What is the idea of the teaching that the dream's manifestation follows the interpretation? What happens when one dreams after drinking wine? Is there intrinsic significance to the symbols in a dream? What is the depth of the idea of all the dreams in the story of Yosef? How does all this relate to Chanukah?
Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 26:17
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Friday, December 15, 2017
Friday, December 4, 2015
Vayeshev - Free Will Spectrum (Yosef vs. Yehuda & MBY vs MBD)
What is the difference between Yosef and Yehuda's approach to free will and our level of involvement in doing God's will? Why did the brothers say that there was a difference between the dreams of Jacob and Joseph? What character attributes did they work on to receive prophetic dreams? Where does one cross the line and find oneself in God's exacting justice? What was the deeper message of the dreams of Pharaoh's baker and his winemaker?
Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 24:40
Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 24:40
Friday, November 8, 2013
Vayetzei - Yakov's dream, Yosef's dreams
What is the concept of Yakov's dream, and dreams in general? Why is Yakov's dream global, while Yosef's seems to be personal? Why does Yosef's involve people, while Yakov's involves angels? Why does Yakov have his dream after being chased by Esav, while Yosef has his dream before being chased by his brothers? What is the fundamental difference between Yakov's work in this world, as opposed to Yosef's?
Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 24:07
Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 24:07
Monday, January 12, 2009
Kindergarten Dreams
Our sages tell us that since we no loner have Nevi'im, prophecy was given to fools and children.
Towards the beginning of the current Gaza war, my four year old daughter woke in the morning and told us her dream.
She said that in her dream, the bad men were trying to take away the children from gan (nursery), but all the children were home.
I think that this was a very good dream. May Hashem continue to protect His children, and all of our children. Amen.
Towards the beginning of the current Gaza war, my four year old daughter woke in the morning and told us her dream.
She said that in her dream, the bad men were trying to take away the children from gan (nursery), but all the children were home.
I think that this was a very good dream. May Hashem continue to protect His children, and all of our children. Amen.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Yehoshua and the Sun
I just came across a Da'as Zekenim on the passuk speaking of Yosef's second dream. He brings a Medrash, which I found both as he brought it and also in a slightly different version. Presented here is a composite of the two Midrashim.
The passuk says in Yehoshua 10:12, "שמש בגבעון דום" - the Sun stood still in Givon.
Yehoshua commanded the Sun to stand still. The Sun responded and said, "Is it right for on older one to stand before a younger one? I was created on the fourth day of Creation. Man was created on the sixth!"
Yehoshua responded and said, "A young master can ask an old slave to do his bidding. You are my grandfather Yosef's slave, as the verse says, 'Behold the Sun and the Moon... were bowing down to me.'"
This Medrash is somewhat perplexing at first glance. Firstly, it was only a dream - the Sun did not actually bow down to Yosef. Secondly, the Sun clearly represented Yakov Avinu, as everyone involved in the story seemed to understand, hence we would think that the dream should not be taken literally.
It is clear from this Medrash that the dream had deeper implications, as we mentioned in a previous post. We see that the dream implied that the Sun and Moon and Stars literally bowed to Yosef.
This was what Yehoshua was saying - just as you bowed to Yosef, you must bow to me too, as I possess the power of Yosef, as Moshiach ben Yosef.
It is also significant that both the Sun and the Moon stood still. In regards to the stars, this story clearly occurred during the day, so the stars were not visible. Nevertheless, they also stood still for the observers on the other side of the world. Thus, all the characters in Yosef's dream showed their subservience to Yehoshua, Yosef's great-grandson. May we merit to soon see them show their subservience to Moshiach ben Yosef again.
The passuk says in Yehoshua 10:12, "שמש בגבעון דום" - the Sun stood still in Givon.
Yehoshua commanded the Sun to stand still. The Sun responded and said, "Is it right for on older one to stand before a younger one? I was created on the fourth day of Creation. Man was created on the sixth!"
Yehoshua responded and said, "A young master can ask an old slave to do his bidding. You are my grandfather Yosef's slave, as the verse says, 'Behold the Sun and the Moon... were bowing down to me.'"
This Medrash is somewhat perplexing at first glance. Firstly, it was only a dream - the Sun did not actually bow down to Yosef. Secondly, the Sun clearly represented Yakov Avinu, as everyone involved in the story seemed to understand, hence we would think that the dream should not be taken literally.
It is clear from this Medrash that the dream had deeper implications, as we mentioned in a previous post. We see that the dream implied that the Sun and Moon and Stars literally bowed to Yosef.
This was what Yehoshua was saying - just as you bowed to Yosef, you must bow to me too, as I possess the power of Yosef, as Moshiach ben Yosef.
It is also significant that both the Sun and the Moon stood still. In regards to the stars, this story clearly occurred during the day, so the stars were not visible. Nevertheless, they also stood still for the observers on the other side of the world. Thus, all the characters in Yosef's dream showed their subservience to Yehoshua, Yosef's great-grandson. May we merit to soon see them show their subservience to Moshiach ben Yosef again.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Who is Moshiach ben Yosef?
I would like to give a little idea of who exactly is Moshiach ben Yosef, and I would also like to weave in some strands of the dvar Torah that I said in my Parsha Podcast on Vayeshev.
Firstly, let us understand why we need two different Moshiachs.
The Moshiach we've all heard of is Moshiach ben Dovid, who we mention in our tefilos.
The lesser known is Moshiach ben Yosef. His job is the physical aspects of Klal Yisrael. He brings the Jewish people back to Eretz Yisrael (kibutz galuyos). He takes part in rebuilding the land of Israel. He builds the physical structure of the Beis Hamikdash. He is also privy to the secrets of the Torah (חכמת הנסתר). His job is to destroy Esav (see Rashi on Genesis 30:25). His power is the rectification of יסוד - the אות ברית קודש. He has full dominion over his physical desires - he rises above them and merits miracles. His power is also the power of Emunah/Bitachon - absolute trust in Hashem which also corresponds to יסוד. This also merits miracles, as per my earlier post "Bringing Miracles of Redemption."
The role of Moshiach ben Dovid on the other hand, is to bring the Shechina into the physical structures that Moshiach ben Yosef builds. Moshiach ben Dovid brings the Shechina into the Beis Hamikdash, into the Land of Israel, into the Jewish people. He is the מלך - which means that he reveals מלכות which is equal to שכינה.
This is why we say first ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב - To Jerusalem your city return with mercy, before we even mention Moshiach ben Dovid. We say ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו בנין עולם - rebuild it soon in our days an eternal building - this is reference to Moshiach ben Dovid. Then we say וכסא דוד עבדך מהרה לתוכה תכין - and the seat of David your servant quickly prepare in its midst. Here we see that it is a two step process, starting with the job of Moshiach ben Yosef and culminating with the job of Moshiach ben Dovid.
According to the Gemara in Succah, Moshiach ben Yosef is destined to die. The Gr'a holds that this is לאו דוקא, and says that in fact, the length of the gallus has already atoned for whatever would have necessitated his death. His שיטה is עוד יוסף חי - Moshiach ben Yosef will yet live.
Another interesting point which I have seen in more than one place is that besides for there being a single human being named Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, there is a force within the Jewish people that corresponds to their role. This is actually similar to how you may have specialized cells in your body that perform a certain specific function, say the cells in your eyes. Nevertheless, every single cell in your body contains the same DNA, with that very information that makes those eye cells specialized. The only difference is that the other cells, say in your hand, do not express and bring out that specialized nature to its full expression. Nevertheless, that power exists everywhere within a person.
Thus, every Jew can donate to Moshiach ben Yosef's role, for there is a small piece of Moshiach ben Yosef in every Jew. In fact, people who work for Nefesh B'nefesh, as an example, are actually fulfilling one of the roles of Moshiach ben Yosef - kibbutz galuyos. When we bring spirituality into our lives or the lives of others, we are activating the Moshiach ben Dovid in each of us. This brings us a step closer to Geulah and effectively lightens the load of each of the Moshiachs.
Returning to Yosef, we see that his job was to take care of the physical welfare of the Jewish people. This was expressed in his dream with the stalks of produce, and later in his role of providing for Egypt and more specifically the seventy souls that descended to Egypt with Yakov. His role as the knower of the secrets of the Torah is also mentioned in numerous sources, and is hinted to by his name צפנת פענח - the revealer of secrets. It is also hinted to in the reference בן זקנים - the gematria of the bold is 207 which is the same as the word רז - secret (בעל הטורים).
Yosef was the master of תיקון הברית as he displayed in his difficult encounter with the wife of Potifar. He was also the quintessential בעל אמונה. He had the ultimate faith in Hashem and throughout the story of his trials stood steadfast in his faith in Hashem, never questioning, only constantly moving forward and staying strong. He himself constantly reassures his brothers that he bears them no ill will, but rather from the onset it was the will of Hashem that Yosef be sent to Mitzrayim.
Yehoshua bin Nun was from the tribe of Efraim (son of Yosef) and he fulfilled the role of Moshiach ben Yosef in his time - conquering the land of Israel and dividing it amongst the Jewish people.
Very interestingly, according to the site http://keitzmeguleh.blogspot.com, the current year (5769) corresponds to the first year of Yehoshua's conquest. Exactly what this means and how this will play itself out remains to be seen. (For more on that, please see his post Geulat Mitzraim to Yemot HaMoshiach)
Last point I would like to make is the pshat I said in my parsha podcast about Yosef's second dream. It is clear from the psukim that the second dream was a different dream (חלום אחר) as opposed to Paroh's dream which the Torah says ויחלום שנית - he dreamed a second time. Whereas Paroh had a repetition implying the dream would soon materialize, Yosef's second dream was a totally different dream with a totally different message.
The key to the message of the second dream is that the sun, moon and stars were bowing down to Yosef. The almost silly sounding question is, what do stars look like when they bow down?
The answer is that the prophets tell us that before Moshiach comes, the sun, the moon and the stars go out (יואל ד:ט"ו). They are extinguished, and then we are told that we no longer will be provided with light from the sun, but rather Hashem Himself will be our light. The message underlying this concept is that whereas until Moshiach Hashem directed the world through the מזלות - the constellations and the heavenly bodies, when Moshiach comes, Hashem Himself will be the One Who directly is involved in the world, with no more intermediaries. This is why the sun, moon and stars go out, to signify that they are no longer the conduits, but rather Hashem will now be leading us directly.
The concept of bowing - השתחוויה - is that one shows that he totally nullifies himself in the face of the one he is bowing to. This is what was happening in Yosef's dream. He saw of vision of the ultimate future when the sun, moon and stars would 'bow,' as it were, to Yosef's emunah. This emunah would bring about the days of Moshiach where Hashem himself would deal directly with the world. This emunah - which by definition taps into the concept that Hashem is directly involved in our lives - was what Yosef represented, and to this they bowed - showed their lack of existence - and were extinguished. The eleven stars represent the fact that all of the Jewish people will bow to Moshiach ben Yosef - that is, we will learn from him the power of Emunah and absolute trust in Hashem that will bring about Hashem's full display of His direct involvement in our lives.
May we merit that day soon.
Firstly, let us understand why we need two different Moshiachs.
The Moshiach we've all heard of is Moshiach ben Dovid, who we mention in our tefilos.
The lesser known is Moshiach ben Yosef. His job is the physical aspects of Klal Yisrael. He brings the Jewish people back to Eretz Yisrael (kibutz galuyos). He takes part in rebuilding the land of Israel. He builds the physical structure of the Beis Hamikdash. He is also privy to the secrets of the Torah (חכמת הנסתר). His job is to destroy Esav (see Rashi on Genesis 30:25). His power is the rectification of יסוד - the אות ברית קודש. He has full dominion over his physical desires - he rises above them and merits miracles. His power is also the power of Emunah/Bitachon - absolute trust in Hashem which also corresponds to יסוד. This also merits miracles, as per my earlier post "Bringing Miracles of Redemption."
The role of Moshiach ben Dovid on the other hand, is to bring the Shechina into the physical structures that Moshiach ben Yosef builds. Moshiach ben Dovid brings the Shechina into the Beis Hamikdash, into the Land of Israel, into the Jewish people. He is the מלך - which means that he reveals מלכות which is equal to שכינה.
This is why we say first ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב - To Jerusalem your city return with mercy, before we even mention Moshiach ben Dovid. We say ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו בנין עולם - rebuild it soon in our days an eternal building - this is reference to Moshiach ben Dovid. Then we say וכסא דוד עבדך מהרה לתוכה תכין - and the seat of David your servant quickly prepare in its midst. Here we see that it is a two step process, starting with the job of Moshiach ben Yosef and culminating with the job of Moshiach ben Dovid.
According to the Gemara in Succah, Moshiach ben Yosef is destined to die. The Gr'a holds that this is לאו דוקא, and says that in fact, the length of the gallus has already atoned for whatever would have necessitated his death. His שיטה is עוד יוסף חי - Moshiach ben Yosef will yet live.
Another interesting point which I have seen in more than one place is that besides for there being a single human being named Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, there is a force within the Jewish people that corresponds to their role. This is actually similar to how you may have specialized cells in your body that perform a certain specific function, say the cells in your eyes. Nevertheless, every single cell in your body contains the same DNA, with that very information that makes those eye cells specialized. The only difference is that the other cells, say in your hand, do not express and bring out that specialized nature to its full expression. Nevertheless, that power exists everywhere within a person.
Thus, every Jew can donate to Moshiach ben Yosef's role, for there is a small piece of Moshiach ben Yosef in every Jew. In fact, people who work for Nefesh B'nefesh, as an example, are actually fulfilling one of the roles of Moshiach ben Yosef - kibbutz galuyos. When we bring spirituality into our lives or the lives of others, we are activating the Moshiach ben Dovid in each of us. This brings us a step closer to Geulah and effectively lightens the load of each of the Moshiachs.
Returning to Yosef, we see that his job was to take care of the physical welfare of the Jewish people. This was expressed in his dream with the stalks of produce, and later in his role of providing for Egypt and more specifically the seventy souls that descended to Egypt with Yakov. His role as the knower of the secrets of the Torah is also mentioned in numerous sources, and is hinted to by his name צפנת פענח - the revealer of secrets. It is also hinted to in the reference בן זקנים - the gematria of the bold is 207 which is the same as the word רז - secret (בעל הטורים).
Yosef was the master of תיקון הברית as he displayed in his difficult encounter with the wife of Potifar. He was also the quintessential בעל אמונה. He had the ultimate faith in Hashem and throughout the story of his trials stood steadfast in his faith in Hashem, never questioning, only constantly moving forward and staying strong. He himself constantly reassures his brothers that he bears them no ill will, but rather from the onset it was the will of Hashem that Yosef be sent to Mitzrayim.
Yehoshua bin Nun was from the tribe of Efraim (son of Yosef) and he fulfilled the role of Moshiach ben Yosef in his time - conquering the land of Israel and dividing it amongst the Jewish people.
Very interestingly, according to the site http://keitzmeguleh.blogspot.com, the current year (5769) corresponds to the first year of Yehoshua's conquest. Exactly what this means and how this will play itself out remains to be seen. (For more on that, please see his post Geulat Mitzraim to Yemot HaMoshiach)
Last point I would like to make is the pshat I said in my parsha podcast about Yosef's second dream. It is clear from the psukim that the second dream was a different dream (חלום אחר) as opposed to Paroh's dream which the Torah says ויחלום שנית - he dreamed a second time. Whereas Paroh had a repetition implying the dream would soon materialize, Yosef's second dream was a totally different dream with a totally different message.
The key to the message of the second dream is that the sun, moon and stars were bowing down to Yosef. The almost silly sounding question is, what do stars look like when they bow down?
The answer is that the prophets tell us that before Moshiach comes, the sun, the moon and the stars go out (יואל ד:ט"ו). They are extinguished, and then we are told that we no longer will be provided with light from the sun, but rather Hashem Himself will be our light. The message underlying this concept is that whereas until Moshiach Hashem directed the world through the מזלות - the constellations and the heavenly bodies, when Moshiach comes, Hashem Himself will be the One Who directly is involved in the world, with no more intermediaries. This is why the sun, moon and stars go out, to signify that they are no longer the conduits, but rather Hashem will now be leading us directly.
The concept of bowing - השתחוויה - is that one shows that he totally nullifies himself in the face of the one he is bowing to. This is what was happening in Yosef's dream. He saw of vision of the ultimate future when the sun, moon and stars would 'bow,' as it were, to Yosef's emunah. This emunah would bring about the days of Moshiach where Hashem himself would deal directly with the world. This emunah - which by definition taps into the concept that Hashem is directly involved in our lives - was what Yosef represented, and to this they bowed - showed their lack of existence - and were extinguished. The eleven stars represent the fact that all of the Jewish people will bow to Moshiach ben Yosef - that is, we will learn from him the power of Emunah and absolute trust in Hashem that will bring about Hashem's full display of His direct involvement in our lives.
May we merit that day soon.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Dreaming of... Pesach
Last night I had an unusual dream. The reason it was so unusual is because it had nothing to do with anything I was thinking about the whole day, and at first glance seems to just be a funny dream.
In the dream it was Shabbos, and we were eating Challah. It must have been an early morning Shabbos meal. I don't recall seeing guests in the dream at first, but for whatever reason I suddenly became aware that it was erev Pesach and we hadn't gotten rid of the chametz! We were just sitting there eating regular challah, getting crumbs all over as if it was any other Shabbos.
I frantically ran around the house, clearing out all the chametz I could find. I found myself in this large open area (that doesn't exist in my real house) that had ארונות (Israeli style stand-alone closets) near the walls. I knew that some bochurim had left their old half-eaten sandwiches up there and I quickly pulled them down, continuing in my frenzy to gather as much chametz as I could. I deposited all the chametz in a large green dumpster outside of my house in some kind of large yard, and returned to my house where my guests (!) were all eating... more chametz! I knew that these guests were not religious, so they were unaware that Pesach was coming and the clock was slowly ticking closer to the time we would be unable to eat the chametz. They didn't seem to have an issue with the fact that I grabbed the challah away from them and quickly proceeded to dispose of it.
At some point in the dream I also knew that I was still chewing on chametz and that there was chametz in my teeth and this made me very nervous.
When I woke up it became clear to me what the message of the dream could be. One of the deep meanings behind our cleaning for Pesach is that we are supposed to be doing a soul searching - cleaning our neshamas from the chametz, i.e. the negative things we have done in our life. The Yetzer Hara is called the שאור שבעיסה - the yeast in the dough - because he convinces us that evil is good when really it is just hot air.
The sudden realization I had in the dream that it was erev Pesach represents the fact that sometimes we wake up to do teshuvah and clean our souls properly at the last second. When we do that it becomes a frantic search, and hopefully we will finish in time, before סוף זמן אכילת חמץ - the last time we can eat chametz. If we are too busy eating the pieces of 'chametz' (ie doing the aveiros) even as we are cleaning and trying to eradicate them, we may find some chametz left in our mouths even after the time when we are supposed to have stopped.
The final message for me of the dream was that there are many people out there who don't even realize that there will be an accounting or that they are doing something wrong, nevertheless we can help them, either by davening for them or by showing them a better way. If we are sensitive to them, not only will they not complain, they will certainly be happy we have prayed on their behalf and/or shown them the proper path so that they too would not be found with 'chametz' in their mouths on Pesach.
In the dream it was Shabbos, and we were eating Challah. It must have been an early morning Shabbos meal. I don't recall seeing guests in the dream at first, but for whatever reason I suddenly became aware that it was erev Pesach and we hadn't gotten rid of the chametz! We were just sitting there eating regular challah, getting crumbs all over as if it was any other Shabbos.
I frantically ran around the house, clearing out all the chametz I could find. I found myself in this large open area (that doesn't exist in my real house) that had ארונות (Israeli style stand-alone closets) near the walls. I knew that some bochurim had left their old half-eaten sandwiches up there and I quickly pulled them down, continuing in my frenzy to gather as much chametz as I could. I deposited all the chametz in a large green dumpster outside of my house in some kind of large yard, and returned to my house where my guests (!) were all eating... more chametz! I knew that these guests were not religious, so they were unaware that Pesach was coming and the clock was slowly ticking closer to the time we would be unable to eat the chametz. They didn't seem to have an issue with the fact that I grabbed the challah away from them and quickly proceeded to dispose of it.
At some point in the dream I also knew that I was still chewing on chametz and that there was chametz in my teeth and this made me very nervous.
When I woke up it became clear to me what the message of the dream could be. One of the deep meanings behind our cleaning for Pesach is that we are supposed to be doing a soul searching - cleaning our neshamas from the chametz, i.e. the negative things we have done in our life. The Yetzer Hara is called the שאור שבעיסה - the yeast in the dough - because he convinces us that evil is good when really it is just hot air.
The sudden realization I had in the dream that it was erev Pesach represents the fact that sometimes we wake up to do teshuvah and clean our souls properly at the last second. When we do that it becomes a frantic search, and hopefully we will finish in time, before סוף זמן אכילת חמץ - the last time we can eat chametz. If we are too busy eating the pieces of 'chametz' (ie doing the aveiros) even as we are cleaning and trying to eradicate them, we may find some chametz left in our mouths even after the time when we are supposed to have stopped.
The final message for me of the dream was that there are many people out there who don't even realize that there will be an accounting or that they are doing something wrong, nevertheless we can help them, either by davening for them or by showing them a better way. If we are sensitive to them, not only will they not complain, they will certainly be happy we have prayed on their behalf and/or shown them the proper path so that they too would not be found with 'chametz' in their mouths on Pesach.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
More Moshiach dreams?
Dear Rabbi Goldwag,
Have you heard anything about Rav Kanievsky having a dream in which Rav Schach zt"l told him that Moshiach is coming soon?
Have a good week,
Mrs. Goldstein
I have not. I am wary of these types of stories until I hear them from a close source.
I did recently hear from someone who heard from Rav Uri Zohar's mouth that Rav Zohar went to visit Rav Elya Svei recently, and he is still repeating that which Rav Elchanan Wasserman said in 1939 that Moshiach would come in 70 years.
Rav Uri Zohar also had come to one of the gedolim here (I forget if it was Rav Sheinberg or Rav Kanievsky... talk about accuracy!) because he knows a family outside of Israel who all the children are having difficulty with shidduchim. The gadol responded and said that the oldest one should come to Eretz Yisrael, and he would find his shidduch. The gadol then amended that and said that it would be a good idea for the whole family to come as Moshiach is coming soon.
all the best,
Ari Goldwag
Have you heard anything about Rav Kanievsky having a dream in which Rav Schach zt"l told him that Moshiach is coming soon?
Have a good week,
Mrs. Goldstein
I have not. I am wary of these types of stories until I hear them from a close source.
I did recently hear from someone who heard from Rav Uri Zohar's mouth that Rav Zohar went to visit Rav Elya Svei recently, and he is still repeating that which Rav Elchanan Wasserman said in 1939 that Moshiach would come in 70 years.
Rav Uri Zohar also had come to one of the gedolim here (I forget if it was Rav Sheinberg or Rav Kanievsky... talk about accuracy!) because he knows a family outside of Israel who all the children are having difficulty with shidduchim. The gadol responded and said that the oldest one should come to Eretz Yisrael, and he would find his shidduch. The gadol then amended that and said that it would be a good idea for the whole family to come as Moshiach is coming soon.
all the best,
Ari Goldwag
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Dream of the rings explained
This was my explanation on Nava's husband's dream which you can find here.
This post is important, as I will reference it in a later post be'H.
Gold, silver and copper each represent the three sefirot of חג"ת - חסד גבורה תפארת. Chesed is represented by silver, Gevurah (din) is represented by gold, and Tiferet (the balance between the two) is represented by copper. The egg shaped stones represents different aspects of Moshiach, because he is the one who is bringing about the birth of the era of Moshiach. The egg represents all the potential for the new reality he is bringing in. The ring is a circle, and we find that the circle always represents the concept that we are focusing on the center of what the circle stands for. An example of this is on Succos when we circle the bimah where the sefer Torah is held thus representing the centrality of Torah, or the circling of the mizbeach that was done in the Beis Hamikdash on Succos representing the centrality of service to Hashem.
Another important point is that in our world, the way we express Hashem's middah of Chesed is by doing kindness. The way we express Gevurah and din, is by doing Tzedakah - charity, and by displaying moral strength and dedication. The way Tiferet is expressed is by being fierce adherents to Torah and Truth - emes. (תתן אמת ליעקב - Yakov represents Tiferet, Truth and Torah study.)
There is also a concept that when we do acts of kindness and charity, we are bringing down Hashem's kindness into the world and bringing the world toward its ultimate completion. This also mirrors the idea that we can give power to Moshiach by helping him fulfill his role, which is to bring Hashem's ultimate Kindness, Righteousness, and Truth to the world. We do this when we act with kindness, righteousness, Truth and Torah study.
One last important point to make before we come back to the dream is something I read recently in the introduction of R' Chaim Vital to the sefer Sha'arei Kedusha. There he brings a story where he asked the Arizal an important question. R' Chaim asks the Arizal, "How can you tell me that I am greater than those of the previous generations, even greater than the Righteous ones of the times of the Gemara and Mishna?" The Arizal's response was that in that time, it was much easier to be great, because the powers of evil were much weaker. As the generations passed and the powers of the Other Side have strengthened, it is much more difficult to be righteous. Thus, if one is righteous despite that, he would have certainly been many more times as great in the times of the Gemara and Mishna, even greater than those that lived then, for the powers of evil had less of a hold then.
Taking that idea to its end, the times we live in now are the ultimate 'darkness before the dawn.' When we act with goodness and righteousness despite the immense power of evil that is evident throughout the world - we have done what seems to be a small act, but in truth it is unbelievably large. These acts that WE are doing are the engine that powers Moshiach's arrival!
After that introduction, I think we can make some sense of the rings. The golden ring represents the power we can give to Moshiach - the power of charity and righteousness. These deeds are necessary in order to help the 'egg' of redemption hatch. The more we involve ourselves in charity and righteousness, despite the powers of evil, the greater is our ability to give this power to Moshiach to be revealed. The silver ring represents chessed. The more we are involved in kindess the more we awaken Hashem's Infinite Kindness, thereby causing the 'egg' of Moshiach to hatch with kindness. The copper ring represents Tiferet - Emes. The more we are slaves to the truth, the closer we bring the world to the revelation of Ultimate Truth.
These three powers that are within our reach to donate toward the Redemption process are what the Yetzer Hara is trying with all his greatest efforts to prevent. He knows that if we are dedicated to Goodness and Truth it will be his ultimate downfall. He will try to steal the purse with the three rings at any opportunity. And if we can rid ourselves of him for a moment, he will come back within no time to try again to take away our dedication.
We must realize that the individual efforts of every single Jew in this area are crucial. There are only a select few who are even aware of what is going on in the world at all. If we have been chosen to be part of this, then we must acknowledge our responsibility in these areas and try our best to strengthen our dedication to them.
Chessed - Kindness, Gevurah - Tzedakah and moral strength, Tiferet - Truth and Torah study.
May we all merit to see Moshiach with mercy, speedily in our days.
This post is important, as I will reference it in a later post be'H.
Gold, silver and copper each represent the three sefirot of חג"ת - חסד גבורה תפארת. Chesed is represented by silver, Gevurah (din) is represented by gold, and Tiferet (the balance between the two) is represented by copper. The egg shaped stones represents different aspects of Moshiach, because he is the one who is bringing about the birth of the era of Moshiach. The egg represents all the potential for the new reality he is bringing in. The ring is a circle, and we find that the circle always represents the concept that we are focusing on the center of what the circle stands for. An example of this is on Succos when we circle the bimah where the sefer Torah is held thus representing the centrality of Torah, or the circling of the mizbeach that was done in the Beis Hamikdash on Succos representing the centrality of service to Hashem.
Another important point is that in our world, the way we express Hashem's middah of Chesed is by doing kindness. The way we express Gevurah and din, is by doing Tzedakah - charity, and by displaying moral strength and dedication. The way Tiferet is expressed is by being fierce adherents to Torah and Truth - emes. (תתן אמת ליעקב - Yakov represents Tiferet, Truth and Torah study.)
There is also a concept that when we do acts of kindness and charity, we are bringing down Hashem's kindness into the world and bringing the world toward its ultimate completion. This also mirrors the idea that we can give power to Moshiach by helping him fulfill his role, which is to bring Hashem's ultimate Kindness, Righteousness, and Truth to the world. We do this when we act with kindness, righteousness, Truth and Torah study.
One last important point to make before we come back to the dream is something I read recently in the introduction of R' Chaim Vital to the sefer Sha'arei Kedusha. There he brings a story where he asked the Arizal an important question. R' Chaim asks the Arizal, "How can you tell me that I am greater than those of the previous generations, even greater than the Righteous ones of the times of the Gemara and Mishna?" The Arizal's response was that in that time, it was much easier to be great, because the powers of evil were much weaker. As the generations passed and the powers of the Other Side have strengthened, it is much more difficult to be righteous. Thus, if one is righteous despite that, he would have certainly been many more times as great in the times of the Gemara and Mishna, even greater than those that lived then, for the powers of evil had less of a hold then.
Taking that idea to its end, the times we live in now are the ultimate 'darkness before the dawn.' When we act with goodness and righteousness despite the immense power of evil that is evident throughout the world - we have done what seems to be a small act, but in truth it is unbelievably large. These acts that WE are doing are the engine that powers Moshiach's arrival!
After that introduction, I think we can make some sense of the rings. The golden ring represents the power we can give to Moshiach - the power of charity and righteousness. These deeds are necessary in order to help the 'egg' of redemption hatch. The more we involve ourselves in charity and righteousness, despite the powers of evil, the greater is our ability to give this power to Moshiach to be revealed. The silver ring represents chessed. The more we are involved in kindess the more we awaken Hashem's Infinite Kindness, thereby causing the 'egg' of Moshiach to hatch with kindness. The copper ring represents Tiferet - Emes. The more we are slaves to the truth, the closer we bring the world to the revelation of Ultimate Truth.
These three powers that are within our reach to donate toward the Redemption process are what the Yetzer Hara is trying with all his greatest efforts to prevent. He knows that if we are dedicated to Goodness and Truth it will be his ultimate downfall. He will try to steal the purse with the three rings at any opportunity. And if we can rid ourselves of him for a moment, he will come back within no time to try again to take away our dedication.
We must realize that the individual efforts of every single Jew in this area are crucial. There are only a select few who are even aware of what is going on in the world at all. If we have been chosen to be part of this, then we must acknowledge our responsibility in these areas and try our best to strengthen our dedication to them.
Chessed - Kindness, Gevurah - Tzedakah and moral strength, Tiferet - Truth and Torah study.
May we all merit to see Moshiach with mercy, speedily in our days.
Two stories about Moshiach
I recently verified this story from the grandson of the couple involved.
My friend's elderly grandmother, Miriam, remarried a number of years ago to R' Shalom Shachne Zohn. They live in Jerusalem. R' Shalom is now in his mid nineties and in his youth he studied in yeshiva in Mir in Poland and had the opportunity to spend four days at the home of the Chofetz Chaim (R' Yisroel Meir Hacohen Kagan). A few weeks ago, in the middle of the night he woke and told his wife that the Chofetz Chaim had appeared to him in a dream and simply said that Moshiach will be here soon. The Chofetz Chaim said that it is time to get ready and to spread the message. My friend's father (Miriam's son) asked his rav, Rav Asher Weiss if this is something to take seriously. His response was that we are clearly standing right before Moshiach, and it certainly should be taken seriously and we should undertake to do Teshuva.
The second story I heard directly from the people involved.
There is a young girl about eight years old who needs a refuah (אביבא מלכה בת לאה) - she is currently in the hospital with loss of vision. Please pray for her. She has been in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy, and she has had multiple complications. A few months ago she had been in a coma for an extended period of time. When she finally came out of the coma, one of the first things she said was, "Did I miss the weddings? Did I miss Moshiach coming?" Her two older sisters were not engaged yet (I don't even know if Aviva knew they were going out), but they both became engaged and were married over the following few months. I was at the sheva brachos. Refuah Shelema - may Hashem heal her along with all the sick of Israel with the coming of Moshiach, Amen.
My friend's elderly grandmother, Miriam, remarried a number of years ago to R' Shalom Shachne Zohn. They live in Jerusalem. R' Shalom is now in his mid nineties and in his youth he studied in yeshiva in Mir in Poland and had the opportunity to spend four days at the home of the Chofetz Chaim (R' Yisroel Meir Hacohen Kagan). A few weeks ago, in the middle of the night he woke and told his wife that the Chofetz Chaim had appeared to him in a dream and simply said that Moshiach will be here soon. The Chofetz Chaim said that it is time to get ready and to spread the message. My friend's father (Miriam's son) asked his rav, Rav Asher Weiss if this is something to take seriously. His response was that we are clearly standing right before Moshiach, and it certainly should be taken seriously and we should undertake to do Teshuva.
The second story I heard directly from the people involved.
There is a young girl about eight years old who needs a refuah (אביבא מלכה בת לאה) - she is currently in the hospital with loss of vision. Please pray for her. She has been in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy, and she has had multiple complications. A few months ago she had been in a coma for an extended period of time. When she finally came out of the coma, one of the first things she said was, "Did I miss the weddings? Did I miss Moshiach coming?" Her two older sisters were not engaged yet (I don't even know if Aviva knew they were going out), but they both became engaged and were married over the following few months. I was at the sheva brachos. Refuah Shelema - may Hashem heal her along with all the sick of Israel with the coming of Moshiach, Amen.
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