Matzav

NYC Mayor Zohran Mandani sparked controversy after quoting religious texts to defend sanctuary policies. The PBD panel debated his policies on immigration and crime in New York City. From rising crime stats to trash-filled streets and policing clashes, the discussion turns fiery and unapologetic.

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The wife of Reb Avraham Ben Dayan, the young avreich who was arrested eight months after his wedding, returned from a prison visit deeply shaken and is leveling serious accusations against military authorities. Speaking to Kikar HaShabbat, she said that her husband has faced mistreatment during his detention, including restrictions on religious observance and inadequate access to kosher food.

Reb Ben Dayan, a graduate of Yeshivas Maor HaTalmud who married approximately eight months ago, was arrested on Motzaei Shabbos and remains incarcerated in Military Prison 10. His family accuses the military of severe harassment and says he has been sentenced to ten days in detention beginning last Motzoei Shabbos.

As previously reported, Ben Dayan had spent Shabbos in Ofakim and was stopped by a traffic officer in the community of Tifrach on suspicion of a traffic violation. During the stop, the officer discovered that he had been classified as a draft “deserter” due to his failure to report to the enlistment office. He was transferred to a local police station and subsequently handed over to military police authorities.

In a phone call with family members shortly before sunset on the day of his arrest, Ben Dayan reportedly said that he had requested several times to put on tefillin but that his requests were denied. His family expressed shock at what they described as the denial of a basic religious mitzvah in the State of Israel and voiced serious concerns about kashrus standards and his ability to maintain a religious lifestyle while in custody.

According to the family, contact with Ben Dayan ceased about twenty minutes before sunset, leaving uncertainty as to whether he was ultimately able to put on tefillin in those final moments.

Responding to the military’s clarification regarding the tefillin incident, Ben Dayan’s wife said, “The IDF spokesperson is lying and trying to claim that the detainee did not request to put on tefillin until two in the morning. It is important for us to say that this is false and untrue, and they did not allow him to put on tefillin until the very last moment.”

She also alleged deficiencies in the food provided to him. “Until yesterday, they did not bring him mehadrin kosher food as is customary. Only yesterday, for the first time, did he eat normal and kosher food. Until now, he mainly lived on fruits and vegetables. This abuse is incomprehensible.”

According to her, he has also been restricted from studying Torah. “He does not have the ability to go and learn in the shul. Avraham, who is a precious avreich, wanted to use the time to sit and learn, but the military authorities, in inexplicable cruelty, are not allowing it. They do not allow him to go to the shul except during davening times.”

She further claimed that authorities are seeking to humiliate him. “They want to degrade him. When they transferred him from the Bahadim base to Prison 10 to meet with me, they decided to shackle him in both hands and feet. It is unclear what they wanted from him and why they needed to humiliate him to that extent. Why are they not placing him with other chareidim? He has no chareidi environment at all. It is absurd that the prison rabbi came to ask him questions from Chumash to determine whether he is chareidi or not.”

Regarding his communication rights, she added, “On the advice of his commander — they did not even assign him a proper commander — he signed a prisoner’s rights form, and they were obligated to give him a phone call on Motzaei Shabbos. From Motzaei Shabbos at eight o’clock until the next day, he was not given the right to speak with his wife. The chaos and search efforts happened only because they did not grant him the legal right to call me.”

In response to the tefillin claims, the IDF spokesperson said, “The detainee was arrested on Motzaei Shabbos by the Israel Police and transferred to the Military Police. He remained in custody overnight until late morning. During his detention, he prayed, and upon arriving in the afternoon at the military prison, he requested to put on tefillin and was told he would be given the opportunity upon arrival at his detention unit. However, due to an unexpected delay in his processing and according to a report received afterward, he ultimately did not manage to put on tefillin.”

The statement continued: “It should be clarified that this is an extremely unusual case that does not align with IDF procedures. The IDF regrets the distress caused. Procedures at the prison have been sharpened for immediate implementation, and the matter will be thoroughly investigated by commanders to prevent similar cases in the future. The detainee is currently being held in a facility that contains all the necessary equipment in accordance with his lifestyle.”

Approximately two hours after publication of the initial report, the IDF spokesperson issued an additional statement: “Contrary to what has been claimed, the detainee is receiving the conditions and rights to which he is entitled, including davening times in a shul, mehadrin kosher food, and phone calls. During the intake interview, the detainee was informed that he is entitled to receive mehadrin kosher food if he requests it, but he did not request it. In the military prison, there is no gap between meat and vegetarian meals in Badatz-level kashrus.”

The statement added, “The detainee is in direct contact with the prison rabbi. The IDF detention system continuously makes adjustments in accordance with detention conditions and the number of detainees and ensures the provision of mehadrin kosher food to allow detainees to maintain their religious lifestyle.”

A military source further stated, “The detainee claims that he did not understand from whom he needed to request Badatz-level kosher food, despite being instructed by his commanders how to do so. In addition, he exercised his right to a phone call on Motzaei Shabbos and is being held in a unit designated for detainees with charges similar to those attributed to him. Every detainee has the option to request gender-specific supervision in the military prison, as was explained to him during the intake process. The detainee was shackled during transfers between detention facilities in accordance with standard procedures.”

As previously reported, Ben Dayan has received strong backing from leading gedolim, including Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dov Landau.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch personally called to be mechazeik and encourage Ben Dayan’s wife after he was handed over to military police months after his wedding. During the call, the rosh yeshiva said, “With Hashem’s help, they will do the maximum that can be done. In a few days he will be released, with Hashem’s help,” assuring her, “No more than ten days.”

Rav Dov Landau also sent a handwritten letter of support. Immediately after writing the letter, Rav Landau requested that it be delivered to the avreich without delay, and his attorney conveyed it to him shortly thereafter.

In the letter, Rav Landau wrote, “To the dear avreich, Rabbi Avraham Ben Dayan, may he live long and well, the distressing news about the shocking injustice done to you — that you were imprisoned ‘for the sin’ of Torah study — has caused me great anguish.”

He continued, “I hereby strengthen you and your family. They did not intend this action against you personally, but against all the sons of Torah, whose learning is a thorn in their eyes. It pains them to see the blessed growth of the Torah world, and you have merited to be a representative of Torah learners in order for them to strike at them through their schemes.”

He concluded, “We hope to Hashem that you will merit to be released swiftly and return to your studies, sanctify Heaven in all your ways and conduct, and sit once again in the tent of Torah as before. Seeking your peace and the peace of your Torah, Dov Landau.”

{Matzav.com}

Senior officials in the Degel HaTorah faction clarified Thursday morning that no instruction has been issued by leading gedolim to oppose the draft legislation currently under discussion. On the contrary, they said they have been directed to continue working vigorously toward an agreed-upon law that would regulate the status of yeshiva students and bring an end to their arrests.

According to senior figures in the party, “There is no directive from the leading rabbinic authorities to oppose the law being discussed at this time. On the contrary, they have instructed us to proceed with negotiations with the Knesset’s legal advisers in an effort to reach legislation that will be acceptable to them and withstand scrutiny by the High Court of Justice.”

They added that other political factions are attempting to derail the process. “There are elements in other parties trying to do everything possible to halt the legislation. They are the ones briefing and speaking in the name of Litvishe rabbonim despite having no connection to them, and they are working forcefully to sabotage the bill’s passage.”

Sources close to Hagaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch emphasized Wednesday night that the fundamental position remains unchanged. “Nothing has shifted in the principled stance that the draft law must be legislated and that the status of yeshiva students must be regulated. The instruction to Degel HaTorah’s Knesset members is to continue advancing the legislation.”

Similarly, associates of Hagaon Rav Dov Landau said Thursday morning, “We are continuing efforts to reach a law that will stop the arrest of yeshiva students. This is the most urgent issue for the rosh yeshiva. Sanctions are a secondary matter in importance.”

Despite ongoing talks, senior chareidi lawmakers acknowledged overnight that negotiations with the Knesset’s legal advisory team are not progressing smoothly. “Although we are trying to be flexible with the legal advisers and have agreed that sanctions would take effect immediately, there are still gaps and disagreements,” one senior figure said. “The primary sticking point concerns the question of oversight over Torah learners. It is unclear whether, at the end of the process, we will reach a bill that can pass second and third readings.”

The debate comes amid heightened tensions following the arrest of yeshiva students in recent days. At a special gathering held at Yeshivas Maor HaTalmud after the arrest of Reb Avraham Ben Dayan several months after his wedding, Rav Landau issued a forceful declaration that no yeshiva student would enlist in the army under any framework.

“The entire Jewish world is shocked by the criminal act in which wicked authorities imprisoned in a military jail an outstanding Torah scholar who has nothing in his world but the four cubits of halacha, and this solely because of his desire to learn Torah,” Rav Landau said. “But the dear scholar has merited that, through him, there is such a great awakening to Torah study in public. Merit is brought about through the meritorious — apparently he has great merits.”

“While he sits behind walls and bars, bound in iron chains, the voice of Torah that grows stronger as a result of his imprisonment echoes from one end of the world to the other, shattering walls of falsehood, breaking chains of wickedness, reaching the Heavenly Throne and giving voice to the cry of the Bnei Yisroel from the distress of their oppressors and pursuers.”

“The Torah world is now undergoing severe persecution from misguided brothers. The fears are heavy and widely shared. Their schemes are no longer hidden but carried out openly, and their entire aim is to eradicate the Torah world, God forbid.”

“To those who plot evil and scheme wickedness, who seek to break our spirit and steal the treasure of our world, we say clearly: Do not imagine that you will succeed! In complete contrast to you, we are people of noble spirit. Our hands will not do harm, and we do not wish to use your tools of strife. But know that standing against Torah learners is a war against the eternity of Israel.”

“History is filled with those who sought to make Torah forgotten from Yisroel. They passed and vanished from the world, their names forgotten and their rule gone like a fleeting shadow. But the Torah stands forever. You cannot break those whose lives are spirit alone. Your time and your rule will pass, but we will continue to cling to our eternal Torah, the Torah of Hashem. There is no one who can stand against the Torah of Hashem, against Torah learners, or against the halls of Torah. Jailers may imprison the body, but there is no power in the world that can imprison the spirit.”

“We hereby declare in a loud voice: Whether the authorities agree or not, not even one married scholar, not even one yeshiva student, will go to the army — not in this way and not in any other way,” Rav Landau emphasized. “The place of Torah learners is exclusively within the halls of the yeshivos and kollelim. Let everyone know — whether they understand it or not — this is the reality. So it was, and so it will be.”

He concluded, “May it be the will of Hashem that the emissaries of the Torah world who have been imprisoned be released swiftly from darkness to light, and may we all merit every good, to learn Torah in quiet and tranquility.”

{Matzav.com}

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At a special gathering held at Yeshivas Maor HaTalmud following the arrest of kollel yungerman Reb Avraham Ben Dayan, Hagaon Rav Dov Landau delivered a forceful and unequivocal declaration that no yeshiva bochur will enlist in the army under any framework.

The event was convened in response to the arrest, which took place months after the young avreich’s chasunah. Addressing the crowd, Rav Landau spoke in sharp terms about the situation and the broader implications for the Torah world.

“The entire Jewish world is shaken by the criminal act in which wicked authorities arrested and imprisoned in a military jail an elevated avreich who has nothing in his world except the four cubits of halachah, and this solely because of his desire to learn Torah,” Rav Landau said. “But the precious avreich has merited that through him there has been such a great awakening to Torah study among the public, and merit is brought about through one who is meritorious — apparently he has great merits.”

“While he sits behind walls and bars, bound in chains of iron, the voice of Torah that grows stronger as a result of his imprisonment echoes from one end of the world to the other, shattering walls of falsehood, breaking chains of wickedness, and piercing until the Heavenly Throne, giving voice to the groans of the Bnei Yisroel from the distress of their oppressors and pursuers.”

Rav Landau continued by describing what he called an intense campaign against the Torah community. “The Torah world is now undergoing a terrible persecution by misguided brothers. The fears are heavy and widely shared. Their schemes are no longer hidden but out in the open, and their entire aim is to uproot the Torah world, Heaven forbid.”

He then addressed those he accused of seeking to undermine the yeshiva world. “To those evildoers and schemers of wickedness who seek to break our spirit and steal the treasure of our world, we say in clear language: Do not imagine that you will succeed! In complete contrast to you, we are people of noble spirit. Our hands will not do evil, and we do not wish to use your tools of strife. But know that standing against Torah learners is a war against the eternity of Israel.”

“History is filled with those who sought to make Torah forgotten from Yisroel. They disappeared from the world, their names forgotten and their rule passing like a fleeting shadow. But the Torah stands forever. You cannot break those whose lives are spirit alone. Your time will pass and your rule will sink away, but we will continue to cling to our eternal Torah, which is the Torah of Hashem. There is none who can stand against the Torah of Hashem, against those who learn it, and against the halls of Torah. Jailers may imprison the body, but there is no power in the world that can imprison the spirit.”

Rav Landau concluded with a sweeping declaration: “We hereby proclaim in a loud voice: Whether the authorities agree to this or not, not even one avreich, not even one yeshiva bochur, will go to the army — not in this form and not in any other form,” he emphasized. “The place of Torah learners is solely within the halls of the yeshivos and kollelim. Let everyone know, whether they understand this or not, this is the reality. So it was and so it will be.”

He ended with a tefillah: “May it be the will of Hashem that the emissaries of the Torah world who were imprisoned emerge quickly from darkness to light, and may we all merit every good, to learn Torah in quiet and tranquility.”

{Matzav.com}

Tensions within the chareidi political camp escalated Wednesday night after a senior Shas official sharply criticized what he called the circulation of “inaccurate quotes” attributed to leading rabbanim regarding the proposed draft law.

The controversy followed a report on Channel 12 News claiming that the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch said about the bill being advanced by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth, “This is not the law that was promised to us — we will have to vote against it.”

In response, a very senior figure in Shas lashed out at Litvishe political activists, accusing them of irresponsibly publicizing selective statements in the name of gedolei rabbanim. “Litvishe activists without responsibility are putting out quotes every few days from leading rabbanim against the draft law. It is a disgrace and a shame. The rabbanim have clarified time and again that they stand behind the law,” the Shas official said.

According to the Shas source, the publication of such statements appears aimed at creating political pressure and destabilizing the chareidi camp at a particularly sensitive stage of negotiations.

At the same time, those close to Rav Hirsch sought to calm the situation, emphasizing that there has been no change in his fundamental position that a draft law must be enacted to formally regulate the status of yeshiva students.

They added that the directive to Degel HaTorah Knesset members remains to continue advancing the legislation, while safeguarding the core principles that were agreed upon at the outset.

The Pentagon is moving forward with plans to potentially send a second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Iran and makes clear that nuclear negotiations must yield concrete results.

Trump has publicly reiterated that while diplomacy remains his preferred path, military action remains an available option if talks fail.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, defense officials are drafting operational plans that would dispatch another carrier to reinforce the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group currently deployed in the region.

Such a step would substantially increase American naval strength in an area already facing rising tensions.

Earlier this week, Trump signaled that a breakdown in discussions with Tehran would prompt a swift U.S. response, including bolstering American forces in the Middle East.

“We’re not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, adding that while discussions are ongoing, “if we don’t make a deal, we’ll handle it the other way.”

He stressed that although he favors a diplomatic resolution, sustained pressure is an essential component of his strategy.

“They understand that,” he said of Iranian leaders. “We want peace, but it has to be real peace.”

The Journal reported that the USS George H.W. Bush is currently being prepared and could be deployed once the president issues a final authorization.

Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has shifted from its prior operations in the Indo-Pacific to waters near the Arabian Sea, restoring a continuous U.S. aircraft carrier presence across the broader Middle East.

At the core of a carrier strike group is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that operates as a floating air base capable of conducting extended combat missions.

Each carrier typically carries between 60 and 75 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.

In addition to the carrier, the strike group includes guided-missile cruisers and destroyers outfitted with the Aegis combat system, enabling both air defense and protection against ballistic missiles. An attack submarine is often attached as well, providing underwater warfare capability.

Together, these assets provide long-range strike capacity, missile interception, maritime security enforcement, and rapid-response capabilities during regional crises.

Deploying a second carrier would represent the largest American naval buildup in the Middle East in recent months and would significantly strengthen the military backing behind U.S. diplomatic efforts.

Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran resumed on Feb. 6 in Muscat, Oman, marking the first sustained engagement since last year’s confrontation involving Iranian-backed militias and U.S. forces.

American officials have maintained that any future agreement must permanently block Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and include rigorous inspection and verification requirements.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” stressing that enforcement and transparency are non-negotiable elements of any deal.

The Trump administration has also sought to widen the scope of negotiations to cover Iran’s ballistic missile development and its support for proxy groups throughout the region.

Tehran, however, has resisted expanding the framework of talks, insisting its nuclear activities are peaceful and rejecting what it calls unrelated demands.

Iran continues enriching uranium to elevated levels, and Western officials warn that the enrichment process is nearing weapons-grade thresholds, sharply reducing the time Iran would need to produce a nuclear weapon.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week that Iran “does not seek nuclear weapons” and is prepared to provide assurances about its nuclear activities, though he did not signal a halt to enrichment.

On Wednesday, Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, with Iran emerging as the central topic of discussion.

Following the meeting, Trump said he “insisted that negotiations continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” but reiterated that “we will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Netanyahu stated that Israel believes any agreement must address not only uranium enrichment but also Iran’s missile arsenal and its backing of armed groups across the Middle East.

Israeli officials have consistently warned that a limited nuclear arrangement would fail to neutralize broader regional threats posed by Tehran.

The Pentagon has not yet made a final determination regarding the additional deployment, though defense officials noted that preparing the strike group ensures the United States can act swiftly if the president gives the order.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu announced in Washington that Israel will take part in President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace,” signing on to the initiative during meetings with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Following his discussion with Rubio, Netanyahu wrote on X that he “signed Israel’s accession as a member of the “Board of Peace.””

Netanyahu traveled to the U.S. capital primarily for talks with Trump focused on Iran, but the visit also included discussions about the new international body.

The Board of Peace was established under a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in mid-November. The resolution authorized the board, along with participating countries, to organize an international stabilization force in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire there began in October under a Trump-backed proposal approved by both Israel and the Hamas militant group.

According to the original framework of Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was intended to oversee the enclave’s temporary administration. Trump later indicated that, with him serving as chair, the body would broaden its mandate to address conflicts beyond Gaza on a global scale.

The board’s inaugural session is set for Feb. 19 in Washington, where members are expected to focus on plans for rebuilding Gaza.

International reaction to Trump’s invitation to join the initiative, first introduced in late January, has been measured. A number of analysts have expressed concern that the new body could weaken or sideline the United Nations.

Although several U.S. partners in the Middle East have opted to participate, many of America’s longstanding Western allies have declined to join.

The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly tested by renewed violence. Gaza health officials report that at least 580 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began in October, while four Israeli soldiers have also reportedly died during the same period.

According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in more than 72,000 Palestinian deaths and triggered widespread hunger while displacing the territory’s entire population.

Various human rights specialists, academics and a U.N. investigative body have described the campaign as amounting to genocide. Israel rejects that characterization, saying it is acting in self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages in an attack in late 2023.

A legislative proposal by opposition leader Yair Lapid seeking to formally classify Qatar as an enemy state is scheduled to be discussed this Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

Under the terms of the bill, Qatar would be officially designated an enemy state, and all existing Israeli legal provisions that apply to such countries would automatically extend to it.

The explanatory section accompanying the proposal asserts that Qatar provides financial backing and support to the Hamas terrorist organization, operates and funds a global propaganda apparatus that amplifies its messaging, consistently incites against Israel, and inflicts significant harm on Israel’s standing internationally.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

This week’s parsha opens with the words, “Ve’aileh hamishpotim asher tosim lifneihem — These are the laws that you shall place before them.”

Rabi Akiva, in the Mechilta, hears in these words not merely a command to teach, but a lesson in how Torah must be transmitted. Tosim lifneihem, he explains, does not mean to present information in the abstract, but to lay it out like a shulchan aruch, a fully prepared table, arranged with care, clarity, and invitation. Torah is not meant to be delivered as raw data, but as nourishment: accessible, enticing, and alive.

Great teachers exhaust themselves in pursuit of this ideal. They labor not only to know Torah, but to serve it, presenting it with flavor, with structure, with an inner music that allows the student not merely to learn, but to taste and appreciate. A good rebbi does not speak at his talmidim. He sets a table before them and invites them into a feast.

One such rebbi was Rav Mendel Kaplan. His shiur was not simply a classroom. It was an atmosphere. We did not merely absorb Torah from him. We breathed it in. He fed us a wide menu of spiritual food, equipping us not only with knowledge, but with the tools to interpret the world beyond the walls of the bais medrash. Headlines became texts, and world events became commentaries, refracted through the prism of Torah until their deeper meanings emerged.

There is a story told of a villager in the legendary town of Chelm who returned home from shul one Shabbos and repeated the rov’s sermon to his wife.

“The rov says that Moshiach may come very soon,” he told her, “and he will take us all to Eretz Yisroel.”

His wife wrung her hands in distress. “But what will be with our chickens? Who will feed them? How will we live?”

The husband stroked his beard thoughtfully. “You know, life here is hard. The goyim harass us, we are poor, the roof leaks, and our feet freeze all winter. Maybe it will be better there.”

She thought for a moment, and then her face lit up. “I have a solution,” she said. “We’ll ask Hashem to send the goyim to Eretz Yisroel — and we’ll stay here with the chickens.”

We smile at the foolishness of Chelm, but too often, we are no different. We live inside history, yet fail to read it. We experience events, but miss their meaning.

This past weekend, a kind of living commentary was on full display during the annual Rubashkin Alef Bais Gimmel Shabbaton. At a time when headlines scream instability and fear, hundreds gathered not to analyze geopolitics or speculate about what comes next, but to be inspired by a Yid who has lived through the harshest challenges and emerged with unshaken faith. His message was not theoretical. It was not abstract. It was Torah lived, tasted, and tested — tosim lifneihem in its most literal sense.

What resonated with the Shabbos attendees was not only Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin’s story, but his clarity. Instead of anxiety, there was perspective. Instead of bitterness, gratitude. Instead of confusion, trust in Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The uplifting Shabbos spent with Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, his family, and so many wonderful Yidden looking to grow as maaminim was a reminder that emunah is not just a slogan, but a lens through which life itself becomes understandable. That, too, is how history is meant to be read.

We often mistake warning signs for noise, and blessings for burdens. We assume we understand the world, when in truth we need teachers — living meforshim — to explain to us what is really happening between the lines of the newspaper.

Chazal tell us: “Why was the mountain called Sinai? Because from it descended sinah — hatred.” From the moment the Torah was given and the Jewish people became a nation with a mission, a new force entered the world, a relentless, irrational hostility that would accompany us until the arrival of Moshiach.

This hatred is not merely a historical artifact. It is not confined to ancient exile or medieval blood libels. It is alive. It breathes. It mutates. It adapts to each generation’s language and technology.

The world recently marked the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Much has changed since those dark years. Entire institutions were built to ensure that such horrors would never return. And yet, the ancient sinah remains intact, resurfacing in new forms, under new banners, with old obsessions. Jews are mocked, judged by double standards, and vilified. The very state created as a refuge from hatred has become a magnet for it.

Anti-Semitism rises not only in Europe, but in America. Digital platforms amplify it, spread it, and normalize it. What once required mobs now needs only algorithms.

Rashi tells us that Yisro came to join the Jewish people after hearing about Krias Yam Suf and Milchemes Amaleik. The meforshim explain that these events conveyed not only how deeply Hashem loves the Jewish people, but how intensely the nations of the world oppose them. Yisro recognized the paradox at the heart of Jewish existence — to be beloved by Hashem and resisted by history. He understood that truth itself provokes opposition, and that the more transformative the truth, the more violently it is resisted.

When Albert Einstein introduced relativity, the scientific world initially mocked him. A book titled One Hundred Scientists Against Einstein appeared. When asked about it, Einstein reportedly shrugged and said, “If I were really wrong, why would one not be enough?” He understood what Jews have always known: Truth does not generate mild disagreement. It generates disproportionate fury.

From Har Sinai onward, the Jewish people have lived inside that fury.

After World War I, the League of Nations was created to ensure peace. After World War II, the United Nations rose from the ashes of Auschwitz, pledging that tyranny would never again be allowed to flourish. After 9/11, world leaders announced a new era with a global war on terror, a united front against evil.

And yet, history keeps repeating itself, not because of a lack of institutions, but because of a surplus of illusion. They did not factor in apathy. They did not factor in corruption. They did not factor in moral exhaustion. They did not factor in hatred.

Everything now moves at a blistering pace. Wars begin, fade, and are replaced before their consequences are understood. Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, China, Iran — each crisis dissolves into the next.

The world feels unstable, yet we continue our routines as though nothing is hanging above us.

The sword is suspended — and we discuss the wallpaper.

As anti-Semitism intensifies and the old sinah resurfaces, we argue over trivialities, chase distractions, and obsess over matters of little weight. We scroll while history groans.

Perhaps, a place to begin is with what we allow into our minds and homes. Since the invention of print, ideas have traveled disguised as information. Newspapers and books have always been vehicles for more than news. They are carriers of values, assumptions, and worldviews. The Maskilim mastered this art, writing heresy in poetic Hebrew, quoting Chazal while emptying their teachings of meaning, as they mocked gedolim, rabbonim, lomdei Torah, and shomrei Torah umitzvos. Generations were torn away not by open rebellion, but by subtle infiltration.

Words are never neutral. They shape taste. They train perception. They define what feels normal.

That is why those who write, teach, and speak bear responsibility under the same command: “Aileh hamishpotim asher tosim lifneihem.” What we place before others must be honest, just, and true — a table that nourishes, not poisons.

The Alter of Kelm taught that tosim lifneihem k’shulchan aruch means that real intelligence emerges only when learning has flavor. Depth is not dryness. Wisdom is not sterile. A melamed who teaches with clarity, elegance, and taste awakens in his students not only understanding, but desire and a hunger for more.

The difference between superficial knowledge and deep understanding is the difference between eating and tasting. One sustains life. The other transforms it.

The task of man, the Alter concludes, is to become truly intelligent — not clever, not informed, but wise.

That wisdom begins with refusing to settle for shallow readings of Torah or of life. It demands that we study more deeply, interpret more honestly, and live more consciously. It requires that we understand not only what is happening around us, but also what it is asking of us.

We must speak more truthfully, treat people more carefully, and live in a way that creates kiddush Hashem rather than its opposite.

The Meshech Chochmah, in one of his classic elucidations, writes in his sefer on last week’s parsha that the Jews merited the many miracles Hakadosh Boruch Hu performed for them upon leaving Mitzrayim even though they were still entangled with avodah zorah because their middos and interpersonal conduct were refined. But in generations whose people speak lashon hora, quarrel, and act without derech eretz and sensitivity, Hashem removes His Shechinah from their midst, as He did at the time of the Second Bais Hamikdosh. Even though the people were engaged in Torah study and observance, nevertheless, because there was sinas chinom — hatred — among them, the Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed.

I saw in a new sefer by Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky something both amazing and frightening that Rav Chaim Greineman would relate from his father, Rav Shmuel Greineman, brother-in-law of the Chazon Ish. He would say that the Chazon Ish taught that the Holocaust came about as a result of sins bein adam lachaveiro, failures in how Jews treated each other.

When we look around us, when we contemplate what is happening in the world and wonder what we can do, what is demanded of us, and how we can help draw Moshiach closer, it would do us well to ponder the message the Chazon Ish and the Meshech Chochmah sent.

Parshas Yisro, in which the Torah discusses how Klal Yisroel was presented with the gift of the Aseres Hadibros and the Torah, is followed by Parshas Mishpotim, which we study this week. By arranging the parshiyos in this way, the Torah teaches us that to maintain the lofty levels reached at Har Sinai, we must properly follow the laws of Mishpotim, which deal with interpersonal conduct.

It is not sufficient to be on a high spiritual level intellectually and theoretically. We must match that with our actions and conduct. If we cut corners financially, if we are careless with another person’s dignity, and if we are not scrupulous in ensuring that we do not harm others financially, then we are lacking in fulfilling the obligations we accepted upon ourselves at Har Sinai.

In Parshas Mishpotim, Klal Yisroel reaches its highest moment when it declares, “Na’aseh v’nishma — We will do, and later we will hear and understand.” Action before comprehension. Commitment before clarity. A nation stepping into destiny with certainty, armed and motivated by faith.

May we merit to return to that summit, to toil in Torah, taste its depth, refine our character, and hear in the background of all we do the sounds of Sinai, so that we can raise ourselves and our people and bring us closer to the geulah sheleimah bekarov b’yomeinu. Amein.

Two members of Iran’s Jewish community have been released from detention following intervention by senior communal leaders, while a third Jewish detainee remains behind bars, according to a report aired on Kan Reshet Bet.

The two men, one from Tehran and the other from Shiraz, had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in protests against the regime of the Ayatollahs. Their release came after prominent figures within Iran’s Jewish community engaged with government authorities on their behalf.

All three were reportedly detained as part of a broader sweep carried out by Iranian security forces in recent weeks, during which numerous individuals were taken into custody. While two of the Jewish detainees have now been freed, efforts are continuing to secure the release of the third individual, with senior community members said to be actively pressing the matter with officials.

At the same time, members of the Jewish community took part over the past day in official events commemorating the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Their participation was widely viewed as a public demonstration of solidarity with the ruling regime.

Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, together with Rabbi Younes Hammami, one of the community’s rabbinic leaders, spoke favorably about the government and what they described as its positive treatment of religious minorities.

Both Sameh and Hammami also granted interviews to Iranian media outlets in which they voiced support for the Islamic Revolution. In one widely circulated image, Shamkh was seen standing alongside Rabbi Hammami while holding a placard that read: “The Islamic Revolution Day is the day of light overcoming darkness.

{Matzav.com}

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In an emotional and uplifting moment for his family and תלמידים, Rav Yitzchak Hacker, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Grodna in Be’er Yaakov and a member of the Degel Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, attended his grandson’s wedding this evening after having been in serious condition for several months.

The chasunah took place at the Heichalei Malchus Hall in Bnei Brak. This marked the first time the Rosh Yeshiva has appeared publicly since his health crisis, bringing great excitement and gratitude among his talmidim.

Rav Hacker arrived for the chuppah and was honored with reciting brachah acharita. Following the chuppah, he remained at the chasunah and joined in the dancing.

The chosson is a grandson of Rav Yitzchak Hacker and also a grandson of Rav Tzvi Rotberg, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Meir. He is a son of Rav Tuvia Rotberg, a ram at Yeshivas Beis Meir. The kallah is the daughter of Rav Yaakov Sokolovsky of Yerushalayim.

The Rosh Yeshiva’s presence at the simchah, after a prolonged period of serious illness, was seen as a moving and hopeful moment for his family, talmidim, and the broader Torah community.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday defended his push to raise taxes on the city’s highest earners, arguing before state lawmakers that the soaring cost of living in the five boroughs justifies the increase.

Appearing in Albany, Mamdani was asked to explain why he is urging the state legislature to approve a 2% income tax increase for residents earning more than $1 million annually. The mayor framed the proposal as a response to the financial pressures facing the city.

“I think the why comes from the fact that we are the most expensive city in the United States,” Mamdani said, answering a question from Assembly member Amanda Septimo (D-Bronx).

“There simply isn’t enough money that we wish there could be,” he added.

Mamdani cautioned that failing to address the city’s fiscal needs could accelerate an ongoing population shift.

“If we take that approach year after year, what happens is we do see the exodus that’s happening right now for working middle-class people leave the city, leave the state, trying to find a place where their ends can be a little bit easier to meet.”

Since launching his mayoral campaign, Mamdani has advocated for multiple tax increases, including the proposed 2% hike on personal income for top earners and a 4% increase in the corporate tax rate.

After assuming office in January, he pointed to what he described as a looming multibillion-dollar budget deficit in the current and upcoming fiscal years as a key reason for seeking additional revenue.

However, that projected shortfall has narrowed considerably in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, Mamdani’s budget director, Sherif Soliman, disclosed that the previously cited $12 billion deficit estimate did not factor in $7.2 billion in tax revenue collected at the close of the year.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has consistently resisted calls to raise state income taxes, maintaining that New York already ranks among the highest-taxed states in the nation.

The Republican-led House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday that would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in the November midterm elections, a move Democrats argue would create new obstacles for voters and shift greater influence over elections toward President Donald Trump.

In a 218-213 vote, lawmakers passed the SAVE America Act, with just one Democrat joining Republicans in support. The measure now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate, where it is expected to be brought to the floor but faces steep odds, as it would likely need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

The proposal revives election-related legislation first introduced during the 2024 presidential campaign, when Trump repeatedly claimed—without evidence—that large numbers of people living in the country illegally were casting ballots in federal elections. Similar versions of the bill cleared the House twice before, once last April and again in 2024, but stalled in the Senate.

The vote came shortly after Trump urged Republicans to “take over” elections in more than a dozen jurisdictions. Under the legislation, individuals registering to vote in the midterms would be required to present documentation proving citizenship. The bill would also establish criminal penalties for election officials who register voters lacking the required proof.

In addition, House Republicans incorporated a photo identification requirement for voters casting ballots in person or by mail in future federal elections. They pointed to polling data, including a Pew Research Center survey indicating that 83% of voters—among them 71% of Democrats—support voter photo ID requirements.

House Speaker Mike Johnson characterized the measure as “common sense legislation to just ensure that American citizens decide American elections.” Democratic leaders, however, contend that the bill is designed to restrict access to the ballot and weaken their electoral prospects at a time when some independent analysts predict Democrats could regain control of the House.

Republicans have faced a series of setbacks in recent special elections, including a Texas state Senate race viewed within the party as a warning sign.

“The SAVE America Act is part of a comprehensive Republican strategy to cement power this year. Speaker Johnson wants to make it harder for Americans to vote, easier for Washington Republicans to control how elections are run,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House committee that oversees elections.

Federal law already bars non-citizens from voting in federal elections. Reviews conducted by organizations across the political spectrum, along with state election officials, have consistently found instances of such voting to be exceedingly rare.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, which leans left, has cautioned that the SAVE America Act could prevent millions of eligible citizens from voting if they lack immediate access to documents such as passports or birth certificates needed to verify citizenship.

Advocates for voting rights argue the legislation fits into a broader confrontation between the Trump administration and state governments. That conflict has included withholding federal funds, deploying National Guard troops, and an FBI search of a county election office in Georgia.

“We have checks and balances in place that include state and local officials acting as a check against federal overreach,” said Mai Ratakonda, program director of election protection at States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan group that works to safeguard free and fair elections. “That’s what the federal government is trying to undermine.”

Republicans are also preparing a separate and more expansive election proposal, the Make Elections Great Again Act. That bill would require paper ballots, limit the use of mail-in voting, and ban ranked-choice voting in federal general elections. It was the subject of a hearing before the House Administration Committee on Tuesday.

{Matzav.com}

The Federal Trade Commission has formally cautioned Apple that its Apple News app could be running afoul of consumer protection laws if it is sidelining right-leaning publications, according to a sharply worded letter sent Wednesday by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The warning followed an exclusive report by The NY Post highlighting a study that suggested the Apple News app may be favoring left-leaning outlets. President Donald Trump amplified that report on his Truth Social platform early Wednesday.

The Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog, reviewed 620 articles that received prominent placement from Apple News editors in January. According to its findings, none of the featured stories came from outlets categorized as right-leaning.

“These reports raise serious questions about whether Apple News is acting in accordance with its terms of service and its representations to consumers,” Ferguson wrote in the Wednesday letter to Cook obtained by The NY Post.

In the same correspondence, Ferguson pressed Cook to “conduct a comprehensive review of Apple’s terms of service and ensure that Apple News’ curation of articles is consistent with those terms and representations made to consumers and, if it is not, to take corrective action swiftly.”

Ferguson referenced Section 5 of the FTC Act, which governs unfair or deceptive business practices and “prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” including “material misrepresentations and material omissions.”

“The First Amendment protects the speech of Big Tech firms,” Ferguson wrote. “But the First Amendment has never extended its protection to material misrepresentations made to consumers, nor does it immunize speakers from conduct that Congress has deemed unfair under the FTC Act, even if that conduct involves speech.”

In conducting its analysis, the Media Research Center relied on bias ratings compiled by AllSides. That organization uses a bipartisan panel made up of two members from the left, two from the center, and two from the right, all trained to evaluate media bias. It also incorporates blind surveys of everyday Americans to determine ideological leanings.

Earlier this year, in February 2025, Ferguson initiated a broader probe into alleged censorship by major technology firms. The stated aim was to “better understand how these firms may have violated the law by silencing and intimidating Americans for speaking their minds.”

“Any act or practice by Apple News to suppress or promote news articles based on the perceived ideological or political viewpoint of the article or publication, if inconsistent with Apple’s terms of service or the reasonable expectations of consumers, may violate the FTC Act,” Ferguson wrote on Wednesday.

“As an American citizen, I abhor and condemn any attempt to censor content for ideological reasons,” he added. “Such efforts, whether taken to appease overzealous activists, at the behest of foreign governments, or simply to advance the political views of Silicon Valley elites, stifle the free exchange of ideas, manipulate the public discourse and are inconsistent with American values.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The NY Post.

According to The Post’s earlier reporting, the Media Research Center found that of the 620 prominently featured articles in January, 440 were published by outlets rated as left-leaning, while 180 came from centrist organizations.

Apple promotes Apple News as the leading news app in the United States. The platform combines stories selected by in-house editors with content surfaced through algorithmic recommendations.

Data cited by the Media Research Center showed that in January, Apple News featured 72 articles from The Washington Post, 54 from the Associated Press, 50 from NBC News, 34 from The Guardian, and 25 from NPR. The Wall Street Journal, which is classified as centrist, had 54 articles highlighted. The app did not feature any stories from The NY Post, Fox News, or other outlets identified as right-leaning.

Responding to the watchdog group’s conclusions, an Apple spokesperson stated that the News app “provides access to news spanning a wide range of topics from more than 3,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Bloomberg, USA Today, Washington Examiner, New York Post, CBS News, local outlets, and more.”

“Apple News users can tailor the app to their interests by choosing to follow or block specific publications or topics,” the spokesperson added.

{Matzav.com}

A section of the Bronx has effectively been transformed into an unauthorized encampment, with squatters occupying more than a dozen trailers, RVs, and even a retired ambulance, creating what neighbors describe as worsening health and safety conditions, the NY Post reports.

Along the stretch of roadway, illegal generators hum beside propane tanks placed directly on the sidewalk, while waste from chemical toilets is allegedly being emptied into the street itself. Residents say the situation has deteriorated steadily and has remained largely unchecked.

According to people who live nearby, the encampment has been in place for roughly two years. The conditions, they say, are no secret to the community.

“They pump s–t out into the streets and then they don’t move, so the street sweepers can’t even clean them up,” a lifelong Bronx resident, who asked not to be publicly identified, told The Post Wednesday. “It smells like a chemical toilet and it gets worse in the summer.

“I understand people need a place to live, but this is only getting worse,” he said.

Just one day earlier, The Post reported on a similar unauthorized trailer settlement near Citi Field in Queens. There, dozens of families were reportedly living in motorhomes and trailers in what authorities described as another illegal encampment.

At that Queens location, squatters were allegedly operating illicit car-service repair operations, drawing electricity from nearby utility poles and siphoning water from fire hydrants.

“We gave up calling the police,” local business owner Luke Huwang said. “The police don’t touch them.”

In the Bronx, approximately 15 trailers and recreational vehicles were parked along Bronx Boulevard between Duncombe Avenue and East 211th Street. Some of the vehicles were outfitted with security cameras, and nearly all appeared to have solar panels and digital TV antennas attached.

The entire area is posted as a no-standing zone, prohibiting extended parking.

Gasoline containers and propane tanks were visible outside many of the vehicles. Several generators were running, providing power either to the trailers themselves or to nearby cars—some bearing out-of-state license plates and others displaying no plates at all.

Among the vehicles was an old ambulance propped up on jack stands, with a generator running outside. Parked nearby were two compact cars and a Chevy SUV, each carrying New Hampshire license plates. When reporters from The NY Post knocked on doors to inquire about the situation, several individuals inside reportedly turned off the generator and remained silent.

One man who stepped out of an RV was asked whether police had visited the encampment.

“No, they don’t bother us,” he said. “We keep the place clean. There ain’t no reason to bother us. I’ve been to all 48 states for work and this is nothing.”

A nearby gas station appeared to serve as a supply hub for residents of the encampment, offering items ranging from camping gear to knives and brass knuckles.

A short distance away, on Gun Hill Road, an old school bus added another dimension to the scene. The bus, painted with marijuana leaves and emblazoned with the words “the Green Empress,” featured a walk-up window where customers could knock to purchase cannabis.

Inside, a man described the price of a $10 marijuana joint as “a donation.”

Photo: James Keivom