Matzav

[Video below.] A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in Minnesota appealed Sunday for demonstrations in the Twin Cities to remain nonviolent after two recent fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis, unrest he said was unprecedented in his experience.

Sam Olson, the ICE field office director based in St. Paul, addressed the situation during an appearance on Fox News, urging protesters to respect boundaries while agents are working in the field. “When we’re out there, we have no problem with the public watching what we do, filming what we do, talking to us while we do it, but there is that line, though, when they start to impede and get in situations where, frankly, we don’t want them to be, we can’t have them to be, kind of in our workspace,” Olson said on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

He warned that tensions escalate once those limits are crossed. “That’s when we have issues,” he added.

Olson’s comments came shortly after a second deadly encounter involving a federal officer in Minnesota, intensifying scrutiny and sparking additional protests.

In the latest incident, a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs intensive care unit nurse, leading Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to publicly back the agent’s actions as self-defense.

The shooting was the second fatal episode this month in the state involving federal law enforcement officers, adding to mounting anger and unrest.

Pretti’s parents spoke out Saturday following the shooting, saying they were “heartbroken but also very angry,” and accusing authorities of spreading “sickening lies” about what happened.

During his television interview, Olson described the shooting as “unfortunate.”

He emphasized the gravity of such incidents for law enforcement officers, saying, “No officer wakes up in the morning and hopes to have to use any type of force, let alone deadly force, and now this happened.”

Olson went on to blame heightened confrontations on the streets, adding, “Again, this happened because of kind of what we’re seeing around here with a lot of these agitators, these vigilantes kind of surrounding the officers on the street.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance accused far-left activists of fueling turmoil in Minnesota after a second fatal shooting involving a federal agent, describing the unrest surrounding the incident as deliberately manufactured.

The shooting occurred when 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse, was killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a protest tied to a federal immigration enforcement action. Authorities said Pretti, who was legally carrying a handgun, attempted to interfere with the operation and resisted arrest.

Following the incident, Vance placed responsibility on what he described as coordinated activism aligned with local officials, arguing that their actions set the stage for the deadly confrontation between Pretti and federal agents.

“This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis,” Vance wrote on X. “It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.”

Vance’s comments came as established far-left networks ramped up organizing efforts across the country, often converging around unrelated causes but mobilizing rapidly after high-profile incidents.

In Minneapolis, protests and tensions escalated after the shooting, prompting several state and local leaders — including Gov. Tim Walz — to demand that the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration withdraw Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the city.

Walz said he contacted the White House “after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning.”

“Minnesota has had it,” Walz said. “This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

A day later, Walz reiterated his call, saying, “Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace,” while again urging Trump to remove what he described as “untrained agents” from the state.

The White House rejected those demands, signaling no intention to pull federal law enforcement from Minnesota.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded on X, arguing that the priority should be enforcing immigration law rather than removing officers. She said the focus must be on expelling “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” rather than sidelining federal agents.

“The Democrats have their priorities completely upside down. They will not keep the American people safe,” Leavitt wrote.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Pretti approached agents while armed with a 9 mm handgun and two magazines and then “violently resisted” attempts to disarm him, leading one agent to open fire.

However, video recorded at the scene and accounts from witnesses appear to show Pretti holding only his phone before being pepper-sprayed and restrained on the ground, casting doubt on parts of the official narrative.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that she sympathizes with Pretti’s family and pledged a full investigation into the shooting.

“We can’t have individuals that are impeding law enforcement operations and then showing up with guns and weapons and no ID and confronting law enforcement like that,” Noem said. “It is one of the reasons that we see situations like this unfold.”

Pretti was struck multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. State officials later confirmed that he had a valid permit to carry the firearm.

Minnesota Democrats disputed the White House’s assessment, saying the federal enforcement action itself inflamed tensions and put residents at risk, including people who were not targets of immigration operations.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed Sunday that he has been in text contact with President Donald Trump since a White House meeting last November, describing the exchanges as confidential and centered on issues affecting city residents.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Mamdani said he obtained the president’s phone number during that meeting but declined to share details of their messages. “He gave me his number. I’ll say that the conversations between the president and I are private, and I’ll keep them there. But they are always back to the question of New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.

When asked how frequently the two communicate, the mayor avoided giving specifics and emphasized that the outreach is about results rather than personal rapport. “I think it’s less about the maintenance of a personal relationship, it’s more about delivering for the people of the city,” he said. Mamdani added that he had made clear during the campaign that “where the president is looking to pursue policies that will hurt the city, I’m going to be there on the front lines,” while remaining open to collaboration when federal actions benefit New York.

The remarks reflect a softening in relations following months of sharp rhetoric between the two during the 2025 election season and the transition period.

Earlier this month, Axios reported that the texting began after Trump and Mamdani swapped phone numbers at their November Oval Office meeting, characterizing the dynamic as notable given earlier clashes, including Trump labeling Mamdani a “communist.”

Despite the outreach, criticism from the White House and Trump allies has continued, particularly targeting Mamdani’s political views, even as the mayor has pursued cooperation on affordability measures and federal assistance for the city.

Before the November meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to Mamdani as a “communist,” and CBS News reported that Trump had threatened to cut off federal funding to New York City.

Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, was sworn into office on Jan. 1 after winning the November election. His initial policy push has focused on easing living costs, with proposals that include universal child care, rent relief, and fare-free bus service.

During the campaign, he also called for higher taxes on wealthy individuals and large corporations to help pay for parts of his platform, proposals that would require approval from state lawmakers rather than action by the mayor alone.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Legal fallout from the deadly shooting involving federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis could ultimately be handled in federal court, regardless of whether charges are initially brought by state authorities, according to Alan Dershowitz.

Speaking Sunday on Newsmax’s “Sunday Report,” the Harvard Law School professor emeritus explained that state officials are permitted to investigate and even prosecute such cases, but defendants who are federal agents have a key procedural option. “The state has the power to investigate, and they could actually prosecute even if the federal government doesn’t want to,” Dershowitz said. “But then the defendant can remove the case from state court to federal court, where the case would have to be tried.”

Dershowitz added that federal officers have the right to seek removal of a case from state jurisdiction, pointing to President Donald Trump’s own attempt to move his New York case into federal court. “If you’re a federal agent, you can remove your case from state court and have it tried in federal court,” he said, noting that Trump’s request to do so remains unresolved.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum, now a senior political analyst for Newsmax, also weighed in, placing blame on Minnesota officials for what he described as poor coordination with federal authorities. He argued that local law enforcement should have been responsible for managing crowds and ensuring the safety of federal agents on the scene.

“They have not cooperated at all in doing what local police generally do, which is provide a protection, a shield of protection around federal agents doing their job,” Santorum said.

Santorum emphasized that joint planning between different levels of government is standard practice and said federal officers should not be tasked with managing volatile crowds. “There’s usually coordination between the state and the municipality and the federal government,” he said. “ICE agents and Border patrol agents should not be doing crowd control.

“That’s just not what they do. That’s the job of the local police.”

He argued that the lack of cooperation worsened the situation and said local leaders should have taken steps to calm tensions rather than allow them to escalate.

Later in the discussion, Santorum said immigration enforcement had once been less politically charged, accusing Democrats of exploiting the current situation for political gain. “It’s unfortunate because you go back to the Obama administration, to all the Clinton administration, you know, border enforcement and arresting and deporting illegal immigrants was something that was not a partisan issue,” he said.

Dershowitz returned to the legal framework governing federal authority, stressing that federal agents have a constitutional right to operate anywhere in the country and criticizing resistance from state officials. “The Constitution is the Constitution, and federal officials are allowed to come into any state to enforce federal law,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal court action has halted the Trump administration’s effort to revoke the legal standing of more than 8,400 relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who entered the country from seven Latin American nations.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a preliminary injunction late Saturday barring the Department of Homeland Security from terminating humanitarian parole protections for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Those individuals were admitted to the United States through family reunification parole programs that were established or updated during President Joe Biden’s administration, allowing relatives to live in the country while awaiting immigrant visas.

After President Donald Trump took office, his administration sharply expanded immigration enforcement, allocating roughly $170 billion for immigration agencies through September 2029, marking an unprecedented level of funding.

The reunification initiatives permitted U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor family members in the seven countries, enabling them to reside in the United States temporarily as their visa applications moved through the system.

On December 12, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would shut down the programs, arguing they conflicted with Trump’s enforcement priorities and had been exploited to allow “poorly vetted aliens to circumvent the traditional parole process.”

The department planned to end the programs on January 14, but Talwani first stepped in with a 14-day temporary restraining order while she weighed whether a longer injunction was warranted, a decision she finalized Saturday.

In her ruling, Talwani said the agency, under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, failed to substantiate claims of fraud or to address whether affected individuals could realistically return to their countries of origin after selling homes or leaving jobs.

“The Secretary could not provide a reasoned explanation of the agency’s change in policy without acknowledging these interests,” Talwani wrote. “Accordingly, failure to do so was arbitrary and capricious.”

The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the decision.

The case was brought as a class action by immigrant rights groups challenging the administration’s broader effort to roll back temporary parole protections for large numbers of migrants.

Earlier in the same litigation, Talwani had blocked the administration from ending parole for about 430,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, though that order was later lifted by the Supreme Court and ultimately overturned by an appeals court.

{Matzav.com}

El Al said it is rolling out a series of measures intended to help passengers navigate the uncertainty of recent days, including the launch of a complimentary flight cancellation option designed to provide greater flexibility.

The new program, titled “Flight with Peace of Mind,” will be offered to customers purchasing new tickets beginning Monday and will remain in effect for the next two weeks. Under the plan, passengers may cancel their booking for any reason up to 48 hours before departure and receive a full credit voucher.

According to the airline, the policy will apply at no extra cost to flights departing from and arriving at all El Al destinations through March 17, with the exception of LITE fares and bonus tickets.

In parallel, El Al said it is bolstering staffing and capacity at its customer service centers, which operate 24/7, in response to a surge in passenger requests to modify existing reservations. The airline cautioned that customers may still experience extended wait times due to the volume of inquiries.

“El Al will continue to operate in order to be the air bridge to and from Israel and to offer flexible and accessible solutions to our customers and the general public,” the airline said.

Israeli officials said Sunday that the IDF is conducting a wide-ranging operation in northern Gaza aimed at locating the remains of Ran Gvili, with forces carrying out extensive searches at a cemetery based on intelligence assessments.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized Israel’s commitment to returning Gvili for a proper Jewish burial and said his family is receiving ongoing updates about developments in the operation.

The Israeli announcement came after a Hamas spokesperson said the group had passed along all information it claims to possess regarding the whereabouts of the abducted and deceased Ran Gvili to mediators, describing the move as part of broader efforts to advance a ceasefire arrangement.

Hamas asserted that it acted with what it called full transparency in its handling of abductees and the deceased, claiming it transferred information and remains promptly and without delay. The group alleged this was done despite what it described as Israeli violations and Israel’s failure to honor commitments.

According to Hamas, attempts to recover bodies and abductees were carried out under extraordinarily harsh conditions, at times nearly impossible, and were undertaken with assistance from mediating parties.

The organization also urged mediators to apply pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations under the agreement framework.

Hamas concluded its statement by saying the information it provided included all details it had regarding Gvili’s location, pointing to current IDF activity at one of the cited sites as proof of its claim.

The Hamas statement was released ahead of a cabinet meeting scheduled for later tonight, which is expected to focus, among other issues, on the possible reopening of the Rafah crossing in both directions.

At the same time, families who lost loved ones are pressing the prime minister to resist outside influence. Yehoshua Shani, the father of the late Ori Mordechai and head of the Gevurah Forum, cautioned that the involvement of advisers from Qatar and Turkey constitutes an unacceptable opening for terror elements and said Gaza must remain under full Israeli security control.

“Two years and four months have passed since the start of the war. We have paid an extremely heavy price – the entire people of Israel have paid,” Shani said. “These are days that demand courage, strength, and the ability to make the right decisions. Do not agree to the entry of Phase B before the complete disarmament of Hamas and before the return of Ran Gvili. Any attempt to whitewash reality through advisers – Qatari, Turkish, or otherwise – is unacceptable. Terror cannot be allowed to enter through the back door wearing suits and ties.”

He added, “Our sons who fell will not serve as a bargaining chip for the return of a terror regime in Gaza. The Gaza Strip must be under full Israeli security control, and we call on the government to stand firm on this with courage.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior US delegation headed by Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu focused on moving ahead with the next stage of President Trump’s 20-Point Plan for Gaza, including detailed coordination on how Phase 2 would be carried out. Joining Witkoff were Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor Aryeh Lightstone, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum, Arutz Sheva reports.

Following the meeting, Witkoff released a summary stating that the talks centered on “the continued progress and implementation planning for Phase 2 of President Trump’s 20-Point Plan for Gaza, which the United States and Israel are advancing together in close partnership,” along with discussions on wider regional developments.

In his remarks, Witkoff underscored the depth of cooperation between the two governments, noting that “the United States and Israel maintain a strong and longstanding relationship built on close coordination and shared priorities.” He described the conversation as “constructive and positive,” saying both sides shared a clear understanding of the next steps and the need for ongoing collaboration on key regional concerns.

Diplomatic officials familiar with the discussions assessed that Witkoff’s comments suggest progress toward an agreement on reopening the Rafah Crossing, even though Hamas has not yet returned the body of the final fallen hostage, Ran Gvili.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli journalist Rina Matzliach ignited a wave of backlash after remarks she made on an Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation–Kan Reshet Bet program, where she sharply criticized soccer players who recite Shema Yisrael as they enter the field, describing the practice as offensive.

During the broadcast, Matzliach expressed revulsion at the sight of players uttering the traditional declaration of faith before a match. “I see at soccer games, every player that takes the field goes ‘Shema Yisrael’… It’s disgusting. I mean, why ‘Shema Yisrael’ when you take the field? It’s disgusting, Akiva, disgusting. Go in, play, why ‘Shema Yisrael’ in the middle of a soccer game?” she said.

The comments quickly spread online, drawing intense criticism from many who accused her of disparaging Jewish religious expression. One social media user responded angrily: “Rina Matzliach said on the public broadcaster that soccer players reciting ‘Shema Yisrael’ is, and I quote: ‘Disgusting to me. And we’re paying for this.”

Others questioned whether her remarks reflected a double standard. Another user wrote: “Everyone has the right to their opinion. But would Mrs. Matzliah dare to say the same thing about Christian players who cross themselves or Muslims who bow after a goal? Or does only Judaism disgust her?”

Additional reactions accused the journalist of harboring hostility toward her own heritage. One commenter stated: “It’s infuriating that we pay for this. Another example of internalized antisemitism that does not surprise me.”

A sprawling winter storm blanketed much of the country today with snow, sleet and freezing rain, stretching from the South through New England and triggering brutal cold, extensive power outages and hazardous travel conditions.

Forecasters said icy precipitation would persist through Monday across many regions, followed by a deep freeze that would keep conditions dangerous for days. The National Weather Service warned that “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” were likely to continue well after the storm system moves on.

Meteorologists said heavy snow was likely from the Ohio Valley into the Northeast, while areas from the Lower Mississippi Valley through the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic faced the threat of “catastrophic ice accumulation.”

“It is a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread,” National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Santorelli said during a phone interview. “It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so we’re talking like a 2,000 mile spread.”

Santorelli said roughly 213 million people were under some form of winter weather alert as of Sunday morning. At the same time, poweroutage.us reported that nearly 800,000 utility customers were without electricity, a figure that continued to climb.

Tennessee reported the most severe outages, with more than 250,000 customers in the dark. Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi each had outages exceeding 100,000 customers.

Air travel was also heavily disrupted. According to flight tracker flightaware.com, more than 10,000 flights were canceled by Sunday, with an additional 8,000 delayed. Major disruptions were reported at airports serving Philadelphia, Washington, Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, as well as New York and New Jersey.

Santorelli cautioned that the hazards would not end once precipitation stops.

“Behind the storm it’s just going to get bitterly cold across basically the entirety of the eastern two-thirds of the nation, east of the Rockies,” she said. Prolonged cold temperatures, she added, will slow melting and complicate efforts to restore power and repair damaged infrastructure.

President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday, with additional approvals expected. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had already staged supplies, personnel, and search-and-rescue teams across multiple states.

In and around Nashville, ice accumulations reached half an inch or more, coating power lines and weighing down trees until branches snapped and crashed onto roads and utility equipment.

“We typically say that once you start seeing, you know, roughly a half an inch of ice, that’s when you’re going to start seeing the more widespread power outages,” Santorelli said.

In Oxford, Mississippi, police urged residents Sunday morning to remain indoors due to extreme danger outdoors. Utility crews were also ordered off the roads overnight as conditions worsened.

“Due to life-threatening conditions, Oxford Utilities has made the difficult decision to pull our crews off the road for the night,” the utility company wrote in an early Sunday Facebook post.

“The situation is currently too dangerous to continue,” the post said. “Trees are actively snapping and falling around our linemen while they are in the bucket trucks. We simply cannot clear the lines faster than the limbs are falling.”

Travel conditions were also treacherous in north Georgia, where ice coated roadways.

{Matzav.com}

New reporting citing Western media and alleged internal Iranian data suggests the death toll from Iran’s two-day crackdown on protests may be far higher than the government has acknowledged, potentially reaching into the tens of thousands.

The Jerusalem Post reported Sunday, referencing Time magazine and what it described as Iranian hospital records, that as many as 30,000 people may have been killed nationwide during the Jan. 8–9 suppression of demonstrations, a figure that dwarfs official statements from Tehran.

According to Time, two senior officials from Iran’s Health Ministry told the magazine that up to 30,000 people may have died during the crackdown. Time also said it reviewed a separate hospital-based tally listing 30,304 deaths as of Friday, Jan. 9.

The magazine cautioned that it was unable to independently confirm the figures.

Officials cited in the report said the volume of fatalities overwhelmed local systems, depleting body-bag supplies and forcing authorities to use semitrailer trucks to transport bodies.

The reporting described security forces deploying rooftop snipers and vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns after cutting communications. It also referenced an alleged broadcast on Iranian state television warning that anyone “entering the streets” should not complain if a bullet struck them.

Time said the hospital-based figures were compiled by Dr. Amir Parasta, identified as a German-Iranian ophthalmologist. Parasta told the magazine, “We are getting closer to reality,” while noting that the count likely omitted deaths from military hospitals and areas inaccessible to data collectors.

Public health experts quoted in the report urged caution in drawing firm conclusions from hospital data alone but said the internal figures pointed to a large-scale killing carried out over a very short period.

Iranian authorities have acknowledged a much smaller number of deaths.

State media reported on Jan. 21 that 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, citing a statement attributed to the Martyrs Foundation and carried by Press TV.

Other independent estimates differ sharply.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, said in a report posted Sunday that it had verified 5,459 deaths and was reviewing 17,031 additional cases.

Iran International, a London-based broadcaster, previously reported at least 12,000 deaths linked to the Jan. 8–9 events and on Sunday released a separate report claiming more than 36,500 killed, citing documents it said were reviewed by its editorial board.

International attention has also intensified in recent days.

In a media advisory issued Friday, the United Nations human rights office said the U.N. Human Rights Council had extended the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran for an additional two years and called for an urgent probe into alleged serious violations connected to protests that it said began on Dec. 28, 2025.

Time reported that if the internal estimates prove accurate, the episode would rank among the deadliest mass shootings over a comparable period in modern history, drawing a parallel to the Babyn Yar massacre in Nazi-occupied Ukraine, where the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum says 33,771 Jews were killed over two days on Sept. 29–30, 1941.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

In recent weeks, a glossy new effort has begun making the rounds, complete with polished language and lofty promises, all centered on one seductive phrase: helping bochurim “know Kol HaTorah Kulah” by learning Rambam. It sounds inspiring. It sounds ambitious. It sounds holy. And it is precisely because it sounds so good that it deserves to be challenged, forcefully and without apology.

A bochur is not supposed to be mastering Kol HaTorah Kulah. That may sound jarring to some ears in an age addicted to slogans and shortcuts, but it is a simple truth rooted in mesorah, experience, and common sense.

A bochur is supposed to be learning how to learn.

That is not a semantic distinction. It is the entire foundation of the yeshiva system.

The goal of the formative yeshiva years has never been encyclopedic knowledge. It has never been box-checking or coverage. It has never been about being able to say, “I finished X” or “I know Y.” The goal has always been something far deeper and far less flashy: acquiring the tools, discipline, patience, and intellectual honesty required to engage Torah seriously for a lifetime.

Learning how to learn means grappling with a sugya until it hurts. It means struggling through a Tosafos that refuses to cooperate. It means developing the ability to ask the right questions, to recognize when something does not yet make sense, and to sit with that discomfort rather than paper it over with summaries or surface-level clarity. It means learning a derech halimud, not collecting achievements.

And crucially, it means learning what one’s yeshiva tells him to learn.

The yeshiva system is not an accident. It is not a haphazard assembly of masechtos and meforshim. It is the result of generations of refinement by Torah giants who understood that Torah growth requires structure, restraint, and patience. Bochurim are not free agents building personal Torah portfolios. They are talmidim being shaped, carefully, by a framework designed to produce depth, not breadth.

When a yeshiva chooses a particular masechta, a particular approach, a particular emphasis, it is doing so with one goal in mind: building a ben Torah. Not a walking index. Not a marketing success story. A ben Torah.

The recent push to redirect bochurim toward mastering Rambam under the banner of “knowing Kol HaTorah Kulah” fundamentally misunderstands this. Limud of Rambam is, of course, sacred. Learning Rambam is invaluable. But when, how, and for whom matters. Not every good thing is good at every stage. Not every lofty goal is appropriate for every age. And not every powerful sefer belongs at the center of a bochur’s already demanding and carefully calibrated learning schedule.

What worries me most is not the Rambam itself, but the mindset behind the campaign.

We are increasingly uncomfortable with process. We crave outcomes. We want to be able to say that our bochurim are “doing something,” “finishing something,” “knowing something.” We want neat narratives and impressive claims. And so we invent new tracks, new initiatives, new frameworks, often without asking the most important question of all: Who asked for this?

Our bochurim are already under immense pressure. They are navigating demanding learning schedules, expectations from yeshivos, families, peers, and shidduch systems, all while trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world of Torah. The last thing they need is yet another external program whispering in their ear that what they are doing is not enough, that unless they are also “knowing Kol HaTorah Kulah,” they are somehow missing the boat.

That is not encouragement. That is distraction.

And distraction in the formative years is not benign. It pulls a bochur off track, not in dramatic rebellion, but in subtle misalignment. Focus becomes divided. Priorities blur. The message shifts from “immerse yourself fully in your yeshiva’s derech” to “add this on, just in case.” Over time, that erosion matters.

We should be deeply wary of new inventions in chinuch, especially those introduced from outside the yeshiva world and marketed directly to bochurim. Mesorah does not reject innovation out of fear; it rejects it out of responsibility. The burden of proof lies with those who want to change the system, not with those who are protecting it.

There will be a time—many times, in fact—when a Jew can and should broaden his horizons, build bekius, master Rambam, and aspire toward encompassing Torah knowledge. That time is not defined by a catchy campaign or an advertising push. It comes naturally, organically, after the foundations have been laid.

A bochur does not need to know Kol HaTorah Kulah.
He needs to know how to learn Torah.
He needs to know a derech halimud.

How to make a laining – or a “lainis‘ for the old timers – on a Gemara.
He needs to know how to stay on track even when shiny alternatives beckon.

Let us not confuse ambition with wisdom.
Let us not mistake slogans for substance.
And let us not pull our bochurim off the path that generations before us fought so hard to preserve.

Sometimes the most responsible thing we can say to a new idea—no matter how well-intentioned—is simply this: not now, and not for them.

A Simple Yid

The Tri-State

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New details surrounding the death of a Minneapolis protester shot by federal agents have prompted speculation that a firearm may have discharged accidentally, setting off the chain of events that ended with the man’s death during an anti-ICE demonstration.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who had been protesting President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies in Minnesota, was armed with a loaded Sig Sauer P320 9mm handgun when he allegedly attempted to interfere as federal agents tried to arrest a woman in public. Authorities said Pretti was legally permitted to carry the firearm.

Footage from the scene shows one federal agent shouting “gun” before seizing the weapon from Pretti. As the agent walks away holding the firearm, another agent abruptly rises and fires several shots, killing Pretti.

Rob Dobar, an attorney representing the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said he believes the incident may have escalated after the handgun discharged unintentionally once it was taken from Pretti.

“I believe it’s highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the Sig P320 from Pretti’s holster while exiting the scene,” Dobar said on X.

The Sig Sauer P320 is a widely used handgun among civilians and law enforcement agencies, including ICE, but it has also faced more than 100 claims alleging it can fire without a trigger pull, often described as “uncommanded” discharges.

Following the shooting, authorities released an image of Pretti’s firearm, showing a fully loaded magazine. The weapon appears to be a customized P320 AXG Combat model, which is typically sold with three 21-round magazines and carries a retail price ranging from $1,100 to $1,300.

Minneapolis police confirmed that Pretti possessed a valid permit to carry the gun. However, the Department of Homeland Security has previously stated that it is “unlawful” for demonstrators or bystanders to bring firearms to protests.

Concerns about the P320 have surfaced in prior legal cases. In November 2021, a jury in Philadelphia awarded U.S. Army veteran George Abrahams $11 million after his holstered pistol fired while he was walking down stairs, leaving him with permanent injuries.

“We’ve been asking Sig for over three years now to recall this gun, to fix it, and frankly to use the same type of safeties that other manufacturers are using that Sig Sauer is not,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Robert W. Zimmerman, said following that verdict.

Sig Sauer, which is based in New Hampshire, has repeatedly defended the firearm. At the time, the company described the P320 as “among the most tested, proven, and successful handguns in recent history,” in a statement posted on its website.

In April 2025, Sig Sauer executive Bobby Cox successfully pushed for legislation in the New Hampshire State House that shields the company from liability lawsuits related to the P320.

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed the measure into law the following month, despite objections from some Democrats who argued that Sig Sauer should be required to defend its claims in court.

Sig Sauer has maintained that the alleged defect has been addressed and that unintended discharges are extremely rare given the millions of pistols the company has manufactured.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Reuven Hechster, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Mir Brachfeld in Modiin Illit, has been named as mashgiach at Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, marking a significant development for the largest yeshiva in the United States.

The appointment comes nearly two years after the passing of the longtime Lakewood mashgiach, Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l.

Rav Hechster, a close talmid of his revered rebbi, Rav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel zt”l, mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoah, will assume the new role while continuing his position in Mir Brachfeld.

According to details that have emerged, Rav Hechster was recently approached with the proposal to take on the Lakewood post and sought guidance from Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch before reaching a decision. Delegations from Modiin Illit appealed for him to remain, citing the many mussar talks and vaadim he delivers in the city, while representatives from Lakewood urged him to come and serve the yeshiva as its mashgiach.

Following consultations with Rav Hirsch, it was decided that Rav Hechster would divide his time between the two mosdos. Under the agreed arrangement, Rav Hechster will spend approximately 20 days each month in Modiin Illit at Mir Brachfeld and 10 days in Lakewood. He is expected to travel to the United States on Sundays following his free Shabbos in Mir Brachfeld to fulfill his responsibilities in Lakewood.

Rav Hechster is widely regarded in the Torah world as a central address for guidance and chizuk, with thousands of avreichim seeking his counsel. In Modiin Illit in particular, he is viewed as a trusted source of direction and inspiration. He was originally appointed as mashgiach of Mir Brachfeld by the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l.

In addition to his role at Mir Brachfeld, Rav Hechster delivers a mussar talk every Motzaei Shabbos, gives a weekly vaad on Tuesdays at Kollel Ateres Shlomo attended by hundreds of avreichim, leads a Thursday night vaad for dozens of talmidim at Mir Brachfeld, hosts a Friday vaad for alumni in his home, and conducts a biweekly Sunday vaad at the Mir Ueshiva in Yerushalayim for alumni.

Following the decision of Rav Hirsch, the appointment is set to take effect in approximately a week and a half.

Rav Hechster is expected to arrive at Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood during the week of Parshas Yisro, when he will formally begin his role as mashgiach at the yeshiva.

New York City public school buildings will not open on Monday as Winter Storm Fern moves through the region, though students will still be required to attend classes virtually, according to an announcement by Mayor Mamdani.

The move means that roughly 500,000 students enrolled in the city’s public school system will log in from home rather than report to classrooms, affecting nearly 1,100 schools across the five boroughs as instruction continues online.

“As snowfall begins to blanket our city and conditions become hazardous, closing school buildings is a necessary step to keep New Yorkers safe,” Mayor Mamdani said.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Peretz Plitnik zt”l of Kiryat Sanz, one of the distinguished talmidim of the Mir Yeshiva and the legendary baal tokeia of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, at the age of 91.

Rav Plitnik was laid to rest last night in Yerushalayim. The levayah departed from Beis Medrash Ahavas Torah on Rechov Toras Chesed and continued to Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.

Rav Plitnik a devoted talmid of Rav Hutner and later of his son-in-law, ybl”c Rav Yonasan David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchak. He cleaved to their Torah and derech with every fiber of his being.

All who merited spending time in his presence encountered a living example of the unique tzuras ha’adam instilled in him by his rebbi, a figure of pure yiras Shamayim, blended with refinement, nobility, and an exceptional warmth toward every individual.

For many years, Rav Plitnik set his primary learning in the Mir Yeshiva and was among the pillars of the Ahavas Torah shul.

For decades, Rav Plitnik served as the baal tokeia in the presence of Rav Hutner. The lofty moments of reciting Lamenatze’ach and the tekiyos of the shofar that emerged from the depths of his heart, with awe and humility, remain etched in the memories of his admirers.

Alongside his profound avodas Hashem, Rav Plitnik was especially noted for his deep emunas chachamim. When he was approximately fifty years old, doctors ruled that he required urgent bypass surgery and warned that without it he would not survive. He sought guidance from the gaon Rav Yisrael Eliyahu Weintraub, who told him he could not decide and suggested they go together to the Steipler. After hearing the situation, the Steipler ruled emphatically, “They do not see.” Following those words, Rav Plitnik decided not to undergo the surgery.

Placing his full trust in the Steipler’s declaration, Rav Plitnik was granted many additional decades of life, ultimately passing away peacefully at age 91. With absolute emunah, he merited exceptional longevity in a manner seen by those close to him as beyond the natural order.

Rav Plitnik was zocheh to raise many talmidim and leaves behind a large and beautiful family: his wife, Rebbetzin Rivkah Plitnik, sons and a daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all continuing in his derech.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

A debate over what is driving the surge of antisemitism across Europe erupted into a very public confrontation between two prominent Jewish figures, drawing in tech mogul Elon Musk and pitting a senior US official against one of Europe’s most prominent rabbis.

The dispute stems from comments made Wednesday at the World Economic Forum, where Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, spoke during a panel focused on antisemitism, extremism, and social cohesion.

Asked about the sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in Germany and elsewhere, Rabbi Goldschmidt said the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel had sparked a dramatic global spike in antisemitism. He pointed to what he described as coordinated and even state-backed activity appearing on university campuses and in public arenas.

Rabbi Goldschmidt also connected political shifts across Europe to unease surrounding immigration.

“I think the rise of the extreme right in many European countries is a response to the insecurity felt by the so-called old Europeans regarding the new immigrants who came from the Middle East,” he said.

He further argued that Jews and Muslims share a common interest in confronting both antisemitism and Islamophobia, citing past interfaith efforts that he said helped strengthen social cohesion.

Those remarks quickly drew criticism from Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the US special envoy tasked with monitoring and combating antisemitism, who challenged Rabbi Goldschmidt’s framing in a series of posts on X. The criticism marked one of Kaploun’s first high-profile public interventions since his Senate confirmation in December.

“Blaming ‘old Europe’ for the present surge in antisemitism is disgraceful,” Kaploun wrote, asserting that mass migration has been a central factor in recent antisemitic violence and threats to Jewish communities.

“I am proud to serve in an administration that understands that mass migration is a huge driver of antisemitism,” Kaploun added. “It creates dramatic social changes and threatens the safety of all citizens. This administration, led by President Trump and Secretary Rubio, recognizes and confronts today’s challenges with clarity. Mass migration itself threatens the safety of Jews and all communities.”

The exchange gained wider attention after Musk, who owns X, reposted Kaploun’s comments and added his own endorsement, writing, “Exactly. Thank you for speaking up,” effectively propelling the dispute beyond internal Jewish leadership circles.

Rabbi Goldschmidt responded within hours, pushing back against Kaploun’s interpretation and saying his words had been misconstrued. He insisted that he had not blamed European society for the rise in antisemitism and stressed that he sees the phenomenon as emerging from multiple ideological streams.

“I never blamed ‘old Europe’ for the current rise in antisemitism,” Rabbi Goldschmidt wrote, explaining that his comments in Davos were meant to describe political reactions to immigration trends, not to justify or excuse antisemitic violence.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani found himself on the receiving end of online criticism after issuing a broad snowfall estimate ahead of the winter storm to hit the region today, reviving memories of past City Hall missteps during major weather events.

The mayor’s warning that the city could see anywhere from “3 to 16 inches of snow” prompted disbelief and sarcasm on social media, with critics questioning the usefulness of such a wide range.

“3-16, way to narrow down the forecast,” one user on X commented.

Others were less restrained in their reaction to the estimate.

“Saying that NYC is going to get between 3 and 16 inches of snow is nonsense,” another person said. “That tells you absolutely nothing. Citing numbers with a probability range of 5% to 95% is idiotic and moronic.”

A third commenter speculated humorously about the numbers themselves.

“Maybe they forgot the 1 in front of the 3? Idk ?” another well-meaning commenter suggested.

Mamdani released the forecast around 4:30 p.m. as the city was already under a winter storm watch from the National Weather Service, which projected a narrower range of 6 to 12 inches of snowfall.

“NYC is forecasted to get 3–16 inches of snow this weekend. And we’re ready,” Hizzoner wrote.

Along with the snowfall alert, Mamdani said the city would activate a Code Blue warning, a measure taken during extreme cold that relaxes capacity limits at homeless shelters to keep people off the streets overnight.

“Tomorrow, we’ll begin pre-snow treatment, brining highways and major streets. Once the storm hits, @NYCSanitation and city workers will be out around the clock, keeping our city moving,” his post read.

The storm system, known as Winter Storm Fern, is expected to reach the tri-state area today, with snowfall potentially lingering into Monday.

Should accumulations reach or exceed 12 inches, it would mark the heaviest snowfall in New York City since February 2021, when 16.8 inches were recorded in Central Park.

Major snow events have long carried political consequences at City Hall, where past mayors have faced scrutiny over how the city handled severe winter weather.

In November 2018, a storm that dumped only about 6 inches of snow brought much of the city to a standstill, triggering widespread criticism of municipal preparedness.

Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio later attributed the city’s struggles during that storm to “bad luck” rather than flawed planning.

His predecessor, Mike Bloomberg, also endured political backlash after a massive blizzard in December 2010 severely disrupted city services. Bloomberg later described that episode as a “character building” experience.

{Matzav.com}

The likelihood of a partial federal government shutdown at the end of January increased Saturday after Senate Democrats said they would block a key funding package in response to a deadly Minneapolis incident involving federal law enforcement officers.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will withhold support for a major appropriations package if it contains funding for the Department of Homeland Security, denouncing the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents during the Minneapolis operation as unacceptable.

“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling — and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said in a statement.

“Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” he warned.

Schumer criticized Senate and House Republicans for failing to add language to the Homeland Security spending bill that would impose limits on ICE officers, who have faced accusations of using excessive force against protesters in Minneapolis.

His comments followed confirmation by law enforcement officials that Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by federal agents during an ICE operation early Saturday.

“Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no,” Schumer said.

Schumer’s position came after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged Senate Democrats to block funding for ICE, escalating pressure from the party’s progressive wing.

“Americans are being killed in the street by their government. Our Constitution is being shredded and our rights are dissolving. Resist. Senate Democrats should block ICE funding this week. Activate the National Guard. We can and must stop this,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke out following Pretti’s fatal shooting by a Border Patrol agent.

Senate Democrats are scheduled to hold a caucus-wide conference call at 6 p.m. Sunday to map out their approach to the funding bills that must pass by Jan. 30 to avert a partial government shutdown.

Schumer’s statement represents a notable shift among senior Senate Democrats, who last week suggested that a six-bill appropriations package approved by the House was likely to clear the Senate ahead of the Jan. 30 deadline.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said last week that blocking DHS funding would do little to curb ICE’s activities.

“ICE must be reined in, and unfortunately, neither a CR nor a shutdown would do anything to restrain it, because, thanks to Republicans, ICE is now sitting on a massive slush fund it can tap whether or not we pass a funding bill,” Murray said, referencing tens of billions of dollars allocated to ICE under the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act that Trump signed into law last year.

Murray added that the “suggestion that a shutdown in this moment might curb the lawlessness of this administration is not rooted in reality.”

The House last week approved a procedural rule to bundle six appropriations bills covering more than two-thirds of the federal government — including Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services — into a single package slated for expedited Senate consideration.

Several of the spending bills passed with broad bipartisan backing, while the Homeland Security measure passed more narrowly, 220–207. Only seven House Democrats supported that bill, which also funds the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration.

Since then, a growing number of Senate Democrats have said they will oppose any funding package that includes money overseen by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has drawn sharp criticism over images showing violent clashes between ICE officers and protesters.

“Trump’s endless empowerment of federal immigration agents has resulted in yet another senseless killing,” Sen. Mark Warner, who faces re-election in November, wrote Saturday on X.

“This brutal crackdown has to end,” he added. “I cannot and will not vote to fund DHS while this administration continues these violent federal takeovers of our cities.”

Sen. Peter Welch accused Noem of transforming ICE “into an aggressive paramilitary force that terrorizes our communities, interferes with local policing and makes our communities less safe.”

“She has abused her authority — I will not support a funding bill that gives her a blank check to fund ICE’s inhumane tactics and excessive force,” Welch said in a statement Friday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal also pressed Democrats to demand changes to the Homeland Security bill, including a requirement that ICE officers obtain arrest warrants before entering a suspect’s home.

“I think there is an opportunity. Certainly, there’s an obligation to try to insist on conditions attached to these appropriations bills,” Blumenthal said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“I’m a ‘no’ vote on that spending bill unless there are conditions that require ICE to go to a judge to get a warrant as well as other constraints,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The White House repeatedly urged Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office to allow President Isaac Herzog to take part onstage at a high-profile Board of Peace unveiling in Davos on Thursday, but Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu rejected the requests, according to Axios.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, the report said Netanyahu maintained that President Trump’s invitation was extended to him personally and not to Herzog, and he ultimately vetoed the president’s participation. Herzog did not attend the ceremony.

U.S. officials had hoped that an Israeli presence would underscore broad backing for the Board of Peace’s Gaza-related plans, signaling support from Israel alongside Arab and Muslim leaders who were present, the report said.

Israel has also voiced dissatisfaction with Washington’s decision to name senior officials from Turkey and Qatar to the Gaza Executive Board, a subsidiary body expected to assume expanded authority over postwar oversight in Gaza. The Board of Peace itself, comprised of heads of state or government, is expected to convene only a few times annually.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that while Netanyahu accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace despite serious reservations, he had little latitude to refuse given his reliance on the American president.

Netanyahu did not attend the World Economic Forum because Switzerland is a party to the International Criminal Court and had indicated it would enforce an arrest warrant against him if he entered Swiss territory.

Two days before the ceremony, on Tuesday, the White House approached the Prime Minister’s Office and proposed that Herzog represent Israel onstage, a suggestion Netanyahu turned down, the report said.

The following day, White House officials again contacted Netanyahu and his aides “several” times, pressing for Herzog’s participation.

Describing the exchanges as “tense and difficult,” the sources told Axios that Netanyahu continued to rebuff the requests, which persisted until hours before Thursday’s signing ceremony.

In the end, the report said, the White House opted not to “go to war” with the prime minister over the dispute, instead concentrating on efforts to press Netanyahu to agree to open the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Axios reported that the standoff fueled friction between the Prime Minister’s Office and the President’s Residence, as well as between the White House and Netanyahu’s team.

Despite the report’s framing, Herzog does not serve under Netanyahu, and the president does not require the prime minister’s approval to attend events or undertake similar engagements.

{Matzav.com}