Rambam (Shemoneh Perakim 8) The sages said that all miracles which deviate from the natural course of events, whether they have already occured, or, according to promise, are to take place in the future, were fore-ordained by the Divine Will during the six days of creation, nature being then so constituted that those miracles which were to happen really did afterwards take place. Then, when such an occurence happened at its proper time, it may have been regarded as an absolute innovation, whereas in reality it was not. The Rabbis expatiate very much upon this subject in the Midrash Koheleth and in other writings, one of their statements in reference to this matter being, "Everything follows its natural course". In everything that they said, you will always find that the Rabbis avoided referring to the Divine Will as determining a particular event at a particular time. When, therefore, they said that man rises and sits down in accordance with the will of God, their meaning was that, when man was first created, his nature was so determined that rising up and sitting down were to be optional to him; but they as little meant that God wills at any special moment that man should or should not get up, as He determines at any given time that a certain stone should or should not fall to the ground. The sum and substance of the matter is, then, that thou shouldst believe that just as God willed that man should be upright in stature, broad-chested, and have fingers, likewise did He will that man should move or rest of his own accord, and that his actions should be such as his own free will dictates to him, without any outside influence or restraint, which fact God clearly states in the truthful Law, which elucidates this problem, when it says, "Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil". The Targum, in paraphrasing this passage, explains the meaning of the words mimmenu lada'at ṭob wara'. Man has become the only being in the world who possesses a characteristic which no other being has in common with him. What is this characteristic? It is that by and of himself man can distinguish between good and evil, and do that which he pleases, with absolutely no restraint. Since, then, this is so, it would have even been possible for him to have stretched out his hand, and, taking of the tree of life, to have eaten of its fruit, and thus live forever. Since it is an essential characteristic of man's makeup that he should of his own free will act morally or immorally, doing just as he chooses, it becomes necessary to teach him the ways of righteousness, to command and exhort him, to punish and reward him according to his deserts. It behooves man also to accustom himself to the practice of good deeds, until he acquires the virtues corresponding to those good deeds; and, furthermore, to abstain from evil deeds so that he may eradicate the vices that may have taken root in him. Let him not suppose that his characteristics have reached such a state that they are no longer subject to change, for any one of them may be altered from the good to the bad, and vice versa; and, moreover, all in accordance with his own free will. To confirm this theory, we have mentioned all these facts concerning the observances and the transgressions of the Law.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
G-d controls everything is Not a Jewish Belief
Rambam (|Shemoneh Perakin 8) The Mutakalllimun are, however, of a different opinion in this regard, for I have heard them say that the Divine Will is constantly at work, decreeing everything from time to time. We do not agree with them, but believe that the Divine Will ordained everything at creation, and that all things, at all times, are regulated by the laws of nature, and run their natural course, in accordance with what Solomon said, "As it was, so it will ever be, as it was made so it continues, and there is nothing new under the sun".
White House’s Iran memes horrify many veterans of U.S. wars
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/25/veterans-backlash-white-house-iran-memes/
When the retired U.S. Army colonel Joe Buccino first saw White House posts mixing Iran war footage with clips from cartoons and video games, he felt something he had rarely experienced from American military messaging: disgust.
But President Donald Trump’s top communications team, he said, had decided to treat the international conflict like a big joke. Veterans who were already questioning the war’s strategy and endgame, he added, were unnerved to find the nation’s highest office posting pop-music-scored clips of missile strikes, mixed with footage from Call of Duty and “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
However, officials there have also said that public outrage is key to driving up views. When the singer Kesha complained that her song had been used in a war meme TikTok, White House communications director Steven Cheung said on X: “All these ‘singers’ keep falling for this. This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they’re bitching about.”
John Vick, the executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative advocacy group, told The Washington Post in a statement that the military’s success deserves to be celebrated, but that “gamifying or making light of war also undermines the sacrifice of the Americans who have died, and obfuscates the cost of open-ended conflict.”
Tehran Says Trump’s Claim US Wants Deal Is ‘Fake News’
Iran has rejected as "fake news" President Donald Trump's claims that a deal to end the war is near, as Tehran continued to bombard the Gulf states.
The Trump administration sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran via Pakistan, it has been reported. But Iranian military spokesman Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari appeared to mock these attempts, telling state television: "someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you."
Angels Are The Natural Forces And Processes
Moreh Nevuchim (02:06) All parts of the Universe, even the limbs of animals in their actual form, are produced through angels: for natural forces and angels are identical. How bad and injurious is the blindness of ignorance!
Moreh Nevuchim (02:06) G-d gave the seed a formative power which produces and shapes the limbs, and that this power is called “angel,” or that all forms are the result of the influence of the Active Intellect, and that the latter is the angel, the Prince of the world, frequently mentioned by our Sages, and he will turn away; because he cannot comprehend the true greatness and power of creating forces that act in a body without being perceived by our senses. Our Sages have already stated—for him who has understanding—that all forces that reside in a body are angels, much more the forces that are active in the Universe.
Epic flurry: How Trump’s words on Iran have yo-yoed over three weeks of war
Over the course of nearly a month since the first US strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump has yo-yoed from demanding “unconditional surrender” to teasing a possible detente.
Confusion has become a mark of this war.
Trump is folding on Iran as war goals still unmet and regime remains intact
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/r1w3c8yjbl
When it comes to the Iranian regime, the very fact that it remains in power constitutes a victory; Even if Trump did not intend to retreat, from the moment he entered the negotiations track, Iran found itself exactly where it wants to be
After the 12-day war, both Netanyahu and Trump issued a series of statements declaring total victory. “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed — and anyone who says otherwise is spreading fake news,” Trump declared in an official White House statement on June 25, 2025. “In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion we achieved a historic victory that will stand for generations. We removed two immediate existential threats: annihilation by nuclear bombs and annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles… We destroyed Iran’s missile production industry,” Netanyahu said in a special address on June 24, 2025.
Trump says talks with Iran progressing, as Israel said to fear premature ceasefire
Israel’s Channel 12 news reported Tuesday that the Trump administration has conveyed 15 conditions to Iran as its terms for ending the current war, which an Israeli official familiar with the matter later confirmed the details of to The Times of Israel, while expressing skepticism that Iran will agree to such a framework. The official also confirmed that Washington informed Jerusalem ahead of its negotiations with Tehran on ending hostilities, which began on Sunday, without specifying how far ahead of time.
Nonetheless, it said, Jerusalem is concerned that Trump and his team want to push quickly for “a framework agreement, an agreement in principle” with Iran, rather than insisting on these demands as a condition for halting the war.
“The scenario of a rapid, ambiguous agreement in principle is giving Israel’s political and security leaders sleepless nights,” Channel 12 reported, because it risks a situation in which the Iranians would essentially have emerged with the upper hand, with the conflict ending before the precise terms are agreed.
Regardless of Washington’s negotiations with Iran, US and Israeli officials told Channel 12 that they did not see the war ending or even pausing in the next two to three weeks, as reaching a deal is expected to take longer.
Iran has denied engaging in talks with the US, and officials familiar with the matter have clarified that what has taken place in recent days has been more of a passing along of messages through mediators.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
‘If Iran keeps its uranium, everything was for nothing’: Experts, officials react to Trump's pause
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-891082
A five-day halt in strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, following what President Donald Trump described as “productive” talks, is fueling debate over whether pressure is easing too soon.
In Israel, the announcement was met with uncertainty about what the pause might actually lead to. Israeli lawmaker Ram Ben Barak of Yesh Atid, who served as deputy director of the Mossad and director general of the Intelligence Services and Strategic Affairs ministries, said the real test will be the terms of any agreement that emerges from it.
Speaking to The Media Line, he cautioned that ending the war while Iran still holds enriched uranium and continues to develop its missile program without meaningful limits would be a difficult outcome. “If the war ends with enriched uranium still in Iranian hands and their missile program not limited and supervised, then everything we did was for nothing,” he said. “It would be very, very disappointing.”
Those comments echo a wider concern in Israel that the gains made on the battlefield could be diluted if any agreement stops short of addressing Iran’s core capabilities. Ben Barak made clear he is not opposed to a deal in principle but stressed that its terms will be decisive. “In the end, every war has to end with an agreement; you don’t fight forever,” he said. “But the agreement has to reflect what we achieved up to now, and not give the Iranians something for nothing.”
Iranian source says US initiated ‘outreach’ to end war, as Israel and Tehran continue to trade strikes
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/iran-war-us-israel-trump-03-24-26
• US-Iran contact: An Iranian source told CNN there had been “outreach” between the United States and Tehran and that Iran is willing to listen to “sustainable” proposals to end the war. Other countries are pushing for a diplomatic solution, with Pakistan offering to host talks involving Iran, Israel and the US.
Knesset passes law expanding powers of Israel’s rabbinic courts to arbitrate civil matters
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-891046
Under the law, rabbinical courts may act as arbitrators only with the consent of all parties.
A law that will expand the power of rabbinic and Sharia courts in Israel and grant them authority to act as arbitrators in limited civil matters was passed in the Knesset plenum in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The Religious Courts Arbitration Bill, backed by the government, passed with 65 lawmakers in favor and 41 against.
The bill was debated for many hours late into Monday night before it was approved after strong objection from the opposition over claims it could undermine the state’s democratic character and harm women’s rights. Numerous objections were also raised to passing the controversial law during wartime.
It was decided to exclude from the scope of the law arbitration any criminal or administrative matters, as well as proceedings in which the state or a local authority was a party. Matters involving married or formerly married couples were also excluded.
Trump says peace talks progressing as Iran officials deny negotiations
Officials from several governments knowledgeable about the diplomacy, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive negotiations, said the conversations so far were indirect through the mediators. Iran publicly insisted there were no direct or indirect conversations and it was uninterested in having them.
Noting that strikes from both sides are likely to continue “until negotiations can formally begin,” the former official said that “the expectation is to move from a phase of reciprocal military strikes to de-escalation, then to calm, followed by a complete end to the war and ultimately toward negotiations that yield positive and mutually satisfactory outcomes, ensuring that such a conflict does not recur.”
Israeli officials doubt Iran will accept Trump’s ‘surrender’ terms
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkxmcblowl#autoplay
Jerusalem closely monitoring talks amid doubts Iran will agree and fears Trump may compromise under pressure; fighting in Lebanon intensifying regardless of any deal
Chances of US-Iran deal 'very small,' Israeli officials tell 'Post'
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-891012
The chances of an agreement between the United States and Iran are “very small,” Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
The gap stems not only from US demands - including restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - but also from Iranian demands.
“At the moment, the Iranians are insisting on American compensation, as well as guarantees from the administration that there will be no further action against Iran as part of any agreement,” two sources involved in mediation efforts told the Post.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s statements about progress in talks, a source familiar with the details said the deployment of American forces in the Middle East is continuing as usual.
4 people lightly hurt, buildings mangled as Iranian missile attack hits Tel Aviv
An Iranian missile attack lightly injured four people and badly damaged property in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning after Israeli airstrikes struck multiple Islamic Republic regime sites overnight.
The attack on Tel Aviv was one of several salvos fired from Iran at Israel overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning targeting north, south and central Israel, sending millions repeatedly scrambling for bomb shelters. One person was also lightly wounded in a Haifa suburb.
The attacks came as US President Donald Trump announced his administration was engaged in talks to end the war that the US and Israel launched on the Islamic Republic on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Tehran Strikes Tel Aviv Amid Diplomatic Push To End War
At least four people have been injured in central Israel during Iranian strikes overnight, shortly after Tehran contradicted U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of ongoing talks as "fake news" and dampened hopes a quick end to the war could be in sight. Trump on Monday backed away from his threat to "obliterate" Iran's power plants by the end of the day as he hailed "very good" talks with Iranian officials, instead giving Tehran five days to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Mohammed Qalibaf, the influential speaker of Iran's parliament, said "no negotiations have been held" with the U.S., and called Trump's comments "fake news."
How Trump suddenly embraced the idea of talking with Iran
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/23/politics/trump-shift-iran-talks
As President Donald Trump was departing Washington last week for Florida, ending the war with Iran appeared the last thing on his mind.
“You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” he said Friday from the White House South Lawn before getting in his helicopter and flying away.
Three days, one ultimatum and — in his telling — a few conversations with amystery official in Tehran later, Trump had adopted a different view.
The change in US posture came after warnings from Gulf allies that the striking civilian power sites in Iran could lead to disastrous escalation, according to people familiar with the conversations. And the announcement of talks, made two hours before the open of US trading on Monday, resulted in a rally on Wall Street and a sharp slide in the price of Brent crude — both areas that had been causing heartburn for Trump and his advisers.
Who, exactly, is doing the talking — or even whether they were talking at all — instantly became a matter of dispute. Trump, who refused to name the Iranian interlocutor his envoys were engaging, provided few details beyond describing the official as “respected.” And even as the president was speaking, additional Marine units were heading toward the Middle East, fueling skepticism about how real the talks are.
Trump’s comments Monday were a departure for the president, who for weeks had shrugged off even the idea of restarting discussions with Tehran, suggesting the regime was neither serious about making the requisite concessions nor its leadership intact enough to act as a reliable negotiating partner.
Trump is folding on Iran as war goals still unmet and regime remains intact
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/r1w3c8yjbl
When it comes to the Iranian regime, the very fact that it remains in power constitutes a victory; Even if Trump did not intend to retreat, from the moment he entered the negotiations track, Iran found itself exactly where it wants to be
We have had enough Chamberlains, Donald Trump himself said, mocking Europe’s weak leaders as he did what appeared to be the right thing. Contrary to claims, it was not Israel that persuaded Trump to take on the mission of defeating the head of the axis of evil in the Middle East. It was a decision made by the U.S. president himself. In almost every sense, he is not in Israel’s pocket — and in almost every sense, Israel is in his. Even on the issue of a ceasefire, Israel will do exactly what Trump dictates.
It may be a deception. It may be that Trump needs a few more days to prepare. It may be that he heeded Iranian threats to strike energy facilities across the Gulf and was forced to find a way to ease their concerns about devastation. But there is a fear that once again it will prove true: Iran never wins wars, but it never loses negotiations. It sought to shift the arena — and perhaps it has succeeded. So even if Trump did not intend to retreat, the moment he entered a negotiation track, Iran found itself exactly where it wanted to be.
In their game of chicken, Trump and Iran tap the brakes at last
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/03/23/trump-iran-war-negotiations-hormuz/
But a pause is not a peace, and the real victims are still waiting.
When bargaining about war and peace, the strategist Thomas Schelling wrote, you’re more likely to win concessions “if you get a reputation for being reckless, demanding, or unreliable.”
This game of chicken paused Monday morning, just hours before the expiration of Trump’s ultimatum to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless it agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump made a surprise announcement that he’d had “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” He said he would delay the power plant strikes for five days.
Trump has made similar claims about negotiating breakthroughs before, only to reverse course and attack. He did that in late February, on the eve of this war, and back in June 2025 before the 12-day conflict. But an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that messages had been received through “friendly countries” seeking negotiations to end the war
That’s the problem with Trump’s way of war: You can’t bluff your way to a decisive victory. After Iran closed the strait, it became increasingly clear that Tehran had a potentially ruinous squeeze on the global economy. Trump has a high risk tolerance, until he reaches an unacceptable pain threshold.
Trump is ‘lying’ about talks with Iranians
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5797061-trump-iran-war-crime/
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Monday that President Trump is “lying” about holding talks with Iranian officials.
“We know he’s lying when he says that the Iranians are talking with us and they’re about to give Donald Trump everything he wants. Yes, that’s a lie,” Van Hollen told host Kasie Hunt on CNN’s “The Arena.”
Trump drops Iran ultimatum after realizing he had nothing to gain
There is no reason to get excited about Trump's decision to withdraw his ultimatum and not bomb Iran's power grid. Such a move would have run counter to US interests and to the war's objectives. The president, it appears, realized belatedly that it was better to climb down than to create an unnecessary crisis.
To understand what happened, one must go back to last week. At Trump's request, Israel struck an Iranian gas production facility. It was an attempt to test Iran's response and determine whether such a blow would deter what remains of the regime. At the same time, in order not to embarrass the US if the move failed, it was agreed that the Israeli Air Force would carry out the operation while Trump would pretend he knew nothing about it.
Trump and Iran Send Conflicting Signals on Talks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied Tehran was in talks with the U.S., according to state media, but acknowledged countries in the region were trying to get diplomacy going. Arab officials said they have been talking separately with both sides, but that Iran has set a high bar for ending hostilities.
Fighting in the Middle East continued, with Israel saying it was striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut, while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they were targeted by missile and drone attacks.
Despite ultimatum: Trump suspends attack on Iran
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/424429
US President Donald Trump zigzags on targeting Iranian energy, says negotiations ongoing.
Golden Calf was a reboot of Mankind by G-d to its Original Status
Malbim (Shemos 32:34) וביום פקדי - ...ובדרך הדרוש יש טעם נכון בזה, כי מה שהניח ה' שיבא מעשה העגל לידי גמר, ולא הודיע למשה תיכף שירד מן ההר וישבית מעשיהם, ומה שהצליח מעשה שטן הוא מפני שבעת שהקדימו נעשה לנשמע פקע יצר הרע מלבם, ולא היה להם אפשרות לחטא, כי נעשו כמלאכי השרת שאין להם יצר הרע ונעשו חירות ממלאך המות. וזה נגד הכונה בבריאת האדם, שהאדם נברא שיהיה לו יצר הרע המסית אותו לחטא, והוא ינצח המלחמה... ועל כן לא השבית ה' מעשה זאת, שעל ידי העגל חזר יצר הרע ללבם, ומעתה יש להם בחירה ושכר על מעשיהם. וזה תירוץ ואמתלא על מעשה העגל שלא להענישם. אבל אמתלא זאת לא תועיל רק אם ינצחו המלחמה ולא ישמעו לעצת היצר הרע בעתיד, שאז היה מעשה העגל לזכות להם לזכותם בעתיד, אבל אם בעתיד ישמעו לעצת היצר הרע וינוצחו מאתו, אם כן אין להם אמתלא וזכות במה שעשו את העגל, ועל כן ביום פקדי על חטאים אחרים ופקדתי עליהם, שאז יתחייבו על חטא העגל... (שם לב לד)
Malbim (Shemos 32:34) There is a proper explanation for the sin of the golden calf based on medrash and why G-d allowed the events to go to completion and did not immediately tell Moshe to go down from Sinai to stop it. In particular He allowed |Satan to be successful even though when they accepted the Torah by saying Naseh v’nishma they no longer had a yetzer harah to sin. In fact they were not able to sin because they had become like the angels who also lack a yetzer harah and in addition they were also immortal as the angel of death no longer had any power over them. Howver this elevated state was not consistent with G-d’s plan in creating man. Man ha been created with a yetzer harah to seduce him to sin and to constantly defeat it after a struggle. Thus the reason G-d did not interfere with the sin of the golden calf is that it returned him to his original state of having a yetzer harah and therefore the Jews had the free will to do good and avoid sin and they would once again receive reward for their behavior, This also explains why they were not punished for the sin of the goldern calf as long as they succeeded in fighting the yetzer harah in the future. Thus in fact the golden calf was desirable if they were successful in fighting the yetzer harah>If they would be unsuccessful then it would obviously then be detrimental. Therefore in such a case when the account was made of their sins this would be included as one of their sins.
What Donald Trump Gains From His Temporary TACO
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-iran-war-strikes-energy-11720662
President Donald Trump has delayed for five days threatened strikes on Iranian energy targets, saying the pause would allow time for what he described as productive background talks.
Trump had originally threatened strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened within 48 hours.
It looks to his critics like a temporary TACO (the now infamous acronym for "Trump Always Chickens Out"); the Iranians have denied that discussions are taking place.
But the move also buys Trump some crucial time in a spiraling conflict.
Whether it's TACO or tactical, here's what Trump stands to gain:
Signs emerge Trump ready to end Iran war as pressure mounts over Hormuz
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5797035-trump-administration-iran-war/
Early signs emerged Monday that the Trump administration is signaling it wants to wind down the war with Iran, as pressure from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz tightens its grip on the global economy.
But conflicting accounts over whether any talks are taking place between the U.S. and Iran to reach any kind of deal to end the fighting continued to pour out of Washington and Tehran.
Monday’s announcement marks an abrupt about-face from Trump’s threat on Saturday to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear facilities unless they reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
Still, public opinion has not been on Trump’s side for the duration of the conflict. A CBS News poll released Sunday found 57 percent of surveyed Americans believed the conflict with Iran was going “very or somewhat badly” for the U.S., while 43 percent said it is going “very or somewhat well.
The same poll found that 92 percent of respondents said it was important for the U.S. to “end the conflict as quickly as possible.”
Monday, March 23, 2026
Tehran residents dismiss prospects of genuine US-Iran diplomacy
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/03/23/tehran-residents-trump-iran-diplomacy-skepticism/
Following US President Donald Trump's announcement Monday of "constructive" conversations between the US and Iran that could lead to a deal ending the conflict, and a five-day halt of American strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, residents of Tehran expressed skepticism about whether any negotiations would genuinely benefit the Iranian people – particularly against the backdrop of Iran's denial that such talks have taken place at all.
The president's dramatic announcement prompted a response from Iranian officials. Spokesperson of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, Ibrahim Rezaei, said, "Trump and the US have backed down again. The campaign continues to gallop," adding this decision marks "Another defeat for the Satan" – referring to the US.
According to Fars News Agency (Iran's state-run news agency), an Iranian source claimed that "There was no direct or indirect communication with Trump – he backed down after hearing that our targets would be every power station in the Middle East."
Israel assesses: US has set a date to end the war
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/424448
US President Donald Trump announced a five-day delay to a planned strike on Iran’s electrical infrastructure, saying: “They want to reach an agreement." Officials in Tehran deny the claim.
An Israeli official estimated this evening (Monday) that the US has marked April 9 as the target date for ending the war against Iran.
Despite Trump’s optimism-he said that “Israel will be very pleased with the result"-a senior Israeli official admitted that officials in Jerusalem were surprised by reports of the rapid progress.
As Trump steers away from war with Iran, Israel rediscovers cost of riding with him
Iran denies engaging in talks with US after Trump claims Kushner, Witkoff held meeting
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890954
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied on Monday that any talks with the United States had taken place, contradicting US President Donald Trump's earlier statements that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had met with Iranian officials on Sunday.
A source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that Ghalibaf is leading the talks with the US, while the Parliament Speaker stated in a post on X/Twitter that no talks had taken place and further stated that "fake news" is being used to manipulate financial and oil markets.