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Rav Moshe Shternbuch to Yeshiva Student Pursued by Military Police: “They Corrupt You Immediately, They Are Accursed Resha’im”
A yeshiva bochur from Or Yehuda, who has recently been targeted by the military police, came urgently to the room of Rav Moshe Shternbuch in his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh. The young man had been arrested late at night for dedicating his time to Torah study instead of serving in the IDF.
The bochur had been held in custody at Tel HaShomer, and during a court hearing several days later, he declared his intent to enlist, which led to his temporary release. However, in recent days, military authorities have once again launched an active pursuit to detain him.
Because of the mounting pressure, the bochur was brought to Rav Shternbuch’s private room to seek encouragement and hear the daas Torah regarding his obligation in this situation.
Rav Shternbuch offered him strong words of support, saying: “Ashrecha! This requires real mesirus nefesh. They corrupt people there immediately.”
Rav Shternbuch continued, issuing a sharp warning about IDF recruitment efforts: “They promise that everything is good and that they supposedly accommodate chareidi boys, but it’s all lies and deception. They are wicked liars, accursed resha’im. Hold yourself strong, and Hashem will hold you strong.”
One of the attendees asked Rav Shternbuch if the bochur should be afraid, explaining that the army had summoned him urgently and was threatening severe consequences if he failed to appear.
Rav Shternbuch responded firmly: “Nothing at all.” He added: “Tell them to speak to Rav Shternbuch, who forbade you from going to the army.”
Before the meeting concluded, Rav Shternbuch blessed the bochur warmly: “May you have the strength to stand against them, much bracha and hatzlacha, and above all, may you remain full of simcha.”
Another young man who had narrowly escaped capture by the military police also arrived. Rav Shternbuch praised him and gave him a bracha as well: “He is already holding a bracha and will receive another. Fortunate is he and his portion. He has stood in the nisayon and will continue to stand in the nisayon.”
Finally, Rav Shternbuch urged the bochurim to remain steadfast and unafraid, concluding: “Be strong. Don’t think that only you fear them — they are also afraid of you.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
PHOTOS: Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo As Elul Zman Gets Underway
Drama in Belz: For the First Time, Rosh Hashanah Tefillos to Be Held Across Local Branches
In an unprecedented move within the Belzer Chassidus, the Belzer Rebbe has issued special instructions to hold Rosh Hashanah davening in Belzer batei medrash across the country due to severe overcrowding in the main Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim.
The directive, conveyed in a letter sent to all Belzer kehillos, marks a historic change in the chassidus’ long-standing Rosh Hashanah traditions.
As the Rebbe of Belz continues to recover b’chasdei Shamayim from surgery performed on Sunday, the chassidus is in full preparation mode for the Yamim Noraim. Each year, tens of thousands of chassidim from across Eretz Yisroel and around the world traditionally gather at the central Beis Medrash in the Belzer Kiryah in Yerushalayim to daven with the Rebbe on Rosh Hashanah.
However, due to the extraordinary growth of the Belzer community, the massive complex — including all its galleries and side halls — has become too small to safely accommodate the crowds.
According to sources, months of extensive discussions were held among community leaders, askanim, and members of the Vaad Mishmeres HaChinuch, led by the Rebbe’s son, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach. The meetings focused on possible solutions to alleviate the dangerous levels of congestion, which some described as bordering on pikuach nefesh.
The Rebbe’s son, together with Rav Yirmiyahu Yechezkel Damen, CEO of the central Beis Medrash, met personally with the Rebbe to review the challenges and explore alternatives.
Following these consultations, the Rebbe sent out a special letter last week addressed to gabbaim, rabbonim, and mashpi’im across all Belzer communities. In the letter, the Rebbe instructed that, due to overcrowding, organized Rosh Hashanah davening should be held in every Belz beis medrash that also has an ezras nashim.
The Rebbe wrote: “In light of the blessed growth of the community and the pressing need, it is necessary to organize and hold minyanim for Rosh Hashanah in every city and in every Belzer beis medrash that includes an ezras nashim.”
He concluded the letter with a heartfelt bracha: “May the Almighty grant that the tefillos and tekiyos be accepted with mercy and favor among all of Klal Yisroel, and may we all merit to be inscribed and sealed for a good and blessed year, filled with abundant spiritual and material blessings, long life, healthy children, and generous sustenance. Amen.”
Despite this new arrangement, Yerushalayim’s central BelzER Beis Medrash remains a focal point. To better accommodate the crowds, one women’s gallery has been converted into additional seating for men, primarily for younger avreichim and yeshiva bochurim.
This year, seats will not be sold to women without permanent reservations or to seminary students, a significant departure from previous years.
Additionally, a large auxiliary minyan will take place in the “Groyseh Shtib,” intended for chassidim who cannot enter the main Beis Medrash. An ezras nashim there will also be open. Meanwhile, children will daven in the large sukkah rather than in the heichal hatishim to further ease congestion.
{Matzav.com Israel}
53 Shot, 7 Killed in Chicago Over Labor Day Weekend Amid Trump Threats of Federal Takeover
Trump Praises D.C. Mayor Bowser for National Guard Crime Crackdown, Pressures Blue-State Governors to Follow Suit
Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl Issues Letter: “Even a Chareidi Bochur Who Does Not Learn Should Not Be Persuaded to Enlist”
Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, Rav of the Old City of Yerushalayim, has released an unprecedented public letter forbidding chareidi bochurim from joining the Israeli army, including those who are currently not learning in yeshiva.
Rav Nebenzahl, revered across all sectors of Klal Yisroel and known for decades of deliberate avoidance of public involvement in political and societal debates, has until now refrained from issuing such directives. However, faced with what he describes as growing governmental pressure and targeted recruitment efforts against chareidim, he has chosen to speak out unequivocally.
Rav Nebenzahl opens his letter by expressing deep solidarity with the yeshiva students who were recently arrested for refusing to report to IDF draft offices: “I wish to strengthen the precious bnei Torah who were imprisoned because they fulfilled their true obligation — to learn Torah — and did not enlist in the army. Fortunate is the one who contemplates the blessing of ‘Baruch Asher Yakim Es Divrei HaTorah HaZos.’”
In a rare and emphatic ruling, Rav Nebenzahl went further than ever before, extending his prohibition not only to yeshiva students but even to those currently not engaged in learning: “Additionally, I wish to state my opinion clearly — even a chareidi bochur who, unfortunately, is not learning Torah, must not allow himself to be persuaded to enlist in the army, not even into the special frameworks established there for chareidim, as the Gedolei Yisroel have instructed.”
This sweeping directive highlights the Rav’s concern over what he sees as increasingly aggressive IDF recruitment strategies aimed specifically at young chareidim who are not enrolled in yeshivas.
Rav Nebenzahl’s decision to publish this letter is viewed as highly significant due to his long-established reluctance to issue public positions on contentious matters. In the past, when asked about bochurim not actively learning, he would respond firmly: “A chareidi bochur must sit and learn! How is it possible to have a chareidi bochur who does not learn?!”
At other times, he would explain: “If a bochur is sincerely seeking daas Torah, he must be told to sit and learn. But if he does not listen to daas Torah, what good would it do to prohibit him from going to the army?”
However, given the recent rise in government pressure, intensified targeting of non-learning chareidim, and the growing fear that some may be misled into enlisting, Rav Nebenzahl has now decided to speak out forcefully.
Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, has also previously said that no chareidi bochur — whether learning or not — should join the IDF.
{Matzav.com Israel}
WhatsApp Urges iPhone Users to Update Their Phones Amid Newly Discovered Spyware Exploit
Huckabee: ‘Israel Must Decide How To Bring Back Hostages, Defeat Hamas’
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited an elementary school in the Eshkol Region, near the Gaza border, on Monday morning as the school year began.
During the opening ceremony, the school principal, Eyal Dvori, addressed Huckabee and said: “Yaffa Rudayif, an art teacher here, is still waiting for her partner, Lior, whose body is held in Hamas captivity. Do everything in your power to bring the hostages back and end this war.”
Huckabee spoke to the children, expressing his admiration for their resilience. “Very bad people tried to stop you from starting today, but one of the things that I admire most about Israelis: no matter how many times they try to stop you, you stand right back up and continue.”
When asked by Ynet about Israel’s efforts to deal with Hamas and recover the captives, Huckabee responded, “Israel will decide for itself how to bring back the hostages and defeat Hamas,” emphasizing, “Both of these things must happen.”
Huckabee clarified that the U.S. is not imposing a timetable on Israel and added, “Our place is to stand with our friends. Israel was attacked, and it didn’t attack anyone. Israel doesn’t just have the right to defend itself—it has the right to ensure that Hamas cannot hurt them anymore.”
He also criticized the international community for misdirected pressure: “A lot of people are putting the pressure on Israel. The pressure needs to be directed at Hamas. They created this. They started the suffering, and they’re the ones who continue it.” He went on to say, “I want to know when the world will pressure Hamas to feed the hostages. We’re seeing real images of starvation there. They’re torturing them, and I want the world to know that.”
Later, Huckabee shared his reflections on X, writing: “Witnessing the inspiring rebirth of communities hit by Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack was an incredibly moving and powerful experience. These communities have shown such resilience, and the people such strength and compassion, that it gives me hope for a bright future in Israel.”
{Matzav.com}
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, The Most Ardent Terrorist-Sympathizing Jew In Congress, Won’t Run For Reelection
GOODBYE, JERRY: Nadler, Pillar of Democratic Party’s Old Guard, Will Retire at End of Term
Representative Jerrold Nadler, who chaired the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachments of President Trump, has decided not to run for another term in Congress, the New York Times reports.
Nadler, a Democrat from New York and a prominent liberal voice for more than thirty years, said he will step aside at the end of his current term, embracing the push within his party for a new generation of leadership.
His departure will bring to an end a 34-year tenure in the House, where he played a key role in civil rights debates and in three presidential impeachment proceedings. The decision is also expected to spark a competitive Democratic primary for a rare open seat in Manhattan.
Speaking in his Manhattan office, the 78-year-old lawmaker admitted it was difficult to walk away at a time when, in his view, President Trump continues to endanger democratic institutions. Yet he acknowledged that the moment had come to allow new leaders to take charge.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Mr. Nadler said. He added that a younger figure “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”
As the most senior Jewish member of the House and the longest-serving representative from New York, Nadler had already been caught up in internal debates over the party’s aging leadership. Earlier this year, he stepped down from the helm of the Judiciary Committee, conceding that a younger colleague was better positioned to win support. At home, he also faced a challenge from a 26-year-old opponent.
Nadler revealed his decision to The New York Times last week, asking that it be held until Monday. During a lengthy conversation, he reflected on his career, his anxieties, and his evolving stance on the conflict in Gaza, as reminders of his decades in public service filled his office: vintage maps of Manhattan, campaign placards from his years in the State Assembly, and a photograph with Bella Abzug, the congresswoman he once looked up to.
He declined to endorse any particular successor, noting that several allies are likely to enter the race. The district, which runs from Union Square to Central Park, includes a concentration of cultural institutions, corporate headquarters, and affluent residents unmatched in most of the country.
Still, someone close to Nadler said he is inclined to back Micah Lasher, a onetime aide who now represents part of the Upper West Side in the State Assembly, if Lasher decides to pursue the seat.
{Matzav.com}
Netanyahu In North: ‘They Call It Tuscany, But It Came Before; It’s the Land of the Bible’
After opening the new school year at the Begin School in Nof HaGalil, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu met on Monday at the municipality building with northern regional leaders. Joining him were acting Prime Minister’s Office Director-General Drorit Steinmetz and Coalition Whip MK Ofir Katz.
The gathering included several key officials: Nof HaGalil Mayor Ronen Plot, Afula Mayor Avi Elkabetz, Migdal HaEmek Mayor Yaki Ben Chaim, Tiberias Mayor Yossi Nava, Karmiel Mayor Moshe Kuninsky, Nazareth’s appointed municipal head Yaakov Efrati, and Jezreel Valley Regional Council head Shlomit Shichor Reichman.
“I’m here on the first day of the school year at Nof HaGalil. Look at the magnificent view. I went to the first grade, and I was so excited to see the children, the teachers, the assistants, and the principal. They are quite simply doing sacred work. It’s wonderful to see the children. They are coming and starting their life,” Netanyahu stated.
The Prime Minister continued, “We know, however, that we have other important missions. The most important mission, in a sense, has been completed, because on this day, here in the Galilee, where there was a great exodus of people at the beginning of the war, there is now a great return. 95% of the Galilee children have returned for their school studies, including in the communities adjacent to the border. This is a tremendous achievement, just tremendous. And it was accomplished owing also to the resilience of the Galilee residents and the local authority heads. They stood their ground, they received the residents and helped them, and now in fact everything is being restored.”
He concluded: “We talked a lot here about the things that need to be done for the Galilee: adding fast transportation lanes, adding construction, removing bureaucracy, adding infrastructure, and employment. I want young couples to come here; they refer to it as ‘Tuscany,’ but it’s not really Tuscany — it came before Tuscany, it’s the Land of the Bible, the land of our heritage. There are wonderful things here. God willing, we are going to develop the Galilee in leaps and bounds.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Kristi Noem Accuses CBS of ‘Shamefully’ Editing Her Interview On Kilmar Abrego Garcia To ‘Whitewash’ MS-13 Gang Affiliation
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lashed out at CBS News on Sunday, accusing the network of doctoring her interview about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the Trump administration deported to El Salvador earlier this year over alleged ties to the MS-13 gang.
Noem had appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that morning to talk about Abrego Garcia. Later in the day, she claimed on X that CBS edited the segment and omitted a portion of her remarks.
“This individual was a known human smuggler, a MS-13 gang member, an individual who was a wife beater, and someone who was so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors, and even his fellow human traffickers told him to knock it off, he was so sick in what he was doing and how he was treating small children,” Noem said in the uncut version of her comments.
“So he needs to never be in the United States of America and our administration is making sure we’re doing all that we can to bring him to justice,” she continued.
A spokesperson for CBS defended the broadcast, stating, “Secretary Noem’s ‘Face The Nation’ interview was edited for time and met all CBS News standards. The entire interview is publicly available on YouTube, and the full transcript was posted early Sunday morning at CBSNews.com.”
Noem pushed back in a post on X, writing, “This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety.”
Back in 2019, a U.S. immigration judge blocked Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador, citing the danger he faced from local gangs. Despite that ruling, the Trump administration sent him to the country earlier this year along with hundreds of other suspected gang members, transferring them into a large maximum-security prison there.
The administration argued that Abrego Garcia was a confirmed member of MS-13 — which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist group — based on findings from that 2019 proceeding.
Abrego Garcia and his attorneys have rejected that claim.
Democratic lawmakers took up his cause, visiting him and protesting what they called his “wrongful” deportation. He spent time first in the harsh CECOT prison and then in a less restrictive facility before being flown back to the U.S. in June.
Upon his return, he was indicted for human smuggling. Though briefly released ahead of trial, ICE agents arrested him again on August 25.
He could now be deported to Uganda, after rejecting a plea deal that would have sent him to Costa Rica.
Meanwhile, his lawyers continue to seek asylum for him in the United States. His first request in 2019 was turned down, but if his latest application is successful, it could eventually give him permanent residency and the chance to become a U.S. citizen.
{Matzav.com}
MK Gafni: ‘Our Schools Are Too Small To Accommodate Sephardi Students’
Degel Hatorah Chairman MK Moshe Gafni urged Shas leaders on Monday to establish additional schools for girls in response to severe overcrowding in Degel Hatorah institutions in Beit Shemesh.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Derech Emuna school in the city, Gafni stated: “I know that there are problems here with city high schools, and therefore I call on Shas leaders from this honorable platform – ‘open new schools, as befits a quality population.’”
Gafni highlighted the strain on Degel Hatorah’s existing network, suggesting that the influx of Sephardi students has intensified the problem. “Our institutions cannot accommodate everyone,” he said, emphasizing that space limitations are affecting the community’s ability to serve all applicants.
WATCH:
He further explained that while Degel Hatorah schools continue to expand, the current facilities are insufficient to house the growing student body. “Your girls need a place to study comfortably and spaciously, without having to crowd into our institutions,” Gafni stressed.
The Shas party issued a statement in response: “Shas’ mission in life is to establish excellent educational institutions for the Sephardi public, and it has been doing so with great success throughout the country for decades. Kudos to Rabbi Moshe Gafni, who made it clear how important it is that Shas continues to be strong and independent, and how much the Sephardi public cannot rely on any other party to take care of it.”
{Matzav.com}
Sephora Drops Huda Beauty From Fall Campaign After Founder Accuses Israel Of Orchestrating World War I, World War II, And 9/11
Yerushalayim: Yarmulka-Clad Arab Admits Terror Plan After Arrest
Officers from the Yerushalayim Yasam, the Israel Police Special Patrol Unit, detained a Palestinian Arab after he drew their suspicion while walking along a street in the capital.
When they searched him, the police discovered a black yarmulka inside his pocket. Since the man failed to provide a satisfactory reason for why he was carrying it, he was brought to the Shalem Station of the Yerushalayim District for further questioning.
Investigators determined that the suspect had entered Israeli territory illegally, crossing the security barrier near a-Ram, located north of Yerushalayim.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed that his intention was to seize a soldier’s weapon and use it to carry out a terror attack. Police officials stressed that the alertness and swift response of the officers successfully prevented the planned assault.
{Matzav.com}
Trump to Award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rudy Giuliani After Ex-NYC Mayor Seriously Injured In Harrowing Car Crash
President Trump announced on Monday that Rudy Giuliani will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, just days after the New York City icon suffered serious injuries in a car crash.
“As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor,” Trump shared in a statement posted to Truth Social.
Giuliani, 81, remains in the hospital while recovering from the accident, which occurred on Saturday in New Hampshire.
According to Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security, the former mayor is “in good spirits and recovering tremendously.”
{Matzav.com}
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Warns Troop or ICE Presence at Polls Could Suppress Voting
Global Sumud Flotilla Departs Barcelona for Gaza Amid High Winds, Greta Thunberg on Board
54 Shot, 7 Killed In Chicago Weekend Bloodbath After Pritzker Claims Trump, National Guard Not Needed
Over the Labor Day weekend, Chicago experienced a wave of violence as shootings surged across the city, leaving 54 people wounded and seven dead. The crisis has fueled a growing clash between President Trump and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker over deploying the National Guard to restore order.
According to ABC News, police reports show that at least 32 separate shooting incidents took place from Friday evening through midday Monday, marking one of the deadliest holiday weekends the city has faced in recent years.
Among the victims was a 17-year-old girl struck in the arm after a bullet ripped through the window of her home, ABC reported.
In another tragic case, a 25-year-old woman suffered two gunshot wounds to the stomach and one to her leg on Friday night. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive, ABC7 confirmed.
Authorities also reported that a 31-year-old man was injured when he was caught in crossfire between rival shooters firing from separate vehicles. Additionally, two other victims were hit while driving through the city during the weekend chaos.
Tensions escalated Saturday night when, just five hours after Trump criticized Pritzker’s handling of Chicago’s violence in a Truth Social post, a shooting in Bronzeville left at least seven people injured around 11:10 p.m. Fortunately, ABC7 noted that all the victims are expected to recover.
In his social media remarks, Trump blasted the governor as “weak and pathetic” for rejecting calls to bring in the National Guard to help curb Chicago’s spiraling crime.
The president also issued a warning, writing “we’re coming,” signaling potential federal intervention in Chicago if Pritzker fails to “straighten it out, FAST.”
Pritzker, however, rejected the idea outright, saying, “National Guard troops or any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there is an insurrection, unless there is truly an emergency – and there is not.”
He further vowed to challenge any such move in court, warning the administration, “It’s an invasion with US troops, if they in fact do that. They’ll be in court pretty quickly.”
{Matzav.com}
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