Police arrested a suspect Wednesday evening following a large-scale manhunt after a 52-year-old yungerman was fatally stabbed inside Kollel Chazon Ish on Rechov HaAri in Bnei Brak.

The victim, Rabbi Yishai Por זצ”ל, was attacked during the afternoon hours inside the kollel. According to police, the suspect fled the scene immediately after the stabbing, while emergency medical personnel evacuated the victim to a hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Following the attack, Dan District Commander Elad Klein conducted a special situational assessment at the scene, and the investigation was handed over to the district’s major crimes unit.

Initial findings indicate that the incident was criminal in nature and that the suspect — a 52-year-old homeless man — was previously acquainted with the victim. Police said there had been no prior complaints filed by the victim against the suspect.

After the suspect escaped, police launched an extensive search operation. A short while later, officers from the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan station, working together with police in Beit Shemesh, located and arrested the suspect in Beit Shemesh. He was taken in for questioning.

In an unusual move aimed at allowing the victim to be buried later Wednesday night, the forensic institute in Abu Kabir reopened specially after hours in order to process the body and avoid delaying the levayah.

According to information published by Chadashot HaPargod and attributed to avreichim who were present in the kollel and witnessed the events firsthand, the background to the shocking attack stemmed from a strange dispute that had developed over the past week.

A troubled individual known in the area had reportedly confronted the victim repeatedly regarding the study of the writings of the Rambam.

According to witnesses, the suspect claimed that it was forbidden to study the Rambam’s works. Rabbi Por, described as a righteous and upright avreich known for his tremendous diligence in learning, reportedly continued his regular sedorim and immersed himself in Torah without responding to the provocations.

Witnesses said that on Tuesday night, the suspect approached the victim and ominously warned him that because he continued studying the Rambam’s writings, “he sees that he will not complete his year.”

On Wednesday, that threat tragically became reality.

According to reports, the suspect entered the bais medrash during learning hours armed with a weapon, approached Rabbi Por’s shtender, and stabbed him to death in a brutal attack.

One of the most heartbreaking details of the tragedy is that the murder reportedly took place in front of the victim’s 13-year-old son, who had been sitting beside his father during the sacred moments of Torah study and witnessed the horrifying attack unfold.