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A notable engagement was announced this week within the Brisker world, bringing together two prominent branches of the Soloveitchik family.

The chassan is Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, the eldest son of Rav Yankel Soloveitchik, who is himself the eldest son of Brisk rosh yeshiva Rav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik.

The kallah is the daughter of Rav Yisrael Yaakov Kaplan, son of Rav Nechemia Kaplan, rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hatalmud, who is a son of Rav Boruch and Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan and a son-in-law of Rav Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik zt”l. The engagement was announced on the fifth yahrzeit of Rav Dovid’s petirah.

Rav Nechemia’s wife, Rav Dovid’s daughter, Rebbetzin Hendel a”h, was tragically niftar last year. Just recently, Rav Nechemia became engaged to Mrs. Esther Lerner. 

Observers noted that the Kaplan-Soloveitchik shidduch is particularly striking within Brisk circles, as it formally connects the families of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik and his uncle, Rav Meshulam Dovid, in a manner more commonly associated with dynastic ties in chassidic courts.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released new internal records from the weeks leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, revealing senior defense officials repeatedly described the Gaza front as “stable” and urging restraint, even as the country stood on the brink of its deadliest security failure. The documents, published as part of […]

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Iran’s ruling elite may believe their grip on power is slipping, as American sanctions trigger a financial crisis that has sent the country’s economy into free fall. Testifying before the United States Senate Banking Committee, Bessent said the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign has systematically strangled Iran’s […]

A brief message posted by tech billionaire Elon Musk has set off a wide-ranging online debate about whether vast wealth brings personal fulfillment, drawing sharp reactions across social media.

Musk wrote on X, “Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about,” adding a sad emoji.

The comment, coming from the world’s wealthiest individual, immediately resonated with users and prompted intense scrutiny.

The post spread rapidly, reaching close to 30 million users within hours and generating a flood of responses that ranged from genuine curiosity to outright ridicule.

Many commenters focused on what they saw as the contradiction at the heart of the statement. “So you’re not happy?” one user asked directly.

Others leaned into sarcasm. “Give me $1 billion first, let me also confirm for myself,” one reply read, while another joked, “You’ve got to be kidding me. $840 billion doesn’t make you happy?”

A particularly dry comment captured the tone of much of the discussion: “I’d genuinely rather be miserable and a billionaire than miserable and not a billionaire.”

At the same time, some users came to Musk’s defense, arguing that immense wealth does not insulate a person from stress, pressure, or emotional difficulty. Critics, however, said the remark felt disconnected from the financial struggles facing much of the world.

As reactions poured in, the conversation expanded beyond Musk himself, revisiting a familiar philosophical question: Does financial success fundamentally improve a person’s inner life, or does it simply magnify problems in a different way?

The context surrounding the post intensified the reaction. Forbes recently reported that Musk had become the first person ever to surpass an estimated net worth of $800 billion, following a major transaction in which SpaceX acquired his artificial intelligence and social media venture, xAI.

{Matzav.com}

A Senate committee has opened an inquiry into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to revoke City Hall’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The probe was announced Thursday by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, who sent a formal letter […]

Joe Gebbia, Chief Design Officer at National DesignStudio, demonstrates the usability of the newly launched TrumpRx.Gov, where Americans can find discounts on many of the most common prescription drugs.

TRUMP: Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic discounts for all consumers throughout a new website, TrumpRx.Gov.

Commander of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, praised U.S., interagency, and international teams for delivering thousands of truckloads of humanitarian aid to Gaza each week and for their role in advancing the President’s peace plan.

Dear Matzav Inbox,

After last year’s painful and unsettling experience with the Lakewood, NJ mesivta farher system, many of us were left shaken. Rules were bent, some were outright broken by those who should no better, and what was meant to be a structured, dignified process too often felt chaotic and unfair.

Parents worried. Rabbeim worried. And perhaps most of all, the bochurim — standing at a pivotal crossroads in their lives — were left anxious and uncertain.

Those concerns were real, and they were justified.

But what deserves recognition, admiration, and deep gratitude is what happened next.

Instead of throwing up our hands in frustration or resigning ourselves to “this is how it always is,” responsible people stepped forward. Thoughtful individuals took action. Quiet planning replaced noise. Cooperation replaced competition. Accountability replaced improvisation.

And this week, we witnessed the results.

In the span of just a couple of days, thousands of bochurim, across more than five dozen mesivtos, went through farhers and were placed with clarity, dignity, and respect. What emerged was not just an efficient system. It was something far greater. It was a true Kiddush Hashem.

The process ran smoothly. The outcomes were thoughtful. The atmosphere was calm. Parents felt reassured. Bochurim felt seen. And the Torah world saw what can happen when achrayus, cooperation, and yiras Shamayim guide the process.

This did not happen by accident.

It happened because eighth-grade rabbeim invested countless hours truly knowing their talmidim and advocating for them with care and integrity. It happened because elementary schools worked responsibly and transparently. It happened because mesivtos acted with discipline and restraint, honoring both the spirit and the letter of the system. It happened because parents trusted the process.

Each group played its part. Each link in the chain mattered.

In a world where cynicism so often feels justified, this week reminded us that our community is capable of extraordinary things when we choose unity over self-interest and order over chaos. It showed our children that systems can be fixed, that fairness is possible, and that doing things the right way is not naïve. It is powerful.

Kudos to all involved. This was not merely a logistical success; it was a moral one. A quiet triumph. A moment of communal pride. And yes, a genuine Kiddush Hashem that deserves to be acknowledged, celebrated, and built upon for years to come.

Sincerely,
A grateful parent and observer

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After their second round of peace talks, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 157 prisoners of war each.

After pushing the UAE out of Yemen last year following clashes between the former partners, Saudi Arabia now holds greater sway over the country’s future than at any point in the decade-long war.

Multiple people were injured, and three were killed after a car crashed into a grocery store in the Westwood area of Los Angeles earlier today.

TRUMP: America’s Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World. We are either going to fix them, or we won’t have a Country any longer. I am asking all Republicans to fight for the following…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government is scrapping a national EV mandate.

Senator Lindsey Graham: I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, “No, not in the context of Lebanon.” With that, I ended the meeting.

The moment Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi landed in Muscat, the capital of Oman, ahead of tomorrow’s talks with the United States.

A new assessment by the Shin Bet released on Thursday revealed a deeply disturbing phenomenon: security officials have identified cases of Israelis who are initiating contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and offering their services in return for payment, i24NEWS reported on Thursday. According to the assessment, Iranian intelligence agents prioritize recruiting Jewish Israelis rather than […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing Gov. Kathy Hochul for reelection, offering the centrist incumbent an infusion of progressive credibility as she confronts a mounting challenge from her party’s left. In an op-ed published Thursday in The Nation, Mamdani acknowledged his ideological differences with Hochul but said his endorsement is about pragmatism and […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that he abruptly cut off a meeting with the head of Lebanon’s military after the officer declined to describe Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a stance Graham said makes cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces untenable.

In a message posted to social media, the South Carolina Republican recounted a brief exchange with Lebanese Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, explaining why the discussion ended almost as soon as it began. “I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ With that, I ended the meeting,” Graham wrote.

Graham followed up by stressing his own position on the Iran-backed group, saying there is no ambiguity about its record. “They are clearly a terrorist organization. Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the U.S. Marines,” he added.

The senator noted that Washington’s view of Hezbollah has been consistent across party lines for decades. He pointed out that the group has “been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by both Republican and Democrat administrations since 1997 – for good reason.”

Because of the response he received, Graham said he doubts whether Lebanon’s military can be trusted as a partner. “As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them. I am tired of the double speak in the Middle East. Too much is at stake,” he concluded.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a U.S.-supported ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon that obligates Hezbollah to dismantle its armed presence, beginning in areas south of the river near Israel’s border.

In August of last year, Lebanon’s government tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces with preparing a plan to ensure that the state would hold exclusive control over weapons by the end of the year.

Hezbollah has openly rejected that initiative, denouncing the government’s proposal and repeatedly insisting it will not relinquish its arsenal.

The group’s leader, Naim Qassem, recently reinforced that position, declaring that Hezbollah will not surrender its weapons and warning that doing so would amount to “the end of Lebanon.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Thursday that he repeatedly considered conquering the Gaza Strip in the years leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, only to be blocked time and again by Israel’s security establishment, which warned the move would trigger a long, costly war with little international backing and no viable […]