Moshiach 9 podcast document

Here is a text document of the Moshiach 9 podcast.

Click here to download.

Something Different

Here is a song that I wrote today, called Something Different.

Please don't distribute beyond this blog and/or my facebook page.

Enjoy!

There's something different in the air
Things are changing everywhere
All the walls are crumbling down
Emptiness is all around

Angry voices serenade
tauntingly their music plays
Somewhere in the raucous din
A quiet voice is there within

Peel away the layers of anger and sorrow
Open up your heart to the gift of tomorrow
Find the love, accept what you're given with gladness
Open up the door and escape from your sadness

The darkness that surrounds us now
Is a chance, I'll show you how
to uncover endless light
Lift your wings, begin your flight

In the darkest depths of night
When it seems no hope's in sight
It's that very place you'll find
The still, fine voice of peace of mind

The secret hidden in your heart
Hashem has been there from the start
Waiting for you patiently
to open up your destiny

All you need to see His hand
to begin to understand
Move beyond the selfish drive
Reveal the love you have inside

Moshiach podcast 9 - 9 Av, Shmini Atzeres, Zos Chanukah

We discuss two more sets of seventy days - from the 9th of Av until Shmini Atzeres, and from Shmini Atzeres until the last day of Chanukah. We discuss the ramification of these days, their connection, and what it means for us.

You can download the Moshiach podcast 9 here.

Running time: 46:00

Here is a typed version of Moshiach podcast 8.5.

I hope to have a typed version of this podcast by tomorrow, be'H.

Balak - Uncovering the still, fine voice

What is Bilam's underlying intention? Does Hashem want him to go with Balak's men or not? What is the understanding of Hashem's approach? What is the concept of the Yetzer Hara before and after? How does one access the still, fine voice that Hashem speaks about with Eliyahu?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 16:27

Lev Tahor

Sometimes Hashem blesses us with a chance to touch a moment of spirituality and purity. King David asked that that pure heart be created within him, and that spirit be renewed within him. "Don't send me away from You, and do not take away Your holy spirit from me." (Tehillim/Psalms 51)

Thoughts on Yosef on his birthday

Yosef was born and died on the first day of Tamuz. It was exactly nine months after he was conceived, which was on Rosh Hashana, as per the Gemara in Rosh Hashana, which explicitly states that Sarah, Rochel and Chana all conceived on Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana was the day that the first man was created, and it was the day he sinned, creating the need for a Moshiach ben Yosef to come to rectify that sin. Rosh Hashana is a day of potential for Moshiach ben Yosef, and it was that day that not only was Yosef conceived, but he also completed his difficult trials and was miraculously raised to the post of second in command to Paroh on this day. But that day was only the beginning for him. It was a point in time of completion of his potential, and a point in time of the beginning of the seed starting to strike root. It would take time for that potential to become actualized. At first, only the Egyptian people knew of his greatness and humility. He ruled over them with great wisdom and concern for their welfare. This care became apparent as he continued to rule in his humble manner. It would be a significant amount of time until he would rule over his family, the children of Israel, and reveal himself to them. Only in the end would he finally reveal himself to his father. Similarly, it can be surmised that Rosh Hashana is a significant day for Moshiach ben Yosef. It is a day of potential being actualized, and it is a day that is the beginning of a greater revelation.

It is significant to note that Yosef's conception both for his birth and for beginning his role as leader occurred outside of the land of Israel. The trials that would lead him to Egypt began in Israel with his brothers selling him, but the main bulk of his trials and rise to greatness were outside of Israel. This would seem to coincide with the idea that Moshiach sits at the gates of Rome - this means that since Moshiach ben Yosef's purpose is to rectify the fall of Adam, so he enters into the physical realm, the darkest places, the depths of physicality and distance from Hashem, in order to bring everything back to its former state of perfection and equality. Interestingly, Yosef's first interaction with Esav was when Yakov and his family were returning from Lavan's house, on their way to Israel. It would be interesting to explore where that interaction took place, whether it was in Israel itself, or not.

It is interesting to note that Yosef Hatzadik was not born in a leap year. This is clear from the fact that he was born on the first of Tamuz, which is nine months after Rosh Hashana - without the leap month of a second Adar. This would seem to indicate the concept that when Yosef is in potential mode, he comes into the crass world we exist within - but in a very inconspicuous way. He is not born in a leap year where his presence is clear, where the idea of the 'ibbur' - the bringing down of the higher dimension - is apparent. Just as the Maharsha says that Yosef does his work in Av - in the month that Esav/Satan believes he has control, so too, Yosef enters the world in this secretive manner, with no show of glitter or glamor. His entire essence is pure humility. His brothers are even unaware that Yosef is leading them to their tikkun. He accomplishes his goal with the cover of darkness. His goal is never greatness or grandeur. His leadership is only a means to a pure end - to connect the people of Israel, and all of mankind, to their Creator. When that is the goal, there is no room for ego. Yosef excelled in this area, and was a paragon of egolessness, of pure recognition that everything is from Hashem, and his talent was given to him to serve mankind.

יהי זכרו ברוך

Chukas - Sweetening judgments

Why does the mitzvah of the red heifer immediately follow the accusation against Aharon of being unworthy? why must it be completely red? What does the color red represent? Why is it specifically a cow? What is the significance of the involvement of the Kohen in this process? Why does he become impure as the person who is impure becomes purified? Why does the process take seven days? Why is it completely burnt? What is the concept of impurity from coming in contact with the dead? What is the connection to the concept of learning Torah? What does it mean that a person can only acquire Torah if he 'kills himself' over the Torah? What is the connection to Yosef?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 20:37

Tanya

Bouncing back

I am currently involved in studying the twelve steps of the anonymous programs, which I believe is the tool of Moshiach ben Yosef, something that Hashem has brought down in order to get us into the age of Moshiach, when ego becomes a thing of the past. My chevrusa, who has been in the program for over ten years, is doing a wonderful job of guiding me through the steps, patiently teaching me. It is a wonderful, rigorous project, which I believe anyone can do, and everyone should explore to see how it can benefit them. There are programs for people with challenges in relationships, for emotional issues, debting issues, lack of vision and direction, porn addiction, sex addiction, and of course, alcoholism, amongst many others. It is interesting that one can be addicted to thoughts of avoiding all of these issues - if there is emotional energy around something, it is a sign of addiction. There is a wonderful aspect of community and acceptance that comes along with a true goal for pure egolessness. It is extremely powerful and the concept of pure lishmah is magnetic for me.

In any event, I am sharing this because I wanted to share something with you that my chevrusa shared with me. I have been talking about the difficult times we are going through now, and the potential for rectification that will follow the down. In order to get through the down, it is important to have the right attitude about the down, to understand that everything that happens to us is from Hashem. This means that sometimes we will even experience a test or challenge, and we will fall in that challenge - but it won't be because we were meant to pass the challenge. It will be because we get upset at ourselves for having failed in that challenge. This guilt is a most destructive force that can literally ruin our lives. The following is a link to an incredible shiur on the topic, given by R' Yisroel Reisman, based on the works of the Steipler Gaon. It is all about realizing the reality of our nisyonos (tests), and realizing that there are many areas where we may fail, and that we must be realistic about what is within our free will ability, and what is outside of it.

I highly recommend this wonderful shiur:
http://download.mp3shiur.com/Yirmiyahu_Perek13_1.mp3

Malchus sheb'chesed, yesod sheb'yesod

So if you have been following the progression we have been seeing so far, there is an incredible correspondence between three sets of days:

25 Adar -> 16 Nissan (Pesach) -> 6 Sivan (Shavuos)
1 Sivan -> 20 Sivan -> 9 Av
17 Tammuz -> 9 Av -> 1 Tishrei (Rosh Hashana)

The first day on each column is 70 days before the last day, and the second day is 50 days before the last.

There is a sefirah count that we see happening as we count the fifty revealed days in each of these counts. And the counts line up, as we discussed.

The first count leads up to receiving the Torah, and is thus a count 'upward' into holiness. The second count is a descent into the klipah, or forces of evil, and the third count is the climb back out - the rectification count.

I was struck with what is happening right now, and what we can look out for in the future, if these counts really do line up, as I am theorizing.

The first is what is happening today. Tuesday, 28 June 2011 is the 26th of Sivan, the seventh day of this fifty day count. It corresponds to the seventh day of Pesach, which is Malchus sheb'chesed. Thus, just as the last day of Pesach was a day of open miracles and power to the Jewish people, this day is just that - for the side of evil. This is why we are watching Iran playing their war games, and this is why we have lost a great Torah sage, R' Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz Z'l. On the upside, this day - in the third count of rectification - corresponds to the 15th of Av, which is a day of celebration for the Jewish people, a day of marriage and coming together of the male and female aspects.

Another thing that I noticed which is interesting is that Rosh Chodesh Av is the day that corresponds to Yesod sheb'yesod. Thus, it fits very interestingly into the theories we have presented about Rosh Chodesh Av being a significant time for Moshiach ben Yosef, in light of the Maharsha in Sanhedrin. I was a little awestruck by the fact that my wedding anniversary is 'coincidentally' on the 21st of Elul (this year will be ten years!) which is also yesod sheb'yesod on the third (tikkun) count.

It should be interesting to see what happens on other corresponding days that are significant. Lag b'omer is hod sheb'hod on the first count. On the second count, hod sheb'hod falls out on 21 Tammuz, which is a Shabbos, July 23; and it falls out on 13th of Elul on the third count, which is Monday, September 12th.