moving when their races began.

Other robots proceeded around the track at little more than a fast walking pace, while some collapsed almost immediately after the starting signal.

The soccer competition provided its own entertainment, with children and parents laughing as one toddler-sized humanoid sent the ball sailing completely off the field and over the knee-high barriers surrounding the pitch.

Even the slow-moving and somewhat awkward soccer action drew an enthusiastic response, with spectators roaring whenever the waddling robots managed to put the ball into the lightly defended goal.

Boxing proved equally unpredictable. The audience burst into laughter when one humanoid lost its balance inside the ring, staggered sideways and folded itself over the ropes. It remained there motionless until human handlers came over and carried it away.

For 72-year-old Beijing resident Hou Yali, the extraordinary speed displayed by some of the robots raised another question: how would they fare if they competed directly against people?

“We’ll be able to see more clearly whether machines can surpass humans,” said Hou, who is retired and lives in Beijing.

Still, she cautioned that outrunning humans is very different from demonstrating the intelligence and practical abilities that could make robots genuinely useful in everyday life.

“Right now, this is just running, just a competition of speed. It’s not a test of intelligence, or hiring someone to do household tasks or act as live-in help,” she said.

Hou currently pays human aides to come to her home each week to prepare meals and handle cleaning, but she said she would be interested in having robots eventually take over those responsibilities.

“With the development of our country’s economy, people have more money in their pockets, and they may decide to use robots,” she said.

{Matzav.com}