Shoftim - Finding the Center

Why is the highest court of the Jewish people found in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount? What does the verse mean when it says that we are to do as the judges tell us 'from that place Hashem shall choose?' What does the verse mean when it says not to turn away from their word neither to the right nor the left? Why is there a reference to the 'nations around them' in the verse speaking about the appointment of a king? What is the concept of his being 'chosen by Hashem' and how does it relate to the 'place chosen by Hashem' in the previous discussion?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:10

MBD vs. Yishmael & MBY vs. Edom (part 2)

Here are a few more questions that I've been wondering about lately.

Why did Hashem decide that in 1948 we would lose the old city of Jerusalem and access to the Har Habayis? Why did we have to experience such an unbelievable miracle in 1967 with the re-unification? Why couldn't we just get it all at once?

There is a famous story quoted by the sefer Lev Eliyahu (Volume Shemos - Parshas Yisro p. 172) about the Chofetz Chaim. I'm now quoting directly from the sefer, which is a quote of the words of R' Elya Lopian (my own translation from the original Hebrew):

"I heard in London from the holy mouth of R. Elchanan Wasserman Zt'l, who said it in the name of the Chofetz Chaim ztvk'l, that our sages say that the war of Gog and Magog will be three times. At the time, it was after the first world war, and the Chofetz Chaim said that this war [that had just occurred] was the first Gog Umagog war. [He said that] in another approximately 25 years there would be another world war, which would make the first one look like nothing. Afterwards there will be a third Gog Umagog war - 'a time of trouble for Jacob, from which they will be saved.'"

I've always wondered - what is the idea of three wars? Obviously the first two have already passed. Is it possible that the first two had to do with MBY and therefore took place in the lands of Edom, affecting mostly Ashkenazic Jewry? Is it possible that we are witnessing currently the the third Gog Umagog war already - and it is connected to MBD and the world of Yishmael; hence the tremendous upheavals in the Arab world?

And how does Eretz Yisroel play into all this - it was spared from Hitler's wrath in WWII - and yet it seems to be center stage right now.

Other questions to ponder:

Why did the Ashkenazic world experience such religious devastation - being ravaged by the reform and conservative movements? Why did the Sephardic world not have so much infiltration - and largely remained either religious or traditional?

Why has Israel seemed to almost completely keep out the elements of the reform and conservative movements? And yet, why has Israel for the most part been ruled by Ashkenazic leaders who are irreligious?

Could there be a radical difference between what an MBY war of Gog Umagog looks like and an MBD war of Gog Umagog looks like? Is there any precedent for such a difference in previous examples of geulah/redemption? Are there any sources in the gemara for such a difference?

Vayechi - War of Gog Umagog

What is the parallel between the blessings of Jacob and that which occurs on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? Why do the 10 tribes gather to the portions of Yehuda and Benjamin? Why do they need to 'show honor to Judah and Benjamin?' What is the idea of there not being 'any arguments' as a prerequisite for the advent of the Messianic age? Why did Jacob reveal the idea of the War of Armageddon to his sons? Why does this war center around Jerusalem? Why was all this revealed in the context of the revelation of the unique attributes of each tribe?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 26:31

Chayei Sarah - Laying Claim to Israel

Why do the children of Ishmael and Canaan lay claim to Israel specifically in front of Alexander the Great? Why do the responses come from Gevia the hunchback? Why does Alexander feel drawn toward Jerusalem? Why does he want to enter the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount? What does it mean that Abraham blessed Isaac 'with everything?' Why did he send the others away from Isaac?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 26:47

Lech Lecha - Inspiring Impressions

Why does the Torah stress the fact that Sarah was so beautiful? What does the midrash mean when it says that Abraham realized how beautiful she was when he saw her reflection in the Nile river? Why did Pharaoh give his daughter to Abraham and Sarah to be their maidservant? Why did Abraham call Jerusalem 'Yireh' - 'to see?' What is the connection between seeing (Yireh) and awe (yirah)?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 21:55

Ari Goldwag orchestra video (one man band)

Some more thoughts

Over Shabbos, and continuing until today, I have had a few thoughts that I found inspiring and wanted to share with you. On Friday night, when I came home from davening, I opened up the Mishpacha magazine, and I read something that was so exciting, it literally made me sing with joy. It was an article about the PA's bid for international recognition, which is slowly but surely gaining momentum. The article said that Netanyahu was presented with the scenario of the 'Palestinians' (who henceforth will be appropriately called 'Arabs') unilaterally declaring statehood. Norway has already called for an Arab state in Judaea and Samaria (commonly called the 'West Bank') in 2011, and similar types of recognition are coming out of the EU, as well as others. The article stressed that the Obama administration would likely take the side of the Arabs on border issues, and considers such places as Beitar, Ramat Eshkol (my sister lives there), Neveh Yakov (my brother-in-law lives there), and the Har Habayis (our hearts live there) to be 'settlements' that should ultimately end up in the hands of the Arabs. The Arab prime-minister, stated the article, is respected in the world at large for his expertise in finance, and thus, when the Arabs have a government that seems to be functioning, the time would be ripe for them to declare a state. The ramifications of this type of declaration on the half a million Jews living within the Judaea and Samaria areas would be tumultous, and certainly so for those who are more in the heart of that area, as opposed to the 'green line' itself. To me, this was extremely exciting, as it seems Hashem is forcing the Moshiach process forward with ever-increasing speed. It does not take a lot of imagination to picture what will happen when Yishmael stakes its claim to the heart of our Holy Eretz Yisrael. This clearly is a definitive representation of Yishmael's claim that they are the true heirs of Avraham, which will be met with a cosmic response from the people of Yisrael, whose claim is the true claim. And, of course, the scene will center around Jerusalem.

Now, I have spoken of Jerusalem on a few different occasions, but a deep thought came to me that has to do with some information I have shared more recently. We mentioned the concept that the Ramchal teaches, which is that Binyamin is the one who serves to unite Moshiach ben Yosef (represented by Yosef) and Moshiach ben Dovid (represented by Yehuda). Yehuda had guaranteed to return Binyamin safely to his father Yakov, and that guarantee was challenged when Yosef threatened to take Binyamin as his slave. Yosef had orchestrated this scenario in order to create a full tikkun for Yehuda's role in selling him years before. By standing up for Binyamin, as Yosef knew he would have to, Yehuda rectified the sin of selling Yosef and creating a tear in the fabric of the Jewish people. That seam was sewn together through his defiance of Yosef, his protection of Binyamin, and allowed Yosef to reveal himself and complete the reunification with his brothers. This unification of the Jewish people was what allowed the Divine Presence to return to them, as occurred when Yakov learned that Yosef was still alive. The unity of the Jewish people is a prerequisite for the Shechina to dwell upon them, and in turn, upon the world. The physical location of this revelation in the world is Jerusalem, and more specifically, the Temple mount. It is not a coincidence that this very location is situated on the border between the portions of Yehuda and Binyamin. The guarantee of Yehuda to protect Binyamin was what created the reunification of the Jewish people in the past, and that bond would always represent their unity, and the resulting Presence of Hashem that would be placed upon us.

With this understanding, we start to see how important Jerusalem is in the Moshiach ben Yosef process. Just as Yosef could not reveal himself until Yehuda stood up for Binyamin and created that bond, Moshiach ben Yosef will not reveal himself until their is an opportunity for the Jewish people to acknowledge their bond with Jerusalem, the place that represents Jewish unity and the Divine Presence. As I mentioned in a previous post, it would seem that Hashem is orchestrating events in such a way that Jerusalem's rightful Jewish ownership will be challenged. This itself will serve to cause the Jewish people - everywhere - of all stripes and types - to stand up for her, to acknowledge her and to stand by her side, as Yehuda did with Binyamin. This, itself, will be the tikkun for the sin that caused the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, which was Sinas Chinam - baseless hatred - a lack of unity. Hashem needs us to identify with the Jewish people, to identify with Jerusalem, to identify with the pain of the Shechina.

I mentioned my excitement about the Mishpacha article to a neighbor, and I was handed a book called "Fascinating Torah Prophecies" by Rabbi Nisan Aryeh Novick, which was published in 1997. I was intrigued by this little book that did not mention Moshiach ben Yosef and had no reference to Kol Hator, but still made all of the same observations that we have been making. The most remarkable thing was a midrash he quoted at the very beginning of his book, which was basically a conversation between Yakov and his sons after they had decimated the people of the city of Shechem. He berated them for having done this deed, as it could potentially arouse the surrounding people of Canaan to battle with the children of Israel. Yakov stressed that it was not the right time to have such a battle, as the Jewish people had not yet reached the number of 600,000 which is essential for them to be unbeatable. R' Novick marveled at the fact that the Jewish population of Israel in 1948, just prior to the war of independence was just above 600,000. He also remarked how the national census in Israel just prior to the 1967 war placed the number of males over the age 20 (of army age) at just a bit more than 600,000.

The greater significance of this to me was that I had recently mentioned to my wife that the Jewish population in Israel is nearing the six million mark. As the Ramchal mentions (I believe it in his sefer Kinas Hashem Tzeva'kos), the number 600,000 is significant because it is really the number six (divided or multiplied by 10x10x10x10x10, because the sefiros are each made of up ten sefiros, which are in turn made up of 10, ad infinitum), which corresponds to the male concept, which in turn corresponds to Yosef. 600,000 thus represents the power of Moshiach ben Yosef, which came into force in 1948, and again in 1967. This power is about to be ready to be unleashed once more in the near future, as we hit 6,000,0000, which is ten times the 600,000 of 1948. It is remarkable that at each moment where a significant 600,000 was reached, within a short time there was some necessity to use that power in the Moshiach ben Yosef process. This observation, combined with the PA's movement toward recognition, is hard to ignore.

I would like to share one last thought on Moshiach ben Yosef which occurred to me this morning, with Hashem's help. I was learning the sefer "Inner Space" by R' Aryeh Kaplan. On pages 90-91, he mentions the fact that after Kayin killed Hevel, he repented from his sin, and received a lighter sentence than had originally been handed down by Hashem. When Adam saw this, he inquired as to why he had not received the full brunt of his punishment. Hashem explained that Kayin had done Teshuva. At that point, it was 130 years after the sin of Adam, and he realized that he could do Teshuva, and both he and Chava did so. They had been apart for those 130 years, and they came back together and conceived Shes (Seth). They accomplished a tikkun for the sin of the eitz HaDa'as - the tree of knowledge. This brought them back into a state of Da'as with each other - the Da'as union of their marriage that would create Shes.

It was remarkable to me that this tikkun for the sin of Adam, which corresponds to the job of Moshiach ben Yosef, and the events that we are currently witnessing, was prompted by the death of Hevel and the subsequent teshuva of Kayin. As mentioned in a previous post, Hevel was an aspect of Moshiach ben Yosef, and thus, it would seem to parallel the death of Moshiach ben Yosef himself in the future, which the Gemara says will serve to cause the Jewish people to repent completely, bringing about the era of Moshiach. Although the Gra's understanding is that "Od Yosef Chai" - Moshiach ben Yosef will not die - we still have an aspect of Moshiach ben Yosef's death that is seen throughout the reality of the Jewish people today. The very fact that the Jewish people does not recognize the importance of living in Israel is itself a certain type of death of Moshiach ben Yosef. The fact that the deeper wisdom of the Torah is, in a certain sense, rejected by the Orthodox world, is also a certain aspect of death of Moshiach ben Yosef. The sorry state of the relationships of the Jewish people, whether it is the shidduch crisis, the at-risk youth issues, or the internet difficulties that so many face - all of these are aspects of the fallen state of Da'as, the death of Moshiach ben Yosef. Somehow, in Hashem's greater plan, all of these aspects of the death of Moshiach ben Yosef will serve to awaken the Jewish people to repent and complete a full Teshuva - to act as the Yehuda standing up for Binyamin, to finally bring back our relationships from their state of destruction back into a state of perfection. Then we will finally see the Divine Presence dwelling in our lives and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash on the Har Habayis, where It will be apparent for all to see.

P.S. Just thought it important to remark that the day in Tammuz that corresponds to Rosh Chodesh Av of last year is 22/23 Tammuz, which is July 24/25. It is toward the end of the month, because the way you get to that date is by calculating two thirds of the year. Since this year consists of 13 months, the moment of 12:30 is a week or so before Rosh Chodesh Av.

Im Eshkachech

Esav, the pope, and the president

Just a quick thought, which is based on a similar idea that the Rabbis Kessin have said.

Esav is the fallen Moshiach ben Yosef, who is jealous of Yakov and Yosef who have replaced him in his job. Moshiach ben Yosef's job is connection - tikkun habris - rectifying the place of connection between the male and female forces of creation. The three cardinal sins that Esav transgressed on the day that Yakov bought the first-born rights all represent the destruction of points of connection. Idolatry - destroys the connection between man and God. Adultery - destroys the connection between man and wife. Murder - destroys the connection between man and his soul. Through these transgressions, Esav showed that he could not fulfill his mission, and thus, Yakov bought it from him.

Whenever Esav is weakened, one can see it in the area of the bris. As we discussed previously, the bris of the world is Jerusalem, which connects Heaven and Earth. Thus, it is extremely painful for Esav to see the Jewish people building in Jerusalem. But not only does the West and its president seek to control what occurs there, the Vatican also attempts to purchase as much of Jerusalem as it can, through the aid of the Erev Rav. But at the very moment that the West's great president stands up to protest the Jewish people's building in Jerusalem, a great blemish is found in the bris of the church. The scandal rises up to the very top of Esav, to the pope himself. The fact that these two events are coinciding is not happenstance. It represents a further weakening of Esav and the West, and it is a sign that Yisrael is rising up in its spiritual power. This is an important point, because on the surface it would seem that the Jewish people are weak, and the world at large views us as if we are the perpetrators of evil atrocities in our relationship with the Arabs who occupy our Holy land. Is there any greater emotional pain for the Jewish people, whose moral caliber is the highest of any nation in the world, than to be accused of being as bad as the nation of Amalek who destroyed six million of our people only seventy years ago? This very pain and righteous indignation that every Jew senses is itself a certain type of יסורין (infliction of pain) that serves to lift the sparks of holiness out of the side of Evil. Thus, the very attempt of Esav to hurt us, to embarrass us, and to humiliate us by accusing us of being the side at fault in the Arab-Israeli conflict, actually serves to usurp their power from them, to raise the sparks out of their dominion. This results in a weakening of their power, which only feeds off the side of Holiness, and is reflected in the scandal that is plaguing the church. It is a sign that the Jewish people's suffering is effecting a great rectification. As we get closer to the final redemption, the Jewish people will look more and more like the offenders, like the evil ones, but this itself sets the scene for the Geulah to take place, for all the sparks to be brought back to the side of Holiness, and for arrival of the day when all the world will see the true status and honor of the Jewish people.

Jerusalem: Not For Sale

What is it about Yerushalayim that makes it so central on the world stage? Why does the United States government care if we build in our capital? Why does the Arab world get up in arms if we build a synagogue in our capital city? What is it about the current situation that is so exciting, and at the same time stirs up such indignation inside of ourselves?

I have discussed the concept of Jerusalem at length in two previous posts (here and here), but there is always more depth to find about Yerushalayim and its centrality to the Divine plan.

It is important to realize that we have reached a crucial historic point in history. It would seem as if the United States has suddenly decided that the Jewish people do not have a right to Jerusalem, and that we can not build in our very own capital. This, however, is not a new phenomenon. Anyone who is a US citizen and has had a child born in Jerusalem (as I have) knows that although the American birth certificate states the place of birth as Jerusalem, the country of birth is left off. There was recently a court case which declared that one does not have the legal right to have Israel stated as the country of birth written on a passport if the child was born in Jerusalem. If you look carefully at that case, you will see that the issue there was that the United States can not take sides in deciding to whom the jurisdiction of Jerusalem will ultimately be given. The current dispute, however, seems to be the first time that the United States has gotten explicitly vocal about its displeasure with Israel claiming Jerusalem as its capital at all, as opposed to just passively staying out. This change in attitude has been getting more and more apparent with the entrance of the newest American administration. The question is, What is its significance, and is there a Torah source that can shed light on these events?

In thinking about this, I realized that it could be summed up that the West has a hatred for the Jewish people that is usually covert, but every now and then, it boils up above the surface and becomes overt. The West represents the current manifestation of Esav, and thus, we need search no further than Esav himself to find examples of hidden and revealed anger. These examples will give us an important clue as to where we are headed. As the Ramban writes, in reference to the meeting between Yakov and Esav when Yakov returned from Lavan's house, that meeting was a template for the interactions between the Jewish people and the West throughout history. Thus, there is much to be learned from carefully examining the Torah in that light.

The place where we see this pattern is in Esav's angry desire to kill Yakov after the blessings were stolen. Yakov was completely unaware that this was his evil intent, until Rivka makes it known to him. She herself only knew of his plans because of a Divine revelation that she received. As we have discussed, the blessings that Yakov stole were the very essence of the purpose of the Jewish people as the leaders of the world, in the capacity of Moshiach ben Yosef. Esav's hatred and jealousy were not simply because Yakov stole the blessings, but more importantly, because Esav had now been rejected from his role as a part of the Divine plan. Like Kayin before him, and Shaul after him, this rejection created a profound anger and desire to destroy his counterpart (Moshiach ben Dovid), and this fueled his angry plan to kill Yakov.

Sending Yakov away from the land of Israel was an important act on the part of Rivka, because as long as Yakov was in Israel, his function as Moshiach ben Yosef was resonating with the land, so to speak, creating a greater reason for Esav to want to kill him. As we saw, whoever has the function of Moshiach ben Yosef receives the land of Israel, which functions as the physical manifestation of Moshiach ben Yosef for the whole physical world. Thus, it was a calculated move to not only send Yakov away, but to send him out of Eretz Yisroel entirely. This helps us understand why Esav suddenly comes at Yakov with four hundred men - twenty two years later - when Yakov is on his way back to Israel. As he gets closer, the 'noise' of Yakov's resonance with Eretz Yisrael gets louder and again pushes Esav to try to kill him. Despite this, however, Yakov must only truly do battle with the spiritual power of Esav, which is the angel he fights with at the Yabok river. Once Yakov vanquishes that spiritual force, Esav is left powerless, and all he can do is have a harmless interaction with Yakov, without causing him any damage.

If we think about this in light of what is currently transpiring, we can see through to a deeper level than what is occurring on the surface alone. It is clear that both Yishmael (the Arab world) and Esav (the West) would wish to claim the job of Moshiach ben Yosef, that is, the ones who will lead and guide the world. This ability, however, is completely tied up in the control of Jerusalem. Whoever has control of Jerusalem has control of the world. The spiritual forces of each of these nations thus wishes to assert its domination over the city of Jerusalem, and can not admit that the true dominion belongs to the Jewish people. On the surface, it just seems that the Arabs want to claim Jerusalem because of the mosque, and that the West just wants there to be 'peace.' But underlying it all is a spiritual need to be in control of Jerusalem. Even the West that seems to want to give Jerusalem to the Arabs on a silver platter really only desires to be the one in control over Jerusalem. Whoever controls the city rules the world.

It is important to understand that when Yakov returns to Israel, after he has had eleven of his twelve sons, he is ready to begin the building of the Jewish people, and that can only occur in Israel. Thus, whereas Esav had only covertly wished to kill Yakov twenty two years before, at this point, as Yakov is resonating his mission of Moshiach ben Yosef to an even greater extent, Esav comes out with four hundred men to kill Yakov - his anger has boiled over to the surface.

Paralleling this, the closer we get to the revelation of Moshiach ben Yosef, the more the Jewish people resonate with our corresponding mission. As more and more of our people return to Israel, and the scales tip to the point where there are more Jews in Israel than outside of Israel, we are reaching the point in time that corresponds to Yakov Avinu returning with his family to Israel. We are thus reliving that time, when Esav left behind his hidden hatred and began to clearly show his true intentions. This is reflected in the current behavior of the United States government.

Although current events might seem disconcerting, the truth is that there is a tremendous נחמה contained in this parallel. It may seem that the world is crashing down on us here in Eretz Yisrael, and it is not beyond imagination that we will soon see a scenario similar to the war of Gog Umagog described in Yechezkel. Nevertheless, just as Esav's aggressiveness was nothing more than an indicator that a spiritual battle was about to take place, which Yakov succeeded in, so too, the current events that we are witnessing are but an indicator that we are entering into a similar spiritual battle, which ultimately will be won by the offspring of Yisrael.

Why Jerusalem?

I was shocked by Tomer Devorah's post about the EU's planned announcement that Jerusalem should officially be the capital of a 'Palestinian' state. It is on one hand extremely upsetting, and on the other hand extremely exciting, as we watch the drama unfold right in front of our eyes.

We all know that the Neviim spoke of a war that would be led by Gog and Magog and would center around Jerusalem. This would be the final war where Moshiach would vanquish the forces of evil. We need to stop and ask ourselves, Why Jerusalem? What is it about Yerushalayim that makes it the center of this epic battle? Why do the Arabs want Jerusalem so much, and how is it conceivable that they have their mosque sitting on our Holiest place, the Har Habayis?

We know, as per the Gemara in Kiddushin in עשרה יוחסין that Israel is the highest land in the world, and Jerusalem is the highest point in the world. This is meant in a spiritual sense, and the concept is also said in a slightly different way, that Jerusalem is the meeting point between this physical world and the spiritual world. Har Habayis was the place of the Akeida, the field that Yitzchak would daven in, the place of Yakov's dream. This all represents the singular primacy and focal point that Yerushalayim is.

But it is much deeper than this.

We start to see the beginnings of a hint from a statement of Chazal. They say that during the time that the Jewish people are not inhabiting the land of Israel, there is another nation that has the merit to be the 'tenants' while we are gone. That nation is the people of Yishmael. What did Yishmael do to deserve this honor? He had the merit of the bris, which he performed at the age of thirteen. The obvious question arises - why is this the merit that gives Yishmael the right live here? Yishmael, the son of Avraham, was also trained in chessed and hospitality toward guests (as Rashi notes in the story of Avraham and the angels). Why is it specifically the mitzvah of Milah that earns Yishmael this honor?

The answer here has to do with the deeper meaning behind the bris. The circumcision represents the removal of the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds that was brought about by the sin of Adam Harishon. Before Adam sinned, he did not have a foreskin. After the sin, the foreskin grew, representing the barrier he had created between the male and female forces of creation. The male forces are the spiritual forces, the forces that give, and the female forces are the physical forces, the forces that receive. Avraham, whose job would be the tikkun of the sin of Adam, was commanded in the mitzvah of Bris, removing that barrier. Yishmael, his son, also performed that mitzvah at the age of thirteen.

For this reason, those who are שומרי הברית - who keep this covenant of the circumcision, recognizing the holiness of the connection between male and female - they are the ones who have the land of Israel. As the long as the Jews were doing their job, we were able to retain the land of Israel. As soon as we were thrown out, specifically the people of Yishmael, who keep the bris, merited to be the 'tenants' of the land. This is because Israel represents the highest point in the world - the connection between the male/spiritual elements of creation and the female/physical elements of the world. (This is not to say, heaven forbid, that women are less spiritual than men. In fact, the opposite is true. This just means that the male concept, which is infinite potential, best represents the spiritual, while the female concept, which is about limiting and building, best represents the physical.)

Thus, each of the points in the land of Israel that represent a higher level of connection are still currently occupied by the Yishmaelim. Take, for example, Chevron. The cave of Machpela (as we discussed in the Parsha Podcast from R' Chaim Friedlander) is a point of connection between the physical realm and the spiritual realm when the soul departs the body. Shechem, which is home to Yosef Hatzadik's body, also represents this connection, as we will see soon. Most outstandingly, Yerushalayim, which is the highest spiritual point in Eretz Yisrael, and specifically the Har Habayis, are occupied by the Yishmaelim. They would claim that they are the spiritual heir to this place, and that they are commited to the concept of the bris - the commitment to keep the spiritual and physical worlds bound together.

It is as if we are watching the spiritual show that is going on in Shamayim, right here in front of our eyes, only in a physical version of it. Imagine that the angel of Yishmael is standing before Hashem, claiming that Yishmael does a much better job of keeping the covenant. Yishmael deserves to have all of these places that represent this connection that the people of Yisrael are not deserving of. Esav's angel (the ס"מ himself!) steps into the fray and supports the claim of the angel of Yishmael. "Certainly Yishmael deserves to have Har Habayis. They have kept the covenant! I will make sure that Yisrael loses any claim to it. Only Yishmael can have Har Habayis."

Now, we know that when the ס"מ gets up to speak, Hashem always lets him have a chance to show that he is right. But the amazing thing is that Hashem always uses the ס"מ himself to accomplish the redemption He is bringing about.

We could wonder, Who is the angel of the Jewish people, and why is He quiet? The answer is that Hashem is the 'angel' of the Jewish people. He is quiet, because He knows the truth. The truth is that only the Jewish people have kept the covenant all of this time. The people of Edom (the Christians) claim, to this day, that they have replaced us. The people of Yishmael (the Muslims) claim that they have replaced us. Yet, we were promised so long ago that Hashem would never forsake us, and that He would return us to our Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael one day, and bring a tremendous war and a great salvation to His chosen nation. We have witnessed the fulfillment of the promise that we would return. We soon will witness the fulfillment of the promise of miracles and salvation.

It will come through Moshiach ben Yosef. Do you know why? Because all of these claims about Israel and Jerusalem, in a deeper and more spiritual realm, center around the קדושת הברית, the keeping of the Holiness of the covenant. This means that the Jewish people are enjoined to use their sexual energy only in a holy, spiritual, and uplifted way. This is the mitzvah of being careful not to be מוציא זרע לבטלה for a man, and the mitzvah of tznius - modesty - for a woman. These keep our claim on Israel strong, because this land, and specifically the city of Jerusalem, is the connecting point between the spiritual and physical realms. Moshiach ben Yosef is about the keeping of the covenant. He is about struggling with temptation, and ultimately triumphing over his desires for the physical, raising them up to the spiritual (as we see from Yosef himself). Every Jew who fights in this battle, and does not give up despite his many falls, is giving power to Moshiach ben Yosef, and to the Jewish people, to reclaim our spiritual homeland. This is the deeper meaning of the passuk "שבע יפול צדיק וקם" - seven times does the righteous one fall and arise. Moshiach ben Yosef is the צדיק יסוד עולם - the righteous one who holds up the world. He falls seven times, and constantly rises. We, the Jewish people, are the Moshiach ben Yosef of Mankind. Israel is the Moshiach ben Yosef of the world. We may rise and fall many times, but ultimately, together, we connect Heaven and Earth, the spiritual and the physical.

The place of Shechem is the place of Moshiach ben Yosef. It is also the first place that Avraham visited when he came to the land of Israel for the first time. It is the first point of connection. It is the place where Yakov stopped on his way back to Eretz Yisrael. It is the place where Dina was unfortunately violated, again a point of connection, seemingly for bad. Nevertheless, this connection (as we mentioned in a previous post) would result in a child who would marry Yosef himself. It is not a coincidence that this very place was a piece of the process (pun intended) that was brought to us by the Erev Rav to try and destroy Israel and the Jewish people's claim to it. The Erev Rav, like Edom, only wishes to remove the Jewish people from the covenant. They could be described as the foreskin of the Jewish people. They wish to instead support the Ishmaelite claim of spiritual superiority.

I think it is clear that Yerushalayim is the point of connection that the people of Yishmael try to usurp from us, with the aid of the people of Edom and the Erev Rav. The more we see this happening, the more we can be assured that soon Moshiach ben Yosef, who represents the Jewish fidelity to the covenant, will stand up to defeat the forces of Evil with his spiritual power. He will defeat the people of Edom and the Erev Rav, and bring about the removal of the people of Yishmael, and the reinstatement of the Jewish people as the true bridge between Hashem and the world, in our land of Israel, which is the physical manifestation of that very bridge. He will thus pave the way for the advent of the final tikkun of Moshiach ben Dovid, בב"א.

Obama and Jerusalem

It was very disturbing for me to hear that the United States government has demanded a halt to construction in Jerusalem. This is our city, torn from us so long ago, the city we have hoped for and dreamed of for centuries. This city has been the center of our prayers, and we ask three times a day that it be rebuilt. There isn't a Jewish wedding that does not remind themselves of this city, even at the time of their greatest joy. Yet we are told that we may not live in our city, and must give it to a group of bloodthirsty animals whose soul desire is our destruction or at best our recognition of their Arab supremacy.

And what of sensitivity? The leader of the United States is very aware of Arab sensitivities and makes sure to pander to whatever they wish to hear. Where is the awareness of Jewish sensitivity? Is it appropriate to make such harsh demands during our nation's period of mourning for Jerusalem's destruction? Could they not wait until a later date?

The truth is that these questions only bothered me at first glance. The deeper question is, Why does Hashem allow this to happen? We know, of course, that לב מלכים ביד השם - the hearts of kings are in the hand of Hashem. Why has Hashem chosen to open the mouth of the prideful United States president at this time? What is the underlying message for us?

I believe that the answer is to be found in the Gemara that teaches us why the Sages instituted many different enactments to remind us of what was done in the Beis Hamikdash (e.g. taking the Lulav for all seven days of Succos, as it was done in the Beis Hamikdash, as opposed to only one day, as is required from the Torah for other places). The Gemara brings the passuk in Yirmiyah פרק ל which states - כי נדחה קראו לך ציון היא דורש אין לה - You, Tzion, were referred to as one who is pushed away, none seek you. The Gemara says that from the fact that the verse laments that none seek Tzion (Yerushalyim), this implies that we must do things to encourage people to seek and remember Tzion.

When the United States pressures Israel to stop settlement growth, including Jerusalem, what is our natural response? It is righteous indignation. Who are they to tell us what to do?! This is our land, and this is our Jerusalem. We will live here and we will build here!

This is exactly what Hashem wants, and this is exactly when Hashem wants it. We are now in the nine days and we are entering greater and greater levels of mourning over our loss of Jerusalem. Yet, like the passuk says, 'none seek you.' We are all lost when it comes to feeling a true sense of loss. But if we have no sense of loss, how can we get Jerusalem back? If we do not seek her, how will we have the merit to keep her?

In order to merit a true Geulah, we must want this Geulah. Nevertheless, Hashem is constantly doing whatever it will take to make us want it! Once we want it, he will bring it, but it starts with Him. This is what I believe is the understanding of the two phrases we have - השיבנו השם אליך ונשובה - return us to You Hashem, and we will return; and שובה אלי ואשובה אליכם - [Hashem says,] return to Me, and I will return to you. First Hashem inspires us to want to return, then we return, and He returns to us.

It is amazing to witness how everything in the world is but a tool in Hashem's hands, which he uses only for our benefit.

Years ago I composed a song whose words come out of the kinnos of Tisha B'av. They are עד אנה בכיה בציון ומספד בירושלים תרחם ציון ותבנה חומות ירושלים - How long will there be crying in Tzion and eulogy in Jerusalem? Have mercy on Tzion and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

When I have had difficulty getting emotional on Tisha B'av, I will inevitably turn to these words and this song, and the tears come. I hope it will inspire you too. The song is A capella - there are no instruments, just voices.

Here is the song, Ad ana bechiya.