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By Rabbi Yair Hoffman NOT SAYING WHY YOU ARE RESTING Some people have the custom to sleep on Erev Shavuos in order to be able to stay up the entire night on Shavuos. The Mogain Avrohom (OC 290) quotes the Sefer Chasidim that when Erev Shavuos falls on Shabbos, it is forbidden to say that one is resting so that he or she can be awake for the night of Shavuos. GRASS AND TREES IN SHUL There is a Minhag mentioned by the Ramah in Shulchan Aruch (OC 494) to place grass, flowers, and trees in Shul on Shavuos. One explanation for this is found in the words of the Levush (Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe): It commemorates the grass that surrounded Har Sinai at the time of Matan Torah. As the verse states, “the sheep and flocks may not graze…” The indication is that grass grew there. It is a worthwhile Minhag to continue because it helps us relive the experience at Har Sinai—an experience that we actually go through once again. Another explanation is that it commemorates the bringing of the Bikkurim the first fruits, which were made from baskets woven and decorated from and with grasses and flowers (Ziv HaMinhagim). Another explanation is that Moshe Rabbeinu was saved on the banks of the Ye’or which had grassy knolls (Chiddushei HaRim – the Gerrer Rebbe). The Brisker Rav explained that the decorations are a minimum form of decoration and show us that the only means in which one can acquire Torah is if we are satisified with the minimum and not pursue luxuries and other forms of consumption. Grasses are mentioned in this vein in the Gemorah Eiruvin 22a by Rabbi Adda Bar Ahava (Moadim L’Simcha p. 402). The Minhag of Milchigs The Ramah mentions that it is the custom to split the meal on Shavuos, where the first half of the meal is comprised of dairy foods and the second half is comprised of meat foods. Although it is no longer the custom to split the meal, we do have the custom to eat dairy foods on Shavuos. The reason for this custom is to remind us that when we received the Torah we were taught the laws of preparing the meat in the proper, kosher manner. Since we were unable to this immediately, we consumed only dairy foods at the time. Waiting for Nightfall Although generally we are permitted to bring in Shabbos or Yom Tov slightly earlier than is required, in regard to Shavuos the custom is not to pray immediately but to wait for nightfall. The reason is that we want to count the Omer completely and perfectly. Doing so would entail making sure that the last day is complete. The Minhag to Stay Up All Night Although the custom is not mentioned in the Talmud nor in the Shulchan Aruch, the custom has developed in Klal Yisroel to remain awake the entire night of Shavuos and to study Torah. The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that one who stays up all night studying Torah merits “Gilui Shechina” revelation of Hashem’s Divine Presence on that night. The Kaf HaChaim (OC 494) writes that women who have the custom of counting the Omer can indeed partake in perfecting the Tikkunim involved in the Mitzvah of Sfiras haOmer by learning […]

Andre Morrow Lackner, 35, was sentenced to more than three and a half years in prison for stalking a Jewish woman and making antisemitic and anti-Asian threats, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California stated on Monday.

“Hate and intolerance, including antisemitism, is both wrong and anti-American,” said Martin Estrada, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. “Our nation is one of inclusion, not exclusion, and through this case, we send a strong message that we will not tolerate attempts to divide us.”

Lackner, of the Northridge neighborhood in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, has been in federal custody since December 2022 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 to stalking, per the U.S. Justice Department.

He wrote a “series of abusive text messages” to the Jewish victim between June 2021 and October 2022, including “Hitler was right about you people,” “I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this earth,” “Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?” and “I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this Earth,” according to the Justice Department.

It added that Lackner also wrote anti-Asian racist messages to the victim. “The text messages Lackner sent the victim placed her in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury to herself or one of her immediate family members,” the Justice Department said.

The FBI assisted in the investigation.

{Matzav.com}

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman It is a custom whose roots reach back to the earliest era of our nationhood. In order to make up for the fact that our ancestors actually had slept the night of the Sinaitic revelation, religious Jews stay up all night and study Torah (Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:56). The custom does not fault our ancestors for being ill-prepared, for how does one prepare for something that one does not know anything about? Rather, it is a custom that allows Klal Yisroel to shine ever further. MENTIONED IN ZOHAR The practice is mentioned in the Zohar (Parshas Emor 98a). There it even describes the reward that awaits one who studies Torah all night. The all-night learner receives no less than seventy divine blessings from above and is crowned with a special celestial crown of the upper heavens. Then they are inscribed in a special Sefer HaZikaron, a book of memory. LIVING OUT THE YEAR The Arizal writes in Shaar HaKavanos that whoever stays up all night learning is assured that he will certainly live out the year. The Chofetz Chaim records this statement l’halacha (Mishna Brurah 494:1). TIME IS NOT LINEAR There is another interesting point too. Rav Dessler zatzal writes in Michtav M’Eliyahu that time is not a straight continuum. Rather, the nature of time is like a carousel that turns in circles. He writes that each Yom Tov is actually the very same Yom Tov that Klal Yisroel experienced in thousands of years ago in the year 2448. Each day on this carousel of time has its own special unique aspect to it. With this thought of Rav Dessler in mind, let us examine the words found in the Siddur Etz Chaim (page 46a). There it states that fulfilling this practice of learning all night makes it as if we ourselves received the Torah when we hear the Krias HaTorah of Shavuos. It is therefore, as if we were actually there at Har Sinai on the actual day of Matan Torah itself. WHAT TO LEARN? The question is, however, what should one learn? There is a special Tikkun Lail Shavuos that much of Klal Yisroel studies each Shavuos night. It encompasses Torah, Neviim, Ksuvim, Midrashim, and certain mystical parts of Torah. The Tikkun was established by the AriZal HaKadosh. And here is exactly where the controversy begins. THE GREAT DEBATE The Shlah HaKadosh (Tractate Shvuos 47) writes that this order of what to learn has become a Minhag in Klal Yisroel and this is what we should all certainly learn. The Shvus Yaakov, however, (Chok Yaakov 494) writes that this Tikkun was only enacted for the masses of people, and those that are capable of doing so should learn their own study regimen. What is the common custom? Chassidim generally learn the Tikkun, but, generally speaking, Litvaks generally learn their own study regimen. Although, both the Steipler Gaon zt”l and lehavdil bain chaim l’chaim Rav Chaim Kanievsky actually did the Tikkun Leil Shavuos (See Teshuvos Rav Chaim #216). The Sefer Tefilah K’Hilchasa rules that an Avel, a mourner, recites the Tikun Lail Shavuos. Sefardim also generally learn the Tikkun, particularly because the Chida writes (Lev David 31) that one should do so. Indeed, he writes that a group of people who changed the study […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Rav Chaim zt”l did not put grasses, trees, or plants in his home nor in the Lederman shul on Shavuos. This was in accordance with the view of the Vilna Gaon (see Mishna Brurah 494:10). Rav Chaim zt”l avoided getting a haircut on Erev Shavuos itself, because of the danger involved in letting blood that day. He was concerned Rav Chaim zt”l stayed up all night on Shavuos and studied. (See MB 494:1) After Chatzos, Rav Chaim zt”l would recite the tikkun leil shavuos. After also hashachar, and before shacharis Rav Chaim would immerse in the Mikvah. When the infirmities of age made this too difficult, he stopped. He would have the Megillah of Rus read from a klaf and with a bracha. He would consume milchigs in the morning seudah on Shavuos – without having meat in the same meal. When he was able to do so, he would stand during the recitation of akdamus. These halachos were culled from the Schroen Edition of the Siach Sifsosainu Shavuos Siddur written by Rav Lipa Israelson shlita, Rav Elyashiiv zt”l’s grandson. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com. For this interested in a parsha newsletter on the virtue of increasing Emes, truth, in our lives, including a translation of Rav Chaim ztl”s writings on emes – please email the author.

In his first meeting with the new Palestinian Authority prime minister on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the PA’s plans to pass a series of administrative reforms.

Blinken stressed “the need for full and consistent implementation of those reforms to achieve the aspirations of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza” in his meeting in Sweimeh, Jordan, with Mohammad Mustafa, the P.A. prime minister, per a U.S. readout of the meeting.

The U.S. secretary also reaffirmed the Biden administration’s “support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” stated Matthew Miller, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, who accompanied Blinken on his overseas trip.

Blinken traveled to the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea on Tuesday to attend a Gaza aid summit hosted by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations. It was part of the senior U.S. official’s regional tour, which included prior stops in Egypt and Israel.

Blinken also discussed the Gaza truce deal that U.S. President Joe Biden outlined on May 31 during his tête-à-tête with Mustafa, whom Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas appointed in March. (Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security advisor, met with Mustafa and other Palestinian officials on May 19.)

“The secretary underscored that the proposal would greatly benefit both Palestinians and Israelis,” per the Foggy Bottom readout. “He reiterated that Hamas should accept the proposal without further delay.”

The Biden administration wants the Palestinian Authority to assume control of Gaza after the completion of Israel’s military operation against Hamas. Yerushalayim vehemently rejects that due to Ramallah’s support for terrorism.

Mustafa has claimed Ramallah aims to enact wide-ranging reforms and hold its first election since 2006. But he has yet to provide a timetable for a vote, saying it would depend on “realities on the ground” in Gaza, Yehuda, Shomron and eastern Yerushalayim.

The Palestinian leader’s political program also made no mention of Hamas, which has the support of the majority of the Palestinian public but is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by most Western countries, including the United States.

During a meeting of Arab nations in late April that Blinken attended, Emirati foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called the leadership of the Palestinian Authority “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves,” according to five sources cited in an Axios report last week.

Axios reported that a shouting match erupted during the April 29 meeting in Riyadh that also included the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait, as well as top P.A. official Hussein al-Sheikh.

Al-Sheikh was said to have complained that while Ramallah has created a new government as Washington and Arab countries requested, it still isn’t getting adequate political and financial support.

Towards the end of the meeting, the Emirati foreign minister pushed back and told al-Sheikh he had yet to see any significant reform inside the Palestinian Authority.

The Emirati diplomat then denounced the P.A. leadership as “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” and claimed officials in Ramallah are “useless” and “replacing them with one another will only lead to the same result.”

{Matzav.com}

A Direct Polls survey released on Monday by Israel’s Channel 14 shows that the Likud Party gained a slight tailwind following National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz’s announcement that he was quitting the emergency unity government.

If elections were held today, the Likud Party with Benjamin Netanyahu at its head would win a months-long high of 59 Knesset seats, up one from last week’s Direct Polls survey.

Meanwhile, the center-left bloc weakened, falling to 51 mandates from 53 in the last poll.

The survey asked which leader was best suited to serve as prime minister: Netanyahu or Gantz. Forty-seven percent of the respondents picked Netanyahu compared to 31% for Gantz. Twenty-two percent said neither was suitable.

According to the survey, the breakdown of mandates would be as follows:

• Right-wing bloc:

Likud – 26
Shas – 10
Otzma Yehudit – 10
United Torah Judaism – 8
Religious Zionism – 5

Total: 59 mandates

• Left-wing bloc:

National Unity – 17
Yesh Atid – 12
Israel Beiteinu – 13
Labor – 9

Total: 51 mandates

• Arab parties:

Ra’am (United Arab List) – 6
Hadash-Ta’al – 4

{Matzav.com}

Repairs on the broken Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore were completed, and the temporary pier was re-anchored to the Gazan coast and began operating again on Saturday, according to the U.S. Defense Department.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters on Monday that some 1.1 million pounds of humanitarian aid crossed the newly reopened pier since Shabbos.

U.S. Central Command “has assisted in the delivery of more than 1,573 metric tons, or approximately 3.5 million pounds of humanitarian aid, to the shore for onward distribution,” Ryder said of the pier since it first anchored on June 7 and went operational the following day.

“After going operational on Saturday, a total of approximately 492 metric tons, or approximately 1.1 million pounds, was delivered across the pier,” he added.

The Pentagon spokesman added that an American C-130, a military transport plane, dropped more than 10 metric tons of “Meals, Ready-to-Eat,” or MREs, in northern Gaza on Sunday.

“To date, the U.S. has air-dropped more than 1,050 metric tons of humanitarian assistance,” he told reporters.

Weather continues to be a factor, Ryder said on Monday.

“The sea states yesterday and today have prevented additional aid from flowing across the causeway, but all indications are that that will commence again tomorrow,” he said. “The point being is that the JLOTS will continue to deliver aid into the assembly area, where NGOs like World Food Program will pick it up and take it onward for further distribution.”

{Matzav.com}

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the U.S. Department of Defense press secretary, insisted in a press conference on Monday that the temporary pier anchored to the coast of Gaza played no role whatsoever in Israel’s rescue of four hostages over the weekend.

Ryder told reporters repeatedly that U.S. troops were not at all involved in Saturday’s rescue operation but he said that U.S. drones continue to fly overheard to aid in rescuing hostages.

“Just to push back on some of the inaccurate social media allegations you saw over the weekend,” he told reporters, U.S. Central Command “pushed out a statement over the weekend that the humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel and assets, were not used in the IDF’s operation to rescue hostages in Gaza.”

“Any such claim to the contrary is false,” Ryder said. “To underscore, the temporary pier on the coast of Gaza was put in place for one purpose only: to help move additional urgently-needed lifesaving assistance to Gaza.”

Reporters pressed Ryder on whether U.S. troops were endangered either due to the proximity of the Israeli rescue mission to the temporary pier or because there had been rumors that the pier was involved in the operation.

“We’ve seen U.S. troops attacked and even killed before because of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories,” one reporter said. “How would you categorize what we’re seeing right now with the pier and the belief in Gaza that U.S. troops are involved?”

“Disinformation and misinformation are challenges globally, but particularly in this environment, given what you’re seeing play out in the Israel-Hamas conflict,” Ryder said. “There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation about what U.S. forces are not doing, which is why briefings like this and others that we do are important.”

Ryder also spoke about U.S. involvement in hostage recovery operations.

“Beyond the broad acknowledgment that the U.S. is supportive and is, you know, providing—has provided support generally when it comes to hostage recovery efforts,” he said, “we’re just not going to get into specifics on details, in terms of what intelligence support may or may not have looked like.”

“I can tell you that there was no U.S. military involvement in this rescue operation, nor were there any U.S. forces on the ground,” he added.

“Are U.S. drones still flying over Gaza to help with hostage rescue efforts?” a reporter asked.

Ryder said they were.

“We do continue to provide support in that regard,” he said. “But again, I’m not going to be able to go into any more specifics than that.”

{Matzav.com}

The Biden administration Tuesday will announce rules to block medical debt from being used to evaluate borrowers’ fitness for mortgages and other types of loans, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

The proposed rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau arrive less than five months before Election Day and are poised to be part of President Biden’s closing argument that he is addressing pocketbook issues as voters rank the economy as their top concern. The White House has repeatedly focused on the issue of medical debt, saying it disproportionately harms low-income Americans and communities of color.

“This is going to be an enormous relief for so many people battling bills when it comes to medical visits,” CPFB director Rohit Chopra said Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” teasing the forthcoming rules.

The rules set to be announced Tuesday would ban credit reporting agencies from incorporating medical debt when calculating credit scores, said the people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. The rules would also bar lenders from using medical debt to determine loan eligibility, they said.

The proposal will undergo weeks of public comment – meaning this November’s election will probably determine whether the measures are finalized. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump did not seek to remove medical debt from consumers’ credit reports during his four years in the White House.

Roughly 15 million Americans have medical bills on their credit reports, according to a study released in April by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The figure used to be significantly higher – the agency in March 2022 found that medical bills appeared on about 43 million credit reports – but major credit bureaus voluntarily adopted limits on which medical bills were included in reports. People affected by medical debt disproportionately live in the South or in low-income communities, according to the CFPB.

Experts have warned that medical debt is linked to numerous health and financial harms, such as worse mental health or delays in obtaining additional medical care.

Medical debt “can lead to other kinds of financial vulnerability,” Cynthia Cox, vice president at KFF, a nonpartisan health-care research organization that has analyzed medical debt, wrote in a text message. “It’s a difficult cycle for people to pull themselves out of, especially at a time when they may be sick and less able to work.”

In a September briefing about the administration’s intent to focus on the issue, Vice President Harris and Chopra argued that unpaid medical bills and the related debts have little predictive power in determining whether a consumer will pay down an unrelated loan.

A bad credit score can weigh on the ability to afford a home, car and other essentials, Harris said.

The amount of debt consumers have, and their history of making timely payments, can significantly affect the interest rate offered by lenders, which in turn influences how much they must pay monthly to service the loan.

The proposed rules “can have a meaningful effect,” said Neale Mahoney, a Stanford University economist who has studied medical debt and served on the White House National Economic Council before leaving a year ago. He pointed to recent findings by the Urban Institute that medical debt affects the credit scores of at least 5 percent of Americans.

But Mahoney, citing his own research, noted that many people who carry medical debt also “have other flags on their credit report” that can make it hard for them to get loans even when medical debt is addressed.

“Once you already have a bunch of derogatories – a technical term – on your credit report, having one removed, or even a handful removed, is not going to make a big difference in your credit score,” Mahoney said.

Harris has spoken about the need for the new rules in recent speeches focused on the administration’s economic policies.

“Medical debt cannot be the reason someone is denied a car loan, a home loan or a small-business loan,” Harris said in remarks in Detroit in May.

“It’s just what’s morally right,” she told a crowd in Milwaukee days later.

Other Democrats are pursuing efforts to address medical debt. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and lawmakers in May proposed legislation that would eliminate all existing medical debt and impose restrictions to limit future medical debt.

Democratic mayors in D.C., New York and other major cities in recent years have worked to relieve residents’ medical debt by purchasing existing balances for pennies on the dollar and immediately canceling it.

(c) Washington Post

Air-raid sirens were heard in the Haifa area on Tuesday morning, after the Israel Defense Forces launched an interceptor missile at an unidentified object.

The military described the incident as a “false identification,” adding that it was under review. The sirens were sounded due to fears of falling shrapnel from the interception, according to the IDF.

It was the first time sirens were triggered in Chaifa since January, when an interceptor missile was fired at a “suspicious target.”

The latest incident came just hours after the military downed a “hostile aircraft” above the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the northern Israeli city. No sirens were triggered by the intrusion.

Sirens were also triggered in the city in November after Hamas terrorists in Southern Lebanon fired some 30 rockets at northern Israel.

Meanwhile, air-raid alarms sounded throughout Israel’s Galil and the Golan Heights on Tuesday morning, warning of incoming rocket and missile fire from the Land of the Cedars.

According to local reports, at least 40 rockets were fired towards the Upper Galil and the Galil panhandle. No direct hits or casualties were reported in the barrage.

The IDF confirmed some 50 rockets crossed into Israeli territory in the area of the central Golan Heights. Some of the projectiles were shot down, while the rest exploded in an open area, the military said.

Firefighters were dispatched to Had Nes and the Jordan River area of the Golan Heights and Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar in the Upper Galil to put out blazes that were sparked by the latest rocket attacks.

On early Tuesday afternoon, Israeli air-defense fighters in the Western Galilee downed a drone that crossed into the territory of the Jewish state from Lebanon. Alarms were activated in the Bedouin border village of Arab al-Aramshe for fear of falling interceptor fragments, the IDF said.

Overnight Sunday, air-raid sirens sounded in Acco in northwestern Israel, as well as in Kiryat Bialik, near Chaifa. The alarms were triggered due to fear of falling interceptor fragments after Israeli air-defense systems attempted to intercept a “suspicious aerial target” that had crossed into Israel from Lebanon. The incident was later declared to have been due to a “false identification.”

{Matzav.com}

By Tzvi Herman | All Make Appliances The collaboration between Whirlpool and the Star-K in the late 1990s marked the debut of “Sabbath Mode,” initially patented by Whirlpool. While the term “Yom Tov Mode” might have been more descriptive of the features it offers, Whirlpool opted for the term “Sabbath Mode” to market to kosher consumers. Despite being a popular choice among frum consumers, understanding what Sabbath Mode entails can be a bit perplexing. One of its key features, according to the psak of Rabbi Moshe Heineman, allows for temperature adjustments on Yom Tov when Sabbath mode is activated. However, there is disagreement among contemporary poskim, with many holding that even in Sabbath mode, temperature adjustments are prohibited. It’s advisable to consult with a Rav before utilizing this function. Shabbos mode does not disable the temperature sensor on the oven. Hence according to Star-K, one cannot open the oven door on Shabbos more than once. Although many Poskim permit opening the door multiple times, one is encouraged to ask a Shaila to their Rav. Apart from potentially permitting temperature adjustments on Yomim Tovim, this encapsulates what Sabbath Mode offers: Disable the lights Bypass the 12 hour shutoff (most ovens shut off after 12 hours) Disable the beep after a cook time cycle In many ovens today, the element/ignitor will shut off when the door is opened. Sabbath Mode will disable it completely or put it on a delay. (It’s important to note many Poskim hold that it is a problem if it shuts off on a delay and recommend disabling the door switch manually) For older GE Ovens see instructions here For newer GE ovens see instructions here Several years ago, GE made the decision to discontinue their relationship with the Star-K and work instead with Zman Technologies, who created an enhanced Shabbos mode under the Hashgacha of the OU, CRC and other Kashrus agencies. Initially this enhanced Shabbos mode was available as an add on device on most GE ovens. However, recently GE introduced an oven which retails for under $750, with the enhanced Shabbos mode built in. Unlike the Star-K Shabbos mode, the new enhanced Shabbos mode bypasses the door switches and sensors completely allowing one to open the oven at any time. In addition, this new feature allows the oven to be pre-programmed before Yom Tov to set the oven at different temperatures at different times of the day. Instructions for the Enhanced Shabbos Mode ranges Have questions about your specific model? Email tzvi@allmakeappliances.com for assistance. Please include the oven’s model number in your email.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday slammed a reported decision to release 30 Palestinian terrorists who were captured by Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip.

“The decision by the IDF and the National Security Council to release terrorists back into the Gaza Strip without conditions is unfathomably delusional,” the Otzma Yehudit Party leader told Channel 14 News.

“The IDF is expected to withstand the shortage of prison space during a war when there are tens of thousands of detained terrorists, just as the Israel Prison Service does very well,” he added, in reference to the organization that falls under his responsibility.

According to the Channel 14 report, the IDF and the Israeli National Security Council, which sits in the Prime Minister’s Office, decided to release 30 terrorists who were arrested in Gaza and have been incarcerated at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel.

The decision was reportedly made after a petition against the government was submitted to the High Court of Justice.

The petitioners complained of overcrowding at the facility, which houses Hamas operatives detained as part of the war against the terrorist organization, including during the Oct. 7 atrocities.

A document submitted to the court and seen by Channel 14 said the suspects would be set free in Gaza without conditions on Tuesday and that their criminal case would be examined following their release.

Earlier this year, 40 Palestinian administrative detainees were released from jail at the directive of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) as a goodwill “gesture” ahead of Ramadan, not due to lack of space in the prisons, Ben-Gvir tweeted in March..

That same month, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered an urgent directive for government ministries to prepare prisons for an influx of thousands of terrorists expected to be arrested this year.

The order came after the IDF and Shin Bet presented their assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv that in 2024, thousands of terrorists in Yehuda, Shomron and the Gaza Strip will be detained, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

{Matzav.com}

More than 50,000 pro-Israel people turned out for the UJA Walk with Israel in Toronto on Sunday, a record turnout for the event which is in its 55th year.

Adam Hummel, a lawyer in Toronto, told JNS that it was “remarkable and uplifting to see so many Jews come together” this year for the 5K walk (about 3 miles.)

“I was dumbstruck how many people were gathered and feeling the energy and community, especially when we have been struck by so much sorrow,” Hummel said.

Although it seemed in prior years that people attended out of inertia, this year was different, according to Hummel.

“It felt like people needed to be there,” he said. “Because of everything we have gone through as a community, and what Israelis went through, people needed to show up to stand with Israel.”

The event, a project of the UJA Federation of Toronto, moved from the heavily-Jewish neighborhood at the Bathurst Street corridor at Lawrence Avenue to the Federation’s Sherman Campus, which was rebuilt several years ago.

Guidy Mamann also told JNS that this year’s event felt different.

“I’ve been to many, many walks for Israel since I was a kid,” the Toronto lawyer said. “Normally, people go because they want to have fun and see old faces, but I think this year it was driven by a need to go.”

“There was a sense of needing to go to this walk-a-thon because of the trauma we’ve been through together,” he said. “We needed to feel each other and see each other in large numbers. I think the community really needed that.”

Brendan Shanahan, president of the Maple Leafs, the Toronto hockey team, and the singer Montana Tucker, who sang the Israeli national anthem, were among the celebrities present.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming support for the walk this year from our community and our friends and neighbors across Greater Toronto,” stated Jeff Rosenthal, chair of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. “To see a record-breaking turnout this year speaks volumes about our community’s pride, resilience and determination to show our city who we are and what we stand for.”

Michael Kerzner, the solicitor general of Ontario, and Melissa Lantsman, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, attended the event. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Olivia Chow, Toronto’s first Chinese-Canadian mayor, reportedly were not present.

Chow, who had skipped what she called a “divisive” annual Israeli flag raising at City Hall the prior month, said in an interview with a popular Toronto radio station on Monday morning that she had a prior commitment and couldn’t attend Sunday’s event.

“She wasn’t missed,” said David Burstein, a Toronto dentist.

“It was one of the most outstanding communal Jewish experiences of my life, and I’ve lived in Toronto my entire life. The energy was fantastic,” Burstein told JNS. “The fact that they got the four hostages out the day before, really helped morale and added to the joy of the day.”

Kevin Vuong, a federal politician of Chinese descent, told JNS that he was disappointed that Chow skipped the pro-Israel event, which she attended previously as a federal politician.

Vuong noted that Chow told the Jewish community that “you’re never alone” after a shooting at the Jewish girls’ elementary school Bais Chaya Mushka in Toronto in late May.

Chow’s statement implied that “she stood with Toronto’s Jewish community,” Vuong said. “She lied.”

“It’s clear that if it was any other community, she’d have been there. No mayor, nor prime minister for that matter, would skip an event attended by 50,000 Canadians,” Vuong added. “Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in the aftermath of Oct. 7, these so-called leaders make exceptions when it comes to Jews.”

Vuong and his wife attended the event “to show our support for Jews both here at home in Canada and abroad, and that meant walking the talk and walking the walk.”

The politician had harsh words for the hundreds of pro-Hamas demonstrators, who used bullhorns and loudspeakers to broadcast anti-Israel chants and Islamic prayers and who reportedly sought to enter a place where the event was taking place and had to be barred by law enforcement.

“One thing I couldn’t believe was that pro-Hamas supporters brought in speakers and blared the rocket sirens that go off when Israel is under attack,” Vuong told JNS. “I was shocked at the depravity that someone would think to do that in the hopes of triggering participants.”

“Sadly, I was not surprised when other counter-protesters gave up all pretenses and started cheering outright for Hamas,” he added.

Hummel, the Toronto lawyer, called the protesters “pathetic, paltry and sinister.”

“We celebrate life and they clearly do not. We were there in blue and white with our children, singing songs about life. There was a world of difference,” he told JNS. “They were wearing black and had their faces covered.”

“They stood with swastika signs. Repulsive and pathetic,” he added. “The visuals could not have been starker of what we’re fighting for, and what we are fighting against.”

Mamann, the other Toronto lawyer, told JNS that some of the protesters tailed Jewish community members after the event in a harassing way.

“These people come clear across town and out of town to disrupt us. The police were on our side. But at the end of the day, the protection doesn’t finish when the walk finishes,” he said. “There are thousands of people trying to make it home, and there is still work to do.”

Ali Siadatan was among the non-Jewish Canadians of Iranian descent who participated in the event to voice their support for the Jewish state.

“I stand with Israel because I wish to live in a free world. Israel is at the epicenter of a global ideological war,” Siadatan told JNS. “Israel’s victory will push back the forces of Islam and Marxism. Israel’s defeat would encourage these very forces to explode in the West and in Canada.”

“Even the future of Iran very much depends on the victory or defeat of Israel against the regional forces of Islamic militancy,” Siadatan added.

At the end of the walk, JNS caught up with the rapper Nissim Black, who performed at the festival, which also had kid-friendly activities and musical performances.

“Incredible energy,” Black told JNS. “It was so special seeing all those people together celebrating Eretz Hakodesh,”.

{Matzav.com}

Yeshiva World News (YWN) apologizes to its nearly 400,000 daily readers after its website was offline for approximately 18 hours on Monday due to a devastating outage affecting its server host, LiquidWeb. The incident impacted around 50,000 websites, leaving users in the dark about the cause and resolution. LiquidWeb’s lack of communication throughout the ordeal sparked frustration among its customers, including YWN, with many opting to switch services altogether. Speculation mounted about a potential ransomware attack, although this remains unconfirmed. After hours of downtime, LiquidWeb finally issued a statement, attributing the issue to “some areas of our NetApp-based products and services, including VMware, CloudSites, and SAN-based services.” However, this update did not immediately lead to restored services, and YWN’s website remained inaccessible until past 1 AM on Tuesday. In response to this unprecedented incident, YWN is now collaborating with technical teams in the US and Israel to implement alternative solutions and backup procedures to prevent such outages in the future and ensure uninterrupted service for our readers. During the outage, many readers signed up for YWN Groups and YWN Status, where they joined the already 100,000+ who continued receiving uninterrupted updates throughout the day despite our website being down. We thank our readers for their patience and understanding as we grappled with this technical issue. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WILMINGTON, Del. — Guilty on all counts.

Hunter Biden has made history as the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime after a federal jury found him guilty of lying about his drug use to purchase a gun.

The jury, consisting of six men and six women, determined that President Biden’s 54-year-old son knowingly provided false information on a gun application form, denying drug use, before buying a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver at a Wilmington shop on Oct. 12, 2018.

At the time, Hunter Biden was addicted to crack cocaine, a fact he admitted in his 2021 memoir — evidence that prosecutors used against him.

Hunter was indicted on Sept. 14 of last year for making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of or addict to a controlled substance.

He faces up to 25 years in prison, though a lighter sentence is expected as he has no prior convictions.

This verdict is not the end of Hunter’s legal issues.

He is set to face another case in Los Angeles federal court starting Sept. 5, concerning allegations that he evaded $1.4 million in federal income tax from 2016 through 2019.

Prosecutors from special counsel David Weiss’ office used witness testimonies, Hunter’s own communications, data from his notorious laptop, and excerpts from his book “Beautiful Things” to demonstrate his crack use around the time of the firearm purchase.

Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled before the trial that prosecutors didn’t need to prove Hunter was under the influence on the exact day he bought the gun.

Jurors listened to numerous excerpts from Hunter’s memoir audiobook — narrated by Hunter himself — where he detailed his addiction struggles and claimed he had a “superpower of finding crack cocaine anytime, anywhere.”

The jury also reviewed many messages where Hunter appeared to be arranging drug deals and discussing his drug use, including a text to his dealer in the spring of 2018 asking: “Can you get baby powder, the real soft stuff.”

Witnesses included Hunter’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle. Buhle testified about discovering Hunter’s crack use the same year as Beau’s death when she found a pipe on the porch of their Washington, DC home. She noted that Hunter was “not himself,” and was “angry [and] short-tempered” when using.

Hunter’s defense team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, argued that Hunter did not intentionally lie on the gun application form but was in a “deep state of denial” about his addiction.

Lowell also portrayed Gordon Cleveland, the salesman at StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply, as a “whale hunter” who pressured Hunter into purchasing the firearm.

The defense attempted to challenge the prosecution’s timeline of Hunter’s addiction, suggesting that he was struggling more with alcoholism than drug use.

Despite pleading not guilty to all charges, Hunter was initially set to plead guilty in June 2023. However, the plea deal collapsed in court when his legal team realized he would not receive blanket immunity from potential future charges.

{Dov T. Heller – Matzav.com}

A Manhattan private school that charges a yearly tuition of $63,400 has seen a change in leadership following overt efforts to fight antisemitism.

On Monday, head of school David Lourie announced plans to step down from his top position at the Collegiate School, a private K-12 boys’ institution on New York City’s Upper West Side. He has held the job since 2020.

Lourie called the school’s newly formed antisemitism task force “a joke,” labeling the initiative a “power play by Jewish families.”

He had responded to a task force created by the school’s board of trustees following complaints from more than 100 Jewish parents. A report found that some faculty had blamed “wealthy and influential” Jews for creating the hostile environment at the school after the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the start of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.

Still, he did not mention steps to counter anti-Jewish sentiment on campus upon his leaving.

“We are, of course, living in a time when so many decisions are fraught with uncertainty, disagreement and dissension,” Lourie wrote in his announcement. “With every decision then [and] through every decision now, that has been my lodestar: what is best for the boys and their learning and well-being.”

{Matzav.com}

Hunter Biden has been convicted of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. Jurors found Hunter Biden guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Maryellen Noreika, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether she would give him time behind bars. Now, Hunter Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the chief political rival of President Joe Biden, have been convicted by American jurors in an election year that has been as much about the courtroom as it has been about campaign events and rallies. Joe Biden has steered clear of the federal courtroom in Delaware where his son was tried and said little about the case, wary of creating an impression of interfering in a criminal matter brought by his own Justice Department. But allies of the Democrat have worried about the toll that the trial — and now the conviction — will take on the 81-year-old, who has long been concerned with his only living son’s health and sustained sobriety. Hunter Biden and Trump have both argued they were victimized by the politics of the moment. But while Trump has continued to falsely claim the verdict was “rigged,” Joe Biden has said he would accept the results of the verdict and would not seek to pardon his son. Hunter Biden’s legal troubles aren’t over. He faces a trial in September in California on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and congressional Republicans have signaled they will keep going after him in their stalled impeachment effort into the president. The president has not been accused or charged with any wrongdoing by prosecutors investigating his son. The prosecution devoted much of the trial to highlighting the seriousness of Hunter Biden’s drug problem, through highly personal testimony and embarrassing evidence. Jurors heard Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former acquiantance testify about his habitual crack use and their failed efforts to help him get clean. Jurors saw images of the president’s son bare-chested and disheveled in a filthy room, and holding crack pipes. And jurors watched video of his crack cocaine weighed on a scale. Hunter Biden did not testify but jurors heard his voice when prosecutors played audio excerpts of his 2021 memoir “Beautiful Things,” in which he talks about hitting bottom after the death of his brother Beau in 2015, and his descent into drugs before his eventual sobriety. Prosecutors felt the evidence was necessary to prove that Hunter, 54, was in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun and therefore lied when he checked “no” on the form that asked whether he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” drugs. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell had argued that Hunter Biden’s state of mind was different when he wrote the book than when he bought the gun — when he didn’t believe he had an addiction. Lowell pointed out to […]

During a press conference on Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the indefinite suspension of the congestion pricing program, noting that the pause allows for reconsideration of the plan rather than its termination.

When asked by reporter Juliet Papa about potential changes to the fees, timings, and areas affected by the congestion pricing, Hochul replied, “All options are on the table for future conversations.”

“There’s a big difference between a pause and elimination,” she added. “Elimination was an option.”

Governor Hochul clarified that the congestion pricing plan is not being eliminated but mentioned the need for innovative funding solutions for public transportation improvements. “To assume that the only funding source had to be congestion pricing shows a lack of imagination about understanding other opportunities,” she stated.

Hochul reaffirmed her commitment to mass transit projects. “I understand the level of concern at this time. But as the governor of the State of New York, I am committed to continuing those projects with alternative funding that is being worked out with the legislature. I gave them a number of options. Those conversations are very much alive and ongoing, and it will be resolved.”

Although specific alternative funding sources were not detailed, Hochul indicated ongoing discussions with legislative leaders and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber.

“I spoke to Janno Lieber yesterday, and he has been working hard with me,” Hochul said.

Lieber has yet to publicly comment on the pause since Hochul instructed the MTA to “indefinitely pause” the congestion pricing plan for Manhattan, which was nearly a month away from starting. She expressed concerns about the plan’s financial impact on everyday New Yorkers and the city’s post-pandemic recovery.

In a recorded statement last week, Hochul described the decision as “difficult” and reiterated her support for the environmental goals of the plan, such as reducing congestion and pollution. However, she emphasized that implementing the tolling now would “risk too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers.”

She highlighted the financial strain on New Yorkers, citing inflation and the high cost of living. She also noted that the landscape in Manhattan has changed post-pandemic, with remote work becoming more prevalent.

“Let’s be real, a $15 charge may not seem like a lot to someone who has the means, but it can break the budget of a hardworking or middle-class household. It puts the squeeze on the very people who make this city go,” she said in her address.

“This decision is about doing what’s right for the people who make our city thrive,” she said. “I’m here to say we are listening.”

Politico reported that Hochul is also mindful of the impact on vulnerable Democrats in competitive U.S. House races, with elections looming in five months. Hochul addressed these speculations by stating, “To those cynics who question my motivation, I approach every decision through one lens: What is best for New Yorkers?”

With no implementation date set, the state will support the MTA capital plan and explore alternative funding options as needed.

Mayor Eric Adams expressed his support for the governor’s decision to reassess the plan. “If she’s looking at what others we can do it and how we can do it correctly, I’m all for it,” he said. “This is a major shift for our city and it has to be done correctly.”

MTA board members, who oversee the transit agency, reported being caught off guard by the delay. “I’m in shock,” said Andrew Albert, a board member. “We won’t get new buses, new subway cars, new signals. It’s a betrayal of the millions and millions of people who would have been helped by this.”

The surprising decision came less than a month before the Manhattan congestion toll was scheduled to start on June 30. The MTA had already invested millions in installing cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment. The agency also planned public webinars to explain the system, which are now postponed “until further notice,” according to the MTA website.

The MTA had been moving forward with the controversial tolling program despite facing numerous lawsuits and opposition from various groups, including cab drivers, truckers, suburban commuters, small business owners, and the state of New Jersey. Some of these lawsuits are still pending in court.

{Matzav.com}

During a political-security cabinet meeting, a dispute arose between National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the release of bodies of terrorists held by Israel.

Minister Gallant asserted: “The defense minister has the authority to approve the return of terrorists’ bodies. A question arose concerning the bodies of terrorists with Israeli citizenship, and I decided to hold the body of Walid Daka and release five other terrorists’ bodies. Minister Ben-Gvir decided to disregard me and instructed the police not to comply.”

In response, Ben-Gvir stated: “This is a democratic state. In the process, it is determined that the National Security Minister is asked, and indeed my position is against this. I think that releasing the bodies of Israeli terrorists is negligent. It also harms our ability to release them in exchange for hostages or hostages’ bodies. I don’t understand the rush to release; we need to hold on to the bodies.”

ISA director Ronen Bar backed Gallant’s stance: “There is not much value in holding the bodies of Israeli terrorists. It just creates friction with Israeli Arabs.” Minister Ben-Gvir countered: “Unfortunately, you also made these assessments before October 7th, and the fact is that in deals, Hamas demanded the release of Israeli Arabs.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin questioned: “I don’t understand where the right to release bodies suddenly comes from? Where is it determined? No body of an Israeli Arab should be released.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu then joined the conversation, emphasizing: “Hamas demanded them, and we did not release them.” The ISA head pointed out that “we have not yet reached the stage of the bodies.” Ben-Gvir questioned the timing of the release, and the Prime Minister supported his view, stating, “We have no choice – we don’t need to release now.”

Minister Gallant, visibly frustrated, retorted: “So I give up my authority to make decisions – decide what you want.” Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara then reminded Gallant: “You cannot give up your authority.”

The Prime Minister concluded that an announcement would be issued to the Supreme Court, stating Israel’s decision not to release the body of terrorist Walid Daka. He finalized: “We determine that the bodies of Israeli Arabs will not be released until a further decision.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

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We are just hours away from the Zman Kabalas HaTorah and savoring every moment of this holy time of the year, when we celebrate Kabbalas HaTorah and the birth of Klal Yisroel.

For hundreds of years, Klal Yisroel has cherished the special one-day Segulah that the legendary Mekubal Rav Chaim Palagi zt”l shared for Erev Shavuos: Donate two times the gematriah of “Ben” (son) to needy Talmidei Chachamim and merit healthy children and other berachos. 

How can you fulfill this Segulah to the highest level – now?   TO DONATE CLICK HERE

Tomchei Shabbos has provided food for Shavuos to over 1,000 choshuve families throughout Lakewood, Jackson and Toms River. You have the opportunity to partner in their food today by donating $104, as per Rav Chaim Palagi’s Segulah. You will give them simchas Yom Tov and you will reap the incredible berachos. 

This opportunity is only around for another few hours. Don’t pass it up!

Please CLICK HERE or call the Tomchei Shabbos Shavuos hotline at 732 978 9901. In this zechus, may you, your family and all of Klal Yisroel merit berachos, yeshuos and a Chag Kosher V’sameach.