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?

Moshiach podcast 8 - Nesirah and Shavuos until 9 Av

OK, so this is the longest podcast I have ever done. It is just over an hour long, and it is chock full of information and explanations of what is going on right now in the world. The key to understanding everything is understanding the Nesirah process, which you will hear more about in the podcast. It is worth listening to the beginning more than once before moving on to the second half which really talks all about what is going on now - from the lunar eclipse, and the real meaning of it, to the period of time between Shavuos and the ninth of Av, which we are in now.

Here's what I wrote for the itunes description:

We discuss the process of Nesirah, the painful process of separation that seems to be taking place in the world right now. We discuss why MBY must die and how he eludes death. We also talk about the power of complete humility, acceptance and surrender to Hashem, which are the reason for the difficulties - how He gets us to choose Him. We also explore the next period of time that we are in - from Shavuos until the ninth of Av.

Again, if anyone would like to type this out, I believe it would be a big service. I greatly appreciate the person who anonymously typed out the previous podcast. If you can do it again, great. Please don't feel any pressure to do so, though.

Here is Moshiach podcast number 8

I would also like to share a song that I recently composed that I believe will give you chizzuk (encouragement). It is called "Hafachta," and I composed it coming back from a great hisbodedus where I really felt Hashem used my difficulties to jumpstart my life. Music has an incredible power to pull us out, and it is connected to he concept of Keser, which is the transcendental aspect of reality.

Here is also the link for Hashem Loves You, which I mentioned in the podcast. Use all the tools you can!

Moshiach podcast number 7

So this is the long awaited Moshiach podcast. I had a lot to say, and I didn't even say it all, but the running time is a little over forty five minutes. I don't think you will be bored. We explore what's going on now in light of the Maharsha in Sanhedrin 12A, and we explore the ramifications on the state of current events. There is a lot of food for thought, and I stress (as I did in the podcast), that everything here is conjecture. I do not like guesswork and I do not like making predictions because you look really stupid when the world doesn't end on the day you said it would :)

But, as I said in the podcast, I believe that Hashem is openly showing what is going on right now, and He gave me a strong dose of good intuition, so it is my hope that it will serve you in understanding the broader picture of what is going on right now in the world, and how Hashem is moving the chess pieces into checkmate position.

Here is the seventh edition of the Moshiach podcast.

If there is anyone who would be willing to type it out, it would be a big chesed, as I am sure more people would get the message if it was typed. If you can do it, please contact me at my email address arigoldwag@gmail.com.

Running time: 45:17

Bechukosai - the missing letter vav's & current events

Why does the verse refer to Hashem remembering Yakov before redemption? Why isn't the name Yisrael used? Why is it spelled with an extra letter Vav? Why is the vav taken from Eliyahu? What do Eliyahu and Yakov represent? What is the lesson of Yosef? How does it apply to current events?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:38

I will just mention that this podcast is very connected to the previous post, the video with Glenn Beck. I plan to soon put out another Moshiach Podcast that will deal with what is going on right now. I have not written recently because things have just been so obvious as to what is going on, it is almost impossible not to see it; but I realize that we live in a world of masks, and the mask needs to be removed, so I will bl'n try to put something together next week.

Glenn Beck on the matziv

If there is one video you watch, let it be this one.

Moshiach 5771?

The following comment was left on my post from the Ramchal:

Ari appreciate if you wrote on the significance of the torah codes of rabbi glazerson and the holy spirit of mordec hai elyahu ztzl connecting him to YIOSEF!I believe thev soul of yosef ie the nrn is divided among 2 maybe 3 people someones tikkun is the neshamah anothers the ruach anothers the nefesh , pollard is definitely connected to one of the lower 2 . Also a blog about the korean threat lilit , atomic holocaust , barak obama 5771 ! in glazersons torah codes . It looks like this really is the year !!!!!!!

This is my response:

You may have noticed that my posts have been sparse - few and far between. I was asked to comment on different predictions and events that are going around the Moshiach blogoshere. First, I would like to proudly tell you that it has been six months since I have looked at any blogs, other than my own. Rosh Chodesh Av was that turning point for me. It has also been a year and four months since I have looked at news websites on the internet. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment, as I was totally hooked before. The irony of it was that I only started being interested in the news as a result of reading the autistic books. While I can say that my obsession about Moshiach had some positive results, some of the results were undesirable - resulting in a tremendous waste of time, from a few different perspectives. What I can say is that I learned a big lesson - we must wait for Moshiach every day and know that he can come at any moment. But I think it is extremely unhealthy to always be looking and/or believing that "This is it!" I refuse to look at any autistic sites ever again - I believe they are totally bogus and if there is anything there, it is coming from the side of tumah (impurity). Predictions based on Torah codes are pure conjecture. Even codes that you find after the fact, as far as I am concerned, are in question. You can find Torah codes talking about the Christian version of Moshiach as well. To me, this is just an example of Hashem showing possibilities and maintaining free will. I have come to firmly believe that Moshiach's advent, at least in the stage we are in, is a gradual process. We can see the process if we take a purview of history. We can even see the process speeding up in recent history. I don't believe we will see any instant miraculous type of movement in the process until after Moshiach ben Yosef himself actually reveals his identity. Moshiach ben Dovid's advent is miraculous and fast, as per the Or Hachaim on the passuk in the bracha of Bilaam (דרך כוכב מיעקב וקם שבט מישראל). To believe that Moshiach will come this year, as far as I'm concerned, is fine. To say that he will definitely come this year is simply foolish. The autists said he would come in 5768. When that didn't happen, they changed it to 5769. Frankly, no one can say when he will come. Will he come this year? I hope so. I can't give a lot of credence to any predictions. We simply don't know, and the nature of the world is that the end is always changing, because it is dependent on our free will choices. The Jewish people as a whole must choose their path, and depending on their choices and the way Hashem must respond to those choices, that will determine when and how and what and where. The process will continue in any event. The speed of the process, however, does depend on us. As far as Rav Mordechai Eliyahu - That was another disappointment, as he had the watches which were supposed indicate Moshiach's arrival when they hit twelve. Well, they've hit twelve, and we are still waiting. I'm sick of hearing about signs and significance. I am happy to talk about the Moshiach process. I had the chance to sing and speak last night to a seminary, and they enjoyed my discussion on Moshiach. I made it clear, however, that it is a process, and we can't know when it will reach its peak. I do believe it is gaining momentum, and I do believe that Pollard is connected to Yosef. But to what degree? How significant would it be if he was released? I don't know. Anyone who will predict will look foolish when he is freed and nothing happens. What is the point of all these predictions? What do we gain? A deeper sense of connection to Hashem? A deeper yearning for Moshiach? Study the Ramchal and learn about what life is about. You will naturally want Moshiach. You will want that time when we can experience spirituality openly and serve Hashem without the distractions of the world we now know. You will want to see a time when the moon is full, when the Jewish people completely reflect a higher reality, where our relationships are whole and perfect again, where the lion lies with the lamb, and one nation will not lift a sword toward another. The study of what life is all about will awaken within you a desire for a world where that goal is feasible and attainable. Guessing that the time will come this year will not. It will just paralyze you from accomplishing what you can in your life. Let's stop wasting our time on the internet and start learning and teaching others what life is really about. That is what will bring Moshiach.

A few thoughts

I would like to share some thoughts with you that have been running through my mind recently. My purpose here is not to give mussar, nor to boast in any way. It is only to give you some food for thought, and perhaps some inspiration. I know that if you are reading this, you probably care about your relationship with Hashem, and you look forward to the times of Moshiach, when the barriers between ourselves and Hashem will fall down, and we will be able to have the most wonderful relationship with Him. But we don't satisfy ourselves with only looking toward the future, rather, we try our best to strengthen our relationship with Hashem even now, despite the great difficulties and spiritual darkness that encompasses us. In each thing that we do, we need to ask ourselves how it is helping us in our Avodas Hashem, our service of Hashem.

At the beginning of this year, starting from Rosh Hashana of 5770, I decided that I would not look at any news sources on the internet. I felt that I was endlessly (and needlessly) looking at every news source, searching for some bit of information that would be exciting and had to do with Moshiach. Really, the motivation behind this could almost have been described as pure. I was so driven to know and see how the events leading up to Moshiach are unfolding that I needed to constantly have input on what is going on in the world. I am proud to say that I have not looked at any news source on the internet since the beginning of this year. This is not to say that I am not aware of what is going on in the world. I will look at a newspaper if it comes my way (I don't buy papers). I have seen much from following the Moshiach blogs. But I have felt so freed of the burden of having to constantly be stimulated by every news site (whether frum or not), constantly searching for something that would pique my interest.

Nevertheless, I have still found it difficult to free myself from looking at all the blogs. There is still a buzz around them, and it is harder to convince myself to hold myself back there, especially considering that these sites share my enthusiasm for Moshiach and my desire to see his advent in current events. But on further contemplation, I wonder, What is this really adding to my life? How does this help me in my service of Hashem? If I am always looking for what new way Obama is trying to subdue the Jewish people, or how Britain is getting its due for making a disparaging comment about the Kotel being part of Israel, how does this make me a better person? If I am in the middle of learning and I find myself drifting into these types of thoughts that have such a powerful pull, is this really where I should be focusing my energy?

I can't say that I have a definitive answer to these questions, and I am sure many will say, "Isn't it better to be thinking about Moshiach than thinking about some other meshugas?" But I would still like to share something with you that I came across today, in the Sefer Sifsei Chaim (Moadim Alef). At the beginning of the book, which contains the teachings of R' Chaim Friedlander, there is a section called "Derech shel Aliyah" - path of spiritual growth. This section speaks about the general approach of R' Chaim Friedlander himself in his service of Hashem, and quotes from his personal diaries from the numerous 'kabalos' - things that he accepted upon himself in order to advance in his connection to Hashem. I think it is extremely important to hear this, even if it is beyond our level, so that we can see the ideal of someone who was totally involved in service of Hashem.

He wrote the following in 1948, just three weeks after Ben Gurion announced the beginning of the state of Israel.

Sunday, Parshas Bamidbar, I accept upon myself (without a vow) until Thursday:
1. To minimize, as much as possible, any wasteful matters.
2. To hold back, as much as possible, from stating my opinion and predictions on current events.

It is my duty to remember that the main issue that I need to think about is not how it is possible to see the signs of salvation, because Hashem's salvation will come as quick as the blink of an eye if it is the time and we are worthy. Rather, the main issue for me is only how I can fulfill the purpose of this great time, how I can do teshuva (repentance) and steer away from the [negative] paths I have taken until now, and become, literally, a new being.

I think that R' Friedlander here encapsulates the proper Torah hashkafa on how we are to determine our approach to the issues I have raised. And, I want to make clear, I am not writing this to give anyone else mussar, rather to clarify the ideas for myself, and to put them out for others to hear and perhaps find inspiration in, as well. The approach is straightforward - my job is to make sure that I am becoming the best person that I can become. What I need to do is to make sure that the things that I do are aiding me in my service of Hashem. If they are detracting from that service, they should be avoided. The events that surround us certainly are momentous and cause for us to pause and take notice, but only to the extent that they aid us in becoming better people, and only to the extent that we realize we are in a time that demands a greater standard of excellence from ourselves.

In my mind, this means that if we take a look around us at the state of the Jewish people, it is easy to lay blame and say that Moshiach is not coming because of this group and that group. But I believe that Hashem does not want us to say this. I believe that Hashem wants us - those who are aware of what is really going on beneath the surface - to recognize what is going on, recognize that which is problematic with our people, and He wants us to overcompensate for the lacks elsewhere. If we are in a shul where people speak during davening, He does not want us to think negatively of everyone there, but rather, to compensate by being extra careful ourselves about not speaking during davening, perhaps even during the times that would be permitted - to overcompensate. If we know that many people are using the internet for purposes which are completely profane, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard in this regard - to be extremely careful to only use it for absolute holiness, or perhaps even to completely remove it from our homes. If we are aware that others are profaning the Shabbos, we must redouble our efforts to learn the halachos of Shabbos, to overcompensate for that which is lacking in our people.

This is what he says, "The main issue for me is only how I can fulfill the purpose of this great time." This means that I need to recognize the greatness of the time I am living in, and thereby draw myself up to a higher ideal in my service of Hashem. I need to become "literally, a new being," by raising myself to a higher standard of excellence. If my standards have become lowered as a result of my interest in that which is going on around me, I need to back off and view it in the proper perspective.

It also bears mentioning that when R' Friedlander accepted these things upon himself, he did it for a very limited amount of time, for only five days. He would then reevaluate if the idea was indeed productive, and in which way he could improve on it. This is instructive for us, because if we see that we are going in a way that is not productive for ourselves, we should not try to take upon ourselves something that is unrealistic. At the same time, we do want to effect some real change within ourselves, and this requires great self-awareness and honest reflection in order to truly be effective.

May Hashem help us to use all the tools He has given us in the right way, to only grow in our connection to Him, and truly merit to see Moshiach in our time. Amen.

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.

North Korea - athletics vs bombs

I just can't get over the contrast between the jpost headline and CNN.

Jpost: N. Korea may fire missile at Hawaii

CNN: North Korea qualifies for 2010 World Cup

If it weren't so serious, it would almost be funny.

Making sense of world events

I am going to do something out of character with this post, and I accede that it represents a failing in myself. My better judgment tells me to never make predictions, and to generally try to avoid reading the news and hype that we, the Moshiach blogosphere, create for ourselves. For better or for worse, I part here from better judgment.

With that introduction, naturally you the reader may take what I am about to say with a grain of salt. I think that would indeed be well-advised.

A number of thoughts have been parading around my mind over the last bit of time. I watched with interest as the Israeli media coverage on North Korea stood in stark contrast with the American media coverage. Here we had the Israeli media reporting North Korea testing a second missile and threatening to "attack offensively without mercy" but not a word of this was mentioned in the American media. This seemed odd to me. It also was strange that not one blog that I have read seems to have made note of it. When there finally was mention made of the sanctions being prepared, nothing was even said of the North's response. Then immediately afterward, North Korea has completely disappeared from the news. Perhaps just for the moment.

The parade continues with thoughts about Tamuz and Av coming. I came across an interesting piece of Zohar on Shavuos that was in my machzor, and it stated that the months of Nissan and Iyar, as well as Sivan until Shavuos, were given to the Jewish People. The months of Tamuz and Av, however, were given to Esav. This fact hit me with a certain weight when I considered that both last year on Rosh Chodesh Av, as well as this year on Rosh Chodesh Av, a certain event transpires - a solar eclipse. The solar eclipse, as we know from the Gemara in Succah, represents a negative sign for the nations of the world. Is it a coincidence that it occurs in the very months that represent the power of Esav?

Following last year's eclipse, the world entered a steady economic decline. Edom elected a leader who represents an unprecendented shift from truth to falsehood. I don't think it is necessary to continue the litany.

Rosh Chodesh Tamuz also pranced across my mind's stage, as I realized that if the sin of the spies happened on Tisha B'av, they left forty days earlier, on Rosh Chodesh Tamuz, to begin their act of spying. As I said in the Parsha Podcast, the forty days represent a development of something that was conceived.

While Tisha B'av represents for us the loss of the light of Moshiach in the Midbar, it is also called the day that Moshiach is born. Hashem's way is to take the evil itself and use it for His very purpose. He is like the Master Chess Player, who knows how to use every move of His opponent for His own benefit. Our Chazal tell us that Tisha B'av will be a holiday when Moshiach comes. In a similar vein, Esav's grandchild, Amalek, who lives to destroy the Jewish people, is actually used as an instrument by Hashem to bring about the ultimate redemption, and the ultimate glory of His true chosen nation.

It is possible that Tisha B'av should have been the day when the Jewish people began their ascent to the Holy Land. This was the day the spies would have returned with the information to guide the people along the paths of Eretz Yisrael. It would have represented the culmination of the Exodus in this respect. When the opportunity was lost, the day still retained that potential, and it would indeed one day take on that greatest joy.

When Rebbe Akiva saw the Har Habayis lying in utter desolation, he laughed. He knew that in its destruction lay the potential for its ultimate deliverance. He was Moshiach ben Yosef - who is 'codenamed' the איש צמח - the man who sprouts. In fact whenever we talk of the צמח דוד, it is a veiled reference to him. Rebbe Akiva knew the secret - he knew the joke. The destruction itself is the construction - סתירת זקנים בנין. The redemption sprouts from the destruction.

Is it any clearer than the Holocaust? Of course, we can not fathom the depths of this devastating event, but isn't it obvious that the destruction there directly led to a tremendous growth for our people in the the Holy Land?

The Zohar quoted earlier shows that there is a certain power that Esav has in the months of Tamuz and Av. This power was only given to him by Hashem in order to ultimately be handed back to the Jewish people when they return to their former glory. This power was wielded to destroy the second Beis Hamikdash, but that very destruction was the seed for Esav's ultimate destruction. Tamuz and Av are only temporarily given to him. They are also the instrument for Esav's downfall.

It is no coincidence that the solar eclipses have fallen in Av. As the power is drawn out of Esav and returned to the Jewish people, it becomes increasingly clear that there is a fall that is taking place in the Western world.

According to Rav Shimon Kessin, the sparks of Holiness have been almost completely removed from Edom, and we are seeing the final stages as they are completely transferred back to us, and the dawn of the era of Moshiach commences. While this is exciting, it also entails difficult times. Just as a woman giving birth undergoes birth trauma, our Chazal say that there is a birthing process of Moshiach that can entail great difficulty.

I would again return to a previous theme, which is that Tisha B'av represents a time of rising from the dust, of sprouting from the ashes. The potential for this is laid, however, on Rosh Chodesh Tamuz. Then, the seed of redemption is planted. But we only reep what we sow - whatever happens on Tisha B'av reveals what was planted previously.

We can use this time for introspection. Our sages tell us that whoever mourns the destruction of Jerusalem merits to see its rebuilding. I visited the Kotel today, and I had not been there since Pesach, so I tore my shirt and felt the sadness of the destruction wash over me. I went down to daven, and as I stepped back from the Kotel, I watched admiringly as some non-observant Jews placed tefillin on their arms and heads. There were a number of people interested, more than the few guys stationed to help could handle, so I gave a hand and explained to a young man from Connecticut a little bit of the significance of the Tefillin. The love of God for His people. Our love for Him. We rap ourselves in that love, and He does too. I walked away feeling really nice.

I can't help but think how the Kotel, the ultimate symbol of our destruction, somehow draws these Jews, who literally know nothing, and are also the symbol of our destruction. Yet there are dedicated people who will give a spark of light to their lost brethren, helping them to strap on a mitzvah, make a little connection to Hashem. Right there at the very site of our greatest devastation, the seeds are being planted for a new light to shine on Tzion. May it be soon. Amen.

Moshiach, now? part II

You know, I don't think there is anyone who will say that we aren't in a very significant moment in history. As I have said in the past, I do not like to make predictions, and the main reason is because predictions for the near future look rather silly when they do not come true. I honestly think that what is currently going on is heading in a certain direction, and it doesn't take a genius to see. If I am right, it is truly the time for us to start doing more than just talk. It is rather easy to jump from one blog to another and find something to buzz the brain and be excited about. And while it is nice, and I'm sure Hashem is happy that we are looking forward to Moshiach, Hashem wants action. I'm sorry to say this, but it's not worth too much when we sit around for an hour and check every news source to see if Obama is going to be Gog. It's just not. What is worth something is actually doing something.

Well, you say, it is hard to do something, after all, what can I do? I am just a little Jew, I may not really know too much, can't really learn too well. Well, I tried the daf a bunch of times. That didn't go. I tried out your podcast too, Ari. That was cute. But what can I really do? Come on now, does my little mitzvah really make a difference? Anyway, I'm inconsistent, and the one time I try just won't cut it. Why bother?

This is how the yetzer hara talks. He convinces us to give up before we have even tried. Now I'm quite sure that I have may have lost you by now, because I stopped talking about Moshiach, but guess what, this has everything to do with Moshiach. Moshiach can not come until we get ourselves together. And the main people who need to do that is us - because we know better. The Satan has nothing to say about people who aren't frum, because they just don't know. It is we who are stopping Moshiach from coming. It is we, with our petty שנאת חינם, believing that we are better than every other person who isn't as frum as us, doesn't learn as much as us, doesn't daven as long as us, hasn't been to the right Yeshivas, doesn't have the yichus we have, doesn't live in Israel, doesn't want to live in Israel, and on and on and on. We are so full of pride - we are Gog. Yes, we are the most prideful individuals that exist in the world, and we hate anyone who isn't like us. We are holding up the show, and a lot of people can die because of our pathetic outlook on life. Is it any wonder that the entire world hates us so much? It's middah k'negged middah, because we hate each other. They hate us for no reason, because we hate each other for no reason.

But it doesn't have to stay that way. We can learn to love. And I'm going to ask you to make a small investment right now. Please, please download the following two parts (each split in two) of a speech about Lashon Hara by Rav Mendel Kessin. You may have heard it before, or you may not have. Either way, this is the time to listen to it. You will get a different perspective that will make you want to be more careful about this mitzvah, and it will help you love your fellow more.

After listening to the shiur, please, please click on the last link and purchase the Chofetz Chaim's lesson a day, or go out to your local seforim store to buy it, and take a minute each day to learn a halacha. Maybe even read that halacha a few times until you have it memorized. This is a concrete effort than anyone can do that will bring Moshiach in a more merciful way.

I apologize if I came off too strong, and the truth is that I am speaking to myself as I write this as well.

http://torahvideo.com/jewish-torah/tapes/POWEROFSPEECH1A.mp3
http://torahvideo.com/jewish-torah/tapes/POWEROFSPEECH1B.mp3
http://torahvideo.com/jewish-torah/tapes/POWEROFSPEECH2A.mp3
http://torahvideo.com/jewish-torah/tapes/POWEROFSPEECH2B.mp3

If it is too much to listen to all at once, you can come back later, or right click and choose download to listen later on your computer or mp3 player. But I have a feeling that once you start, it will actually be hard to stop listening.

I will do this bl'n, and I hope you will too.

Here is the link to the book, which is about $17 + shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899063217

One last thing. If this is powerful enough for you to copy, paste and send to someone you know, please don't send it to that person who 'really should be hearing it,' but rather to someone you care about who will appreciate your love for them, and will truly bring about an increase in ahavas Yisrael and diminish שנאת חינם.

Moshiach, now?

The following comment was posted on the previous post:

Please, Ari, please don't fall into the trap of predicting a scary downfall of America. Just three months ago, I asked R. Chaim Kanievsky if I should move my family to E"Y. I was all excited about it.

He replied that I cannot come without parnassah. I asked him if I should just "cash out" and come. He said, "Then you spend it and go back. What's the point?"

Parnassah is in the hands of HaShem. Thus, for us, so is moving to E'Y. In the meantime, we must have faith that HaShem is going to orchestrate the kibbutz galius we just read about in the Pesach haftorah.

Please don't be insensitive to those who b'emes long to come to E"Y, but don't have the financial capabilities (yet!) to do so.

I would just like to clarify my general approach with this blog. I really try not to make any predictions, and it was not my intent to predict the fall of the US. I was merely sharing a story with you that I thought would be interesting. I personally firmly believe that every single person must ask a shailah in regards to how they should proceed with life, and rest assured that if they follow da'as Torah, Hashem will not steer them wrong. I encourage everyone to do so, and it is interesting to me that when you asked R' Chaim he responded that way, as someone else recently told me in a conversation that they asked an American Gadol (who is very serious about the idea of living in Eretz Yisrael) the same question and received the same exact answer - one can not come here without a realistic plan for parnassah.

One thought I would like to mention that hits me as I am writing this, is that even if a particular Gadol, say, R' Kanievsky, told one person that this is the proper approach, he may not tell the next person the same thing. Our Gedolim are gifted with Ruach Hakodesh and receive constant guidance as they help out the Klal as well as the many individuals who seek their guidance. I almost laugh as I think about the obviousness of it, but I think we've learned that what a Gadol says for one person will not necessarily apply to another. Just because you read in this blog that R' Chaim told 'anonymous' not to come here doesn't mean you shouldn't ask your rav if it might be the right thing for you.

Our lives must center around serving Hashem, and while צפית לישועה is of course an important thing, it mustn't take over our lives. I realized how compulsively I was checking the news, and I realized that it began when I got very into the whole Moshiach kick. I was never into politics, not here in Israel, and not in the US. It is all a waste of time, and all it does is steer us away from our avodas Hashem. I have really been conscious of not looking at the news, and I am proud to say that I was surprised that I didn't know that 'Durban II' was happening until someone told me about it.

I think it is important to talk and be excited and hopeful about Moshiach's advent, and I do believe he will be here soon. I am happy to say that I don't know how soon, but I do wait for him every day, so I think I'm headed in a good direction. Do I think that the US will fall? I don't know, and I don't wish it upon anyone, certainly not our wonderful brothers and sisters who live there (and might even want to be here in Israel much more than being there). One thing I am sure of is that no matter where we are, Hashem will be taking care of us, and if we have indeed reached the final stages of Geulah, or are nearing them, there will be a tremendous amount of rachamim for us, not destruction ח"ו.

The final redemption will defy logic, and if one takes a look around, the entire world, and the entire state of affairs for the Jewish people as a whole defies all logic. When everything defies logic, it is Hashem's fingerprints, his voice whispering, "I'm here with you." When the winter goes by and it is one of the driest winters in years, and the weather experts are exclaiming that the chances of such a winter are zero - when the chances are zero, this is Hashem speaking. It's no coincidence that this horrible winter in Israel was the worst time for the entire world since the Great Depression. Israel is the conduit for Hashem's goodness. Whatever happens here is a sign of what is happening everywhere else.

Bottom line is that we need to love Hashem, commit to coming close to Him, chuck all the distractions, and focus in on what really counts. We don't need to know what will happen in the future. The more we try to figure it out, the more futile it will be. We can want Moshiach without needing to know when he will be here, and without trying to figure out precisely what will happen and how it will unfold.

In any event, my bet is that it will be interesting, as there's no better 'storyteller' than Hashem. We can sit back and enjoy the show without trying to figure out the ending. We can also get 'into' the story and watch as it progresses without getting carried away and losing sight of what's really important in our lives. We can be excited when we hear that the gematria of ברק אובאמה is the same as the נחש which is also the same as משיח because they are all forces that come into play in the final story. And we can also say that maybe that's not significant and maybe the story will end in a different way. If a great author can give you a surprising and shocking ending, do we think that we can figure out the ending to this story written by Hashem? No matter what it will be interesting, and no matter what it will be the Ultimate Good. Let's try to do this with balance.

Economics touching home

This past Shabbos, my rav shared a thought which I would like to share with you as well.

He was speaking about the fact that many people are currently facing financial difficulty due to the current economic crisis. What should the approach be for those who aren't as affected toward those who are more affected?

We have an example from Yakov avinu. There was a great famine in Eretz Yisrael, but the meforshim explain that Yakov and his family were not affected by it. Nevertheless, Yakov sent his sons down to Egypt to procure provisions, saying, "למה תתראו" - "Why should we draw the attention of those around us?"

When others are in financial distress and do not have the means to live by a higher standard, it is at that time that those who may still have the means need to exercise their sensitivity. This is something that each person needs to judge for themselves, but if, for example, one is accustomed to always having something noticably new for the Yom Tov season, one must be aware of attracting the attention of those who used to be able to do the same, but no longer can. This is not so much to prevent jealousy, more to increase sensitivity and being נושא בעול עם חבירו - lightening others' load by taking on some of it as well.

May Hashem help us and provide us with all our needs.

Bring my children from afar

I recently read an article on Israel National News about the aliyah of a number of Yemenite Jews due to the terrorism there. It brought to mind the passuk in Yeshaya (43:6), "אומר לצפון תני ולתימן אל תכלאי הביאי בני מרחוק ובנותי מקצה הארץ" - "Say to the North wind, give, and to the Southerly wind, do not hold back. Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the Earth."

The psukim there are speaking about the redemption, and the special nature of Hashem's relationship with the Jewish people. It uses the word Teman for the word Southerly wind, and I could not help but think of a possible alternate explanation of the verse. The word Teman is also the Hebrew name of the country Yemen, so the passuk could also be saying that Hashem says to Yemen not to hold back its Jews, rather to bring them all back to Eretz Yisrael.

Thus, this article struck me as a sign that we are nearing a critical stage of Kibbutz Galiyos (ingathering of the exiles).

The following Gemara becomes all the more meaningful.

The Gemara in Menachos on Daf 110 explains the verse "Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the Earth," by saying that there are two groups of people referenced in the verse. As Rashi explains there, there is the group of 'sons', who live in Babylonia, who have special treatment from the government, and therefore feel quite settled and unthreatened there. They are referred to as 'sons' because in general men are more settled. Then there is the group of 'daughters' who are less settled and do not feel as comfortable in the lands that they live in.

In our day, the 'sons' would be those living in countries that are not hostile to the Jew, for example the United States, and the 'daughters' would be those living in countries that are indeed Anti-Semitic.

Putting together this Gemara with what we said previously, we can offer the following interpretation. When Yemen no longer holds back her people, all of the Jews will return to Israel, whether they feel comfortable where they are or not. כן יהי רצון מלפניו יתברך אמן

Obama, the economy, and the prelude to Moshiach

Why is the economic situation connected to Moshiach’s arrival? Why does it seem that the current mode of dealing with the problem will not yield bona fide results?

I think that our hearts tell us that both of the aforementioned questions are valid. While this that we sense may be affected by what we’ve read from the autistic messages, the truth is that there is more depth to this notion then we might otherwise have thought.

There are numerous sources in relation to Moshiach that clearly indicate that economics are associated with his arrival. The strongest source is one I have quoted previously, which is Rebbe Nachman’s story “The master of prayer.” Rebbe Nachman stresses from the onset of the story how the desire for wealth is one of the most difficult mistaken life approaches to correct. He tells how the Master of prayer, who represents Moshiach ben Dovid, tries to get through to the people who have fallen into this trap. They have so fallen into their mistake that they can not even begin to fathom that the true purpose of life is to come close to Hashem, nor that they might possibly be mistaken in their approach to life. He then describes how the Mighty Warrior, who represents Moshiach ben Yosef, is involved in bringing the leaders of the land of wealth on the only path to rectification – the path of war. Profoundly, this very path that they travel in order to rectify the leaders of the land of wealth, eventually brings to the reunification of all of the different characters in the story, which signifies the advent of the era of Moshiach.

The clear indication is that the rectification of the mistake of the land of wealth, i.e. the worship of money, is a precursor to Moshiach’s arrival.

The question is, why?

The answer is that as long as we believe that money is the main purpose of our lives, we are completely drawn away from what life is really about – spritual attainments. Even more finely stated, the more we put our faith in money, the less we are connected to Hashem, and the less we depend on Him. This misplaced faith and mistaken goal in life must be corrected before Moshiach can come, where all of days will be spent in constant devotion to growth in our Avodas Hashem.

Another point which is a direct outcrop of this is that the worship of wealth is truly an extension of the worship of self. It is the belief that my extravagant lifestyle is the center of the purpose of my existence, and I will do whatever is necessary to obtain it. Anyone that will stand in my way will fall.

Ultimately it is simply an immature self-centered goal that is all about pride. That pride is what must fall before the days of Moshiach when our lives will be centered completely outside of ourselves – all will join together just to propel each other ever higher in our service of Hashem - ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם – They will join together in a single unit to do Your will with a full heart.

Coming back to the current crisis, there is a tremendous fundamental mistake that is being made by those who are trying to help the situation. Most people will acknowledge that the main problem in this whole crisis is the lack of trust. Markets and investments were mismanaged and misled by those whose whole interest was none other than number 1 – themselves. This self-centeredness ultimately blew up in everyone’s face and continues to plague us with a loss of faith that does not seem to have an end in sight. To work at the root of this, it would be necessary to go back to the source, recognizing that there is a lack of faithfullness that is creating the lack of faith. Instead, there is only hacking at the leaves of the problem. To my eye, this is simply because the leaders themselves (read: Obama) so totally believe that they are the center of the world, and the answer to all the world’s problems that they do not understand the fundamental problem – the lack of character. Their personal deficit in character will continue to fuel the problem, rather than solving it.

All the money in the world will not replace the faith that was lost and continues to remain weak. Only a real investment in what is lacking – an investment in trustworthiness and in simple goodness and honesty – will return people’s faith. Sadly, however, the drive to return the economy to its ‘former glory’ is completely based in pride, whether it is the pride of an Obama, seeking to make an eternal legacy for himself, or the pride of those who were making millions and now find themselves owing the same. As long as pride is the motivating factor, the point will be missed and the lesson unlearned, and the rectification distant.

To me, this is what Rebbe Nachman hinted to in his story when he told us about the people of the land of wealth who would not be convinced of the error of their ways. The sad result is that the only rectification for them is the path to war. Nevertheless, this path ultimately brings about the ultimate rectification.

In the end all, the message for us must be that we must strengthen our own commitment to raising our level of Avodas Hashem, and our own trust in Hashem. What happens to our faith when times get tough? Will we crack under the pressure, or will we strengthen our trust in Hashem, knowing that just as He helped us in the past, he will continue to help in the future? Ultimately, every experience we have in our lives is from Hashem, and is designed to bring out who we really are - צדיקים ילכו בם, ופושעים יכשלו בם - the righteous walk in them, and the wanton ones stumble in them. The tests reveal who we really are, and whether we have true trust.

There is always the multi-millionare who says, "All my wealth is from Hashem!" Whether he continues to say this when he has lost his money will be a real indicator of his faith in Hashem.

חזק חזק - we must stay strong through these trying times. This strength will be what we have to rest upon. There is only One that is our unwavering Support. It is our Rock - Stalwart and Omnipresent. He sheds tears along with our own, and triumphs with us in our true spiritual victories. Let us keep praying for that day when we will all say together זה ה' קוינו לו, נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו - This is Hashem Who I hoped for - let us rejoice and exult in His salvation!

Va'era - fall of the river god

What is the connection between the makka of blood and the current economic crisis?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

The Moon and the war - part two

As I was reading the article mentioned in the previous post about the moon, I wondered what the significance is to the phenomenon that the tides and waves are caused by the moon's gravity. What could the message behind this be?

I was נתעורר to some interesting thoughts when I saw a piece from the Ben Ish Chai.

He is explaining how the concept of מים - water - has to do with the concept of מודים - admitting. He points out that if you spell out the letters of מים you get the following: מ"ם יו"ד מ"ם. When you take the middle letters, you find the word מודים. We need, of course, to understand what this signifies.

I started thinking about something we say at קידוש לבנה. We say כשם שאני רוקד כנגדך ואיני יכול לנגוע בך כך לא יוכלו כל אויבי לנגוע בי לרעה - just as I am dancing in front of you and I can not touch you (the Moon), so should my enemies be unable to touch me for evil. As we say this, we raise our feet in a little dance, similar to the motion of kedusha.

This also needs explanation. What kind of tefillah is this? Just like I can't touch the moon, my enemies should not be able to touch me? This seems like such a strange thing to say. What's the פשט?

Coming back to the concept of the Moon, it has no light of its own - all its light is from the Sun. It represents Klal Yisrael who reflect the light of Hashem, but it also represents the idea that one can only accomplish when we recognize that we have no power of our own. וזכרת את ה' אלוקיך כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל - you should remember Hashem your God, for He is the one who gives you power to be mighty. When we forget where our success stems from, we lose our might. When we realize that we are only reflecting Hashem's light, it indeed shines brightly through us. When we think we produce our own light, Hashem allows us to try to create our own, and we are left with nothing.

When we make that motion, up and down, reaching for the Moon and recognizing that it is beyond our grasp, we inject humility into ourselves. We have learned the lesson of the Moon that only reflects the Sun's light and does not create its own. This humility is what gives us the power against our enemies - the power that is Hashem's - ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון - Hashem will fight for you and you will be quiet! This, I believe, is what we are saying - Just as I am dancing and can not reach you (humility!), so should my enemies be unable to touch me for evil (with Hashem's help).

It struck me that this motion that we do as we reach for the Moon and recognize our inability, is the same motion that waves do. They go up and down, up and down, constantly pulled by the gravity of the moon, constantly reaching up and coming back toward Earth. The motion of the water itself hints to that power of הודאה - of admitting. The waters are pulled to admit by the ultimate representation of admittal - the Moon. This is why the word מים contains the word מודים, because the motion of the worlds waters teaches us the lesson of הודאה.

This could also be why the Torah, which is compared to water, can only be acquired with humility. The Gemara in Nedarim says ממדבר מתנה וממתנה נחליאל - כיון שעושה אדם עצמו כמדבר שהוא הפקר לכל תורה נתנה לו במתנה - when a person makes himself like a wilderness - ownerless to all - the Torah is given to him as a present. The Torah can only be acquired by one who has made himself empty of ego, because the Torah is the ultimate source of Hashem's light, which can only shine through one who has no light of his own.

I heard the following story from a reliable source close to the Gadol about whom this story was told.

It was Friday, the seventh day of the Gaza war, and the ground troops were getting ready to invade Gaza that Friday night. The shamash of the Gadol received a phone call from one of the higher ups in the Israeli army, who asked to receive a bracha for the impending military operation. When the shamash brought this request to the Gadol, he responded that he could not give a bracha for the operation if it would begin that night, as it would involve too much desecration of Shabbos. Not only that, but the operation would not see any סימן ברכה if it began on Shabbos.

The Shamash called back the general and relayed the words of the Gadol. The response was that the army had strong reason to believe that Hamas would begin attacking over Shabbos, and they wanted to begin with a surprise attack. The shamash reiterated the Gadol's words that if they would begin the operation on Shabbos, they would see no סימן ברכה, and added the Gadol's reassurance that nothing would happen over Shabbos.

Indeed, nothing happened over Shabbos, and on Motsaei Shabbos, the shamash received a call from the same general. He said that the army had decided to take the Gadol's advice into account, and had waited until after Shabbos to begin. The Gadol gladly granted the requested bracha, and the operation then began.

The power of this story is that there was a surge of humility that would be with the entire IDF throughout its fight against this enemy whose entire existence is pride. Hashem has shown tremendous miracles at every stage, and continues to do so. Let us hope that the humility will continue, and Hashem will surely continue to shine His light through us, until it bursts forth to the entire world, may it be speedily in our days.

The siren's message

At about one PM today, we here in Ramat Bet Shemesh heard the sound that has become normal for the residents of the south.

My four year old daughter and her nursery class were all guided to crouch under their desks, and were told they would receive a candy. They davened together with their Morah.

My wife was in a taxi, whose driver quickly pulled into a parking area with an overhang.

I was in Shul where they were in middle of davening Mincha.

My son was in cheder, and was later upset because he didn't hear the siren.

Someone else shared with me that his fourteen year old daughter came home especially scared because there are girls in her class who are here from the south - to get away from the sirens - and they were totally petrified when it went off here, and in turn scared all the other girls.

As we nervously tried to figure out if it was a drill or the real thing, I experienced a certain sense of satisfaction. I am finally part of my people's suffering.

After Mincha, I was learning the Parsha and came across another strikingly relevant Rabbenu Bachai. The pesukim at the end of פרק ב speak of how Paroh died, and the Jewish people called out to Hashem from their difficult labor. He says that the time for the קץ had arrived, but it was still necessary for them to call out. Only the prayer of the Jewish people crying out because of difficulty has the power to come in front of Hashem. It was that heartfelt plea, the result of suffering, that started the Geulah process, whose time had come. This is why the subsequent pesukim immediately speak of Moshe's experience with the burning bush - the Geulah process had begun.

Rabbenu Bachai finishes off by saying that just as it was thus in regards to the גאולת מצרים, so it shall be with the final Geulah.

When trying to understand why it must be this way, we need to understand why only this type of tefillah enters before Hashem.

I believe the answer is that in order to get into the area of לפני ולפנים - the inner sanctuary where Hashem's essence is found (so to speak), is only if it comes from the לפני ולפנים - the very essence of the person himself. When do we truly call out from our very depths? Only when the difficulty strikes us at the very depths.

The Jewish people called out to Hashem at this point in Mitzrayim because they saw there was no hope. They saw there was no end in sight and the difficulties were only getting deeper. When a person calls out from that place, it reaches to the highest Place.

When the current situation touches us personally, that's when we will call out, and that is when we will be answered.

The seed of redemption is in the suffering - it is darkest before the dawn.

The Moon and the war

החודש הזה לכם, ראש חדשים - This [lunar] month is for you, first of the months.

These were the words that Hashem said to Moshe, giving the Jewish people its first national mitzvah. Henceforth, the Moon would represent us, having no light of its own, reflecting the light of the Sun. We, the Jewish people, also have no light of our own, we just reflect the light that Hashem shines upon us. The less we try to shine our own light, the more Hashem's light shines.

We find numerous sources linking the Moon to the Jewish people. She is our representative, and we dance with her every month as she begins to wax larger, coming into view. We encourage her with words we ourselves need to hear - soon you will be returned to your former glory. Soon your light will shine as it did on the six days of Creation. Soon the whole world will reflect the Light of Hashem, and we, the Jewish people, will also reflect His light, being returned to our rightful status, a true reflection of His Kingship.

I came across this article which tells of a unique occurrence that has not happened since 1993, and will not happen again until 2016. The full Moon of December (Kislev) and January (Teves) were significantly larger and brighter than usual - "14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser Moons." This was because the Moon was at its closest point in its elliptical orbit as it came into view at the middle of the lunar month. This also had a significant effect, raising the tides about 15 centimeters, as the tides are dependent on the Moon's gravitational pull.

As I was reading this, I was touched by the clear showing of Hashem's love for us. He guided things so that the current war we are facing would come out in this time when the Moon is largest, representing the idea that our spiritual power is greatest. We have merited great miracles in this war on many fronts, and we have merited a sense of Achdus and purpose. We have seen a display of the spiritual in places we would not have expected, and this is 'reflected' in the Moon that accompanies us, testifying to our spiritual power, which is but a reflection of Hashem's Infinite Light.