Matzav

A long-delayed effort to construct a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River is moving toward physical construction, with excavation scheduled to begin this spring using newly built tunnel boring machines now en route to New Jersey.

According to the Gateway Development Commission, which is managing the project, the first of the specialized machines is expected to arrive in January. Their arrival marks the transition from years of planning and delay to actual underground work on the long-anticipated tunnel.

“We are on the verge of a new phase of the Hudson Tunnel Project,” GDC commissioners said in a joint statement. “When the two tunnel boring machines that were manufactured this year begin their journey under the Palisades, it will represent a major step forward for the project.”

The machines were manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany and are a key component of the Gateway program’s New Jersey construction phase. Together, they account for part of the roughly $465 million cost associated with excavating one mile of new rail tunnel on the New Jersey side. Operating at the same time, the two machines will carve out separate, parallel tunnel tubes.

The initial boring work beneath New Jersey is expected to take approximately one year, a spokesperson for the commission said. After that phase is completed, the project will move into the Hudson River itself, where different tunnel boring equipment will be required due to the riverbed’s unique conditions.

Once completed, the new tunnel—part of the broader Gateway program—will carry trains for both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. It is intended to relieve pressure on the existing Hudson River tunnel, which is more than a century old and serves as a critical rail connection between New Jersey and Manhattan.

{Matzavc.com}

WATCH:

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

One could ask whether someone who does not own a home and is literally homeless has a chiyuv to light the Menorah. Perhaps the obligation applies only to someone who has a roof over his head.

The Shailos u’Teshuvos Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah III:14, discusses a person who has no house in which to sleep and spends the night in the street, such as someone stranded while traveling in a desert, with no one at home to light on his behalf. At first glance, this question may hinge on Rashi in Shabbos 23b, who explains that Chazal instituted the bracha of ha’ro’eh for neiros Chanukah in cases where a person is on a boat and cannot light. When he sees candles from afar, he recites the bracha of ha’ro’eh. The Taz (670:3) writes that one recites this bracha only if no one will be lighting that night in his home at all. From the Taz it would seem that someone who is outside and has no home would be exempt from lighting the Menorah.

Reb Elyashiv was asked directly what a person with no home should do regarding Chanukah licht. He answered that such a person has a chiyuv to rent a house in order to be able to light the Menorah.

Reb Chaim Kanievsky explains that Reb Elyashiv’s psak is rooted in the Rambam in Hilchos Brachos (11:2–3). There, the Rambam distinguishes between mitzvos that a person must actively perform, such as tefillin, sukka, and lulav, and mitzvos that apply only under certain circumstances, such as mezuzah and maakeh. If a person never owns a home, he is exempt from those obligations. The Rambam adds that the same distinction applies to mitzvos deRabbanan. Some are an absolute obligation, such as Megillah, lighting Shabbos licht, and Chanukah licht. Others are conditional, such as eiruv and netilas yadayim, where one is obligated only when the situation arises. From this Rambam it emerges that a person is required to arrange a living situation so that he can fulfill the obligation of lighting the Menorah.

On the other hand, Tosfos in Sukka 46a explains why Chazal instituted the bracha of ha’ro’eh specifically for Chanukah. Since the miracle was so beloved, and not everyone has the ability to light because they may not own or rent a home, Chazal provided an alternative through the bracha of ha’ro’eh.

A related question arises regarding someone traveling overnight on a train, where he is paying for his room and board. Can such a place be considered suitable for lighting the Menorah? The Maharshdam (4:146) rules that one would be required to light. He explains that when Rashi states a person does not light on a boat, it is because boats in earlier times lacked a roof and therefore were not considered a bayis. A train, however, would qualify as a bayis despite the fact that it is in motion. The Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chaim, Hilchos Chanukah 677, writes that if a person will not arrive home until the next morning, he should light on the train if possible.

The Tzitz Eliezer (15:29) disagrees with both the Aruch Hashulchan and the Maharshdam. He maintains that the chiyuv is on the person to light in the place where he eats and sleeps, and that even without a roof overhead he would still be obligated. According to this view, Rashi’s exemption from lighting on a boat applies only where the person has no candles or where lighting is not permitted. The same would apply on a train: if lighting is prohibited due to danger, one would be exempt.

May we all be zocheh to light the candles in the proper place, and may we be zocheh to see the lights of the Menorah of the Bais Hamikdosh.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli police and volunteer search teams launched extensive searches overnight in Bnei Brak after an 11-year-old boy, Yehuda Malka, was reported missing after leaving his home on Monday morning and failing to return.

According to police, Yehuda was last seen after departing his residence on Genechovsky Street in Bnei Brak. Since then, all contact has been lost, prompting growing concern and a large-scale search effort throughout the city.

In an official statement, police appealed to the public for assistance in locating the missing child. Yehuda Malka is described as approximately 1.43 meters tall, with black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a gray coat with a black hood and flip-flops.

“Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is requested to contact the Israel Police emergency hotline at 100 immediately,” police said.

{Matzav.com}

Health experts warned that this year’s flu season was shaping up to be especially challenging, driven in part by the spread of a newly dominant strain of influenza.

At the center of growing concern was Influenza A H3N2, known as the subclade K variant, which had been linked to increasing case numbers around the world, including in the United States.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Dr. Neil Maniar, a professor of public health practice at Northeastern University in Boston, said early data suggested the strain was more dangerous than those seen in recent years. “It’s becoming evident that this is a pretty severe variant of the flu,” he said. “Certainly in other parts of the world where this variant has been prevalent, it’s caused some severe illness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already.”

According to Maniar, subclade K appeared to amplify many of the flu’s classic symptoms, including fever, chills, headaches, exhaustion, coughing, sore throat, and nasal congestion.

He described the situation as a convergence of troubling factors. Lower vaccination rates combined with a virus strain not specifically targeted by this year’s flu shot created what he called a dangerous mix. “The vaccine is very important to get, but because it’s not perfectly aligned with this variant, I think that’s also contributing to some degree to the severity of cases we’re seeing,” Maniar said. “We’re going in [to this flu season] with lower vaccination rates and a variant that in itself seems to be more aggressive.”

Maniar added that public health officials were worried not only about how many people could become ill, but also how sick they might get. “There’s a lot of concern that this could be a particularly difficult flu season, both in terms of the total number of cases [and] the severity of those cases.”

Another complicating factor, he explained, was that the strain differed significantly from prior versions of the virus, leaving communities with less built-up immunity and increasing the likelihood of rapid spread and serious illness.

The risks were especially high for people who had not been vaccinated, Maniar said, noting they faced greater odds of severe symptoms and hospitalization.

Beyond vaccination, he emphasized the importance of basic hygiene, particularly regular and thorough handwashing. While influenza can be transmitted through the air, Maniar noted that other illnesses circulating at the same time, such as norovirus, can linger on surfaces for as long as two weeks.

Seasonal travel and celebrations were also expected to accelerate transmission, with crowded holiday gatherings and packed planes, trains, and buses increasing exposure to sick individuals.

Maniar urged people experiencing symptoms to remain at home to protect others. “Please stay home,” he said — “especially if you think you are in that contagious period of the flu or any of these other illnesses that we’re seeing … whether it’s norovirus or COVID or RSV.” He reinforced the message with a simple directive: “If you’re not feeling well, stay home. That’s a great way to recover faster and to ensure that you’re not going to get others around you sick.”

For anyone uncertain about what illness they might have, Maniar advised seeking medical evaluation and testing, noting that some treatments could lessen the intensity and duration of symptoms if started early.

“It’s important that everyone stays vigilant and tries to take care of themselves and their families,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

After a decisive vote on Monday, New York state regulators greenlit casino licenses for three proposed gambling venues in New York City, setting the stage for major developments in Queens and the Bronx and opening a significant new revenue stream earmarked for mass transit and public education.

State officials anticipate collecting an upfront payment of $500 million from each approved bidder. The licenses were awarded to Bally’s planned project in the Bronx, Resorts World’s expansion in southeast Queens, and a high-profile proposal near Citi Field backed by billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen.

The approvals, however, were not unconditional. Regulators required each casino operator to submit to oversight by an independent monitor, whose role will be to verify that developers honor the commitments and conditions they pledged during the bidding process and comply with all state mandates.

Explaining the rationale for that added layer of scrutiny, Gaming Commission chair Brian O’Dwyer told the meeting, “While no information was received that was disqualifying, the application, findings of the gaming facility location board and our own internal review have convinced us that it’s prudent to condition the granting of a license on the establishment of an outside independent monitor.”

With the commission’s vote complete, the approved projects move forward amid expectations that they will collectively generate hundreds of millions of dollars to support the subway system and bolster education funding across the state.

{Matzav.com}

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said authorities believed the deadly shooting at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach was fueled by extremist ideology linked to the Islamic State.

“It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology,” Albanese said, referring to the attack in which a father and son opened fire, killing 15 people.

He described the worldview behind the assault as part of a long-standing pattern of violent extremism. “The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder.”

Albanese also addressed the background of Naveed Akram, 24, one of the attackers, confirming that he had previously been known to Australia’s intelligence services. The prime minister said Akram came onto the agency’s radar in 2019 but was not assessed as posing an immediate danger at the time.

“He was drawn to their attention because of his association with others,” Albanese said.

He added that some of those individuals faced serious consequences, while Akram did not. “Two of the people he was associated with were charged and went to jail, but he was not seen at that time to be a person of interest.”

President Donald Trump has formally sued the BBC, filing a defamation lawsuit Monday night in federal court in Florida that seeks at least $5 billion in damages over a Panorama documentary aired shortly before the 2024 election.

According to the complaint, the British broadcaster produced a program that presented a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump.” The lawsuit further claims the documentary was created as part of “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election’s outcome to President Trump’s detriment.”

The legal action follows Trump’s public comments earlier in Washington, DC, where he said the BBC manipulated footage from his January 2021 speech. He accused the network of altering his remarks in a way that fundamentally changed their meaning and even raised the possibility that artificial intelligence was involved. “In a little while, you’ll be seeing I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth,” Trump said. “Literally, they put words in my mouth. They had me saying things I never said. They actually have me speaking with words that I never said, and they got caught because I believe somebody at BBC said this is so bad, it has to be reported. Let’s call [it] fake news. So we’ll be filing that suit probably this afternoon or tomorrow morning.”

At the center of the dispute is a Panorama segment that edited together two separate excerpts from Trump’s speech delivered prior to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. The splice made it appear as though Trump told supporters: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol … and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

Trump had signaled his intention to pursue legal action shortly before the lawsuit was filed, stating that he would bring the defamation case “today or tomorrow” in response to the edited broadcast.

The controversy intensified after a memo leaked from former BBC editorial adviser Michael Prescott, who warned of “systemic problems” within BBC News. That internal document set off a chain reaction inside the organization.

Earlier this month, the fallout led to the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.

In response to the backlash, the BBC issued a correction acknowledging that the edit “gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” and said the segment would not air again. Despite that admission, the broadcaster rejected claims of defamation and declined to pay any damages.

Trump has repeatedly stated that he plans to seek up to $5 billion from the BBC over the edited footage, a figure now reflected in the lawsuit filed Monday night.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk’s net worth has crossed another unprecedented threshold, moving him far closer to becoming the world’s first trillionaire as the value of his private companies continues to soar.

The latest catalyst came earlier this month, when SpaceX conducted a tender offer that pegged the rocket manufacturer’s valuation at $800 billion, double its $400 billion valuation from August, according to two SpaceX investors who spoke to Forbes. With Musk owning an estimated 42% of the company, the jump added roughly $168 billion to his fortune, lifting his net worth to an estimated $677 billion as of noon Eastern on Monday. Musk has now become the first individual ever to reach $600 billion in personal wealth, a level no one else has even approached.

SpaceX’s rapid rise may only be a prelude. One investor confirmed that the company is aiming for an initial public offering in 2026 that could value SpaceX at approximately $1.5 trillion. While multiple outlets previously reported both the tender offer and IPO ambitions, representatives for Musk and SpaceX did not respond to Forbes’ requests for comment.

Even without an IPO at that scale, SpaceX has overtaken all other holdings as Musk’s most valuable asset. Forbes estimates his SpaceX stake alone at $336 billion. By comparison, his roughly 12% ownership in Tesla is valued at about $197 billion, excluding stock options tied to his 2018 CEO Performance Award that were voided by a Delaware judge in January 2024. Forbes currently assigns a discounted value of $69 billion to those options, reflecting a 50% reduction while Musk appeals the ruling to the Delaware Supreme Court.

Should that appeal fail, Tesla could still offer Musk another path to trillionaire status. In November, shareholders approved an unprecedented compensation package that could grant Musk up to $1 trillion in additional Tesla stock, before taxes and vesting costs, if the company meets aggressive “Mars shot” performance goals, including expanding its market capitalization more than eightfold over the next decade.

Beyond SpaceX and Tesla, Musk’s artificial intelligence venture is also adding to his growing wealth. xAI Holdings is reportedly negotiating new fundraising at a valuation of $230 billion, more than twice the $113 billion valuation Musk cited when he created the company in March by combining his AI startup xAI with his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Forbes estimates Musk owns about 53% of xAI Holdings, a stake worth roughly $60 billion.

Musk’s ascent past the $600 billion mark is the latest chapter in a dramatic wealth expansion that has unfolded over just five years. In March 2020, his fortune stood at $24.6 billion. By August of that year, a surge in Tesla shares made him only the fifth person ever to reach $100 billion. He first claimed the title of the world’s richest person in January 2021, with a net worth nearing $190 billion, then became just the third individual to surpass $200 billion in September 2021, following Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and LVMH chief Bernard Arnault. Musk went on to hit $300 billion in November 2021, $400 billion in December 2024, and $500 billion in October. Only Oracle founder Larry Ellison has also reached both the $300 billion and $400 billion milestones.

At this point, Musk appears far more likely to add to his record-setting wealth than to relinquish his position at the top. He currently holds an estimated $425 billion lead over second-place Larry Page, the Google cofounder whose fortune stands at about $252 billion. With Musk now just $23 billion shy of $700 billion, another historic benchmark may be close at hand.

{Matzav.com}

Erika Kirk said Monday that she and Candace Owens held a constructive discussion, raising the possibility of easing tensions that had played out publicly in recent weeks following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The update was shared in a short statement posted to X, where Kirk suggested that further information would be released at a later time.

“Had a very productive conversation with @RealCandaceO.” Kirk said. “More to come from both of us. Looking forward to AmFest this week. Time to get back to work.”

{Matzav.com}

New scrutiny is being directed at members of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral transition after past statements and affiliations of several appointees came to light, raising questions about the ideological leanings surrounding the mayor-elect, the NY Post reports.

Among those drawing attention is Jack Gross, a Canadian-born activist who served as a major fundraiser for Mamdani’s campaign and was later appointed to the transition’s 20-member “economic development & workforce development” committee. Gross has longstanding ties to the New York City Democratic Socialists of America and a history of publicly expressing extreme left-wing views online.

Records show that Gross acted as an intermediary for the Mamdani campaign, helping generate more than $21,000 from over 600 individual donors. He is also an editor at the progressive digital outlet “Phenomenal World,” which is affiliated with the Jain Family Institute.

In social media posts from 2020, Gross repeatedly voiced hostility toward law enforcement and federal agencies. During the unrest following the death of George Floyd, he described it as “beautiful” when crowds shouted profanities about the NYPD.

In another post written months later, before his account went inactive, Gross offered a sweeping denunciation of the country, stating, “I must admit I do believe America is a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins.”

Gross also used his platform to attack US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at times praising attempts by detainees to evade or escape the agency. On “Karl Marx Day,” he shared material lauding the Communist Manifesto and its co-author, the 19th-century revolutionary Karl Marx.

The emergence of Gross’s past statements is not the only controversy surrounding the transition team. It was recently revealed that rapper Mysonne Linen, who has a criminal record, was named to the “criminal legal system” committee. His appointment initially escaped notice due to a misspelling of his name by Mamdani’s team.

Separately, the transition announcement also misspelled the name of Black nationalist Lumumba Bandele, a member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement with a documented history of praising notorious cop killers, when listing him as part of the “community organizing” committee.

Addressing the uproar, Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said, “These statements don’t reflect the views of the Mayor-elect or the transition.”

Representatives for Mamdani added that Gross’s post condemning the United States was written in reaction to a 2020 speech by President Trump to the Republican National Committee, in which he criticized the left for portraying America as “a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins.”

{Matzav.com}

As investigators continue searching for the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting at Brown University, President Donald Trump criticized the school’s handling of campus security and suggested the institution bears responsibility for delays in identifying the suspect.

Speaking Monday during an Oval Office ceremony recognizing U.S. service members involved in border protection efforts, Trump was asked about the ongoing investigation and the FBI’s role in it. He emphasized that federal agents became involved only after the incident and pointed to the university’s own security apparatus. “This was a school problem. They had their own guards,” Trump told reporters. “They had their own police, had their own everything. But you’d have to ask that question really to the school, not to the FBI. We came in after the fact, and the FBI will do a good job, but they came in after the fact.”

The suspect in the Providence campus attack remains at large, with authorities continuing to analyze surveillance video and other evidence. The FBI has released three photographs showing a masked male suspect described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build, and is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

On Sunday, law enforcement officials briefly detained a person of interest after receiving a tip that specifically named an individual. That name later circulated publicly. However, investigators said they lacked sufficient evidence to continue holding the individual and now believe he is not connected to the shooting.

Police also moved to correct reports suggesting multiple people had been questioned, clarifying that only one person of interest had been detained and interviewed.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Monday that progress is being made in the case. “Steady progress” has been achieved, he said, adding, “And the sooner we can identify that person, the sooner we can, I think, blow this case open.”

The shooting claimed the lives of two students and left nine others wounded. One of the victims was identified as Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama who served as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans, according to authorities.

The second victim was named as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. Officials said Umurzokov and his family are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Uzbekistan who currently reside in Virginia.

{Matzav.com}

Sydney’s Rabbi Yehoram Ulman delivered a stirring message of resolve and unity during Shacharis in the aftermath of the devastating terror attack that left 15 people murdered.

Overcome with emotion, Rabbi Ulman at one point broke down and recited “Baruch dayan haemes.”

Among those killed was his own son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger Hy”d.

Addressing the congregation, Rabbi Ulman framed the tragedy as a call to action rather than retreat. “For whatever reason, they died al kiddush hashem,” he said.

He stressed that the victims’ legacy now rests with the living. “And now, they’re looking to us to continue, to make sure that everything they worked for, everything that they’ve done, continues stronger and stronger,” he said. Warning against surrendering to fear, he added, “We cannot allow terrorists – all they want to do is stifle our life as Jews, all they want to do is… bring us down, destroy us, make us despondent, lose hope.”

Rabbi Ulman acknowledged the emotional paralysis many feel in the wake of the attack, but rejected it as an option. “At the moment, it seems, how can we go forward? How can we continue? But that’s not what any of the kedoshim would have ever agreed to. They never would have reacted in such a way, and we have to step up and do the same. We have no choice.”

Concluding his remarks, he appealed for unity within the Jewish people during this painful moment. “We have to remember that now is the time to be as much [in] achdus as possible, united.”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

[Video below.] A ceremony was held this evening marking the return of an ancient stone from the Kosel to its original place.

The massive stone, weighing roughly five tons, was dislodged nearly two millennia ago by the Roman Tenth Legion during the churban of the Second Beis Hamikdash. In recent years, it had been exhibited at the Knesset and later placed on loan at Ben-Gurion Airport.

The decision to bring the stone back to its historic setting was reached following a meeting held ahead of Rosh Hashanah, in which Knesset Speaker Amir Ochana participated together with the rov of the Kosel, Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ochana reflected on the stone’s long journey and meaning. “If stones could speak, this heavy stone, with thousands of years of history upon it, would tell of generations of Jews who came to pray at the Bais Hamikdosh. We wish to close this chapter of its wandering and place it in a permanent location, where it can tell the stories it has witnessed.”

Rav Rabinowitz emphasized the spiritual significance of the moment, describing the return as an act of restoration. “Returning this stone to the ruins here is a great rectification. It is a declaration that we do not forget the holy stones and we maintain their sanctity.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump addressed questions Monday about Israel’s recent strike in Gaza, telling reporters that Washington is “looking into” whether the operation complied with the ceasefire agreement. His remarks came after Israel carried out a targeted attack over the weekend that killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior Hamas commander and the group’s second-in-command in Gaza.

According to Trump, the United States is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Sa’ad’s elimination and assessing whether the action crossed any agreed-upon lines under the current truce.

Despite reports suggesting strain between Washington and Jerusalem, the President pushed back strongly on claims of tension with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. “My relationship with Bibi is very good. We took Iran out of the game, and because of that we can make peace. We have a good relationship with everyone in the Middle East,” Trump said.

The President’s comments followed an Axios report claiming that the White House delivered a sharp private message to Netanyahu after the strike. The report described the communication as a reflection of growing frustration within the Trump administration over Israel’s conduct and unresolved disputes regarding the next phase of the Gaza agreement, as well as Israel’s broader regional policies.

According to the report, senior figures in the administration — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner — were said to be increasingly dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s approach.

Axios also cited a senior US official who said the White House warned Netanyahu that violating the agreement could harm both his own standing and President Trump’s reputation following the successful brokering of the ceasefire. An Israeli official, while acknowledging displeasure in Washington, characterized the message as more restrained and said it focused primarily on concerns over how certain Arab states perceived the strike.

{Matzav.com}

Newly released footage shows former President of Israel’s Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, stating unequivocally that yeshiva students whose full-time occupation is Torah study  – Torasam umnosom – should be granted a military exemption without limitation.

The footage, published Monday evening by Channel 13 reporter Yoeli Brim, captures Barak expressing support for exempting bnei yeshiva who are fully committed to learning.

In the recording, Barak says: “Yeshiva students whose Torah study is their full occupation, and who want to learn Torah, should be given an exemption, without limits, whatever the number may be.” He made the remarks during a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony that he held together with Rabbi Ido Weber.

Barak added that, in his view, the appropriate framework is a differentiated system: “The solution should be that those whose Torah is their life’s work are released, and everyone else will go to the army like the rest of the people of Israel.”

The comments come amid intense national debate over the future of Israel’s draft law and the status of yeshiva students.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] At the mesibas Chanukah in Slabodka Yeshiva, where hundreds gathered in Bnei Brak under the leadership of the Roshei Yeshiva Maran Hagaon Rav Dov Landau and Maran Hagaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Landau instructed that the lyrics of a long-established song be changed, specifically to express opposition to Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, whom he described as an adversary of the olam haTorah.

According to the custom in Slabodka, the yeshiva sings the pasuk-based song, “Zedim helitzuni ad me’od, miTorasecha lo natisi” at the Chanukah mesibah each year. Hundreds once again broke into the song on the first night of Chanukah, but this time the moment took an unexpected turn.

In the middle of the singing, Rav Landau instructed his close aides to alter the wording. Addressing the students, he explained that in today’s climate, the term “zedim” (“the arrogant ones” or “the wicked”) refers to the Attorney General, whom he said has been persistently and aggressively targeting the Torah world.

Rav Landau then directed the talmidim to change the word “זדים” to “זדות,” reshaping the song so that its intention would be explicitly directed at Baharav-Miara, expressing a hope that her efforts against Torah institutions would fail, while reaffirming the commitment contained in the verse: “From Your Torah I have not strayed.”

The talmidim immediately adopted the new wording, and the energized singing continued for several minutes.

WATCH: