Elul and Moshiach

Just a brief thought, following up on a previous post.

I believe that Elul is a tremendously significant month for the Geulah process. We see it as we look over recent history, from the beginning of World War II (17th of Elul), to the World Trade Center bombing (23 Elul). Most recently, a significant moment in the Global Financial crisis was on September 15th, 2008, which corresponded to the 15th of Elul. That was the day that Lehman Brothers filed for chapter 11. Wikipedia notes that "the filing marked the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history." It also says there that "the Dow Jones closed down just over 500 points on September 15, 2008, which was at the time the largest drop in a single day since the days following the attacks on September 11, 2001."

The fact that the last event took place on the fifteenth of the month is especially significant, as the fifteenth of the month always marks the full moon, which represents the forces of spirituality at their point of ascension. This means that the Jewish people as a whole are spiritually strong, as they are successfully completing their mission. When we do as we are supposed to, the sparks of Kedusha are released from the side of evil, and returned to the side of good.

Elul is the month when the Jewish people are doing teshuva, and there is a tremendous rededication to follow in the path of the Torah. The Yeshivos fill up across the globe, with a fire for Torah that is unparalleled throughout the year. Even in the United States, where many are still on summer vacation for the beginning of Elul, by mid-Elul there has been a return to the Torah schedule. This is clearly marked by the events mentioned being in the second half of Elul. As the Jewish people enters the second half of Elul, the spiritual forces gain ascendancy, removing the power from the side of evil, and thereby, from Esav and the Western world and all its idolatries.

With this in mind, the 15th of Elul this years falls out this Friday, September 4th, and Elul continues until Erev Rosh Hashana, which falls out on Friday, September 18th.

When I was in the United States recently, I was in Philadelphia, and I had the opportunity to daven in the Philadelphia Yeshiva and speak to its Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky. I asked him about the seventy year period that Rav Elya Svei spoke of in the name of Reb Elchanan Wasserman. He told me that Rav Elya had heard it directly from Rav Wasserman's mouth. Rav Kaminetsky told me, as his eyes crinkled into a smile, that he is also waiting. He also added that the seventy years corresponds to the seventy words in the chapter of Tehillim "למנצח... יענך ה' ביום צרה" which I was not aware of.

If we calculate seventy years from the beginning of World War II, we find ourselves on this coming Sunday, September 6th.

As I always say, I do not like to predict anything, because one looks foolish when nothing happens. But, these may be interesting dates to look out for, so keep your eyes and ears open.

May we merit a speedy and painless redemption, Amen.

Rav Elya Svei's hesped and more

A reader of this blog was at Rav Elya's levaya, and shared with me that Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Philadelphia, in his eulogy of Rav Svei, said that Rav Svei had said ten years ago that Moshiach would come in 2009.

A comment on the previous post gave the following link to a video of Rav Elya himself quoting Reb Elchonon Wasserman's statement in 1939 at 36 minutes and 20 seconds.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8045533956953563939&hl=en

Another comment from 'גילוי' (keitz meguleh) stated that the seventy years spoken of are not consecutive, and in fact some of that time occurred before 5699 and some will occur after 5769 as well.

Another point worthy of mention was something my wife read in the Mishpacha magazine, which quoted Rav Kaduri (who the author of the article personally heard it from) as saying that on the day of Birkas Hachama (this Wednesday) there will be a sign of מתיקות הדינים - sweetening of judgments.

I found this last point to be very significant, as my הרגש tells me (for what it's worth) that we are in for some hefty רחמים from Hashem, and if we are indeed standing at the threshold of Moshiach, then the incredible miracles that await us will require the type of actions that are above the logic dictating what we deserve, getting us into the realm of Kesser.