I sincerely hope I am proven wrong about this, but I believe this may be the beginning of the end for Reb Eli's MDY Daf Yomi shiurim.
As we wrote on October 13, 2026, a group of jealous "gedolim" who cannot even attract a minyan to their own uninspiring boring shiurim publicly attacked Reb Eli, mocking him and even referring to him as "Stupensky."
Ironically, these same "gedolim" (small "g" intentionally) who complained that the shiur made a mockery of the Gemara had no problem making a mockery of the Maggid Shiur with the largest audience in the Torah world.
I am convinced that virtually none of the tens of thousands of people learning through MDY had any issue with the AI-generated clips. Yet as of this writing, Reb Eli has suspended the production of AI drawings and videos while establishing a Vaad to oversee future content.
As Reb Eli announced:
"MDY will be stepping back from producing such videos for now while we work to establish a Vaad familiar with the sensitivities of all communities to oversee future content."
Some of these clips were humorous, but their primary purpose was educational. They helped the hamon am gain a clearer understanding of the sugya being learned.
Remember, participants are expected to cover an entire daf in under an hour. Most are working people with families and careers. Many had not opened a Gemara in years. Yet Reb Eli, through his approachable and engaging style, succeeded in drawing them in, keeping them interested, and inspiring them to continue learning day after day.
I have often argued that many Roshei Yeshiva are uncomfortable with knowledgeable baalei batim. A baal habayis who becomes a genuine talmid chacham challenges the traditional narrative that serious Torah scholarship belongs exclusively within the walls of the yeshiva.
The facts speak for themselves. Many of today's most successful disseminators of Torah are baalei batim. I challenge anyone to find a shul outside the yeshiva world where a baal habayis is not delivering a shiur, teaching a class, or sharing Torah regularly.
Some Roshei Yeshiva who routinely belittle baalei batim are now worried that their students may discover that it is entirely possible to earn a living and still become remarkably knowledgeable in Shas and Poskim. That realization threatens long-standing assumptions and established power structures.
This phenomena of degrading Baalei-Batim didn't start now, it goes back when I was learning in Bais Medrish, I remember the Mashgichim and the RY mocking Baalei-Batim during their mussar shmoozes, biting the hand that fed them, saying "if you don't keep up with the myriad sedarim, you will wind being a Baal Habooooos!" Looking back in retrospect, the Mashgichim and the Roshei Yeshiva were a bunch of cowardly hypocrites, because when it came to Yeshiva Dinners and Melaveh Malkas, they honored those very Baalei Batim!
As a result, the campaign against Reb Eli has begun. The AI clips were merely the opening target. They were labeled "litzanus," and pressure was brought to bear until they were removed.
את חטאי אני מזכיר היום.
When learning difficult sugyos, particularly in Maseches Yevamos with its complex family relationships, I often struggle to keep track of the various connections. Reb Eli's illustrations and AI depictions transformed topics that seemed confusing into material that was easy to follow. I found the same to be true in Maseches Chullin, where the images significantly improved both my understanding and my ability to teach the material to others.
I am convinced this will not end here. Once they saw how easily they could pressure him into abandoning this valuable educational tool, they will continue chipping away at the unique style that made MDY so successful. Little by little, they will try to remove the creativity, humor, and accessibility until the shiur becomes just another bland presentation.
Those rabbanim who played a role in this should remember that they are accountable for the consequences of their actions.
עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון.
People constantly ask why we are losing our youth. Now it appears that some rabbinic leaders are doing their best to ensure we lose our adults as well.
Shame on them.
Mizrachi the "pilegesh" Rabbi, says he would rather live near those "who follow the Quran" than Bibi Netanyahu!
Those who follow the Quran rape and murder Jews Mr Pilegesh!
On Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Yashar! party leader Gadi Eiskenot with forming a government. The ceremony took place at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
"Upon receiving the official results of the elections for the 26th Knesset, I set about fulfilling the task assigned to me by Section 7 of Basic Law: The Government, and held consultations with the representatives of all the factions elected to the Knesset," Herzog began. "These conversations were conducted with openness, candor, and transparency, and they represented the essential nature of the democratic process."
"They also brought to the surface the disputes, the painful points, and of course, the multitude of voices within Israeli society and politics. They were frank and pointed conversations, addressing the most important issues of this time. And they reminded us all that every citizen of Israel has an equal voice, from every side, every view, every way of life, and every faith. I once again thank all the faction representatives who took part in the consultations."
He added, "As I noted at the conclusion of the consultations on Thursday evening, the representatives of factions totaling sixty-seven members elected to the 26th Knesset recommended Yashar Leader Gadi Eisenkot to receive the mandate, while the representatives of factions totaling forty-six members of Knesset recommended the Prime Minister and Likud Leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. The representatives of one faction of seven members of Knesset chose to refrain from recommending any candidate."
"In light of this, and following talks I have held with various figures in recent days, it is therefore evident that Mr. Eisenkot has received the clear and unequivocal support of a majority of Members of Knesset on the most central question: who has the better chance of forming the next government that will win the confidence of the Knesset.
"Therefore, by virtue of my authority under Basic Law: The Government, I have decided to task the Leader of the Yashar party, Lieutenant General (res.) Gadi Eisenkot, with forming a government."
Herzog emphasized, "I am well aware that Likud is the largest faction in the incoming Knesset. I noted this during the consultations as well. However, both on the basis of the facts I have set out, and on the basis of clear precedents set by my predecessors, who in several cases tasked the leader of a party that was not the largest with forming the government, I have decided, as I said, to task Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government."
Frieda Vizel seems to fancy herself an amateur anthropologist, yet she often appears to have little understanding of the underlying values, sensitivities, and social dynamics that shape cultures and communities, including the one she grew up in.
I have spoken about her in previous posts
She recently expressed surprise at the backlash she received for posting an interview with Gittel Schwartz, a former Satmar woman who left her community, married a non-Jew, and had a child with him.
What seems to baffle Frieda is that the criticism did not come only from religious Jews. Even many secular Jews found the interview and the way it was presented troubling.
Right from the start, Frieda, who is usually an engaging and insightful commentator, manages to be remarkably irritating by repeatedly pronouncing Gittel's name as "Ge'tell."
What is that about? Is she deliberately trying to make Gittel's name sound more non-Jewish or more palatable to her largely non-Jewish audience? If so, the choice comes across as contrived and unnecessarily dismissive of the name's authentic Yiddish pronunciation.
I would suggest that before Frieda studies anthropology, she spend some time studying Jewish history.
Does she know about the Crusades, when entire Jewish communities were massacred by Christian mobs with extraordinary brutality?
Does she know that Jews were expelled from England in 1290, from Spain in 1492, and from Portugal in 1496, simply because they were Jews?
Does she know about the Chmielinski massacres of 1648-1649, when tens of thousands of Jews were murdered during the Cossack uprising in Ukraine and Poland-Lithuania? In Jewish historical memory, these events are remembered as one of the greatest catastrophes to befall the Jewish people before the Holocaust.
Does she know about the Uman Massacre of 1768, when thousands of Jews were slaughtered during the Haidamak uprising? Or the Odessa Pogrom of 1821, often cited as the first anti-Jewish outbreak to be described as a "pogrom"?
And that's only the beginning. I could go on and on.
Any Jew, whether religious or secular, who has even a basic understanding of Jewish history can understand why many people would be deeply troubled by content that appears to normalize or celebrate assimilation. Given the long history of persecution, expulsions, massacres, and the constant struggle to preserve Jewish identity, such reactions should hardly come as a surprise.
Jews make up 0.2% of the world's population, when we lose one single Jew, every Jew religious or secular that has even an inkling of their beautiful rich heritage is pained and mourns that loss, because that Jew is now lost forever amongst the rest of the 8,3 billion people worldwide. And even though Gittel's child is halachically Jewish, the chances of this child marrying Jewish, hovers around zero percent!
What Frieda Vizel and Gittel (Nelson) Schwartz seem not to understand is a simple truth: actions have consequences. When you publicly promote ideas or life choices that many Jews view as undermining Jewish continuity, you should not be shocked when people respond with criticism or outrage.
Mystery has finally been solved. Why is it that the Bnei-teira in Bnei Brak have been arrested for evading the draft, and their Teira isn't doing a thing to protect them?
What is going on?
It seems that the gemarra in Gittin 57b states that the grandchildren of Haman will be learning Torah in Bnei Brak!
Now it all makes sense!
"מבני בניו של המן למדו תורה בבני ברק"
