Yeshiva World News

The following is via COL :

Danny Cole and Mendy Losh, who were hiking in the mountains in Nepal during the earthquake and were not heard from for many hours, were confirmed safe early Monday.

Many in Crown Heights and around the world are breathing a sigh of relief early Monday, as two Crown Heights residents who were hiking in the mountains in Nepal and were not heard from for many hours, were confirmed safe late Sunday night.

Danny Cole, a father of four from Crown Heights and Mendy Losh, originally from Crown Heights and recently a resident of Los Angeles, were hiking in the area when the earthquake hit.

At 1:45 am early Monday, Yitzi Cole, brother of Danny Cole, said in an email to COLlive, “BH I can confirm that they have made contact and that they are OK.”

A few minutes later, Mendy Losh sent a text to his friend Zevi Steinhauser saying, “We are safe. We had no connection the last two days. Hope to get more connection in a few hours. Phone about to die and bad connection here.”

The two were traveling with a Nepalese Sherpa guide, having flown into the town of Lukla, and were hiking from there to climb part of mount Everest.

The friends were likely located on a trail that leads to the Everest base camp when the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed at least 3,218 people hit. The tremors triggered avalanches on the frigid peak that have killed at least 19 people, including three Americans.

More information will be updated when available.

(Source: COL)

The death toll climbed above 3,700 on Monday, two days after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck central Nepal and surrounding regions.

Key information known at this time:

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CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE

How much higher the death toll would rise depends on the state of remote Himalayan villages that rescue workers were still trying to reach. Many of the roads are believed to be cut off by landslides, making it likely that some of these communities can only be reached by helicopter.

The earthquake hit the capital, Kathmandu, but its impact spread far beyond. At least 18 people died on the slopes of Mount Everest, where avalanches buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers. Another 61 people were killed in neighboring India, and China reported 20 people dead in Tibet.

Nearly 100 aftershocks, including a magnitude-6.7 temblor Sunday, have hindered rescue efforts and terrorized residents sleeping in open squares and parks.

Kathmandu is full of small, poorly constructed brick apartment buildings, and the quake destroyed swaths of the oldest neighborhoods, even as more modern structures stood firm. Most areas were without power and water.

The quake was the worst to hit Nepal in at least 80 years. Nepal’s worst recorded earthquake in 1934 measured 8.0 and all but destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.

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AID EFFORTS

The first aid flights began delivering supplies Sunday after Kathmandu’s airport reopened. Tents and water were being handed out Monday at 10 locations in Kathmandu, district chief administrator Ek Narayan Aryal said.

The United Nations said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overcrowded and running out of emergency supplies and space to store corpses.

Some pharmacies and shops for basic provisions opened while bakeries began offering fresh bread. With power lines down, spotty phone connections and almost no Internet connectivity, residents were particularly anxious to buy morning newspapers.

Huge lines of people desperate to secure fuel lined up outside gasoline pumps; prices were the same as they were before the earthquake struck.

The first nations to respond were Nepal’s neighbors — India, China and Pakistan. The United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Israel and Singapore also sent aid.

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MOUNT EVEREST SITUATION

The quake unleashed a devastating avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens. Some warned that dozens of people may still be missing and were almost certainly dead.

The first group of survivors from the avalanche were flown to Kathmandu on Sunday and taken to hospitals. None appeared to have life-threatening injuries.

The avalanche struck near one of the famed mountain’s most dangerous spots. It swept down between the Khumbu Icefall and the base camp used by international climbing expeditions.

There were unverified reports of avalanches on other parts of the mountain.

Facebook postings by climbers suggested that some people may have been buried in their tents when the avalanche hit. Climbers and their support teams were leaving the base camp Saturday looking for safer locations.

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WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle said the quake happened on what is known as a “thrust fault.” That describes the situation when one piece of the Earth’s crust is moving beneath another piece.

In this case, it’s the Indian plate that is moving north at 45 millimeters (1.7 inches) a year under the Eurasian plate to the north, Earle said. It’s a different type of earthquake than the one that caused the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

“This is what builds the Himalayan mountain range,” Earle said.

The region and particular fault has a history of damaging earthquakes, including four temblors with magnitudes greater than 6.0 in the past 100 years, Earle said, warning that landslides are a particular worry now, given the steep slopes in the region.

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HOW PREPARED IS NEPAL TO COPE WITH SUCH A DISASTER?

Nepal is a relatively poor country without extensive resources despites its rich cultural heritage and spectacular mountain scenery.

It has been plagued by instability in recent years, and general strikes have recently brought chaotic scenes to Kathmandu.

Nepal’s constitution was supposed to have been written by the Constituent Assembly that was elected in 2008, following the end of a 10-year Maoist insurgency and the overthrow of the centuries-old monarchy, but the assembly was hampered by infighting and never finished its work.

The current assembly was chosen in 2013, but has faced the same problem.

(AP)

The acting chief executive of the Clinton Foundation says the global philanthropy is working quickly to remedy mistakes it made in how it disclosed donors, saying that its policies on transparency and contributions from foreign governments are “stronger than ever.”

Maura Pally posted the statement Sunday on the foundation’s website amid swirling questions about its financial support as Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks on her presidential campaign. The former secretary of state in recent weeks has sought to dismiss the scrutiny as “distractions and attacks” by Republicans seeking to discredit her, but on Sunday, Pally acknowledged the foundation had made some errors.

Pally said the Clinton Foundation expected to refile some of its tax forms, following a voluntary external review, because it had “mistakenly combined” government grants with other donations. She stressed the total revenue was reported accurately and that grants were properly broken out on audited statements on its website.

“Yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don’t happen in the future,” she said.

Pally defended the foundation’s charitable work and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency. She explained that it took “unprecedented steps” to avoid potential conflicts of interest with annual disclosure of donors when Clinton became secretary of state in 2009. Now that Clinton is running for president, Pally said, the foundation intends to release the information quarterly and limit foreign government contributions to a “handful of governments.”

Pally also described the foundation’s work with the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, which she said received funding from a separate organization in Canada. She said that partnership does not disclose its donors because under Canadian law they are not disclosed without prior permission from each donor.

“This is hardly an effort on our part to avoid transparency,” Pally said.

That partnership has come under scrutiny because it is named after Frank Giustra, a Canadian mining billionaire who has donated more than $31 million to the Clinton Foundation since the mid-2000s.

The Clinton Foundation was started in 2001 by former President Bill Clinton.

Amid the questions about the foundation’s financing, Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea will be starting a nine-day trip to Africa on Wednesday to highlight the group’s work on issues such as economic growth and empowerment, climate change and empowering women and girls.

(AP)

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

We are all familiar with some of these families.  They had moved to Eretz Yisroel, settled there and had even kept one day of Yom Tov.  Yet, now they wish to return.  The halachic question is:When is it permitted to leave Eretz Yisrael?

While we are at it, we may also deal with the question of what the reason is for the mitzvah of remaining in Eretz Yisroel? Are we dealing with a Biblical or rabbinic prohibition? And even if it is primarily rabbinic in nature, is there ever a Biblical mandate regarding this?

As an interesting aside, Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita once asked his uncle the Chazon Ish if it would be permitted to go swimming at a beach wherein the ocean is the actual border of Eretz Yisroel (cited in Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein’s Avnei Chain 5:2). The Chazon Ish answered that the area that one swims in is still considered part of the land of Eretz Yisroel.  According to this, however, it is possible that someone taking flying lessons may not fly over the waters on account of the possible prohibition of leaving Eretz Yisroel, unless he is doing so for the purpose of a Mitzvah.

FOUR MAIN REASONS
The reasons for the prohibition of leaving Eretz Yisroel cited by the authorities are actually rather varied:

• The Ramban (Bamidbar 33:53) explains the prohibition on account of the mitzvah to settle in Eretz Yisrael. The Ramban, if we recall, is of the opinion that the Torah mitzvah to settle the land of Israel is applicable nowadays, as well.
• The Rashbam (Bava Basra 91b) explains that the prohibition exists because by leaving the land, one is actively removing oneself from the mitzvos that are uniquely dependent upon being present in Israel.
• The Lechem Mishnah (Melachim 5:12) explains that because Israel is holy, it is forbidden to leave it.
• Finally, a fourth reason given is that prayer in Israel is much more effective, and the prohibition was made so that the nation of Israel not remain bereft of those praying on its behalf in the place where prayer is most efficacious.

BIBLICAL OR RABBINIC?
Is it a Torah or rabbinic prohibition? Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l (Igros Moshe, Y.D. Vol. I, No. 120), indicates that it is rabbinic.  That being the case, in a case of a doubt there is greater leniency.  The language of the Maharitatz (Siman 85), however, indicates that he learns the prohibition as Biblical – not like Rav Feinstein zt”l.  He writes that the source for the Rambam’s leniency regarding leaving for business comes from a fortiori argument from leaving Israel to go Egypt.  If it is permitted regarding Egypt it is certainly permitted regarding other lands where the prohibition is not explicit in the Torah.  His language in the latter half of the response is indicative that it is still a biblical prohibition, but not one that is explicit.  The Chochmas Adam in his Mishpetei Aretz 11:14, however, also learns that the prohibition is Rabbinic.

LENIENCIES
There are various heterim that are found in the poskim to permit leaving Eretz Yisroel.

• For the mitzvah of kibud av v’eim, honoring one’s parents, it is certainly permitted to leave Israel. There are two circumstances described in the poskim:

One, where one’s parents are traveling to Israel; in such a case, one is permitted to leave Israel proper to greet and accompany them. The other case is where one leaves Israel to tend to another need involving kibud av v’eim. The former case is permitted by all authorities based upon a Gemara in Kiddushin (31a). The latter case is the subject of some debate. The consensus of poskim is that in that case it is permitted, as well.  If, however, your parents need you because they are in danger, then one would certainly be permitted to go. Indeed, some poskim even permit one to permanently leave Israel when one leaves for the mitzvah of kibud av v’eim. Beis Shlomo, Y.D. Vol. II, No. 94, citing Rashi’s interpretation of Kiddushin 31a. The Maharsha, however, seems to learn otherwise. See Chayei Moshe 48:37.

Others disagree and write that it is only permitted if one has in mind to return. Clearly, however, there are no boundary issues when it comes to kibud av v’eim.

• One is also permitted to leave Eretz Yisrael to seek medical care or for health reasons in general.
• Additionally, it is permissible to leave Israel to travel to the gravesites of tzaddikim, such as in Uman, in order to pray there (see Shaarei Teshuvah 568:20).
• According to Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt”l (Yechave Da’as 5:57) one would also be permitted to leave Eretz Yisrael to teach Torah to others. This issue came up a number of years ago with a now prominent rosh yeshiva who was offered a prestigious post outside of Israel. The gedolim of Eretz Yisrael told him to take the position, but his wife refused to follow him. Rav Chatzkel Levenstein, zt’l, also took a position outside of Israel in the Mirrer Yeshiva when it was offered to him.
• A fascinating additional heter is found in the Mishnah Berurah (531:14). He writes that one may leave Israel to see a good friend, because this is considered a d’var mitzvah. Poskim extend this to include seeing one’s children and grandchildren.
• One may leave Eretz Yisrael to find a shidduch outside of Israel (Rambam, Melachim 5:9). This is true even if one would be able to find a suitable match inside of Israel, if marriage to another person (found outside of Israel) is preferred. Generally speaking, this is only if one has in mind to return to Israel. Interestingly enough, if one cannot find a spouse in Israel, it is permissible to go chutz l’Aretz and settle there on a permanent basis (Maharit, Kiddushin 111a).
• One may leave Israel to conduct one’s business affairs (Rambam, ibid.). This is only permitted, however, if his intention is to return.

MAY ONE TRAVEL IF ONE HAS LEFT WITH A HETER

One last question brings us back to one of our original questions.  May one stay and travel a bit if he had originally left with permission.  If the prohibition is Rabbinic then it would seem to be permitted.  if, however, it is biblical, then it would seem that the reason is like that of the Ramban cited above and one would not be permitted to delay further on account of the constant Mitzvah of being in Eretz Yisroel.  Of course one should consult with one’s own Rav and Posaik in regard to all of these issues.

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com

Originally published at http://5tjt.com/the-prohibition-of-leaving-israel/

According to an Al-Jazeera report, the Israel Air Force once again targeted Hizbullah objectives in Syria, this time north of Damascus. The reported aerial attack was carried out during the predawn hours Monday, 8 Iyar 5775.

The attack reportedly took place hours after four terrorists detected placing an explosive device along the Syrian border were shot dead by IDF soldiers.

There are deaths and injuries reported in the Monday morning predawn attack but numbers are not released in the report. The IAF is reported to have attacked Syrian and Hizbullah weapons storage facilities in the latest IAF operation in Syria. The IAF reportedly attacked Hizbullah in Syria on Shabbos 6 Iyar and on Friday 5 Iyar as well. Officials in Israel are not commenting on any of the reported attacks.

07:21 IL: Unconfirmed Arab media sources are now reporting 10-30 killed in IAF attack.

08:02: Israeli media sources deny Israeli involvement in attack in Syria during the night, blaming rebel forces.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

The Arab driver terrorist responsible for the motzei Shabbos vehicular attack in the Beit Orot complex in Yerushalayim is in custody. The terrorist is a resident of the Shuafat refugee camp in the eastern capital.

Four policewomen were injured in the attack, with one, in her 20s reported in moderate condition. The others sustained light injuries. The victims were transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in the capital.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Hamas’ growing influence on areas under PA (Palestinian Authority) control is evident in many areas, including the recent student union elections in Ramallah’s Birzeit University. Hamas scored a definitive victory over Fatah, with the latter identified with PA Chairman Abu Mazen. Hamas now holds 26 seats while Fatah remains in the minority with 19 seats.

Hamas officials in Gaza explain the victory is yet another indication of the organization’s growing influence among residents of PA areas.

With 9,000 students, Birzeit is the largest PA university and the victory for Hamas is also a victory for Islamic extremism over secularist Islam.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday morning 7 Iyar, met at the President’s Residence with the spiritual and community leaders of the Armenian community in Israel, to mark 100 years since the Armenian tragedy. At the opening of the meeting, the President said, “We are morally obligated to point out the facts, as horrible as they might be, we must not ignore them. The Armenian people were the first victims of modern mass killing. We do not seek to put the blame on any specific country, but rather identify with the victims and the horrible results of the massacre.”

The President stressed the importance on the Jewish people’s obligation to remember the massacre, and said, “Today, when the viper of fundamentalism is raising its ugly head once again, we must remember that evil is not the property of any specific religion, just as it is not the attribute of any specific country or ethnic group. We must not allow anyone to make cynical usage of the language of human rights for political purposes. Two weeks ago, we the Jewish people, commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day. After this horrible Holocaust, commemorating the tragedy of the Armenian people is our Jewish obligation; a human and moral one. I am proud to host you here in the President’s Residence to mark this day with you.”

The Honorary Consul of Armenia in Israel, Tsolag Momjian said, “This is a most historic event today. Armenians all over the world are commemorating the centenary anniversary of the mass killings of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turks. Israel is represented for the first time in Armenia by two Members of Knesset; Dr. Nachman Shai from the Zionist Union and Dr. Anat Berko of the Likud. The Armenian Genocide is not a political case but a moral case. And I want to thank the President for creating this historic opportunity today.”

During the meeting, representative of the Armenian Patriarch, Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, expressed his disappointment that the State of Israel had not related to the killings of the Armenian people as ‘genocide’.

At the end of the meeting, the President stated that he had noted this criticism, and that he believed that Israel’s leadership must do more to raise the issue of the murder of the Armenian people, and stressed the importance of the discussion held today.

Also participating in the meeting were Armenian Patriarch in Israel, Patriarch Nourhan Manougian; representative of the planning committee for a national day in Israel, Georgette Avakian; former MK Chaim Oron; historian Prof. Yehuda Bauer; author Chaim Be’er; poet Haim Gouri and his wife, Aliza; former MK Yair Tzaban; and Prof. Uriel Reichman.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Coalition negotiators representing Likud on Sunday, 7 Iyar, met with representatives of the Kulanu party. That was followed by a meeting with Yahadut Hatorah officials as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wishes to sign an agreement with the Ashkenazi chareidi party as the sandglass on negotiations is running down.

Despite reported progress with Yahadut Hatorah and Kulanu, it appears the parties are locked as Shas and Bayit Yehudi seem incapable or unwilling to reach agreement. One suggestion on the table is a conference that will include representatives of Shas, Bayit Yehudi, and Yahadut Hatorah, headed by representatives of the prime minister.

There are ongoing and conflicting reports surrounding a number of ministries, including Education, Economy, Interior and Religious Services. While progress is reported with Yahadut Hatorah, it appears the prime minister would include the party in this conference unless a deal is signed earlier.

Some of the outstanding issues include;

· Kulanu was promised the District Planning Board of the Interior Ministry. As a result Shas is not interested in the ministry.

· Shas indicated it would accept the Economy Ministry as compensation for Interior Ministry.

· Bayit Yehudi has been adamant in demands to maintain control of the Religious Services Ministry.

· Shas is adamant in demanding control of the Religious Services Ministry.

· Shas signals a willingness to permit Bayit Yehudi to appoint a director-general to the ministry.

· Bayit Yehudi wants total control over the ministry

· Shas signals it wants the entire Interior Ministry, not the Economy Ministry

· Naftali Bennett gives up on the Foreign Ministry, signaling he will accept the Education Ministry.

· Kulanu states the District Planning Board of the Interior Ministry is a deal-breaker for entering the coalition.

· Yahadut Hatorah wants control over the Knesset Finance Committee, as does Kulanu.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Following the loss of life during the levaya at HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Halevy Wosner ZT”L as people were trampled to death, it appears Yassam commando police are being brought in as part of the security detail at the tziyun of Rashbi on Lag B’Omer. This is one of the lessons learned from the police probe into the levaya of the gadol hador.

The commando force will be placed in and around the tziyun to prevent pushing and shoving as the specially trained police personnel will only permit a limited number of people inside simultaneously. The mispallalim will only be permitted to remain inside for a short period of time.

The original plan was to place police at the entrance and exit as police did not wish to place police inside. However, after subsequent discussions police have decided not to rely on civilian personnel to manage the crowd inside, preferring to install cameras and strategically positioned police look-outs that will continue feeding real-time information to the Israel Police frontal command center. This will provide sufficient data to the decision-makers in the command center to order Yassam forces inside the tziyun if and when necessary.

Mispallalim will be limited in number inside the tziyun and additional mispallalim will not be permitted to enter until those inside exit.

The same arrangement will be in place in the ezras noshim too but this year, unlike in past years, only female police personnel will be deployed in the ezras noshim area, not men.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Shas leader Aryeh Deri appears to be exhibiting a growing confidence as coalition negotiations with Likud representatives continue.

It is now reported that Shas leader Deri has decided he will not accept the Ministry of the Economy, but has gone back to his original demand, total control over the Ministry of the Interior. Shas originally wanted the Interior Ministry but backed down after learning Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised the District Planning Board aspect of that ministry to the Kulanu party. This will permit Kulanu to move ahead with its nationwide construction reform as the party is also promised control over the treasury and Israel Lands Administration.

Deri is quoted saying “There is no reason for us to be afraid of Naftali Bennett”, adding the party will also demand total and exclusive control over the Ministry of Religious Services.

Persons close to Deri on Sunday 7 Iyar told the press that the party leader is not going to accept the Economy Minister as he prefers to remain adamant to control the Interior Ministry including the District Planning Board. It is difficult to understand how Deri with 7 seats thinks he will usurp of the planning board from Kulanu with 10 seats.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

A special Magen Adom mission departed from Israel on Sunday, 7 Iyar, from Tel Aviv direct to Kathmandu to establish a Forward Response & treatment Post to assist Israelis in the stricken area and the local emergency forces

Following the earthquake, the snow avalanche and the secondary earthquakes in Nepal and the surrounding area, over 1,800 victims are reported to have lost their lives. During the noon hours the MDA Director-General Eli Bin, conducted an evaluation of the situation with the relevant authorities in MDA following which it was decided to launch an MDA humanitarian mission consisting of paramedics and doctors to Nepal. Additionally it was decided to initiate the protocols for humanitarians missions as part of the Red Cross disaster response, which includes preparations of special medical supplies and prolonged activity in disaster stricken zones along with full coordination with relevant authorities such as a the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDF and the Red Cross. This is in order to seamlessly join the international response to the situation with highly trained and qualified personnel who will assist in the humanitarian crisis and treatment of victims.

The plane will be outfitted with medical supplies, medicines, and baby formula, in order to reach the babies currently held up in the local Chabad House and also to establish a forward emergency response and treatment post for initial treatment in Nepal. Moreover, MDA is also continually preparing to send out an enlarged relief mission with further medical supplies and heavy equipment to further assist the victims.

MDA continues to be in touch with the relevant local authorities of the disaster stricken zone, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the IDF, relevant government officials and the International Red Cross to continuously receive up to date information reports from the scenes and to further prepare the ground for the arrival of the MDA humanitarian mission.

MDA Director-General Eli Bin stated “Our mission is to arrive quickly to the Chabad center in Kathmandu and to provide medical attention to the Israeli victims who may require it in the area. We are prepared and ready to contribute from our knowledge and experience in order to treat and assist the victims of this tragedy in Nepal. MDA personnel who will depart for the mission are trained and highly experienced in dealing with extreme situations such as these and I am sure that the cooperation between all those involved along with the local Red Cross representatives will be able to greatly assist in the mission of saving lives under the difficult conditions currently in the area.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

The Vishnitzer Rebbe Shlita addressed his younger chassidim, focusing on one’s midos, eating habits and one’s attire. The rebbe also spoke about shidduchim and Lag B’Omer.

Hundreds of Vishnitz talmidei yeshivos were in Kfar Citrin in northern Israel for a special event marking the rebbe’s 70th birthday. During the tisch the rebbe told the talmidim they must be mechazeik in their Avodas Hashem, particularly their midos.

The rebbe stated that he has not had opportunity to sit with talmidim and now he is privileged to spend an entire Shabbos with them.

“I am asking from the depth of my heart that each bochur remain true to the derech and serve as an example. A bochur that learns in Vishnitz must know what it means to be a chossid.

The rebbe stressed the importance of talmidim appearing ‘menchlich’, but frowned upon the growing emphasis on eyeglass frames, shoes and the money spent on “modern items” for one’s chasenah, stating “this is not our way and it is unacceptable”.

“This is especially true regarding shtreimalach” added the rebbe, stating “it is simply catastrophic. Today’s shtreimal look like a spudik and I call on bochrim to demand something different, to tell stores to stop offering a chosson such a shtreimal”.

Regarding the tangibles in a bochur’s life, the rebbe stated a bochur must eat well but not to become too involved in eating. “We eat because we must to serve HKBH and for no other reason” stated the rebbe.

“In addition, a bochur must sleep well and not abuse his body. He must take care of it. His remaining time must be dedicated to limud for without this, a bochur yeshiva becomes nothing more than a student…My grandfather the Imrei Chaim spoke about ‘מי שטעדירט אויף תלמוד’, learning Gemara in purity and Yiras Shomayim, and one must be careful regarding what one takes in and emerges from one’s mouth”.

The rebbe stated that unlike in the past, a bochur today lives without worries, as everything is done for him. He speaks of the need to distance oneself from the news and politics, the gossip on the streets as well as the gossip in the chassidus. “A bochur mustn’t be a pasul utensil and I hope we do not have such people in our yeshivos”.

“I was recently involved in a number of shidduchim and I heard negative information from one regarding his friend. It is forbidden to do this. If we are dealing with a good person he must be praised. If the bochur is a ‘beinonei’ we must speak in a positive note and the necessary probe must be conducted and Siyata Dishmaya is required here as to how one must respond. This refers to the pasuk ‘כי באפם הרגו איש’”.

The rebbe then spoke of Lag B’Omer as many come to ask if they should travel to Meron. The rebbe explained the minhag is not to travel to Meron. The rebbe stated a chosson getting married immediately following Shavuos can travel on Sunday or if absolutely necessary, on erev Shabbos.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will begin presenting witnesses this week in the penalty phase of his trial as they try to make their case that he should be sentenced to life in prison — not death — for his role in the deadly 2013 attack.

Tsarnaev was convicted of 30 federal charges in the twin bombings that killed three people and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013. Seventeen of the charges carry the possibility of the death penalty.

Prosecutors called 17 witnesses over three days, mainly victims who lost loved ones or limbs in the explosions. The defense case begins Monday in federal court. Here are some things to expect:

———

DEFENSE STRATEGY

Legal analysts say the defense strategy — first and foremost — will be to humanize Tsarnaev. Prosecutors have depicted Tsarnaev as a callous and heartless terrorist who placed a bomb just feet from a group of children and targeted the marathon for maximum bloodshed.

In the first phase of the trial, the defense tried to show that Tsarnaev was then a 19-year-old college student who was flunking out of school and heavily influenced by his radicalized older brother, Tamerlan, 26. In the penalty phase, the defense is likely to continue to emphasize that theme, but may also focus on his seeming aimlessness to show that he did not appear to be motivated by political concerns and that his brother was the driving force behind the attack, aimed at punishing the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries.

———

WITNESSES

The witness list has not been made public, but legal experts expect the defense to call family members and friends who will describe Tsarnaev as a well-behaved child who appeared to adjust well to his life in the U.S. after moving here with his parents and siblings from Russia about a decade before the bombings, when he was 8 or 9. Tsarnaev attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, was on the wrestling team and won a $7,500 college scholarship from the city of Cambridge.

Other witnesses could include friends who may be asked to describe the relationship between Dzhokhar and Tamerlan. During the first phase of the trial, a friend of Dzhokhar’s testified that he told him Tamerlan was strict and opinionated, and said: “You don’t want to meet my brother.”

The defense also is expected to call experts who can testify about the political climate in Kyrgyzstan and the volatile region of Dagestan, Russia, an area bordering Chechnya where the Tsarnaev family lived before moving to the U.S.

Other witnesses may testify about problems in the Tsarnaev family. Tsarnaev’s parents had divorced and moved back to Russia, leaving Tamerlan as his closest family member at the time of the bombings. During her opening statement to the jury, prosecutor Nadine Pellegrini offered a possible glimpse of the defense case when she told jurors they may hear about dysfunction in the Tsarnaev family. Trying to counter that, she said many people have dysfunctional families. “Who among them murders a child with a bomb?” she said.

———

TIMELINE

Judge George O’Toole Jr. told the jury he expects the penalty phase to last about four weeks. Since the prosecution case took less than a week, that leaves two to three weeks for the defense to present its case. Prosecutors will be allowed to present rebuttal witnesses. Both sides will get the chance to give closing arguments. The jury of seven woman and five men will then get instructions from the judge, then begin deliberating. The jurors have only two choices: life in prison or the death penalty.

———

JURY’S TASK

The jury will be asked to weigh aggravating factors presented by prosecutors against mitigating factors presented by Tsarnaev’s lawyers.

Some aggravating factors outlined by prosecutors include their contention that the crime was committed in an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner; that there was a particularly vulnerable victim, an 8-year-old boy who was killed; that Tsarnaev intended to kill more than one person; and that he committed the crime after substantial planning or premeditation to cause death or to commit an act of terrorism.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers have not revealed what mitigating factors they will cite, but they have already sought to emphasize that he was only 19 at the time of the attack and that he was influenced by his brother.

(AP)

Once again, Israel is permitting armed PA (Palestinian Authority) security forces to patrol in areas of the eastern capital. The policemen will be clad in dark blue uniforms and are present in a number of very problematic areas. They are reportedly going to fight crime such as car thefts and drugs in cooperation with Israel Police.

It is explained that the lack of a police presence in some areas has resulted in lawlessness and anarchy and the PA forces are going to seek to change this reality. They are deployed for the first time since the so-called Second Intifada, when Israel ousted them from those areas.

Earlier this month Israel gave the green light for the deployment of 90 armed PA forces in Abu Dis, el-Azariya near Maale Adumim, A-Ram and Bidu.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

French President Francois Hollande urged vigilance against resurgent anti-Semitism and racism, as he visited a former gas chamber Sunday to honor Jews, Gypsies and French resistance fighters who died in the only Nazi concentration camp on French soil.

“The worst can still happen. Anti-Semitism and racism are still here,” Hollande said at the Natzweiler-Struthof camp in Alsace, at a ceremony marking 70 years since the last Nazi camps were liberated by Allied troops in World War II.

Hollande, whose country is still tense after terrorist attacks on a kosher supermarket and newspaper in January, decried the “atrocities” at the camp.

“We must not forget anything,” he said.

The camp was built in 1941 to liquidate enemies of the Third Reich, rounded up from more than 30 countries around Europe. Fighters resisting the Nazi occupation of France made up most of the around 50,000 inmates of the Natzweiler-Struthof camp, and nearly half of them died of starvation, torture, illness and mistreatment.

The Nazis also built and tested one of their first gas chambers at the camp. Hollande and European Parliament President Martin Schultz visited the chamber and unveiled plaques in memory of the Jews and Gypsies killed there.

The head of the Council of Europe, a continental human rights body, urged renewed efforts to prevent ethnic tensions in a Europe that is largely peaceful but struggling with economic stagnation and waves of immigration.

“In the face of growing racism in Europe, our culture of commemorating the Holocaust is as important and necessary as ever,” Thorbjorn Jagland said.

Hollande, Jagland and EU President Donald Tusk then visited a memorial museum at the camp to the deported resistance fighters, alongside descendants of the camp’s victims. The site includes rooms used for experiments on prisoners and autopsies, and a ditch dug for the victims’ ashes.

The camp was built by 300 Germans who had been taken prisoner by the Nazis for opposing Hitler — and who were later incarcerated at Struthof and died there.

The Nazis evacuated the main camp and forced prisoners to march to Dachau in Germany as Allied soldiers approached in September 1944. American troops liberated the remainder of the camp in November 1944.

The Alsace region was annexed by Germany early in World War II, and became French territory again after the war.

(AP)

On Sunday afternoon 7 Iyar, Channel 2 News Online reports 150 Israelis are still listed as “out of touch” in Nepal. Dozens of Israeli trekkers in Nepal have yet to contact loved ones or Foreign Ministry of embassy officials.

The situation in the quake-struck area is rapidly deteriorating as running water and food supplies are all but exhausted. Many Israelis have taken refuge in the area Chabad House and Israeli Embassy. Baruch Hashem most Israelis in Nepal have contacted family and/or diplomatic officials but the 150 remain out of touch. A WhatsApp group has been set up to assisted in contacting one another.

It is reported that thousands of buildings have collapsed totally or in part. At least one Israeli trekker sustained a head injury requiring immediate extrication to receive medical care. It is reported his condition is not life-threatening but he must be evacuated for medical treatment.

In Nepal the death toll is reportedly 2,263 as over 4,000 are injured and requiring medical care. It is unknown just how many people are trapped in the debris. The IDF, MDA, Ichud Hatzalah and Zaka teams have and will be departing and a field hospital will be established as Israel has done in so many disaster-ridden countries around the globe in the past.

In Nepal officials report 4.6 million people have been impacted by the earthquake. Most of the victims are left homeless. The quake is reportedly the largest to strike Nepal since 1934.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Two people were injured lightly by smoke inhalation in a blaze in Kiryat Gat in a shul on Margalit Street. Baruch Hashem firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control.

Ichud Hatzalah area commander Yisrael Eichenthal reports “When I arrived on the scene together with other responders we saw the shul in flames. Miraculously, there were no mispallalim inside. The firefighters managed to save eight Sifrei Torah, which were damaged to some extent. We treated two people for smoke inhalation. Miraculously the damage to Sifrei Torah was superficial”. The fire in under investigation.

The photos are from motzei Shabbos and Sunday morning.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photos: News 24)