Matzav

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Everyone needs to step away now and then. When winter tightens its grip, many northerners head south to Florida, searching for warmth and escape. Nothing against that. When I feel the need to breathe again, though, I go to Eretz Yisroel, to Yerushalayim.

That is where I feel most like myself, where the noise fades and something steadier takes its place. I don’t need much there. Even though every time I go, I make time to see a place I’ve never visited before, it is enough for me to walk Yerushalayim’s streets, worn smooth by thousands of footsteps, and watch its people go about their lives. I can do that for hours, until my feet give out and my thoughts quiet.

Last week, I returned once more. Just by standing at the Kosel, at the place from which the Shechinah has never departed, I felt recharged and was reminded why I had come. My tefillos slowed and sharpened, each word carrying more weight.

I traveled to Eretz Yisroel for what was meant to be a short visit. The plan was to spend Shabbos with my beloved mother-in-law and return on Sunday to produce the paper. Hashem had other plans, and thanks to the interference of the huge snowstorm, I did not make it back until Monday night.

Of course, everything Hashem does is for the good, and an extra, unplanned day in Yerushalayim was a gift.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of seeing much of what Yerushalayim has to offer. I have stood among the remnants of the churban haBayis, gazing at the massive stones toppled near the Kosel and the scorched city wall burned by the Romans. I have walked the very paths taken by the Bnei Yisroel in the days of the Bais Hamikdosh as they came up from Chevron and points south to be oleh regel. I have recited Tashlich at the Mayan Hashiloach, from where water was drawn for the nisuch hamayim of Sukkos and mayim chaim for parah adumah. I have stood where Dovid Hamelech is believed to have lived, moments that bring Tanach vividly to life.

Those experiences are very touching. Walking on the same path as our ancestors as they went to fulfill their obligations gives the neshomah a tingle and causes the heart to skip a few beats.

Seeing those huge stones, which comprised a strong defensive wall in the times of Nach that we study with much reverence, makes everything come alive, as does viewing the stalls that catered to the olei regel. Your imagination begins to stir as you envision millions of people standing in this very spot.

Seeing what is thought to have been the palace of Dovid Hamelech is another manifestation of bringing Dovid Hamelech alive and making everything about him so real that you can almost touch it.

And of course, there is the Kosel. Standing at the place from which the Shechinah has never departed, uttering the holy words written by Dovid Hamelech in tefillah, is always profoundly moving. As you daven Shemoneh Esrei before those eternal stones, distractions fall away and kavonah comes naturally, as it has for thousands of years.

As you daven, you feel the Shechinah nearby, and you know that He is listening to your tefillos at this special place.

All of that is deeply meaningful, but it is not what this piece is about.

This time, beyond the stones and the streets that always leave such a deep impression, the extra day afforded me the opportunity to take up an offer from my friends. Yitzchok Pindrus and Yehuda Soloveitchik took us to visit a place that, in its quiet way, embodied the same holiness and continuity I feel in Yerushalayim’s ancient walls.

We arrived at Har Tzion and learned about the extraordinary history of the area, and of the Diaspora Yeshiva located there, a yeshiva deeply tied to the Jewish presence in that part of Yerushalayim. We visited the yeshiva, which is headed by Rav Pindrus, and were given a guided tour by Rav Yitzchok Goldstein, who heads the Diaspora Yeshiva. Rav Yitzchok is a fascinating person whose life revolves around Torah and continuing the mission his father began when he took over the site after the Six Day War.

The yeshiva also maintains a Holocaust museum, the Marteif HaShoah, a place I had never visited and barely knew existed. Established by Holocaust survivors, it contains deeply moving artifacts, including the shofar that the Klausenberger Rebbe blew in the concentration camp, Sifrei Torah stained with the blood of kedoshim who were shot while holding them, and many other sacred remnants of a shattered world.

The Marteif HaShoah also contains memorial plaques, crafted like matzeivos, for the residents of 1,200 Jewish communities destroyed by the Nazis. Survivors would gather there on the yahrtzeits of their towns to say Kaddish and remember. Talmidei chachomim, including Maran Harav Shach, would learn there as a zechus for the neshamos of the martyrs. It is a hallowed place, well worth visiting when in Yerushalayim.

From there, we walked through the beauty of Har Tzion toward the Zilberman Cheder, the famous school known for its unique and remarkable method of learning based on the educational concepts of the Maharal and the Vilna Gaon.

We observed a class of five-year-old boys learning Parshas Vayeira. They were reading aloud with their rebbi, with full trup. Five-year-olds. Every boy was able to read, follow, and understand. But more than that, they knew all the pesukim from Bereishis bora until the parsha they were learning that day by heart, and they understood their meaning. They answered questions with clarity and confidence, living the words of Chazal: Ben chomeish l’mikra.

For whatever reason, most of our schools do not learn this way. Seeing it in action was astonishing, a living demonstration that children, even at a young age, are capable of absorbing and retaining Torah at a remarkably high level.

Rav Yosef Zilberman told me that the classes are not composed of geniuses. The student body reflects the same spectrum found everywhere: some very bright, some smart and some who aren’t, some average, and some weaker. But children are hungry for knowledge and are able to absorb much more than people think.

We observed older grades as well and saw the same success: boys who know Shishah Sidrei Mishnah by heart, and older ones who have learned sedorim of Shas and retain them.

It was a beautiful sight to see Bnei Yerushalayim so attached to Torah. Everyone there, from the rabbeim on down, carried a special look of satisfaction and geshmak.

The Brisker Rov would say that the true chein of Yerushalayim is not its buildings, but its children. On my “extra” day there, I felt that truth with complete clarity.

I am certain that children in chadorim throughout Yerushalayim are also blessed with tremendous chein and yedios, but this is the place we happened to see. In fact, at the home of Rav Dovid Cohen, I met my old friend, Rav Avrohom Pinzel, who heads Chochmas Shlomo, the largest cheder in Yerushalayim. He invited me to visit his school as well, something I hope to do during a future trip.

From the moment we entered the Zilberman Cheder, I was struck by the dedication, warmth, and energy that filled every corner. Walking the halls and watching children learn Torah with such enthusiasm, I felt a different kind of tingle — not the kind that comes from ancient stones, but the kind that comes from witnessing a living, breathing commitment to the future.

Here was the spirit of Yerushalayim, alive in a new generation, shaping hearts and minds in real time. It was inspiring, humbling, and deeply moving. It was a reminder that the holiness of Yerushalayim does not only live in its past, but is unfolding every day, in places like this unique yeshiva.

We traveled to the ancient city of Shiloh, where the Mishkon stood for 369 years. With the parshiyos of the Mishkon approaching, it felt like the right time to be there. I had visited once before, some fifteen years ago, before it had been developed into a formal site. Even then, it was powerful. Now, standing again on that ground, it was impossible not to feel the weight of what once stood there.

This is the place where the Mishkon itself is believed to have been situated. And nearby was the sha’ar — the gate — where Eli Hakohein is said to have been sitting when he heard the devastating words: ki nishbah Aron HaElokim — that the Pelishtim had captured the Aron. Upon hearing the news, he fell backward and was niftar.

The Novi tells us in Sefer Shmuel Alef (4) that the Bnei Yisroel were at war with the Pelishtim, and the battle was going badly. In desperation, the ziknei Yisroel sent for the Aron to be brought from Shiloh to the battlefield. It was a tragic mistake. Chofni and Pinchos, the sons of Eli who carried it, were killed, along with thirty thousand Jews. And when Eli heard what had happened, sitting at the gate opposite the Mishkon, his heart could not bear it.

To stand there — to see the site of the Mishkon and the place where Eli sat — is to feel the long, trembling story of Am Yisroel beneath your feet. The stones do not speak, but somehow they remember.

You can almost hear Shmuel Hanovi calling out across the centuries, repeating his nevuah urging the people to do teshuvah and abandon their avodah zarah. They believed they were righteous. They refused to listen. And they were punished. The war was lost and the Aron was taken.

Standing there, I found myself wondering what Shmuel would say if he were alive today. What would his message be to us? What would he be admonishing us about? What would he be urging us to fix, to strengthen and to change in order to bring the geulah closer?

We are no longer blessed with nevi’im. But we still have their words. We have Nach. We have our rabbeim. We have the sifrei mussar and machshovah written over centuries, offering us guidance, perspective, and a Torah lens through which to view our lives and our responsibilities.

In just a few weeks, we will be learning the measurements of the Mishkon. And there in Shiloh, on an ancient mountain, stands a flat area, preserved and marked, measuring one hundred amos by fifty amos, the exact size of the Mishkon. You stand there and try to imagine it: the yerios, the two mizbeichos, the crowds lining up with their korbanos, the smoke rising to the heavens in a rei’ach nichoach, the kohanim moving swiftly, purposefully, immersed in avodah. And suddenly, you realize how much we are missing in golus.

But then you look down.

Scattered everywhere are shards of pottery, fragments of the very vessels in which people once ate their korbanos, vessels that became assur b’hana’ah because of the kedusha they had absorbed. They have been lying there for thousands of years, silent witnesses to the kedusha and taharah of Yidden, exactly as Chazal depicted and described.

And in that moment, something shifts. The Mishnayos we hureved over are no longer abstract. They are no longer theoretical. They are real. Alive. Tangible. What a chizuk in emunah.

You can bend down, pick up a broken piece of clay, and suddenly, history is not something you learn.

It is something you touch.

There is so much happening in the world today — in the wider world and in our own. Some of it is good. Much of it is not. People feel unsettled, unsure of what the future holds. Anti-Semitism is rising. The specter of war with Iran hovers.

For many frum families, simply making ends meet has become an ever-growing challenge: housing, tuition, clothing, food, insurance — the basic obligations of life weigh heavier each year. Beneath it all, there is a quiet sense of division and discontent that we struggle to mend.

Where will it all lead? How will it end?

There are opportunities for chizuk all around us, and in our daily lives we can often sense Hashem’s steady hand guiding us, sustaining us, carrying us forward. But sometimes, we need a change of scenery to see it. To step outside ourselves. To be reminded — not intellectually, but viscerally — of who we are and where we come from.

Walking among ancient shards of pottery in Shiloh, standing on the stones once trodden by the olei regel, facing the remaining walls of the Bais Hamikdosh, and watching Yerushalayim’s zekeinim and ne’arim move through its streets — all of it speaks quietly but powerfully. It tells the story of eternity. It reminds us that despite everything our people have endured, we are still here. Alive. Learning. Building. Dreaming.

We walk through the streets of the Eternal City and see before our eyes the living fulfillment of the nevuah of Zechariah Hanovi: “Od yeishvu zekeinim uzekeinos b’rechovos Yerushalayim… Urechovos ha’ir yimale’u yeladim v’yelados mesachakim b’rechovoseha.”

We stand in a city that was destroyed, emptied, burned and mourned, and now we see old people sitting peacefully along the streets and children playing in them.

And in that vision, we find our answer. Not to every question, but to the deepest one of all. We are not a people of endings. We are a people of continuity.

Other nations write histories that conclude with a rise and a fall, with glory followed by disappearance. Our story is quite different. For us, Am Yisroel, destruction is never the final word. Golus is never the last chapter. The dark moments become bridges to something good that follows each time.

That is what Yerushalayim teaches us when we walk its streets.

Am Yisroel exists in a story whose final word has not yet been written. And the story won’t end, as most stories do, with “The End,” but rather with “The Geulah.”

May we merit to see and experience it speedily in our days. Amein.

A fierce political confrontation has broken out within Israel’s governing coalition following the election of a new local rov in Savion, ending an 11-year vacancy and igniting an unusually public war of words between United Torah Judaism and Shas.

After more than a decade without a serving rov, Rabbi Uri Sadan was elected on Tuesday as rabbi of the Savion Local Council. Rabbi Sadan, who leads the Oz VeHadar community in Petach Tikva and previously served as Savion’s chief rabbi, won in a landslide, receiving 16 votes compared to just three for the Shas-backed candidate, Rabbi Shlomo Meir Amor.

The decisive outcome followed the collapse of a political arrangement forged by Shas with the head of the local council, which ultimately failed at the ballot box. That breakdown paved the way for Rabbi Sadan’s victory. He is identified with the Tzohar rabbinic network, a fact that gave the result broader political significance far beyond the local appointment. The position had been closely watched for years and was widely considered a coveted post.

The results immediately sparked an open and acrimonious dispute between coalition partners. Knesset member Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, launched a sharp attack on Shas, accusing the party of sabotaging a unified chareidi effort.

“Due to Shas’s insistence on not supporting Degel HaTorah’s candidate for the Savion rabbinate, and after their own candidate received a total of only three votes, neither a Shas candidate nor a Degel HaTorah candidate was elected — and instead a Tzohar candidate was chosen,” Gafni said. “Anyone who follows their conduct in religious services and rabbinic appointments knows that this is their way.”

Shas responded swiftly and aggressively, rejecting Gafni’s claims and accusing him of focusing on political patronage at a time of existential challenges for the chareidi community. In a statement, the party said it was “fully occupied with the critical struggle to save the Torah world and prevent the arrest of yeshiva students,” and expressed dismay that Degel HaTorah’s leader was, in their words, “choosing to deal with jobs instead of the real challenges of the hour.”

Shas further sought to undermine Gafni’s argument by pointing to the vote totals themselves. According to the party, Degel HaTorah’s own candidate — a Savion native — ran and received zero votes. “Zero,” the statement emphasized. “How exactly did Shas’s three votes prevent his election? How long will Moshe Gafni continue to mislead the public and blame others for his own failures?”

The exchange escalated further when Gafni’s office fired back with a blunt rebuttal, accusing Shas of refusing to cooperate while insisting its candidate would win. “You refused to unite forces and claimed your candidate would prevail,” the statement read. “Your jobs enterprise has suffered a crushing failure.”

While the chareidi parties traded accusations, the national-religious political camp celebrated the outcome. Leaders in that sector framed Rabbi Sadan’s appointment as a significant achievement. Religious Zionism chairman and cabinet minister Bezalel Smotrich congratulated Rabbi Sadan publicly, praising the religious-Zionist yeshiva world for producing talmidei chachomim who “combine deep learning with public engagement and active involvement in Israeli society.”

{Matzav.com}

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The daughter of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel hager, offered a candid and emotional update on her father’s medical condition, urging continued tefillah and kabbalos, while stressing that despite outward appearances, the situation remains serious.

In a special and strengthening message delivered over the internal information line for women of the Vizhnitzer chassidus, the Rebbe’s daughter, Rebbetzin Tzipporah Teitelbaum, spoke openly about the health challenges facing her father, who continues to lead his kehillah with extraordinary inner strength. She called on women to persist in their tefillos and good resolutions, emphasizing that much rachamei Shomayim is still needed.

At the outset of her remarks, the Rebbetzin expressed deep gratitude to women of the chassidus across Eretz Yisroel and around the world for their overwhelming response and personal commitments undertaken on behalf of the Rebbe’s recovery. “First of all, I must express my gratitude to every woman and girl, in Eretz Yisroel and around the world,” she said. “Such mesirus nefesh in the resolutions, and all the good deeds being done for the recovery of my father, Rav Yisrael ben Leah Esther, that he should be healthy and come out of this.” She described how moving the response has been, adding, “You don’t know how much this warms the heart, how much strength it gives and how uplifting it is.”

She then turned to the Rebbe’s medical condition and appealed for intensified tefillah. “I simply wanted to ask that you continue with all the bruen (the passion), because truly, it’s already not normal,” she said. She explained that her father is still in the midst of a prolonged series of treatments that have not yet concluded. “He is going through so many treatments and still hasn’t finished, and hopefully he will already finish.”

The Rebbetzin sought to clarify the reality behind the Rebbe’s outward composure. “It’s true that he’s getting through it… and he ‘lies,’” she said painfully, referring to how he conceals his suffering. “Because he walks around happy, and from the outside everything looks normal, everything looks good, business as usual. But between us,” she emphasized, “the situation is not simple, and we still need a lot of rachamei Shamayim and tefillos.” She added with heartfelt pleading, “He really needs to already be after all the treatments. Enough, enough that it should end.”

In her remarks, she also shared a teaching she heard from her father on the posuk “Yom l’yom yabi’a omer,” explaining that the word yabi’a is an acronym for “Yesh Borei Olam Yesh — There is a Creator of the world.” “That is his essence,” she said. She further cited a well-known teaching in the name of the Yeshuos Moshe on the posuk of “Ivdu es Hashem b’simchah,” explaining its meaning as: “Serve — that is serving Hashem with joy. That alone is avodas Hashem: when it comes from inner depth and true, genuine inner joy.”

She concluded with a tefillah and brachah, expressing hope that in the merit of all the resolutions and good deeds being done, and through the strength of the chassidim and chassidos — “who are only good and constantly bring joy” — the community will soon merit seeing the Rebbe return to leading his holy flock “with physical and emotional strength, and to be in a constant state of recovery, because that is his vitality.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders said that the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has shocked the nation, accusing the agency of extraordinary racism and violence during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source.”

Speaking with host Kaitlan Collins, Sanders argued that the actions attributed to ICE run counter to American values and have alarmed a broad swath of the public. “I surely hope so. I think the overwhelming majority of the American people are shocked by what they are seeing. This is the United States of America. You’ve seen guys in masks paid by federal tax laws knocking on doors, sending five year old kids into detention centers, shooting several people, occupying an entire city, intimidating city. In fact, it was a Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota who dropped out of the race. And he said, you know, I can’t defend what the Republican National Party is doing. You know, driving while Asian, driving while Latino is not unconstitutional. So the racism and the, violence is extraordinary. And I think the American people are saying enough is enough.”

Collins pressed Sanders on whether new accountability measures would ease concerns, asking, “Does it reassure you at all that they are sending body cameras to these federal agents?”

Sanders dismissed that step as insufficient and pointed to his own legislative efforts. “That’s small, you know, look, I in my own view and I brought forth an amendment as you may know, the other day, as part of that legislation —”

Collins interjected to clarify the proposal, saying, “You wanted to repeal the $75 billion.”

Sanders confirmed the goal and expanded on his criticism of the agency’s role and funding. “Exactly over a four year period. I mean, they are now not Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but they are a domestic Trump’s domestic army extraordinarily well funded. And I was pleased that every Democrat voted with me. And we had two Republicans got 49 votes to say, do away with that 75 billion over four year period. For I said put that money, by the way, into Medicaid.”

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he held what he described as a highly successful phone conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, calling it a constructive exchange ahead of his anticipated April trip to Beijing.

According to Trump, the wide-ranging discussion touched on a number of major international and bilateral issues, including trade relations, military matters, Taiwan, Iran, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and increased Chinese purchases of American energy and agricultural goods.

The call took place only hours after Xi participated in a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding geopolitical significance to the timing of the conversation.

Trump later characterized the exchange in a post on Truth Social as productive and focused on the future.

“Many important subjects were discussed, including Trade, Military, the April trip that I will be making to China (which I very much look forward to!), Taiwan, the War between Russia/Ukraine, the current situation with Iran, the purchase of Oil and Gas by China from the United States, the consideration by China of the purchase of additional Agricultural products,” Trump wrote.

Trump said Xi committed to sharply increasing China’s imports of American soybeans, boosting purchases to 20 million tons this season, up from 12 million previously. Trump described the move as a significant victory for U.S. farmers.

“All very positive,” Trump wrote. “The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way.”

The president also voiced confidence that relations between Washington and Beijing would continue to yield tangible benefits during his time in office.

“I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!” he said.

China’s government issued its own readout of the call, confirming that the two leaders discussed major global issues as well as a series of international summits both countries are expected to host in the coming year. Those gatherings, Beijing noted, could provide opportunities for additional meetings between the two leaders.

The Chinese statement did not mention Trump’s expected April visit to China.

Beijing also used the opportunity to restate its long-standing position on Taiwan, underscoring that it has no intention of relinquishing its objective of reunifying with the self-governing democratic island.

“China will never allow Taiwan to be split,” the Chinese statement said.

{Matzav.com}

A quiet but far-reaching transformation is underway inside the world’s largest yeshiva. After decades of fragmented stipends, fluctuating bonuses, and multiple monthly payments, Mir Yeshiva has adopted a new, unified financial model that is already changing daily life for thousands of avreichim.

Anyone familiar with the inner workings of Mir knows that even a minor administrative adjustment quickly becomes the talk of the Beis Yisrael neighborhood. What has taken place over the past three months, however, goes well beyond a technical tweak. It is a fundamental overhaul that directly affects the financial stability and peace of mind of the yeshiva’s avreichim and their families.

For many years, the stipend system at Mir was built in layers. There was a basic allowance, supplemented by an extensive web of incentives: special programs, chaburos, group learning tracks, bonuses for tests, and rewards for consistency. While these additions increased overall support, they often arrived separately and unpredictably. Payments were sometimes delayed, making it difficult for families to plan ahead or even know how much money would ultimately come in at the end of the month.

In advance of the yeshiva’s upcoming historic Adirei-like gathering scheduled for Rosh Chodesh Adar, the hanhalah approved what insiders are calling a “revolution of order.” The goal was clear: transparency, stability, and kavod haTorah. Under the new system, all bonuses and supplements—previously issued as separate payments—are consolidated into a single, fixed monthly check.

The result is a dramatic increase in clarity and consistency. Instead of a base stipend followed by scattered additions, the entire package is now paid at once. The new monthly amount exceeds 2,000 shekels, with many avreichim receiving between 2,000 and 2,200 shekels, depending on seniority and learning track.

“Until now, the money came in drip by drip,” one Mir yungerman explained. “You’d get the base amount, then wait to see when the chaburah supplement would arrive, and later the bonus from a learning program. Today, I receive one respectable check. It’s almost double what used to be considered a standard stipend. It gives you stability, peace of mind to focus on learning, and a real sense that the yeshiva values our effort in a dignified way.”

Those involved in implementing the change emphasize that this is not merely a financial adjustment, but a shift in attitude toward those who devote their lives to limud haTorah. “We realized that the real revolution isn’t only about raising funds,” one official said, “but about how that support is delivered. A single, unified check creates order and wellbeing. When an avreich knows exactly how much he is receiving—and that the amount meaningfully reflects all the programs and achievements that are now built into the stipend—it changes how he experiences his avodah.”

Kaplan Medical Center reported today that the condition of a 35-year-old chosson who collapsed earlier this week has shown marked improvement.

As reported here on Matzav.com, the chosson collapsed during his wedding at Kibbutz Hulda and received immediate medical attention from medics and paramedics of Magen David Adom (MDA) and United Hatzalah who were present at the simcha.

Hospital officials said Wednesday morning that the chosson has regained consciousness and is now able to communicate with those around him. Doctors noted that he is no longer considered to be in immediate life-threatening danger.

Dr. Natalia Kaufman, Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Kaplan Medical Center, said: “There has been significant improvement in the condition of the patient who arrived from the event hall in the Shephelah region. After intensive treatment by the medical team, the patient has regained consciousness and is communicating with those around him. At this stage, we can say he is no longer in immediate danger.”

She added: “He still requires ongoing supervision and close monitoring in the cardiac ICU to ensure his stability. The medical team continues to investigate the cause of the incident.”

Ben Sinai, a United Hatzalah volunteer who was attending the wedding, described the dramatic moments following the collapse. “I was in the hall as one of the guests at the wedding when I suddenly saw a commotion and heard cries for help. I noticed that the chosson had collapsed and was in cardiac arrest. I immediately called for assistance and began resuscitation efforts with the help of additional medics, including the use of the event hall’s defibrillator. After prolonged CPR and, thank God, his heart started beating again. He was taken to the hospital, and at this stage his condition is serious.”

{Matzav.com}

This week, the city of Beitar Illit has been abuzz with a remarkable story of faith, perseverance, and reward. An avreich from the Boyaner community, who for more than a decade after his wedding had not merited children, welcomed a firstborn son—after taking upon himself a quiet but demanding commitment to protect the sanctity of Shabbos.

The yungerman, Reb Chaim Yosef Brandwein, a member of the Boyaner kehillah, had endured over eleven years without zera shel kayama. During that time, he received a promise from the city’s rav, Rav Chaim Weiss: If he would ensure that the city’s entrance gates were closed before shkiah on Friday afternoon, he would merit children.

In Beitar Illit, following rabbinic directive, the city gates are closed twenty minutes before shkiah to prevent last-minute vehicle traffic that can lead to chillul Shabbos. Cars arriving at the final moments often rush through at high speed in an attempt to beat the onset of Shabbos, creating both spiritual and physical risk.

Heeding the rov’s guidance, Reb Chaim Yosef took it upon himself to be present at the city entrance each Friday afternoon. He reminded the guards to close the gates on time and stood his ground despite harassment, verbal abuse, and at times even physical aggression from fringe youths and others angered by being turned away and forced to enter the city on foot.

Those who pass the city gates on Friday afternoon have grown accustomed to the sight: Reb Chaim Yosef standing there in full Shabbos attire, wearing a shtreimel, quietly and steadfastly ensuring that the gates are closed and the sanctity of Shabbos is preserved.

Only recently, he suffered a personal loss with the passing of his father, Reb Yisrael Mordechai Brandwein, a prominent member of the Boyaner community, who was niftar this past Elul. He continued his weekly vigil undeterred.

This week, on Tu B’Shevat, eleven years after his wedding, Reb Chaim Yosef and his wife were blessed with a baby boy, b’chasdei Shomayim. The shalom zachar is scheduled to take place this coming Shabbos, Parshas Yisro at the Boyaner kloiz on Rechov Rabi Akiva in Beitar Illit.

{Matzav.com}

Cabinet member and minister Ze’ev Elkin said that threats by chareidi parties to block the state budget over the draft law would ultimately harm the chareidi public more than anyone else, during a wide-ranging interview with Kikar HaShabbat.

In a comprehensive conversation with journalist Yishai Cohen, Elkin addressed a series of security and political issues, including violations of the ceasefire in Gaza and the serious wounding of an IDF officer, tensions with Iran and the possibility of a wider conflict, the battle over the draft law and the status of yeshiva students, and concerns that Agudas Yisrael could derail the legislation and destabilize the budget.

Elkin opened by responding to the ceasefire violation in Gaza and the severe injury sustained by an IDF officer. “He was wounded during an operation, which shows that activity is continuing all the time, and it is clear that this is a violation of the ceasefire. For every such violation, we exact a significant price from Hamas, both by eliminating senior operatives and by dismantling infrastructure as they try to rebuild,” he said.

Addressing the reopening of the Rafah crossing for the first time since the surprise Hamas attack on Simchas Torah, Elkin explained, “Opening the crossing was part of the plan. I cannot accept a situation where people say they support Trump’s plan and then start qualifying it. It is written clearly in the plan. Why wasn’t it opened earlier this week? Because Hamas did not meet all the conditions, and we insisted that until the fallen hostage is returned to us, the crossing would not be opened.”

Elkin also spoke about moving to the next phase of the campaign in Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas’ military capabilities. “I am glad that Trump says this in every speech. They understand that nothing can be done in the Gaza Strip without Hamas being disarmed. I do not believe Hamas will change its nature and disarm, and I also do not believe an international force will be found that is willing to endanger its soldiers against Hamas. That means that sooner or later Israel will have to return to fighting in Gaza and finish the job. Trump knows this as well,” he said.

On the growing tension with Iran, Elkin urged restraint in public rhetoric. “On the Iranian issue, all the talk is unnecessary and only harmful. There is a process being led by the United States. If there is a need, and certainly if we are attacked, the State of Israel will know how to defend itself and strike Iran. Right now, we need to let the United States go through its process,” he said.

Turning to the draft law, Elkin argued that change is unavoidable and that chareidi leadership must recognize this reality. “I think the situation has to change, and the chareidi leadership must understand that. There has to be enlistment among the chareidi community as well. How do you do it? Through legislation that creates both positive and negative incentives, and at the same time through chareidi leadership itself. When this stops being a culture war, there is a chance it can work,” he said.

Elkin, who previously led negotiations on the draft law, warned that Agudas Yisrael is now putting the legislation at risk. “I am afraid that this time as well, just like in previous cases — I have been involved with the draft issue since 2012 — I have seen again and again proposals placed on the table that part of the chareidi leadership was prepared to accept, while another part radicalized and said no. Years later, they told me in closed conversations, ‘It’s a shame we didn’t accept it then, we regret it.’ This mistake repeats itself time and again,” he said.

He continued, “I am concerned that this time too, the insistence of Agudas Yisrael will bring down the law and will also harm the chareidi public itself. A majority will not be achieved because of Agudas Yisrael. According to my count, this entire law is hanging by a single vote because of Agudas Yisrael. There is therefore a real risk that a majority will not be reached. That can absolutely happen, and Agudas Yisrael will only have itself to blame. If they go headfirst into a wall, they will hit a wall. What is happening now is exactly that — they are going headfirst into a wall and leading a line of opposition to the law.”

Elkin also addressed threats by Shas and Degel HaTorah not to support the state budget if the draft law does not pass its second and third readings. “I think they are wrong. They are making a big mistake. What will happen if the draft law gets stuck and does not pass, and the budget is not approved? Who are they punishing? Clearly the state will be harmed, but which public will feel it the most? The chareidi public. So what is the logic? To say that we will harm our own public in order to blame others,” he said.

President Donald Trump is planning to install a statue of Christopher Columbus on White House grounds, according to three people with knowledge of the pending move, in his latest effort to remake the presidential campus and celebrate the famed and controversial explorer.

The statue is set to be located on the south side of the grounds, by E Street and north of the Ellipse, two of the people said, although they cautioned that plans could change. The three people spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak on private discussions. The piece is a reconstruction of a statue unveiled in Baltimore by then-President Ronald Reagan and dumped in the city’s harbor by protesters in 2020 as a racial reckoning swept the country.

A group of Italian American businessmen and politicians, working with local sculptors, obtained the destroyed pieces and rebuilt the statue with financial support from local charities and federal grant funding.

Bill Martin, an Italian American businessman who helped recover the remnants of the original sculpture and organize a campaign to rebuild it, said the statue is expected to be transferred from a warehouse on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to the Trump administration in coming weeks.

The White House declined to comment on its plans but praised the 15th-century explorer.

“In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero,” spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “And he will continue to be honored as such by President Trump.”

As Columbus statues became something of a battleground in the broader tug-of-war over the nation’s history, Trump has repeatedly positioned himself as a staunch defender of a legacy he says has been dishonored by “left-wing arsonists.”

Trump included Columbus in a 2021 executive order of historical figures for his proposed National Garden of American Heroes, showcasing those who embody “the American spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure, courage and confidence, loyalty and love.”

The Italian explorer is long celebrated for his voyage in 1492 to the Americas, opening up trade routes with Europe and setting the stage for colonization and enslavement. Some U.S. states now recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day; Joe Biden in 2021 became the first president to mark the holiday.

Trump campaigned in 2024 on promises to celebrate Columbus Day, and in October he signed a presidential proclamation to recognize Columbus as “the original American hero” and mark the annual holiday.

“We’re back, Italians. Okay? We love the Italians,” Trump said after signing the proclamation. He later said the move should help the Republican Party in the upcoming midterm elections.

“The Italian people are very happy about it. Remember when you go to the voting booths, I reinstated Columbus Day,” Trump told reporters at the White House last month.

Meanwhile, his administration pushes to scrub federal institutions of “corrosive ideology” recognizing historical sexism and racism and to leave its mark on the nation’s capital in a sweeping effort that has drawn complaints and lawsuits. The president rapidly demolished the East Wing annex last year to build his planned $400 million ballroom; paved over the Rose Garden to make room for a patio; and has imposed his vision on numerous internal fixtures and rooms, including the Lincoln Bathroom.

Historic preservationists have called on Trump to go through federal review panels before making further changes to the White House grounds.

In his first term, Trump decried the destruction of Columbus statues across the country. After administration officials learned about efforts in 2020 to rescue and preserve Baltimore’s statue, they asked to obtain it for possible installation on federal grounds, but the statue was not yet ready, said Martin, the businessman.

Martin estimated that he and his allies raised and spent more than $100,000 for their recovery and restoration efforts, which he said represented inspiration to the Italian American community.

“It’s not about Columbus ‘discovering America’ … it’s about the Italian immigrants who came here and looked to Columbus as a hero,” Martin said.

Nino Mangione, a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates, also was involved in efforts to recover the statue, and he praised Trump’s plan to install it at the White House.

“It is such an honor for the Italian American community,” Mangione wrote in an email. “This proves that gangs, thugs, and people of that ilk don’t control things by mob rule. … in America the people rule and our voices are heard.”

Columbus’s planned D.C. arrival comes on the heels of the administration’s reinstallation last October of a Confederate general that protesters had toppled and torched five years prior.

Albert Pike is now back on his plinth in a small federal park about a mile east of the White House, the only Confederate leader memorialized with an outdoor statue in Washington.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed for now a new California voting map that could help Democrats gain up to five seats in Congress, the latest twist in a national fight between liberals and conservatives seeking advantage in this year’s midterm elections.

The justices cleared the state to use a map pushed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and approved by voters that was intended to offset a redistricting effort by Republicans in Texas sought by President Donald Trump. The Texas map could net the GOP up to five additional seats.

The high court’s ruling will remain in effect while a lawsuit challenging California’s map works its way through the courts. The Supreme Court ruled in December that the Texas map was constitutional, so many legal experts expected the justices to approve the California map as well.

The justices did not provide a rationale for their decision in the brief order. There were no noted dissents.

Democrats and Republicans in nearly two dozen states have taken or explored the unusual step of redrawing congressional voting maps mid-decade to try to secure partisan advantage during the 2026 elections. The high-stakes efforts could determine control of the narrowly divided House of Representatives.

Typically, states alter congressional boundaries only after the census, once every 10 years; the mid-decade push this year is the largest since the 1800s.

The Supreme Court’s majority rejected an argument by California Republicans that the state improperly relied on race to draw the map, in violation of the Constitution. The state GOP claimed Democrats tried to increase Latino voting power in the Central Valley to curry political support.

The landmark Voting Rights Act prevents states from drawing maps that dilute the power of minority voters, but states also can’t draw maps explicitly based on race because that would violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. It can be a tricky needle to thread.

Republicans urged the court to rule quickly because candidates can begin submitting their paperwork to run in California’s new districts this coming Monday. They said the court should require the state use a 2021 map drawn up by the independent, nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission that is normally tasked with drawing maps in the state. That map already yielded a heavily Democratic congressional delegation, but Republicans were able to win nine of the state’s 52 districts in 2024. The new map was designed to yield a 48-4 split.

“Even when a state claims it is engaged in a partisan rather than racial gerrymandering, it may not use race as a ‘proxy’ for politics,” California Republicans wrote in a court filing. “Regrettably, California has done precisely that.”

The state countered that its gerrymander was strictly a political move to gain Democrats more seats, which is allowed by law. They said state Republicans had no evidence that race was a motivating factor in drawing the map. Texas made almost identical arguments about partisanship versus race in successfully defending its map.

It would be “strange for California to undertake a mid-decade restricting effort with the predominant purpose of benefitting Latino voters and then enact a new map that contains an identical number of Latino-majority districts,” state officials wrote in a Supreme Court filing.

After Texas lawmakers approved that state’s new map in August at the urging of Trump, Newsom announced California would try to counter the effort.

“California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes,” Newsom said in a statement at the time.

In November, the state’s voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, which allowed the state to temporarily bypass the redistricting commission. The move was seen as a major political victory for Democrats and Newsom, who could run for president.

Republicans sued. A divided panel of district court judges refused to block the new map, before the state Republicans appealed to the Supreme Court. The Trump administration backed California’s GOP.

Other states have also jumped into the redistricting fray, including Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina and Utah, which enacted new maps favoring Republicans. Blue states, including Virginia, Maryland and Washington, are working on their own redistricting plans.

In late January, a Virginia judge ruled the process Democrats used to create a constitutional amendment to increase Democratic seats in Congress was illegal. Democrats vowed to appeal.

The redistricting war is only one legal factor that could influence the outcome of the this year’s midterms. The Supreme Court is also considering the legality of the last remaining pillar of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states to draw maps under certain circumstances that allow minority voters to elect candidates of their choice.

The justices seemed inclined to limit or strike down Section 2 during arguments in the case in October. Such a ruling could touch off a nationwide redistricting scramble that could result in roughly a dozen Black legislators losing their seats, mostly in the South.

The case is also part of a busy term at the Supreme Court, which is dealing with election- and voting-related issues. The justices are weighing whether to restrict laws that allow states to count mail-in ballots that arrive after polls close as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

In another case, the justices cleared the way for an Illinois congressman to challenge the state’s mail-in ballot law. Trump supporters have targeted mail-in ballot rules in a number of states after the president falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election because of voting fraud.

In a third case, the justices will decide whether to knock down restrictions on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and federal candidates.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is considering a policy change that could effectively bar large cities from operating fare-free bus programs if they rely on federal transit funding, a move that could directly clash with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pledge to eliminate bus fares citywide, Newsmax reports.

According to a draft proposal from the Department of Transportation obtained by Politico, the idea is being floated for inclusion in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill, which would require approval from Congress before taking effect.

The proposal would apply to transit agencies serving populations of more than 200,000 people and operating bus fleets larger than 100 vehicles.

Those thresholds could affect jurisdictions that currently offer free bus service, including parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Richmond, Virginia, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kansas City, however, is reportedly planning to bring fares back in the near future.

In New York City, the issue has taken on added political weight, as Mamdani made affordability a central theme of his campaign and vowed to “permanently eliminate the fare on every city bus.” On Tuesday, however, Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber dismissed that promise as a “campaign bumper sticker” while testifying at a budget hearing in Albany.

Under the draft language, transit agencies that receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration would be required to charge passengers. Jurisdictions that decline to comply could risk losing federal support.

“This policy would help ensure the largest federally supported systems are safer and more adequately funded by users,” the document says.

The proposal would still permit free rides for certain populations, including seniors, people with disabilities, children, students, and veterans.

It would also allow exceptions for special circumstances, such as major international events like the World Cup or the Olympics. That provision is notable given that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place across several U.S. cities with large transit systems, including Kansas City, Philadelphia, and the New York–New Jersey region.

Even so, Politico reported that the surface transportation legislation is unlikely to be completed before the World Cup begins. The next Summer Olympics are slated for Los Angeles in 2028.

The DOT’s argument centers largely on funding stability and safety concerns. The draft warns that fare-free transit “can result in unsustainable finances for the agency and potential safety issues,” and notes that some systems that eliminated fares experienced an increase in disruptive behavior.

Advocates of fare-free transit counter that eliminating fares boosts ridership and lowers barriers for working families trying to reach jobs and essential services.

Joel Mendez, an assistant professor of transportation planning at the University of Kansas who researched Kansas City’s experiment with free bus service, said the data points to wider mobility benefits.

“If more people are using the bus, which the evidence suggests across a broad range of demographics, we could be significantly improving their mobility and enhancing access to services and resources throughout the region, including jobs, and that can have a positive impact on their quality of life,” Mendez told Politico.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats sharply criticized the proposal from the Trump administration’s Transportation Department.

“This proposal makes no sense,” Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, said in a statement. “Transit agencies are pretty good at making their own decisions about how to operate to meet local needs.”

“The FTA should be in a position to support them, not undermine them,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

A man found guilty of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a 2024 incident at a Florida golf course was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon handed down the sentence to Ryan Routh in a Fort Pierce courtroom that was the same venue where proceedings descended into chaos last September, when Routh attempted to stab himself shortly after a jury convicted him on all charges.

Federal prosecutors sought a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, arguing that Routh has shown no remorse and has never expressed regret for his actions. A lawyer representing Routh at sentencing urged the court to impose a 27-year term, pointing out that Routh is approaching his 60th birthday.

In addition to the life sentence, Routh was also given a consecutive seven-year prison term tied to one of his firearms convictions.

Sentencing was originally set for December, but Judge Cannon agreed to postpone it after Routh chose to retain legal counsel for this phase of the case, rather than continue representing himself as he had throughout much of the trial.

In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors wrote that Routh has refused to accept responsibility for his actions and argued that federal guidelines support keeping him incarcerated for the rest of his life. The convictions included attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm to further a crime, assaulting a federal officer, illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, and using a gun with a defaced serial number.

“Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law,” the memo said.

Routh’s newly retained attorney, Martin L. Roth, requested that the court depart from the sentencing guidelines and impose 20 years in prison in addition to the mandatory seven-year sentence for the gun charge.

“The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old,” Roth wrote in a filing. “A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.”

Prosecutors detailed that Routh spent weeks planning an attack on Trump before positioning himself in shrubbery and aiming a rifle toward the Republican presidential candidate as he played golf on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

During the trial, a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump’s protection testified that he noticed Routh before Trump came into the agent’s line of sight. According to the testimony, Routh pointed his rifle at the agent, who then fired his weapon, prompting Routh to drop the gun and flee the scene without firing a shot.

In a motion seeking legal representation, Routh proposed exchanging his life in a prisoner swap for individuals he claimed were unjustly detained abroad and said the offer remained open for Trump to “take out his frustrations on my face.”

“Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess forwards, but I always fail at everything (par for the course),” Routh wrote.

When granting Routh’s request for an attorney, Judge Cannon sharply criticized what she called the “disrespectful charade” reflected in his filing, saying it undermined the seriousness of the proceedings. Still, she said she preferred to err in favor of ensuring legal representation.

Cannon had approved Routh’s request last summer to represent himself at trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that defendants may do so, provided they demonstrate to a judge that they are competent to waive their right to counsel.

Routh’s former federal public defenders remained involved as standby counsel and attended the trial.

Court records showed that Routh had multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of stolen property, and maintained an extensive online presence expressing hostility toward Trump. In a self-published book, he urged Iran to assassinate Trump and at another point wrote that, as a Trump voter, he bore some responsibility for helping elect him.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on former prime minister Ehud Barak over what he described as severe racist statements revealed in a recently aired recording, accusing Israel’s media and political establishment of turning a blind eye to remarks that demean Jews of Eastern origin and challenge the Jewish identity of the state.

Deri was responding to an audio recording broadcast by journalist Yishai Friedman on Channel 14, in which Barak is heard allegedly outlining a worldview aimed at engineering demographic change through control of the Chief Rabbinate and conversion systems, while openly favoring immigration from Europe over aliyah from Eastern countries.

According to Deri, the comments expose hostility toward traditional and religious Jews and reflect an attempt to marginalize communities deeply connected to Jewish faith and heritage. He described the remarks as “horrific and racist statements,” and said Barak himself understands that Jews of Eastern descent, who are rooted in tradition and belief, do not fit into a vision of a secular state cut off from its foundations. “With this public, they cannot win,” Deri said.

Deri also condemned what he called selective enforcement by the media, arguing that similar remarks from other political leaders would have ignited immediate outrage. “Imagine if Benjamin Netanyahu had said things like this — the news broadcasts would have opened with it. Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, and the mainstream channels would have jumped on it instantly,” he said.

He added that if he himself had spoken in a comparable way about immigration from the former Soviet Union, the reaction would have been explosive, including attacks from Avigdor Lieberman and prominent journalists. “But when it’s Ehud Barak — everyone maintains a deafening silence,” Deri said.

Deri concluded with a broader ideological message to the right-wing camp, urging confidence and resolve. “Do not be afraid of them. We will continue to safeguard the Land of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the People of Israel — and with God’s help, we will prevail,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Israel will resume full-scale military operations in Gaza to eradicate Hamas if the terror group is not neutralized through other means, signaling that a renewed offensive could be imminent.

Speaking at a conference of Religious Zionism school principals in Eilat, Smotrich said an ultimatum would soon be issued to Hamas and warned that failure to comply would lead to intensified fighting. “Hamas must be completely destroyed. You will see in the coming days that a time limited ultimatum will be issued. When it expires, we will have to return to fighting, to destroy, to kill and eliminate these terrorists, and there are additional arenas where we have not yet said the final word,” he said.

Smotrich also pointed to what he described as a shift within the Israel Defense Forces, crediting increased participation by soldiers from religious backgrounds. “The army today is completely different because our people are serving in it, coming from a world of Torah. Our influence across the country is very great, and it has also increased behind closed doors and in decision making centers,” he said.

He concluded by asserting that Israel has emerged stronger in recent years, both militarily and economically. “Bottom line, after these two years our security and economic situation is better,” Smotrich said.

{Matzav.com}

The United States announced this afternoon that it has agreed to proceed with talks with Iran in Oman on Friday, reversing an earlier decision to cancel the discussions following a request from Arab countries.

The change came after reports that Washington had sent a firm message to Tehran rejecting Iranian demands to alter both the venue and structure of the talks. The discussions were initially set to take place Friday in Istanbul and to include representatives from additional countries. According to a senior American official, the U.S. made clear there was no flexibility. “We told them: ‘It’s either this or nothing.’ They said, ‘Okay, then nothing,'” the official said, adding, “We want to achieve a real deal quickly, or people will look for other options.”

Speaking earlier at a press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the broader approach to the negotiations. “We do not view these meetings as a concession or legitimization. We are ready to talk to any adversary or ally of ours,” Rubio said.

Rubio also outlined what Washington believes must be addressed for the discussions to be productive. “I think for the talks to bring something meaningful, they must include several issues – including ballistic missile ranges, the nuclear program, support for terrorist organizations in the region, and their treatment of their people,” he said.

An Iranian official responded by narrowing expectations for the agenda, stating: “The talks with the U.S. in Oman will focus solely on the nuclear program. Ballistic missiles are not on the table.”

{Matzav.com}