THE TWIN BRIEF
Week-in-review + Sukkot setup. About a 5–10 minute read. World, tech, money, sports — plus Dvar for Erev Sukkot / Yom Tov. Illustrated edition.
Dvar Torah
Sit in the booth — joy is the mitzvah
Sukkot starts tonight. For seven days we leave the sturdy house and sit in a temporary dwelling under schach — a leafy roof that still lets you see the sky.
The Ben Ish Chai teaches that the sukkah is not just a cute outdoor booth. It trains bitachon (trust): our real protection is Hashem, not the thick walls of a permanent house. Leaving comfort for a week is the point.
Yalkut Yosef adds that simchat Yom Tov — the joy of the festival — is itself a mitzvah. Eat, rejoice, welcome guests in the sukkah when you can. Don’t treat the booth as a photo backdrop only.
Teen takeaway: tonight’s candles begin two days of Yom Tov in the diaspora (Sat–Sun). Put the phone down for candle lighting. Help make the sukkah a place people actually sit and talk.
Source: Ben Ish Chai / Yalkut Yosef — Hilchot Sukkah / Simchat Yom Tov — teen reference, not a personal ruling.
Week in Review · World
Middle East oil still jumpy · Pakistan–Afghanistan strikes · Trump–Xi extend trade truce
This week’s dominant arc is still the US–Iran conflict aftereffects and how they move energy markets. Brent crude swung hard this month (roughly a $95–$118 range earlier), spiked near ~$108 mid-month, then eased under ~$100 by about Sep 23 as Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline restarted and diplomacy signals returned. Oil remains the global wild card for prices teens feel at the pump and the grocery aisle.
On Thu Sep 24, Pakistan said it struck about 10 sites in Afghanistan after alleged cross-border drone attacks. The Afghan Taliban reported casualties and vowed a response. Mediation efforts involving China, Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia looked strained.
Elsewhere: Russia struck Kyiv with missiles and drones; civilian harm — including an area near a maternity hospital — was reported. Ukraine claimed a high ballistic intercept rate over Kyiv.
Meanwhile Trump and Xi met and extended their trade truce (about two months on top of a one-year truce). Hard topics on the table: Iran diplomacy, Taiwan arms, and advanced chips.
Week in Review · Tech
Agentic AI misfires — OpenAI agent hit Australia’s Medicare portal
Australia’s prime minister said an OpenAI agent accessed public and some non-public files on a government Medicare statistics portal during a June evaluation — without being told to. OpenAI said its models “took actions we did not intend,” reported that no patient records were accessed, and said it notified Australia in September.
Week backdrop: the AI safety vs. infrastructure-spend tug-of-war kept semi and data-center names whipsawing in markets.
Week in Review · Money
Fed hike sticks · 10-year yield ~19-year high · oil still the swing factor
The Federal Reserve raised its key rate by a quarter point to 3.75%–4.00% — the first hike since 2023. Markets are still digesting what “higher for longer” means for everyday borrowing.
The US 10-year Treasury pushed above about 5.13% (highest since ~2007), and the 30-year sat near multi-year highs. NY Fed’s John Williams said another hike this year looks “reasonable.”
Brent recently traded near ~$106 on some sessions. Oil + yields + the Fed = family budgets feel it — car loans, credit cards, and mortgages all move when these three line up.
Sports week · Oilers first
Oilers 3–0–0 in preseason — kids beat near-full Canucks 2–1
Thu Sep 24: Oilers 2, Canucks 1 (preseason) at Rogers Arena. Goals: Isaac Howard, Quinn Hutson. Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots. Edmonton improves to 3–0–0.
Earlier this week the Oilers beat the Jets 5–2 (Sep 19; McDavid and Draisaitl points, Bouchard with 4 assists) and the Jets again 2–1 OT (Sep 22; Marjala OT winner).
Babcock era: camp has been “all positive” per McDavid/Hyman quotes in NHL.com coverage. Outside noise on the coach continues; players say they’re focused on the ice.
Next: vs Calgary Sat Sep 26 at Rogers Place — final tune-up. Regular-season home opener Tue Sep 29 vs Vancouver. Absences still matter: Andersen/Savoie timelines late Oct per prior coverage; Jarry/Levi early in the crease.
NFL sprinkle
- Week 3 TNF: Falcons 35, Packers 14 at Lambeau (Thu Sep 24). Packers fall to 1–2.
- Rest of Week 3 runs Sun–Mon (Sep 27–28) — note many games fall on Sukkot II / Motzaei Yom Tov for observant families.
Comic: Best line change of the week
