Matzav

In his weekly shiur last night at the Yazdim Shul, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef shared a personal and little-known family story explaining why his father, Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l, made a lifelong decision to decline serving as sandek at the bris of twins.

Rav Yosef revealed that the decision stemmed from a traumatic incident many years earlier. According to his account, his father once served as sandek for twin boys. Several weeks later, one of the infants tragically passed away. The event left a profound mark on Rav Ovadia, who feared that serving as sandek for two children in succession might involve ayin hara.

“After that,” Rav Yitzchak Yosef related, “my father was afraid. He said perhaps it was ayin hara, that one person was sandek for two children one after the other.” From that point on, whenever Rav Ovadia was invited to such a bris, he firmly declined to serve as sandek for both infants, saying, “I will sit for one—bring someone else for the second.” Rav Yosef added that his father carried genuine pain over the episode and consistently refused thereafter.

During the same shiur, Rav Yosef offered practical guidance regarding the laws and customs of bris milah. He emphasized the importance of choosing a sandek who is a talmid chacham, while noting that the primary requirement for the mohel is professional competence. “A sandek, it is important to choose a talmid chochom,” he said. “As for the mohel, what matters most is that he knows how to perform the milah. If he is also a talmid chochom and available, that is preferable, but otherwise one may choose a skilled mohel.”

Rav Yosef also addressed tefillah customs on the day of a bris, stating clearly that when a bris milah takes place on Tu B’Shevat, vidui is not recited. He mentioned having heard a stringent ruling from another rov who suggested that if a bris is held late in the afternoon, vidui should still be said, even proposing a “penalty” for delaying the bris. Rav Yosef rejected that approach.

He concluded with sharp criticism of the practice of postponing a bris milah until the afternoon hours. Citing the ruling of the Or Zarua, he stressed that delaying the milah is considered a ביזוי מצוה, a degradation of the mitzvah. “Why do a bris at two in the afternoon?” he asked pointedly. “A person waits years, davens, perhaps has many daughters and finally merits a son—and then he delays the bris until the afternoon?” He urged parents to perform the bris before midday whenever possible, reiterating that delaying it unnecessarily diminishes the honor of the mitzvah.

{Matzav.com}

The White House stands about 70 feet tall. The Lincoln Memorial, roughly 100 feet. The triumphal arch President Donald Trump wants to build would eclipse both if he gets his wish.

Trump has grown attached to the idea of a 250-foot-tall structure overlooking the Potomac River, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe his comments, a scale that has alarmed some architectural experts who initially supported the idea of an arch but expected a far smaller one.

The planned Independence Arch is intended to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. Built to Trump’s specifications, it would transform a small plot of land between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery into a dominant new monument, reshaping the relationship between the two memorials and obstructing pedestrians’ views.

Trump has considered smaller versions of the arch, including 165-foot-high and 123-foot-high designs he shared at a dinner last year. But he has favored the largest option, arguing that its sheer size would impress visitors to Washington, and that “250 for 250” makes the most sense, the people said.

Architectural experts counter that the size of the monument – installed in the center of a traffic circle – would distort the intent of the surrounding memorials.

“I don’t think an arch that large belongs there,” said Catesby Leigh, an art critic who conceived of a more modest, temporary arch in a 2024 essay – an idea that his allies championed and brought to the White House. His allies also passed along Leigh’s recommendation of an architect, Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, who has been retained by the White House to work on the project.

Charbonneau did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about the arch’s height, the White House on Saturday referred to the president’s previous comments.

“The one that people know mostly is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. And we’re gonna top it by, I think, a lot,” Trump said at a White House Christmas reception in December.

The Arc de Triomphe – already one of the world’s largest triumphal arches – measures 164 feet.

Trump also told Politico in December that he hoped to begin construction of the arch within two months, a timeline that appears unlikely given that White House officials have yet to make the final plans public or submit them to federal review panels. Memorial Circle, the plot of land that the president has eyed, is controlled by the National Park Service.

The White House reiterated the president’s desire to have an iconic monument.

The arch will become “one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement sent to The Washington Post after this article’s publication. “President Trump’s bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come.”

Washington does not have a triumphal arch, making it unusual among major cities that have built arches to commemorate wars and celebrate milestones, and some historians and civic leaders have long argued that such a monument is needed.

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., an Atlanta-based developer and president of the National Monuments Foundation, proposed a peace arch to Washington leaders in 2000 before the plans were withdrawn in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Cook later built a monumental arch in Atlanta, the Millennium Gate Museum, intended to celebrate Georgia’s history.

Trump this month appointed Cook to the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal panel that would be set to review and approve the design of new monuments in Washington – including the president’s potential arch.

Trump on Jan. 23 also posted images on his Truth Social platform with no comment that depict three versions of a large triumphal arch, including one option with gold gilding – a hallmark of Trump’s construction projects. Asked about the president’s post, White House officials said that the arch design continues to be refined. The White House also said the plan to put a large Lady Liberty statue atop the arch, which was included in previous concepts presented by Trump and Charbonneau but not in the president’s Truth Social post, has not been abandoned.

City planners have eyed the land around what is now Memorial Circle for more than a century. A 1901-1902 report overseen by the Senate Park Commission, which laid the groundwork to construct the National Mall and beautify much of the city’s core, appears to envision some sort of structure in the circle, drawings show. Architect William Kendall in 1928 also presented plans to the Commission of Fine Arts to construct a memorial there.

Local historians and architectural experts have said that a large arch could change the relationship between several historic sites, including Arlington Memorial Bridge itself, which was intended as a bridge between North and South in the wake of the Civil War, and memorials for Lincoln and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

“It’s a very somber corridor,” said John Haigh, the chair of Benedictine College’s architecture program, who visited Memorial Circle with his students last year to consider the arch project. “We discussed the gravity of putting an arch there,” particularly one intended to be triumphal.

The structure as planned could obstruct views of Arlington House, the former Lee estate that sits on a hillside in Arlington National Cemetery.

“I would be very concerned about the scale,” said Calder Loth, a retired senior architectural historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, warning that a 250-foot-high arch could alter pedestrians’ views as they approach Arlington National Cemetery from Washington. “It would make Arlington House just look like a dollhouse – or you couldn’t see it all, with the arch blocking the view.”

They also cautioned that, barring major changes to the circle, it could be difficult for pedestrians to visit a potential monument there, given the busy motor traffic.

Loth also invoked the vantage point from Arlington National Cemetery, where visitors often look across the river toward the Lincoln Memorial and the capital beyond – a view he said the proposed arch would reshape.

“How does it impact the panorama of Washington?” Loth said, invoking a question that he said should guide designers of monuments. “What is supposed to be doing the speaking?”

Leigh initially proposed a 60-foot arch that could pop up as a temporary structure to mark America’s 250th. Trump instead wants a permanent arch, more than four times larger, funded with leftover private donations to his White House ballroom project, which he has said could cost about $400 million. Publicly identified donors to the ballroom project, such as Amazon, Google and Lockheed Martin, collectively have billions of dollars in contracts before the administration.

Any construction plan for the arch would probably need to go through several review panels and potentially require the sign-off of Congress, given laws around constructing monuments in Washington.

Trump’s interest in enlarging the arch mirrors his desire to expand the White House ballroom, which last year sparked clashes with James McCrery II, the architect initially tapped for the project. Shalom Baranes, the architect now leading that work, told federal review panels this month that White House officials have halted plans to make the ballroom even larger.

Leigh suggested a compromise location that could allow Trump his large monument without imposing on other structures.

“If you’re going to build an arch that big, you should build it in another part of town and one possible site that comes to mind is Barney Circle,” Leigh said, referencing a site in Southeast Washington next to Congressional Cemetery, overlooking the Anacostia River. “There’s nothing around it competing with it.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

Anger is mounting across New York City as residents confront growing piles of trash lining sidewalks more than a week after a major winter storm buried the city under over a foot of snow, with garbage collection still lagging behind, according to the NY Post.

The scope of the problem was on full display overnight, when a Post reporter encountered stacks of garbage bags and flattened cardboard boxes clogging sidewalks in multiple neighborhoods, the result of sanitation crews struggling to keep up after the storm.

On the Upper East Side, one resident complained that a trash pile near his home has grown “higher than a car.”

“It’s very dirty,” Frederick Radie, 55, told The NY Post, saying garbage has gone untouched “since the first snowfall last weekend.”

The longtime resident, who has lived in the area for 35 years, said the situation has become awkward with guests in town. “Actually, we have people visiting, and it’s a little embarrassing,” he said, while his partner, Mirys Rosa, blasted Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s calls for patience.

“This was like two weeks ago,” the 61-year-old said angrily, describing the trash-filled streets as “so gross, it’s disgusting.”

City sanitation officials said Wednesday that limited garbage collection had resumed and instructed residents to place trash curbside as normal, though recycling should be held back. Officials cautioned that delays would continue as snow removal efforts remain ongoing.

By Saturday, the Department of Sanitation acknowledged to The Post that operations were still running behind schedule, citing only “slight delays.”

“We are prioritizing trash and composting (the stuff that gets gross), but New Yorkers can follow their regular schedule,” a department spokesperson said.

“We are running hundreds of collection trucks each day in addition to ongoing snow operations. We just ask for patience as we catch up.”

For many residents, however, that patience is quickly evaporating.

“It’s very concerning,” said Chris Kendal, 38.

“They usually pick the recycle up on a Monday, so it’s Saturday, so it’s almost been a week. I don’t know why they can’t pick it up. I mean, buses are still running, and the city is still operating. So I’m not sure why they’re not able to reduce some of the garbage on the streets.”

Not everyone was critical. Another Upper East Side resident said that while the trash buildup is an “eyesore,” sanitation workers have been overwhelmed for much of the month.

In the Bronx, conditions were no better. Garbage bags were scattered along the Grand Concourse, just a block from where Mamdani appeared at a public event Saturday afternoon.

A 51-year-old resident of the 5.2-mile historic boulevard said trash has been accumulating for nearly three days and warned that the problem is escalating as homeless individuals rip open bags searching for usable items.

“Every time it snows, it gets worse,” said the Local 157 union member.

“Right now, the people in the neighborhood, they cleaned up as much as we could, but the city hasn’t really been doing much, like down the block by the courthouse, they clean that up. The garbage attracts more rats and it makes the neighborhood look bad.”

Similar complaints surfaced on the Upper West Side, where recycling bags have crowded streets. Doorman Angel Martinez said nothing has been removed since Jan. 19, close to two weeks ago.

“Once in a while that happens where there is a big storm,” he said.

“Hopefully they’ll come soon.”

{Matzav.com}

In a lengthy profile published by The New York Times, the paper took an in-depth look at Mr. Jacob Kornbluh, the chassidic journalist who has earned a prominent place among reporters covering New York City’s new mayor. The article explored the tension between Kornbluh’s professional role—working closely with Mayor Zohran Mamdani—and his life within the chassidic community of Boro Park, as well as how he defines his own identity: a chassidic journalist or a journalist who is chassidic.

Kornbluh, 44, a resident of Boro Park, serves as the senior political reporter for The Forward. He has established himself as the most visible chassidic journalist following Mamdani’s rise in city politics, particularly amid tensions between the mayor and New York’s Jewish community over Mamdani’s anti-Israel positions.

Sources in the mayor’s circle told the Times that they view Kornbluh as a key channel for communicating with Jewish voters. Mamdani himself praised the journalist, saying he is “a thoughtful and enterprising reporter who doesn’t just cover the conversation across the five boroughs, but helps drive it.”

The Times profile noted that despite the administration’s outreach, Kornbluh maintains a critical stance. During a press conference at the mayor’s residence, Kornbluh quipped as he invited himself to dine there, saying, “Since you won’t be serving pork, I’d be honored to eat in your kitchen.” He then pressed Mamdani with a pointed question about the delayed condemnation of demonstrations that included pro-Hamas chants, asking, “Do you think it’s fair to criticize the timing?”

Kornbluh’s professional visibility has also created ongoing friction within the chassidic community in Boro Park. He told the Times that he is often met with taunts in shul. “People say, ‘Oh, go back to covering Zohran,’” Kornbluh recounted. “They needle me as if I’m the one enabling him.”

He said that the contrast between his work in secular political circles and his communal life raises eyebrows among those around him. “In our community, if you’re Orthodox, you stay in your Orthodox circle—with the clothing, with the same people,” he explained.

Kornbluh added that he has faced harsh reactions over photos of himself with women and similar issues. “I’ve gotten nasty comments about pictures with women and all that stuff. ‘Hey, I’m a professional journalist.’ ‘What’s a professional journalist? We don’t need that,’” he recalled.

His path into journalism was anything but conventional. Kornbluh grew up in London in a Belzer chassidishe family and studied in yeshivos in Israel, where he began developing an interest in politics. “The next day, I’d go to yeshiva and relay all that news to my classmates. I was kind of a reporter,” he said.

After immigrating to New York, he spent years working at food stands and in a pizzeria in Boro Park, while running a political blog and using digital tools to improve his writing. “My English was terrible,” he admitted about his early days.

In recent years, Kornbluh has become a regular presence at political events, from election coverage to celebrations in the Jewish community.

Hanging above his desk in the newsroom is a photograph of himself reporting from Israel after the events of October 7. Pointing to it with a smile, he said, “That’s my Zionist photo. Sorry, Zohran.”

Despite the complexity of his position, Kornbluh insists he sees no contradiction between his way of life and his profession. At home in Boro Park, as he prepares for Shabbos while listening to updates from the mayor’s office, he sums up his professional identity: “I’m a member of the community, and I have a profession. I’m not this ‘chassidic journalist.’ I’m a journalist who is chassidic.”

{Matzav.com}

Egged has agreed to compensate a passenger with NIS 40,000 after one of its drivers ordered him to get off a bus on the grounds that it was a “girls-only” route. The passenger sued the company, alleging unlawful discrimination and a violation of his right to dignity and equality. Egged said the driver acted contrary to company procedures and that disciplinary measures were taken against him, while the Ministry of Transportation announced that a criminal investigation has been opened.

The incident involved Egged and occurred about a year ago on Line 91 in Haifa, according to a report by N12. The plaintiff, Saar Koren, a 27-year-old Technion student who lives in the city, said he was stunned when he was told to leave the bus.

“It was Friday afternoon and I had a few errands to run. I wanted to get to the Ziv Center in the city. On my phone I saw that the first bus going there was 91, a line I hadn’t used before. The bus was full of chareidi girls returning from school, around age 9,” Koren recalled.

He said that during the ride, “the girls shouted at me to get off, because ‘this is a girls-only bus.’ They went over to the driver after realizing I didn’t intend to get off. In the meantime, at one of the stops a chareidi passerby boarded and also asked me to get off. At some point the driver intervened and told me he was sorry, that he hadn’t known, but that he was asking me to get off because I ‘need to respect that this is a girls-only bus,’ and that he wasn’t prepared to continue driving until I got off.”

According to Koren, he argued with the driver for several minutes over whether removing a passenger in this manner was lawful, until he eventually got off the bus feeling “humiliated and shaken.”

Koren filed suit against Egged on the grounds of “unlawful discrimination and harm to the right to dignity and equality.” The parties ultimately reached a settlement under which Egged agreed to pay him NIS 40,000, and now the Magistrate’s Court in Rishon LeZion gave the settlement the force of a court judgment.

In a response, Egged said, “The driver acted in complete contradiction to company instructions and procedures, and disciplinary steps were taken against him. The company regrets the incident and emphasizes that it will continue to act to ensure equal and respectful service for the entire public.”

The Ministry of Transportation said in a statement: “The Ministry of Transportation, together with the National Public Transportation Authority, treats any claim of exclusion or discrimination in public transportation with severity. This is a public route open to all passengers, and any deviation from this is contrary to the ministry’s guidelines and the law. Following the complainant’s approach to the Ministry of Transportation, he was summoned and gave testimony on the matter. The case was examined and a criminal investigation was opened, which was conducted in full by investigators from the National Public Transportation Authority.

“The Ministry of Transportation and the National Public Transportation Authority will continue to act decisively to ensure that public transportation services are provided in an equal, respectful manner and without any discrimination, in accordance with the law and official guidelines.”

Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, sent a sharply worded letter on Sunday addressing the implementation of the High Court ruling on the enlistment of yeshiva students, asserting that draft evasion within the chareidi sector has sharply intensified and raising the striking claim that the police do not approve requests by the Military Police to operate in chareidi neighborhoods.

The letter was submitted in response to petitions filed with the High Court of Justice and focused on what Baharav-Miara described as failures in enforcement. She wrote that the number of chareidi draft dodgers, as termed in the letter, had surged within a short period, describing “an increase of hundreds of percent in a very brief time.”

According to the data cited, as of January 2026 there are 15,085 draft dodgers from the chareidi community, compared with just 2,257 in July 2025. The figures further indicate that out of approximately 71,000 draft dodgers nationwide, “about 80 percent belong to the chareidi public.”

Despite the sharp rise, military officials reported what they described as a “certain trend of improvement and increase,” with an estimated 1,100 chareidi recruits expected during the current draft period.

During discussions on the matter, the attorney general said the situation on the ground reflects what she termed “selective enforcement.” Military officials told the meeting that, as a rule, Israel Police do not grant approval for Military Police to carry out enforcement actions inside chareidi neighborhoods.

It was also revealed that chareidi draft dodgers who are detained in what were described as random police arrests are, in practice, released and merely issued a summons to report to a Military Police facility. Responding to police claims of severe manpower shortages, Baharav-Miara stressed that “the need for resources cannot, in and of itself, justify an actual avoidance of enforcing the law.”

In response to the situation, the Israel Defense Forces announced a significant tightening of measures against draft dodgers. The Military Prosecution has decided to lower the threshold for criminal prosecution for draft evasion from 540 days of absence to 365 days. In addition, disciplinary regulations were amended to allow judicial officers to impose up to 35 days of detention, instead of the previous 30. It was further determined that a draft dodger absent for more than six months who undergoes disciplinary proceedings and continues to remain absent “will face criminal proceedings” and will no longer be eligible for repeated lenient disciplinary handling.

On the economic front, professional officials said that “personal sanctions that directly affect the individual” and economic enforcement measures have a particularly significant impact on increasing enlistment.

At the same time, officials at the Ministry of Finance warned that expectations within the chareidi sector that legislation will be passed exempting its members from service “create a negative incentive for enlistment.” To increase pressure, the attorney general instructed officials to examine a requirement for “accounting separation” within yeshivos, aimed at preventing “indirect funding of yeshiva students who are obligated to enlist.”

The letter was written ahead of a High Court hearing scheduled for March 1, 2026, on petitions seeking findings of contempt of court. Baharav-Miara concluded that “all state authorities must intensify enforcement efforts, both criminal and civil-economic,” particularly in light of what she described as “the clear security need and the severe harm to equality.”

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef HaKohen Kliger z”l of Antwerp’s Gerer community. He was 79.

Rabbi Kliger, known to many as Reb Yankel, was born in Germany on the 10th of Sivan 5707 to his father, Reb Dovid Kliger, one of the founders of the Gerer beis chassidim in Ramat Gan, and his mother, Mrs. Sheindel, daughter of Rabbi Yosef Abramowitz. At the age of two, he immigrated with his parents to Eretz Yisroel.

When he was 15, on the advice of the Gerrer Rebbe, the Bais Yisroel, he traveled to the United States to learn Torah. He learned at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore under the rosh yeshivah Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, where he acquired a strong and lasting Torah foundation.

Upon reaching marriageable age, he married into the family of Reb Yudel Baum of Antwerp. Together with his wife, he established his home in the city and became one of the valued members of the community. He was a supporter of lomdei Torah and Torah institutions, and earned his livelihood in the jewelry and gold trade, treating his work as secondary and his Torah as primary.

He was especially distinguished in the mitzvah of honoring his father. As an only son, he traveled frequently to Eretz Yisroel to visit and care for him.

In recent years, he suffered from difficulty walking, yet despite the hardship he exerted himself to go to shul. Over the past year, his health fluctuated, but he consistently expressed gratitude and joy in his avodas Hashem. He passed away at his home on Motzaei Shabbos.

He is survived by his sons, Rabbi Uri Kliger of Golders Green, London, Rabbi Yisroel Kliger of Antwerp, and Raphael Kliger, as well as his daughter, Mrs. Tessler, wife of Rabbi Ari Tessler.

The levayah was held today at the Machzikei Hadass Shul in Antwerp, followed by kevurah at the Pitte cemetery in the Netherlands.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that he believes lawmakers will move quickly to end a partial federal government shutdown sparked by fallout from the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration operations in Minneapolis, predicting the impasse will be resolved by Tuesday.

The shutdown began Saturday after Congress failed to approve a budget for the 2026 fiscal year before the funding deadline. So far, the effects have been limited, with most government operations continuing uninterrupted.

Lawmakers in the House are expected to take up emergency legislation on Monday as they return from recess to a snow-covered Washington. The focus will be a Senate-approved agreement aimed at reopening the government.

“Let’s say I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday,” Johnson said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The funding lapse came after negotiations collapsed amid Democratic outrage over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. The incident derailed talks over additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Late Friday night, the Senate passed a package that advances five unresolved spending bills to fund most federal agencies through September. The measure also includes a two-week continuing resolution to keep DHS operating while lawmakers continue debating immigration enforcement policy.

House Democrats have made clear they want changes to how DHS carries out immigration raids before backing the spending package. They have objected to operations involving heavily armed, masked agents who are not clearly identified and who, in some cases, have detained individuals without warrants.

House Democratic leader Hakim Jeffries said Sunday that discussions with Republican leaders over DHS reforms will intensify as lawmakers return to Washington from their districts.

“The administration can’t just talk the talk. They need to walk the walk. That should begin today. Not in two weeks, today,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.”

President Trump publicly endorsed the Senate agreement and called on both parties to support it, signaling that he wants to avoid another shutdown early in his second term, after last summer’s record 43-day government closure.

Much of the U.S. media viewed the White House’s support for the deal as an acknowledgment that it may need to soften its deportation strategy following the deadly Minneapolis episode.

Government shutdowns halt funding for non-essential federal functions, forcing agencies to suspend services, furlough employees without pay, or require staff to work without immediate compensation.

If the shutdown drags on, departments including defense, education, transportation, housing, and financial regulation would face growing disruptions, with broader economic consequences likely to follow.

Should the House approve the Senate plan, lawmakers would then have just two weeks to hammer out a full-year funding bill for DHS.

Both parties concede that those negotiations will be contentious, with Democrats pressing for stricter limits on immigration enforcement and conservatives pushing to advance their own policy demands.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Senior chareidi media commentator Yisroel Cohen visited the home of the Yenuka in Rishon Letzon, where the two spoke at length about current issues and Cohen sought guidance and a brocha for his day-to-day challenges in Israel’s media.

During the visit, Cohen was shown rare and significant items that were on the table in the Yenuka’s home in honor of the day. Among them was the original handwritten Sefer HaKavanos authored by Rav Shalom Sharabi, the Rashash, whose yahrtzeit was that evening, as well as an exceptionally rare collection of photographs of Rav Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Rebbe Rayatz, whose yahrtzeit also fell on that day.

The Yenuka praised Cohen for his work on behalf of the hostages over the past two and a half years, describing his efforts as a kiddush Hashem. Cohen then raised a range of topics and asked for advice and a brocha to help him navigate his frequent appearances in the secular media, where contentious issues dominate the public agenda.

The Yenuka emphasized the importance of tone and approach, saying, “One must always speak pleasantly. ‘Derocheha darchei noam vehcol nesivoseha shalom. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.’ Explain things in a good and gentle manner. But if there is someone who provokes and speaks with hostility, it is possible to be firm and respond.”

He continued, “In general, one must always maintain a line in which the message is conveyed truthfully and cleanly, without creating disputes. The truth can be said in a whisper and be heard from one end of the world to the other; there is no need to fight or quarrel over it. It is simple.”

Addressing faith and geulah, the Yenuka added, “If we truly merited the Torah and understood Who Hashem is and the power of His Torah, there would be no need to fight. He would simply redeem and save us.”

Turning to the issue currently inflaming debate in Israel’s media, the draft law, the Yenuka said, “I say that they do not understand the power of the Torah, and therefore they speak this way. But we also do not merit to fully understand the power of the Torah. These do not understand, and those do not understand.”

Quoting the posuk “Great is Hashem and greatly praised, and His greatness is unfathomable,” he explained, “Hakadosh Boruch Hu created the world with the Torah. If they understood what the Torah is and understood its power, they would tell us: Do not leave it. Continue engaging in it.”

He concluded with a message of introspection, saying, “And on the other hand, if we ourselves truly understood more of the power and greatness of the Torah, we would be in a situation where they would not trouble us and tell us not to engage in it. We would not need to apologize for Torah study, because they would not be able to say anything to us. The fact that they speak to us this way is because we are not sufficiently engaged in and understanding the power of the Torah—and then they are able to speak to us as they do.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel signaled a shift in Gaza’s isolation on Sunday as activity resumed at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, with limited travel in and out of the territory set to restart Monday after years of near-closure. The move is seen as a critical milestone as the Israel–Hamas ceasefire progresses.

Israeli officials said the crossing was opened on a trial basis. COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid to Gaza, said preparations were underway to expand operations and that Gaza residents would begin passing through the crossing on Monday.

The development followed a deadly weekend. Hospital officials said Israeli strikes a day earlier killed at least 30 Palestinians, including several children, marking one of the highest tolls since the October ceasefire began. Israel had accused Hamas the previous day of fresh violations of the truce.

Nicolay Mladenov, the director-general of Trump’s board of peace in Gaza, wrote Sunday on X urging all sides to “exercise restraint and uphold the ceasefire.” He said his office was working with the Palestinian committee tasked with overseeing Gaza to “find ways that prevent future incidents.
We will need everyone’s full cooperation to make this possible,” he added.

Rafah, long viewed by Palestinians as Gaza’s primary gateway to the outside world, has been largely sealed since Israel took control of the area in May 2024.

At the outset, passage will be tightly restricted and goods will not be permitted to cross. Roughly 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical treatment are hoping to exit Gaza through Rafah, while thousands of Palestinians currently outside the enclave are seeking to return.

Zaher al-Wahidi, who heads the Health Ministry’s documentation department in Gaza, told The Associated Press that the ministry had not yet been informed when medical evacuations would begin.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will allow 50 patients per day to leave Gaza. A diplomat involved in the talks, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, said each patient would be permitted to travel with two relatives. The official added that around 50 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war would be allowed to return daily.

Israel said that both it and Egypt would screen travelers entering and exiting via Rafah, with European Union border patrol agents supervising the crossing. If the system functions smoothly, officials expect the number of travelers to rise over time.

Separately on Sunday, Israel’s Diaspora Ministry announced it was “moving to terminate” the operations of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza.

The announcement followed Israel’s December decision to suspend the group’s work after it declined to comply with new registration rules requiring aid organizations to submit lists of local staff. Doctors Without Borders has argued that such requirements could endanger Palestinian employees.

“MSF will cease its operations and depart the Gaza Strip by February 28, 2026,” the ministry said, using the acronym for the organization’s French name.

The group did not immediately respond, but wrote on X on Friday that it had finalized its decision not to provide staff lists.

Doctors Without Borders is among more than two dozen humanitarian groups barred from operating in Gaza for failing or refusing to meet the new requirements. The Diaspora Ministry says the measures are intended to prevent Hamas and other terrorist organizations from infiltrating aid efforts, while humanitarian groups contend the rules are arbitrary and warn that suspensions will further harm civilians in dire need of assistance.

Independent aid organizations are central to sustaining Gaza’s health system, which has been severely damaged by two years of Israeli strikes and restrictions on supplies.

Doctors Without Borders has said Israel’s decision will have devastating consequences for its Gaza operations, where it funds and staffs six hospitals, operates two field hospitals, and runs eight primary health centers, clinics, and medical points. The organization also manages two of Gaza’s five stabilization centers treating children suffering from severe malnutrition.

At Rafah on Sunday, Palestinian security personnel crossed from the Egyptian side toward the Palestinian gate to join the European Union mission overseeing movement through the crossing, according to an Egyptian official who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to brief the media. The official added that ambulances also passed through the Egyptian gate.

The reopening of Rafah marks a significant step as the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10 enters its second phase.

{Matzav.com}

Encyclopedia Britannica has taken down a disputed map from its Britannica Kids platform after criticism that it labeled the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as “Palestine,” without referencing Israel. The move followed objections raised by the pro-Israel legal advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) and questions from The Telegraph, which reported concerns that the map effectively denied Israel’s existence and mirrored the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The map had appeared alongside text defining “Palestine” as the territory stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. Critics said the presentation closely tracked language commonly used by pro-Palestinian activists and groups such as Hamas. In a letter to Britannica’s publishers, UKLFI argued that the framing advanced a contemporary political narrative and erased the presence of the State of Israel from the same geographic space.

Public attention to the issue began in November 2024, when London-based Jewish children’s author Shari Black contacted Britannica directly to raise concerns. She said she was taken aback by what she viewed as historical inaccuracies in educational material for children, adding that the content appeared to promote an agenda aimed at delegitimizing Israel, despite its establishment through international agreement.

UKLFI also challenged Britannica Kids’ broader historical use of the term “Palestine” as a label extending back thousands of years. The group noted that historians generally trace the name to Roman Emperor Hadrian, who applied it to the region in 135 CE following the Bar Kokhba revolt, replacing the name Judea in an effort to weaken Jewish identification with the land.

Responding to the complaints, Britannica editor-in-chief Theodore Pappas said the company would examine UKLFI’s claims and make changes where appropriate.

UKLFI Director Caroline Turner said that applying the label “Palestine” retroactively across the region’s history misrepresents historical developments and falsely suggests an unbroken continuity that does not reflect the record.

Following The Telegraph’s inquiry, Britannica removed the map and updated the entry to clarify the present-day reality, stating: “Today the State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are located within this area.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, convened a special follow-up discussion that revealed serious shortcomings in the implementation of the High Court ruling on the enlistment of yeshiva students, with security officials warning of a deep enforcement failure and the military announcing tougher criminal and disciplinary measures against draft dodgers.

According to figures presented at the meeting, as of January 2026 the number of individuals designated for military or national service who received draft orders but failed to report has surpassed 71,000. Approximately 80 percent of those classified as draft dodgers come from the chareidi community.

The discussion was attended by senior legal officials, representatives of Israel Defense Forces, and police officials. During the session, sharp disparities in enforcement practices were raised. Military officials warned that, as a rule, the Military Police are not granted authorization to carry out arrests in chareidi neighborhoods. They added that even in cases where chareidi deserters are detained incidentally by the police, they are often released in practice without being transferred to military authorities.

A police representative said the policy stems from a severe manpower shortage and concerns over the potential for serious public disturbances. She argued that effective enforcement would require the addition of six Border Police companies. IDF officials countered that the current reality amounts to selective enforcement, which disproportionately impacts other sectors of the population where enforcement is significantly stricter.

Attorney General Baharav-Miara described the findings as “harsh and troubling,” and stressed that under the High Court’s ruling, claims of limited resources cannot justify a failure to enforce the law. In response, the IDF presented a series of immediate steps to tighten enforcement, including reducing the period required to pursue criminal prosecution for draft evasion from 540 days to 365 days, and increasing the maximum detention period under disciplinary proceedings to 35 days.

At the same time, the attorney general instructed professional officials at the Finance Ministry to reexamine funding mechanisms related to draft dodgers, including indirect funding. Among the options being considered is accounting separation within yeshivos, a move intended to expand the range of economic sanctions available against those who fail to report for mandatory service.

{Matzav.com}

A young yeshiva student from Yeshivas Ohel Yosef in Yerushalayim was arrested Sunday afternoon near his home, marking what family members describe as the first time a yeshiva bochur has been detained in the heart of a chareidi neighborhood under circumstances linked to the draft law.

The arrest took place in the Ramot neighborhood, close to the student’s residence. According to those familiar with the incident, a police vehicle pulled up near the home while the bochur was standing outside after returning from a Shabbos break. Officers exited the vehicle and arrested him on the spot.

The family says the arrest was carried out by the Military Police and was connected to the student’s failure to report to the induction office, in accordance with the directives of gedolei Yisroel. As in previous cases, the bochur is from a family of Edot HaMizrach. It was also reported that “the bochur is receiving legal representation from the legal department of Chayei Olam.”

Less than two weeks ago, another yeshiva student—described as a draft evader and a talmid of Yeshivas Noam HaTalmud—was arrested in the community of Adam. That arrest took place late at night, around 3:00 a.m.

The nighttime detention sparked significant unrest in the chareidi street, particularly among the Sephardic public. Sources familiar with the details pointed to what they described as a troubling pattern. “Time and again we see that the initiated arrests—those that come to the home in the middle of the night—are focused on bochurim from the Sephardic sector,” one source said. “Is this coincidence, or a deliberate policy? The public is no longer buying the stories of coincidence.”

Meanwhile, in the Knesset, the state budget passed a first reading with the support of Degel HaTorah and Shas, despite the fact that the draft law has yet to be enacted. Knesset members from Agudas Yisrael—Yitzchok Goldknopf, Meir Porush, and Yitzchok Tessler—voted against the budget.

Officials in Shas and Degel HaTorah acknowledged in conversations with Kikar HaShabbat, “Voting against the budget primarily harms the chareidi public. If the budget does not pass, the first to be hurt will be us, since a central portion of the sector’s funding is not anchored in the base budget. We do not have real tools to threaten the prime minister.”

{Matzav.com}

Houthi terrorists in Yemen are signaling a possible return to attacks against Israel, saying that continued military activity in Gaza could prompt action from their side.

In a message posted to social media, Houthi spokesman Hezam al-Asad said the group’s tolerance for Israel’s conduct in Gaza was “beginning to run out,” warning that ongoing fighting and civilian deaths would “open the gates of hell from the Yemeni front.” He said the Houthis would not stay on the sidelines while Gaza remains under what he described as bombardment and siege, especially during what he called a fragile ceasefire that is violated on a daily basis.

Al-Asad said previous warnings issued by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi should be taken seriously, adding that Yemen is preparing for future confrontations and would resume hostilities with “deeper, broader, and more effective capabilities” if fighting escalates again.

He also placed blame on the countries and parties serving as guarantors and mediators of the ceasefire, accusing them of remaining silent in the face of Israel’s actions and cautioning that continued violations could spark a broader regional crisis.

According to the Houthi spokesman, the current ceasefire does not legitimize continued military operations in Gaza, and he said the persistence of fighting means preparations are underway for every possible outcome.

Al-Asad further claimed that what he referred to as the “axis of resistance” remains united, stretching from Gaza to Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, and accused the United States of bearing primary responsibility for Israel’s actions during the ceasefire, which he again described as fragile and repeatedly violated.

{Matzav.com}

NASA has kicked off a two-day countdown rehearsal ahead of fueling its next-generation moon rocket, a pivotal test that will help determine when four astronauts can lift off on a historic lunar flyby.

Already in quarantine to limit exposure to illness, Commander Reid Wiseman and his fellow crew members are set to become the first humans to head toward the moon since 1972. From their base in Houston, they will oversee the rehearsal before traveling to Kennedy Space Center once the rocket receives clearance to fly.

The massive Space Launch System rocket, standing 322 feet (98 meters) tall, rolled out to the launch pad two weeks ago. Should Monday’s fueling exercise proceed without problems, NASA could target a launch attempt as soon as a week later. During the test, teams will load the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of ultra-cold propellant, halting the process about 30 seconds before engine ignition.

Extreme cold weather forced NASA to push back the fueling rehearsal and the launch timeline by two days. As a result, Feb. 8 is now the earliest possible liftoff date.

Once airborne, the American and Canadian astronauts will travel inside the Orion capsule perched atop the rocket, looping around the moon before heading directly back to Earth without landing. The mission is expected to last close to 10 days and will conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Between 1968 and 1972, NASA’s Apollo program sent 24 astronauts to the moon, with 12 of them stepping onto its surface.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk said Sunday that measures implemented by SpaceX to prevent Russia from using Starlink without authorization appear to be effective, following concerns that the satellite internet system was being exploited in the war in Ukraine.

“Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done,” said Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, in a post on X.

The comments followed remarks last week from Ukraine’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who said Kyiv is coordinating with SpaceX to block Russian forces from using Starlink to guide drones. Ukrainian officials said they discovered Starlink terminals on long-range drones launched by Russia during attacks.

“Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians, rather than being used for terrorism and destroying peaceful cities,” Fedorov wrote on X.

Although Musk has clashed publicly with Ukrainian officials over his views on the conflict with Russia, Ukraine’s military continues to depend heavily on Starlink. Tens of thousands of terminals are used for frontline communications and, in some cases, to support drone operations.

Starlink has significantly increased Musk’s influence on the global stage. In 2022, he openly asserted authority over when and where the service could be used by Ukrainian forces as they fought Russian troops, underscoring the platform’s strategic importance in the war.

A proposal backed by Democratic lawmakers in California has ignited anger among motorists and Republican legislators, who warn it could ultimately lead to drivers being taxed based on how many miles they travel.

With the state facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and fuel tax revenue shrinking as more residents switch to electric vehicles, Democrats are exploring alternative ways to fund transportation projects.

California motorists already face some of the highest fuel costs in the country. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of gas in January reached $4.23 per gallon, second only to Hawaii.

On Thursday, lawmakers moved forward with Assembly Bill 1421, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson. The bill would instruct the California Transportation Commission and the state Transportation Agency to continue examining mileage-based taxation models, stopping short of actually putting such a tax in place.

Opposition to the measure was visible over the weekend, as activists gathered at Cal Expo in Sacramento to gather signatures against a slate of Democratic tax proposals, including the potential per-mile charge.

“I just got very tense and insecure, because I drive a lot of miles,” said Sherrie Ann Lorenzo, a resident of Chico. “I don’t want to be taxed for driving. It’s my freedom. I live in the home of the free, I thought.”

Ideas outlined in the ongoing study suggest a per-mile fee ranging from two to nine cents. Given that California drivers average about 11,400 miles per year, such a charge could translate into annual costs of roughly $228 to $1,026.

Critics say the financial burden is only part of the concern, warning that monitoring vehicle mileage could prove complicated and raise serious privacy issues.

“This disproportionately hits rural residents and long-distance commuters,” said Republican Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo. “This favors wealthy EV drivers over everyday Californians. We already pay the highest gas tax in the U.S. We shouldn’t be adding a mileage tax on top of it.”

Bruce Lou, a delegate with the San Francisco and state Republican Party, also condemned the proposal online.

“This per-mile tax would be on top of the highest gas taxes in the country,” Lou wrote on X. “Citizens shouldn’t be treated like ATMs.”

Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego sharply criticized AB 1421 during remarks on the Assembly floor Thursday.

“When you add up the car tax, the gas tax, and this new mileage tax, a working family with two cars and two parents driving could be forced to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads,” DeMaio said. “What are we thinking here?”

Wilson has pushed back against the criticism, characterizing it as politically driven and saying the legislation reflects unavoidable fiscal realities.

“California’s transportation funding system is becoming less stable, less equitable, and less sustainable as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles,” she said.

She added that she is “committed” to revising AB 1421 to prevent drivers from being taxed twice through both fuel taxes and mileage-based fees.

As written, the bill would order a detailed report examining equity issues affecting low-income drivers who often travel longer distances in less efficient vehicles, evaluate the impact of a weight-based per-mile charge on commercial and electric vehicles, and review regional and statewide options for implementing a road usage tax.

Similar mileage-based systems have already been tested or adopted elsewhere. Oregon and Utah operate voluntary programs, Hawaii is gradually introducing a mandatory charge for electric vehicles, and Washington and Colorado have run pilot projects while weighing long-term alternatives to fuel taxes.

Concerns about privacy, billing errors, rural drivers, low-income households, and out-of-state motorists are expected to remain central to the debate.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa warned that the bill could open the door to intrusive government surveillance, calling it “a tool for future control.”

“To collect the tax, the government will amass a database of everywhere a car goes,” Issa wrote. “Church? Political rallies? Gun ranges? Fast food?”

For now, lawmakers have yet to provide clear answers to those concerns.

Iran’s supreme leader issued a sharp warning on Sunday, saying any military action by the United States would trigger a “regional war” across the Middle East, heightening tensions as President Donald Trump has openly threatened strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, marked his most explicit threat to date, coming as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other American warships operate in the Arabian Sea. The deployment followed Trump’s decision to move naval forces after Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.

Whether Trump will ultimately authorize the use of force remains uncertain. He has repeatedly said Iran is interested in negotiations and has pointed to Tehran’s nuclear program as another central issue he wants addressed.

Khamenei, however, also described the ongoing demonstrations as “a coup,” signaling a tougher official stance as reports indicate tens of thousands of people have been detained since protests erupted.

In Iran, charges of sedition can carry the death penalty, renewing fears that Tehran could carry out mass executions of detainees — a development Trump has described as a red line.

At the same time, Iran had scheduled live-fire military exercises for Sunday and Monday in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf to global markets and used for roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil.

The US military’s Central Command warned Tehran not to threaten American vessels or aircraft during the drills or interfere with commercial shipping.

Iranian state television first reported Khamenei’s statements online before broadcasting footage of his speech.

“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.

It added that he also declared: “We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.”

Khamenei further hardened his rhetoric toward the protests, after previously acknowledging that some demonstrators were driven by genuine economic grievances. The unrest began on Dec. 28, initially sparked by the collapse of Iran’s rial, before quickly evolving into a broader challenge to his rule.

“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” he said. “Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centers involved in running the country, and for this reason they attacked the police, government centers, (Revolutionary Guard) facilities, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centers that run the country.”

Separately, Iran’s parliament speaker said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations, responding to the bloc’s decision to designate Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group over its crackdown on protesters.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, announced the move, which is expected to be largely symbolic.

Iran has relied on a 2019 law to reciprocally label other nations’ militaries as terrorist groups after the United States designated the Guard as a terror organization that year.

Qalibaf made the announcement as he and other lawmakers donned Guard uniforms in a show of support for the force, which controls Iran’s ballistic missile program and extensive economic interests and answers directly to Khamenei.

“By seeking to strike at the (Guard), which itself has been the greatest barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have in fact shot themselves in the foot and, once again, through blind obedience to the Americans, decided against the interests of their own people,” Qalibaf said.

Lawmakers later shouted slogans of “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” during the session.

Trump has publicly outlined two red lines that could prompt military action: the killing of peaceful protesters or the mass execution of those detained during the crackdown.

He has also increasingly focused on Iran’s nuclear program, which the US had negotiated with Tehran over multiple rounds of talks before Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran in June.

During that conflict, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. Activity observed at two of the sites has raised suspicions that Iran may be attempting to obscure satellite imagery as it works to preserve what remains.

Trump said Saturday night that he had not yet decided how to proceed on Iran.

Speaking with reporters aboard a flight to Florida, Donald Trump sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would feel emboldened if Washington refrained from striking, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”

He added that Iran should negotiate a “satisfactory” agreement to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, but cautioned, “I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”

Late Saturday, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani wrote on X that “structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing.” There has been no public indication of direct talks with the United States, something Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out.

A heavy pall of mourning has descended upon the Chassidic world, and the courts of Lelov in particular, following the sudden passing of Rav Yissachar Dov Biderman, the Lelover Rebbe zt”l. The Rebbe collapsed while immersing in a mikvah. He was 84 years old.

The Rebbe arrived earlier today, as was his custom, to immerse in the private mikvah located at the Lelover beis medrash on Rechov Tzefania Street in Yerushalayim. After he remained in the water longer than usual, those accompanying him raised the alarm. Emergency medical teams were summoned and carried out prolonged resuscitation efforts, but tragically, doctors were forced to declare his petirah.

Paramedic Naftali Sofer of Hatzalah, together with emergency medical technicians Yosef Herpaz and Kobi Marder, described the scene: “When we arrived, we found a man unconscious, without a pulse or respiration. Witnesses told us he had been pulled from the water in that condition. Together with additional paramedics and EMTs from MDA and Hatzalah, we immediately began advanced resuscitation efforts, including chest compressions, assisted ventilation, and life-saving medications. Sadly, despite all efforts, MDA paramedics were forced to pronounce his passing at the scene.”

Reb Bentzi Oiring, commander of the Yerushalayim district of ZAKA, stated: “The Rebbe collapsed in the mikvah of the Lelover Chassidus on Rechov Tzefania in Yerushalayim. His attendants, noticing that he was delayed for an extended period, called emergency services. MDA teams confirmed his passing. ZAKA volunteers are operating at the scene, ensuring that kavod hameis is fully preserved.”

Following his petirah, the niftar was brought into the Lelover beis medrash, where the paroches was removed and candles were lit around him.

The levayah is scheduled to take place this evening, departing from the Kedushas Mordechai Lelov beis medrash at 39 Rechov Bar Ilan in Yerushalayim, and proceeding to Har Haceisim. The levayah is expected to begin after 8:00 p.m., following the arrival of the Rebbe’s son on a flight from London.

Rav Yissachar Dov Biderman was born in Yerushalayim on the 10th of Kislev, 5702 (1941), to his father, the Lelover Rebbe, Rav Moshe Mordechai Biderman, and his mother, Rebbetzin Ettel, of the Schwartz family.

At his bris, he was named Yissachar Dov after the Belzer Rebbe. As a young child, he moved with his family to Tel Aviv, where his father relocated from the Batei Varsha neighborhood of Yerushalayim. He studied at the Belzer cheder and later in the Belzer yeshivah, eventually learning in the Lelover yeshivah in Yerushalayim’s Beis Yisrael neighborhood, where he distinguished himself as one of its outstanding talmidim.

After his marriage, he continued to immerse himself in limud haTorah and supported his family by writing Sifrei Torah. Known for his ascetic lifestyle, the Rebbe was entirely devoted to avodas hakodesh. Those close to him described him as exceptionally gentle and refined, visibly carrying forward the sacred path and spiritual bearing of his father. He was especially renowned for his profound ahavas Yisrael, in the tradition of the Lelover rebbes from the dynasty’s founder, Rav Dovid’l of Lelov, onward.

In later years, he assumed the mantle of leadership as Lelover Rebbe and headed the Kedushas Mordechai Lelov beis medrash on Rechov Bar Ilan in Yerushalayim, which was established in 2007. His chassidim reside throughout Israel and around the world, and many would travel to participate in his tishen on yahrtzeits and Yomim Tovim. On Motzaei Shabbos, following Havdalah, the Rebbe was known to distribute cigarettes to those present, a custom remembered fondly by his followers.

The Rebbe’s sudden passing comes just two days before the yahrtzeit of his brother, the Lelover Rebbe Rav Avraham Shlomo Biderman, who passed away on the 16th of Shevat in 5760.

He is survived by his family and many descendants who continue his sacred path, as well as his brothers, the Lelover rebbes of Nikolsburg and Lelov Ezras Torah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

The East African country of Somalia is holding up permits for Israeli airline Arkia to continue flying over it to and from the Far East, the Israeli Transport Ministry says.

The delay comes amid tensions between the two countries over Israel’s recognition on Dec. 26 of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia views the autonomous region as an integral part of its territory.

“The reason for not granting the approval to Arkia is not clear because the authorities in Somalia did not specify the reason for their refusal,” the Transport Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “This refusal constitutes a violation of the Convention on International Aviation to which Somalia, a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is a signatory.”

The ministry added that it is working with “all relevant parties” and using “all means at its disposal” to assist the Israeli carrier in resolving the issue.

Arkia said that it has not received a renewal of its permit to fly over Somalia airspace, which expires at the end of January, and may be forced to alter its flight route to Thailand.

“As part of international aviation procedures, airlines submit periodic requests for air transit permits on various routes,” Arkia said in a statement. “As of now, Arkia has not yet received the renewal of the periodic permit for air transit over Somalia for February.”

“If approval is not received by the beginning of February, the company will operate flights on an alternative route, without any change to flight times and without harming passengers,” the carrier said.

Arkia, which began flying to Thailand in November, added that the issue is being handled by Israeli authorities, including the Civil Aviation Authority and the Foreign Ministry.

Israeli flag carrier El Al’s s permit renewal to fly over Somalia remains valid until March 1.

Israeli travel agents said Thursday that the delay in granting the permit is seen as Somalia’s revenge over Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and was a diplomatic issue that will have little to no effect on flights to the Far East.

“The refusal of Somalia’s government to grant the approval due to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is more of a diplomatic issue than anything else,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem’s Ziontours, told JNS on Sunday. “The additional 20 minutes required to bypass their airspace will have zero ramifications on Arkia marketing the route.”

{Matzav.com}