Brave New World

 

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]

WARNING: We're VERY, VERY Close... Prepare NOW!

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff

What happens RIGHT BEFORE Moshiach arrives? Are the ancient prophecies of Gog and Magog beginning to unfold? And who is ARMILUS, the mysterious figure described in Jewish tradition as appearing before the final redemption?

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff joins Rabbi Aron Sokol for a fascinating discussion about the events preceding Moshiach, the final war of Gog and Magog, and the extraordinary prophecies concerning Israel and Jerusalem. 

Drawing on ancient Jewish sources, including Rav Saadia Gaon and the words of the prophets, we explore the mysterious connection between Armilus, Moshiach ben Yosef, and Moshiach ben David. 

Why does Rabbi Hajioff believe IRAN may play a central role in these events? How do Russia, the nations surrounding Israel, and the Temple Mount fit into the prophetic picture? 

We also discuss the surprising origins of Moshiach, the challenges facing our generation, and why the final redemption may unfold very differently from what most people expect. Are we witnessing the beginning of events described by the ancient prophets? Watch this extraordinary conversation and decide for yourself. 

The connections to modern events discussed here are rabbinic interpretations, not confirmed predictions.

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].

We're Looking for Mashiach in the Wrong Place

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff - 6 min video

Is This The End of Europe?

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

17 Cheshvan: The Great Flood Begins

 

Great Flood Begins [2105 BCE] - Source: Chabad

The rains began to fall on the 17th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 from creation [2105], flooding the earth and rising above the highest mountains. Only Noah and his family survived, in the ark built to that end by Divine command, and a pair of each animal species, who entered with him into the ark. 

The following is a chronology of the Flood, as indicated by the dates and time periods given in the Torah's account and calculated by Rashi: 

Cheshvan 17: Noah enters ark; rains begin. 

Kislev 27: Forty days of rain end; begin 150 days of water's swelling and churning, during which the water reaches a height of 15 cubits above the mountain peaks. 

Sivan 1: Water calms and begins to subside at the rate of one cubit every four days. 

Sivan 17: The bottom of the ark, submerged 11 cubits beneath the surface, touches down on the top of Mount Ararat. 

Av 1: The mountain peaks break the water's surface. 

Elul 10:Forty days after the mountain peaks become visible, Noah opens the ark's window and dispatches a raven. 

Elul 17: Noah sends the dove for the first time. 

Elul 23: The dove is sent a second time, and returns with an olive leaf in its beak. 

Tishrei 1: Dove's third mission. Water completely drained. 

Cheshvan 27: Ground fully dried. Noah exits ark. 

[This chronology follows the opinion of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Eliezer; according to Rabbi Joshua's interpretation, the Flood began on Iyar 17, and all above dates should be moved ahead six months.]

Total time that Noah spent in the ark: 365 days [one solar year; one year and 11 days on the lunar calendar]. 

Link: See the Torah's account of the Great Flood, Rashi's commentary, and insights and interpretations from sages, scholars and mystics through the ages on the Noach Parshah Page

Missiles Frozen in the Sky ???

 

In the widely viewed 2015 Near-Death Experience (NDE) testimony of 15-year-old secular Israeli boy named Natan, he claimed that during the end-times war, a nuclear missile would be fired at Israel but G-d would "freeze it in the sky". 

During his 15 minutes of clinical death, Natan claimed he was shown a vision of a future War of Gog and Magog. 

According to his transcribed testimony: 

• The Freezing Claim: He stated that an atomic/nuclear bomb would be fired at Israel. Instead of detonating upon entry, God would stop it from falling, causing it to literally hang or freeze in the air for a few weeks.

The Descent of a Lofty Soul: Moshiach

 

Art by Andreas

And they gave their father wine to drink on that night, and the elder came and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up -  וּבְקוּמָֽהּ

According to the Zohar, the dot in the הּ in the word וּבְקוּמָֽהּ [Vayeira 19:33] alludes to the fact that G-d was secretly assisting this event, because Moshiach was to materialize from it [since Ruth, King David's great grand-mother, was a convert from the Moabites].  The latter event, between Lot and his younger daughter [19:35] is written without the letter vav - וּבְקֻמָֽהּ - to indicate that the union did not produce such great offspring.   Rabbi Shimon said "When the verse states that Lot ''wasn't aware'', it means he wasn't aware that Moshiach was destined to come from this union" [Zohar I 110b]

Why should the beginnings of Moshiach occur in such an undignified manner?  Ramak explains that when a very lofty soul is about to descend into the world, the forces of kelipah [“peel” or “shell”—words used by Kabbalah to describe layers of impurity] oppose the soul's descent vehemently. Sometimes, however, kelipah will consent to the soul's descent if it occurs amidst a particularly sinful act.  Thus, we find that from this undesirable act, the ancestor of Moshiach was born.

Source: Lubavitcher Rebbe