Monday, September 26, 2016

Where is the Shechina Now?

Unknown Photographer


"Yeisei V'Lo Achminei" - let Moshiach come but do not let me be alive to see him [Sanhedrin 98b].

Rebbi Yochanan said that he'd give up the privilege of greeting Moshiach in order to avoid living through the terrible days of the Ikvisa D'Mishicha. With the Geula so close at hand why will they be worse than the rest of the Galus?

Rav Yehonoson Eibshitz says that since the Shechina is with us in the Galus we are protected. However at the end of the Galus when it is time for us to return to Eretz Yisroel, the Shechina will need to leave the galus and come to Eretz Yisroel to prepare and facilitate our return. During those waning days of the Galus, we will be left on our own without protection and endless tragedies will befall us. Only then will we realize how fortunate we were to have the Shechina with us.

How does Rav Yehonoson Eibshitz know that the Shechina will return to Eretz Yisroel before us?

The pasuk [Nitzavim 30:3] says, וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים.  Chazal tell us that the word וְשָׁב, which means ''He will return'', proves that Hashem is with us in the Galus, or else it should say "V'Heishiv"- ''He will return us''. 

Rav Yehonoson Eibshitz says that we see from here that first וְשָׁב, Hashem will return to Eretz Yisroel.   Only after the groundwork is laid, וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, will He bring us back from among the nations.

Source: Revach L'Neshama

8 comments:

Yankev said...

I like better the Rebbe's interpretation:

It stands to reason that the future Beit Hamikdash (which will descend from Heaven fully rebuilt and perfected) will first be revealed in the place of exile where the Beit Hamikdash “traveled and settled” (i.e., Beit Rabbeinu in Bavel”), and relocate from there to Jerusalem.

To explain: Even at the very moment of Redemption, the Shechina will continue to reside in the main Small Temple of the Diaspora. As the Talmud quoted above goes on to say, “Even at the time of their Redemption, the Shechina will reside with them, as it is written, ‘And G-d your L-rd will bring back your captivity’: Instead of saying ‘Vehaishiv,’ which is the proper Hebrew term for ‘He will bring back,’ the Torah says, ‘Veshav,’ which means ‘He will
come back.’ This teaches us that G-d Himself will return from exile together with them” — i.e., even during the final moment of exile, the Shechina will continue to reside with the Jewish people in their place of exile, and, from that place, G-d will return with all the Jewish people...

https://dvarmalchus.wordpress.com/2015/11/01/beis-rabbeinu-shbbavel-a-must/

Devorah said...

Thanks Yankev, I prefer that one as well.

Leah said...

Amen.I too, prefer this one. Please may it be so.

Gavriela Dvorah said...

I'm sorry, but this is the ultimate galut think. The Beit HaMikdash never "traveled and settled" in galut. It is not going to come down from Shamayim and land in Boro Park, 770, Monsey, Lakewood or any of those other places where Jews have come to believe that they are living in the "new" Yerushalayim and they don't need to come to Israel, or worse, in some cases, they reject Israel altogether. You honestly believe that HaShem will reward those who choose to stay away by revealing Himself, Moshiach and the Beit HaMikdash before He rewards those who have sacrificed their lives to fulfill the mitzvah of living in our Land? Preposterous.

Anonymous said...

what's wrong with you guys ?
I am not even a jew but understand better this matter !!!

Hashekhinah is Knesset Israel !
Could the shekhinah come back to EY without Am Israel ???
Every single jew is a keli for a spark of the shekhinah.
So does every single creature contributing to the tikoun haolam.

Chayav karet is not a punition, it's just a logical consequence when a jew chooses not to be part of Am Israel anymore and decides not to be a receptacle of the shekhinah's spark.

The shekhinah is progressivly coming back with every single jew who is doing his aliah. That is the real meaning of those verses.

and this equation is very simple:
Geulah shlemah = hashekhinah shlemah in EY = ALIAH NOW !

galut israel is over, you got a lot of warnings until now, no need for some more obvious, right ?

Anonymous said...

What do you mean 'Where is the Shechina Now?' It's in my home. There where you let Him in, that's where He is.

AS

Anonymous said...

If your heart and actions are with the Shechina, the Shechina is with you!

You may live in Eretz Yisroel all your life, and still never let the Shechina in....

You may live in the diaspora all your life, and have the Shechina at your side!

Judi

Ginno Ricci said...

"Endless tragedies"?? Really? Compare these last 70 years to the rest of the exile. Although we are in the lowest spiritual level, we never had so much peace like today. Of course Israel's enemies want to destroy our homeland, antisemitic propaganda still exists, as well as isolated violent incidents in the diaspora, but how many pogroms, tortures, massacres, large-scale slaughter and genocide against Jews have we seen since the end of WWII? Jewish blood is not spilled like before. When Rav Eibshitz lived, Jews were much more vulnerable, without an independent country nor army, subject to the mercy of goim.