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Gulf Arab states are urging the US not to end the war before the Islamic Republic is fully neutralized and unable to threaten the Gulf’s oil resources, three Gulf sources told Reuters. A Gulf source said that leaders in the region are unanimous in their desire for Trump to degrade Iran’s military capacity comprehensively, seeing […]

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By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

Bnei Yisroel were redeemed from Mitzrayim on Pesach. The Ramban, in his psicha for Chumash Shemos, says that galus will not end until Bnei Yisroel return to their place and to the “maalos” of their avos (forefathers.) When Bnei Yisroel left Mitzrayim, they left the house of slavery, but they were still considered in galus because they were in the midbar and not in their own land. When they arrived at Har Sinai and made the mishkon, they reached the maaleh of the avos. Only through the defeat of the yetzer hora will they reach true “cheirus.” This is the milchama that is brought down in Chovos Halevavos in Shaar Yichud Hamaaseh, Perek Heh. He recounts a story of a chassid who met an army returning from winning a war on the battlefront. The army had conquered a tough enemy and gained spoils of the war. The chassid told them, “You just returned from winning the small war. Now you need to prepare yourself to win the big war, which is the milchama of the yetzer hora.” We will be zoche to Eretz Yisroel only when we beat the yetzer hora. It is important for us to realize that it is not “kochi ve’otzem yadi” that provides for our success. Eretz Yisroel is called the land of Israel not because it is a name of a place, but rather because of the people living there. Klal Yisroel are mashpia on the place and not that the place is mashpia on Klal Yisroel. We mentioned before that part of redemption is that Klal Yisroel needs to reach the “maaleh” of the “avos.” To help us understand this we will explain why Avrohom Avinu was called Avrohom “Ha’ivri.” The Midrash Rabba explains that the reason he was called Ivri was because the whole world was on one side, and he was on the other side. Avrohom Avinu was the only person who believed in Hashem during his time. His belief did not waver even though he was alone in that belief. This is what true “emuna” is all about. We see similar language used when Yona responded to the question about who he was. He answered by saying, “Ivri anochi.” We must realize that strengthening our emunah in Hashem is the work that needs to be done during the month of Nissan to arrive at true cheirus. Reb Yehuda would say the ten makkos in the code “detzach adash be’achav” to help remember them because the makkos are so integral to our emunah. The ten makkos correspond to the ten maamoros with which Hashem created the world. They also correspond to the Aseres Hadibros, the foundation of our faith. The makkos were set in place to counteract Pharaoh’s proclamation of “li yeori vaani asisini”(the river is mine I created it.) We need to constantly remember that everything is provided byHashem and from Hashem. May we be zocheh to the true cheirus by the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days!

Four illustrations appear throughout the volume: Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh, drawing Moshe from the Nile; the arrival of Moshe and Aharon before Pharaoh; the Egyptian army drowning in Yam Suf; and Yetzias Mitzrayim.

President Donald Trump offered an unusual public assessment of French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he would rate the French leader “an 8 out of 10” while discussing relations with European allies.

Trump made the remarks while speaking about his interactions with Macron and cooperation with European leaders, offering a mix of praise and humor as he evaluated the French president’s performance.

“Yeah, I have spoken to him,” Trump said. “He’s been, on a scale of 0-10, I’d say he’s been an 8.”

Trump added that while Macron had done well overall, he was not perfect, joking that perfection was not expected given the challenges of leading France.

“Not perfect — but it’s France. We don’t expect perfect,” Trump said.

The remarks came as Trump discussed ongoing diplomatic engagement with European leaders and coordination with allies on international issues. Trump has maintained a sometimes complicated relationship with Macron, alternating between praise and criticism during various international disputes.

{Matzav.com}

Four teens have been arrested on suspicion of setting off an explosive outside a Dutch shul and are suspected of terror offenses, prosecutors said Monday, after they appeared before an investigating magistrate. The suspects, whose names weren’t released in line with Dutch privacy rules, are suspected of “causing an explosion, arson and attempted arson, all […]

Approximately 200 U.S. service members have been injured during the ongoing war with Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. CENTCOM spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said the injuries occurred across seven different countries during the military campaign. The vast majority of the injuries were minor, and more than 180 troops have already returned to duty. The latest […]

A striking exchange between a yeshiva bochur and the tzaddik Rav Dov Kook of Tverya about the proper approach to limud haTorah has emerged.

Last week, a bochur from Yeshivas Shaarei Shmuos visited Rav Kook and asked him to write a dedication and bracha in the sefer Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah. Rav Kook responded that now that the young man is 20 years old, the sefer is appropriate for him, adding that for younger bochurim it is not yet suitable.

At that point, Rav Kook unexpectedly asked the bochur a question: Did he know how one becomes a true lamdan in Torah?

Rav Kook immediately answered his own question with a piece of advice. He warned the bochur not to overanalyze the concept of “methods of learning.”

“It is forbidden to think about this in a literal way,” Rav Kook said. “Because someone who thinks about it in a literal way becomes very confused. You must simply learn normally. What you understand, you understand. Learn in the straightforward way, and that is all.”

Rav Kook continued explaining why he discourages discussions about formal “approaches” or “systems” of learning.

“It damages a person very much when people talk about ‘methods of learning,’” he said. “And if there is anything that could truly be called a ‘method of learning,’ it is only Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah. That is learning in the fullest sense. There is no greater lomdus than this. What is explained there is extremely subtle, the finest of the fine. It is the ultimate peak.”

Later in the conversation, Rav Kook also spoke about the bochur’s rosh yeshiva, Rav Aryeh Shapira, praising the clarity of his teaching.

“Your rosh yeshiva, Reb Aryeh Shapira, has the quality that he speaks straight and clearly, with joy and without deviating to the side,” Rav Kook said. “He speaks in a healthy way — the healthiest way. I have seen this myself. He is very thoughtful. He was here several times. I heard him and saw that he is very clear. He is not simple. He is also the son of great people — his grandfather and his father.”

Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah is the second section of the sefer Tanya, written by the Alter Rebbe, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi. In this section, the Alter Rebbe elaborates on the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that belief in the unity of Hashem does not merely mean that there is no other higher power besides Him.

Rather, the teaching explains that Hashem is the only true reality, and nothing exists independently of Him — the concept expressed in the phrase Ein Od Milvado. Everything that appears to exist separately is not truly independent existence. The continued existence of creation depends at every moment on the divine word that sustains it; without that constant divine life-force, all creation would immediately revert to absolute nothingness, just as it was before the world was created.

{Matzav.com}

Security forces on Monday removed a large Iranian missile that had fallen in the cemetery area of Tzfas, near the Arizal’s Mikvah, one of the city’s well-known sites visited by many people throughout the year. Despite the powerful impact and the sensitive location of the strike, the incident ended without injuries.

Authorities initially responded amid concerns that hazardous materials might be involved. The Environmental Protection Ministry said that emergency teams from Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched after reports of interceptor debris and a possible hazardous-materials incident.

Following extensive testing at the scene, officials determined that the situation did not involve dangerous materials. Instead, the fire that had broken out was caused by remnants of jet fuel still contained inside the missile. The ministry said it would continue monitoring the situation and stressed the importance of following Home Front Command instructions.

At the same time, Fire and Rescue officials in the Northern District reported that firefighters from the Galil-Golan station were handling several locations where missile fragments had landed in open areas around Tzfas. Additional monitoring teams conducted further inspections and confirmed that no environmental danger remained.

After the examinations were completed, residents who had initially been instructed to remain indoors were informed that they could safely return to their normal routines. Tzfas municipal spokesman Tamir Engel said all inspections had concluded and that there was no danger to the public.

The missile was transferred to security authorities for further handling, while city officials said emergency forces remain prepared for any additional developments.

{Matzav.com}

Representatives of Hamas held talks in Cairo with envoys from President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in an effort to preserve the Gaza ceasefire, which has come under strain since the U.S. and Israel launched their war with Iran, Reuters reports. The meeting over the weekend is the first publicly known contact between Hamas and […]