Feed aggregator

MEGA x5 MEGILLAH RAFFLE IS HERE! This Purim, don’t just hear the Megillah — own one. Yad L’Achim is giving away 5 stunning, high-quality Hamelech Megillos to 5 lucky winners!

A fierce backlash is brewing in Yerushalayim after city officials announced large-scale Purim celebrations slated to take place along Jaffa Street, drawing opposition from residents of nearby chareidi neighborhoods who say the events threaten the kedusha of the city on one of the holiest days of the year. Flyers circulating throughout Yerushalayim on Friday warned […]

The Gerrer kehillah has announced sweeping new measures aimed at curbing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within its community, joining other groups in Israel and abroad that have spoken out against the rapidly expanding technology. Under the banner “Shabbos Taharenu,” this coming Shabbos, Parshas Terumah, will be dedicated to raising awareness about the perceived spiritual and social dangers of AI. Drashos and public messages in Gerer shuls are expected to focus on confronting what leaders describe as the harmful influence of emerging technologies.

According to information obtained by Matzav.com, the Gerer community is launching a broad educational and regulatory initiative. Central to the effort is a letter from the kehillah’s Committee on Technology Affairs, outlining new rules that sharply limit interaction with AI systems.

The committee’s rabbonim, who say they have studied the issue extensively, formulated guidelines distinguishing between essential professional use and what they call “free dialogue” with AI systems. The latter—defined as conversational engagement with AI in a way that resembles speaking with another person—is described in the letter as a serious spiritual and social threat.

In the letter, dated for Shabbos Taharenu, Parshas Terumah 5786, the committee characterizes modern technological innovation as a powerful contemporary challenge. It states that members of the community have generally complied with previous rabbinic regulations, limiting technology use and relying only on filtered systems when necessary for livelihood.

However, the letter warns that the inclination toward misuse of technology constantly renews itself, citing the rabbinic teaching that “a person’s evil inclination renews itself daily.” The committee describes artificial intelligence as a “new structure” that has entered many professions within just a few years, producing content quickly and efficiently—even for individuals without prior expertise.

At the same time, the letter refers to AI as a “bad companion” or “golem,” warning that users can converse or correspond with it on virtually any subject. It claims that many around the world have adopted AI as a readily available and convenient companion, leading to what it calls shallow and addictive interactions. Beyond that, the letter cautions against exposure to harmful information that could be accessed through such systems.

The committee warns that the perceived danger extends to smartphones—including, it notes, even devices with religious certification—as well as to computers, including those with content filters.

As a result, the new regulations completely prohibit what is termed “Artificial Intelligence – without control,” defined as open-ended question-and-answer interaction that simulates conversation with a human being, whether through speech or writing. Limited use for professional purposes may be permitted when conducted “with control,” meaning the creation of specific outputs—such as images or other products—without any ongoing dialogue component.

The letter further states that the committee has developed methods enabling certain professional uses of AI while technically preventing free conversational interaction. The goal, it explains, is to allow necessary work-related functions without enabling open dialogue that could lead to deeper engagement or dependency.

The authors conclude by emphasizing the broader need to distance oneself from new technological developments in general, and from artificial intelligence in particular. They express hope for divine assistance in navigating what they describe as the challenges of the current era and in avoiding spiritual harm.

An attached appendix, signed by leading Gerer rabbonim, reportedly details the practical guidelines and new safeguards intended to protect households from the influence of advancing technology.

{Matzav.com}

Three men in their 30s were killed on Friday in a horrific crash involving four vehicles on Route 805 near the Yuvalim Junction in the Galil. MDA teams who arrived at the devastating scene were forced to pronounce all three victims dead at the site. Two additional victims were transported to the hospital: a man […]

President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Pentagon and other federal agencies to identify and release government files related to extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects, tapping into renewed public fascination with UFOs and longstanding questions about official secrecy. In a late-night post on his social media platform, Trump said he had ordered agencies to declassify […]

Israel’s anti-chareidi opposition leader Yair Lapid publicly flipped out after video emerged of Rav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Ateret Shlomo, dancing with his talmidim at a wedding to a familiar anti-Zionist song. The wedding was that of Ariel Shammai, who had previously been arrested for not enlisting in the IDF. His arrest sparked […]

Florida lawmakers have advanced a proposal to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honor of President Donald Trump, with the state Senate voting Thursday to approve the measure. The 25-11 vote followed earlier passage in the Florida House of Representatives, where lawmakers backed the bill by an 81-30 margin.

Support for the change came primarily from Republican legislators, while Democratic members voiced opposition to rebranding the airport.

“It’s misguided and unfair that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature ignored the voices of Palm Beach County by pushing forward a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport without giving County residents a real opportunity for input,” said Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat who represents West Palm Beach.

The legislation now moves to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration. The Republican governor has not publicly indicated whether he intends to sign the bill into law. His office did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking comment.

The White House also declined to comment on the measure. Representatives for Palm Beach County and the Trump Organization likewise did not provide immediate responses to requests for comment.

The airport renaming effort comes after Florida officials last year approved a separate plan to donate a parcel of downtown Miami property for the construction of Trump’s presidential library.

Trump relocated his primary residence to Florida in 2019. After living for years in a penthouse at Trump Tower in New York, he established his main home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has entered the Mediterranean Sea, according to maritime tracking data, in a significant show of force amid escalating tensions involving Iran. The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the carrier strike group toward the Middle East last week as his administration weighs potential […]

A growing shortage of basic milk products is being felt across Israel, with residents in numerous cities reporting empty dairy shelves and stores restricting purchases to a single carton per customer. What initially appeared to be isolated supply issues has developed into a wider disruption, leaving many consumers struggling to find milk in recent days.

Shoppers have shared images from supermarkets and neighborhood convenience stores showing barren refrigerators and posted notices limiting quantities. Some families say they have been forced to travel from store to store to secure milk, while others report cutting back on usage because of the scarcity.

In an interview with Arutz Sheva, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he has been inundated with complaints about the problem. He stated that over the past several weeks, he has received dozens of reports each day from frustrated citizens. According to Smotrich, the root of the shortage lies in the centralized framework governing Israel’s dairy industry, which he described as “the distorted way in which the dairy market is managed in Israel.”

Smotrich reiterated his commitment to advancing a comprehensive dairy reform plan designed to introduce greater competition into the sector. He contended that resistance to the reform amounts to protecting entrenched monopolies at the public’s expense.

Posting a photograph from a grocery store in his community of Kedumim that displayed a notice limiting milk purchases per customer, Smotrich characterized the situation as unacceptable for a modern nation. Referring to the image, he wrote, “Now at our grocery store in Kedumim,” and added, “In recent weeks, I have received dozens of such complaints daily. This is an unacceptable reality in an advanced country like Israel, and it stems directly from the distorted way in which the dairy sector operates.”

He concluded by vowing to press ahead with changes to the system. “I am determined to fix this and, with G-d’s help, pass the dairy reform. Anyone who opposes it works for the monopolies and acts against the citizens of Israel, and I do not intend to give in to them. There could be plenty of milk here, it could be cheap here,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Disagreements between federal and local authorities have deepened in the investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, as officials offer sharply different assessments of where she may be. FBI sources this week indicated she could be in Mexico, while the Pima County Sheriff’s Office insists its evidence points to her still being in Tucson. The divide has fueled criticism that turf battles and early investigative errors have slowed progress in the case.

Guthrie was taken from her Tucson home on Feb. 1. Since then, tension between the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has drawn scrutiny from law enforcement insiders who say the handling of the case may have hindered efforts to locate her.

“[The FBI] should have taken the case over within the first few days. We have been treating this as a kidnapping and the FBI is the premier agency to deal with kidnappings,” Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Association, told The Post earlier this week.

Despite that criticism, Sheriff Chris Nanos has retained control of the investigation. More than a week after doorbell footage surfaced showing a masked man at Guthrie’s front door, authorities remain without a clear lead on her whereabouts.

Questions have mounted about how evidence was preserved and processed in the critical early days. Critics argue the FBI was not brought in quickly enough, even though the high-profile nature of the abduction appeared to demand federal resources.

Concerns were also raised that the crime scene was released prematurely. Reporters and amateur sleuths were reportedly able to approach Guthrie’s home without visible security or crime scene tape in place.

“It looks unprofessional. It doesn’t look good for our department when we’ve had reporters walking up and essentially contaminating the scene,” Cross said.

In addition, investigators initially missed a roof-mounted camera, which was later discovered during a more thorough sweep conducted by the FBI.

“In my professional opinion, I believe they released the crime scene too early. And that was on Sheriff Nanos,” Brantner Smith, a former cop, told The NY Post .

On Wednesday, the Pima Sheriff’s Department said it is “analyzing biological evidence” recovered from Guthrie’s home and may have obtained additional DNA believed to belong to the suspect. So far, however, efforts to develop usable DNA evidence have not produced results.

A wide search in the area surrounding Guthrie’s residence led to the recovery of 17 discarded gloves. Sixteen were later determined to have been left behind by law enforcement personnel during the search.

One glove found along a roadway two miles from the home appeared similar to the black gloves seen on the man captured in Nest doorbell footage, according to authorities.

Instead of sending the glove to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, it was submitted to Florida-based DNA Labs International. That decision became another point of friction between local and federal investigators.

“Nanos has insisted instead on using a private lab in Florida,” an anonymous law enforcement source told Fox News Digital.

County officials said the private lab was selected because of its expertise in forensic genealogy, at a reported cost of about $200,000.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, who has worked with the Florida lab, explained it would generate a multitude of leads.

“If the guy’s from Morocco [for example], you’re not going to find out who he is, but you’ll know he’s from Morocco, which is an investigative lead,” Fitzpatrick told The NY Post.

Authorities later revealed that DNA from the glove did not match unknown male DNA recovered inside Guthrie’s home. Neither sample generated a match in CODIS, the FBI’s national database of DNA from convicted offenders and arrestees.

Officials also confirmed this week that all members of Guthrie’s family have been ruled out as suspects.

Meanwhile, several ransom notes have been sent to media outlets. At least two demanded payment in separate cryptocurrencies to different digital wallets.

The notes contained no proof that Guthrie is alive, and the stated deadlines have passed, leading many investigators to question their legitimacy.

Experts told The NY Post that requesting cryptocurrency payments suggests inexperience, since such transactions can often be traced.

Authorities have also indicated that tracing the email accounts used to send the messages may be difficult.

William Odom, a digital forensics expert formerly with the FBI, said sophisticated criminals avoid common platforms like Gmail or Yahoo and instead rely on “burner email” accounts.

“They’re impossible to trace back because there’s no way to tell where the source is coming from,” Odom told The Post. “It would look like different email addresses coming through every time.”

Odom noted that such disposable email services are frequently hosted on servers outside the United States, including in countries such as Montenegro and Germany.

Investigators also faced challenges retrieving video evidence. It took 10 days to obtain key footage from Guthrie’s Google Nest doorbell camera, which showed a masked, armed man—estimated to be 5’9″ to 5’10” tall, of average build, wearing gloves and carrying an Ozark Trail backpack—tampering with the device in the early morning hours of her disappearance.

The Ozark Trail backpack is sold exclusively at Walmart, and the retailer is now working with authorities to help identify potential purchasers.

The video was recovered only after FBI digital forensic specialists worked with Google. Because Guthrie did not subscribe to a cloud storage plan, the footage would have been overwritten if the suspect had not damaged the device.

Other Nest cameras in the home did overwrite their recordings. Experts told The NY Post that additional footage might still be retrievable, but investigators must sift through vast amounts of stored data.

“It’s the equivalent of a digital landfill at that point, so they’ve got to dig through that. It’s not necessarily that they will find where all of this [data] is. It’s going to take time to figure it out,” Odom said.

Operational setbacks have also come under scrutiny. The sheriff’s aviation unit was not immediately deployed because of staffing shortages, leaving large areas unsearched during the crucial first hours.

Authorities are now employing advanced technology in the search. Helicopters are flying low and slow grid patterns over the Tucson desert using a Bluetooth detection device known as a “signal sniffer,” attempting to locate Guthrie’s pacemaker. The device stopped communicating with her iPhone at 2:28 a.m. on Feb. 1.

The FBI technology can potentially detect a signal from the heart device, but the helicopter must be within roughly 800 feet to pick it up. The device’s inventor told CBS News it would continue to function even if she is deceased.

President Trump criticized the approach during remarks to reporters.

“I didn’t like when they talked about going after the pacemaker before they even started going after it,” he told reporters Thursday.

No charges have been filed in connection with the case. On Feb. 13, authorities detained 37-year-old felon Luke Daley and his 77-year-old mother after FBI agents and a SWAT team raided their home two miles from Guthrie’s residence. Daley was later cleared and released.

Carlos Palazuelos was also briefly taken into custody on Feb. 11 after being stopped while driving toward the U.S. border. The delivery driver was released shortly afterward.

Investigators have not publicly identified a clear motive. Officials have ruled out a burglary that went wrong. Sheriff Nanos has suggested Guthrie may have been taken as “revenge for something,” but provided no further detail.

Online speculation has linked the abduction to Mexican drug cartels, pointing to Tucson’s proximity to the border and a potential financial motive.

Unnamed sources told TMZ that the FBI had communicated with Mexican authorities, though Leon Boyer, a Border Patrol officer and expert on Mexican security, cast doubt on cartel involvement.

“[Cartels] are going to target people in Mexico. They’re not targeting people in the US. Why would they bring attention to themselves?” he questioned, adding that cartel kidnapping schemes typically revolve around local extortion or business disputes.

Authorities have withheld certain information, citing investigative concerns. An Arizona gun store owner said the FBI recently approached him with photographs of roughly 18 to 24 individuals, asking whether he had sold any of them firearms. He said he cooperated out of concern for Guthrie’s family.

Sheriff Nanos, however, denied reports that investigators had narrowed the suspect pool.

“We haven’t narrowed it down to anything other than we have pieces of evidence,” he said on Tuesday.

A reward for information leading to Guthrie’s safe return has climbed to $202,000.

{Matzav.com}

A massive buildup of U.S. military assets across the Middle East is a message to Tehran: Washington now has the capacity to dismantle the core of Iran’s power structure with unprecedented speed, according to retired Vice Adm. Bob Harward. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Harward, a former deputy commander of United States Central […]

Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday morning held a hearing on a petition demanding that Justice Minister Yariv Levin end his boycott of Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit and cooperate with him to appoint new judges to Israel’s court system, or alternatively transfer his authority to another minister. Levin has boycotted Amit since he was “elected” […]

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bitachon4Life-Shiur-1713-Semichah-Part-13-Straight.mp3

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

 

 

President Donald Trump is weighing a limited military strike on Iran designed to force Tehran back to the negotiating table on a nuclear deal, according to multiple reports citing officials familiar with internal deliberations. The potential operation — described by The Wall Street Journal as an initial, targeted assault — would reportedly focus on a […]

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Tefila4Life-Shiur-1055-Regular-Shiru-Lashem.mp3

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has moved closer to fulfilling his campaign pledge to freeze rents after appointing a slate of new members to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, giving him a majority on the influential panel. Mamdani announced Tuesday that he had appointed five new members and reappointed a sixth, placing six of […]

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is directing senior administration officials to begin identifying and releasing government records related to UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena, and extraterrestrial life.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the move comes in response to strong public interest in the topic.

“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote.

“GOD BLESS AMERICA!” he added.

The announcement drew praise from lawmakers who have been pushing for greater transparency on classified matters. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s task force on the declassification of federal secrets, welcomed the decision.

“Looks like we are about to have a ton of hearings on this :)! Thank you @POTUS!!!” Luna wrote on X.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), another member of the declassification panel, echoed that sentiment, posting, “It’s time. Thank you ⁦@realDonaldTrump.”

Earlier in the day, Trump criticized Barack Obama over remarks the former president made in a recent interview in which he suggested aliens are “real.”

“He gave classified information, he’s not supposed to be doing that,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“I don’t know if they’re real or not, but I can tell you he gave classified information.”

“He made a big mistake,” Trump went on. “He took it out of classified information. No, I don’t have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.”

Obama made his comments during an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, stating that while he had not personally “seen” aliens, he was certain that “they’re not being kept in Area 51.”

He later clarified that his response came in “the spirit of the speed round” portion of the interview, explaining that he was referring to the statistical likelihood of life existing somewhere else in the vast universe.

Obama also said he saw “no evidence” of alien life during his time as commander-in-chief.

Following Trump’s announcement about releasing government files, Cohen responded on social media after facing criticism for not pressing Obama further during the interview.

“Yall [complained] at me about a follow up question but now we’re gonna get the truth about aliens and UFOs you’re welcome,” Cohen wrote.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri attacked Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday amid ongoing legal and public debate surrounding tefillah arrangements at the Kosel. In a statement titled “An idol has been brought into the Heifchal,” Deri accused the court of attempting to intervene in the Kosel and warned against any changes to the long-standing status quo […]

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday forcefully rejected Tucker Carlson’s claim that he and his staff were detained and harassed by Israeli airport authorities following an interview, calling the allegations unfounded and contradicted by surveillance footage.

Appearing on Newsmax’s “American Agenda,” Huckabee said new evidence undermines Carlson’s account. “Something has surfaced that totally blows this out of the water,” Huckabee said.

“Tucker Carlson is seen on surveillance video in the lounge, and he’s hugging and taking photos with the very airport employees that supposedly detained him and harassed him,” the ambassador added.

Carlson told The Daily Mail that after conducting an interview with Huckabee, airport personnel approached his team. “men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room, and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson said.

“It was bizarre,” Carlson said. “We’re now out of the country.”

Huckabee described Carlson’s version of events as exaggerated and inaccurate, saying the episode had been mischaracterized. Calling the claims “really unfortunate,” he then used sarcasm to challenge the portrayal.

“I’ll tell you, they roughed him up with all kinds of special snacks. They took his picture, they hugged him,” Huckabee said.

“For this ridiculously untrue story about how he was detained, he was not,” the ambassador added.

Israeli officials have also denied that Carlson was mistreated. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went further, sharply criticizing the conservative commentator and dismissing his narrative.

“The guy who’s been spouting lies about Israel for the past two years, landed today at Ben Gurion airport, took a quick picture in the logistics zone, tweeted it to pretend he’s actually IN Israel (so he can later claim that he’s a serious reporter who toured Israel), didn’t even step foot in country, then made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security (didn’t happen), whined about it, got back into the private jet and flew off,” Bennett wrote on X.

“Next time he talks about Israel as if he’s some expert, just remember this guy is a phony!” he added.

Huckabee emphasized that standard airport screening procedures apply to all travelers entering or leaving Israel, including himself.

“They looked at his passport. They looked at everybody’s passport,” he said.

“They asked him the standard questions they ask everyone coming in or out of the country.”

The ambassador noted that he too is subject to routine checks. Huckabee said he must present his diplomatic visa each time he travels and that authorities “ask me the same questions.”

The controversy comes as Carlson and Huckabee represent two distinct strands within the broader Christian MAGA movement, reflecting wider disagreements within Republican circles over Israel policy, according to The Jewish News.

Carlson, a prominent conservative media figure, has increasingly voiced criticism of Israel on his platform, influencing a growing segment of younger right-leaning activists and political hopefuls.

Huckabee, in contrast, is a well-known evangelical Christian Zionist who has long supported Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank.

The interview itself followed public tension between the two men. Huckabee had sought a sit-down after Carlson accused him on his podcast of failing to challenge what Carlson described as Israeli demonization of Christians.

Carlson eventually agreed to the interview and posted a photograph Wednesday showing his arrival ahead of the discussion.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said during a town hall that discussions within the Democratic Party now extend beyond eliminating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to potentially breaking up the entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Addressing constituents, Omar said that the political climate has shifted since she first entered Congress, making such proposals more mainstream within her party.

“What I will say is that there is an easier conversation happening today than six, seven years ago when I got to Congress, about what we need to do with ICE, which is to abolish it,” Omar told her audience during the townhall meeting.

She went on to indicate that broader structural changes are also being debated.

“There is a lot of conversation about what the dismantlement of the Department of Homeland Security should look like,” she added.

Omar’s remarks come amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement actions in recent weeks. She and other Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have been outspoken in criticizing ICE operations.

ICE was established in 2003, and enforcement raids have long been part of its mandate. However, critics of the Trump administration have portrayed recent operations as part of a broader crackdown, arguing that resistance to such enforcement is necessary.

According to Breitbart News, Minnesota, led by Democrats, has seen far-left demonstrators confront federal immigration officers. The outlet reported that some elected officials, including Walz and Omar, have used strong rhetoric in response to ICE actions.

Last month, Walz, who lost the 2024 presidential election to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, warned that he might deploy the Minnesota National Guard in response to federal law enforcement activity. He also issued a broader warning to residents in other parts of the country.

“To Americans who are watching this, if you’re in Portland or you’re in L.A., or you’re in Chicago, or you’re wherever, they’re coming next,” the governor said, before urging people across the U.S. to “stand with us against this.”

WATCH: