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A dramatic incident unfolded Tuesday evening during the Lag BaOmer hilulah near Tzfas, when a 64-year-old woman and her four children, ages 10 to 15, who had gone missing on their way to Har Meron, were located stranded on a steep cliff.

The initial emergency call was received by United Hatzalah at 6:43 p.m., after the family reported that they had lost their way in the mountainous terrain and were unable to find a route out.

Following the report, national search and rescue units were dispatched to the scene and began operations in a challenging, mountainous area under limited visibility. At the same time, an aerial search was launched to locate the family using advanced equipment.

During the search, a United Hatzalah drone identified the mother and her children standing on a steep cliff, unable to descend or move forward. The drone operators immediately relayed the precise location to rescue teams on the ground, who confirmed that the identification significantly accelerated the rescue effort.

Rescue forces quickly initiated a complex extraction operation, using guidance from the drone to safely reach the family. Officials noted that the terrain posed significant challenges, but coordination between the units allowed for swift and accurate progress.

At this stage, rescue operations remain ongoing as teams work to bring all members of the family down to safety. United Hatzalah emphasized that the drone played a critical role in the rapid location of the missing family, saving valuable time.

{Matzav.com}

MK Michael Malchieli of Shas addressed the controversy surrounding the cancellation of the mass Lag Ba’omer pilgrimage to Har Meron, offering cautious support for the decision by security officials while voicing measured criticism over how such decisions impact the chareidi public.

In an interview with the main news broadcast on Radio Kol Chai, Malchieli said that while it is easy to judge the move in hindsight, it becomes far more complicated when all security bodies—including the Defense Ministry, the police, and Home Front Command—present a clear and credible threat assessment.

He explained, “If we had seen missiles in the last 24 hours heading toward Meron, everyone would have said how wise it was to close.” He added that although many in the chareidi community feel that restrictions are imposed more quickly on their events, in this case it is difficult to ignore the security evaluations and Meron’s proximity to the northern border.

At the same time, Malchieli acknowledged that the reaction within the chareidi public is not simple, particularly given that other large gatherings across the country have continued to take place. “I have a lot of criticism when the chareidi public is harmed by such decisions,” he said, “but in the end, when a clear threat picture is presented to you, there is not much room to maneuver.”

Later in the interview, Malchieli turned to a central political issue for the chareidi parties—the effort to advance legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students. He described it as the most critical issue currently facing the chareidi public, but noted that there is still no agreed-upon draft that has received rabbinic approval. “If you had asked me a year ago whether we would reach Lag Ba’omer without a law, I would have said it’s impossible. And yet, here we are,” he said.

Malchieli revealed that despite extended discussions in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, full agreements have not yet been reached with legal and political stakeholders. He said representatives of the chareidi parties have been instructed to remain engaged in negotiations rather than withdraw, in the hope that a finalized version can be presented when the summer session opens.

Addressing the ongoing tensions between the government and the attorney general, Malchieli sharply criticized the judicial system, arguing that there is a “small but powerful group” that he claims directly limits the government’s ability to govern. He said ministers and Knesset members repeatedly encounter rulings, delays, and interventions that interfere with government decisions.

{Matzav.com}

In an interview on Kol Chai’s main radio broadcast, Mishpacha editor Aryeh Ehrlich sharply criticized the handling of this year’s Meron framework, calling it a collapse of leadership and a retreat by authorities. He argued that the near-total cancellation of access to the mountain—limiting participation to just 200 people—amounted to an abdication of responsibility, masking the state’s inability to enforce control and maintain sovereignty at the site.

Despite police efforts to project an image of calm, Ehrlich described troubling accounts of police violence directed at those attempting to reach Meron through alternate routes and access roads. He pointed in particular to a disturbing incident in which an officer was filmed violently choking an older, respected man, Yeshayahu Gotfarb, saying it reflects a degrading attitude toward the chareidi public.

“Chareidi blood is not hefker,” Ehrlich declared, comparing the shutdown at Meron to large-scale sporting events in the north that have continued under similar security threats. In his view, the state should have implemented a structured “capsule” system to allow for safe and controlled access, rather than leaving tens of thousands to attempt reaching the site on their own under risky conditions.

Amid what he described as organizational chaos, a significant bright spot emerged in Yerushalayim, where a massive gathering took place led by the mashpia Rav Meilech Biderman. The event drew approximately 70,000 participants and was carefully organized by Minister Meir Porush and his team to provide a spiritual alternative, discouraging large crowds from attempting to reach Meron under dangerous conditions. Ehrlich praised the initiative as an important lesson learned, noting that dispersing the crowds to multiple locations is essential given the rapid growth of the chareidi population, which no longer allows for hundreds of thousands to be safely concentrated in one place at one time.

The conversation then shifted to the political landscape. Ehrlich argued that the early alliance between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid proved to be a strategic misstep that weakened their standing in the polls, while Gadi Eisenkot has been acting with greater political discipline. He said Bennett has been accused of “intoxication with power” and of issuing threats toward senior police officials even before being elected, while Eisenkot has managed to position himself as a more consistent and credible governing alternative. Ehrlich added that the Bennett-Lapid partnership also contributed to the weakening of Benny Gantz’s party, which is paying a political price for its emphasis on statesmanship.

{Matzav.com}

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a new federal effort aimed at reducing reliance on psychiatric medications, introducing the initiative during a Make America Healthy Again Institute summit focused on mental health and concerns about overmedicalization.

“Today, we take clear and decisive action to confront our nation’s mental health crisis by addressing the overuse of psychiatric medications —especially among children,” Kennedy said.

He added, “We will support patient autonomy, require informed consent and shared decision-making, and shift the standard of care toward prevention, transparency and a more holistic approach to mental health.”

As part of the plan, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will compile and release a report analyzing prescribing patterns across the country.

In a “Dear Colleague” letter issued Monday, senior officials at the Department of Health and Human Services stressed that psychiatric medications “should not be understood as the only treatment option.”

Kennedy has previously been outspoken in his criticism of psychiatric drugs, at times suggesting that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors may be linked to school shootings. He has also claimed that such medications are more addictive than heroin, despite evidence contradicting that assertion. Kennedy has publicly spoken about his own past addiction to heroin.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 16.5 percent of adults in 2020 were taking psychiatric medications to manage their mental health.

The American Psychiatric Association, which represents more than 40,000 professionals in psychiatric care and research, responded Monday by expressing cautious support for aspects of the initiative while objecting to its framing.

“We are supportive of the Administration’s plans for further investment in research and clinician training on the issues of prescribing and deprescribing,” the organization said in a statement.

“That being said, while APA supports efforts to improve the quality, safety, and evidence base of mental health treatment, we strongly object to framing the nation’s mental health crisis as primarily a problem of ‘overmedicalization’ or ‘overprescribing,’” the APA added. “Deprescribing alone is not a sufficient response to this crisis.”

{Matzav.com}

The Lag BaOmer hilulah of the Tanna Eloki Rashbi in Meron took place this year under extreme conditions, as winter-like weather and continuous rain accompanied the limited number of participants who were permitted to ascend the mountain. Police spokesman for the chareidi sector, Shabtai Gerberchik, spoke with Betzalel Kahn on the main broadcast of Kol Chai, explaining that despite the widespread impression that the hilulah had been canceled, small-scale events did take place under strict Home Front Command directives.

Gerberchik noted that inside the tziyun, stewards were assigned to maintain order, while police focused primarily on the outer perimeter and ensuring the safe management of crowd movement.

Road closures became a central issue during the interview, with Gerberchik stressing that access was legally restricted to local residents and those renting accommodations in the area. Despite repeated explanations, many attempted to bypass the checkpoints. “There are people who try to reach the site… and we must make it clear to them that the law limits entry.” He rejected calls to reopen the roads due to the reduced crowds, emphasizing that police are bound by Home Front Command orders, which remain in effect until Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

Addressing reports of confrontations on the roads, Gerberchik said that calm was maintained within the village of Meron itself, but clashes occurred outside the area as individuals attempted to force their way up the mountain. He urged people not to endanger themselves, stating, “This way of thinking puts them at risk… the decision to close Meron is a very painful one, painful for everyone.” He added on a personal note that it is far easier for police to manage an open event with large crowds than to enforce restrictions and limit access, but the security situation required it.

Despite the reduced scale and harsh weather, this year’s hilulah once again demonstrated the deep longing of Klal Yisroel for Rashbi. Even with roadblocks and heavy rain, efforts to reach the site continued until the last moment, requiring ongoing police action to remove people and transport them back to their points of origin by bus. Gerberchik also mentioned that officers were called upon to handle internal disputes that arose over signage associated with various chassidishe courts.

{Matzav.com}

A 72-year-old Yid from Moshav Azrieli experienced an extraordinary turnaround after being diagnosed with severe pre-Alzheimer’s symptoms that had progressed to the point where he could no longer recognize letters. After several months of steady limud haTorah in a local kollel, the symptoms receded completely. His treating physician later remarked in astonishment that the condition had reversed without conventional medical treatment.

One question weighs heavily on every person who is zocheh to arichas yamim: Will the memory—the most precious matanah we possess—remain with us into old age? For R’ Yefet of Moshav Azrieli, the outlook appeared especially grim when the diagnosis struck him and his family. Early Alzheimer’s symptoms had begun to chip away at his daily functioning to the extent that he could no longer identify even the form of letters.

Yet it was davka from that low point that the yeshuah came—mibein koslei beis hamedrash.

The transformation began at the Tiferes Zekeinim kollel in the community, established for retirees who wish to fill their days with Torah and meaningful ruchniyus. It is part of a broader project of Torah across the country serving thousands of members of the older generation.

R’ Yefet, who had been grappling with a sharp cognitive decline, decided to strengthen himself and join the fixed morning seder. “I reached a point where I could not recognize letters,” he recalled painfully. “But in the kollel, I found an approach that was exactly suited to our challenges.”

With time, the consistent framework of daily limud—at an appropriate pace and with close guidance—gave him a steady seder that began to impact his overall functioning.

Within just a few months, family members began to see open nissim. The clarity returned to his face, names that had been forgotten came back, and the fog lifted. When he returned to the specialist for a follow-up, what unfolded left everyone stunned.

The physician, upon reviewing the new tests, was left speechless. “The Alzheimer’s has completely disappeared,” the specialist concluded, struggling to understand how such a persistent condition could recede without any standard medical intervention. The results were clear: the cognitive measures had returned to normal, and the symptoms were gone.

Rav Yosef Taizi, the rosh kollel, described the transformation with visible emotion: “It was incredible to see how within a few months r’ Yefet became a new person. Not only did he return to himself, he became an active participant who asks deep questions and is involved in the life of the community.”

It became evident that for R’ Yefet, Torah was not merely study. It was truly a sam chaim, a magical “drug,” restoring his ability to live a full and meaningful life.

Today, he serves as a source of chizuk and inspiration for those around him and for all who hear his remarkable story, a powerful reminder that even at an advanced age, and even when facing difficult medical challenges, limud haTorah has the koach to transform and bring back light into a Yid’s life.

Thousands gathered Monday night in the city of Rechovot for a central Lag Ba’omer hadlakah led by the Yenukah, Rav Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri.

The event began with a profound shiur delivered by the Yenukah in Zohar and in the teachings of the Tanna Rav Shimon bar Yochai, after which the maamad hadlakah commenced.

Later, during the day of the hilulah, the Yenukah received the joyous news of the birth of his son, b’shaah tovah u’mutzlachas.

Rabbonim and public figures were in attendance at the maamad, during which the Yenukah fulfilled the custom of throwing a bow and arrow. Following this, the Yenukah began a spirited rikud in honor of the Tanna Eloki Rashbi, joined by the large crowd that had come to participate in the event in Rechovot.

In his remarks, the Yenukah addressed the unique situation this year, with many being unable to travel to Meron to participate in the hilulah at the resting place of the Tanna. He emphasized that the main focus is the study of the Torah of Rav Shimon bar Yochai, and that this is the greatest maalah.

{Matzav.com}