H/t Anonymous commenter
Rabbi Ofer Davidov - 9 min video
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Kislev - The Month of Miracles and Dreams
The Month of Kislev: Sagittarius
Keshet (bow) is the Hebrew name for Sagittarius. At dawn during Kislev a constellation reminiscent of a bow appears on the horizon - the Keshet, identified by our Sages as the sign of this month.
The bow was used in the past to shoot missiles, such as arrows, at the enemy. In the Midrash, the bow symbolizes the projection upwards of the scorpion from the brambles into which it had been cast. Projection implies shooting upwards from below. In the words of R' Bachyei:
"After the soul has received its judgment in purgatory, it will be projected up from there much like an arrow from the bow. That is the reason for the proximity of Akrav (Scorpio) to Keshet, as alluded to by our Sages (who said "They descend to Gehinnom yelling and crying... and rise".
Source: Gad Erlanger "Signs of the Times"
Text: Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
The Month of Kislev according to The Book of Formation (Sefer Yetzirah) - Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.
Kislev is the month of Chanukah--the only holiday in the Jewish calender which spans, and hence connects, two months: Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev and concludes in the month of Tevet (either on the 2nd or 3rd, depending on the number of days in Kislev).
The name Kislev derives from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." There are two states of trust, one active and one passive, both of which are manifest in the month of Kislev. The miracle of Chanukah reflects the active trust of the Maacabim to stand up and fight against the Hellenistic empire and its culture. Kislev's sense of sleep reflects the passive trust that G-d's providence always guards over Israel.
In the tradition of Chassidut, the 19th day of Kislev, the day of the release and redemption of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the author of the classic text of Chassidut, the Tanya (the disciple of the Magid of Mezerich, the successor of the Ba'al Shem Tov) from prison (where he was placed for the dissemination of the innermost mysteries of the Torah) is referred to as "the New Year of Chassidut" (implying that it is through the spiritual channel of this day that the inner wisdom of Chassidut and the power to integrate this wisdom into one's daily life is brought down into this world).
The foundation of the way of Chassidut is absolute trust and faith in G-d's omnipresence and the omnipotence of His Divine providence.
Color: Blue-Violet
Letter: samech
The word samech means "to support". The experience of feeling supported corresponds to the trust and confidence in Divine providence associated with the month of Kislev, as described above. So do we find expressed in Psalms: "G-d supports (somech) all the fallen and lifts up all the bent over;" "Even when he falls he will not be let to fall to the ground, for G-d supports (yismoch) his hand."
The shape of the samech is a circle, which represents the all-encompassing omnipresence of G-d and His providence. The "great circle" of G-d's Infinite light is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidut to reflect His "right arm" which embraces (and supports, from beneath) with great, infinite love all of reality, as is said: "And from beneath, the arms of the universe."
Mazal: keshet (Sagittarius--Bow)
The bow of Kislev is the bow of the Maacabim. It symbolizes their active trust in G-d to fight against the empire and culture that then ruled the earth. Though the Chashmonaim themselves were from the Priestly tribe of Israel, the "art" of the bow is ascribed in the Bible to the tribe of Benjamin in particular, the tribe of the month of Kislev.
The Kohanim (and Leviim) are not considered as one of the twelve tribes in the correspondence of the tribes to the months of the year (according to the Arizal). As an all-inclusive manifestation of the Jewish soul, the Kohanim contain and reflect the spiritual source of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is especially so with regard to the tribe of Benjamin, for in his portion was the holy Temple wherein the Kohanim served. Thus the relation of the Kohanim to Benjamin is similar to that of soul to body. The Kohanim fight the holy war embodied in the bow of Benjamin.
The bow of war of Kislev is actually projected (shot) from the bow (the rainbow; in Hebrew both "bow" and "rainbow" are identical--keshet) of peace (between G-d and Creation) of the end of the previous month of Cheshvan, as explained above. The two bows (semi-circles) unite together to form the complete circle of the samech of Kislev.
Tribe: Benjamin
Sense: sleep
The sense of sleep is the tranquility and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providence. So do we find in the blessings at the end of Leviticus (26:5-6): "And you shall dwell securely in your land. And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down without fear...."
As the word "sense" (chush) is cognate to "quick" (chish), the sense of sleep implies the ability to sleep well but quickly (as is told of great tzadikim who required very few hours of sleep per day).
The very talent of Benjamin to shoot straight at his target depends upon a most tranquil inner spirit. He shoots and hits almost asleep. G-d carries his arrow to its intended destination. A tranquil personality is one with little inner friction and tension. The sense of sleep entails the ability to release stress, confident in the support of G-d.
The sense of sleep entails as well the sense of dreaming. In accord with our faith in Divine providence, especially manifest in relation to the connection between the weekly Torah portions and the annual cycle of months and their events, all of the dreams of the Torah are contained within the portions that are read during the month of Kislev.
When one possesses complete trust in G-d one dreams good dreams of the future. Good dreams at night reflect good thoughts throughout the day, especially the optimistic attitude and consciousness taught by Chassidut (whose New Year is the 19th of Kislev): "Think good, it will be good."
Monday, November 9, 2026
Sunday, November 8, 2026
The Destruction of Europe Before the War of Gog and Magog
Rabbi Yuval Ovadia - 7 min video
Auto dubbed into English if you watch it on You Tube and adjust your Settings [it's automatically auto-dubbed for me - but you can also get English subtitles if that doesn't work for you]
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Brave New World
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| Art by Schnette |
Stress Before Redemption
Text Rabbi Yisroel S. Neuberger
During our Biblical Redemption, the foundations of Egypt crumbled. We don't have to imagine what that means; the world has witnessed it in Japan.
"Several times I heard from the holy Chofetz Chaim that we can learn about the end of our exile from what happened at the end of our exile in Egypt, as it says [Micha 7:15], 'As in the days of your leaving Egypt, I will [in the Final Redemption] show wonders.'" [Rabbi Elchonen Wasserman zt"l as quoted in Redemption Unfolding by Rabbi A. A. Mandelbaum]
Egypt, the world's most powerful country in Biblical times, crumbled like the World Trade Center crumbled on 9/11. But the Final Redemption may take place on an even larger scale. Since the Jewish People are now spread all over the world, our future Redemption will have to be correspondingly gigantic. Do we not ask G-d to gather us from "the four corners of the earth"? During the Final Redemption the entire world structure as we know it may be dismantled, just as the structure of Egypt was dismantled in ancient days.
Redemption does not have to be violent. All decent people hope that Moshiach will come peacefully. But that, after all, depends on us! If the Children of Israel do teshuva, all will be well!
If not ....
One thing should be clear: following the Final Redemption, the world will look completely different. The Maharal writes, "a complete change will come over the world, to the extent that the world of Moshiach will be considered a new creation in comparison to the world as we know it." [Netzach Yisroel, Ch.47] The direction of world affairs will be the Torah! "Ki Mitzvion taitzai Torah u'dvar Hashem miYerushalayim... From Zion will come forth Torah and the Word of G-d from Jerusalem." [Yeshaya 2:3] G-d will be One and His Name One.
The process has already begun. Every area of life is in crisis. As a result, we are exposed to enormous stress, be it financial, medical, psychological, family, children ... the list goes on and on!
"Maase avos siman l'banim... The actions of the Fathers are signs for the Children."
In Egypt eighty per cent perished during the Plague of Darkness because they "did not wish to depart [from Egypt]" [Rashi on Exodus 10:22]. The stress in Biblical Egypt was enormous. So strong was the pull of the surrounding culture that a huge percentage of the Children of Israel were unable to extricate themselves from its influence! This is a message for our contemporary world!
Today, people are under enormous strain. You see it in hair-trigger tempers. You see it in aggressive driving. You see it in lack of proper behavior, as people rush to put themselves first. You see it in desperate attempts to acquire money. You see it in lavish expenditures on vacations and luxuries, attempts to find peace in a world in which there is no peace!
"Moshe spoke to the Children of Israel, but they did not heed him because of shortness of breath..." [Exodus 6:9]. In Egypt, the stress was so great that many of the Children of Israel did not listen to the voice which would have saved them if they had listened. The same danger exists today. We are so panicked that we are not behaving rationally. If we hold on to the unreality of the surrounding culture, G-d forbid, that "support" will break like a flimsy reed and we will perish when that culture goes under! But if we grasp onto the Torah -lehavdil! - we will live forever!
"Moshe said to the people, 'Do not fear! Stand fast and see the salvation of Hashem that He will perform for you today!" [Exodus 14:13]
Let's learn from this! The Torah is telling us what happened in Egypt so that we may survive during the events of the Final Redemption. Our Rabbis have explained: "In the final war before the coming of Moshiach, all the Jews who fear Hashem will survive. Hashem will say to them, 'All those who are removed from the secular, worldly culture ... you are Mine.'" [Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein zt"l, Leket Rishimos]
THERE IS NO SOURCE OF SUPPORT BESIDE HASHEM AND HIS TORAH!
In Egypt, the tribe of Levi escape slavery because they were completely involved with Torah!
King David's life was in constant danger. How did he survive? He visualized himself as standing constantly before the Presence of G-d. "Shivisi Hashem l'negdi samid... I have set Hashem before me constantly." [Psalm 16]
When we pray, do we envision the Holy Temple? Soon B"H the Presence of G-d will return to Zion, and the HolyTemple will stand before our eyes. If we envision this future event, then we have an "anchor" by which we can steady ourselves as the chaos whirls around us.
Our Rabbis spoke words to sustain us.
"Hashem is with me; I have no fear! How can man affect me?" [Psalm 118]
"Ani maamin be'emunah shelemah ... I believe with complete faith in the coming of Moshiach, and even though he may delay, nevertheless I anticipate every day that he will come." [Rambam, Principle 12]
May we all soon "hear ... for a second time ... in the presence of all the living ... 'I am Hashem your G-d.'" [Shabbos Mussaf Kedusha]
"The year we live in, is erev Shabbos after chatzos, right before Elef Hashvi'i which will be the time of Moshiach, a time that will be higher than time, so we are now living in the last day of time. The current turmoil in the world is similar to the typical chaos that can be found in Jewish homes on Friday afternoons, shortly before Shabbos'' [Tvzi Freeman]
Sunday, November 1, 2026
The Plague of Darkness
The comparison between the generation preceding the arrival of Moshiach [the Messianic era] and the period leading up to Yetziat Mitzrayim [the Exodus from Egypt] is a deeply rooted concept in Jewish thought.
Prophets, Chazal (the Sages), and Hasidic philosophy frequently link these two historical bookends to explain the intense challenges and spiritual dynamics of the modern era.
The core parallels between these two periods are detailed below:
1. Spiritual Concealment and "The Double Darkness"
• Egypt: Before the redemption, Bnei Yisrael fell to the "49th gate of impurity," nearly losing their identity entirely under the crushing weight of Egyptian culture and bondage.
• Moshiach: The era before Moshiach is described as Ikvetah d'Meshichah [the footsteps of Moshiach], characterized by a spiritual blackout. Faith is tested to its absolute limit, and truth becomes highly obscured [ve-ha'emet tehei ne'ederet].
2. A "Haste" in Redemption [Chifazon]
• Egypt: The Torah emphasizes that the Jews left Egypt in extreme haste (chifazon) because if they had stayed a moment longer, they would have sunk past the point of spiritual return.
• Moshiach: The ultimate redemption will mirror this sudden shift. The Prophets state, "As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders" [Micah 7:15]. The transition from the depths of exile to redemption can happen in the blink of an eye.
There is a distinct possibility that one of the seven planets orbiting the second sun [the Kochav Yaakov or Star of Moshiach] may block our sun for a period of time, causing DARKNESS.
Also, for anyone who keeps track of eclipses, we have had many more eclipses than expected, and more are coming up. These are not being caused by the usual sun/moon combination, no matter what they tell you.
In Jewish tradition [as outlined in teachings on Chabad.org and Chabadpedia], the "three days of darkness" refers to the ninth plague [Choshech] brought upon Egypt in the Book of Exodus [Exodus 10:21–23] before the Exodus.
Key Aspects of the Plague of Darkness in Chabad Teachings
• Duration & Two Stages [Total of Six Days]:
• According to the Sages and Kabbalistic teachings discussed by Chabad, the plague actually lasted a total of six days, divided into two distinct three-day phases:
1. First Three Days [Sightlessness]: A physical and spiritual darkness so thick that people could not see one another ["a man did not see his fellow"].
2. Second Three Days [Immobility / Tangible Darkness]: The darkness grew so dense and heavy that people could not move or rise from their place ["nor did anyone get up from his place"].
• Light for the Israelites:
• While the Egyptians were plunged into a paralyzing, oppressive darkness, "for all the children of Israel, there was light in their dwellings".
Chabad teachings emphasize that this wasn't just physical light, but a spiritual revelation of God's presence.
• Kabbalistic/Spiritual Meaning:
• The First Phase [Sightlessness: Corresponds to a classic, concealing darkness [gehennom] that forces introspection and yearning. During this time, the Israelites secretly buried those among their own people who had chosen not to leave Egypt.
• The Second Phase [Immobility]: Corresponds to a higher, primordial celestial darkness that transcends ordinary light, bringing a sense of divine contentment and surrender. During this phase, the Israelites used the darkness to discreetly locate the hidden gold, silver, and valuable items of their Egyptian neighbors [fulfilling the promise that they would leave Egypt with great wealth].
Thursday, October 29, 2026
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