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March 16, 2018 at 12:59 pm
Monsey, NY - The Vizhnitzer world has been plunged into mourning following the death of Rabbi Mordechai Hager, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey.
The fifth rebbe of the Vizhnitzer dynasty, Rabbi Hager was born in 1922.
Rabbi Hager and his brother took over the leadership of Vizhnitz after the passing of their father, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager, the Imrei Chaim, in 1972, with Rabbi Mordechai Hager serving as the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in New York and Rabbi Yehoshua Hager serving as the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak until his death five years ago, also at age 95.
Believed to the be the oldest Chasidic rebbe in the world who had thousands of followers, Rabbi Hager and his wife, the daughter of the Skverer Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Twersky, had 14 children.
His oldest son, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe ...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:55 pm
“If a leader [of Israel] sins and unintentionally commits one of all the commandments of the L-rd, which may not be committed...then he shall bring his offering...(Vayikra 4:22-24).”
The Torah states that if the Nassi, the leader of the Jewish people, unintentionally sins, he must bring a special korban to atone for his transgression. Regarding this procedure, Rashi quotes a Gemara (Horiyos 10b) which makes a seemingly strange statement: “Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai said ‘Praiseworthy is the generation whose leader brings a sin-offering for his inadvertent transgression’”.
Now, I can understand that it is praiseworthy for a leader to admit that he has done something wrong. However, shouldn’t R’ Yochanan save his “praise...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:52 pm
I began haphazardly collecting the advertisements a number of years ago. The first, which appeared at the end of Tammuz in a Jewish periodical, touted an eatery. It was apparently aimed at carnivores troubled by the restrictions of the imminent Nine-Day period of mourning over the Beis Hamikdash’s destruction. Beneath a photo of a full plate of food was the legend: “Siyum Nightly for Meat Lovers!” Really.
More recently, I was struck by a full page come-on just around this time of year featuring a bottle of kosher for Pesach potato-based vodka over the legend: “Finally, shulchan oreich is a pleasure.”
Finally? I dunno. Somehow, my family’s Sedarim have been immensely pleasurable, even vodka-free.
Between those offensive boo...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:45 pm
[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was.
As we began to read Sefer Vayikra this week, it is crucial that we understand the laws discussed in this sefer. Sefer Vayikra discusses the laws of purity, Korbanos, as well as other Kohein-related topics. ...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:35 pm
MIAMI (AP) — Authorities said Friday that the cables suspending a pedestrian bridge were being tightened after a "stress test" when the 950-ton concrete span collapsed over traffic, killing at least six people only days after its installation was celebrated as a technological innovation.
And officials expected to find more bodies in the rubble.
As state and federal investigators worked to determine why the five-day-old span failed, Florida politicians pointed to the stress test and loosened cables as possible factors, and a police chief asked everyone not to jump to conclusions.
"This is a tragedy that we don't want to re-occur anywhere in the United States," said Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade police. "We just want to find out what caused this collapse to occur and p...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:33 pm
This article is adapted from Baltimore native Rabbi Dovid Jaffee’s upcoming sefer on the laws of Loshon Hora in contemporary times. All halachos mentioned herein are complex and part of a larger framework. The purpose of the article is to raise awareness of these essential halachos; one should not draw any practical conclusions without first consulting a rav. IntroductionOne of the most important, but least understood, applications of the laws of Loshon Hora is the topic of shidduchim. It is accepted in the Orthodox community that when searching for a partner in marriage, one does research about the potential candidate before (and sometimes during) the dating process. This is most commonly done by speaking to teachers, friends, and colleagues of the candidate and asking personal ques...
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March 16, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Parshas Vayikra / Rosh Chodesh / Parshas HaChodesh / Baltimore Zmanim / Eruv is UP!
Baltimore, MD – Mar. 16, 2018
Parshas: Vayikra
Today: 29 Adar
Chatzos: 1:16 PM
Hadlakas Nairos: 6:56 PM
Shkiah: 7:14:46 PM
Tzais HaKochavim: 8:05 PM
Kiddush Levanah: Monday, March 19, 2018 - Shabbos, March 31, 2018 3:54 PM
Kiddush Levanah may only be said at night
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March 16, 2018 at 11:17 am
Update: Five people were wounded in a terror-ramming attack in the northern Shomron (Jenin area), near the community of Reihan. The attack happened around 4:15 PM.
Two of the wounded victims have died.
Hatzalah Yosh reports that two of the wounded has been taken by helicopter to the Beilinson hospital.
The driver has been captured and was only lightly wounded.
An Arab victim who was at the scene was evacuated by a Red Crescent ambulance.
f50aa071-183a-4239-aae4-cf6a6b0fcae7.mp4 from BaltimoreJewishLife.com on Vimeo.
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March 16, 2018 at 11:09 am
Responding to a continuously increasing demand for its services, Agudath Israel of America has hired Rabbi Naftali Miller to head a new division dedicated exclusively to development, a move that will allow the Agudah to better cater to the evolving needs of the Jewish community from coast to coast.
Rabbi Miller comes to the Agudah after a long tenure as director of development at Boro Park’s Yeshiva Derech Chaim and Artscroll, bringing with him a wealth of experience in creating growth opportunities. Co-founder of Chasdei Lev, whose efforts to express hakaras hatov to those in chinuch have been helping rabbeim nationwide alleviate the financial strain of the yomim tovim for the past 11 years, Rabbi Miller’s history of askanus and proven track record of success make him an...
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March 16, 2018 at 11:00 am
Four young men in their 20s were seriously injured when a vehicle rammed into them. The incident took place on Route 585 from Mevo Dotan towards Hermesh in the West Bank.
One of the men was critically injured.
The incident is suspected to be a terrorist attack.
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March 16, 2018 at 10:56 am
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 16, 2018 - On Tuesday, Maryland’s nonpublic school community came out in droves to the State Capital of Annapolis for the annual student rally hosted by Maryland CAPE. Despite the chilly temperatures more than 1,100 students, teachers, parents, and advocates from numerous faith communities, gathered on Lawyer’s Mall facing the State House to express their appreciation for programs like the BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) Scholarship Program, and other programs that benefit nonpublic schools and their students.
With the ninety-day legislative session heading into its final few weeks, the rally was timely, as the General Assembly is deciding the budget allocations for the upcoming year.
Before heading outside, arriving...
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March 16, 2018 at 10:23 am
WASHINGTON — All seven service members aboard a military helicopter died in a crash in western Iraq on Thursday, United States officials said on Friday. The crash is under investigation but is not believed to be a result of enemy action.
The aircraft, an HH-60 Pave Hawk, crashed near the city of Qaim, where the American military uses a base as a logistics center and resupply hub. Iraqi security forces responded quickly and secured the area, according to a statement from Brig. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga, the director of operations for the American-led coalition battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The Defense Department said it would not release the names of the deceased American service members until their families have been notified.
The helicopter crashed about 18 ...
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March 16, 2018 at 9:28 am
THE FOLLOWING IS VIA YWN
YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of the Vishnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, Hagaon HaRav Mordechai Hager ZATZAL. He was 95.
The Rebbe was Niftar on Friday morning, with his children at his bedside at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.
The Rebbe was the elder of the Admorim today.
The Rebbe was known for his devotion to learning Torah: Learning around 18 hours a day and...read more at YWN
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March 15, 2018 at 9:18 pm
President Trump has decided to remove H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser and is actively discussing potential replacements, according to five people with knowledge of the plans, preparing to deliver yet another jolt to the senior ranks of his administration.
Trump is now comfortable with ousting McMaster, with whom he never personally gelled, but is willing to take time executing the move because he wants to ensure both that the three-star Army general is not humiliated and that there is a strong successor lined up, these people said.
The turbulence is part of a broader potential shake-up under consideration by Trump that is likely to include senior officials at the White House, where staffers are gripped by fear and uncertainty as they await the next move from an impuls...
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March 15, 2018 at 9:13 pm
MIAMI (FOX 13) - The Miami fire chief says four people were found dead in the rubble of a collapsed pedestrian bridge near Florida International University's campus in Miami.
The pedestrian bridge, just installed over the weekend, came crashing down on a South Florida highway Thursday afternoon atop of several vehicles.
Fire Chief Dave Downey said at a news briefing Thursday evening that four deceased people had been found at the scene by first responders. He also says nine victims were removed "early on" and taken to hospitals. But he did not elaborate on their conditions.
Downey said "search and rescue mode" would continue after nightfall, with technical rescue crews and K-9 teams sifting through the rubble.
Gov. Rick Scott also spoke to reporters, saying "everyb...
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March 15, 2018 at 9:09 pm
Lebanese PM says his country plans to increase its military presence along its southern border, says Israel "remains the primary threat".
Lebanon plans to increase its military presence along its southern border with Israel, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Hariri spoke at a meeting in Rome, where he is seeking financial support for Lebanon’s armed forces.
Bolstering the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and internal security forces is seen as a way for the international community to keep the Hezbollah terrorist group, which has helped sway the Syrian civil war in President Bashar Al-Assad’s favor, from broadening its clout in the Lebanese heartland.
“We will be sending more LAF troops to the south, and we stress our intention to dep...
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March 15, 2018 at 8:52 pm
PM Netanyahu welcomes appointment as Secretary of State of Mike Pompeo, known for his opposition to Iran deal.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of Mike Pompeo as U.S. Secretary of State.
"During my meetings with Pompeo I was very impressed with his abilities and experience. I believe that in his role as Secretary of State we will also work very well together," Netanyahu said in a statement.
President Donald Trump named Pompeo, who previously served as head of the CIA, as the replacement for Rex Tillerson, whom he dismissed on Tuesday.
Trump later stated that the reason behind the dismissal of Tillerson was his support for the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers.
“Rex and I have been talking about this for a lo...
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March 15, 2018 at 8:43 pm
The governments of former Israeli Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir sought to transfer the Arabs living in the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria, according to documents published this morning by journalist Hagai Huberman and Ariel University Associate Professor Miriam Billig.The documents were located within the framework of a joint study on the perception of the Gaza Strip by Israeli governments since the establishment of the state.Huberman presented several documents, including those documenting internal discussions at the end of the Six-Day War. In 1967, he said, General Haim Herzog, Moshe Sasson, Shaul Bar-Haim, and David Kimhi, members of a special committee appointed by then Prime Minister Eshkol, suggested to Eshkol that "the Arabs of the Gaza Strip be transferred to the Jord...
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March 15, 2018 at 8:38 pm
Scientists: Cuba sonic attacks may have been caused by malfunctioning bugging devices. Rich Edson reports from the State Department.
