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Dovid HaMelech was always praising, composing and singing beautiful songs to Hashem. He encouraged us to do the same “שירו לה’ שיר חדש” – SING TO HASHEM A NEW SONG. Truth be said, we have so many reasons to be thankful and sing to Hashem.  So here we are with a new meaningful song “בקשו פני” for the start of חודש אלול. What better time is there then now, to release this hartzedeke melody, as we begin reciting twice daily these holy words in the prayer of “לדוד ה’ אורי וישעי”. It is Hashem’s timeless message to Dovid HaMelech and to all of us. “Seek and be aware of My Presence, everywhere, all the time”. This must be our number one priority and lifes mission. Hashem says, make sure I am involved in your life and take Me into consideration in all your decisions. To that end I thank Hashem for once again conveying His holy message through me in this beautiful melody and simultaneously through the release of the new holy Sefer לפניך. Living Lefonecho Lives is Hashem’s foremost will for all of us. כתיבה וחתימה טובה Check out the all new https://www.lefonecho.com/ website To listen or download Rabbi Yaakov Singer’s entire music album visit https://rabbiyaakovsinger.com/music/ To order the לפניך Sefer in Hebrew or English visit https://www.lefonecho.com/order-sefer Listen to some great Podcasts from Rabbi Yaakov Singer:https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/illuminating-parsha-insightshttps://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/timelyilluminationshiurimhttps://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/spiritualinspirationrabbiyaakovsingerhttps://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/pirkei-avos-with-rabbi-yaakov-singer Visit the inspiring https://rabbiyaakovsinger.com/ website

In this episode, Rabbi Reinman shows how Galus Bavel foreshadowed the good and bad times in the Jewish diaspora.

Chapter Thirty-five: The Babylonian Exile

Unlike the Assyrians, the Babylonians were astute victors, and the ten thousand captives carried off from Yehudah eleven years before the destruction of Yerushalayim had been treated well. Nevuchadnezzar recognized the nobility of the Jewish core element that had maintained its high moral standards in the face of adversity, and he sought to integrate this elite group into the multiethnic Babylonian tapestry, along with the elites of other communities in the far-flung empire.

As part of this program, the king invited the best and brightest young men from the various communities to live in the royal palace where they would be educated and trained for service. Among these apprentices were four young Jewish prodigies named Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah, and in order to integrate them better, Nevuchadnezzar gave them the Babylonian names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel’s rise in the imperial government was meteoric, and he became governor of Babylon. The others also rose to high positions.

At this point, there was a religious crisis. Nevuchadnezzar erected an enormous golden idol on the plain of Dura near Babylon, and he decreed  that at specific times everyone had to bow down to it. All who refused would be thrown into a fiery furnace. This was not a religion decree. Those who bowed down were free to practice their own religion any way they saw fit. Rather, it was a political decree. Honoring the king included honoring his god. Failure to do so disrespected the king. Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused to comply and were thrown into the furnace. When they emerged safely, Nevuchadnezzar declared, “Praise be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants … for no other god can save in this way.”

Protected by royal sanction, the Jewish exiles began to lay the foundations of the great Babylonian Jewish community that would endure for a thousand years.

The immediate concern of this first group of exiles was the preservation of the Torah, especially the Oral Law without which the Torah cannot be understood. From the beginning, the Oral Law had been passed down by a system of transmission supervised by the leading Torah sage of each generation. After Yehoshua, this task had been shouldered by the Judges, the Torah sages who were also the unofficial political leaders. With the rise of the monarchy, the stewardship of the Oral Law had been assumed by the unbroken succession of Prophets, which ran parallel to the royal succession. But now the kingdom was on the verge of collapse, and the dispersion had already begun. Yirmiyahu had prophesied that the exile would end after seventy years, but what form would the restoration assume? Would there always be prophets to teach the people? And if not, how would the special bond between the Jewish people and God and His Torah be sustained?

Paradoxically, exile and captivity had brought the core element of the Jewish people more freedom than it had enjoyed in a century. In Babylon, there were no corrupt monarchs and pagan enthusiasts to battle for the Jewish soul. Confined to this distant land but breathing the heady air of spiritual freedom, these elite exiles, among whom there were a thousand sages, understood that the future of the Jewish people rested on their shoulders. They knew that it was their mission to form the nucleus of a rejuvenated Jewish nation, and they poured all their energies into creating a solid bedrock of Torah for the future. They established numerous yeshivahs in all the cities and towns where they settled, and the intense study of the Torah flourished …

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s military police attempted to arrest an avreich for “draft dodging” in the Chareidi city of Beitar Illit on Motzei Shabbos. Police officers arrived at the home of a family on Elazar Hamoda’i Street in Beitar Illit in an attempt to arrest their son but were unsuccessful since the son is married and no longer lives at home. The “Tzeva Shachor” emergency alert system to activate bnei yeshivos to protest at the scene led to a crowd of Chareidi protesters flocking to the area, and the police officers retreated. The alert system informed the public residing in the area to remain on high alert in anticipation of another arrest attempt, but no additional attempts were made. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Government ministers received a message on Sunday morning that the government meeting later in the day will take place at a confidential, secured site amid threats by the Houthis to avenge the assassinations of senior Houthi leaders in an IDF strike last week. The security cabinet meeting scheduled for the afternoon has also been moved to a secure site. The IDF on Mozei Shabbos confirmed that the Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Rahawi was eliminated in the Israeli attack along with “a number of ministers.” Israeli media channels, including Kan News, reported that only four Houthi ministers are believed to be still alive. Among those eliminated in the operation were the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Labor, the Minister of Youth and Sports, the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Deputy Minister of Interior, the Minister of Local Administration in the Houthi government, and the director of the Prime Minister’s office. Some reports said that it is believed that Houthi Chief of Staff Abd al-Karim Al-Ghamari and Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi were also killed. Others say that they were seriously injured but survived the strike. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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Jewish Agency chairman Maj.-Gen. (res.) Doron Almog was forced to cancel a trip to South Africa due to the possibility that he would be arrested for “war crimes,” Kan News reported on Sunday morning. It is believed that pro-Hamas activists in South Africa, which is pursuing legal action against Israel on charges of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, may seek the retired IDF general’s arrest. Almog is a relative of the Goldstein-Almog family, two of whom were brutally murdered by Hamas at Kfar Aza during the October 7 massacre: H’yd, 48, and his daughter, Yam Goldstein-Almog, H’yd, 20. Chen Goldstein-Amog and her three children, 17, 11, and 9, were abducted to Gaza after witnessing the murders of Nadav and Yam. They were released in the first-phase deal in November 2023. This is not the first time that Almog was targeted in a foreign country for his IDF service. In 2005, he and his wife flew to London to fundraise for Aleh Negev, a facility for the disabled he founded. Minutes after landing at Heathrow Airport in the UK, an Israeli embassy official boarded the plane and warned Almog to remain on the plane, explaining that counterterrorism police officers were waiting in the airport to arrest him due to a warrant issued against him for “war crimes’ in Gaza. Almog remained on the plane for two hours before returning to Israel. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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The Hamas terror organization early Sunday morning acknowledged the death of Mohammed Sinwar, nearly three and a half months after the IDF eliminated him in a targeted strike. The announcement was made via the publication of photos of Hamas’s senior “martyrs,” in which Mohammed Sinwar appeared for the first time alongside other slain Hamas leaders, including his brother Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Marwan Issa. The captions to the photos confirm their status as “shahids.” Sinwar was killed in mid-May during a joint IDF–Shin Bet operation that targeted an underground Hamas command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. His brother Yahya was eliminated seven months earlier. Although the IDF announced Mohammed Sinwar’s elimination at the end of May, the publication of his photo with the caption “shahid” is the first time that Hamas formally acknowledged his death. Hamas also published footage of Mohammed Deif, the former commander of Hamas’s military wing, who was eliminated by the IDF in July 2024. The elusive Deif is seen in the previously unseen footage alongside other Hamas leaders. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Hamas has finally confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, the group’s top commander in Gaza, who was killed in an Israeli strike last May after taking over from his brother Yahya.

Putin stepped onto the Tianjin red carpet to greet the delegation, marking his second visit to China since his state visit in May 2024.

NBC News reports that DNI Tulsi Gabbard shocked CIA leadership, including Director John Ratcliffe, by publicly naming an undercover officer among 37 agents she plans to strip of security clearances for allegedly mishandling classified intelligence.

The U.S. State Department has authorized a major military sale to Denmark, including the Integrated Battle Command System–enabled PATRIOT missiles and associated equipment, with a total value of around $8.5 billion.

The Torah world has been stirred by an extraordinary discovery: The handwritten signature of Rav Avrohom Dov of Avritch zt”l, author of the Bas Ayin, has been uncovered on a rare document.

Last week, the rare treasure was presented to Rav Elimelech Biderman: the original signed document of the Bas Ayin.

Rav Avrohom Dov, who lived in the holy city of Tzefas, was famed already in his lifetime as a source of salvation, with countless stories told about his deeds, especially his heroism during the great earthquake that struck Tzefas in 1837, when he saved many Jewish lives from destruction.

For over a decade, Rav Biderman has been closely attached to the teachings and path of the Bas Ayin, organizing the annual hilula gatherings at his resting place and encouraging young people to learn his holy works, which are regarded as a segulah.

The newly revealed handwritten note is of immense rarity, as very few documents survive from the Bas Ayin.

This particular manuscript confirms the sale of a designated place of tefillah in the Arizal’s ancient shul, verified and signed by him.

At the bottom of the document, beneath the signatures of the gabbaim, it is written: “And for greater strength and confirmation, it is further signed by the holy rov.” Indeed, on the reverse side of the page appears the Bas Ayin’s sacred signature: “The transaction detailed above is valid and binding. Signed, Avrohom Dov of Avritch, residing in the holy city of Tzefas, may it be rebuilt and reestablished speedily in our days, Amen.”

Reacting emotionally to the document, Rav Biderman declared: “If in his lifetime he brought about yeshuos, then surely, as Chazal say, tzaddikim are greater in death than in life. To hold a sacred object connected to him is a most elevated and wondrous segulah.”

He was particularly moved by the date inscribed on the contract: “Twelve days into the month of Elul, in the year 5600 (1840)”—exactly 185 years ago, in the very days leading into the Yamim Nora’im.

Rav Biderman concluded with deep emotion: “Even just to gaze upon the handwriting of the Bas Ayin inspires the heart and serves as a wondrous segulah for teshuvah and good deeds.”

{Matzav.com}

Local officials in a Bergen County borough are accusing the operators of a major shopping complex of violating long-standing restrictions on Sunday sales, labeling the property a “public nuisance” and taking the matter to court.

The lawsuit, filed by leaders in Paramus, a community located just a few miles from Hackensack, was reviewed by USA TODAY. According to the filing, Mayor Christopher DiPiazza and the entire borough council authorized the action, their attorney Richard Malagiere confirmed on August 29.

In the complaint submitted to the Superior Court of New Jersey on August 25, the borough asserts that American Dream Mall, a 3-million-square-foot complex, has ignored Bergen County’s “blue laws.” These rules forbid Sunday sales of items such as apparel, lumber and construction materials, furniture for homes or offices, and both residential and commercial appliances.

Officials in Paramus maintain that the blue laws are binding only if county residents vote to keep them in effect. In Bergen County, voters chose to uphold the rules. Yet, the lawsuit claims that businesses inside American Dream have chosen to ignore them.

“These businesses, with the encouragement and support of the mall’s ownership and the acquiescence of the other defendants here, have violated the law hundreds if not thousands of times since January of this year,” the filing says.

The lawsuit explains that although the mall initially followed the prohibition, stores began trading on Sundays in 2024. According to reporting by The Bergen Record, which is part of the USA TODAY network, the mall had already been opening on Sundays for at least a year by January 2025.

Paramus officials argued in the complaint that businesses violating the law could face fines or even forced closures if the practice continues. They also noted their intent was to pressure the mall’s management to return to compliance.

Mayor DiPiazza said that American Dream had “promised on record” it would abide by Bergen County’s blue laws when opening its doors, according to the Associated Press.

The legal action lists several defendants: Ameream LLC, which owns the mall, the Borough of East Rutherford where the property is situated, Bergen County itself, and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), which owns the land American Dream sits on.

“The lawsuit is a meritless political stunt driven by private competitors’ interests,” American Dream said in a statement obtained by the AP.

On August 29, USA TODAY reached out to Mayor DiPiazza along with the other defendants named in the case. The NJSEA and a Bergen County official replied, though the NJSEA declined to comment, citing active litigation.

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, in a statement to USA TODAY, defended the importance of the blue laws, saying they safeguard quality of life for county residents and provide retail employees with needed rest. He emphasized that the matter comes down to “fairness.”

“When American Dream was preparing to open, its operators personally assured me and the State that they would honor the Sunday closing law and keep their retail doors shut,” Tedesco said. “They broke that promise.”

Tedesco added that operating on Sundays not only violates the statute but gives the mall “an unfair advantage” over local retailers that continue to comply.

American Dream, located in East Rutherford, is the second-largest retail and entertainment destination in the country, surpassed only by the Mall of America in Minnesota. According to Visit New Jersey, the complex contains more than 400 shops.

The mall’s official website lists its Sunday hours as 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for retail and dining, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. for The Avenue, a luxury wing featuring brands like Gucci and Balenciaga.

The roots of blue laws trace back centuries. The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association notes that as early as 1617 in Virginia, residents were required to attend church, with militia tasked to enforce the rule. In the 1800s, reformers advocated bans on commercial and “immoral” activity on Sundays.

The U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue, finding in some instances that Sunday restrictions are constitutional. In McGowan v. Maryland (1961), the justices upheld a ban on Sunday sales, reasoning the law’s aim was to promote health, rest, and general welfare rather than advance a particular religion.

The Bergen Record, also part of the USA TODAY Network, has noted that Paramus’s blue laws date back to colonial times and were first adopted in 1704, later codified in 1798. The rules once prohibited leisure activities and even nonessential travel, far stricter than today’s targeted sales bans.

According to Wyckoff Township’s municipal clerk, Bergen County residents voted to continue the laws in 1980. More than a decade later, in November 1993, county voters once again rejected a proposal to repeal the restrictions, with a two-to-one margin in favor of keeping Sunday closures.

The complaint against American Dream cites evidence that the mall has defied those rules, including a sign inside the complex stating, “All stores open Sundays.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF and Shin Bet announced on Motzei Shabbos that a key Hamas official was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Shabbos it is believed the strike targeted Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida, who has been targeted in several previous strikes.

Yerushalauyim witnessed a powerful scene on Motzoei Shabbos as thousands flocked to participate in the historic first tisch of the five sons of the late Kretchnif-Sighet Rebbe zt”l.

The event, held in a massive tent at the Pinsk Karlin Bais Medrash in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood, was arranged as part of a joint Shabbos announced by the chassidus in the wake of the Rebbe’s passing last week.

At midnight, the five sons—each now serving as admorim—entered together, with the eldest son leading. The gathering began with the singing of Kol Mekadesh, and the atmosphere was so crowded that organizers were forced to add additional bleachers to accommodate the throngs.

Chassidim described a remarkable display of mutual respect, as each of the brothers honored the others throughout the night. The tisch continued with song and divrei Torah until 4:00 a.m.

Earlier, during seudah shlishis, the Rebbes had also conducted a joint tisch, which likewise drew a vast crowd of participants.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Bill Clinton is once again drawing questions about his health after he and his wife, Hillary, were seen leaving the Hamptons this week with a portable defibrillator bag — just two months after the 79-year-old was spotted stumbling on a Manhattan sidewalk.

On Thursday, the pair was photographed boarding a private jet while carrying what appeared to be a Propaq MD Air Medical Bag, a defibrillator and monitoring device typically used in emergency situations.

Clinton wore a blue jacket and tan hat as he was escorted by his security detail, while Hillary, the former secretary of state and two-time presidential candidate, covered her blue outfit with a black sweatshirt for the flight.

The sight of the bag quickly fueled speculation about the former president’s declining health, especially given his long record of heart disease.

Clinton has contended with major health issues for over 20 years, undergoing a quadruple bypass and multiple hospital stays.

Though Clinton has never said publicly that he needs a portable defibrillator, his medical challenges have been well documented.

In 2004, just three years after leaving office, he had emergency quadruple bypass surgery at Presbyterian Hospital in New York to repair severe artery blockages. Doctors said at the time he had narrowly avoided a massive heart attack.

A year later, he returned to the hospital for surgery to fix a collapsed lung caused by scar tissue from his earlier bypass.

In 2010, Clinton was hospitalized again after experiencing chest pains, and doctors placed two stents in one of his arteries.

Following those events, the Arkansas native changed his lifestyle, adopting a mostly vegan diet, shedding pounds, and saying it gave him a “second chance.”

But the health scares didn’t end. In October 2021, Clinton was hospitalized in California with a urological infection that turned into sepsis. He was treated with IV antibiotics and released after several days.

His most recent incident came last December, when he spent Christmas Eve at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, with a fever. After tests, he was discharged the following day.

Clinton was also caught on video stumbling while walking in New York City during a book tour appearance. He clutched a pole for support, and his left leg appeared to give way.

The emergence of the defibrillator bag is now expected to intensify debate about whether his condition is worsening. Such devices are typically used to deliver life-saving shocks and to monitor patients at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Although gossip outlets have speculated about possible degenerative illnesses like Parkinson’s, no reputable source has verified such claims. Clinton’s doctors and staff have only acknowledged his previous heart and infection-related medical treatment.

The Clintons have also remained in the headlines this summer for reasons beyond health.

Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed both Bill and Hillary in connection with its investigation into the government’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein.

Neither has been accused of criminal conduct, but both are scheduled to testify in the fall — Hillary on Oct. 9 and Bill on Oct. 14.

In his 2024 memoir, Clinton admitted to taking flights on Epstein’s plane but insisted he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes.

“The bottom line is, even though it allowed me to visit the work of my foundation, traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward,” Clinton wrote.

“I wish I had never met him.”

The renewed focus on his health comes as Clinton remains active in Democratic politics, appearing at fundraisers and Clinton Foundation gatherings even as his physical stamina seems diminished.

At 79, Clinton is the third-oldest living president, behind Joe Biden, now 82, and George W. Bush, who is slightly older than Clinton.

Jimmy Carter, the nation’s longest-lived president, passed away in December at the age of 100.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s opening salvo in June’s war with Iran was not only military — it was technological. By breaking into the phones of Iranian bodyguards and drivers, Israeli intelligence mapped the movements of the Islamic Republic’s most senior leaders, unleashing one of the most devastating decapitation strikes in modern conflict, according to new reporting by the New York Times. In the early hours of June 13, Israeli forces targeted and killed numerous top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. Among them were Revolutionary Guards chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, Armed Forces chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and missile chief Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The precision of the strikes paralyzed Tehran’s command structure for hours, stunning both the regime and its allies. Although Iran’s top officials avoided smartphones, their entourages did not. “We know senior officials and commanders did not carry phones, but their interlocutors, security guards and drivers had phones; they did not take precautions seriously and this is how most of them were traced,” Sasan Karimi, a former Iranian deputy vice president for strategy, told the Times. The very measures Iran adopted to shield its leaders — layers of security and bodyguards — became liabilities. Israeli officials said those guards’ digital footprints allowed the IDF and Mossad to hunt down targets with unprecedented precision. “Using so many bodyguards is a weakness that we imposed on them, and we were able to take advantage of that,” one Israeli defense official told the Times. Iran had been aware of assassination threats and tightened protection of its top brass before the war. But the operational discipline collapsed quickly: guards used personal phones, sometimes posting updates on social media, exposing their principals’ locations. After the first wave of assassinations, guards were ordered to rely solely on walkie-talkies. Even then, lapses proved costly. On June 16, Israeli strikes hit a bunker during a meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured in the leg, and several guards were killed, though senior leaders survived. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, newly appointed to head the Revolutionary Guards Corps, later acknowledged the depth of Israel’s intelligence penetration. “The enemy gets the majority of its intelligence through technology, satellites and electronic data,” he said. Israel claims its 12-day campaign killed dozens of senior Iranian security officials and at least 11 nuclear scientists. The strikes also damaged uranium enrichment facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure, inflicting what analysts describe as Iran’s gravest security crisis since the 1980s war with Iraq. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel, escalating the confrontation until a ceasefire was reached on June 24. In the aftermath, Tehran launched sweeping arrests and executions of suspected spies, desperate to root out leaks. Israel has declined comment on those measures. The strikes intensified global efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. Last week, Britain, France and Germany triggered the “snapback” mechanism to reinstate UN sanctions, citing Tehran’s non-compliance with its 2015 nuclear commitments. Iran has threatened retaliation, while negotiations with international mediators remain stalled. Israel, meanwhile, has signaled it is prepared to act again. Officials warn that any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs could trigger a renewed offensive. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A federal appeals court issued a major setback to President Trump’s trade policy on Friday, ruling that the bulk of his worldwide tariffs are unlawful.

The decision, however, is not yet final. The three-judge panel allowed the tariffs to remain active until Oct. 14, giving the administration time to bring the case before the Supreme Court.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit determined that the statute Trump used as justification for his broad tariff program did not actually give him the power to impose them.

Both Trump and the White House confirmed Friday that the case will be appealed to the high court, setting up a new clash over the president’s authority to impose duties on imported goods.

Late Friday, Trump blasted the ruling on Truth Social, slamming the “Highly Partisan Appeals Court” and stressing that “ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT!”

“If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country,” Trump wrote. “It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong.”

The ruling undermines the centerpiece of Trump’s trade strategy, which dramatically altered America’s economic relations with countries worldwide.

The case began when a coalition of small businesses and a dozen states filed suit against Trump’s 2025 tariff initiative, a package of executive orders enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The program included “trafficking tariffs” of up to 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10–20% on imports from China, which Trump said were necessary to combat fentanyl and drug trafficking. It also established “reciprocal tariffs” — a 10% duty on nearly all imports, with additional surcharges on certain countries.

Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border the day he took office on Jan. 20, later extending it to Canada and China by Feb. 1, before unveiling the global tariff regime in April.

In May, the Court of International Trade struck down those orders, ruling that IEEPA does not authorize blanket tariffs, and the Federal Circuit upheld that conclusion on Friday.

The appeals court stated explicitly that IEEPA does not empower presidents to impose duties.

“The power to ‘regulate’ has long been understood to be distinct from the power to ‘tax,’” the panel wrote, stressing that the statute’s language is insufficient to support Trump’s tariff program.

“IEEPA’s grant of presidential authority to ‘regulate’ imports does not authorize the tariffs imposed by the Executive Orders,” the judges said, echoing the lower court’s decision.

The court emphasized that IEEPA has historically been used for sanctions, embargoes, and asset freezes — not the kind of sweeping duties Trump imposed.

“Whatever the policy justifications may be, they cannot override Congress’s choice of statutory limits,” the opinion added.

Responding online, Trump said the US “will no longer tolerate enormous Trade Deficits and unfair Tariffs and Non Tariff Trade Barriers imposed by other Countries, friend or foe, that undermine our Manufacturers, Farmers, and everyone else.”

“Now, with the help of the United States Supreme Court, we will use them to the benefit of our Nation, and Make America Rich, Strong, and Powerful Again!” he declared.

In a separate statement, the White House maintained that Trump “lawfully exercised the tariff powers granted to him by Congress to defend our national and economic security from foreign threats.”

“The President’s tariffs remain in effect, and we look forward to ultimate victory on this matter,” the statement said.

Trump wasted little time restoring his aggressive tariff program after returning to office.

On April 2, he declared a national emergency and introduced broad “reciprocal tariffs,” imposing a 10% baseline duty on almost all imports.

Soon after, he levied a 25% tariff on foreign cars and doubled steel and aluminum tariffs to 50%.

The moves sent relations with top trading partners into turmoil, particularly China.

Tariffs on Chinese goods climbed as high as 145% before a July truce lowered them to 30%.

Trump has also targeted other nations, imposing tariffs of 50% on India, 35% on Canada, and 25% on Mexico.

He ended the longstanding “de minimis” exemption for low-value online imports, ensuring that even inexpensive foreign shipments are subject to tariffs or fees.

Additional sector-specific duties were also introduced, including a 100% tariff on foreign films and a 25% “fentanyl tariff” aimed at countries, primarily China, accused of enabling opioid smuggling into the US.

{Matzav.com}