Rav Zilberstein Backtracks: I did not say to leave Israel on Shabbat

 

Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, a leading Lithuanian-haredi rabbi and a member of the Council of Torah Sages, responded to questions from followers following reports attributing to him a halachic ruling permitting the desecration of Shabbat to avoid military service, Lechatchila newspaper reported.

Asked during a Torah class about his statement, Rabbi Zilberstein said, "Whoever publicized that does not know his right hand from his left hand. One didn't hear what I said, and publicized it. It's all a tale."

He explained that he had asked hypothetically what a Jew should do in a place where the government bans Torah study. In such a case, it would be permitted to leave the country on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath, when travel is prohibited - ed.) in order to escape.

"But where is that happening here in the Land of Israel? Do the authorities prevent Torah study? Of course not! If when they do their army service, they want to learn Torah - will someone oppose that? G-d forbid!" he continued. "This was said only about a scenario where the nations of the world ban Torah study."

When one of the listeners said his son is desecrating Shabbat "because Rabbi Zilberstein said to desecrate Shabbat and not to enlist," the rabbi responded, "Maybe he had a dream. Maybe he dreamed a dream! I did not say that."

Regarding young men who are not dedicated to Torah study and instead spend their time in the streets, Rabbi Zilberstein responded that such a young man should "enlist where Rabbi Shteinman said - of course. What's the question? Of course he should."

The unit in question is the IDF's Netzach Yehuda battalion, created specifically for soldiers from haredi backgrounds, and intended for those who cannot study all day. Netzach Yehuda soldiers combine military service with Torah study.

Trans Shooter Who Killed 2 Children and Injured 17 Hated Jews but Killed Catholics

 

Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman is a transgender woman whose mother worked at the school where two children were slaughtered.

In a deranged video posted on YouTube, the shooter explained how he was 'feeling good' about committing a 'devastating tragedy' at Annunciation Catholic School.

Westman also showed a rifle magazine labeled 'For the children, hahahahahahaha.' 

Court records seen by the Daily Mail indicate that Westman had previously been known as Robert, having petitioned to have his name changed in 2019. 

According to court papers filed in Dakota County, Minnesota, Westman asked the court to change his name to Robin. 

Westman's mother Mary sign the application for a name change as he was still a minor at the time. 

Biblical mystery solved as 5,500-year-old factory is discovered in Israel

 

The ruins of an ancient blade factory unearthed in Israel may offer the clearest evidence yet of the Canaanites, a people long described in the Bible. 

 Archaeologists in Kiryat Gat, about 40 miles south of Tel Aviv, uncovered the first-ever Canaanite workshop in the region. The factory contained long flint blades and massive stones used to shape and mold weapons with precision.

Researchers also discovered hundreds of underground pits, some lined with mud bricks, that served as storage areas, dwellings, workshops and even ritual spaces.

The scale and sophistication of the site reveal that the Canaanites had organized settlements, specialized crafts and thriving trade networks.

This glimpse into their daily lives offers a tangible link between the archaeological record and the society described in the Old Testament.

The Bible portrays the Canaanites as the original inhabitants of the Promised Land before the Israelites arrived and conquered the territory.

Experts with the Israel Antiquities Authority said the discovery sheds light on the

beginnings of urbanization and professional specialization in the ancient land.

'The most impressive findings discovered at the site are large flint cores, from which extremely sharp, uniformly shaped blades were produced,' IAA shared in a Facebook post.

'The blades themselves were used as knives for cutting and butchering, and as harvesting tools, like sickle blades. 

'The production technology was extremely advanced and included the use of a kind of crane to exert precise pressure on the flint.'

The team noted that this also marked the discovery of a never-before-seen technology during that time period. 

IAA's prehistorians Dr Jacob Vardi said: This is a sophisticated industry, not only because of the tools themselves, but also because of what is not found.

'The waste fragments, the debitage, were not scattered outside the site, perhaps to better protect and preserve the professional knowledge within the group of experts. 

'Today, we understand that this site served as a center, from which Canaanite blades were distributed across broad regions in the Levant.' 

In the Early Bronze Age, humans used tools made from natural raw materials: flint, bone, stone and ceramics. 

However, in this period, the Canaanite blades were the main cutting tools. 

'An advanced industry was revealed at the site, requiring an extremely high level of expertise,' Dr Vardi said.

Only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades. 

'This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization.' 

Archaeologists explained that the ancient tools aligned with the material culture of Canaan during Abraham's era, referring to the time period known as the Middle Bronze Age (roughly 2100-1900 BC), when the biblical patriarch Abraham is said to have lived and migrated to Canaan.

Abraham, the revered ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is known in the Bible for his unwavering faith in God and the covenant to establish a new nation in the land of Canaan.

Moses, described in Scripture as a descendant of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, later led the Israelites out of Egypt toward the Promised Land that was originally home to the Canaanites.

The Canaanites are mentioned several times in the Old Testament, including the books of Genesis, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Joshua.

In the book of Joshua 3:10, God tells the Israelites that he will drive out the Canaanites before they arrive in the Promised Land.

The Israelites fought a series of wars against the Canaanites and ultimately took over most of their land - this conquest took place in the second half of the 13th century BC.

Trump Going After George Soros and His ‘Wonderful Radical Left Son’:

 

President Donald Trump threatened George Soros and his “wonderful Radical Left son” with RICO charges in a Wednesday Truth Social post that saw him warn the duo that his administration is “watching” them.

“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America,” began Trump. “We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to ‘BREATHE,’ and be FREE. Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends.”

“Be careful, we’re watching you! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” added the president for good measure.

George Soros is a billionaire and longtime funder of progressive causes and candidates. His son, Alex Soros, took over his father’s Soros Open Society Foundation in 2023

Trump’s threat comes less than a week after his FBI raided his foreign policy adviser-turned-critic John Bolton’s home and office as part of what many consider to be a politically motivated investigation.

Both The Wall Street Journal and National Review have editorialized against investigation of Bolton, with the former observing that “vengeance is a large part, maybe the largest part, of how he [Trump] will define success in his second term,” and the latter submitting that the investigation “sounds more like a personalized grievance against a fierce Trump critic rather than a dispassionate probe of a particular violation of the law.”

Breslov Mashpia Rav Sholom Arush "Protests Not the Jewish Way"

After some groups in Breslov threatened to hold mass protests at Ben Gurion Airport if they were not allowed to travel to Uman, citing concerns that many could be arrested for being draft dodgers, 

Harav Shalom Arush issued the following statement.

Demonstrations are not the Jewish way, saying: “It is forbidden to demonstrate — that is not our path. We do not act with force, only with prayer.”

Rabbi Arush added that efforts are being made with the Prime Minister and ministers through respectful and peaceful means. “We are trying to work with the government in a good way. Chas Vesholam to protest — we follow the way of the Torah.

 

Monsey podiatrist Ira Bernstein hired hit man to kill his wife — just months after prison release for first failed $100K plot to have her murdered

 

Ira Bernstein pleading guilty

Susan Bernstein 

An unhinged Rockland County podiatrist is facing down another prison stint after a second failed attempt to kill his estranged wife — who is now a certified divorce coach, prosecutors announced Monday.

Ira Bernstein, of Montebello, plotted to kill the mother of his children twice in five years, most recently in 2022, according to the Rockland County District Attorney’s office.

That attempt came after Bernstein, 51, spent nearly four years behind bars on an earlier murder-for-hire scheme targeting Susan Bernstein, who eventually divorced the creepy foot doctor, records show.

In 2017, Bernstein conspired with his then-lover, mother of three Kelly Gribeluk, to offer a car salesman about $100,000 to fatally mow down Susan in what would look like an accident, Lohud.com reported.

But the salesman instead alerted Ramapo police about the offer, leading to the pair’s arrests.

Bernstein pleaded guilty in 2017 to second-degree conspiracy and other counts, and was sentenced to a prison term between five and 15 years.  Gribeluk was hit with at least four years in jail.

Bernstein was cut loose on merit on July 1, 2021 — and again looked into having his other-half killed, according to prosecutors.

During that conspiracy, Bernstein was recorded asking a landscaper to kill his estranged wife, and then tried to get the file destroyed after realizing it existed, prosecutors said.

“This is the kind of conduct where we have victims, victims of domestic violence, that we will prosecute fully,” Rockland DA Thomas Walsh said, according to News 12. “We in Rockland County want to stand for protection of innocent victims in all walks of life.”

During the second plot, the doctor and his sister, attorney Jaclyn Goldberg, attempted to destroy an audio recording in August or September 2022 that had him on tape asking a landscaper to murder Susan, according to prosecutors.

The siblings would agree to give the landscaper back control of his business that was at the center of a dispute if he handed over the audio, prosecutors said, according to Lohud.com.

Bernstein was originally indicted on criminal solicitation and tampering with evidence while his sibling, Goldberg was charged with tampering with evidence, hindering prosecutors and conspiracy in the fifth degree.

Bernstein could spend between a year-and a-half and three years behind bars in exchange for the guilty plea. His sentencing is scheduled for December.

Goldberg is expected to plead guilty in September, but will likely avoid jail time, Lohud.com reported.

Susan Bernstein could not be reached for comment, but called her husband “evil” at his first sentencing.

Court records indicate the two divorced in 2023. It’s not clear how long they were married or how many children they have.

Susan has been a divorce coach for at least several years, promising to help clients thrive following nasty break-ups.

“She helps clients achieve their goals and get to where they want to be,” according to her website.

“Susan helps many clients who want to get out of toxic relationships get what they need and deserve related to their children and finances.”

90th Yurzeit of Harav Avraham Yitzchok Hakohein Kook z"l

 It was the first of Elul when Rabbi David Cohen, the Rav HaNazir, arrived at the guest house where Rav Avraham Yizchak HaCoehn Kook was staying in Kiryat Moshe. Exactly twenty years had passed since that first transformative encounter in Switzerland. (Read the fascinating story of that meeting here and of the Nazir's life here.)

For twelve years, the Rav HaNazir had labored to organize Rav Kook’s writings into a systematic, comprehensive work. As his revered master lay on his death bed, he showed him the beginning fruits of his labor — the title page of the first volume of Orot HaKodesh.

Rav Kook rejoiced; and he shed tears.

On the day of his death, the third of Elul, Rav Kook motioned to his son, Rav Tzvi Yehudah, to come close. “Please pay off any outstanding debts. I do not want to owe anyone, not even the smallest amount.”

He then made a second request: “Please prepare my writings for publication. But take care that the only title given to me is ‘rabbi.'”

With great effort, Rav Kook turned his face towards the scholars in the room. When it became clear that his soul would soon depart, the people cried out, “Shema Yisrael!”

Rav Kook whispered after them, “Shema Yisrael,” breathing his final breath with the word echad — one. “The Eternal is one.”

The Rav HaNazir wrote:

“When the Rav passed away, we heard a heavenly voice. The voice called out, “Haim, ad olam!” ‘Life, forever!’

Even after completing life in this world, the soul continues; and it grows even stronger, with blessing, in eternal life.” The Rav HaNazir passed away on the 28th of Av, 5770.

(Stories from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Malachim Kivnei Adam, p. 420; preface to Orot HaKodesh, pp. 24, 30.)

This time he held in his hands a special document to show his dying master.

Trump Ends Duty-Free Status for Low-Value Imports, Raising Costs for Shoppers and Small Businesses

 

Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the United States this week as part of President Donald Trump’s agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods and resetting global trade with tariffs.

An executive order signed last month eliminates a widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less starting Friday, nearly two years earlier than the deadline set in the tax cuts and spending bill approved by Congress.

Although the president previously ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers.

Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will require vetting and be subject to their origin country’s applicable tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%. For the next six months, carriers handling orders sent through the global mail network also can choose a flat duty of $80 to $200 per package instead of the value-based rate.

In response, the national postal services of more than a dozen countries said they would temporarily suspend sending some or most U.S.-bound packages due to confusion over processing and payment requirements. Japan and Switzerland on Monday joined Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand, the U.K. and New Zealand in saying they would pause shipments.

Harav Hagoen Ariel Katzenberg from Bnei-Brak Believes in Jesus

 

Shimon Abargil, a field coordinator for the organization Yad L’Achim, revealed disturbing details in a radio interview on Wednesday about a man named Ariel Katzenberg, who posed as a charedi rabbi but was actually a Christian missionary who believes in Jesus.

The impostor lived in the heart of Bnei Brak and later in Tiberias, leading a double life: outwardly, he conducted conversion and wedding ceremonies, taught Torah, and even wrote and sold mezuzahs. But behind his charedi appearance hid a Christian missionary who forged official documents and led unsuspecting people into Christian baptism ceremonies.

The organization obtained surveillance footage from cameras that Katzenberg himself had operated. These videos, along with forged documents he used and presented to recognized rabbinical courts in Israel, led to the exposure of the case and a demand to open a police investigation.

The missionary managed to infiltrate the official rabbinical systems using forged documents claiming Jewish identity. “We went to those rabbinical courts and told them he had forged their documents, and they were simply in shock,” described Abargil.

As a result of the exposure, the official rabbinical courts whose documents had been forged were forced to take a dramatic step: in order to combat the phenomenon, they began issuing new certificates protected by unique identification markers, aimed at ensuring the Interior Ministry and authorities that the documents are genuine and valid.

This case highlights the serious danger posed by missionary impersonation and the vulnerability of even official institutions to sophisticated fraud.

הזוי: מיסיונר מחופש לחרדי עורך גיורים וחופות, אך בפועל מאמין בישו ומטביל אנשים לנצרות#האולפן_הפתוח@BoazGolan pic.twitter.com/CG3zj2P5KP

— C14 (@C14_news) August 20, 2025

My Family’s Reaction to My Conversion