It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Mrs. Margalit Nava Yefet a”h, daughter of Rav Shimon Baadani zt”l, rosh Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas. She was 70 years old.
Mrs. Yefet passed away at Maayanei Hayeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak after a year-and-a-half-long battle with a severe illness. Her levayah was held Sunday afternoon in Bnei Brak.
Born on 8 Iyar 1955 in Bnei Brak, she was the eldest child of Rav Shimon Baadani zt”l and his wife, Rebbetzin Shulamit Salha a”h, daughter of Rav Chaim Abadi zt”l.

What initially appeared to be progress on Israel’s long-stalled chok hagiyus (draft law) has unraveled completely. A second meeting held Sunday between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, MK Yuli Edelstein, former minister Ariel Attias, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs ended in failure, with both sides acknowledging that instead of moving forward, negotiations have deteriorated significantly.

In a heartfelt and inspiring message, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, rov of Ramat Elchonon, offered words of chizuk and encouragement to hundreds of people coping with speech difficulties.
In a rare and moving disclosure, Rav Zilberstein shared that as a child, he too had struggled with stuttering, describing himself during that period as k’vad peh and k’vad lashon. He reassured his listeners that, just as he overcame the challenge, they too would, offering a warm brachah to all those navigating similar difficulties.

Thousands of chassidim gathered in the courtyard of the Sanzer court in Netanya for the Lag BaOmer hadlakah in honor of Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai, as the Sanzer Rebbe kindled the the grand bonfire at the large beis medrash of the Kiryah.
During the event, the Rebbe of Sanz delivered divrei Torah, addressing the growing challenges faced by Torah learners in today’s climate. His words took on a particularly sharp tone as he referenced the ongoing governmental efforts against Torah study in Eretz Yisroel.

London witnessed a scene unlike anything it had seen in decades, as thousands gathered for a massive Lag BaOmer celebration led by the noted mashpia, Rav Shmuel Shmelka Biderman.
The event, held on Friday afternoon of Lag BaOmer—just hours before Shabbos, which began in London after 8:30 p.m.—was organized by a group of young avreichim who sought to bring the entire kehilla together for a centralized hadlakah. It took place in the large courtyard of the Yesodey Hatorah school.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the petirah of Rabbi Yitzchak Kalman z”l, beloved educator and founder of Ulpana Har Nof in Yerushalayim. He tragically passed away on Sunday afternoon at the age of 85 after drowning in a pool in Tiveria during a visit to Chamei Tiveria.
Rav Kalman had traveled north to the kever of Rashbi in Meron ahead of Lag BaOmer.
Medical personnel at the scene attempted prolonged resuscitation efforts, but sadly, they were forced to pronounce his passing.

At his weekly shiur delivered Motzoei Shabbos, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzchak Yosef issued a pointed critique of the current Israeli government’s stance on the military draft of yeshiva students.
Referring to the growing threat of arrest warrants for bnei yeshiva, Rav Yosef lamented the political alliance with the right-wing bloc, questioning the wisdom of continued support for those who now advance policies harmful to the Torah world.
“If we had gone with the left,” he stated, “things would have been much better. But instead we’re going with the right, clinging to the right—I don’t know what they saw in the right.”

In a candid and wide-ranging interview with Yishai Cohen of Kikar HaShabbat, Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman pulled no punches, making clear his stance on the ongoing war, the hostage crisis, Israel’s relationship with the U.S., and his uncompromising vision for a universal military draft—with no exemptions for yeshiva students.

On the eve of Lag Ba’omer, Rav Nachman Elchadad, father of the two brothers who tragically lost their lives in the Meron disaster of 5781, ascended to the beis hachaim in Meron to visit their kevorim.
The emotional visit marked four years since the passing of Moshe Mordechai and Yosef Dovid Elchadad, who were among the 45 victims of the terrible calamity that occurred during the hilula of Rashbi.
Family members joined Rav Elchadad at the bais hachaim, offering tefillos and remembering the beloved boys amid the atmosphere of mourning mixed with kedusha that envelops Meron each Lag Ba’omer since.

The Vizhnitzer kehillah in Bnei Brak reached an emotional crescendo on Thursday night, as thousands of chassidim gathered in the main Vizhnitzer bais medrash to witness the return of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Hager, and take part in the Lag Ba’omer hadlakah ceremony. The crowd erupted in joyous song, and many tearfully recited the berachah of Shehecheyanu as they beheld their Rebbe once again.
The Rebbe had been absent for three months, during which he was receiving medical treatment in Los Angeles followed by a period of rest in Switzerland.