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A brief but memorable encounter on Purim in Yerushalayim left several bochurim with a powerful impression of Rav Asher Arielli’s humility and sincerity.

Each year on Purim, Rav Asher Arielli receives many visitors at his home for hours of kabolas kahal. During those hours, people stream in to greet him, deliver mishloach manos, and receive a bracha.

This year, two bochurim arrived somewhat late and stood outside the door debating whether they should still go in. While they were hesitating, another man who had come to collect tzedakah knocked on the door.

To their surprise, the one who opened the door was Rav Asher himself.

Realizing the opportunity, the bochurim immediately introduced themselves and presented Rav Asher with their mishloach manos.

They then asked if he could give them a Birkas Kohein. Rav Asher gently declined, explaining that he is not a kohein.

The bochurim, who were Chassidish, responded that even rebbes who are not kohanim sometimes give such a bracha.

Rav Asher responded by directing them to go up one flight in the building, explaining that a kohein lives there and that they should ask him instead.

Seeing that the bochurim were hesitant, he reassured them and urged them to go, telling them that the man upstairs is “a true oveid Hashem.”

Before they left, Rav Asher gave them a bracha that they should be able to learn and grow in their limud haTorah.

Those present were struck by the simplicity and humility of the interaction, a moment that many said captured Rav Asher Arielli’s character in a remarkable way.

{Matzav.com}

Fox News’ Trey Yingst reports the latest on Operation Epic Fury as the U.S. and Israel continue to target Tehran’s military infrastructure.

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[Video below.] Condoleezza Rice is calling on President Trump to finish the job against Iran following the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign that eliminated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Speaking on Fox News this week, the former secretary of state voiced strong support for the operation — known as Operation Epic Fury — and said Washington should seize the opportunity to neutralize Iran’s military threat permanently.

Appearing Wednesday on Fox News’ “Special Report,” Rice argued that Iran has been hostile to the United States for decades and that the current conflict must be understood in that broader context.

“Iran has been at war with us for at least 47 years,” Rice said during the interview. “If you ask people about Iraq, what was the source of many of our casualties in Iraq, you’ll get estimates as high as 75 or 80% of them were due to Iranian-made roadside bombs.”

Rice, 71, said the purpose of the strikes was to cripple Iran’s ability to retaliate and to weaken the regime’s military capabilities before it could respond.

“If you can render Iran essentially incapable of military action against us and against our allies, that’s worthy, and I think what they’re trying to do is to neuter Iran as a military power in the region,” she said.

Rice, who served as the nation’s top diplomat during President George W. Bush’s second term, also pointed to Iran’s longstanding strategy of cultivating proxy militias across the Middle East that operate on Tehran’s behalf.

“They also have developed the military capability to reach outside the boundaries of Iran, including Hezbollah and Hamas, which they both arm and equip,” Rice said.

She dismissed arguments suggesting the Iranian government posed little danger to the United States or its allies, calling such claims historically inaccurate.

“To say that this regime was not a threat … it’s ahistorical,” Rice said. “They have been a threat for a long time.”

Rice also cited several past attacks tied to Iran, including the 1979 hostage crisis in Tehran and the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American troops, as evidence of the regime’s long record of hostility toward the United States.

“I myself negotiated four Security Council resolutions, calling them a threat to international peace and security,” Rice said. “Because of their nuclear ambitions.”

Before the weekend military operation began, the United States had been engaged in diplomatic talks with Tehran even as Iran insisted it possessed what it called an “inalienable right” to continue enriching uranium.

Trump had insisted that Iran fully halt its nuclear enrichment program, but negotiations stalled during meetings in Geneva while Washington simultaneously increased its military deployments throughout the Middle East.

Since the start of the strikes, Iran has responded with attacks targeting American and Israeli interests across the region. Those retaliatory actions have left six U.S. service members dead. Rice characterized Tehran’s decision to attack nearby Gulf states as a serious strategic error.

Rice also addressed reports suggesting the United States may have provided support to insurgent groups in Iraq for potential ground operations against the Iranian regime.

“The one thing I don’t know is the nature of the reports hearing about Kurdish incursions into Iranian territory and we ought to be circumspect about judgments and what that really means in terms of Kurdish activity,” she said. “It does speak to the complicated demographics of Iran and we have to keep that in mind.”

She emphasized that Iran is a diverse society composed of numerous ethnic minorities that have faced repression under the ruling regime.

“We do have to be aware that Iran is not a homogeneous population, it’s also a population of over 90 million people on territory that’s twice the size of Texas. So it’s gonna be a complicated set of circumstances,” she added.

Rice also framed the current confrontation with Iran as part of a chain of events stretching back to the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which were carried out with Iranian backing.

“Iran demonstrated that it probably wasn’t possible to deter their tentacles-like Hamas. I’m quite certain that October 7 with Hamas couldn’t have happened without Iranian training and equipment and even maybe planning,” Rice said.

In the weeks leading up to Operation Epic Fury, U.S. forces carried out a separate campaign in June known as Operation Midnight Hammer, striking multiple Iranian nuclear installations.

“The administration decided, along with the Israelis, to try and at least degrade and maybe even seriously set back Iranian nuclear capabilities.”

Rice said the moment presented a rare opportunity because Iran appeared temporarily weakened and unable to mount an immediate defense.

“I see it as a series of decisions and worthy goal. Of course, we’ll have to watch and see, but I do think taking care of Iranian military and nuclear capabilities is very important,” she said.

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{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] During his tish held on Purim Demukafin, the Pnei Menachem Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shaul Alter, shared a number of sharp and insightful remarks in his well-known style. At one point during the gathering, he related a story about a dream that one of the chassidim had told him about. With a smile, the Rosh Yeshiva explained why the fact that the question in the dream was specifically a question in learning actually proves the point he has been making throughout the year. The exchange, part of the shmuessen delivered by the Rosh Yeshiva on Purim, was published by the Machon Dvar Emes, which is dedicated to spreading the Torah of the Rosh Yeshiva.

The shmuessen delivered by Rav Shaul at the tishen he conducts every Shabbos are widely known for their depth and sharpness. On Purim, however, he has a special way of weaving witty and uplifting remarks into his words, bringing joy to those gathered in keeping with the spirit of the day. Indeed, at the Purim tish he held on Wednesday, Purim Demukafin, the Rosh Yeshiva told a story that drew smiles and laughter from those present, though the conclusion he drew from it was his familiar assertion that he is not a Rebbe.

In the course of the shmuess, which dealt with the cheit of the earth that was cursed for failing to produce trees with the same taste as their fruit, the Rosh Yeshiva mentioned a dream that one of the chassidim had recently shared with him. In the dream, the chossid said, he had asked the Rosh Yeshiva a question.

The Rosh Yeshiva, recounting the dream with his characteristic warmth and wit, explained that the story actually proves his point. From the fact that the chossid asked him a question in learning, he concluded that the message must already be deeply ingrained among the chassidim.

As he put it with a smile, the dream demonstrates that “what I say all the time, that I am not a Rebbe, is so firmly understood by the chassidim that even in a dream they know they can ask me a question of lomdus, but not questions for a Rebbe.”

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{Matzav.com}

Media commentator Tucker Carlson recently told viewers during a broadcast that the Chabad-Lubavitch movement is working toward rebuilding the Bais Hamikdosh in Yerushalayim.

During the segment, Carlson briefly discussed the background of Chassidism and the leadership of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He concluded the discussion by claiming that Chabad is the main group advocating for the physical reconstruction of the Third Bais Hamikdosh on the Har Habayis.

Carlson appeared to confuse the Chabad movement with sectors of Israel’s National Religious community. Some individuals within the Religious Zionist camp have taken practical steps related to preparations for a future Bais Hamikdosh, including efforts connected to institutions such as the Temple Institute in Yerushalayim.

Chabad, by contrast, is widely recognized as a worldwide Jewish movement focused primarily on outreach activities and the establishment of community centers serving Jewish populations around the globe.

Beyond the theological confusion, Carlson also framed the discussion in connection with claims involving the “Greater Israel” and “Al-Aqsa is in Danger” narratives.

In his remarks, he portrayed the idea of rebuilding a Third Bais Hamikdosh as part of what he suggested was a broader Israeli plan to expand control across the Middle East and remove the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the site.

Carlson further described these aspirations as inherently “anti-Muslim,” presenting the issue through a lens commonly associated with rhetoric used by political activists in the region.

Critics of the segment also noted that Carlson did not mention a central historical element of the site itself: that the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock were constructed centuries later above the remains of the Second Bais Hamikdosh following the Islamic conquest of Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone if necessary.

Explosions have been reported in Bahrain following a new wave of attacks from Iran.

In a moving and romemusdig gathering that left a deep impression in the hearts of all attendees, the Jewish Kehillah in Panama marked the significant expansion of “Dirshu” learning in the country. The event, held under the banner of “Ahavas HaTorah,” took place in the central Einstein Auditorium in the capital city.

Panama City was lavesh chag last week for the “Ahavas HaTorah” event—a historic Ma’amad that united the entire local Kehillah. The event sparked peak excitement among the Bnei Torah and local Baalei Batim, serving as a powerful Kiddush Hashem the likes of which Panama has never seen.

The many participants—men, women, and children—members of the “Dirshu family,” packed the hall, seeking to derive chizuk from the global Torah revolution of Dirshu, which has started taking root in Panama and connecting the Kehillah to the Torah HaKedoshah.

The highlight of the evening was the appearance of Gedolei HaTorah and Roshei Kehillos from across Panama, who came to give kavod to the Torah and encourage the tzibbur to join the various maslulei limud and strengthen the limud among members of the Kehillah.

During the Ma’amad, recorded words of chizuk and brachos were heard from Gedolei Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael: Hagaon Hagadol Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a. Hagaon Hagadol Rav Avraham Salim shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Maor HaTorah. Hagaon Hagadol Rav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron. Hagaon Hagadol Rav Shlomo Yedidya Zafrani shlit”a.

A special guest who arrived from the U.S. was Horav Eli Mansour shlit”a, Rav of the “Edmond J. Safra” Shul in Brooklyn, who delivered a riveting speech on the greatness of Amalei Torah. The Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter shlit”a, praised Panama’s unique connection to the Dirshu revolution and the ribui HaTorah in recent years, noting that Panama is positioning itself as a “lighthouse” of Torah and Chesed in Latin America.

The Ma’amad marked the peak of Dirshu’s expansion in South America, following similar events held in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Brazil. While a Dirshu branch was established in Panama City about a decade ago, it saw a significant growth this past year and now operates regular shiurim and bechinos in “Daf HaYomi B’Halacha” and “Amud HaYomi,” which continue to expand.

The musical portion of the evening was led by Baal Menagen Naftali Kempeh, accompanied by an expanded orchestra conducted by Gershon Freishtat, who led the crowd in shira and dancing לכבוד התורה. Additionally, a special sale of Dirshu sefarim  for the benefit of the lomdim.

A mine collapse at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine. The collapse took place Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebel group, Congo’s Ministry of Mines said in […]

In a moving and romemusdig gathering that left a deep impression in the hearts of all attendees, the Jewish Kehillah in Panama marked the significant expansion of “Dirshu” learning in the country. The event, held under the banner of “Ahavas HaTorah,” took place in the central Einstein Auditorium in the capital city. Panama City was […]

Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth: We now have operational control of our southern border. Zero people are crossing our southern border. We will not rest until we have complete operational control of every inch of all of our borders.

The first rescue flights carrying Israeli passengers landed at Ben Gurion Airport early Thursday morning, marking the reopening of Israel’s skies after five days of complete closure following the outbreak of the war with Iran.

An El Al flight arriving from Athens and an Israir flight from Rome were the first aircraft to touch down after commercial air travel to and from Israel was halted when the conflict began.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev came to Ben Gurion Airport to welcome the arriving passengers. “We wish you a safe landing. With God’s help, we will bring all Israelis home safely,” she said.

Shortly before departure from Greece, El Al captain Roi Meir addressed passengers on board the rescue flight to Israel.

“Welcome to the El Al flight to Tel Aviv. This is the first rescue flight that will land at Ben Gurion. For all of us this is an emotional and meaningful moment. After more than five days in which the country’s skies have been closed to commercial flights, we are excited to host you on the flight that opens the rescue operation back to Israel,” Meir told passengers.

The Athens–Tel Aviv flight arrived after El Al completed extensive operational preparations in recent days. It is the first in a series of additional rescue flights expected to operate over the coming 24 hours.

El Al said in a statement that it will continue working to return its customers to Israel gradually and safely.

“El Al will continue to operate to bring its customers back in a gradual, safe and organized manner, and we are working to place all El Al passengers whose flights were canceled onto rescue flights, without additional cost,” the airline said.

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli Navy struck and eliminated Hamas commander Wasim Attallah Ali in Tripoli, Lebanon on Thursday morning. Ali was responsible for training and exercises for Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon and had promoted terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops. The strike marks the first in the Tripoli area since the start of Operation […]

Sen. Tim Sheehy helped Capitol Police subdue a protester who disrupted a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

The man, later identified as Green Party Senate candidate Brian McGinnis, allegedly injured three officers while resisting removal.

Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, is seen jumping into the scrum and trying to yank the 44-year-old McGinnis, who was wearing a US Marine Corps uniform, out of the room. The situation only calmed down after a loud snap was heard, which appeared to be the sound of the protester’s arm breaking inside the Hart Senate Office Building.

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Dear Editor,

Every year Purim comes and goes with its special simcha. But this year, I found myself overwhelmed by the unbelievable tzedakah that was given out on Purim, sums of money that are simply hard to comprehend. We are talking about literally millions of dollars that were distributed to help Yidden in need. Millions! Standing there and seeing it with my own eyes, I kept thinking to myself: Heilige Yidden! What a nation we are.

At one point during Purim, I happened to stop by Chuny Herzka’s house in Lakewood. There was a whole setup there with gabbaim sitting and distributing his checks. Yes, the line was long. People were coming through, one after another, and the gabbaim were handing out the checks with quiet efficiency.

But what struck me was not just the organization. It was the amounts.

I happened to glance at some of the checks as they were being given out, and I could not believe the numbers I was seeing. These were serious sums of money.

I stood there only for about an hour or longer, yet in those minutes I watched check after check being handed out. The gabbaim kept pulling from the stacks and giving them out calmly, almost as if this was routine. But to anyone watching, it was anything but routine. It was astounding.

And then it hit me: This was just one house.

Across Lakewood and in communities everywhere, similar scenes were taking place. Homes where gabbaim sat surrounded by envelopes and lists. Quiet – or noisy! – lines of Yidden coming in, many of them broken from the weight of parnassah pressures. And behind the scenes, individuals who had prepared enormous sums of money simply because fellow Yidden needed help.

Millions of dollars given out in one day. Millions.

Not for recognition. Not for kavod.

Just because it is Purim, and because a Yid cannot bear to see another Yid struggling.

That is the heart of Klal Yisroel. When the mitzvah of matanos la’evyonim arrives, something extraordinary happens. The Jewish heart opens wide. People give with a generosity that the outside world simply cannot understand.

And the most remarkable part was the quietness of it all. There were no speeches, no announcements, no publicity. The gabbaim sat there calmly doing their job, the people came and went with dignity, and the checks kept flowing.

Watching this unfold, I felt an enormous sense of pride to be part of such a tzibbur. The world may not see these moments. That dopey Youtuber who’s been hounding our communities didn’t bother catching this. They may never hear about the quiet rivers of chesed that flow through our communities. But anyone who witnessed it this Purim knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Standing there, watching the checks being handed out one after another, I kept thinking the same words over and over again:

Heilige Yidden! Look at the heart of our people.

May the Ribbono Shel Olam bench all those who gave with endless shefa and bracha, and may the incredible tzedakah of this Purim bring yeshuos to Klal Yisroel.

T. K.

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Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, 14 families in Bnei—about 60 residents in total—were evacuated after their homes were damaged by missile shrapnel and required immediate evacuation. Most of the evacuations took place on Tuesday (Purim), when 11 families, numbering about 45 people, were forced to leave their homes. All of the families were […]

Antisemitic media personality Tucker Carlson has unleashed what is arguably his most insane conspiracy theory yet, arguing that the war with Iran is tied to a supposed Chabad plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and rebuild the Bais Hamikdash (Third temple). During an episode of his podcast, Carlson questioned why some Israeli soldiers had been […]

Political commentator Candace Owens sparked widespread outrage this week after promoting a conspiracy theory alleging that Israel was responsible for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed roughly 3,000 Americans.

The controversy escalated Wednesday when Owens responded online to a video clip of Bibi Netanyahu speaking about the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran. The clip was captioned, “Netanyahu: You see the difference. The tyrants of Tehran target civilians. We target the tyrants of Tehran to protect civilians.”

Owens reposted the video and added a sharply worded accusation: “You murdered 3,000 Americans on 9/11. For starters.”

A day earlier, Owens published several additional posts suggesting that Israel had orchestrated the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. In one post, she shared a clip of Tucker Carlson discussing an anti-Israel conspiracy theory and wrote, “From 9/11 to the Lavon Affair and many [sic] inbetween, false-flags are the Israeli way. Mossad agents are taught that they will inherit the earth ‘by way of deception’. Bibi wants a third world war so they can hit a global reset— as they have done everytime people start noticing.”

Owens, who hosts a widely followed podcast, also used Tuesday’s broadcast to criticize Blake Neff, a producer for The Charlie Kirk Show and a close associate of a MAGA influencer who was recently assassinated. Responding to Neff’s criticism of her comments about Erika Kirk, Owens wrote, “Of everything I have said on the show— Blake Neff has chosen to author a long-winded response to my OBVIOUS joke about Erika’s Shabbat Shalom world tour.”

She continued by sharing a screenshot of Neff’s reply to her attacks on Erika Kirk, who has been promoting her late husband’s final book, Stop in the Name of God, a work that focused on his appreciation for observing Shabbos.

Owens added another comment criticizing the response to her remarks, writing, “This is what they NEEDED to clarify. They need the world to know that Charlie loved Shabbat. We are beyond parody.” Owens has previously suggested that Israelis may have been involved in the influencer’s killing.

The latest controversy follows a pattern of highly controversial claims from Owens, who has frequently drawn headlines for promoting conspiracy theories. At one point earlier in her career, she even publicly advanced the claim that France’s first lady is actually a man.

Her recent posts triggered an immediate wave of criticism, including from figures on the political right.

Brent Scher, editor in chief of The Daily Wire and a former employer of Owens, shared her comments and criticized them sharply, writing, “We need better conspiracy theorists. Israel did 9/11 is one of the most tired conspiracies in the playbook. Didn’t know we were stating it as fact now in the asylum.”

David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network also mocked the claims, responding with a satirical equation describing how Owens and Carlson relate to reality and concluding, “Take whatever they say and invert it.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Finance Ministry warned Wednesday that the ongoing war with Iran is costing the country’s economy an estimated NIS 9.4 billion ($3 billion) each week as long as strict nationwide limitations on economic activity remain in effect.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shai Klapper, Finance Ministry Director General Ilan Rom urged that some of the restrictions be loosened to allow a gradual and partial reopening of workplaces and businesses as early as Thursday. When approached by The Times of Israel, the IDF Home Front Command declined to comment on the request.

Rom stressed the need to balance security concerns with the country’s economic stability. “There is no dispute about the need to preserve a defense policy adapted to the security situation, but at the same time, shutting down the economy on a broad scale carries heavy economic costs,” Rom cautioned.

“We need a solution that addresses both the security needs of the Home Front and the needs of the economy, after two and a half years in which the economy has been paying a heavy economic price in light of the increase in security needs and the repercussions of the [Hamas] war,” he said.

The current restrictions were imposed after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Saturday, prompting retaliatory missile attacks from Tehran. In response, the IDF’s Home Front Command introduced nationwide emergency directives banning public gatherings, halting educational activity, and closing most workplaces aside from essential services. The rules also limit commuting to work, require many employees to work remotely, and keep schools closed.

Following a new security assessment on Monday as the conflict continued, the Home Front Command decided to extend the restrictions across the country until Saturday night.

In his letter, Rom asked Klapper to downgrade the alert status from the current red level — which allows only essential activity — to the orange level, which would permit limited economic operations. According to the Finance Ministry, the red-level restrictions are responsible for the estimated weekly economic loss of NIS 9.4 billion, factoring in school closures, workplace shutdowns, and the widespread mobilization of reserve soldiers.

Under the orange alert level, workplaces and economic activity would be allowed to resume on a limited basis as long as employees remain close to protected spaces, though schools would remain closed.

“n their workplaces and make it clear to employees that the door is open if they want to come back,” said Manpower Group Israel CEO Dror Litvak. “This is not a move to ignore the security situation, but rather an adaptation to it.”

“From the perspective of employees, work is both economic security and a psychological anchor,” Litvak said.

Rom noted that if the country moves to the orange alert level, the expected weekly economic damage would drop to roughly NIS 4.5 billion ($1.5 billion), less than half the losses incurred under the stricter red-level restrictions.

“This policy will enable the expansion of economic activity while maintaining Home Front security, in a manner that meets both economic and security needs,” Rom remarked.

“The cost that the economy is required to absorb as part of the activity under the orange alert level is expected to have significant economic implications, but we believe that it reflects a balance that is necessary in the current reality, and allows for the minimum necessary economic activity while maintaining required security restrictions,” he added.

{Matzav.com}