Matzav2 hours agoA dramatic directive was issued Wednesday from the home of the Gerer Rebbe warning thousands of Gerer chassidim against listening to, discussing or retaining recordings that have circulated in recent days, with the Rebbe instructing that anyone possessing the material must delete it immediately.
The message was delivered in an audio recording by Rav Yitzchok Broida, secretary to the Gerer Rebbe, who said he was speaking explicitly on the Rebbe’s instructions.
The recordings in question have reportedly spread through social media and messaging groups in recent days and have become a major topic of conversation within Ger. Discussion surrounding the material reportedly moved well beyond online groups and into conversations at Yom Tov seudos and in the homes of chassidim, prompting the unusual public directive.
In the message sent to the phones of tens of thousands of Gerer chassidim, Rav Broida said in the name of the Rebbe:
“I was instructed to inform the members of our community, in his name and on his behalf, that in recent days, matters have been improperly publicized which, aside from involving prohibitions established by earlier authorities, also constitute defamation, machlokes and the spreading of discord. Speaking and writing about these matters, and involving oneself in them, causes tremendous pain, and regarding such matters the poskim have written that even one who does so inadvertently requires atonement.”
Rav Broida then addressed the recordings themselves and issued an unequivocal instruction regarding anyone who has received or retained them.
“Therefore, it is necessary to awaken and warn the public not to believe any of these matters whatsoever, and never to involve oneself in or discuss this matter at all. Everyone must understand that this is extremely serious and dangerous, and anyone who possesses any of these materials in any form is obligated to delete them and destroy them from the world immediately, without relying on any purported permission whatsoever.”
The message concluded with an appeal for unity during Yom Tov.
“Let us strengthen ourselves in unity and in looking favorably upon one another, particularly during these holy days of Yom Tov. Let us all rejoice as one person with one heart, with love and brotherhood, and may Hashem spread His sukkah of peace over us and bestow upon us only goodness and kindness all our days.”
The unusually forceful message comes as the Gerer Rebbe has not been attending tefillos publicly during Chol Hamoed and has not been receiving visitors due to weakness.
Within Ger, there is hope that, b’ezras Hashem, the Rebbe will be able to emerge publicly for Simchas Torah and participate in the Yom Tov proceedings as in previous years.
{Matzav.com}
Yeshiva World News3 hours agoDramatic new details have emerged from Wednesday’s terrifying incident aboard the Flydubai flight bound for Israel, revealing that authorities understood in real time that they were dealing with far more than a routine aviation emergency.
According to a report by Kan News, Jordanian authorities alerted Israel that the pilot had communicated that he was being hijacked.
Israeli officials therefore understood that the warning was based on direct communication with the pilot — and not merely an emergency transponder code transmitted by the aircraft.
The report sheds new light on the extraordinary military response that unfolded across the region as the drama played out aboard the aircraft.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled, while Jordan and Saudi Arabia also launched fighter aircraft as authorities in all three countries prepared for the possibility that the incident could develop into a major airborne security threat.
Approximately half an hour into the emergency, Israeli authorities reportedly began receiving indications that there were likely wounded people aboard the aircraft.
The flight had been traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a violent confrontation erupted inside the cockpit. Israeli officials say the Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft. The plane subsequently lost altitude rapidly before passengers and other pilots aboard the flight intervened and the aircraft was brought back under control.
The attacking co-pilot had reportedly joined Flydubai only nine months ago.
The aircraft ultimately made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the suspect was taken into custody and the wounded captain received medical treatment.
Meanwhile, additional details have emerged regarding Israel’s efforts to bring the stranded passengers home from Saudi Arabia.
According to i24NEWS, Israeli diplomatic and security officials initially believed Riyadh would permit an Israeli civilian rescue aircraft to enter the kingdom and retrieve the passengers.
El Al submitted a proposal to operate the emergency flight, while the Israeli Air Force also raised the possibility of sending an aircraft.
Officials even considered dispatching an unmarked aircraft in an effort to overcome the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding an Israeli plane landing in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia ultimately refused to authorize the Israeli rescue flight.
The passengers were instead brought home aboard a separate Flydubai flight, which landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport Wednesday evening.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
