Israel’s Health Ministry issued an update on Motzei Shabbos in which they declared that two more Israelis have died as a result of Covid-19 Coronavirus. The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the outbreak now stands at 247. There were 18 new cases of the virus declared over the past 24 hours and an additional 147 people made a full recovery. So far, 11,376 people who have had the disease in Israel have made a full recovery. There are currently 4,831 people who currently are ill with the virus, among those, are 64 people on ventilators.

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(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com) Once again, the issue has arisen as to how much weight should be given to medical opinion when it comes to our public policy in matters of Pikuach Nefesh.  Do we open our shuls just yet? When is the right time to reopen Yeshivos and chevrusah learning? The polio vaccine may be instructive. Those who grew up in the nineteen fifties remember it well. The fear throughout the country was palpable. True, polio epidemics had been in the United States since 1894, but the epidemic was never so virulent. In 1952, there were 57,879 cases.  In that year there were also 3145 deaths from that disease, rachmana litzlan. And then on March 22, 1953, at 10:45 PM, Dr.

A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report from CNN. The development was first reported by Bloomberg News. The report says the vice president’s flight to Iowa was delayed at Joint Base Andrews for around an hour Friday morning. The staffer who tested positive was not on the trip but there was concerned about people on the plane being in contact with the individual. The vice president’s office has refused to comment. The trip to Iowa is still moving forward. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many unusual sights in cites throughout the world, including animals rarely seen in urban areas strolling around newly abandoned territory, some driven out of their natural habitats in search of food and water. YWN has previously reported on wild boars in Haifa, Paris, and Barcelona, jackals in Tel Aviv, foxes in Ashkelon, goats in Wales, monkeys in Thailand and deer in Japan. Another bizarre sight involving animals occurred in the city of Samsun, Turkey, when a large flock of sheep filled a main street, with their loud baas disturbing the quiet that had ensued in the city streets since the lockdown. A city resident recorded the sight and the video quickly went viral.

We are embarrassed that we need to turn to you with our heartfelt plea. However, unfortunately we are much pressured for time. CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW My name is Yosef Shamilashvili. My wife and I been married for 28 years, and to our great sorrow we do not yet have any children. We are going for treatments, but the costs are extremely high, in addition to debts from previous treatments, which are greatly weighing down on us. The cost of these treatments are $ 46,000, and we have outstanding debt of $50,000 incurred from previous treatments (after selling our house to be able to cover some of the cost). I therefore turn to you my brothers יהודים רחמנים בני רחמנים Please help me with this heavy burden, so we can merit the great zechus of having children.

Maj. Gen. Yossi Bachar, who was tasked in assisting the city of Beitar Illit in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic, ended his position on Thursday as the number of new coronavirus cases in the city dwindled to zero, Yisrael Hayom reported on Thursday. “In the past five days there hasn’t been even one new confirmed case of the coronavirus in Beitar,” Bachar told Yisrael Hayom. “In the beginning, I felt like someone trying to move a mountain, completely unsuccessful. We can now say that we’ve succeeded.” Bachar was called to the “battlefront” two weeks before Pesach.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This week has had a flurry of meetings about how Shuls can eventually re-open safe minyanim.  The OU has authored a very detailed roadmap as to how to go about doing this under consultation with expert doctors.  There was, initially, an idea that Agudath Yisroel was going to join in with the OU on the roadmap – however, there is greater pressure for Agudah to open up minyanim earlier – and they will probably release a roadmap earlier. The OU came up with a possible protocol that the shuls should only open up 14 days after the state allows opening.  The Agudah, it is rumored, will probably issue a similar roadmap – but without the 14 day clause.  This will possibly be released before Shabbos.

Join us once again to Bring Shabbat Home this week! CLICK HERE TO JOIN! We are all in isolation, stuck in our homes, praying and hoping for better news, for this terrible virus to run its course, for an end to all the pain and suffering. In the meantime, there are so many questions. What can we do from the safety of our four walls? How can we reach out to our sisters and brothers, to let them know they are not alone? What can we do to hasten the end of this virus, to bring the Ultimate Redemption one step closer?

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com Never before in the annals of halachic history has there been such a need to plumb the depths of halachic nuances in light of new technology. We all miss our minyan, our Barchu, our Kaddish, our Kedushah, our krias haTorah. The ubiquitous use of Zoom has brought up the question in many circles of reestablishing the minyan, or at least a limited form of it, through Zoom. So, what is the story? What can be done? What may not be done? And what is a machlokes? Types of Zoom Minyanim Before entering into this halachic minefield, we have to distinguish between two theoretical types of Zoom minyanim. Pay close attention to these two types because the subtle nuances can make a huge difference in the final halachah.