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In this episode, Rabbi Reinman describes how Achav’s daughter Assaliah killed her grandchildren and took the crown of Yehudah for herself.
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Chapter Thirty-three: One Kingdom Survives
The previous chapter traced the decline and fall of Malchus Yisrael until the deportation of the people to distant places in the Assyrian Empire. This chapter traces the parallel fate of Malchus Yehudah. The paths of the two kingdoms diverged after the death of Shlomo and the division of his kingdom. The respective paths of the two kingdoms converged again when Asa, its king, gave his support to Omri’s claims to the throne of Israel and sealed it by taking Omri’s daughter as a wife for his son Yehoshaphat.
After Omri died and his son Achav ascended to the throne of Israel, Yehoshaphat and Achav, the two brothers-in-law, entered into a military alliance. The bond of blood was made even stronger when Yehoshaphat’s son Yehoram married Achav’s daughter Assaliah, his first cousin.
In 711 b.c.e., Yehoshaphat died, and Yehoram ascended to the throne of Yehudah. Four years earlier, Achav’s grandson Yehoram, through his son and successor Achaziah, had ascended to the throne of Israel. Two first cousins named Yehoram, both grandsons of Achav and Ezevel, sat on the thrones of Yisrael and Yehudah. Yehoram of Yehudah was by far a truer grandson than was Yehoram of Yisrael.
As soon as he ascended to the throne, he slaughtered all his male siblings ensuring that no one else would lay claim to his crown. Then with his bloodstained hands, he erected a temple of the Baal in Yerushalayim. For all its problems, Yehudah had not suffered widespread idolatry among the general population, but under Yehoram, the Baal cult of the northern kingdom spread to the southern kingdom as well.
Yehoram of Yehudah reigned for eight years and was succeeded by his son Achaziah, who followed in the exact footsteps of his father. After the death of Achaziah, his mother Assaliah, the daughter of Achav and Ezevel, followed the example of Yehoram, her husband. Just as he had exterminated all his siblings, she now exterminated all her grandchildren and placed the crown on her own head. Had she succeeded, the royal patrilineal bloodline of the Davidic dynasty would have come to an end, but she did not succeed.
One grandchild eluded her, a one-year-old boy named Yoash. The boy’s aunt Yehosheva, Achaziah’s sister, and her husband, Yehoiadah the Kohein Gadol, secreted him in a bedchamber in the Temple, where he remained for six years.
During those years, this evil daughter of Achav sat on the throne of the Davidic kings and ruled the Kingdom of Yehudah. In the seventh year, the seven-year-old Yoash was brought out of hiding and crowned, triggering a popular uprising. Assaliah was executed, and the temple of the Baal was destroyed …
Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.
President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, once again demanding his resignation. Trump made the statement in a late-day post on Truth Social, declaring, “Too Late” should resign immediately!!! He attached a link to a Bloomberg article titled, “Fed Chair Should Be Investigated by Congress, FHSA Head Says.”
Although Powell was originally selected by Trump to lead the central bank during his presidency, he was reappointed to a second term by President Joe Biden. Powell’s current term is expected to conclude in May 2026.
Trump has recently stepped up his attacks on Powell, repeatedly blaming the Fed for keeping interest rates too high and claiming the central bank’s policies have harmed the U.S. economy. He’s been demanding rate cuts, despite Powell’s hesitation to shift policy.
Earlier this week, Trump criticized Powell and the Federal Reserve board more broadly, writing on Truth Social: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, and his entire Board, should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to the United States.”
He continued, “They have one of the easiest, yet most prestigious, jobs in America, and they have failed — and continue to do so.” Trump argued that if the Fed were properly managing monetary policy, the U.S. would be saving enormous sums. “If they were doing their job properly, our country would be saving trillions of dollars in interest cost. The board just sits there and watches, so they are equally to blame. We should be paying 1% interest, or better!”
That post came just before Trump signed a formal letter urging Powell to bring down interest rates, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed the move on Monday.
In response to growing political pressure, Powell has indicated that the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates stems largely from inflationary concerns—particularly those related to trade policy. According to CBS News, Powell has expressed caution about lowering rates until the effects of Trump’s proposed tariffs on the economy become clearer. He is reportedly waiting to determine the long-term impact on consumer prices before making any major adjustments.
{Matzav.com}
Jack Lew, who led the Treasury Department under President Obama, sharply criticized Zohran Mamdani’s platform, calling the mayoral candidate’s ideas for New York City misguided and damaging. Mamdani, who emerged victorious in the Democratic primary, has pledged to implement a slew of progressive reforms, including fare-free public transit, no-cost childcare, and a halt on rent increases.
“The policies that he’s outlined are not policies that are good for New York. He’s running for mayor of New York, and I worry deeply having spent most of my life in New York about a city that I call home,” Lew said during a segment on CNBC on Wednesday.
“You know, I see a similarity between the kind of policy solutions to the left and the right, and — you know, that satisfy populist sentiment don’t always go through the filter of do they work. I don’t think they work, and I think that’s a problem,” he continued, warning that populist platforms—whether right-wing or leftist—often lack practical effectiveness.
President Trump has also expressed vehement opposition to Mamdani, targeting him repeatedly in recent days.
“As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York,” President Trump posted Wednesday on his Truth Social account, referring directly to Mamdani.
“Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”
Mamdani has also been accused by some of harboring antisemitic views, largely due to his stance advocating for American recognition of Palestinian statehood. However, the harshest backlash centers around his far-left economic agenda.
“You might have a democratic socialist sprinkled here and there, but that ain’t what America is. America’s about capitalism! America’s about dollars and cents,” television personality Stephen A. Smith said on his Tuesday broadcast, cautioning Democrats against elevating candidates like Mamdani.
Even though criticism has poured in from both ends of the political spectrum, Mamdani secured a decisive victory over Andrew Cuomo in the primary contest, winning support across a diverse range of neighborhoods including Crown Heights, Astoria, Williamsburg, Washington Heights, Park Slope, Flatbush, and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
In response to President Trump’s remarks, Mamdani fired back during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, defending his background and the cause he champions.
“I’ve already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am,” Mamdani said.
“He wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for the very working people he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed.”
One key battleground between the two has been Mamdani’s vow to keep New York City a sanctuary city—a policy stance that has already fueled tensions with President Trump.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is planning to urge President Donald Trump, during his upcoming trip to Washington, to take a tougher stance on Qatar by pressuring its leadership—potentially even by threatening to expel top Hamas officials—if progress on a hostage deal continues to stall, according to a report by Channel 12 News on Wednesday.
The planned request comes in the wake of multiple high-level meetings within Israel’s security and political circles, where renewed frustration was voiced over Hamas’s overseas leadership. These operatives are believed to benefit from favorable conditions and hold significant sway over the negotiation process.
Top Israeli defense authorities believe that Hamas’s rigidity at the bargaining table can only be broken through specific and direct actions aimed at its senior figures—especially those residing in Qatar, which serves as the main broker, and in Turkey, a country with which Israel maintains a delicate diplomatic balance.
“Hamas leaders roam the world feeling no pressure, which is why they are in no rush to reach a deal,” said one official.
{Matzav.com}Following the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Israeli representatives have initiated high-level discussions in Moscow with senior Russian diplomats, focusing on Russia’s potential role in regional diplomacy involving both Iran and Syria.
Kan News reported that Israel has agreed to a Russian-brokered plan, under which Moscow would act as a go-between for Israel and Iran. The aim of the initiative is to use Russian influence to steer both the Iranian and Syrian situations toward a negotiated resolution.
Simultaneously, Israel is pushing to establish a separate enforcement mechanism in cooperation with the United States on the Iranian front. This matter is expected to be a central topic when Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump next week.
In anticipation of that meeting, Israeli officials are working on drafting a set of foundational agreements with the U.S. administration, drawing inspiration from the framework previously reached with Lebanon. The effort comes amid Trump’s warning that Washington could consider renewed military action if Iran escalates its nuclear activities.
{Matzav.com}
Fresh details have surfaced regarding a potential ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, shedding light on the current stage of the ongoing discussions.
As reported by The New York Times, citing both an Israeli defense figure and an individual familiar with Hamas’s stance, the terms under consideration would include the release of 10 surviving hostages along with the return of the remains of 18 individuals. Both sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, confirmed their knowledge of the proposed agreement.
In contrast to a prior U.S. framework introduced in May, which called for the release of all hostages by the end of the first week of a ceasefire, this latest draft sets out a slower timeline. Hostage releases and body transfers would take place in five separate phases stretched out over two months.
The revised plan also introduces a new element barring Hamas from broadcasting the handover of hostages on television. This shift comes after the widely criticized media spectacles that accompanied previous transfers during the temporary truce that began in January.
Three Israeli officials, who also spoke anonymously due to the sensitive diplomatic environment, shared that this renewed proposal seeks to offer Hamas firmer guarantees that a temporary pause in fighting could develop into a full and lasting end to the war.
Reports indicate that Hamas is expected to relay its decision to the international mediators by Friday night.
Should both parties sign off on the proposal, President Donald Trump is expected to formally present the agreement and will also act as “the sponsor and guarantor of the agreement’s implementation.”
Still, a separate individual with knowledge of Hamas’s perspective argued that this plan doesn’t present any major revisions—just a few minor tweaks from the proposal recently put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
{Matzav.com Israel}
A wave of concern has swept across the klal chassidishe yeshiva world following the closure of several yeshivos, leaving hundreds of bochurim without a place to learn. While some mosdos are reopening or merging, the broader landscape is facing unprecedented instability.
Among the causes cited for the closures are deepening financial struggles, exacerbated by the ongoing draft crisis in Israel, as well as a growing number of older bochurim who are resistant to traditional yeshiva structure and authority.
Despite the turmoil, several established and financially secure klal chassidishe yeshivos remain steady. These include Kiryas Melech (Tchebin), Meor Einayim of Rachmastrivka, Bobov, Amalah Shel Torah, Iyun HaTorah, Biala in Bnei Brak, and the major kibbutz yeshivos Chayei Torah in Beitar Illit and Oryasa in Yerushalayim. As previously reported, Chayei Torah recently received a parcel of land in Beitar for permanent construction of its new campus.
Amalah Shel Torah in Beitar, despite the recent passing of its rosh yeshiva, Rav Zev Feinstein zt”l, has managed to secure significant financial support to maintain operations. The youngest son of Rav Feinstein has taken over leadership.
One of the most shocking developments was the closure of the historic Zvhill Yeshiva in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Yerushalayim. The yeshiva administration had announced the closure a month ago.
Sources confirmed that Zvhill Yeshiva will reopen but with a selective admissions policy, under the leadership and oversight of Rav Yaakov Betelman, a noted mechanech affiliated with Nadvorna in Yerushalayim. The yeshiva aims to restructure and operate as a conventional yeshiva gedolah with full shiurim—Alef, Beis, and Gimmel—rather than just a kibbutz-style setting.
Another casualty is the kibbutz yeshiva Orah Shel Torah–Nezer HaTalmud, led by Rav Chanoch Ged Tyrnauer, which had opened just two years ago. The yeshiva had over 100 talmidim, many of whom had transferred from the now-defunct Toras Chaim Yeshiva.
About 20 top talmidim from Orah Shel Torah will reportedly merge with Yeshivas Tchechnov in Yerushalayim, where they will join Rav Tyrnauer. Tchechnov had been facing its own financial challenges in recent years, leading to the departure of many key staff members, including Rav Yosef Shereshevsky and Rav Yechezkel Teitelbaum.
Other talmidim from Orah Shel Torah will join a newly forming yeshiva kibbutz under the leadership of a prominent mechanech whose identity has not yet been made public.
Another klal chassidishe yeshiva closing its doors is Kosov-Vizhnitz in Beit Shemesh.
One veteran community askan pointed to the broader structural issue: While major Chassidishe courts such as Gur, Belz, Vizhnitz, Sanz, Boyan, Slonim, Karlin and others have well-established yeshivos backed by strong institutional funding, smaller independent klal chassidishe yeshivos—especially those still in rented facilities—struggle to survive. “Rent is what kills you,” he said bluntly.
Compounding the crisis is the growing number of so-called “older bochurim” in the Chassidishe yeshiva system who struggle with discipline and often reject the authority of mashgichim, making it difficult for many yeshivos to absorb them. As a result, hundreds of such bochurim currently have no framework and are, in the words of one source, “literally in the streets.”
{Matzav.com Israel}