By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
On Purim, we celebrate the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman’s sinister plot to annihilate them. We read and study the Megillah, reliving the stunning reversal that transformed a decree of destruction into a day of light and joy, and tracing the downfall of the wicked Haman.
The Megillah is unique in the fact that the name of Hashem is not mentioned openly anywhere in the entire narrative. Unlike other moments in our history, the Hand guiding events remains concealed between the lines. Purim was the first major miracle of national deliverance in which Hashem’s presence was hidden, His orchestration discernible only in hindsight. As the story unfolded, it appeared to move forward through political maneuvering, palace intrigue, and human courage. Only once the salvation was complete did it become evident that every detail — including the seudah of Achashveirosh, Vashti’s downfall, Esther’s rise, the king’s sleepless night, and everything else described in the Megillah — had been precisely arranged as part of a Divine plan.
Until Purim, Hashem’s role in our redemption had been revealed openly and unmistakably, often through events that transcended the laws of nature. The makkos, YetziasMitzrayim, Krias Yam Suf, and the miraculous sustenance in the midbar proclaimed Hashem’s mastery for all to see. The supernatural was evident, the message undeniable.
But the salvation in the days of Mordechai and Esther ushered in a new era. It was accomplished b’hester, within the natural order, through seeming coincidence and ordinary events. And so it has been ever since. We celebrate Purim not only to commemorate what happened then, but to internalize what it teaches now: That nothing is random, nothing is happenstance. Even when Hashem’s name is seemingly not written into the story, His presence is there. What appears fragmented and confusing is, in truth, carefully choreographed by Hashem Yisborach, guiding His people toward their ultimate redemption.
Once again, Klal Yisroel finds itself confronting grave danger. Nearly 2,400 years after the wicked designs of Haman to annihilate the Jewish people, we faced an existential threat from the regime in Iran.
For 47 years, since the Iranian Revolution, Iran’s leaders have openly proclaimed their hostility toward Israel and the United States, funding terror proxies across the region while pursuing nuclear capabilities and long-range missile technology. Israeli officials have warned for decades that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an intolerable threat, not only to Israel but to global stability. American administrations, along with other Western governments, have insisted that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, though diplomatic efforts and negotiated agreements often fell short of eliminating the danger.
This past Shabbos, after years of escalating tension and repeated warnings, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes targeting senior Iranian military leadership, nuclear facilities, ballistic missile installations, drone infrastructure, and command centers.
The objective was to halt a program that had crossed declared red lines and was rapidly advancing toward operational capability. Last year’s attacks apparently slowed, but did not stop, Iran’s efforts to build and expand its nuclear and missile programs.
The regime that repeatedly pledged to wipe Israel off the map appeared to be inching closer to that goal. Negotiations were attempted, but as the threat intensified and intelligence assessments grew more alarming, leaders concluded that the window to act was narrowing. When the opportunity presented itself to rid the world of the country’s leadership, the war was launched.
And thus, in the very region where the Purim story unfolded, and in the week of Purim, we find ourselves holding our collective breath. As in the days of Mordechai and Esther, events are moving swiftly, alliances are shifting, and the stakes are nothing less than the safety of millions. We recognize that beyond the military maneuvers and political calculations, Hakadosh Boruch Hu guides everything.
We are living through dangerous and historic days. Across Eretz Yisroel, families once again began the week hearing the wail of sirens and rushing to shelters as barrages of ballistic missiles streaked across the sky. Regrettably, some of those missiles landed in populated areas and claimed lives.
We daven that this conflict ends swiftly, that innocent lives be spared, and that the threat hanging over Klal Yisroel be decisively removed.
Just as the hidden Hand became clear at the end of the Megillah, we pray that soon we will merit to see, openly and unmistakably, the yeshuah that is now unfolding.
Boruch Hashem, most of us reading these words have never had to scramble to a shelter with minutes to spare. But for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel, this has become an all-too-frequent reality. And yet, no matter how many times they have done it, they never grow accustomed to it.
War is not merely headlines and briefings. It is not maps and military jargon. It is fear. It is disorientation. It is being jolted awake in the middle of the night, or abandoning what you are doing in the middle of the day, clutching your children as you race to safety, reciting kappitlach of Tehillim as you run. It is the collapse of normalcy, with schools closed, businesses shuttered, flights canceled, and deliveries halted. It is the steady, unrelenting anxiety that settles into the body and clings to the soul.
Having your day interrupted by sirens and a frantic dash to a shelter before a missile strikes is more than inconvenient. It is nerve-racking, frightening, and life-altering. It reminds a person, again and again, how fragile life is.
And yet, amidst the chaos of sirens and explosions, a Jewish heart responds instinctively: “Hashem yishmor. Hashem will guard us.” Every rocket intercepted is a manifestation of His mercy. Every near miss is an indication of His will and rachamim. Ultimately, no defense system and no army operate independently of the Ribbono Shel Olam. He alone determines who will be protected, who will be spared, and who will emerge to say, “Hashem was watching over me.”
We are a nation that has endured more than any other in history, not because of our superior strength or political advantage, but because of our unbreakable bond with the Ribbono Shel Olam. That connection has carried us through empires that rose and fell, and through Hamans of every generation, and it sustains us still, in these days of sirens, smoke, rockets, planes, and peril.
With rachameiShomayim, most of the intended targets inside Iran are being struck, and with each successful operation, the threat is further diminished. Missiles are intercepted. Catastrophes are averted. Entire barrages that could have wrought unimaginable destruction are stopped midair.
And yet, as we saw in Tel Aviv, Beit Shemesh, Yerushalayim, and other cities, there are rockets that penetrate the shield. They land. They destroy. They maim. They are painful reminders that alongside rachamim, there is also din. They remind us how fragile life is, how dependent we are on siyatadiShmaya, and how urgently we must draw closer to Hakadosh Boruch Hu to merit protection.
As maaminimbneimaaminim, we understand that while armies battle on the physical front lines, we wage war on a spiritual one through tefillah, teshuvah, and tzedakah. Every added kappitel of Tehillim, every act of chesed, every extra moment of Torah learning fortifies the battlefield forces in ways we cannot measure. The unseen weapons of Klal Yisroel have always been its most powerful.
And when the war feels prolonged and the darkness thick, we cling to the promise of the novi: “Ki lo yitosh Hashem amo,” Hashem will not forsake His people.
Even now. Especially now.
In times of conflict, many are tempted to become amateur geopolitical analysts. Conversations quickly turn to speculation — why the enemy acted, what strategic calculus was at play, how deftly this leader or that one responded. Pundits dissect the decisions of presidents and prime ministers, attributing outcomes to political brilliance or failure.
But we know better.
This war, like every war, unfolds because Hashem willed it so, not because a particular leader desired it, and not because of one treaty or another speech. Events do not generate Divine plans. They implement them.
It is not that circumstances aligned and therefore history moved. History moves because the Ribbono Shel Olam directs it, and circumstances align accordingly.
Just as Paroh ascended to power to set the stage for YetziasMitzrayim, so are contemporary leaders positioned precisely where they need to be to fulfill a larger design. The revolutionary regime that took control of Iran in 1979 did not emerge by accident. The global powers that enabled it, restrained it, negotiated with it, or confronted it did not act outside the framework of Hashgocha. Each played, and continues to play, a role in a script authored long before any of them took office.
It’s not that Trump won and therefore the war happened. It’s the other way around. Trump won because Hashem wanted the world to move toward this moment.
Presidents and prime ministers occupy their posts because, at this juncture in history, the Ribbono Shel Olam requires them there. The world is being guided, step by step, toward its destined culmination. The threats we face, the alliances that form, and the confrontations that erupt are all part of a process moving creation toward geulah.
Because Hashem wants to set up the world for Moshiach to reveal himself and redeem us, He brought the world to this juncture.
We may not yet see the full picture. But just as in the days of Purim, when the Hand was hidden until the final moment, so too, we now live within a story still unfolding, guided with precision, purpose, and promise.
When we forget who we are and Who sustains us, when we allow ourselves to be distracted by headlines and worldly analysis, we risk becoming like the Jews of Shushan, threatened by Haman after having sinned by indulging in the feast of Achashveirosh and drinking from the keilim of the destroyed Bais Hamikdosh.
The Rambam opens HilchosTaanis with a powerful statement: “Mitzvas asei min haTorah, it is a mitzvah in the Torah, to cry out to Hashem and to do teshuvah whenever any tragedy strikes.” This is derived from a posuk in ParshasBeha’aloscha (Bamidbar 10:9). When tragedy strikes, it is ultimately a reflection of our own shortcomings, and the path to overcoming it is through teshuvah.
Those who reduce wars or calamities to purely political or natural explanations, or who deny or ignore Hashem’s role in the unfolding of events, are engaging in a form of cruelty. They obscure the truth, prevent people from recognizing the Divine Hand, and hinder the opportunity for teshuvah. None of us wish to be counted among the cruel, especially when the Rambam is not offering opinion but articulating halacha and revealing the true nature of the world according to the Torah.
The Chovos Halevavos teaches in Shaar CheshbonHanefesh that someone who places his faith in Hashem is never abandoned. Hashem opens the gates of understanding, reveals the hidden depths of His wisdom, watches over him, and does not leave him to the limitations of his own strength.
The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 2b) tells us that when Moshiach comes, the nations of the world will protest the punishment they are about to receive for their treatment of the Jews. They will claim that all their actions were intended to benefit the Jewish people and facilitate their service of Hashem and the Torah. Persia, modern-day Iran, will argue, “We built bridges, conquered lands, and waged wars all to enable the Jews to learn Torah.”
While it is conceivable that infrastructure projects could indirectly support Torah study, what of war? Perhaps the Gemara is hinting that even wars and threats can serve as wake-up calls — to frighten, to warn, to inspire teshuvah, and to redirect hearts toward the Torah.
When the Supreme Ruler of Iran publicly declared his intent to destroy Israel and raced to arm the nation with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the world largely stood by, making only nominal attempts to curb his ambitions.
During last year’s twelve-day conflict, Israel cleared the skies, striking hundreds of targets and neutralizing military leaders, nuclear scientists, and key infrastructure. In just a few days, a nation seventy-five times smaller dismantled decades of buildup, despite Iran’s strength and pride. Though rockets were fired in retaliation, Hashem’s protection was unmistakable. Most were intercepted, and the death toll remained minimal. Every life lost is a tragedy, yet the contrast between what could have happened and what actually occurred can only be explained by HashgochaProtis.
This is not strategy. This is not luck. This is not political brilliance.
This is Hashem’s Hand. This is the unfolding of a Divine plan. This is the sound of the approaching geulah.
Let us not waste this moment. As the war continues, as sirens wail and bombs threaten every part of Eretz Yisroel, let us raise our voices in passionate tefillah that Hashem spare us from the evil intentions of the anshei Poras andYishmoel.
Let us strengthen our commitment to Torah, chesed, tzedakah, and the refinement of our middos. Let us build zechuyos with every word of Torah learned, every tefillah sincerely recited, and every act of kindness performed.
Just as in the days of Mordechai and Esther, when danger loomed and Hashem’s Hand was hidden, we live today with the awareness that nothing is by chance. Every challenge, every threat, every moment of uncertainty is part of a Divine plan. Purim reminds us that even when Hashem is hidden, His providence is real, guiding every event and protecting His people.
We are reminded that our role is not passive. While Hashem orchestrates the world, we are called to act as only we can through Torah, tefillah, tzedakah, and chesed, refining ourselves and building zechuyos for ourselves and our people. Just as Esther and Mordechai played a crucial role in the miracle of Purim by leading Am Yisroel to teshuvah, so will our spiritual efforts today help bring about the hidden yeshuah for which we all yearn.
Let us live with clarity and courage, seeing both the dangers and the opportunities that lie before us. Let us be a people who respond to fear, threats, and uncertainty with emunah, bitachon, and unwavering trust in Hakadosh Boruch Hu.
May this be the last war, and just as the Megillah ends with orah, simcha, sasson and yekor, may we soon see peace break out in the Middle East and throughout the world and be zoche to the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
Iranian military aircraft were reportedly only minutes away from striking a key American installation in Qatar before they were intercepted and shot down by Qatari fighter jets, according to a report by CNN citing two unnamed officials familiar with the incident.
The report said the Iranian aircraft were just “two minutes” from launching an attack on Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base — the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East — when Qatari F-15 fighter jets engaged and destroyed them.
According to one of the sources briefed on the situation, the aircraft were identified as Soviet-era Su-24 tactical bombers operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The planes were reportedly flying toward al-Udeid, which typically hosts about 10,000 U.S. service members, as well as Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas processing complex.
The source said the aircraft were carrying “bombs and guided munitions” and did not respond to repeated radio calls as they approached their suspected targets.
Officials said the Iranian aircraft ultimately went down in Qatari territorial waters after being struck by the fighter jets. Search operations are currently underway to locate the crews of the downed planes.
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Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen attending the funeral of several bodyguards who were reportedly killed in a strike that targeted him earlier this week, fueling further discussion about claims that an assassination attempt had been carried out against the former Iranian president.
Images circulating on social media and regional news outlets on Wednesday showed Ahmadinejad present at the funeral ceremony for members of his security detail who were described by Iranian sources as having been killed during the attack. The appearance appeared to dispel rumors that Ahmadinejad himself had been killed or seriously wounded in the incident.
Reports about the alleged strike began spreading earlier in the week, when several news outlets claimed that a targeted attack had been carried out against Ahmadinejad while he was traveling with his security team. According to those reports, several of his bodyguards were killed in the strike while attempting to shield him.
The reports sparked widespread speculation across social media platforms, with conflicting claims emerging about Ahmadinejad’s condition. Some posts suggested he had been injured or killed, while others insisted he had survived unharmed.
Ahmadinejad’s public appearance at the funeral appeared to put an end to those rumors.
“Ahmadinejad seen today attending the funeral of his martyred bodyguards. Rumours about his death officially over,” stating one report.
Iranian authorities have not released detailed official information about the circumstances of the attack or confirmed who may have been responsible. However, the reports have circulated amid the broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and U.S. forces, which has intensified in recent days.
Ahmadinejad served as president of Iran from 2005 to 2013 and remains a controversial political figure inside the country. Although he no longer holds formal power within Iran’s leadership structure, he continues to maintain a public presence and occasionally comments on political developments.
{Matzav.com}Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faced intense questioning Wednesday during a House Oversight Committee hearing, where lawmakers examined allegations involving the use of federal funds in the state.
The session grew contentious at times, particularly during an exchange between Walz and Rep. Nancy Mace.
Much of the hearing centered on a major fraud investigation in Minnesota and issues tied to increased immigration in the state during the Trump administration. However, the discussion briefly veered away from those topics when Mace posed an unrelated question before turning to the issue of state spending on autism programs.
Mace opened her questioning with a pointed inquiry directed at the governor.
“Governor Walz, what is a woman?” she asked. “Have you learned that lesson? Do you know what a woman is?”
Walz declined to engage with the premise of the question and pushed back during the exchange.
“I’m the governor of Minnesota, Congresswoman,” Walz replied. “I’m not here to be your prop or your obsession.”
Mace immediately responded, tying the question to the broader theme of the hearing.
“OK, so if you can’t define what a woman is, you certainly can’t define what fraud is,” Mace interjected.
The line of questioning echoed a similar moment from a June 2025 House Oversight hearing, when Mace asked Walz the same question. At that time, Walz expressed confusion about what she was asking.
“I’m not sure I understand the question here. What do you want me to say?”
Mace then responded at that earlier hearing with a lengthy rebuke.
“I want you to say that a woman like me is an adult human female. That men can’t become women,” she responded back in June. She continued, “You guys are the party of violence, and you’re the party erasing women. You don’t respect us. You’re a bigot. You’re a misogynist. …Mr. Chairman, I yield back.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, the back-and-forth between the two continued as Walz repeatedly rejected Mace’s approach to questioning.
“I’m not here to be your prop,” he said multiple times.
When Mace later asked, “Is doing Minnesota math a prop?” Walz responded by defending his state’s performance in national rankings.
“Minnesota ranks at the top. Where does South Carolina rank?”
At another point, Mace questioned Walz about conditions for children in Minnesota.
“Do you even care about kids in Minnesota?” Mace asked at one point.
Walz fired back by pointing to the state’s metrics in education and social services.
“They rank near the top in nearly every category. My children are fed, my children are housed. My children have healthcare. My children have the best schools.”
Mace eventually concluded her questioning shortly afterward.
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{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during a tense exchange Wednesday over how the media has covered the deaths of U.S. service members killed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran and across the Middle East.
The confrontation unfolded during a White House briefing when Collins, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, asked Leavitt about comments made earlier by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press conference. At that event, Hegseth accused the “fake news” media of highlighting the deaths of American troops in a way that was intended to make President Donald Trump “look bad.”
The discussion escalated after Collins raised Hegseth’s remarks and also referenced reports that Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer ceremony for the remains of six U.S. soldiers killed Sunday during an attack on a command center in Kuwait.
“Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?” Collins asked Leavitt.
“No,” Leavitt answered. “It’s the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room.”
Collins pressed further, noting that Hegseth had been “complaining that it was front page news about these six service members who were killed.”
Leavitt rebuked the CNN reporter for the follow-up and repeatedly interrupted as Collins attempted to respond and fact-check the press secretary’s comments.
“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and that’s not what the secretary meant,” Leavitt said. “And you know it. You know you’re being disingenuous.”
Collins then quoted Hegseth directly, reading from his earlier remarks at the Pentagon.
“When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.”
“You know we cover the deaths of service members under any president,” Collins also hit back.
Leavitt responded by reiterating Hegseth’s criticism and accusing the media of trying to undermine the administration.
“The press does only want to make the president look bad,” the rattled press secretary replied. “That’s it. That’s a fact.”
She then continued her criticism of CNN and its coverage.
“Listen to me, especially you, and especially CNN,” Leavitt snapped back at Collins. “The Secretary of Defense cares deeply about our war fighters and our men and women in uniform. He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them, and your network has hardly ever probably reported on that.”
Collins attempted to close the exchange by noting that reporting on Trump’s plans to attend the transfer of the soldiers’ remains was not negative coverage but instead highlighted his actions as president.
Leavitt responded that the administration expects the media to report on that event while again accusing CNN of consistently portraying the president in a negative light.
“We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan, but you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the president look bad,” Leavitt said, before adding a final jab about CNN’s ratings.
Earlier in the briefing, Leavitt also defended Trump’s decision to launch strikes against Iran, saying the move was based on intelligence indicating an imminent threat to the United States and its allies.
“The president was not going to be just another president on a very long list who sat back and stood by and passed the buck of this direct threat to the next administration,” she said Wednesday after The Independent pressed her on the shifting explanations for the war offered by top administration officials since the weekend.
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{Matzav.com}
Israeli defense officials are preparing for the possibility that Hezbollah could attempt an infiltration into northern Israeli communities, amid concerns that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may push for such an operation to be carried out through the Lebanese terror group.
The scenario, raised during discussions held over the past 24 hours among Israel’s political and military leadership, involves the Radwan Force — Hezbollah’s elite commando unit — attempting to infiltrate communities along Israel’s northern border, according to a report aired on Channel 12 News.
According to the report, Israel’s defense establishment is preparing for a range of potential Hezbollah activities, including a ground infiltration. Officials believe there is a possibility that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards could encourage Hezbollah to carry out such an operation using the Radwan Force, even as the IDF has deployed troops to several positions inside southern Lebanon.
Channel 12 further reported that Israel’s political leadership has instructed the military to reinforce forces in the north. In response, the IDF has increased troop deployments both inside Lebanon and in the areas surrounding northern Israeli communities in order to be prepared for such a scenario, even though officials believe the chances of a large-scale operation remain relatively low.
The report added that the directive to the military is to avoid taking any risks, even when it comes to the possibility of a small infiltration attempt by a limited Hezbollah cell. Officials stressed that it would be a mistake to assume that the presence of Israeli forces alone guarantees such an incident will not occur.
“This is still a scenario that forces are preparing for as if it could happen at any moment — a type of lesson learned from the events of October 7,” the sources emphasized.
{Matzav.com}
