Matzav

Security forces from the Judea and Samaria District, alongside IDF and Border Police units, concluded their post-event review following the Chayei Sarah weekend gatherings in Chevron and at the Meoras Hamachpeilah.

Authorities estimated that roughly 26,000 visitors came to the holy city over Shabbos, prompting a large-scale security deployment. Forces worked around the clock to ensure order, regulate traffic, and swiftly handle any security-related incidents, operating in close coordination with local municipalities and national agencies.

Shabbos saw a brief security scare when gunfire was reported within Chevron. A volunteer from a rapid response unit discharged a warning shot into the air, after which police, IDF soldiers, and Border Police personnel quickly secured the area. Officers from the Yehuda district later tracked down the vehicles suspected of involvement and apprehended two individuals connected to the incident.

Over the course of the weekend, security forces detained 13 more people suspected of various offenses, including assault, violence, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment. Investigators later released some of the detainees under limited conditions based on case-specific considerations.

In addition to maintaining order, police implemented preventive measures, conducting approximately 150 enforcement operations to prevent alcohol-related disturbances and protect public safety throughout the event.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, ruled that it is permissible to use kosher computers inside a beis medrash for the purpose of writing divrei Torah under specific conditions.

The ruling came during a visit last week by the mashgiach ruchani of Yeshivos Be’er Yaakov and Mishkenos HaTorah, Rav Moshe Dovid Lefkowitz, who came to the home of Rav Hirsch to discuss several matters currently relevant to the yeshiva world.

During the meeting, Rav Lefkowitz raised the question of using computers in a beis medrash, referencing an earlier takkanah that had prohibited their use. That policy had been instituted in his own bais medrash, Heichal Moshe, under the direction of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, his father.

Given technological changes in recent years — and the fact that computers have become the primary tool for many avreichim to record their Torah insights — the mashgiach asked whether the takkanah could be modified to allow limited use of kosher devices for Torah purposes only.

Rav Lefkowitz emphasized that such a change could only be made with the approval of the gadol hador, telling Rav Hirsch, “To alter a takkanah established by gedolim requires the authority of the Rosh Yeshiva himself.”

After careful deliberation, Rav Hirsch responded clearly: computers that are used solely for writing chiddushei Torah, and that bear a visible and distinctive label confirming they are entirely disconnected from any form of internet access, may indeed be used within the beis haknesses or beis medrash.

Following the decision, Rav Lefkowitz drafted the updated takkanah in writing. Rav Hirsch then signed it alongside him, formally authorizing the new policy for the community.

President Trump said that the much-anticipated $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks for American citizens will indeed arrive — just not yet. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he explained that the payments won’t be distributed in time for the upcoming holiday season, but are instead planned for next year as part of his broader 2026 agenda.

“It will be next year. The tariffs allow us to give a dividend. We’re going to do a dividend and we’re also going to be reducing debt,” Trump said while en route to Mar-a-Lago, emphasizing that the funds collected through his sweeping trade tariffs will directly benefit American families.

However, the timeline and execution of the program remain uncertain. The administration faces multiple hurdles — both legal and legislative — before the checks can become reality. Several Republicans in Congress have voiced reservations, urging the president to prioritize deficit reduction rather than rebate payments.

Adding to the complications is an ongoing Supreme Court case that could derail the initiative. The justices recently heard oral arguments questioning whether Trump’s “trafficking” and “reciprocal” tariffs, enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), were legally justified. If the Court rules against him, Trump hinted that his team would explore other options. “Then I’d have to do something else,” he said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently offered some insight into how the rebates might be structured. “Well, there are a lot of options here that the president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate and those — that would be for families making less than, say, $100,000,” Bessent told “Fox & Friends.” But he quickly walked back the figure, clarifying that “it’s in discussion” and “we haven’t” set any firm limits yet.

The proposal, first unveiled earlier this month, included Trump’s pledge to exclude “high income people” from the benefit, though he has not yet defined where that income cutoff will fall.

Trump introduced the idea shortly after a majority of Supreme Court justices expressed deep skepticism over his use of IEEPA to impose tariffs — a law that no prior president has used for that purpose. Since early in his second term, Trump has invoked IEEPA to levy targeted tariffs on nations across the globe, despite the statute’s lack of explicit mention of duties.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data, IEEPA-related tariffs have generated about $90 billion in revenue between their introduction and September 23. When combined with other tariffs not being challenged in court, the total intake reached nearly $196 billion for fiscal year 2025 through the end of August.

Since many of these tariffs were not in place at the start of the fiscal year, administration officials believe the total revenue could climb even higher if they remain active for a full year.

Yet distributing the proposed $2,000 checks would be expensive. Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, estimated that if eligibility were capped at individuals earning under $100,000, the plan would cost about $300 billion. For comparison, pandemic-era relief proposals offering similar payments were projected to cost roughly $464 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

If the Supreme Court ultimately overturns the IEEPA tariffs, Trump could be forced to refund billions in collected duties — a scenario that would complicate both his financial and political plans heading into 2026. How such a refund would be implemented, however, remains unclear.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced plans to file a massive lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the network of twisting his words from January 6, 2021, in a documentary that he says defamed him. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump told reporters that the suit will likely be filed “probably sometime next week” and could seek damages “anywhere between a billion and 5 billion dollars.”

The president made the remarks during a flight to Florida, with Reuters correspondent Nandita Bose and BBC journalists reporting the conversation. According to Trump, the publicly funded broadcaster manipulated a portion of his January 6 speech in a way that falsely portrayed him as encouraging violence — a claim he says he will bring up personally with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the weekend.

“The BBC’s conduct was so severe,” Trump said, emphasizing that the edit amounted to an intentional distortion of his words. He noted that the broadcaster’s public explanation fell far short of accountability for the harm caused to his reputation.

The BBC admitted that the way it edited Trump’s speech “created the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” The corporation released a statement through its press office saying it “regrets the error” and extended a personal apology to Trump. However, despite acknowledging the mistake, the BBC said through Reuters that it sees “no legal basis for a lawsuit” and will neither retract the documentary beyond its correction nor pay damages.

Trump’s attorneys had given the network until 5 p.m. Eastern time Friday to comply with three demands: a full retraction, a formal apology, and at least $1 billion in compensation. Those terms were laid out in a letter obtained earlier in the week by multiple outlets, including The Times and The Daily Telegraph, citing sources close to Trump’s legal team.

After receiving the BBC’s official reply, Trump’s advisers said the response left no option but to proceed with litigation. Senior campaign officials confirmed that lawyers have been preparing filings in both federal and state courts in Florida for several days.

The controversy surrounding the BBC’s “Panorama” program has already shaken the organization’s top leadership. On Sunday, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resigned, admitting that the incident had damaged public confidence in the broadcaster’s editorial integrity.

Trump said those resignations prove the magnitude of the wrongdoing and reinforce his case. “It shows how serious this was,” he said, adding that accountability at the highest level strengthens his argument for damages.

{Matzav.com}

Fifteen years after a horrific assault on a young chareidi girl in Yerushalayim, a breakthrough in DNA evidence has led to the indictment of a 42-year-old man from the Shuafat refugee camp. The suspect, Shwaki Shamasna, was charged in the Yerushalayim District Court on Sunday with two separate incidents of serious offenses against minors — one from 2010 and another from 2025.

The indictment, filed by Attorney Mirit Levy-Hasson of the Yerushalayim District Attorney’s Office, details that in April 2010, a six-and-a-half-year-old girl was playing outside her home with a friend when the suspect approached them in his car. He asked the child questions about her friend’s family and then followed the two girls as they entered the building’s stairwell. There, he allegedly grabbed the young girl from behind, lifted her, and committed a grave act of abuse. The case went unsolved for more than a decade.

In September 2025, prosecutors say the same man assaulted another minor, a 15-year-old girl walking in Beit Shemesh with her baby brother. The suspect reportedly exited his vehicle, grabbed her forcefully, and fled only after she screamed for help, prompting nearby passersby to rush to her aid.

During the investigation into the Beit Shemesh attack, forensic samples linked the suspect to the earlier Yerushalayim case. According to the prosecutor, “The child’s clothing was examined in a forensic laboratory, where cells matching a single male profile were identified. After the suspect was recently investigated for other serious offenses against minors and his DNA was added to the database, a match was immediately found to the sample taken from the victim’s clothing in the 2010 incident.”

The indictment accuses the defendant of committing indecent acts under aggravated circumstances. The prosecution has requested that he remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

A court-ordered gag prohibits publication of any details that could identify the victims.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s government voted on Sunday to push forward the establishment of what it described as an “independent” commission of inquiry into the catastrophic events of October 7. The panel will reportedly be granted full authority to investigate and is expected to be structured in a way that, according to officials, will reflect the “broadest possible public consensus.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu will head the ministerial team tasked with defining the commission’s mandate, a process that must be completed within 45 days. Once the committee’s framework is finalized, it will begin examining the failures that led to the deadly Hamas assault.

The decision immediately sparked outrage among opposition figures. Gadi Eisenkot, the Yashar party leader and former minister, lashed out at the move, declaring, “The October 7th government, whose leaders are the only ones who refuse to take responsibility for the worst disaster in Israel’s history and are unfit to serve in any leadership role, is establishing a whitewashing and backroom-deal committee. It is unacceptable that those responsible for the failure are the ones deciding its makeup and mandate under the pretense of broad consensus. It is clear that all of this stems from fear and panic over the results of a real, independent investigation. Establishing a state commission of inquiry according to the law is the first step toward healing and repair – and we will make it happen. We will not give up. Our very future depends on it.”

Tensions also surfaced inside the cabinet room. As ministers debated how the inquiry should be structured, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs told Minister Orit Strock, “In the end, there will be a commission, and we need to think about how to approach it.” Strock voiced her agreement, saying she backed the establishment of an investigative body.

Echoing that sentiment, Minister Gideon Sa’ar argued that the political echelon should not be part of the commission. He emphasized that “the composition should exclude the political echelon, to create a model that earns public trust.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pressed for the inclusion of legal officials among those scrutinized. “Those being investigated should not become the investigators,” he warned, insisting that figures within Israel’s legal establishment must also face questioning.

Ben-Gvir reminded the cabinet that before the Hamas assault, intelligence leaders—including the heads of the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence—believed Hamas was sufficiently deterred. He also pointed to the Attorney General’s refusal to approve tougher conditions for detained terrorists, arguing, “She must also be investigated. No one should be immune.”

Education Minister Yoav Kish added his support for ensuring that any commission ultimately formed would be one that enjoys the confidence of the Israeli public, stating that the inquiry must be structured “to secure broad public support.”

{Matzav.com}

Tensions flared at Sunday’s cabinet meeting when Minister Orit Strock confronted Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu over the ongoing ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.

“How much longer will the ceasefire last?” Strock pressed. Netanyahu’s reply — “I don’t know” — drew an incredulous reaction. “What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?” she shot back. The Prime Minister then explained, “At the moment, we are working to end the first phase; we have three more hostages to return.”

Unappeased, Strock responded sharply, insisting, “We did not go to war just to bring back the hostages.” Netanyahu countered, outlining the broader objectives of the campaign. “We have to ensure that the Gaza Strip is being demilitarized and (Hamas) is being disarmed, including the tunnels; for this purpose, we agreed to the creation of an international force, but countries are not excited to join. We can not give up on this stage. Hamas seemingly agrees; we will hold the rest of the discussion in the cabinet.”

Strock pushed further, asking, “About how long will this take? Weeks?” Netanyahu refused to commit to a timeline. “You can’t ignore the fact that we conducted an intense war on seven fronts. You can’t quantify how much time is left,” he said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich later weighed in with a pointed question of his own, challenging the Prime Minister: “If you return to fight in Gaza in two months, how will you have a commission of inquiry?”

The exchange highlighted growing frustration within parts of the coalition over what some see as a lack of clarity and direction regarding Israel’s next steps in Gaza.

New York City and state political leaders condemned antisemitic graffiti found scrawled on a sidewalk in Brooklyn Friday night.

The words “[Curse] Jews” appeared along Atlantic Avenue near Smith Street. The New York City Department of Sanitation removed the graffiti overnight.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani called the incident “another horrific act of antisemitism on our streets,” in an X post, sharing visual documentation by District 33 NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler before and after it was removed and thanking Restler and the Sanitation Department “for your quick response.”

Restler also thanked the Sanitation Department for cleaning up the graffiti along with pictures he said were shared by a neighbor.

“Anti-Semitic incidents are a majority of the hate crimes in NYC. All NYers—including Jewish NYers—must feel safe,” Restler wrote. In another X post, he added: “There is no space or tolerance for hate in our community. I will continue to do whatever I can to condemn and combat anti-Semitism in every possible way.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it “a disgusting, cowardly act of antisemitism that has no place in New York. We stand with our Jewish communities today and always.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said that it was “another vile act of antisemitism in New York. The criminal cowards responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The StopAntisemitism organization warned of an increase in these types once Mandami is sworn in to office as the city’s 111th mayor just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2026.

“Now imagine how much worse this is going to get once Mamdani takes office,” the non-profit advocacy group wrote on X.

November’s election of the Democratic Socialist Muslim who holds strongly critical and anti-Zionist views on Israel and supports the BDS movement against the Jewish state has sparked deep concern in the city’s Jewish population, which is the largest outside of Israel.

Nearly half of Israelis plan to avoid travel to New York in the wake of Mamdani‘s election, whom they overwhelmingly perceive as antisemitic, according to recent polling.

Stefanik filed to run for governor on Nov. 7 in next year’s elections, blasting Hochul for backing Mamdani.

“When New Yorkers were looking for leadership the most, Kathy Hochul bent the knee to the raging defund-the-police, tax-hiking, antisemite communist who will destroy New York,” she said. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Today, more than 6,500 Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and guests will gather for the annual Chabad Kinnus Hashluchim, the closing gala of the International Conference of Chabad Emissaries. This year’s program will showcase powerful stories of resilience and outreach under extreme circumstances.

A Sefer Torah will be completed and dedicated in memory of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky z”l, the beloved Vice-Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Chairman of The International Conference of Shluchim.

The banquet will culminate with the iconic International Roll Call, in which representatives from every continent rise as their countries are named.

WATCH LIVE:

Ukraine is making a strong effort to revive prisoner exchanges with Russia that could see 1,200 Ukrainian captives return home, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday. His comments came one day after the country’s national security chief reported progress in mediated talks.

“We are … counting on the resumption of POW exchanges,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.”

Rustem Umerov, who heads Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday that he had held consultations facilitated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to renew the stalled process.

According to Umerov, the sides agreed to reactivate prisoner-swap mechanisms arranged in Istanbul that could free 1,200 Ukrainians. Moscow has yet to issue any official response to his statement.

The Istanbul accords, signed in 2022 through Turkish mediation, outlined the framework for organized and large-scale exchanges of prisoners between the two nations. Over the past two years, thousands have been swapped under those agreements, though the operations have frequently stalled amid renewed hostilities.

Umerov noted that technical meetings would soon take place to finalize the logistics and protocols needed for the next exchange. He voiced hope that the freed Ukrainians might “celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home — at the family table and next to their relatives.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine endured another night of Russian drone attacks, which struck energy infrastructure in the Odesa region, according to the State Emergency Service. Among the sites damaged was a solar power facility.

The latest barrage underscores Ukraine’s struggle to defend against constant aerial assaults that have crippled its power grid and triggered widespread blackouts as the winter cold sets in.

These attacks on the energy sector coincide with ongoing fighting in the east, where Russian troops are pushing to seize the key city of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine’s air force reported Sunday that Russia launched 176 drones and one missile overnight, claiming Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down or disable 139 of the drones. Russia’s defense ministry, for its part, said its own forces destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones during the same period.

At today’s cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered a pointed rebuke to those airing political and security disputes in public, warning that such behavior undermines national unity and responsible governance. He said that with Israel heading toward elections, political rivals have intensified what he described as a “primary season assault” — an internal and external campaign designed to sow division. Netanyahu emphasized that “security matters discussed in tweets and public statements are determined only in coordination with the Prime Minister,” reminding his colleagues that such issues demand confidentiality and unity of purpose.

Turning to Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas, Netanyahu made clear that the terrorist organization’s military capabilities would be completely dismantled. “This territory will be demilitarized and Hamas will be stripped of its weapons. It will happen either the easy way or the hard way. That’s what I’ve said, and that’s what President Trump has said as well,” he declared, underscoring that Israel’s security objectives remain firm and non-negotiable.

Netanyahu also revisited a long-standing pillar of his foreign policy: absolute opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. “Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any part of this territory has not changed in the slightest,” he said, reiterating that he has maintained this stance consistently for decades despite heavy diplomatic pressure. He added pointedly, “I do not need affirmations, tweets, or lectures from anyone,” making it clear that his convictions on this issue are not swayed by public commentary or political maneuvering.

The prime minister went on to denounce two recent acts of violence that have stirred national outrage. He condemned the assault on MK Yoav Ben Tzur, describing the perpetrators as “a small minority that does not represent the ultra-Orthodox public,” and called on authorities to respond “with full force.” Netanyahu also addressed violence carried out by a fringe group in Judea and Samaria, stressing that their actions “do not represent the settler community” and warning against collective judgment.

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to order and justice, saying simply yet firmly: “We are a state of law, and a state of law acts according to the law.”

WATCH:

Watch as thousands of Chabad Shluchim from around the world gathered this morning at 770 Eastern Parkway for a massive group photo.

PHOTOS:

Photo Credit: Mordechai Lubeki

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Sunday emphasized his commitment to disarming the entire Gaza Strip as envisioned in U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for the coastal enclave.

“I want to address two specific issues,” Netanyahu said as he opened the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday. “The first issue is the supposed ‘non-demilitarization’ of the part of Gaza still in Hamas’s hands. There will be no such thing. Under the 20-point plan, and in everything else, that area will be demilitarized and Hamas will be disarmed. Either this will happen the easy way or it will happen the hard way. I said this, and President Trump also said this,” the premier told journalists.

Netanyahu also reiterated his opposition to establishing a “Palestinian state on any territory west of the Jordan River,” rejecting Friday’s U.S.-backed statement calling for a “pathway” to Palestinian statehood. “I have been pushing back against these attempts for decades, doing so against external pressure as well as internal pressure. So I don’t need encouragement, tweets or lectures from anyone,” Netanyahu added.

Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas came into effect on Oct. 10, with the terror group agreeing to release all hostages, alive and dead, in the first phase, before moving on to the second stage, which requires its disarmament.

The truce agreement was mediated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, although other countries have since joined the post-ceasefire deliberations in the effort to uphold the agreement.

The IDF currently holds about half of Gaza. It is deployed to the east and along the so-called Yellow Line that runs through the north, center and south of the Strip, with Hamas controlling the Strip’s western areas.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Nov. 12 that “eventually, there won’t be a Yellow Line,” as no territory will remain in Hamas’s hands.

“Right now, that Yellow Line is what differentiates between the parts of Gaza under Hamas control and the ones that are not in Hamas control,” he stated. “Eventually, none of it should be under Hamas control. There should be a civilian Palestinian organization that runs Gaza. And that’s the goal, to stand that organization up, give it capacity, allow it to grow in both capability and credibility, and ultimately it will govern Gaza.”

However, Rubio stressed, the International Stabilization Force slated to provide security in Gaza until a Palestinian organization can step up to govern the Strip would not have to initiate operations against Hamas because the Iranian-backed terrorist group has agreed to disarm. JNS

{Matzav.com}

A striking sight was witnessed on Motzoei Shabbos at Ben Gurion Airport: the renowned mashpia, Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, was seen wrapped entirely in his tallis, his head lowered in humility, as he departed for the United States on a fundraising mission to complete the construction of his bais medrash in Yerushalayim.

In keeping with his lifelong commitment to kedushah and tzniyus, Rav Zilberberg covered himself in his tallis from the moment he entered the airport terminal until he boarded the plane. His aides, who accompanied him closely, ensured that every detail was arranged in accordance with the highest standards of modesty, shielding him from any improper sights or sounds, including avoiding any encounter with women.

On the aircraft, a special business-class section was reserved entirely for him in advance by his attendants. Every seat surrounding him was purchased to maintain complete privacy and to prevent any immodest exposure. Airline staff were instructed beforehand that only male flight attendants would be permitted to enter his section and attend to his needs.

Throughout the journey, Rav Zilberberg remained enveloped in his tallis, immersed in holiness and focused on his spiritual mission.

The mashpia will remain in the United States through Wednesday as part of a dedicated campaign titled “Kulanu Shutafim” (“We Are All Partners”), aimed at raising funds to complete the construction of his bais medrash in Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

Yashar party chairman and former defense minister Gadi Eizenkot harshly condemned the violent assault on Shas MK Yoav Ben Tzur, which took place last night outside the Yazdim shul in Yerushalayim following the weekly shiur of the Rishon L’Tzion, Rav Yitzchak Yosef. Dozens of extremists reportedly hurled stones and garbage at Ben Tzur’s car while shouting insults over his involvement in advancing the draft law.

In a statement released Sunday morning, Eizenkot said: “The attack on MK Ben Tzur is a severe expression of the loss of governance and the loss of shame among lawbreakers who are getting encouragement from leaders.”

He called the incident “an event that demands immediate action and the arrest of all the violent draft evaders involved.” Eizenkot added that “this growing phenomenon of detachment from the State of Israel requires a deep, systemic response—beginning with education, enlistment, and citizens’ responsibilities. It must not continue.”

The Shas party also issued a sharp condemnation, saying: “The Shas movement strongly denounces the brutal attack on the vehicle of MK Yoav Ben Tzur, carried out this evening in Jerusalem by a small group of rioters. Acts of violence of this nature, which result in chillul Hashem, are not the way of the Torah and do not represent any God-fearing public.”

According to a police statement, officers from the Lev HaBira station and Border Police units responded quickly to the scene. The rioters had ambushed Ben Tzur near the shul, caused damage to his vehicle, and threw bags of garbage at it. Police evacuated the MK safely, and no injuries were reported.

“The Israel Police views any attempt to harm public officials with the utmost severity and will act decisively to bring all those responsible to justice,” the statement said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also condemned the attack, declaring, “I strongly denounce the assault on MK Yoav Ben Tzur. This is not the way of the Torah, and it is not the way of the State of Israel. These violent criminals must be dealt with firmly.”

Avrohom Avinu’s unwavering insistence on purchasing the Me’aras Hamachpeilah for full price, as described in yesterday’s parsha, Parshas Chayei Sarah, continues to inspire reflection thousands of years later. Now, Israel’s Ministry of Housing has used that very transaction to illustrate lessons relevant to today’s real estate market — touching on property registration, the dangers of pressure buying, and the reality that prices have always seemed to rise.

Avrohom sought to acquire a burial plot for his wife, Sarah Imeinu. Though the Bnei Cheis courteously offered him a choice of their gravesites, they refused to sell him a permanent family plot. When Ephron HaChitti stepped forward and offered both the field and the cave as a gift, Avrohom declined, determined to pay the full value in cash. “I will give the price of the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there,” he said.

According to Ariel Rosenberg, head of the Sales Law Department and director of the Homebuyers Protection Division at Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing, the “first real estate transaction in Tanach” carries three lessons that remain valid in the modern market:

1. The importance of proper registration — what we’d now call a title deed or tabu.

2. The wisdom of avoiding deals made under emotional pressure.

3. The timeless complaint that property prices only ever go up.

Rosenberg notes that Avrohom paid Ephron 400 shekel kesef — a substantial sum. But how much is that worth in today’s currency? The weight of the silver was about 640 kilograms, though some opinions place it anywhere between 4.5 kilograms and 17 tons. With silver currently priced around $1,250 per kilogram, that amount equals approximately $800,000 — or about 2.6 million shekels. That’s roughly a quarter of a million shekels more than the average price of a home in Israel today.

The structure above the Me’aras Hamachpeilah was built many centuries after Avrohom’s time, yet using its size as a basis for calculation offers perspective. Measuring 34 by 59.16 meters — a total of 2,111.4 square meters — Avrohom effectively paid around 1,231 shekels per square meter, an impressive figure for his era.

By comparison, a recent tender in Kiryat Arba for 156 residential units closed at a price of about 115,000 shekels per apartment — roughly 5% of what Avrohom paid — and that’s without accounting for the inflation of 3,704 years.

Even in the days of our forefather Avrohom, it seems, real estate was no bargain — and the market trend, as always, was only upward.

A report released this morning by Israel’s National Insurance Institute paints a troubling picture of hunger and poverty across the country, showing that food insecurity remains widespread — particularly among the chareidi community.

According to the 2024 Food Security Report, 2.78 million Israelis lived with food insecurity last year, including about one million children. The data show that 26.5% of households in Israel faced some level of difficulty obtaining sufficient nutritious food. The situation is especially severe in the Arab community, where 58% of families experience food insecurity, and among chareidi households, where the rate stands at 25%. Nearly 10% of all households nationwide suffer from very low food security.

While the overall percentage of families facing food insecurity fell slightly compared to the previous year — from 30.8% in 2023 to 27.2% in 2024 — experts caution that the problem remains severe and widespread. The report’s authors urge the government to increase welfare payments and direct aid to struggling families, noting that rising healthcare expenses and the burden on the welfare system continue to grow.

The findings also highlight a strong connection between income and access to food. Among households in the lowest income bracket, almost half (47.6%) suffer from food insecurity, compared to only 9.5% among those in the highest bracket.

Food insecurity is particularly common in large families, with 30.3% of households with six or more members affected. It is also prevalent among single-person households (29.1%) and two-person households (26.8%).

Beyond the immediate human toll, the report warns of long-term financial consequences. Poor nutrition leads to higher healthcare costs, contributing millions of shekels annually to expenses tied to obesity and chronic diseases.

Acting Director-General of the National Insurance Institute, Tzvika Cohen, said the findings should serve as a wake-up call: “Israeli society must strive and work decisively to significantly reduce food insecurity among children and the elderly. A moral society cannot allow such inequality, reflected in the growing inability of families to access healthy food. We must do everything possible to improve this situation. This report provides policymakers with a clear picture so they can take action to strengthen food security for all residents of Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Reports from Washington indicate rising tension between Israel and the White House over a potential sale of American F-35 stealth jets to Saudi Arabia. Israel has privately warned that approving such a deal could erode its military advantage and compromise sensitive technology.

According to Kan News, outgoing Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer traveled to Washington last week, where he met with senior Trump administration officials and relayed Israel’s objections. During those talks, Dermer emphasized the dangers of transferring such advanced aircraft to a country that maintains close ties with Russia and China, both seen as potential security risks to Israel and the West.

Dermer reportedly made it clear that Israel fears such a sale could lead to the leak of sensitive security information to Russia and China, Saudi Arabia’s strategic partners, and could also undermine Israel’s qualitative aerial edge in the Middle East—a cornerstone of the country’s national security and regional deterrence.

Saudi Arabia has put forward a request to purchase 48 F-35 fighter jets from the United States, but Israeli officials say the proposal is still at an early stage. They are waiting to see the outcome of next week’s planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, which could determine whether the deal moves ahead.

President Trump addressed the matter over the weekend, acknowledging that the request is on the table and suggesting that a decision may come soon. “They want to buy a lot of planes,” Trump said, adding that he hopes Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords.

For Israel, however, the implications go far beyond a single transaction. Officials warn that allowing another regional power access to the same aircraft used by the Israeli Air Force would erode its long-standing qualitative edge—one guaranteed by decades of U.S. policy. The coming days, as Trump and bin Salman meet, are expected to be crucial in determining whether that balance will remain intact or shift dramatically across the Middle East.

{Matzav.com}

Today is the eleventh anniversary of the massacre in Har Nof, in which five of the neighborhood’s residents were killed.

Eleven years ago, in the middle of Shacharis on the morning of the 25th of Cheshvon, two terrorists armed with guns, an ax and a butcher’s knife entered Kehillas Bnei Torah in Har Nof and began to attack the mispallelim. Rav Moshe Twersky, Rav Aryeh Kupinsky, Rav Kalman Zev Levine, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, and Rabbi Yechiel Chaim Rotman were killed.

Hashem yikom domom.

{Matzav.com Israel}