Matzav

A groundbreaking piece of legislation advanced in the Knesset Monday night could soon give Israelis the option to bring civil and monetary disputes before rabbinical courts — with legal recognition from the state.

The Arbitration Law Amendment, sponsored by MKs Moshe Gafni and Yisrael Eichler along with several other lawmakers, passed its first reading in the Knesset plenum with 63 votes in favor and 43 against.

The proposal seeks to formally enshrine in Israeli law the authority of rabbinical courts to act as arbitrators in civil matters — but only with the consent of both parties. This means that business or financial disputes could be adjudicated by a Beis Din under a din Torah, and the resulting ruling would carry the same binding legal force as any other arbitration award recognized by Israeli courts.

According to the bill’s explanatory notes, “The rabbinical courts have for many years adjudicated civil disputes with the consent of the parties. However, a previous Supreme Court ruling determined that in the absence of a legal basis, the rabbinical courts are not authorized to handle such disputes.”

The new proposal aims “to anchor in law the authority of the rabbinical courts to serve as arbitrators, with the consent of the parties, in civil matters that may be subject to an arbitration agreement between parties, thereby allowing those who wish to resolve their disputes according to Torah law to do so through the rabbinical courts.”

The timing of the vote followed a political arrangement between the chareidi parties and the coalition. The bill was brought to the floor immediately after the chareidi factions voted in support of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s controversial media reform — in exchange for coalition backing of the arbitration bill.

If passed in its second and third readings, the law would mark a historic shift, granting state-backed recognition to rabbinical courts in handling civil financial cases, so long as both sides agree to the process.

The move has been met with enthusiasm among the chareidi parties, who see it as a long-overdue step toward strengthening the role of Torah-based jurisprudence within Israel’s legal framework.

{Matzav.com}

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Following a year marked by numerous reports of chareidi and Israeli travelers being detained or questioned at Budapest Airport, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued a special advisory urging passengers to comply with Hungary’s strict customs regulations to avoid delays and fines.

According to the ministry, hundreds — and possibly thousands — of Israeli travelers, the majority from the chareidi community, have been stopped at the customs checkpoint upon entering Hungary. Many of them were unaware of the country’s strict limits on the import of cigarettes and alcohol, which allow no more than two cartons of cigarettes or a single bottle of liquor per person.

Customs officials reportedly began routinely inspecting ultra-Orthodox travelers, suspecting that many were carrying tobacco or alcohol in excess of the permitted amount. “Almost every chareidi traveler entering Hungary has been delayed,” one local source said, describing the pattern as both frustrating and avoidable with proper awareness.

The Foreign Ministry’s statement, released Monday evening, warned: “Travelers found in possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or cash exceeding the amounts permitted under Hungarian law may be detained at the airport, fined, and have the goods confiscated by the authorities.”

The ministry also drew attention to regulations concerning the importation of medications: “Prescription drugs may only be brought into Hungary together with a doctor’s prescription and proper documentation. Medicines containing controlled substances may require additional permits,” the statement said.

Officials advised Israeli citizens traveling to Hungary “to refrain from carrying prohibited products or quantities that exceed the legal limit and to ensure that each traveler carries only the permitted amount per person according to local law.”

The statement further noted that the Israeli Embassy in Budapest “has no authority to intervene or expedite procedures handled by local authorities.” Travelers were urged to verify updated information before departure “through the Hungarian Embassy in Israel or the Hungarian customs authorities.”

The advisory follows a growing number of complaints from travelers who reported lengthy interrogations, confiscations of goods, and in some cases, financial penalties. The Foreign Ministry’s notice aims to help prevent further incidents and ensure smoother entry for Israeli and chareidi travelers visiting Hungary.

{Matzav.com}

In a powerful handwritten note released this week, Rav Hershel Schachter, rosh yeshiva at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchonon, issued a clear call for civic responsibility ahead of today’s election, stressing that participation at the ballot box is a halachic and communal obligation.

“According to the media, the election this week is very close and every vote counts,” Rav Schachter wrote. “Everyone who is legally entitled to vote is obligated to do so. Even if need be, one must cut Seder to vote. Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh — all Jews are responsible for one another.”

The message, written in Rav Schachter’s own hand and circulated widely on Monday, highlights the significance of Jewish voter turnout in what is expected to be a tightly contested race in New York.

{Matzav.com}

Nancy Pelosi unleashed a torrent of criticism toward President Donald Trump during a CNN interview released Monday, calling him “a vile creature” and “the worst thing on the face of the earth.”

“He’s just a vile creature. The worst thing on the face of the earth,” she said.

When pressed by interviewer Elex Michaelson — “You think he’s the worst thing on the face of the earth?” — Pelosi did not hesitate. “I do, yeah. I do,” she replied.

The remarks came as California voters cast ballots on Proposition 50, a special-election measure that could reshape the state’s congressional map and potentially tip the balance of power in the House. The proposal has been slammed by Republicans as a partisan “power grab,” but Pelosi insisted that the real danger to American democracy lies with Trump himself.

Michaelson noted that Pelosi has repeatedly linked the redistricting initiative to her broader campaign to counter Trump’s influence. Asked why she chose such severe language, she pointed to what she sees as his violations of core American principles.

“Because he’s the president of the United States, and he does not honor the Constitution of the United States,” Pelosi said. “In fact, he’s turned the Supreme Court into a rogue court. He’s abolished the House of Representatives. He’s chilled the press. He’s scared people who are in our country legally.”

Pelosi sidestepped questions about whether she plans to run for re-election but made clear that she has no concerns about her political standing at home. “I have no doubt that if I decided to run, I would win. That isn’t even a question. It isn’t arrogant, it’s confident,” she said.

She emphasized that her current focus is not on her own seat but on helping Democrats reclaim control of the House — something she argued is vital to protect the nation from what she described as Trump’s “poison.”

“My only reason I’m in Congress this term is to win the House for the Democrats, to protect us from the poison of the Trump administration,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump issued a blistering statement this morning, targeting Jewish voters who back New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, calling the socialist politician “a proven and self-professed JEW HATER.”

In a post shared on Truth Social at 9:46 a.m., Trump wrote, “Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!”

The Muslim Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has long drawn outrage from the Jewish community for his harsh anti-Israel rhetoric, vocal support for the BDS movement, and refusal to condemn chants such as “globalize the intifada,” a call for violence against Jews.

Mamdani has fostered hostility toward Israel and endangered Jewish New Yorkers through his extreme positions.

{Matzav.com}

The military arm of Hamas announced that it intends to transfer the body of an Israeli hostage this evening at 8 p.m.

According to the statement released by the terror group, the remains were located earlier today during excavation work in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. Hamas claimed the discovery occurred “inside the Yellow Line,” referring to a zone currently under Israeli control.

No immediate confirmation has been issued from Israeli authorities regarding the alleged recovery or the planned handover.

{Matzav.com}

The ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ host joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani’s possible win, his new book, ‘Woke is Dead’ and more.

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A bitter rift within conservative circles deepened Monday as Ben Shapiro launched a blistering attack on Tucker Carlson, denouncing him as “the most virulent super-spreader of vile ideas in America.” The remarks came during an episode of The Ben Shapiro Show, where Shapiro condemned Carlson for platforming Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes without challenging his extremist views.

“The issue here isn’t that Tucker Carlson had Nick Fuentes on his show last week. He has every right to do that, of course,” Shapiro said. “The issue here is that Tucker Carlson decided to normalize and fluff Nick Fuentes and that the Heritage Foundation then decided to robustly defend that performance.”

Carlson’s interview with Fuentes — who lauded Stalin and described “organized Jewry” as America’s “big challenge” — has fractured the right, setting off a fierce debate over the limits of free speech within the conservative movement. Carlson, whose audience remains large even after his exit from Fox News, accused pro-Israel Republicans of having a “brain virus.”

Reaction across the conservative landscape has been starkly divided. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board condemned the episode as an alarming flirtation with antisemitism, while Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defended Carlson, railing against a “venomous coalition” trying to “cancel” him. “I disagree with and even abhor things that Nick Fuentes says, but canceling him is not the answer, either,” Roberts said, later adding that he explicitly opposed antisemitism and Fuentes’ ideology.

Shapiro rejected that framing, insisting that moral clarity is not “cancellation.” “It is not cancellation to draw moral lines between viewpoints,” he said. “In fact, we used to call that one of the key aspects of conservatism.”

The fallout quickly reached Heritage itself. Ryan Neuhaus, the longtime chief of staff to Roberts, resigned from the organization on Monday after reposting comments defending the think tank’s stance. “NeuhausNeuhausNeuhaus is a good man, we appreciate his service, and we have no doubt he will serve the movement in another capacity,” a Heritage spokesperson confirmed, as first reported by The Hill.

Carlson’s sit-down with Fuentes adds to a string of controversies involving antisemitism on the political right. In recent weeks, a nominee for a top federal watchdog post withdrew after boasting of his “Nazi streak,” a leaked Young Republicans chat revealed members praising Hitler, and a Nazi symbol was discovered in a GOP congressional office.

Shapiro, who has previously hosted fundraisers for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, accused Carlson of legitimizing extremists who are poisoning the party from within. “The main agent in that normalization is Tucker Carlson, who is an intellectual coward, a dishonest interlocutor, and a terrible friend,” he charged.

At last weekend’s Republican Jewish Coalition summit, GOP leaders tried to separate Carlson’s views from the broader party identity. “Antisemitism is a very small, limited problem in our party,” RJC CEO Matt Brooks told reporters, while attendees waved signs reading, “TUCKER IS NOT MAGA.”

A proud Orthodox Jew himself, Shapiro closed with a grim warning about the GOP’s trajectory. “The left followed its radicals to electoral hell,” he said. “Apparently, many on the right wish to do the same.”

{Matzav.com}

Eight years after the tenure of Rav Yisrael Meir Lau as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv came to an end, the city is finally moving forward with elections to fill the long-vacant post. The election date has been officially set for Tuesday, 17 Teves 5786 (January 6, 2026).

The decision marks a major step in concluding one of the longest rabbinic vacancies in any major Israeli city. The election committee for the Tel Aviv rabbinate convened this week at the Ministry of Religious Services to advance the process for appointing a new city rabbi.

The committee is chaired by Dayan Emeritus Rav Yaakov Zamir, a former member of the Great Rabbinical Court. During the session, committee members approved the composition of the electoral body that will choose the next Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv.

With both the election date and the voting body now confirmed, officials say it will be nearly impossible to halt the process, even in the event that the Knesset dissolves and Israel heads to general elections.

Two prominent rabbonim are expected to vie for the position. Leading the race is Rav Zevadya Cohen, Av Beis Din of Tel Aviv, who enjoys the backing of the Rishonim L’Tzion, the Shas party, and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.

Also likely to contend is Rav Tzvi Yehuda Lau, son of Rav Yisrael Meir Lau and the current rav of the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood in Tel Aviv.

{Matzav.com}

Michelle Obama is opening up about the relentless public scrutiny she says she endured during her years in the White House — particularly as a black woman — and how she used her wardrobe as a form of expression under that intense spotlight.

In her new book, The Look, the 61-year-old former first lady reflects on the unique pressures of being part of the country’s first black presidential couple, saying that every decision — including what she wore — carried symbolic weight. “We were all too aware that as a first black couple, we couldn’t afford any missteps. And that as a black woman, I was under a particularly white hot glare,” she wrote.

She added that the Obamas were not given the same leniency as other first families. “We didn’t get the grace that I think some other families have gotten,” she said, noting how political opponents weaponized race against them.

“Making a mistake in a political environment where you’re the first and people are where your opponents are using your race as a fear-based strategy to make you seem like the other, then everything matters,” she told Robin Roberts in an interview with ABC’s 20/20.

Obama explained that she initially avoided talking about fashion because she wanted to be known for her work, not her wardrobe. “I wanted the public to know me by the work that I did and not what I looked like,” she said. But over time, she began to see her fashion choices as “soft power.”

“You know, style and fashion, and how we show up in the world is an important way that we send a message,” she explained. “What you’re wearing says something about what you care about. It speaks to your background, your culture. So, I really thought about what I wanted to say.”

That consciousness extended beyond politics — it was also about representing the women who came before her. She said she often thought about “the mothers and grandmothers out there who I knew would be shaking their head if I didn’t show up right.”

Obama lamented how women, especially those in public life, are frequently judged by their appearance. “We live in a culture, sadly, where, you know, if somebody wants to go after a woman, the first thing they do is go after our looks, our size, our physical being, as a way to, you know, make us feel small, to keep us in place,” she said.

She also criticized the fashion industry for its exclusivity, saying some designers felt possessive of the First Lady role. “There’s a tendency for certain designers to feel like they own the first lady,” she said. “So like anything else, that kind of attitude blocks out opportunities from other designers. So I thought about that.”

Over the past year, Obama skipped two major events — Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Trump’s inauguration — prompting speculation after she said she didn’t attend Trump’s swearing-in because she “didn’t know what to wear.” The absences fueled rumors about her marriage, which both she and Barack Obama publicly dismissed.

Now, Obama says she’s more at peace than ever. “You know, there’s something about the 60s. It is the best time of my life now that my daughters are launched and doing well,” she said. “My husband’s settled. There’s a certain freedom that I feel I’m at that stage in life where I can say, ‘Yeah, maybe I know a few things.’”

{Matzav.com}

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect of the global war on terrorism and second Iraq war who served for decades in Congress and three Republican administrations, died Monday night of complications from pneumonia and cardio and vascular disease, his family said in a statement. He was 84.

Cheney served as vice president for eight years under President George W. Bush and as defense secretary under his father, President George H.W. Bush. Before that, he served in the U.S. House as a Republican from Wyoming and as White House chief of staff for President Gerald Ford.

“Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” the family statement, provided by their spokesperson Jeremy Adler, said. “We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”

Cheney, a forceful and polarizing figure in Washington, was a key figure in the defense and foreign policies of the two Bush administrations. A defense hawk, Cheney spearheaded two major U.S. military operations during Bush senior’s tenure, including an invasion of Panama that toppled the country’s leader, General Manuel Noriega, and the first Gulf War, in which a U.S.-led coalition of allied nations liberated Kuwait from Iraq after its leader Saddam Hussein’s brief and widely condemned invasion of the country. Unlike the second war in Iraq, the 1991 conflict did not end in the removal of Hussein and a protracted occupation by U.S. and allied forces.

During the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Cheney was taken to a White House bunker. Reflecting on that day in a 2009 speech, he said, “I’ve heard occasional speculation that I’m a different man after 9/11. I wouldn’t say that. But I’ll freely admit that watching a coordinated, devastating attack on our country from an underground bunker at the White House can affect how you view your responsibilities.”

In the days afterward, Cheney initially told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the U.S. response should be aimed at Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, not Iraq. Bob Woodward later wrote in his book “Bush at War” that while then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lobbied for military strikes on Iraq, Cheney also “expressed deep concern about Saddam and wouldn’t rule out going after Iraq at some point.”
As vice president under George W. Bush, Cheney fiercely defended the 2003 invasion of Iraq despite the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in the country, which the Bush administration had claimed were a threat given what it alleged were the Hussein government’s links to al Qaeda. Cheney also rebuked Democrats for accusations that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence to invade Iraq, calling the attacks “dishonest and reprehensible.” Cheney said in 2006 that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would have been the right move to safeguard national security even if the intelligence community had determined beforehand that there were no weapons of mass destruction.

Cheney spearheaded the Bush administration’s “war on terror” and argued in favor of warrantless wiretapping efforts domestically and harsh interrogation techniques abroad. Even after the CIA stopped using those tactics and Cheney had left the White House, he continued to maintain that those policies were justified.

Wikipedia’s co-founder Jimmy Wales stepped in personally to halt public edits to a controversial article titled “Gaza genocide,” blasting the page’s introduction for presenting a one-sided, anti-Israel narrative.

Wales said the entry violated the site’s neutrality standards because it presented the phrase “Gaza genocide” as fact rather than opinion. “This article fails to meet our high standards and needs immediate attention,” he wrote, noting that the description did not acknowledge the claim as an allegation and lacked attribution to reliable sources.

His message cited Wikipedia’s core policies on neutrality and verifiability. “I believe that Wikipedia is at its best when we can have reasonable discussion rooted in a commitment to write articles that reflect a neutral point of view,” he said. “I believe that’s especially important on highly difficult or contentious topics. While this article is a particularly egregious example, there is much more work to do.”

The decision to freeze the page’s edits on Sunday represented a rare intervention by Wales, whose platform dominates online information searches and appears in the majority of AI-generated summaries.

Wales directed volunteer editors to rebuild the entry from a neutral standpoint, suggesting that it begin with balanced wording such as: “Multiple government, NGOs, and legal bodies have described or rejected the characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.”

He reminded editors of Wikipedia’s unbending rules: “Remember: ‘This policy is non-negotiable, and the principles upon which it is based cannot be superseded by other policies or guidelines, nor by editor consensus.’”

The controversy comes as lawmakers and analysts accuse Wikipedia of becoming a tool for coordinated disinformation. In August, House Oversight Chair James Comer and Rep. Nancy Mace alleged that groups were violating the platform’s guidelines to push antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda. Their letter to Wikimedia CEO Maryana Iskander demanded records detailing how the foundation detects and punishes such manipulation, citing reports that taxpayer-funded academics and foreign agents were editing entries to promote anti-Western and pro-Kremlin talking points.

Tensions over Wikipedia’s credibility have also coincided with Elon Musk’s launch of Grokipedia, a self-described politically neutral, AI-driven alternative to Wikipedia. Musk said his platform was designed to eliminate what he sees as pervasive “lefty bias.”

Not all editors welcomed Wales’ involvement. “It feels very improper for the WMF to be intervening here due to political pressure, even if you are ostensibly acting as an individual,” one contributor complained on the page’s discussion board.

As of Monday morning, however, the lead paragraph of the “Gaza genocide” article still declared without sourcing: “The Gaza genocide is the ongoing, intentional, and systematic destruction of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip carried out by Israel during the Gaza war.”

It continued: “The genocidal acts include mass killings, starvation, infliction of serious bodily and mental harm, and preventing births,” listing additional claims such as “blockading, destroying civilian infrastructure, destroying health care facilities, killing health care workers and aid seekers, causing mass forced displacement, committing sexual violence, and destroying educational, religious, and cultural sites.”

While readers could still view the page, editing was locked. A notice featuring a padlock icon announced: “This article is currently protected from editing until November 4, 2025 at 21:47 UTC, or until editing disputes have been resolved.” It clarified that the restriction was “not an endorsement of the current version.”

Reactions among Wikipedia contributors were sharply divided. “Thank you for these important words. This is a first step toward correcting the bias and restoring neutrality to Wikipedia,” one editor wrote in support. Another added that Wales’ intervention was measured and sincere: “He has not ignored consensus nor tried to overturn it; he has come here to discuss it and try to reach a new consensus. And he is here as an editor — he made crystal clear that he is here in a personal capacity.”

Others were incensed. One editor fumed that his move was “disrespectful to all the experienced, good faith editors who put a lot of hard work into getting this article to the place it is,” while another accused him of bias because of his connections to Israel.

Wales, who has visited Israel numerous times, received the Dan David Prize from Tel Aviv University in 2015, an honor recognizing outstanding contributions to society and scholarship.

{Matzav.com}

Donovan Hall, 35, of Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced to 49 months in prison for stalking Jews in New York City and sending more than 1,000 threats to murder and assault them, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.

Hall “targeted Jewish victims with a sustained campaign of intimidation, terror and harassment,” stated Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “The approximately 1,000 threats he sent to these New Yorkers were alarming and brazen. The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that this office will aggressively bring to justice those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate.”

Over three months, Hall contacted “several” New Yorkers about 1,000 times and “made antisemitic and violent threats to torture, mutilate, rape and murder them and their families,” the Justice Department said. “In particular, starting in August 2024, Hall made dozens of threatening phone calls, many of which were antisemitic in nature, to the Jewish owner of a hotel located in Manhattan, the owner’s family members and hotel staff.”

“During these calls, Hall threatened numerous times to kill the victims,” it said. It added that he “escalated” his threats by “texting photographs of two firearms and a machete to the hotel owner, along with threats to use those weapons to harm the owner and his family.”

Officers found and recovered the two guns, which weren’t registered to Hall and one of which was loaded, and ammunition at his home.

He was sentenced to three years of supervised release after his jail term. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The United States has formally presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for the creation of an international stabilization force to operate in Gaza. According to reports aired Monday night on Israel’s Channel 12, the proposal envisions the multinational force being deployed for at least two years, with authority extending through the end of 2027 and the option for renewal.

Under the draft plan, Israeli forces would gradually scale down operations in Gaza and withdraw from additional areas of the Strip during a defined transitional phase. At the same time, the Palestinian Authority would undergo internal reforms aimed at preparing it to assume future administrative responsibility over Gaza.

The U.S. draft is expected to be debated among Security Council members in the coming days, with a goal of holding a vote within weeks. If approved, the first contingent of international troops could arrive in Gaza as early as January.

The stabilization force, the report said, would operate under the direct supervision of a newly established “International Peace Council,” chaired by President Donald Trump and composed of senior representatives from several nations. The force’s mandate would include securing Gaza’s borders with both Israel and Egypt, dismantling and preventing the reconstruction of terrorist infrastructure, and permanently disarming all non-state militant groups.

The multinational force would operate under unified command approved by the Peace Council and coordinate closely with both Israel and Egypt. It would be authorized to use “all necessary means” to fulfill its mission, in accordance with international and humanitarian law.

The proposal further outlines that the Peace Council would oversee and support a technocratic, non-political Palestinian committee made up of qualified professionals from Gaza. This committee would manage the Strip’s daily civil administration and public services.

An American official told Channel 12 that the Peace Council is expected to begin functioning even before the Palestinian technocratic committee is formally established.

Humanitarian assistance for Gaza would also be channeled through organizations cooperating with the Peace Council, including the United Nations, the International Red Cross, and the Red Crescent. The draft stipulates that any group found responsible for diverting aid to armed factions or misusing humanitarian supplies would be barred from continuing operations in Gaza.

The mission’s stated objectives include protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian activity, training and supporting approved Palestinian police units, securing humanitarian corridors, and carrying out other assignments necessary to implement the overall stabilization plan.

The force’s mandate would run until the end of 2027, and any future extension or operational changes would require consultation with Israel, Egypt, and the Security Council.

A source familiar with the proposal told i24NEWS that Washington intends to formally introduce the resolution within the next few days, with a possible vote as early as next week. “The Americans wanted to move quickly and have the force established before the end of the year,” the source said.

{Matzav.com}

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By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld In last week’s Parsha the king of Sedom offered Avraham a reward for conquering the four kings and freeing the captives. Avraham refused it. He used an interesting phrase in his refusal. He said the following, “I will not accept a thread or a shoe lace, so that you will not be able to say I made Avraham rich.” Rav Nachman the son of Yitzchok says in the Gemara, Meseches Shabbos, daf samech alef, amud alef that one must put on his right shoe first, leave it untied and then put on the left shoe. He should tie the left shoe first and then go back to tie the right shoe. The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, siman bais, seif koton daled  rules that this is the proper way for someone to put on shoes. There are two reasons why the left takes precedence over the right when it comes to tying. The first reason is that we see the Torah showed precedence regarding the tying of Tedfillin, which is done on the left hand. The second reason concerns Avraham’s refusal to accept remuneration in the form of thread and shoe laces. Due to his actions his offspring merited the two mitzvos of Tzitzis and tefillin. We therefore correlate the tying of the shoes, which is the reason we got tefillin (that is worn on the left hand) to require the left side to have precedence over the right. The following two questions arise in connection to this discussion. Does tying the left side before the right side apply to other articles of clothing or not? Does a woman, who does not put on tefillin, tie her right shoe first or her left shoe first? Both questions would depend on the reasoning behind why we tie the left before the right. If the reason is because the Torah gave precedence to the left over right regarding tying (as seen regarding Tefillin), it would not matter that women don’t put on tefillin and any article of clothing would be required to favor the left side to be tied first. If the reason that tying shoes in the above-mentioned manner directly correlates to tefillin, then a woman would not tie her left shoe first nor would any other article of clothing require the left side to be done first. The Shulchan Aruch Horav in siman bais writes: when one puts on his shirt or any other article of clothing i.e. pants, one should first put on the right side and then the left side. This is so in the event there is anything that needs to be tied, then the left side shall be tied first. The Yaavetz concurs with this idea as seen in his siddur. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in siman gimmel and the Aruch Hashulchan both agree that the left comes before the right as far as tying is concerned. This is so even regarding clothing other than shoes. The Artzos Hachaim, seif koton lamed alef says (based on the reasoning of the Levush) that the reason tying the left comes first is because it is a reward for Avraham saying that he won’t take even a shoelace. This reason proves that the tying of the left side first is really only concerning shoes; therefore, it would not apply to any other article of clothing. The Mishna Berura in Orach Chaim, siman bais, seif koton vov paskens that we tie the left side first regarding shoes, but not any other article of clothing. Regarding the question whether women have the same requirement of tying the left side first or not, the Sefer Shashuei Tzvi (Reb Tzvi Pesach Frank) in chelek alef, siman gimmel says that a woman can do as she pleases. She is not required to tie the left shoe first since she does not put on tefillin. Reb Chaim Kanievsky disagrees and says that a woman must follow the guidelines like a man and tie the left shoe first. Reb Chaim explains that the tefillin is just an indicator that the Torah prefers the left side to be tied before the right side. He continues to clarify by saying that no one would tell a person who is suffering from stomach issues and can’t put on tefillin, that he should tie his right shoe first on that day. The Halichos Shlomo disagrees in Seder Tefillah, perek sheini, seif koton chof. If a woman would try to put on tefillin, we would protest and not allow her to do so. Therefore, a woman should tie her right side first. I guess that is why most women wear slip-on shoes and men don’t usually tie other items of clothing besides for their shoes.

In a candid address to talmidim at Yeshivas Oraysa in Yerushalayim, the mashgiach, Rav Dovid Kopp, announced a strict new enforcement policy: any talmid found driving a car during his yeshiva years will face immediate and severe financial penalties.

In a recording of the speech circulated Monday, Rav Kopp described the rise in young men obtaining driver’s licenses and using automobiles during their learning years as a dangerous erosion of the yeshiva framework and the students’ spiritual seriousness. He warned that the practice undermines the sanctity and focus expected in the learning environment.

Under the new sanctions, a talmid caught driving will be fined NIS 1,000 on the spot. Rav Kopp made clear that the fine is nonrefundable and that “no excuse will help” — including claims that the talmid had permission from another member of the administration.

Talmidim who ride as passengers in a forbidden vehicle will also be penalized: each passenger will incur a NIS 200 fine in addition to the driver’s heavier penalty.

The mashgiach framed the measure as immediate, uncompromising enforcement intended to halt what he described as a growing “separation” from the yeshiva way of life. He said the financial penalty is meant both to deter the practice and to send a clear message that the institution will not tolerate behaviors that detract from full-time immersion in Torah study.

The prohibition on holding or using driver’s licenses while enrolled in full-time yeshiva is a long-established norm in much of the Torah world, particularly within many chassidishe institutions. In those communities, the consequences can be extreme: a talmid caught driving or found to be in possession of a car or license may face expulsion and a permanent break with the yeshiva.

At Yeshivas Oraysa, Rav Kopp’s new sanctions add an economic layer to existing communal expectations, signaling a tougher approach to enforcement. Officials said the policy is aimed at preserving the yeshiva’s atmosphere of detachment from worldly distractions and protecting the talmidim’s single-minded devotion to Torah study.

{Matzav.com}