Rabbi Shaul David Buchko responds to a stringent "ama-ratzeshe" halakhic ruling that asked elderly women to move before Shabbat to a home with a protected space by elevator.

 Rabbi Shaul David Buchko, head of Yeshivat Kochav Yaakov, has published a new article responding to a recent stringent halakhic ruling that prohibits an elderly woman living on an upper floor from using an elevator to reach a shelter during an alarm. The ruling argued that she should have left her home before the onset of Shabbat.

Rabbi Buchko firmly rejects this position, opposing any expectation that elderly individuals must evacuate their homes in advance. Drawing on the Shulchan Aruch, he explains that Jewish law does not require a person to alter their lifestyle or relocate simply to avoid a potential future situation involving danger to life on Shabbat.

He emphasizes that real-life circumstances must be taken into account, writing that it is impossible to address matters of life-threatening risk through purely theoretical arguments that ignore the realities of wartime conditions, including logistical and family challenges.

At the heart of his argument, Rabbi Buchko examines the status of electricity use and elevators. While the stricter opinion views such use as a full desecration of Shabbat, he aligns with authorities such as Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who maintain that using electricity without ignition, such as LED lighting or modern elevator, constitutes a rabbinic, rather than Torah-level, prohibition.

According to Rabbi Buchko, in the context of rocket fire, the situation qualifies as a case of life-threatening danger combined with a secondary rabbinic restriction, allowing for leniency. He therefore rules that elderly, ill, or physically limited individuals may use an elevator to reach a protected space during an alarm and may also return home afterward, preferably operating the button in an indirect manner, such as with the back of the hand.

“In a time of great need, such actions are not considered prohibited labor," he concludes, adding that in clear cases of significant necessity, there is ample basis for a lenient ruling.

Levaya of the fallen Chabadzker Katz hy"d

 

Israel Approves Largest Budget In History, NIS 850.6B ...800 Million go to Torah Moisdois

 

The Knesset passed an NIS 850.6B  ($271B) budget in a 62-55 vote, averting early elections. 

The vote followed over 14 hours of opposition filibustering and interruptions from Iranian missile sirens.

Finance Minister Smotrich said it “takes care of everyone,” 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid blasted the move, saying: “There has never been anything like this in the history of the Knesset. At this moment, the coalition has added hundreds of millions of shekels to the chareidi parties beyond the framework of the budget! This is a group of pathetic thieves, disconnected from the public, looting Israeli citizens while they are in shelters.”

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also sharply criticized the move, stating: “A nighttime looting maneuver. Right now, literally like thieves in the night, the government is carrying out a grab and adding hundreds of millions of shekels to chareidi education that encourages draft evasion… At this very moment, while IDF soldiers are fighting in the Litani, government ministers are looting us all.”

Israel caves from EU pressure and Pulls an Entire Battalion from Judea & Samaria because a couple of CNN Bastards were "assaulted

 This is unprecedented: 

An entire IDF reserve battalion has been pulled Sunday night from duty following last week's incident in which a CNN crew was detained and a photographer assaulted in the West Bank.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch Declares: “We Are Not Afraid of Iran but of Israel's Government Policies"

The article on Matzav only reinforces my belief that certain Gedolei Yisrael today are completely disconnected from the lived reality of the rest of Klal Yisrael. This Shabbos, we spent hours running to shelters, and a cluster bomb even struck Eshtaol near Beit Shemesh, right across Highway 38, injuring nineteen people.

Yet Rav Sternbuch declared that “the greatest danger facing Klal Yisrael is not external enemies, but internal spiritual decline and government policies.”

Anyone actually living in Israel knows that this statement does not reflect reality. It is a narrative fed to him by those around him. Rav Sternbuch does not follow the news, has no TV or radio, and relies entirely on the people who surround him—people who benefit financially from maintaining a particular anti‑Medina agenda and who rely on naive American donors who are unaware of what is really happening here.

The truth is that since October 7, Israel has experienced a remarkable spiritual awakening. Entire communities have become shomrei Torah u’mitzvos, and the change is visible to anyone who opens their eyes.

Rav Sternbuch then quoted the Chazon Ish:

“The chazon Ish said: I am not afraid of the bombs; I am afraid of the desecration of Shabbos, because that is what causes the bombs. And today as well, we say: we are not afraid of the missiles from Iran—we are afraid only of the leaders here who are defiling the people of Hashem and trying to take yeshiva bochurim into an army that is entirely heresy and apostasy.”

But now that bombs actually did fall in Bnei Brak—injuring people and destroying buildings—a new version of the Chazon Ish’s words suddenly appears.

For years, many in Bnei Brak insisted that the Chazon Ish promised the city would never be bombed. When that proved false, the claim shifted to “no one will be injured.” And now that injuries did occur, the narrative has changed again: “The Chazon Ish said he is not afraid of bombs.” The inconsistency speaks for itself.

Even more troubling is the statement that the Jewish army—whose soldiers protect every one of us—is “entirely heresy and apostasy.”

Anyone living in Israel knows this is simply untrue. My own neighborhood is filled with hundreds of IDF soldiers, and they are shomrei Torah u’mitzvos. To label these young men and fathers as heretics is a baseless accusation against Jewish children in uniform and must be rejected forcefully.

For a Rav to make such claims in a Shabbos Hagadol drasha is deeply painful and, frankly, a Chillul Hashem. Of course, he was speaking to an audience predisposed to accept these messages, surrounded by the most extreme elements.

Rav Sternbuch also claimed that the government is closing yeshivas and cutting funding. This is demonstrably false. Not a single yeshiva has been closed, and no funding cuts have taken effect. In fact, just last month, the Zionist government transferred 800,000 million shekels to mosdos haTorah. Yes, there is debate about future cuts—but that debate exists because certain leaders refuse any form of enlistment, even for those who are not learning and who spend their days loitering and harassing girls in the streets.

What really irks me is that this garbage was the headline on Matzav.com on Motzei Shabbos!

Israel is at war and millions running to shelters at all times and this self righteous news site makes this their headline without even mentioning that 19 were hurt in Beit Shemesh! This website represents the American Yeshivishe mentality, that really have no empathy for the majority of the Jewish people living in the Jewish State!

So what was their headline you naively ask?

"Jordan Border Route Effectively Shut to Private Vehicles Ahead of Pesach, Causing Chaos for Travelers"

The headline was that some Americans "stuck" in Israel couldn't get the hell out fast enough and tried going through an Arab Country and so they shut the border!

Nebech!!! They will now have to spend Pesach in "galus" in the Zionist State! 

I cry crocodile tears!

 In a dramatic and forceful drashah delivered for Shabbos Hagadol, Rav Moshe Sternbuch warned that the greatest danger facing Klal Yisroel is not external enemies, but internal spiritual decline and government policies.

Thousands streamed Thursday night to the main beis medrash of the Dushinsky chassidus in Yerushalayim to hear divrei Torah from the senior posek. As is customary each year before Pesach, Rav Sternbuch addressed a packed crowd that included senior rabbonim, members of the Badatz Eidah Hachareidis, admorim, and prominent Torah figures, all seated without ceremony as they listened intently.

Opening with profound Torah insights, Rav Sternbuch soon turned to urgent issues confronting the community. Speaking with deep emotion, he addressed the security situation and the broader challenges facing the Torah world.

He said, “The Chazon Ish already said: I am not afraid of the bombs; I am afraid of the desecration of Shabbos, because that is what causes the bombs. And today as well, we say: we are not afraid of the missiles from Iran—we are afraid only of the leaders here who are defiling the people of Hashem and trying to take yeshiva bochurim into an army that is entirely heresy and apostasy.”

Rav Sternbuch also spoke strongly against efforts impacting the yeshivos, including closures and funding cuts, emphasizing the foundational role of Torah learning.

He said, “These criminals here do not understand that the entire world stands on the Torah of tinokos shel beis rabban. This is literally the destruction of the world.”

In another part of the address, Rav Sternbuch sharply criticized those who ascend the Har Habayis against halachic guidance, warning that such actions provoke danger.

He said, “There are those who provoke the nations and ignite a fire of hatred. About this it is said: ‘Who asked this of you, to trample My courtyards?’ This is unnecessary and dangerous provocation, and it must be protested with full force.”

Following the drashah, a rare and notable moment took place in the beis medrash, as Rav Sternbuch personally distributed financial assistance to rabbonim of the Eidah Hachareidis through his private fund, Kupas Tamchin D’Oraisa.

Amid financial strain and delayed salaries within the Eidah, Rav Sternbuch organized a group of donors—including supporters connected to Satmar and benefactors of his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh and the well-known kollelim of Teshuvos V’Hanhagos—to provide relief ahead of Yom Tov.

He reviewed the checks and personally handed envelopes containing $1,000 grants to each rov and moreh horaah. In total, more than $100,000 was distributed to dayanim and members of the Badatz, in coordination with the leadership of the kollelim and the Vaad Hapoel of the Eidah Hachareidis.

Is Ger Ripping off the public by Fundraising for Arad? When they get Government funds?

It is heartening to see that every Jew—regardless of where they live or which community they belong to—feels the pain of a fellow Jew who is hurt or suffering, and instinctively looks for ways to help.

For this reason, when families are left with nothing after a disaster and receives no immediate assistance, it becomes the responsibility of the broader public to step in and support them in every possible way.

Yet when it comes to Arad, the Gur Hasidim have turned the situation into a major fundraising opportunity, collecting millions. They established a committee and a foundation and are now calling on the public to donate.

But for what purpose exactly?

Even if money is needed before government compensation arrives, are the Gur institutions truly unable to lend the necessary funds temporarily? Of course they can. But this is not about loans. They are capitalizing on a tragedy, knowing that many people will donate out of compassion—despite the fact that a significant portion of the money may ultimately end up elsewhere.

In Bnei Brak, the government will only compensate for buildings that were legally constructed. Where illegal additions—rooms, balconies, and other structures built without permits—were damaged, there will be no government reimbursement. Those areas will need to be rebuilt privately.

According to government policy, war-related damages and injuries are compensated generously, as these individuals are considered war victims. These payments are substantial. The question is why the public is being asked to contribute millions when official compensation is already part of the process?

Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz fell in southern Lebanon

 Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, aged 22, from New Haven, Connecticut, a soldier of the 890th battalion, Paratroopers Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon, it was cleared for publication on Sunday morning.

During the incident in which Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak hacohen Katz fell, three IDF soldiers were moderately injured.

The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at the hospital, and their families have been notified.

On Friday, an IDF officer was severely injured, and an additional officer was moderately injured as a result of an anti-tank missile fire during an encounter in southern Lebanon.

During an additional incident early on Saturday morning, an IDF officer was severely injured, and six soldiers were moderately injured as a result of rocket fire toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon.

The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment, and their families have been notified.

Six injured near Beit Shemesh following launches from Iran

 Vyacheslav Vidmant, 52, has been named as the man killed by shrapnel impact on Friday night in Tel Aviv.

Vidmant was struck by a fragment from an Iranian cluster missile. Two people lightly injured in the barrage were treated at another site in the city.

Since the start of the war against Iran, 22 civilians have been killed, in addition to four soldiers killed over the past month.

Senior Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic Lipa Hirsch described the scene: “We arrived in the Tel Aviv area within minutes with ambulances and mobile intensive care units. We saw a man around 60 years old with multi-system trauma. We conducted medical checks, and unfortunately had to pronounce him dead at the scene. We are continuing to search to ensure there are no additional casualties."

A cluster missile barrage launched overnight toward central Israel and Jerusalem struck 12 different sites in central Israel, including several impacts in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Petah Tikva, and Givatayim.

Additionally, 13 people were injured Shabbos afternoon by a strike in Eshtaol, near Beit Shemesh. They were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem suffering light injuries, blast injuries, and shock. All are in mild condition, and five of them are under the age of 15.

Zera Shimshon Parshat Tzav

 

Gerer Chassidim recklessly entering their bombed homes that are on the verge of collapsing!