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As the summer starts rolling in, there is no better time to bring more quality reading material into your home, your shul, students, and your family.

For a limited time, take 25% off more than 100 ArtScroll sets — plus free shipping in the U.S. when you order from ArtScroll.com or from your local bookseller.

Whether you are looking to enrich your own learning, build your home library, donate a set to your shul, stock up on meaningful gifts, or find the perfect present for graduates and newlyweds, this is the opportunity you wait for all year.

The sale includes an extraordinary range of ArtScroll classics and favorites: Talmud, Mishnah, Chumash commentaries, Nevi’im and Kesuvim, halachah, machzorim, siddurim, Tehillim, Pirkei Avos, Haggados, zemiros, Jewish thought and history, youth titles, and more.

Here is just a glimpse of what you will find:

Talmud Sets
Bring clarity, depth, and understanding to your Gemara learning with the Schottenstein Edition Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, available in multiple formats, including full-size, Daf Yomi size, and travel size.

Mishnah Sets
From the Schottenstein Edition Mishnah Elucidated to the Ryzman Edition Hebrew Mishnah and other beloved Mishnah collections, there is a set for every level and every learner.

Chumash Commentaries
Enhance your understanding of Chumash with timeless commentaries, including Rashi, Ramban, Onkelos, and other foundational works, as well as Contemporary Chumash Commentaries.

Nevi’im and Kesuvim
Deepen your connection to Nach with beautifully elucidated sets that open up the words of the Nevi’im and Kesuvim with clarity, context, and meaning.

Halachah Sets
Strengthen daily Torah living with essential halachah works covering Shabbos, daily life, shemiras halashon, and so much more.

Youth Titles
Give children books they will love and remember, from parashah sets and story collections to exciting Torah-based reading for young readers.

Pirkei Avos, Siddurim, Tehillim, Machzorim, Zemiros, Jewish Thought and History
From weekday inspiration to Yom Tov preparation, from the Shabbos table to the beis midrash, these are the sets that educate, uplift, and inspire year after year.

With this year’s sale featuring newly-completed sets — Schottenstein Edition Rashi Elucidated, Kleinman Edition Midrash Rabbah, Haas Family Edition Pele Yoeitz and Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah and even a set of Dinner Done cookbooks —  you’ll have even more ways to expand your library with fresh titles and beautiful new collections.

One short article cannot list everything included in this remarkable sale. With over 100 sets to choose from, this is your chance to get the ArtScroll sets you have been waiting for — at 25% off.

Don’t delay. The Set Sale ends Tuesday, June 9.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Yosef Dov Winternitz zt”l of Ramat Ungvar–Tel Tzion at the age of 61.

An outstanding masmid and talmid chochom who immersed himself in Torah day and night, Rav Winternitz was widely known for his deep mastery of Toras Hanistar and particularly for spreading the teachings of the Leshem.

Rav Yosef Dov zt”l was the son of Rav Asher Menachem zt”l and the son-in-law of Rav Yehuda Samet, the longtime mashgiach of Yeshivas Ohr Somayach in Kiryat Mattersdorf, Yerushalayim.

Known for his extraordinary diligence in Torah study, Rav Winternitz devoted every possible moment to learning. During the years he lived in the Ramot Polin neighborhood of Yerushalayim, he mortgaged his home and personal assets in order to help build the large Ohel Yosef shul. He became one of the central and most beloved figures in the beis medrash, where he spent countless hours each day immersed in learning.

His home was renowned for its warmth, generosity, and open-door hospitality. Alongside the fourteen children he merited to raise, many broken and needy individuals also found refuge in his home. Several housing units attached to the property were often occupied by struggling families or individuals who paid no rent at all, as Rav Winternitz made clear that the apartments existed solely for acts of chesed.

Rav Winternitz delved deeply into the teachings of the Arizal and became especially renowned for his remarkable expertise in the writings of the Leshem, author of Leshem Shevo V’Achlama. He authored an extensive commentary on Etz Chaim based on the approach of the Leshem, a manuscript that remains unpublished.

Over the years, he influenced and guided many talmidim, among them the mekubal Rav Yechezkel Bing, author of Nekudos Hakesef.

The heavy financial burden of marrying off his children eventually forced Rav Winternitz to sell his apartment and move into a rented home in Tel Tzion. From that point, his health steadily declined, and he endured tremendous physical and emotional suffering. In his later years, doctors were forced to amputate several of his toes. Despite the pain, he continued making his way daily to shul for vasikin and would sit in the beis medrash learning for long stretches, greeting every person with unusual warmth and kindness.

About two years ago, tragedy struck when his daughter a”h suddenly collapsed at home and lost consciousness. After two weeks in the hospital, she passed away. Since her petirah, Rav Winternitz became the regular chazzan for Mincha and Maariv almost every day, constantly speaking about her and reciting Kaddish in her memory. He remained deeply involved in the life of the shul and was cherished far beyond what words can describe.

During the final year of his life, his influence expanded significantly as he began publicly delivering profound shiurim and divrei Torah across many areas of Torah. From the depths of his broken heart, he passionately warned about the dangers facing yeshiva bochurim due to the draft crisis, and about breaches in standards of tznius that had begun entering the camp.

In recent months, he spent much time davening at the kever of Rashbi in Meron and at the Kosel Hama’aravi, telling those close to him that he felt a deep spiritual connection to the Shechinah at the Kosel.

On the final Shabbos of his life, Rav Winternitz davened at Shaarei Yosef in Tel Tzion, led by Harav Nissim Yitzchok Ohana. He received shevii during Krias HaTorah and later spoke briefly during a kiddush held in honor of a chosson who was a ger tzedek. Those would become his final public words.

He thanked the mispallelim warmly and told them that he loved every one of them.

He then spoke passionately about the importance of marrying young, explaining: “Why does the Shulchan Aruch in Even HaEzer (Siman 1) use such unusually strong language, stating that anyone who does not engage in pru u’rvu is considered as if he diminishes the Divine image, sheds blood, and causes the Shechinah to depart from Klal Yisroel? There is no other wording this severe anywhere else in the Shulchan Aruch. Rather, the meaning is that one must hasten to marry and not delay beyond the age of eighteen, and because of the gravity of the matter, the Shulchan Aruch expressed itself with exceptional sharpness.”

Those remarks were delivered at approximately 11 a.m. Just several hours later, around 3:30 in the afternoon, during the holy moments of raava d’raavin on Shabbos, Rav Winternitz returned his pure neshamah to its Creator.

His widow relates that only minutes earlier, while feeling entirely well, he unusually asked her mechilah for anything he may ever have done to hurt her. Feeling a special eis ratzon, she wholeheartedly forgave him and asked forgiveness from him as well. Moments later, he suddenly began coughing and lost consciousness. Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, he could not be revived, and those close to him gathered to recite Krias Shema as his neshamah departed, to the heartbreak of all present.

Rav Winternitz is survived by his widow and two daughters who have not yet married.

Tehei nishmaso tzerurah b’tzror hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

Police have arrested an Israeli-Arab suspect in the killing of Olga and Ruslan Prikhodko, the Rishon Letzion couple who were found shot to death inside their vehicle over the weekend in an open area between Moshav Mishmar Ayalon and Karmei Yosef in Shefelah. Following a partial lifting of the gag order surrounding the investigation, authorities revealed Thursday that the suspect is being investigated for carrying out a double murder believed to have been motivated by nationalist motives.

The development marks a dramatic turn in the case, which initially moved in an entirely different direction. In the early hours of the investigation, authorities examined the possibility that the incident may have involved a murder-suicide, partly because Ruslan legally owned a handgun.

As investigators dug deeper into the case, however, evidence began to undermine that theory. One major issue was that Ruslan’s personal firearm was not found at the scene.

According to reports, investigators later searched the couple’s home and discovered the licensed handgun locked inside a safe. In addition, no gunshot residue was found on Ruslan’s hands. Those findings strengthened suspicions that the couple had been murdered by another individual who then fled the area.

The Shin Bet became involved in the investigation during its early stages, and responsibility for the case was later transferred to the Central District Major Crimes Unit.

Several individuals were initially detained for questioning, but were later released after investigators determined they had no connection to the killings. Following additional breakthroughs in the investigation, police arrested the main suspect now believed to be tied to the murders.

Olga, 44, and Ruslan, 46, are survived by their 14-year-old only son. The couple was laid to rest yesterday at the cemetery in Rishon Letzion, accompanied by relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Family members had insisted from the outset that the couple had not taken their own lives and were not involved in any domestic incident, maintaining instead that they had been murdered.

Relatives described Olga and Ruslan as a devoted couple whose son was the center of their world. According to family members, the three had recently been planning a trip to Austria to celebrate Olga’s birthday.

The investigation remains ongoing under partial gag-order restrictions as police continue examining all aspects of the case and attempting to determine the precise motive behind the killings.

Demonstrations erupted Thursday evening in Yerushalayim and at the entrance to Bnei Brak following the arrest of yeshiva bochurim accused of draft evasion, with major roads blocked, violent confrontations reported, and police moving in to disperse protesters.

The most significant protest began near the Geha Junction, where demonstrators blocked Route 4 in both directions, shutting down traffic from the Aluf Sadeh Interchange to Em HaMoshavos. Rechov Bar-Ilan in Yerushalayim was also closed as protesters flooded the area.

Police declared the demonstrations illegal and said rioters were obstructing traffic and disrupting public order. Senior officers at both protest sites announced that force would be used to disperse the crowds.

Authorities closed Route 4 in both directions between the Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavos interchanges. In addition, Jabotinsky Street and Hashomer Street in Bnei Brak, extending toward Yetzirah Street in Petach Tikvah, were shut down to traffic.

At the Yerushalayim protest, demonstrators blocked vehicles and reportedly acted violently toward chareidi drivers, shouting harsh insults and damaging cars.

Police said Border Police forces and Yerushalayim District officers were preparing to disperse protesters at the Bar-Ilan intersection in an effort to restore traffic flow and public order.

Videos from the scene in Bnei Brak showed protesters surrounding buses while chanting, “Prisoners of the Torah world, the great ones of the nation.”

Following the unrest, Netivei Yisroel announced additional road closures, including Route 4 northbound from the Mesubim Interchange to Em HaMoshavos, as well as localized closures near the Yavneh Interchange. Southbound traffic on Route 4 was blocked from Em HaMoshavos to the Bar-Ilan Interchange.

Protesters at the Geha and Bar-Ilan junctions carried signs bearing slogans including “We will die and not enlist,” “Better to die as a chareidi than enlist,” and “We will not abandon a single bochur.”

Police began making arrests as clashes intensified between demonstrators and security forces.

{Matzav.com}

A rare albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” was dramatically spared from ritual slaughter in Bangladesh after the country’s interior minister personally intervened and ordered the animal transferred to the national zoo.

The unusual buffalo, which recently went viral online because of its striking appearance, had originally been slated for slaughter during the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday before the government abruptly halted the sale.

Bangladesh Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reportedly ordered officials to save the animal’s life, cancel the planned sacrifice, and immediately relocate it to permanent quarters at the national zoo in the capital city of Dhaka.

Authorities said the decision came after massive crowds began gathering around the farm where the buffalo was being kept, drawing visitors from across the country and creating growing security concerns ahead of the holiday.

“At the last moment, the decision was made to spare the buffalo from slaughter because of security concerns and the extraordinary level of public interest,” a senior Bangladeshi Interior Ministry official explained.

The buffalo weighs nearly 700 kilograms and had already been sold to a private buyer before the government intervened. Authorities later compensated the purchaser after confiscating the animal to prevent the sacrifice from taking place.

Farm owner Ziauddin Merida said the buffalo received the nickname “Donald Trump” from his younger brother because of the animal’s unusual blond tuft of hair, which stands out prominently against its pale skin.

Merida described the buffalo as exceptionally calm and gentle, adding that caring for the rare animal requires intensive maintenance, including frequent feeding throughout the day and regular washing to preserve its health.

Albino buffaloes are considered extremely rare in Bangladesh, where most cattle have dark coloring. Public fascination with the animal surged after videos showcasing its unusual appearance spread widely across social media platforms.

It remains unclear whether the United States made any direct appeal to Bangladesh regarding the animal, though the buffalo’s popularity and nickname fueled widespread speculation online after the government stepped in to save it.

{Matzav.com}

The Treasury Department office charged with producing America’s paper currency has begun preliminary planning tied to proposed legislation that would place President Donald Trump on a commemorative $250 bill.

According to a Thursday report by The Washington Post, officials inside the Trump administration have been urging the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop sample concepts for a new bank note bearing Trump’s image — a historic move that would make him the first living person featured on US paper money in well over a century.

The effort is connected to preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next July and is part of a broader campaign by Trump allies to cement the President’s legacy through patriotic projects and national institutions.

The Post reported that US Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown repeatedly pressed bureau officials to proceed with draft designs despite federal statutes that currently prohibit living individuals from appearing on American currency.

One concept obtained by the newspaper reportedly features a large portrait of Trump in the center of the note alongside the signatures of both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

British artist Iain Alexander, who said he worked on the design after discussions with Trump, told the newspaper the President personally approved several revisions, including the addition of red, white, and blue patriotic styling as well as imagery tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.

“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said of Trump’s reaction.

Existing law, however, remains a major obstacle to the proposal.

The Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits living people from appearing on US currency after a Treasury official during the Civil War era controversially inserted his own likeness onto a bank note.

The ban also reflected America’s historic opposition to the European custom of placing reigning monarchs on national currency.

Still, Congress has the authority to change those rules through legislation.

Earlier this year, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation instructing the Treasury Department to issue a $250 Federal Reserve note carrying Trump’s portrait, although the bill has not yet moved forward in Congress.

Treasury officials stressed that no currency would be produced unless lawmakers formally approve the measure.

“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” a Treasury spokesperson said.

The discussion comes as the administration is also preparing for Trump’s signature to appear on American paper money for the first time.

The New York Times reported in March that US currency issued later this year would carry Trump’s signature alongside that of Bessent.

Backers of the proposal say the effort is a fitting tribute to Trump’s leadership during what supporters describe as America’s “Golden Age economic revival.” Opponents, meanwhile, argue the move would inject politics into one of the country’s most recognizable national symbols.

Financial and currency specialists warn that even if Congress approves the plan, implementation could take years because of anti-counterfeiting measures, Federal Reserve coordination, and the need to ensure compatibility with ATMs and other banking systems.

Despite those logistical hurdles, administration officials reportedly remain determined to advance the project ahead of next year’s major anniversary celebrations.

{Matzav.com}

A 14-year-old Toronto girl who had been missing for more than a week has been found safe, bringing an emotional end to an intensive citywide search effort.

Toronto police announced this afternoon that Esther had been located safely after days of mounting concern and widespread public attention.

Authorities said additional information would be released at a media briefing at the command post established in Earl Bales Park near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West.

Before she was found, investigators said Esther had last been seen shortly after midnight on May 16 near Bathurst Street and Hotspur Road, just south of Highway 401. Earlier police updates had indicated she was also seen in Earl Bales Park on May 15.

As the search escalated, police elevated the case to a Level 1 investigation, the highest level available, enabling the department to deploy specialized resources including canine teams, mounted officers, and marine units.

Police also created a dedicated hotline and distributed a QR code to collect information from the public as the search intensified. Esther’s parents made emotional appeals asking the community to assist in locating their daughter.

Throughout the investigation, police released very few details about the circumstances surrounding Esther’s disappearance and did not indicate that they believed she had been abducted.

Authorities have not yet revealed where Esther was found or how police ultimately located her.

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Esther’s family announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.

{Matzav.com}

Israel announced Thursday that it is suspending all contact with the office of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres after the UN placed Israeli entities on a blacklist connected to sexual violence in conflict zones.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said the Israeli Mission to the United Nations will no longer maintain relations with the Secretary-General’s office for as long as Guterres remains in charge of the organization.

The move follows Guterres’ decision to add Israeli entities to the controversial blacklist, a step Israeli officials sharply condemned as politically motivated and morally indefensible.

According to Israeli officials, the Israeli delegation and Ambassador Danon spent months engaging with UN representatives, supplying documentation, statistics, and detailed responses addressing every allegation raised against Israel over the past year.

Despite those efforts, Israeli officials said the Secretary-General chose to move ahead with the designation, placing Israel in the same category as Hamas and other terror groups.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said: “We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Iran have reached the outline of a possible agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch fresh negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, the White House confirmed Thursday, signaling a possible diplomatic breakthrough even as tensions remain dangerously high in the region.

Any final arrangement would still require President Trump’s approval. The administration pushed back sharply against reports that surfaced Wednesday claiming a deal had already been finalized, dismissing those accounts as “propaganda.” The developing framework emerged even after Iran reportedly violated the cease-fire Thursday by firing toward a U.S. military installation in Kuwait, according to US Central Command.

Even after that reported attack, Washington has continued to observe the cease-fire and has not yet resumed broader military operations against Iran.

Under the proposed framework, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports in return for Tehran restoring “unrestricted” maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, White House officials said. The arrangement would also trigger a 60-day diplomatic window during which American and Iranian officials would begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

As part of the deal, Iran would reportedly be prohibited from charging transit fees on vessels passing through the strategic waterway. Tehran would also be obligated to clear naval mines from the strait within 30 days.

The proposal further includes American commitments to discuss easing sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets during the negotiation process. In exchange, Iran would agree to discussions concerning the disposal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and future limits on uranium enrichment.

An Iranian source told The Post that the framework largely mirrors details leaked Thursday to Iranian media — despite the White House Rapid Response 47 account on X dismissing those reports as a “complete fabrication.”

According to the leaked version, the United States would remove military forces positioned around Iran and end the naval blockade surrounding Iranian ports. In return, Iran would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore civilian maritime activity to levels seen before the conflict within 30 days.

The leaked report also claimed the United States had agreed to permit Iran and Oman to jointly “manage” the strait after reopening it — a provision that appears to contradict longstanding American and international insistence that the waterway remain an international passage not controlled by any single country.

At the same time, senior Iranian officials appeared to publicly reject several principles reportedly included in the American proposal.

Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, outlined what he described as Tehran’s non-negotiable demands for any future agreement.

“Iran will not be pushed back by Trump’s rhetoric from its red lines: the right to enrich uranium, possession of enriched uranium, authority over the Strait of Hormuz, and the removal of sanctions,” Azizi said on X.

“It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement,” he added.

Still, regional officials suggested the proposed American framework could create room for compromise on some of the most contentious issues dividing the two sides. One possibility under discussion, according to a regional source, would involve degrading Iran’s highly enriched uranium inside Iran itself rather than removing it entirely from the country.

“If I were in Trump’s position, I would want the enriched material degraded on Iranian soil in the presence of American/international experts with structured mechanisms and benchmarks put in place,” one person said.

“Giving it to Russians, Chinese or Pakistanis doesn’t suit US interests,” the person added, referring to previously floated options of what to do with Iran’s uranium.

{Matzav.com}