New York Representative Elise Stefanik has accepted President-elect Trump’s offer to serve as US  Ambassador to the United Nations during his term. “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump told the NY Post. “I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” said Stefanik. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.” CNN reported over the weekend that Trump extended the offer to Stefanik.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com A woman who is in the process of a divorce had explained to her husband that her lawyer had told her that she should lie and say that her husband had physically abused her in order to gain an advantage in terms of custody and child support. The lawyer is ostensibly an observant Jew who is well-regarded in the community in which he resides. This example begs a number of questions:  How often do people lie?  Why do they lie? To whom do they lie? And most importantly, what can we do to make sure we and our children don’t fall victim to it as well?

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com After Rav Elyashiv zatzal was Niftar, Rav Shteinman, Rav Shmuel Wosner and Rav Nissim Karelitz, Maran HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zatzal and lbc”l Maran HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein shlita, were designated as the leaders of Lithuanian Torah leadership as per Rav Elyashiv zt”l’s directive.  However, after the passing of Rav Chaim zt”l, only Rav Gershon Edelstein shlita remained.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com 55 years ago, something remarkable happened.  It happened for the very first time in nearly two millennium.  What was it? *****If anyone can help sponsor a Bar Mitzvah for a child whose parents have no resources – please contact the author at yairhoffman2@gmail.com ************************ The Kosel and Har Habayis came back under Jewish control. Yerushalayim. 1967 was very special. The people of Eretz Yisroel defended her against attackers that wished to annihilate her at every border. It is special not because we captured the eastern half of yerushalayim. But because Hashem gave her back to use and freed her. It is a very essential difference.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com HaGaon Rav Moshe Shternbuch’s gabbai reached out to this author and forwarded the following Teshuvah from Rav Shternbuch shlita. Rav Shternbuch is the Raavad of the Eida HaChareidis nd is one of the Gedolei HaDor. [The Rav further conveyed orally that the obituaries published in the Charedi press [in Eretz Yisroel] constitute a CHILLUL HASHEM as were the hespedim that were given.  He is a מאבד עצמו לדעת [and should not have been given them].

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Most Bais Yaakov high schools generally have davening take place in school. In the pre-COVID days many of them had it in the large auditorium, but in COVID times – they often daven in the classrooms.  But what do they do about breakfast?  Unlike the Yeshiva high schools – which provide breakfast for their talmidim after davening – the Bais Yaakovs do not.  The halacha is that one should not take care of one’s own needs before davening to Hashem. What is the rationale for allowing it? NOT EATING BEFORE DAVENING The source of the halacha that forbids eating before davening is based upon a Gemorah in Brachos (10b).  The halacha is further codified in Shulchan Aruch (Orech Chaim 89:3).

Opposition leader and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu erupted in anger at Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, following a report on CNN, that claimed that Israel was changing its stance, slightly, on the issue of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. “CNN is claiming that Israel is changing its stance on the Iranian nuclear issue, this is a dangerous and mistaken decision!” Netanyahu stated. “Bennett has chosen to compromise on the Iranian nuclear issue. He promised U.S. President Joe Biden that he wouldn’t publicly work against him. Bennett agreed to a policy of “no surprises” under which Israel would ratify all military actions against Iran by the U.S. administration first.” Netanyahu continued, “The Iranian nuclear agreement is a disaster for Israel.

A large protest took place on Tuesday night in Jerusalem’s Bar Ilan intersection where Admorim and the head of the Eidah Chareidis, Hagaon HaRav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss, were joined by hundreds of Charedim in protesting the construction of the Jerusalem Light-rail. HaRav Weiss, who celebrated his 95th birthday on Tuesday, helped organize the protest, which turned violent as police fired founl-smelling water cannons on the crowds. One border police officer was lightly injured and required medical attention from Magen David Adom after she was hit in the face with pepper spray by one of the protesters. In addition to the Gavad, the Toldos Aharon Rebbe also joined the protest from his car.

Following Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s support for a reform prayer section at the Kosel, Chareidi store owners have begun to boycott Rabbi Melamed’s sefarim “Peninei Halacha”, which have been sold in many locations. According to reports in Bchadrei Charedim, store owners have begun packaging up the Peninei Halacha series books in order to return them to the publisher. One store owner told Bchadrei that “All of the sefarim of the ‘Reform Rabbi’, Eliezer Melamed are being packed up from Chareidi stores and sent back. That’s it. It’s the end of an era. We won’t sell his books any longer.