During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
NEW YORK (AP) — Sears has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, buckling under its massive debt load and staggering losses.
Sears once dominated the American retail landscape. But the big question is whether the shrunken version of itself can be viable or will it be forced to go out of business, closing the final chapter for an iconic name that originated more than a century ago.
Holdings will also close 142 unprofitable stores near the end of the year. Liquidation sales at these stores are expected to begin shortly. This is in addition to the previously announced closure of 46 unprofitable stores that is expected to be completed by November 2018.
The company, which started out as a mail order catalog in the 1880s, has been on a slow march toward extinction as it lagged far ...
Thank you to the many dozens of readers who sent us news tips about a missing Bachur.
Note: The information from social media was not immediately published due to the sensitive nature of the case, and until we could independently verify certain information.
TLS spoke with LCSW, who has spoken to both the father and the mother of the Bachur, and based on the conversations, we are releasing the following information.
Moshe, 23, son of Mrs. Miriam Lando and Rabbi Chaim Lando is from Baltimore. He was last seen in Lakewood Thursday afternoon.
Lakewood Shomrim (LCSW) is conducting a search, in conjunction with Baltimore Shomrim.
The picture shown is a recent picture, taken Chol Hamoed.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts, is asked to call the LCSW hotline at 732-367-1212.
A search is underway for missing 23-year-old Moshe Lando, a young man learning in Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ.
According to Moshe’s parents, Moshe returned last week to BMG but has not been seen since Thursday. His phone is pinging at the Hoboken bus terminal, but he is not there.
If you have any information please contact the Lakewood PD or email the family at cslando@gmail.com
Please daven for Moshe ben Miriam Shaina.
Jerusalem - Israel’s prime minister is threatening “very painful blows” against Gaza’s Hamas rulers if they don’t halt protests along the perimeter fence that have led to clashes with Israeli troops.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is very close to waging a “different kind of activity” against the Islamic militants. He says “if it has any sense, Hamas will cease its fire and violent outbursts — now.”
Hamas has orchestrated near-weekly protests along the Israel-Gaza boundary since March, pressing for an end to a decade-long Israel-Egyptian blockade of the isolated territory.
On Friday, some 20 Palestinians breached the border. Israeli troops shot dead seven at that location.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars ov...
Brooklyn, NY - An unidentified man is under arrest and the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force has been called in after a Chasidic man was viciously beaten this morning in broad daylight in what appears to be an unprovoked attack on 13th Avenue.
Sources who spoke to VIN News on condition of anonymity said that Lipa Schwartz was walking to the synagogue just after 7:15 this morning when the sounds of a car screeching down the avenue between 45th and 46th streets had him stopping in his tracks.
Surveillance video shows the car service driver running out of a black four door sedan directly at Schwartz, hitting him in the head multiple times.
Attempting to flee his attacker, Schwartz ran into 46th Street intersection where the car service driver continued to beat him, punching him in the he...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
Jerusalem - An Ali Express shipment turned out to be no bargain for a Beitar Illit family when four people who came into contact with an unknown powdery substance were hospitalized after reporting feeling dizzy and light headed.
United Hatzalah spokesperson Raphael Poch said that paramedics were called to the family home on HaRebbe M’Zvhil Street on Sunday afternoon.
A 47 year old mother, her 20 year old daughter, and two sons, ages 17 and seven, all reported feeling ill after two packages from a larger Ali Express order had been opened in the home.
Israel Fire and Rescue were called to clear the home of any lingering fumes and to investigate the powder which was later identified as magnesium carbonate.
According to the National Institute of Health, severe reactions to magn...
We regret to inform you of the sudden Petirah of Hayeled Pinchos Weinschneider A”H.
The five-month-old was found unresponsive at his home today. Hatzolah paramedics and police responded to the home.
Pinchos is the child of Dr. Ely (Eliyahu) and Esther Sara Weinschneider.
Levaya information will be published when confirmed. The family is waiting for grandparents from Chicago.
Over 17 inches of snow fell in parts of eastern North Dakota – the area's first significant snowfall of the season – when snowstorm swept through the area this week.
The Grand Forks Air Force Base recorded a whopping 17.4 inches overnight Wednesday into Thursday with snow drifts piling up to 33 inches high, according to the National Weather Service's Grand Forks office.
“It's kind of unbelievable that this happened in October,” Andrew Moore, an NWS-Grand Forks meteorologist, told the Grand Forks Herald.
Some 15 miles east of the base, the NWS office in Grand Forks recorded 6.1 inches of snow, 5.7 of which fell on Wednesday alone, nearly doubling their daily record snowfall amount. The previous record was when ...
It was this week two years ago that Hillary Clinton’s victory looked assured, when the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape of Donald Trump bragging about assault appeared all but certain to end his campaign.
Jesse Ferguson remembers it well. The deputy press secretary for Clinton’s campaign also remembers what happened a month later.
It’s why this veteran Democratic operative can’t shake the feeling that, as promising as the next election looks for his party, it might still all turn out wrong.
“Election Day will either prove to me I have PTSD or show I’ve been living déjà vu,” Ferguson said. “I just don’t know which yet.”
Ferguson is one of many Democrats who felt the string of unexpected defea...
Dubai - Saudi Arabia warned Sunday it will respond to any “threats” against it as its stock market plunged following President Donald Trump’s warning of “severe punishment” over the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump made a point of visiting the kingdom on his first overseas trip as president and has touted arms sales to Saudi Arabia. But both the White House and the kingdom are under mounting pressure as concern grows over the fate of the veteran journalist, who hasn’t been seen since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Already, international business leaders are pulling out of the kingdom’s upcoming investment forum, a high-profile event known as “Davos in the Desert.”
“The k...
New Jersey hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate in 46 years. But this fall, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez is facing an unexpectedly strong and well-funded challenge from a Republican nominee named Bob Hugin, who is spending millions on negative ads reminding voters of Menendez’s past ethics troubles.
Menendez went on trial in federal court last year, accused of illegally accepting gifts from a wealthy donor. A mistrial was declared after the jury failed to reach a verdict, but later, the Senate Ethics Committee “severely admonished” Menendez.
“This guy is an amazing textbook picture of corruption,” Hugin said in a phone interview with Fox News this week, arguing Menendez has “embarrassed the state in so many different ways.”
To a...
United Nations - An Israeli government study shared with Washington argues that Palestinian refugees number in the thousands, not the millions designated by a U.N. aid agency whose funding has been slashed by the Trump administration, an Israeli official said on Friday.
The fate of Palestinians displaced by the 1948 war of Israel’s founding and their descendants has long clouded U.S.-sponsored peace efforts. Frustration over the issue is among factors fuelling often violent weekly protests at the Gaza border over the last half year, during which around 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
Palestinians demand a refugee right of return to lands now in Israel, which rejects this, insisting they settle where they are or in a future Palestinian state. Negotiations on fou...
New York - The State Department says former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s security clearance has been withdrawn at her request.
Clearances for five other people Clinton designated as researchers have also been withdrawn, including for aide Cheryl Mills.
The State Department disclosed Clinton’s request in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, authorized the letter’s disclosure following consultation with the department. The letter blacks out the names of four other Clinton researchers whose security clearances were withdrawn last month.
The Iowa Republican has been critical of Clinton’s handling of classified information and has urged administrative sanctions. The committee says the update on Clinton&rsquo...
United Nations - Israel, Syria and the United Nations have agreed to open the Quneitra crossing in the Golan Heights on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Friday.
Haley said in a statement that the opening “will allow U.N. peacekeepers to step up their efforts to prevent hostilities in the Golan Heights region.”
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has been monitoring operations in a demilitarized zone established in 1974 between the Israeli-occupied Golan and the Syrian sector, but the peacekeeping mission was disrupted by Syria’s civil war.
Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and fought Syria again on the strategic plateau in a 1973 conflict.
“We look to both Israel and Syria to provid...
Nashua, NH - A quick stop by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Saturday in the state that holds the first primary in the race for the White House is sparking more speculation about a possible White House bid by the billionaire media company founder and gun safety advocate.
Bloomberg was the main attraction at the get-out-the-vote rally for six candidates running for New Hampshire’s state House of Representatives. The event was organized by Moms Demand Action, an arm of Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety organization set up after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Bloomberg’s trip came just days after he re-registered as a Democrat after years as a Republican and an independent. Asked by The Associated Press if he has any timetable for...
BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of people protested racism and discrimination Saturday in Berlin, a demonstration that came amid rising concerns about Germany’s increasingly confident far right.
A wide range of groups, including pro-refugee, gay rights and Muslim organizations, backed the “Indivisible” protest in the heart of the German capital under the slogan “solidarity instead of exclusion — for an open and free society.”
Last year’s German election saw the far-right Alternative for Germany party enter the national parliament. Anti-migrant violence a few weeks ago in the eastern city of Chemnitz has added to concerns.
Organizers said more than 240,000 people turned out Saturday, while police on Twitter cited a turnout figure in “...
New York, NY - Three people were arrested in New York City following violent clashes after a speech by the founder of a far-right group, and police said Saturday they were reviewing video of the clashes and could make additional arrests.
The violence Friday night followed a speech by Gavin McInnes, the founder of the Proud Boys, at the Metropolitan Republican Club. The male-only Proud Boys describe themselves as “western chauvinists.”
Videos posted on YouTube show clashes between the Proud Boys and groups that were protesting McInnes’ speech.
No serious injuries were reported.
The three arrested face assault charges and are awaiting arraignment Saturday in Manhattan criminal court. Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said the department was reviewing video and would make...
New York - Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents.
The documents were created with Kushner’s cooperation as part of a review of his finances by an institution that was considering lending him money, the Times reported. The Times said that Kushner’s tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income.
The Times report said that nothing in the documents reviewed “suggests Mr. Kushner or his company broke the law.”
Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kush...
THE FOLLOWING IS VIA YWN
A Jewish man walking to synagogue was attacked and beaten by a man on Sunday morning.
Sources tell YWN that at approximately 7:30AM a 62-year-old Jewish man was walking to Shul on 13th Avenue near 46 Street, carrying his Tallis and Tefillin. Suddenly, a vehicle screeched to a halt, the driver got out, and ran towards the victim. He began punching him in his face and screaming at him – all in a totally unprovoked attack. The man broke free and began running, but the suspect once again assaulted him in front of TD Bank.
The NYPD responded to reports of the assault and took the suspect into custody. The vehicle he was driving said “Church Ave Car Service” on it. Boro Park Shomrim were on the scene as well assisting police. Read more at YWN