The Special Tzazzdik Rabbi Berel Wein z"l

DIN: I found this tribute of Rabbi Wein in Substack, and decided to post this because it really delves into who he really was. I personally knew him well as I was a neighbor of his!

Rabbi Berel Wein Zt"l, my personal "Renaissance man"

by Dovie Kornreich

I started crying on the Friday night of Parshas Eikev while walking home from Shul. I really didn’t know why I got so emotional so suddenly. It was true that I was going through a stressful time—moving from a wonderful suburban community I had lived in for the past 8 years—and I had grown very fond of the place and was sad to leave. But I don’t usually cry from stress or sadness.

On Sunday morning, I heard the news of Rabbi Wein’s passing, and my sudden crying spell made sense to me. My neshama realized that I was about to lose one of the greatest Jews I will ever come into contact with.

My connection to Rabbi Wein started in 1986 when I became a freshman at Shaarei Torah Yeshivah High School and Beis Midrash. (Little did I realize at the time, that this was the Golden Age of Rabbi Wein’s rabbinical career.) Coming from a sheltered haredi cheder-like elementary school in Brooklyn to a “centrist” high school with a big emphasis on secular studies, there was a lot I needed to adjust to. My father decided to send me there because he was very dissatisfied with the level of education I was getting in frum Brooklyn yeshivah system.

I considered myself a Brooklyn refugee. I was running from a strict, close-minded, narrowly defined sense of what Yiddishkeit should look like and sound like. Black-and-white, tzitzis out, peyos, and no television or movies. (Following professional sports was somehow okay…) There was no State of Israel, there was no discussion of the Holocaust which actually gave rise to much of our immigrant community. There were no Conservative Jews or Reform Jews or Secular Jews. None of them existed in our world. Completely transparent. The Modern Orthodox were the butt of jokes and derision.

And the Goyim? Let’s not go there.

The secular studies teachers openly complained—to us!—that we were worse than the kids they taught in public school. It was a constant, daily chillul Hashem and I was sick to my stomach.

So I found refuge in Rabbi Wein and in Shaarei Torah.

U.S. Collected 600B in Tariffs Including Billions from Israeli Imports

 

President Trump announced the U.S. has collected over *600 billion* in tariffs, calling it a major boost to America’s economy and national security.

Among those affected is Israel, which has faced a 15% tariff on roughly 60% of its exports to the U.S.* since August 2025. 

The policy has added billions in costs to Israeli goods, straining trade ties between the close allies as efforts continue to negotiate relief.

Iranian Regime Hours or Days From Collapse as Security Forces Reportedly Walk Away*

 

The Mossad has signaled what could be the final hours or days of Iran’s ruling regime, posting a dramatic message in Persian suggesting a mass unraveling within the country’s security forces.

“The Mossad in Persian” account said it is receiving reports and indications that thousands of Iranian security personnel and Basij members have grown fed up with the oppressive regime and are resigning from service.

If confirmed, the development would mark a stunning collapse of internal regime loyalty, a key indicator that Iran’s ruling system may be entering its final phase.

Welcome to the new Brooklyn... Arabs Waking everyone up to Vasikin

 

The city  wakes up early.

....

The city  wakes up early.

Five daily calls begin at 5:00 AM....

WATCH: Animated video details high-stakes Venezuela operation

 

Pretty amazing! Here is how the United States captured the President of one of the largest countries on earth 👀 pic.twitter.com/GE87b3NbtG

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) January 5, 2026

England that expelled and murdered Jews throughout it's bloody History Opens Embassy of Palestine in London

 

Embassy of Palestine in London Officially Opened After United Kingdom Recognized the State of Palestine

London has officially inaugurated the Embassy of the State of Palestine, upgrading the Palestinian Mission after the UK’s recognition of Palestinian statehood. 

The ceremony is being hailed as historic by Palestinian officials, while Israel warns the shift risks rewarding diplomacy without confronting the terror and governance realities still driving the conflict.

A colorized video of the train to Auschwitz, 1942.

 You must join the platform "Threads" to see it but it's worth it! 

View on Threads

Parshas Shmos Teaches Us Never to speak bad of Chilonim

 

In this week’s parsha, we encounter a remarkable exchange between Moshe Rabbeinu and the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Hashem instructs Moshe to go to Paro and to Klal Yisrael and announce that the time has finally come for the Jewish people to be taken out of Egypt.

Moshe responds with a question: “What if they don’t believe me?”

Hashem is not pleased with this, and immediately the staff in Moshe’s hand turns into a snake.

Rashi asks: Why specifically a snake? What is the message here?

Rashi explains that Moshe’s question amounted to speaking Lashon Hara about Klal Yisrael—assuming they would not believe him. To show His displeasure, Hashem turns the staff into a snake, the very symbol of Lashon Hara.

But Hashem doesn’t stop there. To drive the point home, He afflicts Moshe’s hand with tzaraas, another classic sign of Lashon Hara.

This raises a powerful question: What were the Jews in Egypt actually like, that Moshe’s words were considered Lashon Hara?

Were they tzaddikim?

Let me share something that isn’t often emphasized: Chazal say openly that the Jews in Egypt were idol worshippers.

The Midrash states:

?ואמרו מלאכים הללו עובדי עבודה זרה והללו עובדי עבודה זרה מה נשתנו אלו מאל

“The angels said: These are idol worshippers and those are idol worshippers—what makes Israel different from the Egyptians?”

And further:

שה"ר פרשה ב או הנסה אלהים לבא לקחת לו גוי מקרב גוי, ר' יהושע בשם ר' חנן אמר גוי מקרב עם ועם מקרב גוי אין כתיב כאן, אלא גוי מקרב גוי, שהיו אלו ערלים ואלו ערלים, אלו מגדלין בלורית ואלו מגדלין בלורית, אלו לובשי כלאים ואלו לובשי כלאים, אם כן לא היתה מדת הדין נותנת שיגאלו ישראל לעולם, אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמן אלולי שאסר הקדוש ברוך הוא עצמו בשבועה לא היו ישראל נגאלין לעולם, הדא הוא דכתיב (שמות ו') לכן אמור לבני ישראל אני ה' והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים, ואין לכן אלא שבוע 

They were uncircumcised, they dressed like the Egyptians, they behaved like the Egyptians. According to Reb Yehoshua in the name of Rav Chanan, there was almost no visible difference between the two nations. And Rav Shmuel bar Nachman teaches that if not for Hashem swearing that He would redeem them, the attribute of justice would never have allowed it.

And yet—despite all this—Hashem was upset with Moshe for questioning the belief of these very people.

Charedim took The name of Harav Avraham Yitzchok Kook z"l and rubbed it into the mud? Why?

Because he dared believe in the Chilonim that were building Eretz Yisrael!

Woe to those who denigrate and badmouth those living in Eretz Yisrael!

They may very well be "Gedoilim" nevertheless they are עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון!

Hashem wasn't "mevater" when the greatest of prophets "hinted" that the Jews would not believe him, HE will certainly not be "mevater" for anyone talking ill of those living in the Land of Israel! Be they frum or even Oivdei Avoda Zara!

Neturei Karta Guy Wishes Death to Jewish IDF Sodiers

 This has been going viral, and I saw that many comment that he is deranged!

 So let me let you guys into a secret 

HE IS NOT DERANGED! 

I have spoken to him on many occasions and if you don't speak about Zionists or the IDF to him you can hold an intelligent conversation with him! 

When Chardeim are embarrassed about their very own, instead of going over to him and chastising him ...they walk away and say "Well he is deranged" This is a cop out !

BTW I have spoken to many Yeshivishe people who look sane and say this as well! 

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Clueless Irrelevant Schumer Crawls out of his Cave to block further U.S. action Venezuela

 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he expects the Senate to vote this week on whether to formally authorize the Trump administration's military actions in Venezuela. 

The New York Democrat said he is co-sponsoring a resolution to block further U.S. action following the strikes tied to the operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now detained in a New York federal prison. 

Schumer argued the administration violated the War Powers Act by failing to notify Congress in advance, according to Politico.