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Sacred and rare. A halachic ruling concerning inheritance and the appointment of guardians for orphans, issued in the Beis Din of the renowned gaon, “the father of hora’ah upon whom all of Klal Yisrael relies”, Rabbi Yosef Teumim, author of Pri Megadim, signed with his holy handwritten signature.
Former minister Meir Porush addressed the political turmoil surrounding the failure to pass the draft law for bnei yeshivos, insisting that when his own actions are judged, “if I stand before the Heavenly Court, I have what to answer.” At the same time, he placed part of the responsibility on other chareidi politicians, noting that “not always can a public official do everything he thinks should be done, because it has very broad consequences.”
Porush’s comments came during a conversation at his protest tent outside the office of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in Yerushalayim, where he has set up a makeshift office.
When asked directly whether he believed the chareidi politicians had failed in advancing the draft law, Porush responded: “First of all, it’s not a draft law, it’s a law to regulate the status of yeshiva students. As for myself, if I stand before the Heavenly Court, I have what to answer about what I did and what I thought should be done. A public official cannot always act exactly as he wants because it has very wide implications. But if it had been handled differently, maybe we would be in another place today.”
The veteran politician also referred to the arrests of yeshiva students for learning Torah: “Now is not the time to argue about what was, how it was, who’s at fault, and what was done. My hope is that now, if we all stand together in the difficult battle before us, then even though in human terms I don’t see how this is resolved, if we show resolve, do not surrender, and certainly do not blink, perhaps something good will emerge.”
Porush was then asked if the rift between the chareidi public and the state has ever been this deep. He answered: “I don’t remember that chareidi Jewry, in the 77 years since the state was founded, has ever endured such a blow, such a crisis, regarding life itself and our way of life. We’ve never had anything like this.”
Addressing why the chareidim continue to align themselves with the right-wing bloc, Porush explained: “If you measure it by our absolute alliance with the right, understand that we lived 25 years in the opposition with the left because we could not get close to them. Only when Likud came along did Gedolei Yisroel agree to form a coalition.”
He added: “You need to know that on the left there are all sorts of wicked people that we are ashamed to stand next to. Their agenda from the outset includes public Shabbos desecration and other matters forbidden by the Torah. So I am not seeking connections with them. But I will say I am very disappointed there is no law regulating the status of yeshiva students. Let’s hope that perhaps now we can bring this to a positive conclusion.”
Just a week and a half ago, Porush, who is the chairman of Shlomei Emunim, gave a fiery interview from his protest encampment outside the Attorney General’s office in Yerushalayim, where he announced a hunger strike.
“I’m not entering into an argument with her,” Porush said of Baharav-Miara. “She says there should be 35% of the chareidi public serving in the army. That’s her judgment. Out of the 84,000 who received draft notices, how many showed up? Not one. That means they want a fight with the chareidi public. Let the attorney general admit that she erred in her judgment.”
Porush went on to argue: “There’s no law automatically exempting Arabs, yet the draft office doesn’t call them up. Why doesn’t she use her authority there?”
He then issued a warning about what could happen if yeshiva students continue to be arrested: “You are talking about tens of thousands of believers for whom Torah is life itself. I don’t see any state that can cope with hundreds of thousands of citizens who are devoted to a way of life and the state tries to crush them. The state will collapse, it will become dysfunctional, and people will not be able to live this way. You cannot go to war with a million and a quarter chareidi citizens who want to live a certain lifestyle. It’s impossible.”
Porush cautioned that the crisis could spiral out of control: “This will develop and swell, and no one will be able to stop it. Maybe now something can still be done, but later? It will be too late. The message will be clear: people will begin to be afraid. No one will be able to take responsibility for what might happen when fathers see their sons being arrested. You can’t predict what will happen here. You saw how the Kaplan protesters could disrupt when they wanted to. Here too, we could disrupt.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Monday over his push to eliminate mail-in voting in U.S. elections.
“Two facts: Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and vote by mail is safe, secure, and reliable,” Schumer said in a statement. “Let’s be clear — this is not based in fact or reality, but it is yet another way for Trump to silence Americans from using their voice in the democratic process and implement Jim Crow laws across America.”
Schumer added that “Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate and will continue to fight to protect our democracy.”
Earlier in the day, Trump declared that he intends to “lead a movement” to abolish mail-in ballots and issue an executive order “to help bring honesty” to the upcoming midterm elections, acknowledging that his efforts “will be strongly opposed by Democrats.”
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “With their HORRIBLE Radical Left policies, like Open Borders, Men Playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender and ‘WOKE’ for everyone, and so much more, Democrats are virtually Unelectable without using this completely disproven Mail-In SCAM.”
Trump also argued that other nations have abandoned mail-in voting because of what he called “massive voter fraud.” He added that states should follow the president’s example “for the good of the country.”
{Matzav.com}
Former Israel Sefardic Chief Rabbi and nosi of Shas’s Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, held a meeting on Monday with Baruch Yitzchakov, a yeshiva bochur who was recently released from military prison after refusing IDF service.
During the conversation, Rav Yosef sharply criticized Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu for past remarks about his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l. “Netanyahu is chutzpadik. He said my father was a politician after my father told him he was sorry about the plight of the yeshiva bochurim. How can he belittle him like that?” Rav Yosef asked.
Turning to Yitzchakov directly, the Chief Rabbi gave him clear guidance. “Get a deferment. Torah is above everything. Do everything you can to be freed from this, but at the same time, strengthen yourself to become greater in Torah, with more diligence.”
Rav Yosef also recalled a personal incident from his own youth, when a Knesset query was submitted by Shulamit Aloni over his receiving a teaching stipend at Yeshivas Olam Va’ed despite his student status.
He described how then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan came to his father, who was serving as Chief Rabbi at the time, seeking clarification. “My father said he would look into it. I took a paper from the Vaad Hayeshivos confirming that I was a yeshiva student, and Moshe Dayan read it aloud in the Knesset. That was the end of it. If I had been afraid, I would have gone to the army. What would I have become? The Chief Rabbi of the IDF? Chas v’shalom. There is nothing like Torah.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
China declared on Monday that it is prepared to make every possible effort to achieve a peaceful “reunification” with Taiwan, according to a statement from its foreign ministry. The remarks came in response to comments made by President Donald Trump during a recent interview.
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him in a phone call that China would not move against Taiwan while Trump is in office.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a regular press conference that China would not permit “anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any way.”
{Matzav.com}
The Saudi-based channel al-Hadath reported Monday evening that Israeli military operations in Gaza are pressing forward despite the ongoing talks with Hamas.
According to their coverage, Israeli tanks have been moving toward the Sabara district of Gaza City, advancing under the protection of air support.
Meanwhile, Hamas’s so-called “Ministry of Health” issued a statement to Arab outlets alleging that 20 Palestinians had been killed in the Gaza Strip since midnight.
Israel’s determination to secure full control of Gaza City was cited as the reason Hamas gave a favorable reply to the proposal from Qatari and Egyptian mediators for a partial agreement on hostages.
Earlier in the day, President Trump expressed his backing for Israel’s strategy, stating that “we will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed.”
{Matzav.com}
An Israeli official clarified this evening, after reports surfaced that Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire framework, that Israel’s stance regarding the release of all hostages has not shifted.
According to details of the arrangement Hamas is said to have accepted, the group would hand over 10 living hostages along with the remains of 18 murdered hostages. In exchange, Israel would free 140 terrorists serving life terms and another 60 prisoners serving lengthy sentences of 15 years or more.
If this outline is correct, it would mean that 10 of the captives would still remain in Gaza under Hamas’s control.
The Israeli source emphasized that Israel’s conditions for ending the conflict have not been altered, stressing that all 50 hostages still held in Gaza must be released as part of any agreement.
Reports from Arab media indicate that the proposal also calls for the IDF to pull back as far as one kilometer in northern and eastern sections of Gaza, though not from Al-Shujaiya or Beit Lahia. Adjustments to the positioning of Israeli forces in those areas would also take place. Additionally, the plan allows for a large-scale entry of humanitarian supplies once the deal goes into effect, consistent with the January 19 agreement. The assistance package would include fuel, water, electricity, medical and bakery equipment, and machinery for clearing rubble.
Further details note that the distribution of aid would be managed by the UN and its affiliates, the Red Crescent, and other international organizations. The Rafah border crossing would reopen in both directions under prior terms. Moreover, the arrangement specifies that for each Israeli hostage’s body returned, the remains of 10 terrorists would be transferred to the Palestinian side.
{Matzav.com}[COMMUNICATED]
It started with a phone call.
In January 2022, a young bochur in shidduchim reached out. He wasn’t looking for a shadchan—he already had suggestions. What he didn’t have was clarity.
Where should he take a girl for a first date? How should the evening be planned so it’s appropriate yet pleasant? How do you avoid the awkwardness of not knowing what’s expected?
That one call turned into dozens. Then hundreds.
It quickly became clear: the practical side of dating was being overlooked.
So, we launched the Dating Resources Network—a simple hotline where bochurim could get hadrachah for planning dates, advice on what’s appropriate, and help thinking through the details. Today, that hotline supports and coaches bochurim through more than 4,000 dates every single year—offering guidance, reassurance, and practical direction at a stage when many feel lost.
But the calls also revealed another challenge. Sometimes, a bochur knew exactly where he wanted to go—he just didn’t have the tools to make the date run smoothly. A Waze device for navigation, an umbrella for a rainy night, a board game for a relaxed activity—small things that can make a big difference.
We began stocking a few shelves and boxes with these items. Today, those shelves have grown into 16 dating gemach locations across the country, accessed over 20,000 times a year.
But then, a deeper issue emerged.
Parents began to reach out. Shadchanim quietly shared that promising suggestions weren’t moving forward. The reason? Money.
By the time you factor in a car rental, tolls, gas, and parking, a first date can easily cost over $165. And that’s before you calculate the costs of activities and dining on later dates. Multiply that across several dates, and for many families—especially those already managing tight budgets—the expense was simply out of reach. Dates were being improperly planned, others were too busy calculating costs to properly focus on the actual date, and yet others were simply not giving yeses at all.
That’s when we launched our Financial Aid Program—a discreet, dignified way to ensure that no one is held back from building a future because of money. Every application is carefully reviewed by rabbanim, and once approved, the bochur receives direct support to cover his dating expenses. To ensure every penny is well spent, we set clear maximum reimbursement amounts—no open checks.
In just the past year, over $240,000 has been distributed—quietly enabling hundreds of young men to date without shame or hesitation. And remarkably, the entire initiative is 100% volunteer-run. We have no payroll, no salaries—every dollar donated goes directly to helping bochurim move forward.
It’s quiet work. No headlines. No fanfare. But week after week, more couples begin their journey that might never have happened without a small amount of guidance—and a little bit of help.
Partner with us today in writing the future of Klal Yisrael one date at a time.
Israel’s National Digital Agency announced on Monday that it had uncovered a sweeping international cyberattack named ShadowCaptcha, which exploits trusted security features to distribute malicious software. The campaign, which has already impacted hundreds of websites worldwide—including in Israel—specifically targets WordPress-based platforms, converting them into infection hubs that spread harmful programs capable of stealing personal information, hijacking computers to mine cryptocurrency, or locking data for ransom.
What sets ShadowCaptcha apart is its deceptive misuse of user trust. Hackers insert malicious code into compromised websites that redirects visitors to counterfeit CAPTCHA verification pages mimicking the well-known “I’m not a robot” system. Instead of clicking a box or selecting images, users are asked to perform innocent-looking steps such as pasting text or entering a command. These actions, however, secretly trigger malware that installs damaging software on their systems.
“Everyone knows the CAPTCHA mechanism, but here the fake version asks users to perform actions outside the browser, such as opening a search bar on the computer and copying a command displayed in the browser window. That command actually installs the malware. A genuine CAPTCHA never harms a computer, as long as the action takes place within the browser,” explained Nir Bar Yosef, head of the government’s cyber defense unit, in an interview with Ynet.
The campaign’s global reach is evident in recent reports from international cybersecurity experts and law enforcement bodies. Both Europol and U.S. agencies have carried out actions against cybercriminal organizations using similar strategies. In one major crackdown known as Operation Endgame, investigators shut down servers and hundreds of infected websites distributing malware, highlighting a repeating trend of cybercriminals exploiting legitimate online infrastructure.
The method of disguising malware within familiar security tools is part of the broader cat-and-mouse battle between hackers and defenders. It joins a growing list of schemes such as counterfeit payment systems and falsified invoices, all crafted to conceal malicious activity from unsuspecting victims.
According to Israel’s National Digital Agency, ShadowCaptcha’s malware gives criminals broad capabilities, including complete remote access to infected devices, theft of sensitive files, unauthorized cryptocurrency mining, and encrypting computers for ransom demands.
Authorities confirmed that no government networks in Israel have been compromised so far, but they suspect the true number of hacked websites is far higher than the few hundred identified to date. The agency is cooperating with the National Cyber Directorate to notify affected sites and help secure them. In addition, malware fingerprints have been shared with Google and Microsoft so they can update their browsers, antivirus programs, and operating systems to block the threat.
Investigators have not yet determined the perpetrators, though officials believe it is likely the work of financially motivated criminal groups rather than a state-sponsored campaign. The malware infrastructure aligns with tools typically used by cybercrime syndicates, making it difficult to trace the culprits.
Officials urged website administrators to update their WordPress installations and plugins regularly while closely following cybersecurity guidelines. End users were also cautioned to complete CAPTCHA checks only within their browsers and to treat any prompts to execute commands or take actions outside the browser as suspicious and potentially dangerous.
{Matzav.com}
An operational forum took place Monday under the leadership of IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir, bringing together the military’s top brass. The gathering was hosted at the Gaza Division headquarters and concentrated on reviewing the outcomes and lessons learned from Operation “Rising Lion” and Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” while also discussing preparations for the next stage of the campaign.
Senior commanders from across the IDF presented evaluations of their respective theaters, branches, and directorates. Alongside these assessments, an overview of the broader operational and intelligence picture was shared, along with the IDF’s updated course of action moving forward.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz joined the conference, delivering remarks of their own. They listened to the briefings provided and voiced appreciation for the army’s ongoing efforts in the war.
As the meeting concluded, LTG Zamir addressed the commanders directly, outlining instructions for the coming phase of operations, stressing in particular the need to intensify strikes on Hamas targets within Gaza City.
Speaking at the forum, Zamir declared: “We are in the midst of a multi-front, ongoing, and unprecedented campaign. We are at a turning point in the war, approaching the next phase of Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots,’ with its focus on enhancing the strikes against Hamas in Gaza City. The purpose of this conference is to learn and conduct dialogue in order to strengthen our unified approach and draw lessons for the continuation of the campaign. Operation ‘Rising Lion’ was a historic operation that proved that the unimaginable could be achieved. Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ is an operation with many achievements, which shaped the reality in Gaza, dealt Hamas a decisive blow in the areas where we operated, built the foundation for the next steps, and strengthened the security of the communities in the south.”
He continued: “We are preparing and approving plans. You must prepare all formations for the continuation of operational developments. We will act with full determination and professionalism, just as we have done until now. We will continue to operate and create the conditions for the release of our hostages – we will make every decision with responsibility and great seriousness.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz took part today in a high-level IDF command gathering at the Gaza Division, alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. During the meeting, he declared that taking control of Gaza City is the decisive step needed to bring down Hamas and secure the release of hostages.
In his remarks, Katz highlighted the city’s central role. “The focus on Gaza City stems from its status as a military, governmental, and symbolic center. That is where the leadership is located and where the main infrastructure of Hamas’s military wing remains. The capture of Gaza City will bring about Hamas’s defeat.”
He went on to explain that Gaza City has become even more critical as the war has progressed. “For the first time, after weeks in which Hamas was unwilling to discuss any deal for the release of hostages—even though Turkey and Qatar had reached out to them—this issue is now on the table. The reason is clear: their fear that we are seriously intending to conquer Gaza has brought them to the negotiating table.”
Katz further noted that the government’s policies under Netanyahu are designed to balance both combat and diplomacy. “The military effort you, the IDF, are leading aims to achieve the war objectives in conjunction with the diplomatic measures currently being advanced with the U.S. and regional countries. These efforts feed into each other. The decision is not only security-related; it is also political, so that as a result of the military operations, there will be tremendous leverage that we hope, with U.S. backing, will create pressure.”
Wrapping up his address, the Defense Minister stressed that the preparations for eliminating Hamas serve a dual purpose—both military and diplomatic. “We are in favor of ending the war under these conditions, and the only way this may happen or advance is through the strength you have displayed—the strength you are preparing, planning, and that we will all execute together—and this strength can also bring about that outcome.”
His comments came just as Arabic outlets reported that Hamas had given a positive reply to the latest ceasefire proposal.
According to those reports, the deal involves freeing ten Israeli hostages who are alive, returning the bodies of 18 more, opening channels for humanitarian assistance to Gaza through international organizations such as the Red Crescent and the UN, and putting in place a 60-day ceasefire. Talks about permanently halting the conflict are slated to begin once the truce is underway.
{Matzav.com Israel}
