Draft Law Crisis Brings Knesset to a Standstill
Frustrated by the lack of progress on a draft law, the chareidi parties have begun obstructing the Knesset’s work.
The Knesset’s work primarily consists of passing laws. Every week, about 25 bills are brought before the Knesset on Wednesday for their preliminary readings. Every party has a weekly quota of new bills (based on the party’s size, with an additional allowance given to opposition parties), and the total number of bills that can be introduced in a week is about 25. On Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation meets to determine the coalition’s stance on every bill due to be brought before the Knesset that week. (Members of the Knesset are expected to give one week’s notice before introducing a bill.) The committee’s position is viewed as the stance of the government and obligates all the members of the coalition. If the committee decides to postpone or reject a bill, then if it was proposed by a member of the coalition, he is obligated to personally remove it from the agenda or postpone it until a later date. All in all, the rules of the game are fairly simple.
Last week, for the third time in a row, all the coalition bills that were on the agenda for Wednesday were rescinded. The opposition’s bills remained on the schedule and were voted down, while the coalition’s bills were removed from the schedule on Wednesday morning, before the Knesset convened to vote on the legislation. This was done because the Knesset members from United Torah Judaism and Shas decided that they would vote against all coalition bills, because the draft law is not being brought to a vote and because of the opposition within the Likud party to granting draft deferments for yeshiva bochurim. Netanyahu was furious with the chareidim at first and threatened to dissolve the government and go to elections, but quickly changed his approach and apparently decided that he preferred to maintain the quiet rather than having a showdown with his coalition partners. Meanwhile, other members of the coalition, mainly from the Likud party, are boiling with anger over the fact that their bills were removed from the agenda. But as Rav Ovadiah Yosef once said when certain elements in the country were outraged by his psak halacha on a certain subject, “Are they burning up? Then let them drink some cold water!”
On the other hand, the chareidim’s strategy does not seem to have been sufficiently effective; it has not forced the Knesset to make progress on passing the draft law at all. The Likud party seems to have decided that their inability to pass new laws is a small price to pay for the fact that the draft law is not being brought to a vote. Their primary interest at this time is surviving the Knesset’s summer session, and they are willing to forgo passing new laws in order to remain in power. The next recess, as usual, is scheduled to begin before Tisha b’Av. The summer session officially ends on July 27, which is the second day of Av, but the official date is deceptive as usual, since the last day of work for the Knesset members is the previous Wednesday, the 28th of Tammuz. The government leaders understand that this is a delicate and volatile situation. Last week, the chareidi members of the Knesset toughened their stance and withdrew all of their bills even from the ministerial committee, and the other members of the coalition followed suit. This created a certain degree of tension.
IDF Officer Reveals: Most Draft Evaders Are Not Chareidim
The draft law—which is at the center of this ongoing conflict—is still under discussion in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, with representatives of UTJ and Shas in attendance. The basic objective is to reach an arrangement that can be tolerable to the chareidim and will not be struck down by the Supreme Court. Last week, however, something very interesting took place. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has a Subcommittee for IDF Human Resources, which met to discuss the army’s policy on arresting deserters, and the discussion turned out to be quite fascinating.
The subcommittee was addressed by Brigadier General Shai Taib, the head of the IDF Personnel and Planning Directorate, an affable kippah-wearing gentleman who is not hostile to religion in the least. Taib informed the subcommittee that 24,000 draft orders had been sent to young men in the chareidi community, and only 1200 candidates appeared at the draft offices in response. The officer admitted that physical enforcement was not carried out during the early months of the war against draft evaders who ignored the orders.
People who shirk their army service are divided into two categories by the IDF. Arikim, or deserters, are would-be soldiers who have already been conscripted into the army and received their military numbers and then disappeared. Mishtamtim, or draft evaders, are individuals who never showed up in response to a summons in the first place. Taib explained that in the year 2024, the number of deserters dropped by only a small percentage, and the rate of reservists showing up for duty has remained stable. “We certainly think that sanctions that will affect the individual in places other than the airport will be more effective,” he said. “If we wish to deal with such significant numbers of draft evaders, we will have to apply sanctions of that nature. The sanctions that exist today are very weak. If the state becomes involved, it can create a situation in which it provides services to its citizens, and it emphasizes in those encounters that a citizen who did not serve in the IDF will not receive that service.”
Taib then briefed the committee members on the actual figures: A total of 24,000 initial draft orders have been sent to chareidim during the current draft year. In the first third of the year, 3000 orders were issued and 692 recipients responded. In the second third of the year, 7000 orders were issued and 450 recipients showed up. And in the final third of the year, the draft orders were issued in three batches, adding up to a total of 14,000, in accordance with the demand by the chief of staff to increase the number of orders so that the number of actual enlistments would rise accordingly. To date, only fifty of the first 5000 recipients have appeared at the draft offices, fewer than 20 young men showed up in response to the next wave of 3940 orders, and the final wave of 5100 orders brought in only a handful of individuals. Taib added that half the orders were sent to young men between the ages of 18 and 20, 40 percent were sent to men between the ages of 20 and 23, and only 10 percent targeted men above the age of 23. Interestingly, 340 people have been arrested at Ben Gurion Airport for draft evasion, and not all of them were chareidim.
An anti-religious Knesset member turned to Taib during the committee session and demanded, “Why aren’t the yeshiva students being arrested in droves for failing to report for army service?”
Taib’s response shocked the committee and produced massive headlines. “The tools and sanctions that you are have mentioned are not usable,” he said. “Most of the draft evaders today are not chareidim.”
The opposition immediately attacked him for this comment. “It would have been better if you hadn’t said that,” someone declared.
Taib simply repeated his statement: “Most of the draft evaders today are not chareidim.”
At the same time, he said that the army rarely arrests deserters. “Aside from arrests [mainly at the airport], the sanctions that are in use tend to be very weak. If the government decides that anyone who does not serve in the army will be disqualified for a driver’s license or other state services, the situation will change.”
Half the Jews in Yerushalayim Are Chareidi
Yom Yerushalayim is not the most festive legal holiday on the calendar, but most religious Jews greatly appreciate that the Old City of Yerushalayim was liberated slightly less than 60 years ago in the Six Day War, and the Kosel Hamaarovi was freed from Arab control.
In honor of Yom Yerushalayim, the Central Bureau of Statistics published some interesting figures concerning the city. Yerushalayim is the largest city in Israel; at the end of 2024, it had a population of over one million, consisting of almost 600,000 Jews and 400,000 Arabs, with the remainder of its residents listed as “foreigners,” who are neither Jewish nor Arab. It should be noted that when the government tallies up the Jewish population, it includes people who are Jewish according to Israeli law (the Law of Return) but not according to halacha, such as the children of a mixed marriage between a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. But what is most important, for our purposes, is that at the end of the year 2023, about 29.5 percent of the total population of Yerushalayim, or about half the Jews in Yerushalayim, were chareidi. The chareidim of Yerushalayim make up about a quarter of the total chareidi population in the country.
During the year 2024, the population of Yerushalayim increased by about 17,900 individuals. Natural growth resulted in the addition of about 21,500 people, and 1500 immigrants moved into the city, while about 7800 people moved out. One can assume that this number consists mainly of chareidim who moved to the periphery of the country, or secular Israelis who moved to irreligious enclaves elsewhere in Israel. Beit Shemesh, Tel Aviv, Yaffo, and Bnei Brak were the most common places of origin for individuals moving to Yerushalayim, while Beit Shemesh, Tel Aviv, Yaffo, and Modiin-Maccabim-Reut were the most common destinations for people leaving the city.
The average household size in Yerushalayim is 3.79 individuals, in contrast to the national average of 3.18. In the year 2024, Yerushalayim had a 51.7 percent rate of participation in the work force, in contrast to the national average rate of 62.7 percent. Out of the total working population in Yerushalayim, 91 percent of employees are satisfied with their jobs (a figure only slightly lower than the national rate of 92 percent) and 61 percent are satisfied with their income (compared to 67 percent in the general populace). The researchers found that 91 percent of Yerushalayim residents above the age of 20 are satisfied with their lives (a number equal to the national rate). Another important statistic is the following: In the academic year 5784, about 88,300 students attended Hebrew-speaking schools in Yerushalayim, including about 61,200 students in chareidi schools, about 15,200 students in the state religious system, and about 9000 in secular public schools.
Yair Golan’s Appalling Remarks
Last Tuesday was a traumatic day in the State of Israel. There are many bizarre people in Israel who make terrible comments, but a red line was crossed, when Yair Golan claimed in an interview with Kol Yisroel that IDF soldiers are killing babies in Gaza as a hobby. I am sure you will agree that this sounds like one of the most virulently anti-Semitic comments imaginable.
Yair Golan is a former general in the IDF who served as deputy chief of staff of the army and was nearly appointed to the position of chief of staff as well. During the Disengagement, he was one of the fiercest opponents of the settlers; on his orders, IDF soldiers broke the arms and legs of right-wing protestors. Golan later entered the world of politics and became the leader of the left-wing camp. When the Labor party disintegrated and Meretz lost the support it needed to cross the electoral threshold, the two parties merged to form the Democrats list, which is currently headed by Yair Golan, even though he is not a member of the Knesset. Presumably, Golan will enter the Knesset in the next election.
Perhaps I should be fair to Golan and quote his entire statement, even though his words remain appalling even in context. “Israel is on its way to becoming a pariah state unless it begins acting like a sane country,” Golan said. “A sane country does not fight against civilians or kill babies as a hobby, and it does not make population transfer one of its goals.”
This isn’t the first time that Golan has made a deeply offensive and absurd statement. He once said that he was observing processes in Israeli society (meaning the right-wing side of society) similar to those that took place in Germany before the Nazi party rose to power. His latest comment led to a barrage of criticism from every direction. Netanyahu said, “Golan has reached a new low; there is no limit to moral rot.” Knesset speaker Amir Ochana denounced his comments as “a despicable statement and a blood libel.” President Herzog declared that the soldiers of the IDF are the most moral soldiers in the world. Golan was condemned by government ministers, current IDF officers, and retired IDF officers alike, and even by his allies in the opposition. Of course, soldiers and reservists spoke out against him as well.
When Golan realized that he had inflicted great damage on himself and the left-wing camp, he tried to mitigate some of the fallout of his remarks. On Tuesday night, he convened a press conference and announced, “I was directing my words at the government, not the IDF…. What began as a just struggle to achieve security and the release of the hostages has been transformed by this failed government into a war that has no security or national purpose. What we are seeing in Gaza today isn’t a maneuver to secure the release of the hostages; we could have freed the hostages long ago in a single deal. This also isn’t a battle to cause the collapse of Hamas; in order to do that, we could have begun building an alternative government long ago with the help of moderate elements, as a regional project that would strengthen Israel’s position and its security.
“I want to make it clear that my criticism wasn’t directed against the IDF in any way,” Golan continued. “I will reiterate that my words were directed at the government, not the IDF. The IDF is my home and my heart. I served in it throughout my adult life, as a soldier, a combatant, and a general. Neither Smotrich and Ben-Gvir the draft evaders nor Netanyahu will teach me about the ethics of warfare and what it means to defend the IDF. I am not willing to be silent when an irresponsible government harms my army, its legitimacy, and its good name. Someone who truly values the IDF must stand up against the government. It is his obligation to protect the IDF and its soldiers from this dangerous war.”
A Move to Disqualify Golan
After making this poor excuse for an apology, Golan continued attacking the government. “A government that says that hostages can be abandoned and that children can be starved is a government that sounds like a spokesman for Hamas,” he said. “A government that speaks about using an atom bomb in Gaza is not a Jewish government, and it certainly isn’t Zionist. A government that thinks that October 7 was a miraculous moment is a government that despises the people of Israel. A government that believes that Hamas is an asset and that does not attach importance to saving the hostages is a government that works for Qatar, not for Israel.”
On motzoei Shabbos, Golan was interviewed by Amit Segal, a religious journalist who is highly knowledgeable and eloquent. Segal managed to corner Golan by asking him repeatedly if his objection was to the fact that Israel was starving the children of Gaza. “Yes. Yes, it is,” Golan said repeatedly, falling neatly into Segal’s trap. The interviewer then quoted an interview immediately after the October 7th massacre, in which Golan advised the government to starve the children of Gaza until all the hostages were freed. “We must stop allowing aid into Gaza, even if it means starving the populace,” Golan said. When Segal confronted him with his own words, he was stunned; he had become a laughingstock.
And that wasn’t the end of Golan’s humiliation. The minister of defense ordered the army to look into the possibility of stripping him of his rank and prohibiting him to wear a uniform or IDF insignia, as well as barring him from IDF bases and refusing to invite him for lectures. Golan faced consequences in the political arena as well: The Knesset members in the coalition announced several measures that would be taken against him, including a bid to prevent him from running in the next Knesset election. MK Afif Abed (Likud) submitted the “Yair Golan law,” which would bar the chairman of the Democrats party from running in the election, and referred to him as a self-hating Jew. Anyone who defames Israel during a war, he said, should be disqualified from representing the citizens in their legislature.
If you ask me, this is a strategic error on the Likud’s part. They should consider Golan a prime asset, as he will undoubtedly generate mandates for the Likud. If he is the leading candidate on the left, then many people will run away from the left and straight into the arms of the right. Therefore, it would be far more strategically sound for them to keep him around. That, at least, is my opinion. Indeed, there was a time in the past when it was said that Shimon Peres was the Likud party’s winning card in the election.
Trump Evokes European Criticism for Israel
Yair Golan is right about one thing, but not because of his intelligence: Israel is becoming a pariah state. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the sights of people starving in Gaza have severely harmed Israel’s public image. Second, Israel announced that it would be stepping up its military operation in Gaza, in a campaign dubbed Operation Chariots of Gideon, which evoked the world’s disapproval. And the third factor was President Trump’s recent comment that Gazans are starving. That, in fact, is the reason that Israel hurried to admit hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid to Gaza; it was a bid to prevent the tsunami of international condemnation that was sure to come on the heels of Trump’s remark. But that effort turned out to be a failure; the deluge of criticism was already on its way.
France is likely Israel’s leading critic (in fact, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that anti-Semitism in France rose more dramatically than anywhere else in the world); the French foreign minister announced that France supports reevaluating Israel’s partnership agreement with the European Union over concern for its alleged lack of respect for human rights. The Australian foreign minister declared, “Israel must allow the UN and humanitarian organizations to perform their lifesaving work. We call on both sides to return to the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.” The Irish foreign minister put in his own two cents: “The suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Children are dying of starvation, hospitals are collapsing, and the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Together with my colleagues from 21 states and the European Union, I call for urgent access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.” And the British foreign minister announced, “We call on Israel to allow the aid to Gaza to be reinstated fully and immediately. The limited supply that is planned is not sufficient.”
The Swedish foreign minister declared, “There is a need for a ceasefire, an end to the fighting in Gaza, and the release of the hostages. We have repeatedly called on the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid to be brought into Gaza and distributed without interference. We maintain our belief that the area of Gaza must not be changed or reduced.”
The president of Finland announced, “Forced population transfer is a war crime and cannot be part of any solution. We call on Israel to carry out its responsibilities under international law and to ensure that humanitarian aid will reach Gaza.”
The Dutch foreign minister announced, “Netanyahu’s announcement to allow minimal humanitarian aid into Gaza is faulty and insufficient. The catastrophic situation in Gaza requires massive, immediate humanitarian aid to put an end to the human suffering.” The Netherlands has also been spearheading a move within the European Union to implement punitive measures against Israel. And Turkey, which has always been hostile to Israel, has chimed in as well, decrying Israel as an obstacle to peace.
Canada Joins the Condemnations
The problem is compounded by the fact that this attitude is seeping into other countries as well, such as Canada. The Canadian prime minister recently went on the record stressing to the president of Israel that there is a need for the immediate release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as calling for urgent humanitarian aid and expressing his support for the two-state solution. The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada also issued a joint statement voicing their support for the efforts of Washington, Qatar, and the Egyptians to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. Their position, of course, is antagonistic to Israel.
And that is not all. The leaders of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain issued a joint statement last Friday: “Israel must guarantee the distribution of aid without interference. We call on the government of Israel to immediately reverse its current policy. More than 50,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza.”
The Italian foreign minister announced, “We must tell the government of Israel that we do not want to see the Palestinian people suffering any longer. We must tell Israel to stop its attacks and to act to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”
The prime minister of Spain said, “Pressure must be increased on Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza. Spain will do everything in its power during the meeting of the Madrid Group to stop the war in Gaza and to build a lasting peace. We are preparing the draft of a resolution at the General Assembly demanding that Israel stop its attacks and permit humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.”
Judge Orders Release of Netanyahu’s Aide
There is much to write about the Israeli judicial system’s machinations as well. For one thing, Yonasan Urich, an advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu, has been jailed for a long time in conjunction with the Qatar-gate scandal. This week, the judge rejected a request from the prosecution and the police to keep him behind bars, which amounted to another withering rebuke to both entities. The prosecution appealed to the District Court, which upheld the lower court’s verdict. They considered appealing to the Supreme Court next, but dropped the idea at the last minute.
In another story involving the judicial system, the political establishment has demanded the dismissal of Judge Yoram Broza, the deputy president of the Magistrate’s Court in Beer Sheva, in the wake of his deplorable comments about religious Zionism. Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, declared, “Judge Yoram Broza is a morally corrupt man who is not worthy of remaining in his position for even one more day.” But nothing has happened to him yet; on the contrary, he has received the backing of his colleagues in the south.
And I cannot avoid writing about the latest developments in the saga of the appointment of a new Shin Bet chief. The judges of the Supreme Court decided to issue a ruling on the subject, even though there was ostensibly no need for it anymore; after Ronen Bar announced his intent to step down from his position, which will happen in another three weeks, there should have been nothing left for them to discuss. Nevertheless, Chief Justice Amit felt that it was important to write an official verdict expressing his opinion that the government had acted incorrectly in dismissing him. Another judge agreed with his ruling, while the third member of the panel, Justice Sohlberg, took the minority view that the court should not intervene in the matter.
The judges implied that it was improper for the prime minister to have any involvement in the appointment of the next Shin Bet director. However, Netanyahu announced the appointment of Major General David Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, which seemed to be a slap in the face to the court. Of course, this evoked an uproar, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara quickly announced that the prime minister’s move was improper and that she would soon present her instructions for the appointment of the new Shin Bet director to be handled properly. Despite Netanyahu’s nomination of Zini, she announced that the process of finalizing an appointment would be long and complicated, even though Netanyahu had declared his intention to bring the appointment to the cabinet for its approval. Baharav-Miara announced that Netanyahu was prohibited to be involved in choosing a replacement for Ronen Bar until legal instructions for the process have been formulated, but Netanyahu ignored her and announced to a press conference, “The government under my leadership will appoint a director for the Shin Bet,” and then announced that he had chosen Zini. Baharav-Miara will certainly do everything in her power to continue to impede his efforts.
Netanyahu Vows: Nothing Will Prevent the Appointment of David Zini
Perhaps some explanation is in order. The judges ruled that the dismissal of Ronen Bar was unlawful since Netanyahu had a conflict of interest due to the Shin Bet’s investigation of the Qatar-gate scandal. The judges went so far as to assert that the dismissal was “without precedent in the history of the State of Israel.” The ruling does not explicitly address Netanyahu’s involvement in appointing a replacement for Bar, but the attorney general claimed that he was legally barred from involvement in the matter. Netanyahu retorted, “The new Shin Bet director will not be involved in the investigation of Qatar-gate. He will not have a conflict of interest, and neither do I.” Netanyahu added that if there was anyone with a conflict of interest, it was Baharav-Miara herself, given the fact that her husband was a senior figure in the Shin Bet and she has a personal friendship with Ronen Bar.
David Zini wears a yarmulke and hails from a religious family. Born in Ashdod, he is a father of eleven and has known Netanyahu for a long time. He is one of the few government officials who spoke out against the prevailing belief that Hamas had been deterred from further violence. Netanyahu and Zini recently met, and the prime minister offered him the position. This week, the chief of staff of the IDF (another Netanyahu appointee) announced that since the general spoke with Netanyahu without his knowledge, he would be dismissed from the army. He later corrected himself with a revised statement: “The chief of staff has reached an agreement for the general’s resignation from military service in the coming days. The chief of staff expresses appreciation to General Zini for his significant service over many years.” Chief of Staff Zamir clarified that Zini was not being dismissed, but an unusual statement from the IDF spokesman was issued as well, which stated, “The chief of staff wishes to make it clear that any discussion between individuals serving in the IDF and the political leadership requires the approval of the chief of staff.”
Zini will now have to receive the approval of the Gronis Commission, which is responsible for advising the government on appointments to high-ranking positions and is headed by former Supreme Court Justice Asher Gronis. The committee is tasked with confirming the appointments of officials such as the head of the Shin Bet, the chief of staff of the IDF, the governor of the Bank of Israel, and the chief of the police force. At this time, however, the committee cannot convene due to incomplete membership: There is no civil service commissioner today, since the Supreme Court struck down the changes made by the government in that appointment, and Professor Talia Einhorn cannot take part in the discussions because her son, Yisroel Einhorn, is wanted in connection with the Qatar-gate scandal.
Netanyahu announced, “I am determined to have Zini’s appointment finalized. We are not looking back; we are moving forward with all our might. I don’t want to see anything halt the appointment.” It is widely believed that Netanyahu is trying to escalate his conflict with the judicial system, partly in preparation for his cross-examination in court in a couple of weeks. In fact, I should write about his trial again in the near future.
Will We Recite “Eliyohu Hanovi” on Motzoei Shabbos?
The Yom Tov of Mattan Torah, however, is more important than all the political and judicial news. Last Wednesday, a group of young boys went to visit Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl at his home in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, after they visited the Kosel Hamaaravi for the annual event celebrating the Hebrew anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis. These children had learned mishnayos in memory of the six million Jews martyred in the Holocaust, and Rav Nebenzahl was impressed by the initiative. Over the course of nine months (a full year, minus bein hazemanim and the like), the 2500 boys had been divided into 55 groups and had learned two perokim a day, adding up to a total of six million mishnayos. Rav Nebenzahl expressed his admiration for the project and its founder, Gavriel Zakharyaev.
On that note, let us take a peek at a few of Rav Nebenzahl’s teachings regarding Shavuos and Mattan Torah. The Gemara famously cites an apparent contradiction between two pesukim regarding the proper observance of Yom Tov, and concludes that a Yom Tov—and the holiday of Shavuos in particular—should be divided, “half for Hashem,” meaning for the study of the Torah, “and half for you,” meaning for enjoyment of food and drink. “I once asked Rav Chaim Shmulevitz why Chazal do not say that one should fulfill both imperatives simultaneously, by learning and eating at the same time,” Rav Nebenzahl related. (Rav Chaim Shmulevitz was the brother-in-law of Rav Nebenzahl’s wife’s father, Rav Chaim Zev Finkel.) “He replied humorously that when a person learns and eats at the same time, it is neither a genuine act of eating nor learning, and it cannot be considered ‘for Hashem’ or ‘for you.’”
Rav Nebenzahl also makes a calculation that is relevant to this year and is fitting for his brilliant mind: “When Yom Tov falls on Monday, I felt that the piyut of ‘Eliyohu Hanovi’ should not be recited on the motzoei Shabbos before Yom Tov, but rather should delay it until the conclusion of the Yom Tov. Some say that the reason for the minhag to sing the zemer on motzoei Shabbos is that Eliyohu does not come on erev Shabbos, erev Yom Tov, Shabbos, or Yom Tov. Therefore, when motzoei Shabbos arrives, it is a time that is fit for his arrival and we sing the zemer that declares, ‘Let him come to us quickly, with Moshiach the son of Dovid.’ Therefore, when Yom Tov falls on a Monday, one should not sing this zemer on the previous motzoei Shabbos, since Eliyohu cannot come on the following day, which is erev Yom Tov. Instead, it should be sung after the conclusion of Yom Tov.”
Rav Nebenzahl also made another interesting comment: “The poskim debate whether there is a requirement to have melaveh malkah after Yom Tov. In most cases, there is no real practical relevance to this debate, since a person is required to have a meal after Yom Tov in any event, either because it is Chol Hamoed or because it is isru chag. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, as well, the posuk states, ‘Go eat your bread in joy.’ The only practical difference is on the night after Rosh Hashanah, when the only reason one might be obligated to have a meal is the requirement of melaveh malkah. Then again, it is also possible that there is no requirement to eat bread on isru chag, but it might be required for the mitzvah of melaveh malkah.”
Rav Nebenzahl was asked whether a husband may fulfill the mitzvah of giving joy to his wife on Yom Tov with a monetary gift. His answer was a simple yes.
