The Song of Pesach

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
I am writing this on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, grateful to have arrived at the month of geulah—both for the past and, hopefully, for the present as well.
Just as the month was about to begin, Klal Yisroel suffered a devastating tragedy, losing a mother and her two precious children on Shabbos afternoon. At their levayah on Sunday, there was an overwhelming outpouring of grief.

Jonathan Stanley had been sitting at a Barnes & Noble store for about an hour, behind a stack of his own books, when he saw a 4-year-old girl marching toward him.
“I want to be an author when I grow up,” Ella Dinelli told Stanley, who was at the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, store on March 22 to promote his book about leadership strategy. The girl and her mother, Taylor Dinelli, 29, agreed to use the money they had saved that afternoon for a Starbucks drink to instead buy a copy, which Stanley signed.
“Ella,” he wrote, “the greatest gift you have to offer is you!”
The interaction was brief – no more than a few minutes – but it would change Stanley’s life.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A response was issued on behalf of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, regarding President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs: “The industry expresses deep concern following the decision of the President of the United States to impose new tariffs on Israel.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu landed in Hungary early Thursday morning for a four-day visit after receiving an invitation from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban a day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him. Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky greeted Netanyahu and his wife at the airport with full military honors. Shortly after Netanyahu arrived and minutes before he met with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Orban’s office issued a statement announcing Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC.

Israel bombed two military airbases and other targets in Syria on Wednesday night following reports that Turkey is preparing to take over the T4 airfield in Syria, which would harm Israel’s freedom of operation in the country. The IDF spokesperson confirmed the attacks, stating: “In the past few hours, the IDF attacked remaining military capabilities at the Hama and T4 airbases in Syria, along with additional remaining military infrastructure in the Damascus area.” According to Syrian media outlets, the target in Damascus was the Barzeh scientific research center.

Hamas has made a decision not to respond to Israel’s counterproposal for a ceasefire/hostage release deal, an official told Reuters on Wednesday. According to the official, the terror group is “committed” to the mediators’ plan instead. Israel had submitted a counterproposal last week to a new Egyptian proposal for a hostage release/ceasefire deal that would see Hamas releasing US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander along with four other hostages [not all alive] in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire and the start of negotiations on a long-term ceasefire; the opening of Gazan crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid; and the re-opening of the Netzarim Corridor. Israel would also release 2,000 Palestinians detained after the October 7 attack and 250 terrorists for each released hostage.

Turkey has significantly increased the flow of weapons and money into Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, Kan News reported on Wednesday morning. According to the report, Turkey has its eyes on several Syrian Air Force bases, some of which were supported by Iran in the past. The most prominent of these is the Tiyas (“T-4″) airfield in central Syria, which the IDF attacked last week. According to Middle Eastern media outlets, Turkey recently initiated efforts to take control of the T-4 airfield and is planning to deploy air defense systems there. According to sources familiar with the matter quoted by the Middle East Eye website, construction is currently taking place to transform the facility into a permanent Turkish military presence.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has advanced Mike Huckabee’s nomination to serve as the United States ambassador to Israel, bringing him one step closer to confirmation pending a vote by the full Senate.
During Wednesday’s session, all Republican members of the committee cast their votes in favor of Huckabee’s nomination, while every Democrat on the panel voted against it.

A viral 60 Minutes interview sparks outrage as journalist Lesley Stahl asks a freed Hamas hostage if he was starved or if terrorists simply had no food. The PBD Podcast crew reacts, questioning media bias, journalistic standards, and moral clarity.
WATCH:
The post TONE DEAF: PBD Podcast Slams Lesley Stahl for Shocking Question of Released Hamas Hostage first appeared on Matzav.com.

Late Wednesday, the Senate voted to oppose President Donald Trump’s authority to levy tariffs on Canada, marking what some might see as a rare public disagreement with the president, just as he revealed bold new trade restrictions.
In a 51-48 vote, the Senate approved a measure to repeal Trump’s emergency declaration on fentanyl, the legal basis for his tariffs against Canada.
Earlier in the day, Trump had declared a new “Liberation Day” initiative, unveiling tariffs aimed at several foreign nations, though Canadian goods were temporarily excluded from the new restrictions.

Hamas has declined to answer Israel’s updated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and is instead standing by the conditions outlined by international negotiators, according to a statement a Hamas representative gave to Reuters on Wednesday.
On March 29, Israeli officials confirmed they had submitted a modified offer to mediators. This new version was developed in close coordination with the United States and came after Hamas indicated acceptance of a ceasefire framework crafted by Egypt and Qatar.
Reuters examined a document that shows the mediators’ plan is consistent with the terms originally laid out on January 17. If accepted, it would result in a 50-day extension of the ceasefire period.

At a special event that took place in Kiryas Yoel, the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, distributed a total of one million dollars in cash to kollel yungeleit who had successfully completed rigorous exams on the entirety of Shulchan Aruch.
The initiative was generously funded by philanthropist Reb Yossi Brach, who personally took part in the distribution alongside the Rebbe.
The event, held in the main beis medrash of the kollelim in Kiryas Yoel, was attended by hundreds of yungeleit who had participated in the learning program and undergone the comprehensive tests. Each one was handed $6,000 in cash as a token of recognition and chizuk.

  A massive tornado touched down earlier near Lake City, Arkansas, causing extensive damage.

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