Another day, another reckless stunt from Shuvu Banim. This time, nearly 800 of their followers, along with members of the Breslov community, gathered at what they claim is the kever of Rav Ashi—right along the Israel-Lebanon border, in a highly sensitive military zone. The IDF, already stretched thin dealing with real security threats, was tasked with escorting them to this so-called “holy site.” But there’s just one glaring problem: there isn’t a shred of evidence that Rav Ashi is buried there. Rav Ashi, the great Amora who played a pivotal role in compiling the Gemara, lived and died in Bavel. Every serious historical and Talmudic source supports this, and none place him in Eretz Yisroel, let alone on the Lebanon border. Talmud Bavli (Bava Basra 157b) describes his death but does not indicate that he ever set foot in Eretz Yisrael. His entire life and scholarly work were centered in Sura, Babylonia, without a single reference to travel or burial in the land of Israel. The 10th-century historical account by Rav Sherira Gaon, one of the most authoritative sources on the lives of the Talmudic sages, explicitly states that Rav Ashi died in Sura: “ורב אשי זקן בסורא ומית שם”—“And Rav Ashi grew old in Sura and died there.” Nowhere does it suggest his body was transported elsewhere or that he had any connection to the region now claimed as his burial site. Lebanon, though part of the broader Land of Israel in antiquity, was not a center of Jewish scholarship during Rav Ashi’s time. The primary Torah hubs were in Babylonia (Sura and Pumbedisa) and in Eretz Yisrael (Teverya). There is simply no historical record of Rav Ashi ever having ties to the region near the modern Israel-Lebanon border. And yet, despite overwhelming evidence that this so-called “kever” is nothing more than a baseless myth, nearly 800 people risked their safety—and the safety of IDF soldiers—to visit it. This isn’t the first time Shuvu Banim members have caused chaos over this fabricated holy site. Just last month, twenty of them illegally crossed into Lebanon to daven there, leading to arrests. Days later, another thirty attempted the same, with four detained after confrontations with security forces. Now, with IDF protection, the crowd swelled to nearly 800, forcing the army to divert resources to facilitate this madness. Even if the claim about the kever had any legitimacy, does anyone seriously believe that Rav Ashi—who dedicated his life to Torah—would have wanted people endangering themselves and others just to visit his gravesite? How many of those who went on this pilgrimage have ever even learned a daf of Gemara in their lives? There is a clear difference between genuine Jewish tradition and reckless, cult-like behavior. Authentic Judaism values Torah, intellect, and truth. This spectacle was the opposite—a dangerous and irrational obsession with unverified “kevarim” that puts lives at risk. No serious talmid chacham would endorse this. Rav Ashi himself, the very man who codified our Gemara, would never have supported such a baseless and reckless pilgrimage. Torah is about truth, not hysteria. Time and again, Shuvu Banim has proven that their priorities lie elsewhere. Whether through their fanatical devotion to their twisted leader or their obsession with fabricated traditions, they continue to create crises, expecting the military to accommodate their fantasies. The […]
A 14-year-old shot and killed a police officer and wounded another Friday evening in New Jersey, authorities said, in a chaotic scene that witnesses described as seeing officers running down a busy street before they heard a volley of a dozen or more gunshots. The slain officer, 26-year-old Joseph Azcona, was part of a team of Newark police detectives and federal agents that had gone to capture a suspect in an illegal weapons sting when the officer was fired on in his vehicle, authorities said. “He didn’t even get a chance to step out of the vehicle before he was struck,” Emanuel Miranda, Newark’s director of public safety, told a Saturday morning news conference with Newark’s mayor and top prosecutor. Miranda called Azcona a “true hero.” The other officer who was struck was hospitalized with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening, authorities said. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the shooting a “heinous, callous disregard for humanity” and that officers had gone to the scene knowing that “grave danger was possible.” Police took five people into custody, including the 14-year-old who was charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of illegal weapons, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stevens II told the news conference. The 14-year-old was shot and hospitalized with injuries that were not life threatening, Stevens said. Stevens did not identify the boy or the other four people in custody who he said were undergoing questioning by investigators Saturday. Stevens and Miranda gave few other details about what led police to the group that fired on Azcona, the ensuing police response or the shootout. One gun was recovered, Stevens said. It and officers’ guns were being evaluated to determine which of them were fired and how many shots were fired, he said. Azcona. a five-year veteran of the Newark police force, was promoted to detective two years ago and assigned to an intelligence unit that was the “best of the best,” Miranda said. Azcona and the other officer were shot around 6:37 p.m. in the area of Broadway and Carteret after the team of detectives and federal agents went to investigate a report of illegal firearms activity, authorities said. Witnesses said they heard a string of gunshots after they saw officers running down the street on a commercial strip between a McDonald’s and White Castle restaurants near the Passaic River. Witness Randy Mejia told WCBS-TV right before he heard gunshots that he saw officers running. “It sounded like a car accident and it went boom, boom, boom,” Mejia said. The wounded officers were taken to University Hospital in Newark, where Azcona was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m., Stevens said. Azcona’s mother, father and brother were at the hospital to see him and grieve after the shooting, Miranda said. Police declined to identify the officer who was wounded. Baraka expressed frustration that society hasn’t figured out a way to prevent a 14-year-old with a firearm from shooting at police. “We just have to do a better job. I have to do a better job. Our families have to do a better job. The community has to do a better job at making sure that our children are not handling guns in the street, shooting at police officers,” Baraka said. “This is not a police problem. This is our problem. […]
A dedicated morah, Rebbetzin Rotenberg a”h taught thousands of girls over the years at Bais Yaakov and Bais Kayla, leaving a lasting impact on generations of young women. Her wisdom, warmth, and dedication to chinuch shaped the lives of many in the Lakewood community and beyond. Read the full story on Lakewood Alerts.
Renewal Refill Raffle – Transform Lives! Join Renewal’s Refill Raffle and make a difference while getting a chance to win incredible prizes! Your participation supports a life-changing cause—helping kidney patients in need of transplants while giving you the opportunity to win luxurious rewards. CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 🎁 Top Prizes: 🏝 $4,000 Dream Vacation 💎 $4,000 Luxury Jewelry 🛍 Amazon Shopping Spree & More! How It Works Purchase raffle tickets and choose from premium and regular ticket options. Every ticket brings hope to those waiting for a second chance at life! Exciting Prizes Await You! Raffle to take place before Purim! CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
President Trump reacts to the Democrats’ outrageous behavior at his joint address: “There’s something wrong with them. I can’t even believe it… they were talking about men playing in women’s sports… they had their signs—their little tiny signs… it’s unbelievable. They don’t get it.”
President Trump discusses his tariff pause on some Canadian and Mexican imports: “I wanted to help the American car makers, until April 2nd. April 2nd it becomes all reciprocal — what they charges us, we charge them.”
TRUMP ON ZELENSKYY: “He took money out of this country under Biden like candy from a baby … I just don’t think he’s grateful … he’s talking about the fact they fought, and they have this bravery, because somebody has to use the weapons.”
BREAKING: Two people in their mid-30s were injured by a suspected car bomb on the Ayalon Highway in southern Tel Aviv, near the La Guardia interchange, police say. The Magen David Adom service treated one with moderate injuries and another with light injuries from a burning car. Authorities are investigating the blast, likely linked to underworld crime rather than terrorism.
Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat) on standing and clapping during Trump’s speech: “A few of us said that we should be respectful, because it’s about the institutions of American democracy.”
SpaceX owner Elon Musk has said that the Starlink satellite system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army, adding that Kiev’s entire front line would collapse in case of the country’s disconnection from the system.
The streets of Boro Park were packed with Belzer Chasidim, who accompanied the son of the Belzer Rebbe home on Motzei Shabbos, followed by a Shabbos of Achdus. As YWN reported, HaRav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach arrived in NY on Friday morning.
HaRav Ezreil Aurbach, and HaRav Meir Aurbach, by the kever of their brother Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Aurbach ZT’l today on his 7th yartzeit, the 9th of Adar.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announced in his latest weekly address “the resumption of naval operations against Israeli ships” if the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is not renewed within four days. Senior Houthi officials threatened last month that if the ceasefires in Gaza or Lebanon collapse, they will resume the launch of missiles at Israel.
A man was shot dead by the Secret Service during an armed confrontation near the White House overnight. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident.
Shlomi Lahiani, the former mayor of Bat Yam, was lightly injured in a car explosion on Sunday afternoon along the Ayalon Highway near the La Guardia interchange in southern Tel Aviv. The incident, which authorities have classified as criminal in nature rather than a terrorist attack, also left another man with moderate injuries. Both victims, aged approximately 35, were treated at the scene and transported to Wolfson Hospital in stable condition. Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics Neriya Ben Moshe and Shai Becker described the chaotic scene: “We arrived and saw two vehicles in the middle of the road alongside two injured individuals suffering from blast injuries. Both had limb injuries. We provided them with initial medical treatment and transported them to the hospital while they were fully conscious and in stable conditions.” According to police reports, the explosion is suspected to be a car bomb, with early indications pointing to underworld crime as the likely motive. Numerous police forces quickly descended on the scene to investigate, cordoning off the area as emergency responders worked to secure the highway. The Times of Israel reported that one of the vehicles was engulfed in flames following the blast, with one victim sustaining moderate injuries due to shrapnel and burns to his limbs, while the second—identified as Lahiani—was in light condition. Authorities have not yet released further details about the second victim or the precise circumstances leading to the explosion. Lahiani, a prominent figure in Bat Yam’s recent history, served as mayor of the coastal city south of Tel Aviv for over a decade before stepping down. His tenure was marked by both development projects and controversies, though no official connection has been made between his past and this incident. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
