In a direct message to the people of Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to resist their regime’s oppressive rule and expressed hope for a future where Iran and Israel could be at peace. The statement, delivered on Monday, marked a shift from Netanyahu’s usual focus on Iranian leadership to a more personal appeal to Iranian citizens. “I speak a lot about the leaders of Iran. Yet at this pivotal moment, I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen,” Netanyahu said at the start of his statement, addressing what he described as the regime’s deepening involvement in regional conflicts. “Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, makes fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman The material below is based upon Maamar #1,2, and 8 of Vaadim published in Taf shin pay delivered by Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva – Rav Schustal Shlita and published by Rabbi Shimon Meir Perlman in a Kuntrus entitled, “Kol Dodi.” TWO CUSTOMS The Shulchan Aruch cites two customs for the strengthening that occurs during Elul.  The Mechaber writes that the custom is to awaken early in the mourning and recite slichos from Rosh Chodeh Elul onward – until Yom Kippur. The Ramah writes that the Minhag of the Bnei Ashkenaz is not so, rather from Rosh Chodesh onward they blow the shofar. The term, “not so” seems to be implying that it is actually not proper [for Ashkenaz]– and that only blowing the Shofar is the method in which to proceed.  This requires clarification.

The US is preparing for a possible Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel following the elimination of  Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s Quds Force commander Abbas Nilforoushan, who was killed in the same strike, CNN reported on Sunday evening. Iran has vowed to avenge Nilforoushan’s killing, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi stating on Sunday that “the aggressor Zionist regime’s horrible crime” of eliminating Nilfouroushan will “not go unanswered.” The report quoted a US official as saying that the Biden administration is concerned that Iran is preparing to attack and is working with Israel to prepare for a possible strike, including “changes in  US military posture.” The official did not provide further details. Last week, US troops were deployed to Cyprus.

IDF special forces have been carrying out small targeted raids into southern Lebanon in preparation for a possible larger ground operation that could begin as early as this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The raids, which include entering Hezbollah tunnels along the border, were also previously carried out in past months as part of the IDF’s efforts to root out Hezbollah’s operations along the border. The report quoted Amir Avivi, a former senior Israeli military official who continues to be briefed by defense officials, as saying that a ground incursion by Israel is imminent and that the raids are part of the preparation. “The IDF has made a lot of preparations for a ground incursion,” Avivi said. “Overall, this always includes special operations.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced on Monday morning that three of its leaders were killed in an IDF strike in Beirut shortly after midnight. The attack was Israel’s first strike within the city limits of Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut, with previous strikes mainly executed in Dahieh, a suburb of Beirut and a Hezbollah stronghold. The PFLP statement said that the three leaders were killed in a strike on the upper floor of an apartment building in the Kola district of Beirut. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The Hamas terror group announced on Monday morning that its representative in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu Al-Amin, was killed in an IDF strike in the south of the country. According to the statement, he was killed in an attack on his home in the Al-Bass “refugee camp” in southern Lebanon. Abu Al-Amin, also known as Fathi Al-Sharif, was the chairman of the UNRWA teachers’ organization in Lebanon. Hamas described him as the movement’s leader in Lebanon and a member of the leadership abroad. According to the National News Agency in Lebanon, this is the first time the Al-Bass “refugee camp” has been attacked. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

UTJ MK Yitzhak Pindrus spoke from the Knesset podium on Sunday and said Moody’s decision to lower Israel’s credit rating was due to the budget cuts to yeshivos. Moody’s on Friday downgraded Israel’s credit rating two notches to “Baa1” from “A2.” According to Pindrus, the cost of the rating downgrade is 350 million shekels. “The actual amount that will be affected by the downgrade and the cost of credit is of 350 million shekels, not seven billion,” Pindrus said. “There’s a midrash about Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who convinced his nephews to give tzedaka. By year-end, the minister came and asked them for a tax – and jailed them. The family came to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and told him about it. Rabbi Shimon replied: ‘Check how much they actually gave in charity.

Hatzalah of Cleveland joined multiple emergency response agencies in a large-scale Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training drill held at Cleveland International Airport. The drill, conducted in coordination with airport staff and various emergency response teams, aimed to prepare responders for potential large-scale emergencies. Although Hatzalah of Cleveland has yet to officially launch, the organization is already recognized as a key emergency response agency in the region. Due to their reputation, Cleveland Hatzalah was invited to participate in the exercise, where members played a critical role in triaging simulated patients.

HaGaon HaRav Yehuda Aryeh Dinner, the Rav of the Divrei Shir kehilla in Bnei Brak, shared a story in his weekly shiur. HaRav Dinner began by addressing the constant nissim seen in Eretz HaKodesh in recent weeks and months. “How fortunate we are, how good is our portion, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu protects us like a father protects his son and shields us from all evil,” HaRav Dinner said. “We see nissim with our own eyes – how the enemies try again and again to harm us, chas v’chalilah, and their schemes fail. Many times, they themselves end up getting killed by the various explosives and missiles they prepare to launch at Eretz  Yisrael.

How has Israel pulled off such stunning and far-reaching operations in Lebanon in the past two days, culminating with the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday? The New York Times revealed details about Nasrallah’s elimination, saying that Israeli intelligence had successfully penetrated Hezbollah’s inner circle. The paper notes that within a few weeks, Israel decimated the senior and mid-level ranks of Hezbollah, leaving the organization reeling. This success, it stated, is a direct result of Israel’s decision to invest significant effort in intelligence on Hezbollah following the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The 34-day war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the UN, allowing Hezbollah, despite heavy losses, to regroup and prepare for the next conflict with Israel.