A remarkable act of honesty and kiddush Hashem unfolded today in the home of the Raavad of Bnei Brak, Rav Yehuda Silman, after an avreich from the Slabodka Kollel discovered 150,000 shekel in cash hidden inside the wall of the apartment he had just purchased — and returned every cent to the seller, a secular woman who had no idea the money even existed.
The young avreich bought an older apartment in Bnei Brak several weeks ago. The property had originally been purchased years earlier by a woman from Hod HaSharon, though the actual resident for the last period had been her brother, who suffered from health issues and lived there alone.
When the brother passed away, the apartment reverted to the woman’s possession, and she put it up for sale. The avreich purchased it for his young family, never imagining that a halachic dilemma of this magnitude was waiting inside the walls.
During renovations, workers broke through part of an old wall and uncovered a plastic bag stuffed with 150,000 shekel in cash. The discovery immediately raised complex questions: Did the money belong to the deceased brother who had saved it privately? If he had never mentioned it in his will, could it still belong to his heirs? Or was this a case of yei’ush shelo midaas, where the owner unknowingly abandons property and it could legally belong to the finder?
Seeking clarity, the avreich traveled to the home of Rav Yehuda Silman in the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood. After reviewing the circumstances, Rav Silman instructed him unequivocally to return the money to the seller, who had been completely unaware that such a sum was hidden in the apartment her brother had occupied.
Determined to fulfill the mitzvah and sanctify Hashem’s name, the avreich arranged a formal maamad hashava in Rav Silman’s home on Thursday afternoon. A small group of his friends attended, along with the woman who had originally sold him the apartment and who suddenly found herself the recipient of an unexpected “inheritance” she never dreamed existed.
One of the attendees related that the woman, who is not religious, was moved to tears when she received the money. Overwhelmed, she kept repeating that she could not believe such integrity existed — that someone would willingly return such a significant amount rather than keep it quietly.
Rav Silman himself was deeply touched by the scene. He called for everyone present to say l’chaim, and he offered heartfelt brachos to the avreich. He blessed him that in the merit of this mitzvah, his home should be filled with abundant blessing, and that he should merit sons and daughters who follow the path of Torah and mitzvos.
What began as a simple renovation became a moment of soaring kiddush Hashem — the kind of story that reminds the world of the beauty and loyalty to halacha that define the Jewish heart.
{Matzav.com}
A chaotic confrontation inside an Israel-controlled section of eastern Rafah ended Thursday with the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the head of an Arab militia that had been cooperating with Israeli forces. Defense officials believe simmering tensions within the ranks erupted violently, culminating in the deadly clash.
Investigators say the altercation quickly spiraled as members of Abu Shabab’s own group turned on him, delivering blows that left him fatally injured. Authorities emphasized that “Hamas terrorists were not involved,” distancing the incident from outside interference.
During the melee, his deputy, Rasan a-Dahini, was also hurt. Both men were rushed to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where a-Dahini was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg and is reported to have suffered only minor injuries.
Not long after the event, the militia known as the Popular Forces publicly acknowledged its leader’s death. Their statement insisted that “he was hit by gunfire while attempting to resolve a clan dispute,” and firmly rejected claims blaming Hamas, calling those reports “not true.”
The group’s announcement reaffirmed their mission, declaring that “the Popular Forces will continue on the same path until the final elimination of the terrorists in Gaza and the building of a safe future for our peace-seeking people.”
In an interview he once gave to KAN News, Abu Shabab described his fighters as young Gaza residents disconnected from any established faction. “We tasted the bitterness and injustice caused to us by Hamas and took upon ourselves to deal with this aggression,” he said. “We will become a support for our people to remove this injustice.” He added: “We support any legitimate force that adopts the idea of removing injustice and corruption.”
He outlined the group’s commitment to confrontation if necessary, saying, “We have young people and we have an army. We are conducting training in the field. We have undertaken to work for the liberation of the people from injustice and violence. We have strength, and there will be victims and bloodshed. We will pay the price to liberate our people. There is no prohibition against direct confrontation with Hamas and no prohibition against civil war, whatever the cost may be.”
Abu Shabab described the militia as primarily operating in Rafah under the umbrella of full IDF control. “We move easily in Rafah, but there are other areas in the southern Gaza Strip where we move with caution. We entered Khan Yunis, the Nasser Hospital – which was previously held by Hamas – without security in these areas, like the areas under the control of the IDF. We entered these areas and carried out operations beyond the expected.”
He had also asserted that the Popular Forces would assume leadership once Hamas is pushed aside. “Hamas knows and understands this; we will be the heirs in Gaza after the defeat of Hamas.”
When questioned about a Hamas-issued warrant demanding he surrender within ten days, Abu Shabab responded sharply: “Instead of Hamas issuing arrest orders, they should judge those who committed the October 7th massacre. They are the cause of the Palestinian people’s plight, the persecution of civilians, and the killing of the innocent. They should put themselves on trial, not the rest of the people.”
He dismissed Hamas’ threats as empty rhetoric, saying, “As for me, their threats and their slanderous trial did not move me. Hamas is only an illusion, a hot air balloon. Hamas is fighting for its life, it is going for a deal that is the last way to preserve its existence. They are near their end both in morale and material worlds, and I am pursuing them in the material world.”
{Matzav.com}
Federal authorities revealed on Thursday that a suspect has finally been arrested in connection with the pipe bombs planted outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said that a Virginia resident, Brian Cole Jr., had been taken into custody after years of investigative dead ends.
During her press briefing, Bondi explained that Cole is facing serious federal charges. “He’s been charged with violating 18 U.S.C. 844, which is use of an explosive device,” she noted, adding that the operation is unfolding rapidly. “This investigation is ongoing; as we speak, search warrants are being executed, and there could be more charges to come.”
Bondi emphasized how long the case had stagnated. The “cold case languished for four years,” she said, until FBI Director Kash Patel and his team were tasked with reopening it after President Donald Trump entered office. Patel described the shift in direction once the bureau reassessed the file. “We did not discover new information,” Patel stated. “What we did, an investigation spearheaded by the deputy director and the Washington field office, [was] brought in investigators and experts, reexamined every piece of evidence, sifted through all the data — something that the prior administration refused and failed to do. As a result of that, we generated numerous investigative leads, executed multiple legal processes with our U.S. attorney partners, and came to this conclusion today, and that is why we’re able to safely secure this individual into custody.”
Court documents indicate that investigators linked Cole to the crime by following purchases of materials made two years before the attack. Relatives listed in public records were contacted but did not respond, according to The Associated Press.
Neighbors watched as unmarked vehicles filled the cul-de-sac near Cole’s Woodbridge home just hours after his arrest. FBI agents were observed going in and out of the residence and searching a nearby vehicle as law enforcement secured the area.
The explosive devices were planted the night before the Jan. 6 Capitol protest. Thankfully, they were neutralized before anyone was harmed, though the FBI has said both bombs were fully capable of causing lethal damage. Yet for years, authorities had struggled to identify even the most basic details about the masked individual caught on video placing the devices.
Hoping to shake loose new clues, the FBI released additional footage and information last January, including an estimate that the suspect stood about 5 feet, 7 inches tall. The earlier surveillance clips had shown the individual roaming the neighborhood for nearly an hour — sitting briefly on a bench, walking through an alley, and pausing as a passerby with a dog went by. The figure’s attire, consisting of a light sweatshirt, dark pants, and sneakers with a dark backpack, obscured nearly everything about their identity. Although investigators believed the suspect’s gait pointed toward a male, the mask and hood concealed any defining facial features.
Digital data collection became central to the probe. Agents pieced together cellphone information from the vicinity and subpoenaed tech companies — including Google — for location records matching the suspect’s movements. They also dug into credit card histories from various retailers and hobby shops in search of customers who bought items similar to those used in the pipe bombs, which were about a foot long and filled with metal and gunpowder, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
Another track of the investigation centered on the suspect’s footwear: Nike Air Max Speed Turfs. After Nike confirmed that thousands of pairs had been distributed across multiple retail chains, investigators issued subpoenas to major stores such as Foot Locker, attempting to match sales records with suspect profiles.
Despite years of exhaustive review — thousands of video files, hundreds of interviews, and countless tips — investigators had repeatedly run into dead ends. The arrest of Cole marks the first significant breakthrough in a case that had frustrated federal agents and captivated public attention for nearly four years.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli officials traveled to Cairo on Thursday for urgent discussions aimed at securing the return of the final hostage, the fallen Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. The delegation’s mission followed the directive of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who instructed that every possible step be taken to advance immediate movement on the case.
Leading the group was Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, who was joined by senior representatives from the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Mossad. Their mandate was to engage with mediators and push forward any path that could bring about closure for the Gvili family and for the nation.
By the end of the Cairo meetings, the participating parties reached a shared understanding about the next steps. It was determined that efforts must now be concentrated on “an intensive and immediate effort that will lead to the full completion of the mission regarding the hostages and the missing,” with all sides agreeing to accelerate the process until the goal is achieved.
{54}
A wave of condemnation swept through Los Angeles on Wednesday after a protest outside the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown escalated into vandalism, arrests, and open displays of virulent anti-Jewish hostility.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that the confrontation began around 10 a.m., when demonstrators assembled outside the synagogue. Dozens of protesters chanted, “Palestine will live forever,” “stop the occupation,” “baby killers,” “Zionist pigs,” and “scum of the earth.” Officers responding to the scene ultimately detained two individuals — one for battery and another for vandalism.
Mayor Karen Bass sharply criticized what unfolded, labeling the episode “abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles.” She noted that officials had informed her of the disruption that spilled into the shul itself, writing, “I received reports that individuals interrupted a private event at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Koreatown, calling attendees anti-semitic names and damaging property inside the temple.” Bass said she reached out directly to the congregation’s leadership: “I spoke with Rabbi Nickerson to ensure he and his congregation know that the City of Los Angeles stands with them and fully condemns these attacks. I am grateful to the LAPD officers who addressed this disturbance. Additional LAPD officers have been deployed to patrol near areas of worship.”
Rabbi Joel Nickerson explained that the temple had been hosting a program “focusing on advancing public safety in Koreatown” when the demonstrators intruded. He expressed appreciation for the swift backing from authorities and public officials, stating, “We appreciate the strong support we have received from elected leaders and law enforcement and look forward to working with them to ensure that those responsible for this hateful and illegal conduct are held accountable.” He reiterated that such behavior threatens every Angeleno: “No one should be targeted in the City of Los Angeles on account of their faith.”
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles likewise issued a forceful denunciation. Spokesperson Aram Goldberg wrote, “We are outraged and condemn this antisemitic behavior in the strongest of terms. There is no place in our community — or anywhere — for antisemitism and hate disguised as dissent.”
As police continue to investigate, city and community leaders are urging stronger protections around houses of worship and a resolute response to rising antisemitic agitation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a stark warning about the intentions of radical Islamic ideologies during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. Speaking plainly about the threat landscape facing the United States and the broader Western world, Rubio said the danger remains far greater than many realize.
Rubio explained that extremist movements across the globe share a unified view of America as their ultimate adversary. “All radical Islamic movements in the world identify the West writ large but the United States in particular as the greatest evil on the Earth,” he told Hannity, emphasizing that these groups have long rejected the idea of remaining confined to any one region. “And every chance they have – the notion that somehow radical Islam would be comfortable with simply controlling some province in Iraq or Syria is just not borne out by history. Radical Islam has shown that their desire is not simply to occupy one part of the world and be happy with their own little caliphate; they want to expand. It’s revolutionary in its nature. It seeks to expand and control more territories and more people.”
He continued by underscoring that the ambitions of these groups are not theoretical. “Radical Islam has designs, openly, on the West – on the United States, on Europe….And they are prepared to conduct acts of terrorism – in the case of Iran, nation-state actions, assassinations, murders, you name it. Whatever it takes for them to gain their influence and ultimately their domination of different cultures and societies.”
Rubio described this ideology as not merely a distant concern, but a looming danger directly targeting American interests worldwide and within the country itself. “That’s a clear and imminent threat to the world and to the broader West, but especially to the United States….They hate Israel. But they also hate America, and they hate anywhere in the world that we have influence; they seek to attack it, including here in the homeland. If you look at the attacks that have happened here domestically, the overwhelming majority of them have been inspired by radical Islamic viewpoints.”
The Secretary of State’s comments come as U.S. officials continue to assess ongoing threats from extremist networks abroad and their supporters at home, with Rubio asserting that vigilance must remain high as these groups continue to seek opportunities to strike.
{Matzav.com}
