Corona Kills Rabbi Yisroel Plutchok of Yeshiva Derech Chaim

Hagaon HaRav Yisroel Yechezkel Plutchok ZATZAL, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Derech Chaim in Boro Park has. succombed to the Corona virus.

 Rav Plutchok was in critical condition from COVID-19 and was Niftar on Thursday afternoon.

Together with his brother in law, HaRav Mordechai Rennert Zt”l, Rav Yisroel Plutchok founded Yeshivas Derech Chaim in 1974 with eight students. 

Both of them were Talmidim of Hagaon HaRav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg ZATZAL. The Yeshiva – located at 16th Avenue and 39th Street – grew into a major Makom Torah and now has thousands of alumni.

He leaves behind a large Mishpacha of Talmidei Chachomim and Marbitzei Torah.

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Zera Shimshon .... Parshas Vayikra

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The radical irresponsibility of the Israeli Rabbinate

by Tanya White 

"The greatest, holiest religious act of moral responsibility we are called to do today is simply to sit at home and do nothing -- it really isn't that hard"

I keep asking myself: 

in 50 years time, when our grandchildren learn about the “coronavirus” period of history, what will they be asking us? 

What will be the greatest take away message for the next generation from the moment of history that we currently find ourselves in?

 And I keep hearing in my head the almost horrified and surprised voice of my grandchild,

 “But I don’t understand why would people not have just stayed indoors? Why did the rabbis insist on keeping the shuls open? Why would young people not have seen the damage they were doing and kept to the rules – did they not realize they were issuing a death warrant for hundreds and thousands of innocent people?”

Ours is a post-truth world — an era that has seen the erosion of truth and with it the loss of morality and individual responsibility which has manifested itself in one of two ways.

 Either the clinging on to the status quo absolutism of an age gone-by, bolstered by fear and lack of courage to reinterpret reality accordingly; 

or the shedding of any value system and hence a slippery slope towards individual hedonism, egocentricity and disavowal of any shared moral responsibility.

 It is both these mindsets that have stoked the flames of the fire that humanity is battling at this time. One from the side of certain religious institutions that refuse to paradigm shift and let go of the existing structures to ensure life trumps all else, 

and the other from self-interested youth and others whose inability to see beyond the narrow confines of their own self-centered existence means they are sacrificing many around them; the expectation that their country will bail them out by sending a plane to rescue them, but refusing to be part of the war effort in return.

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Breaking ............Blue & White Breaks Up With Yair Lapid, Joining Likud In Unity Government

There is major political drama unfolding in Israel, as Benny Gantz of Blue and White appears to be breaking away from Yair Lapid and set to join a unity government with Likud and the Religious parties.

Benny Gantz Voted In As Speaker of Knesset With Netanyahu's Blessing!

It began with the sudden resignation of Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on Wednesday. A close Netanyahu ally, Edelstein had refused to comply with a high court order to convene the plenum for a vote on his successor the same day, angrily accusing the court of an “arrogant intervention” in the legislative branch. Even in stepping down, Edelstein tried to stall the vote for several days, as his resignation would take effect 48 hours later.

On Thursday, Benny Gantz submitted candidacy for himself to be Knesset Speaker, but Yair Lapid had plans of his own to submit candidacy for Meir Cohen to be the Speaker.

Immediately, the entire right-wing bloc quickly endorsed Gantz for Speaker, leaving Lapid out in the dust.

According to Channel 12, the emerging unity coalition will include the Labor party, which will split from the Meretz party.

Gantz will be the foreign minister, and Netanyahu for the first 18 months, followed by Gantz for the next 18 months.

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Shuls in Boro Park Open Despite People Dropping Like Flies ....List of Shuls Where You Can Get The Virus If You Wish

Minutes ago a guy collapsed in Satmar 52

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Two Ganim in Bet Shemesh Fined 5,000 Shekel For Defying Health Department Regs

Murderers!!!! Rodfim!!! 

"How Dare You?"

The cops found a gan with over 30 children in one and in a another over 12 kids over 11 ....

this makes this over 42 possible carriers to this deadly virus ...

These are frum people???? 

I'm talking about the parents as well....

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DIN's Take .... Parshat Va'Yikrah

In this week's parsha .... Va'Yikrah ....you will notice that the very first word Vayikra,  ויקרא is spelled with a small "alef" "א"

Many explanations have been given for this phenomenon. Most commentators see it as an expression of Moshe's humility. Although he reached the highest levels of sanctity and closeness to Hashem, he chose to downplay his role in the matter.

The Zohar Hakodosh, however, offers a completely different answer, one that puts the entire sefer Vayikra in perspective.

He sees the small alef as a sign of imperfection:

"Why is there a small alef? Because this "calling" was imperfect. 
Why so?
For it took place in the Mishkan and in a foreign land. 
[True] perfection can only be found in the Land of Israel"
(Tosafot HaZohar 1, quoted in Itturei Torah, vol 3 p.7)

Let us contemplate this Zohar for a moment...
There was probably never a period in Jewish history during which the Jewish people enjoyed a more intimate relationship with Hashem than the 40 year journey through the desert.
Heavenly clouds surrounded them on all sides, protecting them from the elements. Their clothes grew with them and never wore out.
Celestial food was delivered to them every day. They were led by the greatest prophet ever to live, and he was readily available to answer questions and give advice on religious matters. 

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Do you qualify for a stimulus check in Senate’s coronavirus response bill?

One of the cornerstones of the Senate coronavirus stimulus package is the direct payment of money from the federal government to American individuals and families.

In the middle of the bill's hundreds of pages are details regarding exactly who can expect to receive money and how much they can expect. Here is a breakdown.

Who is eligible?

The bill makes clear that everyone is eligible except for nonresident aliens and those who can be used as the basis for deductions for another person.

"Seniors, veterans, the unemployed and low-income Americans would be eligible too," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Wednesday.

The bill text indicates those who receive social security can collect checks: For those not required to file 2018 or 2019 tax returns because of social security benefits, tax returns aren’t required to claim the money -- the government can use information from a Form SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement, or Form RRB-1099, Social Security Equivalent Benefit Statement.

With that in mind, here is how much people can expect to get.

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Grocery Shopping in the Corona Pandemic .... This Could save your life

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Guy Makes A Mask Against Corona With Something Found in a Mikvah

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New Yorkers ignore orders to stay indoors and practice social distancing as they wait in packed lines at grocery stores and banks despite the coronavirus outbreak

ok .... now....

The Heimishe Oilim has an excuse .... the goyim are also defiant and not staying home ......

You know what?

Go out ... go have a good time .... go spread death all over the place... go kill all people over 60 ..... go ....

the goyim are also doing it ....

go

Defiant New Yorkers are ignoring orders to stay at home and are going about their daily lives shopping at crowded grocery stores and waiting in long lines at the bank and hospital despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Across all five boroughs locals were seen waiting in extensive lines as they ran their errands on Wednesday. 

Many residents were seen armed with protective face masks and rubber gloves to protect themselves from the contagious COVID-19. 

In Manhattan long lines of people crowded around banks, in Brooklyn a Trader Joes grocery store was swamped with shoppers and in Queens the Elmhurst Hospital Center was inundated with people trying to get tested for the virus. 

As of Wednesday there are over 30,000 case of coronavirus in New York and there have been 285 deaths throughout the state. In New York City alone there are over 17,000, according to local government statistics. 

New York is currently under a lockdown where Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all nonessential workers to stay at home and urged the public to stay in doors to prevent the spread of the infectious coronavirus. 

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Chief Rabbi Nixes Virtual Seder on Zoom

On Wednesday, the head of the Tzomet Institute, Rabbi Menachem Pearl attacked a halakhic ruling made by a group of rabbis permitting the use of “Zoom” software to allow seniors in home quarantine to participate in a virtual Passover Seder with their extended family.

The Tzomet Institute was founded in 1977 and specializes in customizing technological and electronic appliances to comply with halakhah (Jewish law).

“The letter [stating the ruling] is very dangerous, and what people understand from it is even more dangerous, “ he told Arutz Sheva.

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Satmar Throws Dr. Zelenko Under The Bus .....But Rabbi Yehuda Levin Says "Shame on Satmar"

Before you watch Rabbi Yehuda Levin ... read my post!

As you all know that I posted a Video where a Dr Zelenko  who treats patients in Kiryas Yoel, came up with an idea, that the US should start treating Corona patients with the malaria drug protocol as soon as they are diagnosed..and not wait until they are already very sick...

So good so far ...... right?? What could be so bad??

Well not so fast folks..... he forgot that he was talking about Satmar ..... big mistake..

He had  added that because the nature of KJ residents is to be closely confined, davening close together, making huge simchas,  etc etc. he estimated that over 20,000 residents had already contracted the virus ...

Big Mistake!!!!

Never mind that he was absolutely correct ... 

and that most of the heimishe oilim don't care about spreading the virus...and his numbers may even be on the conservative side.

Witness the streets in Willamsburg and Boro Park ...

TODAY!!!..... YES TODAY!!!

And So back to my story ...Satmar hierarchy started running around like poisoned mice, to try to shut this guy up;  terrified that the word is out ....... and to make matters worse, their own Rebbe got sick with the virus, 

so "kdarkom bakoidesh" and following their  heiliger "mesorah" from der alter heim,  took this Tzaddik, Dr Zelenko and threw him under the bus ...

 Saying that his statements are not only false but spreading anti-Semitism .... ...

What Satmar wasn't prepared ... was ..that a fearless rabbi by the name of Rabbi Yehuda Levin would put out a video (above) where he is spot on answering the Satmar Askanim!

Watch Dr. Zelenco's megananomous response below 

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Are the DemocRATS Trying To ‘Draft the Snake Cuomo’ ?

Democrats are publicly talking about “contingency options” for their July convention in Milwaukee in case the coronavirus persists in being a public-health threat. 

But privately, some are also talking about needing a Plan B if Joe Biden, their nominee apparent, continues to flounder.

Some Democrats are openly talking up New York governor Andrew Cuomo, whose profile has soared during the crisis, as a Biden stand-in. Yesterday, a Draft Cuomo 2020 account on Twitter announced that “Times have changed & we need Gov. Cuomo to be the nominee. Our next POTUS must be one w/an ability to lead thru this crisis.

Charles Pierce, the politics blogger for Esquire magazine, wrote a piece headlined “With Two Words, Andrew Cuomo Established Himself as the Leader This Country Needs Now.” He enthused that Cuomo’s news conference last Friday “essentially (shutting) down the economy of his state . . . was a master class in leveling with the public.”Democrats are increasingly worried that Joe Biden will have trouble being relevant and compelling in the long four months between now and when he is nominated in July. Lloyd Constantine, who was a senior policy adviser to New York governor Eliot Spitzer from 2007 to 2008, puts it bluntly: “Biden is a melting ice cube. Those of us who have closely watched as time ravaged the once sharp or even brilliant minds of loved ones and colleagues, recognize what is happening to the good soldier Joe.”COVID-19 and . . . 2024?

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Nearly half of New York City's coronavirus cases found in adults under 45

A plurality of COVID-19 cases in New York City are among those aged 18 to 44, but severity rates tend to follow global trends when it comes to age and underlying conditions, data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reveals.

Of the 15,597 confirmed as of Tuesday afternoon, 7,094, or 46 percent, were in patients below the 45. In that age group, 9 percent of people with the novel coronavirus have been hospitalized, and there have been five deaths.

All told, the data suggests the city is in line with other countries like Italy, which has reported that the majority of patients experiencing severe cases of COVID-19 are in older age groups, though that certainly doesn't mean younger people aren't at risk. In New York, more than one-fifth of fatalities have occurred in the 45 to 64 range.

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UH OH! Divorce rates jumping in corona-quarantined couples

Divorce filings are skyrocketing from quarantine-weary and financially stressed couples, according to top matrimonial attorneys, who are experiencing a 50 percent rise in inquiries from potential clients.

According to leading Manhattan family-law experts, some couples forced to spend time together while quarantined in cramped apartments or even in palatial pads haven’t fared well during the coronavirus outbreak.

Making matters worse, dramatic sways in the financial markets will further spur a wave of wealthy divorces, because richer spouses may decide they want out while their net worth dips — potentially helping them avoid larger settlements, legal experts say.

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Minority government off the table...Ganz

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz met on Tuesday with MKs from his Israel Resilience Party as well as with several MKs from Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem party, and concluded that there is no chance to form a minority government supported by the predominantly Arab Joint List party.

Channel 13 News reported that the other three leaders of the party - Lapid, Ya'alon and Gabi Ashkenazi - share this understanding as well and support the establishment of a unity government in an emergency format to begin with.

A vote on the identity of the Speaker of the 23rd Knesset is expected to take place on Wednesday after the Supreme Court instructed Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein to hold the vote.

According to the report, Ashkenazi said in closed talks that Blue and White should stop its fight to appoint its own representative as Knesset Speaker so as not to anger the Likud. 

Gantz’s people then sent messages to the Likud stating that even if MK Meir Cohen is elected to the role, as expected, they could allow a situation in which he is removed from the role.

On Tuesday, Gantz stated in a Facebook post that he has not yet given up on the possibility of a government headed by him being established.

"First of all, we will bring Israeli democracy back to functionality – and then we will form a government to address coronavirus and the additional challenges at stake," he wrote.

"Yesterday we set up the Finance Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and today we also set up a committee to address the issue of the coronavirus and other committees that are critical at this time. By tomorrow, in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling, we will appoint a Knesset Speaker as is required in a democratic state. The spins, the unrestrained attacks on the court, will not affect me and my partners. First of all, I will restore Israeli democracy to full functioning - without fear. Then I intend to discuss all possible ways to form a unity government that will fight the coronavirus and address the additional challenges we face," he added.

Gantz responded to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's call for the establishment of a unity government immediately and wrote, 

"Netanyahu, the gaps between us are substantial. I am fighting for the activation of Israeli democracy, and I hope you will join me in these efforts. And more importantly - you must clearly tell the people of Israel that the rulings of the court are to be obeyed and that there will be no anarchy in Israel. Israeli democracy must not be trampled in the name of the coronavirus crisis that requires thorough treatment - medically, socially and economically. Not on my watch."

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New restrictions in Israel: No walking more than 100 meters from house

 Ministers last night discussed the dire situation, the scenarios, the policies and steps to follow. 

The ministers approved emergency regulations that include new traffic restrictions imposed on citizens.

It is clear that the new restrictions does not include a complete closure of the population as requested by the Health Ministry, but will expand on existing guidelines.

Under the new restrictions, public transportation will be completely eliminated and workers in essential positions will be transported by special shuttle. Taxi travel will be allowed with only one passenger.

The permitted range of exits from the houses will be one hundred meters, and citizens will not be allowed to move farther.

It was also determined that workplaces would be required to measure the temperatures of workers at the entrance.

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Halakhic ruling: 'Zoom' software can be used during Seder

A group of rabbis, including Rabbi Eliyahu Abergel, head of Jerusalem's rabbinical court, the Chief of Rabbi of Kiryat Gat Rabbi Shlomo Ben Hamo, and Rabbi Aharon Cohen of Yakir, have signed a halakhic ruling permitting the Passover Seder to be held in the presence of the “Zoom” program.

The ruling refers to the possibility of holding the Seder with the software being opened before the start of the holiday, so that elderly people who cannot be physically close to their family members due to the coronavirus epidemic can hold the Seder while seeing their family through the program.

The rabbis state in the ruling that there is no need to worry about the issue of operating the program, since it is launched before the start of the holiday.

Regarding the concern that they will be lenient on this issue on other holidays as well, the rabbis state that there is no place for such concerns since it is clear that these days are a time of emergency and the permit is only valid for an emergency.

"Therefore we are permitting, stressing that this is only for emergencies, and only for the purpose of this year’s Seder for those who need it. 

And just as they permit a non-dangerous patient to receive treatment on Shabbat so as to cure him of his illness, so is the case here," the rabbis wrote.

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Fought Against the Nazis But What Killed Romi Cohen was Corona

 Reb Avrohom Hakohen “Romi” Cohen died from Corona , he was 92. 

R’ Romi was a famous Mohel who performed thousands of Bris Milah’s as well as famous for having been a partisan in WWII. He was also the founder of “Keren Avrohom Hakohen” 

He was hospitalized a few days ago with COVID-19 symptoms, and was Niftar on Tuesday morning.

Just last month, On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, R’ Romi delivered the opening prayer before the House of Representatives.

Born in 1929 in the city of Pressburg, Czechoslovakia, Avraham Romi Cohn grew up as a precocious child in a warm and caring family. His parents were successful in business and well known for their Tzedakah and Chesed. They often invited guests into their home and hosted local Yeshiva students who had no place else to go.

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