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Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

• The first “Torah-24” center is in Yerushalayim

• 11 Kollelim with 163 avreichim will be learning at “Torah-24” every day

• Nigleh, Nistar, Chumash and Halacha – All under ONE ROOF

• Talmud Bavli / Yerushalmi – Kabbalah & Zohar – Rambam, Shulchan Aruch & Poskim, Zeraim – Taharos 

• The following SIX kollelim – Kollel Hashkomas Haboker, Kollel Yerushalmi, Kollel Bavli, Kollel Choshen Mishpat/Even Haezer, Kollel Erev Shabbos, Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos (Tikun Chatzot, Etz Chaim, Zohar, Tehillim) – are fully operational

• 24 hour תורה learning cycle – 6:00 am to 6:00 am – is divided into different shifts

• Each kollel shift has its own program, Rosh Kollel and avreichim

• Detailed monthly and annual tests – written and oral – for all avreichim 

• Already there are 77 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

“Torah-24 תורה” – where the voice of Torah is not absent from within the walls of the kollelim, not even for a minute…

“The idea … of day and night shifts of non-stop kollelim… the full range of subjects of the Torah… the derech of the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh and Hagaon Reb Chaim of Volozhin.”

– Nasi Maran Sar Hatorah, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l

“All who donate to and support “Torah-24 תורה” will merit all the brochos of the Torah, including those for refuos, yeshuos, parnossa tova and nachas from all their descendants, Amen”

– Maran Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l

At “Torah-24 תורה”, exceptional avreichim do not pause for a moment while studying all the areas of the holy Torah, with a shift of remarkable scholars studying the holy Zohar and the recitation of Tikun Chatzos at midnight. 

All who donate and support this holy endeavor of “Torah-24 תורה” should see brocha and success … children and grandchildren immersed in Torah and mitzvos… fulfillment of all the hopes of their hearts for good and with brocha. 

– Maran Hagaon Harav Moishe Sternbuch, shlit”a 

I join the esteemed Rabbanim and Gaonim, shlit”a, in endorsing the illustrious “Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” designated for outstanding talmidei chachomim, masters of Torah and yiras Shomayim, who spend their nights in Beis Hashem, engaging deeply in the concealed dimensions of Torah during this auspicious time of Divine Favor…

I hereby call upon my generous brethren to support this endeavor with significant sums, for through this they will attain the great merit of the hidden Torah studied at night. May you all be blessed by Hashem with many blessings in accordance with the greatness of the endeavor that you are supporting!

– Maran Hagaon Hamekubal, Harav Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit”a

“Support ‘Torah-24 תורה’ where the sound of Torah – nigleh and nistar – all hours of the day and night; and be blessed from shamayim that the Torah should never cease from your mouth; children bnei Torah; abundant parnassa and good health”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Badani, zt”l
Rosh Kollel Torah V’Chaim, Member Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah

“Torah-24 תורה” – groups of talmidei chachomim geonim in different shifts, delve in the subjects of Torah learning without interruption – Bavli, Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbala, Midrash, Tana”ch and more.  “Torah-24 תורה” is in actuality a wonderful continuation of the heichalei hakodesh and battei midrash of our holy Rabbonim – the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and the Nefesh Hachaim, zy”o. Who would not want to be part of this historical and amazing project “Torah-24 תורה”, and the greatness of its holy impact in both the supernal and lower realms?  “My brocha to all who support “Torah-24 תורה” – You should merit great abundance in both the spiritual and the material – supernal light, peace of mind, tranquility of the soul and bodily health. Only goodness and kindness should pursue you all the days of your lives, and you should dwell securely for your length of days.

– Maran Hamashpia Hagadol, ‘Reb Meilech’ Biderman, shlit”a

“Your kesher with ‘Torah-24 תורה’ will be a true ובהם נהגה יומם ולילה – and we will delve in them by day and by night”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shraga Steinman, shlit”a – Orchos Torah

“Talmidei Chachomim of ‘Torah-24 תורה’ delve into all sectors of Torah – Bavli and Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbalah – Nistar”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Gallai, shlit”a – Bnei Brak

Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” is a precious link in the golden chain of the glorious Torah empire “Torah-24”… bringing tremendous delight to the Ribbono shel Olam. Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor.

– Maran HaMekubal Rav Abish Zehnwirth, shlit”a

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

The Justice Department is pushing back against James Comey’s attempt to have a criminal case against him dismissed, arguing that “there is no serious dispute” that the onetime FBI director’s controversial “86 47” seashell post could reasonably have been interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump.

Federal prosecutors are also challenging Comey’s claim that he simply stumbled across seashells arranged to display “86 47” during a walk on a North Carolina beach. In court filings Tuesday, the government suggested that the May 2025 Instagram post may also have been connected to efforts to generate attention for Comey’s then-upcoming novel, which centers on a social media figure whose rhetoric inspires followers to attack his enemies.

The filings offer the government’s most extensive explanation to date of the allegations underlying Comey’s indictment. They came in response to multiple defense motions seeking dismissal of the charges, including arguments that Comey is the target of a vindictive prosecution and that his social media post did not constitute a legally actionable threat.

Comey’s attorneys have accused investigators of misleading judges, including false information in documents, omitting important facts and repeatedly failing to uncover evidence establishing that Comey intended to threaten Trump physically or understood the number 86 as a reference to violence.

Merriam-Webster defines “86” as meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Prosecutors, however, contend that the image of seashells displaying “86 47” amounted to a threat against Trump. Comey removed the Instagram post shortly after publishing it and said he had been unaware that the numbers could be viewed as encouraging violence. His attorneys maintain that the expression has long been used to mean to “get rid of” or “eject” someone and has appeared widely on merchandise and signs at political demonstrations.

The Justice Department argued that the post should also be considered in the context of assassination attempts and alleged plots targeting Trump during the period surrounding Comey’s post. According to prosecutors, just two minutes before Comey published the image, his wife sent him a screenshot containing a definition of “86” that said “to get rid of or refuse service.”

“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump,’” prosecutors wrote.

The government also highlighted the timing of the controversy, noting that Comey was only days away from releasing his novel “FDR Drive.” The book features a prosecutor pursuing a far-right social media personality who publicly identifies his enemies and whose followers are inspired to commit acts of violence against them.

According to the government’s filings, Comey’s publishing agent texted him after the Instagram controversy erupted and observed that he had “gone viral.” Comey replied that that was “not my intention, but I’ll be OK if it sells books.” The agent responded, ”Music to an agent’s ears.”

Prosecutors further questioned whether Comey actually discovered the seashell arrangement by chance. They said there was “reason to doubt” his account because the shells were found roughly 4 miles from the beachfront property where he was staying and in a location separated from the ocean by a sand dune. Investigators also said there was “no evidence that anyone else arranged, photographed, or even saw the shells.”

Comey’s attorneys have characterized the prosecution — his second indictment within a year — as part of a campaign of retaliation by Trump against a prominent critic. Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017 while the bureau was investigating possible connections between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, and the two have remained bitter adversaries in the years since.

The Justice Department rejected the claim that Comey was prosecuted out of political revenge, maintaining that the decision to bring charges was made by the local U.S. attorney and was not the result of instructions from either President Trump or the attorney general.

The sweltering Middle East summer commute got a bit cooler for some public transportation riders this week after the first air-conditioned bus stop was launched in Israel.

The innovative pilot project saw a water-based air-cooling system installed at a city bus stop located in the central Israeli city of Holon.

The pilot is slated to run all week at the bus stop opposite the city’s mall, and if successful, will be expanded to additional bus stops throughout the city.

The system installed on the roof of the station disperses tiny droplets into the air, absorbing heat through evaporation.

“Waiting for the bus in the sweltering heat is part of daily life for thousands of residents, and we want to change even these seemingly small things that have a significant impact on the quality of life in the city,” said Holon Mayor Shai Kenan. JNS

WATCH:

Israel’s policy for Gaza is to “remove threats, eliminate terrorists, and exact retribution from anyone who took part in the [Oct. 7, 2023,] massacre,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces eliminated Hamas terrorists in Gaza earlier in the day and will “continue to act with force to protect our soldiers and ensure the peace for the southern communities—from within the security zone,” Katz added in Hebrew.

The IDF presently controls roughly half of the Gaza Strip, a territory referred to as the security zone.

Katz’s statement comes on the backdrop of increased IDF activity in the Gaza Strip over the past week, as well as the arrival in Israel of U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner, who is leading international efforts to demilitarize the Palestinian territory.

The IDF targeted a gathering of Hamas Nukhba Force commanders in an airstrike in the Shati area in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, including a terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

According to the military, the strike killed a company commander, three platoon commanders and several other terrorists who were planning attacks against Israeli troops operating in the enclave. One of the terrorists had infiltrated Israeli territory during the Oct. 7 invasion, the IDF said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF said it had killed on Aug. 16 a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Be’eri and participated in the abduction of an Israeli civilian during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

Tareq Anwar Khamis Ra’i, a company commander in PIJ’s supply unit, was killed in an Israeli strike in the Khan Yunis area, according to the military. The IDF said he had recently been advancing terrorist attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

The army said it used precise munitions and aerial surveillance to mitigate harm to civilians.

In addition, IDF troops sealed two Hamas underground tunnel routes east of the Yellow Line, totaling more than two kilometers in central and southern Gaza, the military said on Wednesday.

Soldiers under the command of the Gaza Division’s Engineering Unit completed the operation as part of the effort to neutralize the Palestinian terrorist organizations’ tunnel network across the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

Kushner: Washington addressed Jerusalem concerns over Gaza roadmap

Meanwhile on Monday, Kushner said that progress toward Gaza’s demilitarization could begin within 30 days, following a nearly four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kushner told Fox News that Washington would not support rebuilding Gaza before demilitarization, adding that the administration had addressed Israeli concerns about the Board of Peace roadmap and clarified that Israel’s right to act against imminent threats would not be restricted.

Top Israeli officials, including the prime minister, have repeatedly stated that the IDF will not leave Gaza before Hamas is fully disarmed.

Netanyahu on Aug. 9 said publicly that “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” referring to the disarmament roadmap announced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on July 30.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that there was no disagreement between Israel and the United States over disarming Hamas and ensuring the terrorist group has no future in the Gaza Strip.

Huckabee, who attended meetings on Monday with Netanyahu, described the talks as “intense and thoughtful, but respectful.”

He rejected reports of a rift, saying some accounts of the discussions were “simply fake news” and “invented out of thin air.”

A Hamas delegation arrived earlier in the week in Egypt to probe alternative ways of advancing the 15-point roadmap, a Hamas official told AFP.

The source was quoted as saying that talks would cover “the latest developments in the negotiations and the efforts being made to compel Israel to abide by the agreement,” apparently referring to previous Hamas statements that it would start handing its arms to a technocratic Palestinian body only after the IDF withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Leaders of the terrorist group also reportedly met with Kushner. JNS

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday visited a facility where terrorists found guilty of murder will be hanged. The site, currently under construction, is located in central Israel. Its exact location has not been revealed.

The facility will include a “dedicated wing” where terrorists sentenced to death will be transferred and await hanging. It will also include the gallows, which will be located in the center of that wing. Viewing booths will allow surviving victims and their families to watch the proceedings. Of the viewing booths, Ben-Gvir said that this is customary in other countries, including the United States.

While many, but not all, terrorists who carry out attacks in Israel are killed in the act by security forces, Ben-Gvir said that those that do survive will meet their fate at the facility behind him.

“We are making history,” he declared. “Terrorists deserve only one thing: death by hanging.”

With national elections scheduled for Oct. 27, the National Security Minister appealed to his base in a video post, stressing that he has kept his electoral promises.

“I promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons. It was fully carried out. I promised to pass the death penalty law for terrorists. That’s done. I promised to establish a [hanging] facility. And that’s carried out,” he said, pointing to the construction site behind him.

The death penalty law the minister referred to was passed by the Knesset on March 30 by a vote of 62-48. The law was sponsored by a member of his Otzma Yehudit Party, whose husband was killed in a terrorist attack.

“From now on, every mother in Judea and Samaria will know that if her son goes out to murder, his sentence is the gallows,” Ben Gvir said at the time.

In 2023, Ben Gvir also tightened restrictions on security prisoners, those held for nationalistically motivated attacks or membership in terrorist groups.

He reduced shower times, closed prison bakeries and banned family visits. His separate ban on visits by Knesset members to prisoners was overturned by Israel’s Supreme Court in April 2026. JNS

A new Channel 14 poll released Tuesday night shows a dramatic shift in Israel’s political landscape, with the right-wing bloc climbing to a solid 63-seat majority while the parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid suffer major losses.

The survey, published immediately following the Likud primaries, gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud 32 seats, keeping it comfortably in first place despite slipping by one seat from the previous poll. The opposition bloc falls by two seats to 46, while the Arab parties collectively receive 11 seats.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party finishes a strong second with 24 seats, gaining one seat from last week. Shas follows with 10 seats, while the Democrats receive nine.

Otzma Yehudit records one of the more significant gains in the poll, rising by two seats to eight. Yisrael Beytenu falls to seven seats, while United Torah Judaism also receives seven. Religious Zionism remains unchanged from the previous week with six seats.

Bennett’s Beyachad party suffers a particularly steep decline, falling to just six seats and moving considerably closer to the electoral threshold.

Among the Arab parties, Ra’am receives six seats, an increase of one from last week, while Hadash-Ta’al wins five.

Several parties fail to cross the electoral threshold. Balad polls at 2.1%, Zionist Home Reservists at 1.2%, Zehut at 1.1%, Ofer Winter at 0.9%, Blue and White at 0.4%, and a potential party led by Gilad Erdan receives just 0.1%.

The poll paints an even more decisive picture when respondents were asked which political leader is best suited to serve as prime minister.

Netanyahu leads the field by a wide margin with 55% support. Eisenkot finishes a distant second with 35%, while Bennett receives just 6%, Avigdor Liberman 3%, and Benny Gantz 1%.

In a direct head-to-head question between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, Netanyahu maintains a clear advantage, with 55% saying they prefer him as prime minister compared to 45% who choose Eisenkot.

{Matzav.com}

Shas spokesman Asher Medina has rejected accusations from the Noam party that Shas copied its election slogan, “Derech Emunah Bacharti” — “I have chosen the path of faith” — insisting that the phrase was never the centerpiece of Noam’s campaign.

Speaking Tuesday evening on Kol Chai’s “Central Edition,” hosted by Shneur Weber, Medina responded to a warning letter sent by Noam after Shas began using the phrase, which had previously appeared in Noam campaign material.

Medina said Shas had been developing its campaign for weeks and that the slogan was not hastily adopted from another party.

“This campaign, we have been working on it for two weeks in the final polishing stages,” Medina said, explaining that Shas deliberately waited until after the Likud primaries before formally unveiling its new election message.

Addressing Noam’s argument that it had used the phrase first, Medina said the party itself had publicly presented a different slogan as the central theme of its campaign.

“The Noam party came out with great fanfare and loudly announced that they launched the campaign with their slogan ‘To be a Jew in our land.’ That is how it was published on all the websites and in all the press releases,” Medina said.

Medina acknowledged that Noam had previously used “Derech Emunah Bacharti,” but maintained that its use had been limited rather than part of the party’s primary campaign.

“It is true that there is some one sign where they did use the words ‘Derech Emunah Bacharti.’ Very nice that they thought of it,” he said.

“I don’t think we took a campaign from them. It is not their campaign, it is not what they have invested in until now, nor is it what they publicized everywhere. Therefore, I don’t see this as any copying or anything that we would not be able to use,” Medina added.

Medina said Shas was also drawn to the phrase because of the broader public significance it acquired surrounding the return of hostage Agam Berger from captivity.

“When we sat down now to work on the elections, these words grabbed us,” Medina said. “When you want to choose which path and what character the country will have — what could be more fitting than this slogan?”

{Matzav.com}