By Rabbi Yair Hoffman It is a clear halacha that every Jewish person is obligated to make every possible effort to save life – even to the point where one may put their own life at risk. This principle is derived from the Toras Kohanim (Sifra on Parshas Behar 5:2), and is cited in  Bava Metzia (62a) regarding two people walking in the desert with only enough water for one person to survive. This case led to a dispute between Ben Petura and Rabbi Akiva concerning the interpretation of the pasuk “and your brother shall live with you.” However, all agree that from this verse we learn the obligation to make every effort to save another’s life, even at risk to oneself.

President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in his second administration, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions in her district but lost reelection in November. Chavez-DeRemer will have to be confirmed by the Senate, which will be under Republican control when Trump takes office on Jan. 20, 2025, and can formally send nominations to Capitol Hill. Here are things to know about the labor secretary-designate, the agency she would lead if she wins Senate approval and how she could matter to Trump’s encore presidency. Chavez-DeRemer has a pro-labor record that unions like Chavez-DeRemer is a one-term congresswoman, having lost reelection in her competitive Oregon district earlier this month.

A protest against Israel turned violent on Friday night in downtown Montreal, leaving a trail of destruction as cars were set ablaze, shop windows smashed, and an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu burned in the street. The demonstration began peacefully around 4:30 p.m. at Émilie-Gamelin Parc but quickly descended into chaos as protesters hurled small explosive devices and metal objects at police. Armed with hammers and planks of wood, some protesters vandalized storefronts while others ignited red smoke bombs to create a scene of anarchy. The violence escalated as demonstrators paraded through the city waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. Tensions reached their peak when an effigy of Netanyahu was set alight, drawing widespread condemnation.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general announced an investigation Friday into the death of a woman who was struck and killed by an unmarked police vehicle in Brooklyn. The woman, who has not been identified, was lying in the middle of a street in the East New York neighborhood when she was hit […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Introduction and Foundation The evolution of timekeeping devices has presented numerous challenges and consi

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Introduction and Foundation The evolution of timekeeping devices has presented numerous challenges and considerations within Halacha, with each technological advancement bringing new questions to consider. Much of the following analysis is based upon information in a new article in the Ohalei Shabbos Gilyon 77-78 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin shlita and Rabbi Shalom Gelbar shlita. (My thanks to my brother-in-law, Rabbi Avrohom Hirsch, a prominent sofer in Yerushalayim who forwarded it to me). Early Mechanical Watches In the early 16th century, the development of mechanical watches revolutionized personal timekeeping through an intricate system of springs, gears, and the balance wheel.

New York City’s congestion pricing plan, a topic of lengthy debate, has now overcome its final federal obstacle and is scheduled to launch on January 5, barring any successful court interventions. The Federal Highway Administration has granted approval, positioning New York as the first city in the United States to adopt such a system.
The program mandates that drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street pay a toll of $9, which will increase to $12 in 2028 and $15 by 2031. The initiative is expected to bring in $15 billion for the MTA, with the funds earmarked for enhancing public transit and improving accessibility.

Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. Turner, 52, is the first Black person selected to be a member of the Republican’s Cabinet. Here are some things to know about Turner: From professional football to politics Turner grew up in a Dallas suburb, Richardson, and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a defensive back and spent nine seasons in the NFL beginning in 1995, playing for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. During offseasons, he worked as an intern then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.