May 31, 2026

Halacha Headlines: 5/30/26 – Shiur 561 – Finances 101 – financial conflict in marriage (audio)







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Cinematic Jerusalem Walk: From New Gate to Damascus Gate (Old City Walls) (video)








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I.M.A.D.I - Moshe Tischler feat. EKEV | (Official Music Video)








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May 28, 2026

Feiglin has a way to unseat Netanyahu, maybe...

Channel 14 is reporting that Moshe Feiglin, head of the Zehut party running in the upcoming Israeli elections, has made an interesting proposal.

Feiglin has proposed to all parties to the right of the Likud, being Zehut, Otzma Yehudit (Ben Gvir), Hatzionut Hadatit (Smotritch), and Ofer Vinter (who has not yet announced a new party or what party he will be running in but looks like he is making preparation to run in the elections) to come together in one large party. 


Feiglin mentioned joining together as a technical block, but for his goal, which I have not yet mentioned, I think it should be an actual merged one party, not a technical block.

So Feiglin wants the parties to all join together in one form or another (he suggests a technical block but I doubt that he is not open to other arrangements), and he says the positioning of candidates within can be determined by a very simple poll. 

If they were all to join forces into one party running in the elections, Feiglin thinks they can challenge the Likud and even surpass them as the largest party on the Right side of the political coin. This would allow them to actually be the ruling party and not just small sectoral parties, unseating PM Netanyahu and actually ruling the country with right wing ideals.

This is an intiative I can get behind, and is basically (not the specific details but the concept) something I have been reocmmending for the last few years - the Right parties should get together and push out Netanyahu and support someone else for Prime Minister. This tactical plan goes beyond what I envisioned, which is why they are in politics and not me, but the idea is one I can support.

I am not sure even together they have the numbers to succeed, but they should at least try!





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From Anti-Zionist Rallies To A Burning Love For Eretz Yisrael (video)








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Jerusalem May 15. Walk to Damascus Gate. Atmosphere of the city (video)







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Simcha Abramczik & Levi Falkowitz - Medaleg (video)








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May 27, 2026

Jerusalem May 15. Walk to Damascus Gate. Atmosphere of the city (video)







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Jungle | Mendy Worch | Feat. TYH Boys (video)







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May 26, 2026

keep them in Israel for ten years!

The Tax Authority is putting together a law proposal (not sure which MK they will have submit it in the Knesset) that would require any Israeli who served in a technology unit in the IDF (any unit that focuses on research and technological development, cyber, and more) to stay, and found and keep any company they establish, in Israel for the first ten years following their release from the army. If the person might relocate abroad, he/she would still be considered a resident of Israel (for tax purposes) for the first ten years from the date of release.

Of the technological units in which people will be affected by having served there, 8200 is the most famous but there are many others as well.

People from the hitech industry along with tax experts are calling this proposal draconian and say they will fight it and work against its passage.

The motivation of the Tax Authority is that these young men and women who graduate from the IDF's technological units were invested in heavily by Ithe State of Israel and they were given knowledge and tools and skills throughout their IDF service. They use that investment of Israel in them to then establish companies, but sometimes they move abroad and the State does not benefit from that investment when they become successful. The purpose of this proposal will be to give them the status of Israeli resident for tax purposes even if they move abroad within the first ten years so Israel can tax them accordingly and benefit from their success which was built off the back of the State of Israel.

The new law, should it be proposed and pass, will not take effect retroactively and will only apply to new recruits from the point the law is passed.

Those who oppose the proposal are calling it a draconian law and are saying it opposes basic laws such as freedom of movement and employment, along with international tax conventions. They say it also negatively discriminates against graduates of these units in the workforce. The way to keep these technology graduates in Israel is by creating the environment in which they will want to stay.
source: Globes

I get the reason for the law. It makes sense in some way. But the State really gets back its investment in these young men and women during their army service. These units have tremendous accomplishments. Why does the ROI have to include taxes for it be reasonable? And many of them do stay in Israel (I wonder if there are numbers showing percentages of how many stay within the first ten years vs how many relocate abroad) so Israel collects taxes on them as well... I understand the logic of such a move but I think the complaint behind it is disingenuous.

What do you think?


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From Anti-Zionist Rallies To A Burning Love For Eretz Yisrael (video)








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'Overwhelmed with death threats’: Pollard explains why he dropped Knesset bid (video)





death threats???? sure. was this the shortest campaign ever?



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Jerusalem Today! ✨ Happy Shavuot 2026 – Filmed Today (video)







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Aviad: Who Said (video)








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May 25, 2026

Picture of the Day



photo credit: Chaim Goldberg


This photo of Captain (Reserves) Yehuda Weitzman heading out to return back to his military base in Lebanon bearing a sefer torah (written in memory of two brothers, Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, two brothers who were killed in a terrorist attack in Hawara) alongside his military gear, captured the hearts of the masses online...

As a follow up to this picture, Goldberg captured another brilliant shot at the Central Bus Station...







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Rabbi Broide RETURNS! | Rabbi Josh Broide | Behind the Bima #200 (video)








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Mahane Yehuda Market. Where in the world will they show you such a vibe? (video)








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Own Me | Ari Fraser | (Official Music Video)








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May 24, 2026

Draft Law creates crazy situation

This situation with the Draft Law and the elections has taken a strange turn..
The Haredi parties, especially Degel Hatorah, were pushing for the law to be brought to vote, though they never said they got the go ahead from Rav Landau and Rav Hirsch to actually support it. When they sqaw it was not coming and PM Netanyahu was not doing anything about it, ot the point that Netanyahu told them it will have to wait for the next government, they decided to bring down the government over it. Even though they themselves never said they would support it.

So they decde they can't trust Netanyahu any longer and he is just playing with them, constantly making excuses to buy time and kick the can down the road, so they support going to early election (not a big deal, it is a different of 4-6 weeks, not any significant change). The initial vote passes. PM Netanyahu seems to go into panic mode and despite the process of voting the government out having started, he tries to push the bill through, has the committee put on the afterburner and plan to bring it to vote almost immediately, whether he has the votes or not - even if it does not pass he can say I brought it to vote and tried, don't blame me.

Tonight Degel announced they will not play along. We are not interested in Netanyahu just bringing it to a vote. They are also saying it is a bad proposal - though they still have not said if they would or would not support it should it actually come to a vote. They said Netanyahu can't just bring a law, he has to bring a law with a majority vote.

So Netanyahu first said wait until after the elections, Degel said no. Now Netanyahu is pushing for a quick vote on a law and Degel is saying, no, wait until after the elections. 

The news is reporting, anonymously of course, that the people around Netanyahu are angry at Degel Hatorah saying Degel played with them. Degel, they are saying, never planned to support the bill, they now just want to blame its failure on Netanyahu. Netanyahu's biggest concern, which is what's pushing him to push the law forward now, is that Degel might not support him for Prime Minister after the next election - he already lost Agudat Israel. And if Degel doesn't, it will be messy for Shas as well.

So they are each blaming the other for the failure of a bill that neither side, seemingly, wanted. Degel spent four years ignoring the fact that Netanyahu was trying to not bring the bill forward and only make it look like he was taking it seriously to keep them happy. Netanyahu spent four years saying this bill (that he clearly never actually intended to bring to vote) would bring 23000 haredim to the army within 3 years while ignoring the fact that the Haredi leadership repeatedly said, despite pushing for a bill, that despite any passed law not a single Haredi would conscript because of it.

Will Netanyahu successfully push a law through with a majority vote this week and save himself? We'll see what happens.






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Tweet of the Day







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The Waving of the Loaves

For what I guess is the second time, as last year they announced it "for the first time in two thousand years", some people from Yeshivat Hamikdash broke into Har Habayit via Shaar Hatzon, an ancient gate into the walls of Har Habyit via which the sheep were generally brought into the mikash for sacrifices, and performed the sacrifical rite of waving the "2 loaves" on Friday on the holiday of Shavuos. The "hanafat shtei halechem", the waving of the two loaves is the central korban of the Shavuos holiday (in addition to other korbanos that are less possible to bring or perform today).


It is hard to find too many details about this incident but the "Har Habait News" mentions it saying 14 people broke in to Har Habayit through Shaar Hatzon on Shavuos, 9 of whom succeeded in getting in, including Ariel Cohen, to the area of the azara, the inner courtyard of the mikdash where korbanos would be sacrificed. Once there, Cohen, dressed in the Priestly Garments, waved the two loaves, performing the ritual as prescribed.

Ariel Cohen did the same last year as well.

They were all captured and detained.

Har Habayit was closed to Jews on the shavuos holiday, so they really had to break in somehow. I would really like to discover how they got in. Har Habayit is an extremely secure and locked down area.

Can the "Two Loaves" be brought nowadays? I don't really know, I am no authority on this, but form what I understand it is considered a public offering which is generally allowed when the entire, or majority of the, community is impure (similar to Korban Pesach), but there are connected requirements that are more problematic. I found this rundown of the issues on the Har Habait News site if you are interested in learning more about it.

Are these a bunch of delusional kids making trouble, getting involved in dangerous matters (bringing korbanos could be trouble if not done properly - of which there are many aspects)? Are they heroes forcing a matter few want to talk about but some think the time has come? Can it be considered a korban tzibbur, a public offering, if the tzibbur, the public, isn't aware of it, isn't interested in it, and maybe largely even opposes it? Does it matter, if there is an obligation and this Cohen fellow is fulfilling it? I know several years back I would have thought this was a great thing, while now I just don't know. I do think it is good from the perspective of bringing awareness and raising discussion. And I still want to know how they circumvented to police and successfully broke into the most secured strip of land in the country with enough time to do this ritual.





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a deal on the table

We are at that point again where the news is reporting an imminent agreement between the USA and Iran that will obviously affect Israel but we do not know what to believe. 

The agreement on the table, as reported, does not look great for Israel's interests (to put it mildly), but we have been in similar situations before. Israeli reporesentatives are not saying anything, Trump is talking about it being a great deal, and the ranians are saying things that contradict things they are supposedly agreeing to. 

Is it a head fake and the USA is about to go on the attack again while everyone thinks a deal is about to be signed, or is a deal really about to be signed? I am not sure we have any way to make an educated guess. I also would not be surprised if we don't get a deal signed (at least in the coming days) but we also do not get an attack but Trump announces an extension to continue working out the details or something like that.

Confusing times. Sometimes this type of situation can be worse than an actual deal (even a bad one) or attack - can't really make plans, people do not know what to do, terror continues (at least from Hezbollah)




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They Made Aliyah....And Everything Went Wrong (video)








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JUST NOW: Elon Musk Drops Updates On Robotaxi Timelines and Robots (video)








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Jerusalem… How Beautiful You Are ✨ Walking Tour. (video)








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Melech Rachaman | Official Music Video | Eli Levin & Yosef Gestetner (video)









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May 18, 2026

The Mentalist Who Broke the Rabbis | Shlomo Levinger | Behind the Bima #199 (video)








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Zero-Touching Before Marriage Rule— Jewish Matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom gets PRESSED | Clip (video)








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Jerusalem on Friday May 15th. Walk along the main streets (video)








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MIVAKSHIM | ELI LEVIN & YEHUDA COHEN (video)








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May 17, 2026

Picture of the Day





Noam Betan, Israel's representative to Eurovision 2026, celebrates, including recitnig Shema Yisrael, upon acheiving 2nd place at the contest last night



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Halacha Headlines: 5/16/26 – Shiur 560 – Hear the Skinny on Ozempic in Halacha (audio)








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New Rule: No Jews, No News | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) (video)








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Happy Jerusalem Day 2026 (video)








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Shay Viner - Yavo Shalom (video)








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May 13, 2026

Is Torah Not Enough Anymore? | Rav Nissan Kaplan | Behind the Bima #198 (video)








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Haviv Haim Ben Aryeh - El Mul Hayam (Music Video)







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May 12, 2026

Halacha Headlines: 5/9/26 – Shiur 559 – Are our young men and women "ready for marriage"? How are we preparing them and where are we failing them? (audio)








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🔴 Jerusalem Like You’ve Never Seen Before! 🌸 Blooming Residential Neighborhoods 🌸 (video)








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Eliyahu Chait - Ani kore lach (video)








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May 11, 2026

When Comedy Gets Serious | Ami Kozak | Behind the Bima #197 (video)







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60 Minutes: Extended interview: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (video)








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Jerusalem Will Surprise You! Jaffa Street & Mahane Yehuda Market. (video)








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Sason Eifram Shaulov & ElaytZur- Ahoti (video)








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May 7, 2026

rest, reflection and gratitude

The USA is celebrating its 250th national birthday this year...

Under the banner of Freedom 250, the USA is running all sorts of celebrations and initiatives. Under the banner of Rededicate 250, a program of national prayer, praise and thanksgiving, on Sunday May 17 the American people will come together at the National Mall to prepare for the 250th birthday with prayer, Scripture, thanksgiving and rededication of the country as One Nation Under God. You can see more about the program at the linked website. Rabbi Meir Soloveichik is listed among the faith leaders who will be participating in the program.


And to that end, President Trump, as posted on the White House website, has called on and encourages all Jewish Americans, with Jewish American Heritage Month being now (May is always Jewish American Heritage Month), to observe a "national Sabbath" - the Shabbos of May 15-16 from sundown  to nightfall, friends, families and communities should "come together in gratitude for our great nation", recognizing the sacre Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection and gratitude to the Almighty. President Trump further calls " I call upon Americans to celebrate the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.  I further call on all Americans to celebrate their faith and freedom throughout this year, during this month, and especially on Shabbat to celebrate our 250th year."

Trump referenced the famous statement from the first President of the United States of America, George Washington, that said while visiting the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island in 1790 wishing for the safety of the Children of Abraham, and referenced Hayyim Solomon who helped build the nation and work for its independence among other Jews. Trump went on to say he is aggressively fighting antisemitism and religious freedom is a sacred right guiding the nation...

So, keep Shabbos for Trump on May 15... :-) .. He actually does not reference keep halachic shabbos, but rest, reflection and gratitude are great things as well....



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May 3, 2026

Halacha Headlines: 4/25/26 – Shiur 558 – What's new with Chodosh II – Is there room for leniency? (audio)








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Apr 28, 2026

Aliyah Without A Filter (video)








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Jerusalem Will Surprise You! Jaffa Street & Mahane Yehuda Market. (video)








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Apr 27, 2026

How Does Rav Gav Do It? | Rav Gav | Behind the Bima #196 (video)








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This Rabbi Survived the Bondi Beach Attack and His Response Is Inspiring Millions (video)







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TEL AVIV NOW! Beach Season 2026: What's Happening on the Promenade? (video)








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Apr 26, 2026

The Cloak of the Rishon Letzion

Rav Eyal Tziyunov.

Tziyunov is definitely getting the attention he was looking for.

Tziyunov went to a football (soccer) game the other day and drew a lot of attention, and last night he went to a nightclub (shalvata) in Tel Aviv in full regalia and hung out with the deejay swaying to the beats...but today he was slapped with a cease and desist letter from the Council of the Sephardi and Oriental Communities in Jerusalem, the Vaad Adat Hesephardim...


I like how in the address section of the letter they address the letter to him with the title "The One Who Dresses in Vain in the Cloak of the Rishon Letzion"


In the letter the Chairman of the council writes the vaad was established 759 years ago upon the Rambans arrival in Jerusalem.. Since the 17th century all Rishon Letzions since Rav Moshe Gelenti have served wearing the unique robes and headdress and the Council holds exclusive rights on the inaugural ceremonies and the dressing of the Rishon Letzions robes and headdress, uninterrupted during the Ottoman rule and under the British Mandate. All have been designed and sewn under the authority of the Council and the Council holds the trademark/copyright and it is illegal to copy this.

The letter goes on to say he has no right to use it, etc etc and should immediately cease to wear it in public and in appearances before legal action will be taken.

Wow. Interesting. I did not know that this old council holds the legal rights to this outfit.

I somehow suspect that he is not going to be deterred by this letter. I am curious to see what will happn and if they will take him to court over this and what the courts will say...

Tziyunov is right now basking his 15 minutes in the sun and is probably getting more attention than he ever fantasized about.

With the ceasefire still holding, even if just barely, our grand country seems to be very bored that this is one of the big issues of the day... 

 





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Halacha Headlines: 4/25/26 – Shiur 557 –Can a non-profit (school, shul, etc.) be run for profit? Can it be treated as a family business? (audio)








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🔴 Israel… How Beautiful You Truly Are! 🇮🇱 | A Relaxing Stroll Along Bat Yam Promenade. (video)








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Apr 23, 2026

a Chief Rabbi impersonator?

Eyal Tziyunov. Rav Eyal Tziyunov? I have heard the name before but when I heard it the other day it did not ring a bell as far as bringing anything up in my memory about who he is, a familar name, not mroe than that.

Why did his name come up?




During the torch lighting ceremony on Har Harzl, the night of Yom Haatzmaut, perhaps you noticed the camera panning on the crowd rest momentarily on the above person.

I noticed and wondered who that is and why he is dressed like that as it is clearly not Rishon LeTzion Chief Rabbi Dovid Yosef (who, if I am not mistaken, bowed out of the ceremony due to illness) or his brother former Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef or former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar. 

It seems many other people were wondering as well because throughout the day of Yom Haatzmaut this was one of the most discussed topics - who it was, why he dressed like that and more. Quite a stir was caused by his appearance.

So it turns out this is a fellow named Eyal Tziyunov who seems to be quite a character, claiming at times to be mashiach, dressing not infrequently like a Chief Rabbi, (I saw a cute line of someone, I think it was Yair Cherki) calling him the Rishon LeTziyunov), going up to Har Habayit dressed in this garb despite the Chief Rabbis all supporting the official Chief Rabbinate position of not going to Har Habayit.... is he a rabbi or not? I dont know, but sometimes I have seen him referred to as Rav Eyal Tziyunov and sometimes just as Eyal Tziyunov.

The interesting thing is there was both outrage and a supposed security incident with him at the ceremony dressed like this.

There were attempts to push the Rabbanut to file a complaint with the police and have him arrested. I am not quite sure for what. Is it illegal to wear the robes and hat? is Purim a legal exception or is it illegal then as well? Is the Sephardic Chief Rabbi (and former SCRs) the only person legally allowed to wear the outfit? As far as I know he has never claimed to be the Chief Rabbi and in interviews over the past day or so he has explicitly denied any claims that he is claiming to be so.

People also complained a security failure because he was able to get into the event and be in the crowd in proximity of the Prime Minister. I am not sure why that was an issue. I assume security checked him and did not find him to be carrying a gun or any other weapon. He never attacked anyone. I am nto quite sure what the failure is. Maybe people are assuming he was not checked because security might have thought he was the Chief Rabbi? I would assume a badge or some identification has to be shown to get through security, and I would like to believe security at these events is already familiar with the Chief Rabbis and cannot be so easily fooled (though you never know). Also the design on his robe and the quality of the garments is not the same as that of the garments used by the Chief Rabbi and are easily distinguished.

I hope this guy gets the help he needs if he is more than just eccentric, but let's not turn everything into a crisis and an insult.



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be respectful even when disagreeing

A journalist made waves yesterday when she posted online a video of two young Haredi men (18 years old) who knocked on the door of her home and asked for tzedaka for hachnasat kalla. She asked them about it being erev Yom Haatzmaut and why they are not serving in the army after they confirmed they are 18 years old, and they left empty handed...

the video got passed around and went somewhat viral and it created quite a stir with different personalities such as Aryeh Deri and Aryeh Erlich, among others, getting involved, donating money and spekaing out against what happened and calling on people to donate..


Inbar Twizer, the journalist who posted the video, later defended herslef, to the onslaught of attacks against because of her video, saying that her husnad had just returned from funerals of six of his friends in miluim who had fallen in battle in Lebanon, and all of them were religious, and these 18 year olds knocked on the door and we had a pleasant conversation  in which we asked them why they have not inducted into the army. If anyone thinks we shamed them, we can agree about one thing - that not inducting into the army at this time - that is definitely something to be ashamed of.

Each and every person has the right to decide to whom to give charity. Nobody is obligated to give to whoever knocks at the door, and if you dont approve of the lifestyle of someone asking for tzedaka, feel free to not donate.

That being said, while you can choose to donate tzedaka or not donate tzedaka to any given person r organization, there is no need to treat people disrespectfully. There is a time and a place for those discussions. Go arrange a meeting between representatives of the various communities and aks the questions and have your discussions. Set up one on one meetings with average young and old haredim and ask your questions about why they do this or that. You should not treat people disrespectfully. Two young men coming to the door for one purpose do not need to be harassed like that and then shamed online. She could have asked them if they serve in the army and upon hearing no she could have chosen to not donate and send them on their way without causing a big stir. 



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Picture of the Day

this picture is actually form a couple days ago but being Yom Hazikaron then (at least when I saw it posted online) I did not want to post it until after the Israeli holidays....



That is Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, one of the Haredi gedolim today and Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Braq, autographing a baseball in a donor's home (parlor meeting I guess) in Chicago... shortly after this he flew back to Israel... 
Being that he was born in the USA (NY) and lived there for almost 30 years before moving to Israel, I wonder if he has fond memories of baseball (as Rav Scheinberg famously did) and if he was a fan of any team when he was younger....



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Apr 22, 2026

Yom Haatzmaut 78 tiyul to Shaaraim

Today is Yom Haatzmaut, Israel 78th Independence Day... Happy birthday Israel...

Traditionally Israelis go out on Yom Haatzmaut and hit the trails, see the sights, bask largely in nature. The weather is beautiful today. 

We went out with friends to his on Gan Emek HaEla up to Shaaraim, an old archaeological site dated to King David and is thought to have been the location of one of his palaces... Because Israelis traditionally go out and hit the trails before having a bbq celebration, there is always lots of traffic on Yom Haatzmaut, and popular sites can fill up very quickly. We try to avoid the traffic by going out a little buit earlier, and doing things closer to home. Shaaraim is right outside Bet Shemesh, and you can even see RBS D from the archaeological site. We accomplished our goals and did not sit in traffic, had a lovely hike and saw some people, though it was not crowded when we were there.

Befitting the day, the trail marker for our tiyul was blue and white...




and on our way out to the tiyul, just as we were heading out of Bet Shemesh, we spotted an eagle doing the air force's regular Yom Haatzmaut and performing a flyover... The Air Force flyovers are canceled this year due to the situation with Iran, so the eagle made sure we did not miss out...













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Yom Haatzmaut 78 torch lighting ceremony (video)

Happy Birthday Israel!






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Apr 20, 2026

Israel vs. Diaspora: Can We Survive the Divide? | Yael Leibowitz | Behind the Bima #195 (video)








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Zionist and Yeshivish Rebbes on Yom Haatzmaut skit (video)








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Tel Aviv Today! The Peaceful Israel That the Media Won't Show You. (video)








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Apr 19, 2026

Halacha Headlines: 4/18/26 – Shiur 556 – What's new with Chodosh - Facts on the ground | Why are people so lenient about a Din in the Torah? (audio)








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Ahavat Hashem Gordon dismantles Spanish opponent with huge knockout | Full fight (video)




and (if you watched to the very end you will see), he's a mentsch too!



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Real Jerusalem, April 14, 2026. Not quite the touristy and ordinary city center. (video)








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Apr 14, 2026

IDF Rabanut and Shai Abramson: VNikeiti Damam (video)







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Apr 13, 2026

“Israel’s Enemies Are OUR Enemies” - Randy Fine CHALLENGED In Explosive America First Debate (video)








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JSketch: The Passover Program Festival (video)








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Israel Today! Back to Normal… or Just a Pause? Life on the Streets of Jerusalem. (video)








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ZAMER - VOCAL | Ari Goldwag & Yitzy Kaplowitz (ft. R' Eli Scheller) (video)







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Apr 12, 2026

Tweet of the Day





MK Tzika Fogel (Otzma Yehudit) is Chair of the National Security Committee of the Knesset


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Halacha Headlines: 4/11/26 – Shiur 555 – From the Shul to the Shelter: Rabbanim in Israel Reflect on Life During Wartime (audio)







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Former PM Naftali Bennett: Why wait for the threat to be imminent? (video)








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Jerusalem Today! The Western Wall is open and life in the Holy City is returning! (video)







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Apr 9, 2026

Quote of the Day

War is like cholent. You know what you put in but you don't know what will come out

  -- MK Aryeh Deri



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Apr 6, 2026

Passover Mysteries at the Israel Museum (video)








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Eliatzur with Bar Kuperstein: The Last War (video)








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Nussy Fuchs & Meshulam Zusha - Karev Yom (video)









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Apr 5, 2026

The Story of Passover Like You've Never Seen It (video)









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Apr 3, 2026

Pesach Medley 2026 | Let My People Sing | Kippalive (video)








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Mar 31, 2026

“We are never going back” (video)








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Eli Sharabi: What They Couldn't Take Away (video)








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Afikoman (Official Music Video) • Gavi & Moishy Schwartz








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Shea Rubenstein and Yeddidim Choir - Birkas Kohanim (video)







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MCE: The Miami Boys Choir Experience - Hashivainu (Official Music Video)








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Mar 30, 2026

Fined for driving under the influence

As reported on Behadrei, a [Haredi] driver was pulled over by a police officer and given a 1000nis fine for wearing tefillin while driving. A new variation of a DUI - Driving Under the Influence...

According to the report, it seems the policeman considered the wrapped arm to be an impediment to driving properly. There is no statement from the ticketing officer nor from the Spokesperson of the Police, but the lawyer, who literally wrote the book on traffic law, according to the report, surmises that to be the problem. 

If the fellow were laying/wrapping the tefilln while driving, I could understand the problem. Like applying makeup while driving, like shaving while driving. Like talking on a phone while driving. Just wearing the already wrapped tefillin? I dont see a problem and dont see how that is different than wearing anything else, even something unusual like a costume on Purim. As long as his movement is not restricted by it in any significant matter I do not see why wearing tefillin should be a poblem.

That being said, from a halachic perspectivee I am not sure driving while wearing tefillin is appropriate. When one is wearing tefillin one is meant to be focused on the tefillin. Being involved in anything that is distracting should not be done or is a reason to remove the tefillin. When one is driving one must pay attention to the road, not focus on the tefillin. This, in my opinion, is the ultimate "hesech hadaas" of the tefillin. I see people driving while wrapped not too infrequently, but in my opinion it is not appropriate.

this brings new meaning to the DUI - Driving Under the Influence 

 







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