The United Torah Jewry election campaign continues to unite the chareidi public across its entire spectrum under the united call "First of All - Chareidi, This is Our Greatness, This is Our Pride." This call hones the fact that even when the media seeks to divide the Israeli public and shoots poisoned arrows of incitement against the entire chareidi sector, not differentiating between the different factions, this actually transforms us as walking germ "variants," lepers and disease spreaders. This is how the media has turned our community into pariahs.

A kenes to call upon the community to support the gibborei koach who keep the mitzvah of shmittah fully was held on Sunday night 23 Adar in a special tent set up near the home of HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlita. In addition to the Sar Hatorah and the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Gershon Edelstein shlita among those also attending were the Admor from Vishnitz, the Admor of Tchernoble, HaRav Shimon Baadani, HaRav Yitzchok Mendelson of Kommemiyus and HaRav Yosef Efrati.

As a result of the Corona crisis, there is a serious concern of a significant decline in observance of this difficult and expensive mitzvah. Jews all over the world were called upon to support the Keren Hashevi'is.

Part 2

First published 25 years ago in 1996, this is an interview with Rabbi Shlomo Epstein, chairman of the Chevra Kadisha in Kfar Chassidim and an alumnus of the Chofetz Chaim's yeshiva in Radin. Reb Shlomo knew many of the gedolim of prewar Europe, among them HaRav Boruch Ber Leibowitz zt'l, HaRav Shimon Shkop zt'l, and HaRav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky zt'l, in whose home he was a frequent visitor. Reb Shlomo's notebooks were the source of some of the printed shiurim of HaRav Naftali Tropp zt'l, who taught in the Radin yeshiva. This conversation was devoted to Reb Shlomo's recollections of the Chofetz Chaim.

Since the Chofetz Chaim was niftar in 1933, now 88 years ago, recollections like these will probably not be composed now or in the future. These are firsthand memories of someone who lived through those bygone times.

Breaching of the walls of Kedusha at the Kosel area continues, to our dismay. This past Monday, those infamous women attempted once again to stir up riots at the Kosel area, together with the candidate from Yisrael Beiteinu, by carrying a Sefer Torah in order to read from it.

The group of women struggled with the security guards and the police at the entrance to the Kosel area in order to bring in their Torah scroll. At the end of the skirmish, the scroll was confiscated by the police in order to prevent the desecration and the harm to Jewish sentiments regarding the sanctity of the site and of the Torah as planned — with the sanction of the High Court.

Rain and Kinneret Watch

by Dei'ah Vedibur Staff

Our weekly report of the rain and the level of the Kineret - Winter, 5781.

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