Matzav

Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times

President Donald Trump has refiled his massive $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, after a federal judge dismissed the earlier version for being excessively long.

The updated complaint, now properly formatted, was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. It accuses The New York Times of defamation based on two articles released in 2024, as well as a book written by two of the paper’s journalists the previous year. Trump is seeking $15 billion in damages, along with additional punitive compensation.

“President Trump is continuing to hold the Fake News responsible through this powerhouse lawsuit against the New York Times, its reporters, and Penguin Random House,” a spokesman for Trump’s legal team told Fox News Digital.

The lawsuit lists The New York Times Company, journalists Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker, and Michael S. Schmidt, as well as Penguin Random House, as defendants. Penguin Random House is the publisher of Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, written by Craig and Buettner.

A spokesperson for The New York Times told Fox News Digital, “As we said when this was first filed and again after the judge’s ruling to strike it: this lawsuit has no merit. Nothing has changed today. This is merely an attempt to stifle independent reporting and generate PR attention, but The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics.”

Last month, the presiding judge instructed Trump’s legal team to revise and condense the original 85-page document into a shorter version not exceeding 40 pages, allowing them 28 days to do so. The new filing meets that requirement.

The updated complaint centers on allegations of defamation related to The Times’ coverage of Trump’s time as host of The Apprentice and its reporting on alleged questionable tax practices.

This case is one of several defamation lawsuits Trump has brought against major media organizations, including ABC News, CBS News, and The Wall Street Journal. Over the past year, Trump has reached significant settlements with both ABC and CBS.

In December, ABC resolved its case by contributing $15 million to a future presidential museum or foundation and covering $1 million in legal fees.

Trump also filed an “election interference” suit against CBS over its 60 Minutes interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that the network’s editing misled viewers. As CBS’s parent company, Paramount, prepared for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, it agreed in July to settle the dispute for a figure reportedly approaching $30 million.

{Matzav.com}

Zohran Mamdani Criticizes Andrew Cuomo For Not Visiting Enough Mosques: ‘Name a Single Mosque’

New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani took direct aim at Andrew Cuomo during Thursday night’s debate, accusing the former New York governor of ignoring the city’s Muslim community throughout his decade in office.

“It took Andrew Cuomo being beaten by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary for him to set foot in a mosque,” Mamdani said during the live exchange. “He had more than ten years and he couldn’t name a single mosque at the last debate we had that he visited.”

Expanding on his criticism, Mamdani said, “What Muslims want in this city is what every community wants and deserves. They want equality and they want respect, and it took me to get you to even see those Muslims as part of this city, and that frankly is something that is shameful and is why so many New Yorkers have lost faith in this politics.”

When Cuomo objected, saying, “I’ve worked with the Muslim community for many, many years,” Mamdani immediately challenged him. “Name a single mosque you went to while you were the governor. Can you name a single mosque you went to in ten years?” he pressed.

Cuomo defended his record, insisting his outreach to Muslims dated back long before Mamdani’s entry into public life. “Before you were ever here, before you were even in state government, I worked with the Muslim community,” Cuomo responded. “Imams presided over state of the states. We worked in religious working groups, tolerance groups, anti-Semitic groups, etcetera.”

Mamdani ended the exchange with a sharp rebuke: “You couldn’t visit a mosque.”

Cuomo had recently visited a mosque for the first time while campaigning in his current race, an event that drew both attention and criticism.

The debate quickly grew tense as Cuomo, Mamdani, and Republican contender Curtis Sliwa sparred over their records, with Mamdani and Sliwa occasionally joining forces to confront Cuomo on stage.

{Matzav.com}

John Bolton Surrenders To Authorities After Indictment Over Mishandling Classified Information

John Bolton, a long-standing figure in Republican foreign policy circles and one-time national security adviser, turned himself in to federal authorities on Friday following his indictment for alleged mishandling of classified information. The charges come after a federal grand jury issued an 18-count indictment accusing him of improperly keeping or transmitting sensitive government materials.

Bolton appeared at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, for his first hearing a day after the grand jury delivered the indictment. Prosecutors claim the 76-year-old retained and shared restricted national security documents during his time serving under President Trump, in violation of federal law.

According to the indictment, Bolton allegedly used a personal AOL email account to send some of the classified materials to individuals not authorized to receive them. The document further asserts that over 1,000 pages of sensitive notes were shared with his wife and daughter, neither of whom held the necessary security clearances.

Prosecutors also allege that Bolton transmitted information labeled “top secret” using various messaging platforms. The material reportedly included intelligence related to planned U.S. military operations and foreign adversaries, actions that investigators say violated strict national security protocols.

{Matzav.com}

Report: Hamas Starved Hostages To Film Emaciated Videos, Pressure Israel

The world was horrified months ago by a Hamas propaganda video showing Israeli hostage Evyatar David, frail and starving, digging what he said was his own grave. Now, a new Channel 13 investigation reveals the disturbing methods behind that footage, based on testimony from released captives and their families. According to the report, David and his fellow hostage, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were intentionally starved and separated inside the tunnels so that they would appear skeletal on camera for “proof-of-life” recordings. Once the footage was completed, they were given food again. The August video, later released publicly with the family’s consent to expose Hamas’ cruelty, showed David emaciated and clutching a shovel deep underground.

In the chilling clip, David is seen marking off the passage of time on a crude calendar attached to the tunnel wall.

He was bare-chested, his ribs protruding sharply, his body a shadow of what it once was. Every muscle seemed wasted away, and he appeared to have been isolated for months without human contact or adequate nutrition. His arms looked so thin that his biceps were barely distinguishable from his forearms.

Hamas had also filmed David and Gilboa-Dalal watching other hostages being released, a deliberate act meant to torment them psychologically. Families say these orchestrated scenes were designed to destroy morale — the captors selectively showed moments of freedom to make those still imprisoned feel abandoned and hopeless.

Fresh accounts from recently freed hostages’ families have shed further light on the nightmare and the courage that persisted despite it. The mother of Elkana Bohbot told Israeli media that her son used bits of cloth and thread given by his captors to sew a small teddy bear for his young child, Re’em, while still in captivity. That handmade toy was seen in his hands when the two were finally reunited at Sheba Medical Center.

Speaking for the first time from his hospital bed, released hostage Maksim Herkin told Channel 13 that the public demonstrations in support of the captives were what gave him and others the strength to endure. “I said I would be back in the morning; it took me two years,” he said, offering an emotional apology to his mother and describing his return as “the victory of every citizen.”

In another testimony, the mother of Rom Braslavski detailed the mental and physical torment her son endured. She said Hamas guards kept him alone for long stretches and manipulated him with false news meant to convince him that Israel had fallen. For a time, he was so starved that he resorted to burning bits of clothing to boil pasta after being given only half a pita each night. She added that he wasn’t held in tunnels but was force-fed shortly before his release, leading to dangerous fluctuations in his blood sugar since his return.

{Matzav.com}

Witkoff: I Am Confident All The Hostages Will Return, Hamas ‘Must Unequivocally Disarm’

US special envoy Steve Witkoff reaffirmed the Trump administration’s determination to recover the bodies of all hostages who remained in Gaza, speaking with resolve about the mission’s ongoing urgency.

“We will pursue the return of the bodies of the deceased until they all come home. And I’m confident they will all come home,” Witkoff said during remarks at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, where an event was held marking two years since Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

Witkoff credited President Donald Trump with playing a decisive role in achieving the ceasefire last week that led to the liberation of every living hostage still held by Hamas.

“President Trump understands something most leaders forget — that moral clarity without strength means nothing, and it is that combination of conviction and power that has saved lives,” the envoy declared.

Reflecting on the delicate diplomacy that led to the agreement, Witkoff said that during the final phase of negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month, mediators succeeded in convincing “Hamas that keeping the remaining 20 hostages was no longer an asset. It was their liability, and they began to believe it.”

He recalled his personal experiences on two visits to Gaza over the past year.

“Each time I wear my black MAGA [hat], and people come up to me on the Gazan side because they want peace too,” Witkoff said.

“They want stability, opportunity, a better life for their children. A future for Gazans must include jobs, education, hope, aspirations — not just guns and violence,” he continued.

“Israel should never have to live under the threat of rockets flying at its people or the fear of terrorist attacks. But Gazan people must be able to live a decent life as well or there won’t be a possibility for long term peace.”

Witkoff reiterated that “Hamas must unequivocally disarm, and they can have no future in Gaza; no future as they have been,” hinting that Washington could accept Hamas’s continued presence in the territory only if it completely renounced its extremist ideology.

“Only when extremism ends can prosperity begin. Peace in the region will save countless lives of Israeli and Gaza alike, and bring dignity to those who have suffered for far too long,” Witkoff said, pledging to accelerate the expansion of the Abraham Accords in the aftermath of the ceasefire.

{Matzav.com}

AOC, Bernie Sanders Erupt After Being Asked If Schumer Should Be Worried About A Primary Challenge From Her

During a CNN town hall on Wednesday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont grew visibly frustrated when Ocasio-Cortez was asked if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should be worried about a possible primary challenge from her.

Both lawmakers bristled at the question, raising their voices as they dismissed the topic and accused the media and Republicans of ignoring more pressing national concerns.

“I mean, no, because I don’t think this is about anything… This is what we’re talking about!” Ocasio-Cortez exclaimed.

As she began to respond, Sanders jumped in forcefully. “Let me jump in on this one,” he said, before launching into a tirade about the nation’s problems.

“That’s exactly what we’re talking… we have a country that is falling apart!” he shouted. “We had a housing crisis, a health care crisis, an education crisis, massive income and wealth inequality, corrupt campaign finances, and the media says, ‘Are you going to run? What are you going to run for?’ Nobody cares!”

CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins countered that the question wasn’t random, noting that both Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump have recently brought up the possibility of Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer in 2026.

Sanders argued that those remarks from Vance and Trump were simply an attempt to “deflect attention away from the real issues,” pivoting again to what he described as America’s systemic failures.

“We’re living in the richest country in the history of the world, right? All right, you tell me why we’re the only nation not to guarantee health care to all people. The only nation not to guarantee paid family and medical leave, why we have a $7.25 an hour minimum wage, why we have 800,000 people sleeping out on the street,” Sanders said.

“Let’s talk about that issue — not her political future. She’ll decide that,” Sanders added, bringing the exchange to a close.

The discussion was only the latest instance of speculation about Ocasio-Cortez’s potential rise within the Democratic Party, which has intensified amid internal disputes over Schumer’s approach to the ongoing government shutdown.

Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez appeared on MSNBC to discuss the stalemate, telling Republicans, “My office is open, and you are free to walk in and negotiate with me directly,” a statement that prompted fresh questions from GOP lawmakers about who is truly steering Democratic strategy.

In the days following that appearance, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was confronted by a reporter asking if Republicans should take Ocasio-Cortez up on her offer.

“There was a thought from the Republicans that AOC is directing this, and she said that senators are welcome to go to her office directly. Is she driving that?” the reporter asked.

“Why are you saying such a ridiculous thing?” Pelosi shot back. “She’s wonderful, she’s a real team player, and the rest of that. You started by saying Republicans say that she’s directing this. She is not, Hakeem Jeffries is.”

{Matzav.com}

Mahmoud Khalil Can Freely Travel Around US As He Fights His Deportation Case, Judge Rules

A federal judge has removed travel limitations on Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, granting him permission to attend rallies and public gatherings across the United States while he continues to contest the deportation proceedings initiated under the Trump administration.

Khalil, who was released from an immigration detention facility in Louisiana this past June, had petitioned a federal magistrate judge to cancel the restrictions that had confined his movement to New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Michigan.

“He wants to travel for the very significant First Amendment reasons that are at the bottom of this case,” his lawyer, Alina Das, said during a virtual court session on Thursday. “He wants to speak to issues of public concern.”

Government attorney Aniello DeSimone opposed the request, contending that Khalil “has not provided enough of a reason why he couldn’t attend these and other events telephonically.”

On Thursday, Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer ruled in Khalil’s favor, emphasizing that he was not deemed a flight risk and had abided by all conditions of his release.

Hammer also accepted the government’s stipulation that Khalil must notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in advance of any planned travel.

Khalil, known for his role in the Columbia University demonstrations protesting the war in Gaza, was taken into custody by ICE agents on March 8, becoming the first university activist detained under President Donald Trump’s initiative targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A graduate student at Columbia and a lawful U.S. permanent resident, Khalil spent months in detention before his release in June by a separate federal judge, during which he missed the birth of his first child.

In September, an immigration judge in Louisiana determined that Khalil was subject to deportation for allegedly omitting information on his green card application. His legal team has since filed an appeal challenging that decision.

{Matzav.com}

Trump on Bolton Indictment: He’s a Bad Guy

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had not been informed about the indictment of John Bolton, who served as his national security adviser, but described the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations as a “bad guy.”

Earlier in the day, a federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, issued an 18-count indictment against Bolton — eight counts related to the transmission of national defense information and ten counts concerning the retention of such material.

According to prosecutors, while working in the Trump administration, Bolton provided “more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities” to two individuals who were not authorized to receive it.

Trump was speaking with reporters in the Oval Office following an announcement about new efforts to expand access to in vitro fertilization when a journalist asked, “John Bolton was just indicted by a grand jury in Maryland. Do you have a reaction to that?”

“I didn’t know that; you are telling me for the first time,” Trump replied. “But I think he’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy, yeah. He’s a bad guy. It’s too bad, but that’s the way it goes. That’s the way it goes, right? That’s the way it goes,” he added.

When pressed further with the question, “Have you reviewed the case against him?” Trump responded, “No, I haven’t, I haven’t. But I just think he’s a bad person.”

Since his dismissal from the White House in September 2019, Bolton has been an outspoken critic of Trump.

Rumors of a possible indictment began circulating earlier in the week after a grand jury was convened on Wednesday. Justice Department sources told the New York Post that charges were expected by midweek, with one official calling the case against the 76-year-old “airtight.”

The grand jury’s move came after FBI agents carried out searches in August at Bolton’s Maryland residence and his Washington, D.C., office, looking for evidence connected to the alleged removal of “highly sensitive national security” documents.

Bolton is expected to turn himself in on Friday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.

Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that his client “did not unlawfully share or store any information.”

{Matzav.com}

Hamas Says Return of Israeli Hostages’ Bodies May Take Time

Hamas announced Thursday that it “may take considerable time” to recover the bodies of Israeli hostages, claiming that “some were buried in tunnels demolished by Israeli strikes, while others are still trapped beneath collapsed buildings.” The terror group insisted that it remains committed to the Gaza agreement and intends to return all the bodies of hostages held in the Strip.

The organization said that recovering the remaining bodies requires heavy machinery to clear the ruins, but such equipment cannot be brought into Gaza because of Israel’s restrictions on the entry of construction and excavation tools.

According to an Israeli official quoted by The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, Israel will not permit a Turkish delegation of 81 rescue workers and their heavy equipment to enter Gaza until Hamas has returned all the remains of the hostages that it currently can.

“There is a group of hostages’ bodies that Hamas can return right now [and] another group they know the location of, but they need equipment and assistance to retrieve them,” a source explained. “And there are some bodies they genuinely do not know where they are.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated Thursday, “We know for certain that Hamas can easily release a significant number of hostages in accordance with the agreement. What they are doing now is a fundamental violation of that agreement.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Moshe Maya: “There’s No Discussion Right Now About Returning to the Government”

Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of Shas’s Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah, made clear on Thursday that the party is not currently considering rejoining the governing coalition.

Speaking to close associates, Rav Maya stated unequivocally, “אין מה לדבר כרגע על חזרה לממשלה — there’s no discussion right now about returning to the government.”

In recent days, coalition officials have been working to project an image of progress on the long-delayed draft law, viewed as a key condition for bringing Shas back into the fold. However, senior coalition sources acknowledged that, despite public messaging, “there has been no real breakthrough yet.”

Associates of Rav Maya emphasized that “without genuine progress on the draft law, Shas will not be able to justify coming back to the cabinet table.”

The issue comes to a head next week: On October 20, the temporary appointments of acting ministers who have been holding Shas portfolios for the past three months are set to expire. Prime Minister Netanyahu will then be forced to reopen the ministerial appointment process, a move that often triggers political tension, particularly amid an ongoing hostage deal, internal coalition instability, and a draft law that has remained stuck in committee for two years.

Last month, as first reported by Matzav.com, Rav Maya sent a letter to fellow members of the Shas Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah urging an emergency meeting to discuss the draft law and other recent decrees. “I believe there is a need to convene the Council to discuss the matter of the draft and other decrees,” Rav Maya wrote. He stressed the importance of assembling the Council as soon as possible and instructed, “Please coordinate with our beloved Rabbi Aryeh shlit”a,” referring to Shas chairman Aryeh Deri.

{Matzav.com}

For the First Time: Agudah’s New Online Archive Brings Decades of Torah Leadership to the Public

For the first time, thousands of historic recordings and publications from Orthodox Jewish life in America are just a click away. The new online archive, https://agudaharchive.org/, makes decades of Torah leadership, community events, and Jewish thought accessible to students, families, and researchers everywhere.

The site launches with more than 3,000 digitized audio and video recordings dating back to 1966, including Siyumei HaShas, conventions, Yemei Iyun, Yarchei Kallah, and other pivotal gatherings. It also features the complete archives of The Jewish Observer and Dos Yiddishe Vort. With its user-friendly design and advanced search tools, visitors can browse curated collections or search by keyword. Registered users can even favorite recordings and create their own private collections.

“The treasures to be found here are astonishing,” said Rabbi Labish Becker, Executive Director of Agudath Israel of America, who also oversees the archival work. “The voices of gedolim, rabbonim, askonim, and community leaders—past and present—are now preserved and accessible for future generations.”

This achievement reflects the vision and dedication of individuals who understood the importance of preserving history. Rabbi Moshe Kolodny, founder of the archives, devoted decades to building the collection, while Mr. Yossi Aszknazy spent thousands of hours digitizing recordings now available online.

The website was generously sponsored in memory of Benny Levy by Sheryl Levy and family. May the learning and inspiration drawn from these resources serve as a lasting merit for his neshamah. Additional sponsorship by Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Cohen has enabled the ongoing digitization of archival documents, which will be added in future phases of the website.

To explore the archive or create an account, visit https://agudaharchive.org/. For further questions, please contact archive@agudah.org.

{Matzav.com}

Photo Essay: At the Wedding of a Daughter of Israeli Media Personality Menachem Toker

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JIHAD SUPPORTER: Mamdani Repeatedly Accuses Israel of Genocide In NYC Mayoral Debate

Zohran Mamdani, a leading contender in the New York City mayoral race, repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” during a tense debate Thursday night with rivals Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

At one point, Cuomo criticized Mamdani for what he called a betrayal of Democratic values, noting that Mamdani had supported the “leave it blank” movement during the Democratic presidential primaries. The campaign urged voters not to select any candidate in protest of U.S. support for Israel during the Gaza war.

“I said leave it blank in the presidential primary because primaries are a place to air dissent and like many Americans I was horrified by the Israeli genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said.

The exchange then turned to Mamdani’s hesitation, in a recent interview, to explicitly call on Hamas to give up its weapons. Pressed on the issue, Mamdani attempted to clarify his position. “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” he said.

He went on to explain his reasoning, saying, “Calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire, that means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons, and the reason that we call for that is not only for the end to the genocide but also unimpeded access of humanitarian aid.”

Mamdani continued by insisting that any agreement must deal with the underlying causes of the conflict. “We also have to ensure that it addresses the conditions that preceded this, conditions like the occupation, the siege and apartheid and that is what I’m hopeful for,” he said.

During the debate, Mamdani also took aim at Cuomo, accusing him of aligning himself with Israel’s prime minister. He claimed that Cuomo had volunteered to join Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team in international court “during the course of this genocide.”

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayoral Frontrunner Mamdani: Of Course Hamas Should Lay Down Their Arms

New York City mayoral hopefuls Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa faced off Thursday night at Rockefeller Center in a heated debate that quickly turned toward the Israel–Hamas conflict.

When the topic came up, Mamdani was pressed on his stance toward Hamas and whether he believes the terror group should surrender its weapons.
“Of course I believe they should lay down their arms… a ceasefire means ceasing fire,” Mamdani said.

He continued by saying that such an action was crucial for ending what he described as the “genocide” in Gaza and for allowing more humanitarian relief to reach civilians there.

Cuomo immediately fired back, accusing Mamdani of refusing to clearly denounce Hamas.
“The assemblyman just said in his response, ‘Well, it depends on occupation,'” Cuomo said.
“That is cold, meaning that Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state, which he has never acknowledged. That is, from the river to the sea. That’s why he won’t denounce globalize the intifada, which means to kill all Jews,” added the former New York Governor.

Mamdani countered by attacking Cuomo personally, claiming the ex-governor had volunteered to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team at the International Court “during the course of this genocide.”

The confrontation came just a day after Mamdani had sidestepped similar questions in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, where he avoided directly saying whether Hamas should disarm or leave power in Gaza.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all, and as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future that we have to fight for,” Mamdani said.

When asked again if he thought Hamas should surrender its weapons and relinquish control, he responded, “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”

In that same interview, Mamdani repeated a controversial statement he’s made before — promising that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters New York City, he would “exhaust every legal option” to arrest him.
“I’ve said that this is a city that believes [in] international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs,” he said.

When challenged on the fact that the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, which issued the warrant for Netanyahu, Mamdani replied, “The Criminal Court, however, has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, as it has for Vladimir Putin. I’ve said that I believe that we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court and that we would… do so only in abiding with all of the laws in front of us.”

Mamdani’s stance on Israel has drawn heavy criticism from across the political spectrum. He has refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada” and was outspoken against Israel just one day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in southern Israel.

He also announced recently that he would no longer use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, a move that angered many Jewish leaders.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza — a position that has only fueled more controversy as the mayoral race continues.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Menachem Aryeh Schlesinger zt”l, Author of Ayil Hameshulash

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the renowned gaon Rav Menachem Aryeh Schlesinger zt”l, author of Ayil HaMeshulash series of seforim.

Rav Schlesinger, who served as the rov of the Chanichei HaYeshivos kehillah in Kiryas Yismach Moshe in Ganei Tikvah, passed away on the morning of Simchas Torah following a brief illness. He was 78.

The levayah took place on Motzaei Simchas Torah beginning on Rechov HaTavor in Ganei Tikvah near Talmud Torah Meshivas Nefesh, proceeding to the Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikvah for kevurah.

Rav Schlesinger was born on 27 Nissan 5707 (1947) to Rav Chaim Yosef Schlesinger and his wife, Sarah. Over the decades, he became well-known in the Torah world for his clarity and depth in halacha and his seforim, which are studied widely across batei medrash.

His Ayil HaMeshulash series—covering topics such as the laws of borer and other areas of Shabbos—draws heavily on the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah, the Chazon Ish, and other leading poskim. The seforim are valued for their precise analysis, lucid presentation, and extensive sourcing from gedolei hadoros, both past and present. For many talmidei chachamim, these works have become standard reference volumes for clear, reasoned psak halacha.

Among his most well-known contributions is his comprehensive treatment of the halachic issues surrounding opening cans, bottles, bags, and similar items on Shabbos. Rav Schlesinger meticulously examined each product type and the various melachos involved, clarifying when opening is permitted or forbidden, where poskim disagree, and how one should conduct oneself lechatchilah or in extenuating circumstances.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

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