In November 2007, Nava blogged this:
In Gemara, Chazal tells us that three divisions of sufferings came down to the world.
The first division of suffering was placed on the generations of the seven holy shepherds: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov Avinu, Moshe Rabenu, Aaron HaKohen, Yosef HaTzaddik, and Melech Dovid, zs'l.
The second division of suffering was placed on the remaining generations, excluding our generation.
The third division of suffering was placed on our generation, the last generation.
The first two sufferings were a gradual process but the last suffering, the third, is the hardest and harshest. Whether it's an illness, unnatural death in a family, livelihood, divorce, finding a spouse, having children, etc. Every Jew, regardless where, when, what, who, why, is suffering!
This is the reason Chazal wrote in Gemara that if a person is not suffering in the generation of the End of Days, know that this person is not a Jew!!! If someone tells you he is not suffering, he is not the son/daughter of Avraham Avinu, zs'l.
Why is this very harsh decree occurring specifically in our generation, all at once and so numerous? The suffering is a necessity required before the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkenu. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, explains it further in the Zohar HaKadosh, as follows:
When Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, (Rashbi) was hiding in the cave, he wrote the Zohar HaKadosh in Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Spirit). Thru Ruach HaKodesh, he saw that the last generation will be in a large fire and he cried for us and said, ווי לון מאן דגרמי דיוזיל ליה Oy to the people who will live in the last generation. Rashbi saw that our generation will transgress the Torah and commit adultery, lust, promiscuity, stealing, heresy, secularism, etc. He cried because he saw that we will need to go thru so many tests and suffering.
But why so much suffering in our generation? Why is the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) so powerful in this generation, more than in all past generations?
It is because HKB'H is so merciful and so generous!
The Zohar HaKadosh explains: Every soul comes into this world only for the reason to correct past lives for sins committed. HKB'H saw throughout all generations that many souls were unable to correct themselves and remained unworthy to enter Gan Eden. Even though they were reincarnated as humans, animals, inanimates, plants, food, etc., and also placed in Gehenom or Kaf Hakela. Yet, they were still unable to correct their souls.
Even after so many reincarnations, these souls were unsuccessful in their tikun and were placed in Heichal HaNeshamot (hall of souls).
The Zohar HaKadosh continues and says that HKB'H revealed Himself to the souls placed in Heichal HaNeshamot and the neshamot cried to HaShem, "Merciful Heavenly Father, help us correct ourselves, we want to succeed in cleansing our souls, we reincarnated as humans, plants, animals, we went thru Gehenom, Shaol Tachtit, Kaf Hakela... But we still have not properly corrected our souls...".
When Merciful HKB'H heard this, He said, "I'll place you all in one generation, a generation that will have much confusion, tests, suffering, and hardships, a generation where the truth will be absent, a generation where one will be easily trapped by the evil inclination. There will be many opportunities to get trapped into terrible sins; everything will be available to you in split seconds. It will be a generation that will feel exhausted from trying to do Teshuva, the evil inclination will be very powerful and adultery, lust, temptations, promiscuity, stealing, heresy, secularism, etc. will be everywhere."
"BUT, despite all these hardships, all neshamot that will succeed to pass these difficult tests and continue to have Emunah, will be tremendeously rewarded and will merit to live in the Geula."
This is the reason the holy Rashbi also said "אשרי מי שיהיה בדור הזה, Overjoyed is the person who lives in that generation."
Although it's difficult to comprehend, it's important to know: ALL PEOPLE IN THIS GENERATION: YOU, ME, HIM, HER, THEM, ARE FROM HEICHAL HANESHAMOT!!!
Read the complete post here: Understanding the Heels of Moshiach
Amazing!
ReplyDelete"How does HaShem examine and judge each person if they have authentic Emunah? One of the biggest tests that HaShem gives our generation is thru the nerves. Yes, nerves. For example: this person did so and so - did it cause you to get nervous or feel irritated? This person said about you so and so - did it cause you to get angry or feel restless? Your child did this and that - did it cause you to feel jumpy or get nervous? This is the test..."
ReplyDeleteI don't understand. Are we supposed to be calm or be nervous?
We're supposed to be calm.
ReplyDeleteWhat a Zechut is this for you to be publicizing such words! Anyone today who not only reads this but believes this - even rabbis who are tremendous Torah scholars who were born and raised in an environment leading to who they are today, should have no more pride than anyone else who haven't had the spiritual opportunities that they have, since ALL OF US come from the same boat; the only difference being is where Hashem chose to place us and the choices that we made. The only practical difference that this should make for those who had a luckier religious upbringing is that they should all the more thank Hashem for allowing their spiritual journey to be a little easier, but this should be no reason to have more pride than anyone else if we are all here to fix up what we did wrong for which we all suffered punishements in Gehinnom or Gilgulim. Perhaps if we were all to bear this in mind, then no one would look down at others or scream at others who aren't as "religious" as us, for had those who were born "religious" or "Ultra-Orthodox" would have been born in a less spiritual environment, would they have been any better if not worse? At the end of days, it will be obvious to all that although a Hasidic stream, let's say for example, was helpful in helping someone serve Hashem, such as with Emunah, we will not be judged by Hashem by the type of religious stream, such as the exact Levush, Chasidishe Minhagim, etc., but rather, if whatever we adopted helped us in some way to serve Hashem.
ReplyDeleteWE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CALM...
ReplyDeleteDITTO... DITTO... DITTO...
batmalka
Hi Devorah,
ReplyDeleteLast year you posted my Yom Hazikaron video. I've made another video for the first Yartzheit of the Fogel Family (HY'D).
I thought you'd be interested.
The video can be found here.
http://youtu.be/APMs1eb-Qpo
Dalia.
Anonymous who didn't want the comment published: Sources ARE quoted, click on the link to Dreaming of Moshiach and scroll to the end of the post.
ReplyDeleteMy readers ARE intelligent, although from your own patronising comment, I doubt whether you are.
i am very happy to be living in this generation and have been through many many many hardships and still am \
ReplyDeletei am living in holy city jerusalem now in this time and that is such a honour and all the suffering is nothing compared to the joy of being here.
its all how you look at it, and how much faith you have
"This is the reason Chazal wrote in Gemara that if a person is not suffering in the generation of the End of Days, know that this person is not a Jew!!! If someone tells you he is not suffering, he is not the son/daughter of Avraham Avinu, zs'l."
ReplyDeleteI guess then I'm one of the best Jews there is, Lol.
Very nice post thank you!
By the way, this statement is also, rather, contradictory....A Jew is supposed to realize that everything that happens to him is for the best. What person exists in the entire world that does not suffer from one thing or another? Not even the richest goy/jew in the world suffers from something.
DeleteThere is only one type of person that does not suffer, and that is the type of person who completely understands and accepts that any "suffering" he gets from Hashem, he realizes it's the best for his soul. So instead of seeing it as suffering he perceives it as something *good*, because through suffering Hashem helps us clean our souls. Instead he says, Baruch Hashem it wasn't something worse(perhaps).
When we suffer in this world Hakadosh Baruhu erases all our sins. Our great Avraham Avinu, Issak Avinu, Yakov Avinu they all prayed that they suffer here instead of in Olam Haba. Chazal says that if person thanked Hashem for things that brings him pain,(for example he broke his leg and person say: thank you Hashem that it is only one leg, that I can walk or I know that it is good for me and instead of death I suffer here, some things like that )then Hakadosh Baruhu is saying "you thank me for the suffer and I will bring you salvation for that". Just believe that Hakadosh Baruhu that He is the source of the Hesed and whatever is going on with you that is for your benefit.
ReplyDeletemoshe,
ReplyDeleteall ours sins? realy? without teshuva?
we can agree that chazal states suffering has a purpose, possibly for past doings, but all our sins?
I did not say that TESHUVA is not required. Sincere TESHUVA is the main part. There are some sins that requires to suffer and through the suffering it erases our sins. It depends on a person how he did it, and if he did it correctly -- YES, it erases ALL his/her sins. Many people have Gehinom here in this world, Happy is that person whose all sins forgiven.
ReplyDeleteSuffering only lessens the severity of our punishment in the next world, not remove our sins completely. However, some sins can ONLY be removed through suffering, or even death(such as hillah Hashem).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wonder how accurate what you said about Chazal saying everyone must suffer(jews). Because in the gemara it states that one can prevent suffering to himself in the times of pre-moshiach by doing acts of kindness and learning torah.
In the opening chapter of his Hilchot Teshuva, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) establishes the Torah obligation of verbal confession. He writes that anybody who commits a transgression, regardless of its severity and whether he transgressed willfully or unintentionally, must verbally confess his sin as part of the process of Teshuva (repentance). It does not suffice to merely acknowledge in one's mind that he has acted wrongly; he must verbally declare that he has sinned, specify the precise sin he committed, and express his remorse, his feeling of shame, and his resolve never to repeat the given offense.
ReplyDeleteThe Rambam adds that this obligation applies even in contexts where one is required to undertake other measures to rectify the wrong he has committed. In the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, when sinners in certain situations were required to offer an atonement sacrifice, the sacrifice did not bring atonement in the absence of Teshuva. Only if the individual repented and verbally confessed as he brought the sacrificial offering did the offering have the capacity to earn him atonement. What more, even when the court would administer capital punishment, the sinner's death did not earn him atonement without repentance. Likewise, if a person committed an offense against his fellow that requires monetary compensation, he does not achieve atonement unless he performs sincere Teshuva.
During the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Rambam adds, the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah – the goat sent into the wilderness as part of the annual Yom Kippur service – atoned for all of Benei Yisrael's sins. Even if a sinner did not repent, he earns atonement through the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah for "minor" transgressions – namely, transgressions that are not punishable by capital punishment of Karet (eternal excision from the Jewish people). For this reason, before the Kohen Gadol would send the goat away into the wilderness, he would place his hands upon it and declare confession on behalf of all of Israel's sins. So significant was the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah ritual that it atoned for certain transgressions even in the absence of Teshuva.
Nowadays, the Rambam adds, when we do not have a Mikdash and thus the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah ritual is not performed, we rely solely on Teshuva for earning atonement, and repentance atones for ALL SINS. The Rambam emphasizes that even if a person lived his entire life in sin and then repented, nothing of his wrongdoing remains on his record. This power of Teshuva should encourage and inspire us as we work towards performing Teshuva during the month of Elul. Regardless of what we have done and how grievously we have sinned, we are able to "delete" all our misdeeds by performing sincere and genuine Teshuva.
Thanks Moshe, but I would like you to post the english translation of the RAmbam in the Moreh regarding Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah and its part in atoning for Am Israel sins. (please close shimonmatisyahu and r. nachmans ears so they dont get offended at the kefira)
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Rambam adds, different kinds of sins have different requirements for atonement. If a person neglected to perform a Misvat Aseh (affirmative command), such as if he neglected to take the four species on Succot, then he earns atonement immediately once he repents and confesses. If a person violates a Misvat Lo Ta’aseh (Biblical prohibition) which is not punishable by execution or Karet, such as if he wore a garment made from Shaatnez, then his atonement is held in abeyance until Yom Kippur. He earns atonement through Teshuva and Yom Kippur, but not through Teshuba alone.
ReplyDeleteThe next category is capital offenses – sins that are punishable through court execution or Karet. For these violations, full atonement is achieved only through the combination of Teshuva, Yom Kippur, and Yisurin (afflictions, or punishment). Even after one repents and Yom Kippur passes, the violator does not achieve atonement until he endures some sort of suffering, Heaven forbid.
The final and most grievous category of sin is that of “Hilul Hashem” – sins which caused God’s Name to be disgraced. The Rambam writes that a person who commits a sin of this kind is not completely forgiven until he dies. Even after Teshuva, Yom Kippur, and suffering, his sin remains on his record until death.