Emunah [Faith]

from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Faith is a very strong thing, and it can greatly fortify your life.

If you have faith, then you have a source of comfort and inspiration even when troubles strike. You realize that all troubles are ultimately for your good and are an atonement for your sins. You know that G-d will be good to you in the end, both in this world and the next.

The faithless skeptic, on the other hand, has nowhere to turn when troubles strike. He is utterly alone, without comfort or inspiration.

It is impossible to put everything into writing, but an intelligent man should be able to build upon this himself.

The main thing is innocent faith. With it, one can have a portion both in this world and the next. Happy is he who has such faith, for he shall never be moved.

There are souls conceived in absolute holiness. When such a holy soul comes down to this world and is not tainted with sin, it results in a person with perfect faith. Such a person never has any doubts.

Others can express their skepticism in such a man's presence, but his faith is no way disturbed. He is totally oblivious to all doubts. His ears are deaf to all their speculation and confusion.

Even one who is not endowed with such an extraordinary soul can realize that the average person's questions are mere foolishness. Upon close examination, their questions turn out not to be questions at all.

Many people are disturbed by questions for years, not realizing that their questions are actually answers. It is only their lack of intelligence that makes them seem like questions in the first place.

They have questions like those one might ask a child: "If we have a broken window, why replace it with a pane from the next window if a bird can then fly through the remaining empty frame?"

Such a question actually includes its own answer. But a child does not realize this and considers it a very difficult question. He will ponder it and not know what to reply.

But the question itself is really very foolish. The question about the bird is really the answer to the first foolish question. The reason why we do not use the adjacent pane is precisely because it leaves a space through which a bird can fly.

A young child does not have enough intelligence to realize that the answer is included in such a question. For this very reason, the question seems very difficult to him.

The same is true of many people. A foolish question enters their mind, and they have no idea that this question actually includes its own answer. It seems like a difficult question, but only because of their lack of intelligence. Understand this well.

Consider all this and be strong in faith. Flee from this foolishness and confusion, and cast all questions and doubts from your mind.

About the Moon Last Night

This is not my photo, I wish it was.  I didn't even see the moon last night, too many clouds.

Photo taken in Armidale NSW Australia 31 May 2023

Waking up the Israelis !

Someone asked why the "Nibiru effect" is not happening in Israel. It is ! Here are some videos of amazing lightning strikes in Eilat and in the desert, I think they are mostly from May 28. 

The system brings these incredible storms with non-stop lightning. 

And if anyone thought the photos in Absolute Truth were photoshopped or AI, here's a video of the giant sun halo in the UK

Moshiach's Arrival: The Signs and Time Frame

HT: LL

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff

Absolute Truth

For those of you who have been reading Geula Blogs for a while, you will remember R. Menachem Robinson a"h and his blog "The Absolute Truth".  

R. Menachem gave us so much information about Nibiru back in 2016 [when it was visible in the sky] and seven years later in 2023 it is much more so, because the system is incredibly close to Earth.  The fact that people got excited in 2016 and nothing happened has resulted in people disbelieving it now, to their detriment, because they are missing some really exciting visions in the sky.  

I have selectively copied information on Nibiru which R. Menachem wrote 7 years ago, and which I think is worthwhile re-reading from our perspective in 5783, and where possible I have included videos taken this year.  I have also only included information which corresponds to whatever is actually happening now. 

If you want to read the original posts at The Absolute Truth, click on this link and it will take you to all the 'Nibiru' posts on his blog.

All of the following in italics is by R. Menachem Robinson a"h written in 2016, and I have added some current videos and some updates in brackets.

This is not just a star that is approaching, but a solar system. Nibiru, which is the dwarf companion binary star to our sun, is actually a solar system. There have been planets seen in the area of Nibiru, meaning that it is a separate solar system with its own planets. How many? Only Hashem and probably NASA know. Why the big mystery, why is this information being kept from us? [Note: latest information suggests there are 7 planets, some with moons]

I mentioned the Star of Jacob in the Torah and the Zohar telling us that in the end of days a star will appear and devastate the world, and it will be followed by Moshiach. That prophecy just happens to have the word "Nibiru" encoded in it. The Prophet Malachi, is telling us about a star of righteousness that will heal the righteous people, and wipe out the evil of the world. Nibiru just happens to be encoded in that prophecy. 

Daniel telling us that the statue representing the evil powers of the world and how that statue will be destroyed, in other words as before, the demise of the evil 2/3rd of the world population. Guess what is encoded in that prophecy? 

The fact that I found 414 places in Tenach, the Jewish Bible, where "Nibiru" is encoded, including 105 in the Torah alone. 

Look at the prophecy in Numbers 24:17 where Balaam is telling us that in the end of days the Star of Jacob will come. It is important to understand that this star is the announcement of the Messiah. Your so-called New Testament plagiarized the idea by calling it the Star of Bethlehem, but it has been verified that Nibiru was not here about two thousand years ago. The second important fact is that Nibiru is encoded in the Torah right across that verse about the star. [Here is the video of Rabbi Glazerson showing this encoding @ 1:50 ]

Hashem has given many other proofs (actually hundreds), but I will only mention what I believe to be the most important. The end of the prophet Malachi, just before the verse telling us that Elijah the Prophet will come in the end before the great and awesome day of Hashem, it tells us [Malachi 3:20] about a sun of righteousness that will come to heal the righteous and wipe out the wicked. That verse also has Nibiru crossing it since the sun is Nibiru. We also have the verse in Zechariah 13:8 that tells us that 2/3rd of the world population will be erased (the wicked) and 1/3rd will survive (the righteous). Nibiru is there also.

As you can see these definite messages from Hashem refer to this star, Nibiru, which is here to bring in the world of goodness and truth, the worldwide redemption, the Messiah, the third Temple, and much, much more that we were told thousands of years ago would happen in the end. 

Let us look at the prophet Malachi 3:19-24 for interesting insight: 

19 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the wicked people and all the evildoers will be like straw; and that coming day will burn them up, says HASHEM, Master of Legions, so that it will not leave them a root or branch. 

20 But a sun of righteousness will shine for you who fear My Name, with healing in its rays, and you will go out and flourish like calves [fattened] in the stall. 

21 And you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on that day that I bring about, say HASHEM, Master of Legions. 

22 Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all of Israel [its} decrees and [its] statutes. 

23 Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of HASHEM.

24 And he will turn back [to G-d] the hearts of fathers with [their] sons and the hearts of sons with their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with utter destruction. 

Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of HASHEM. 

Malachi the last of the prophets in the Bible ends with these verses. We especially need to read verse 20. The key part of the verse is not that it says "the sun," but "a sun of righteousness." Nibiru is not a planet, but a dwarf star, A SUN. In other words this is stating that the healing will come from a sun that will be provided just as it was before the flood. This time the sun will change the position of the Earth back to being directly over the Equator (off of the present axis), and will give healing rays – no more sickness. Since sickness is an involuntary way of giving Tikun, it will not be needed any more. 

It is interesting that the same sun that will heal the righteous will be the sun that will burn the wicked. Whether that means actually burning them or the fact that it will provide a stream of rocks that will destroy them like brimstone coming down on them (a reference that is also used in the Bible). A more important thing to note is that the healing will happen from the sun and will probably be before “the great and awesome day of HASHEM.” That is why “Healing is number 8 and the great and awesome day is number 12 in the list of blessings above. The healing will be before the wicked are destroyed and before the ingathering of the exile, in other words wherever you are in the world and probably much sooner.

And this photo just received:  Massive sun halos that appeared the entire length & breadth of the UK on 28/05/23. ☀️ This one was photographed over the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle Upon Tyne. 

Photo credit: Steve Robinson [no relationship to Menachem a"h]

Photographed on the same day at South Shields, England

Turn Away From Evil

Art Mike Worrall

To serve God, one must both ''turn away from evil'' and 'do good''.  But which of these steps is the most important? And which must be prioritized first of all? [Naso 4: 1-28]

The sequence of Kehos' and Gershon's descendants in the Torah provides the key to answer these questions.

Gershon is related to the Hebrew word Gerushin, meaning ''divorce'' alluding to the process of turning away from and ''divorcing'' oneself from evil.  Kehos means ''gathering'' [as in '''He will gather [yikhas] the people'' [Bereishis 49:10], alluding to the accumulation of good deeds - ''doing good''.

Gershon was the firstborn, indicating that at the outset, when one is just beginning to serve God, a person should stress the path of turning away from evil.  This is in order to thoroughly cleanse oneself from negative traits before one can begin to sanctify oneself properly with good deeds.

However, in the Torah, Kehos' descendants are placed before Gershon's descendants [see Midrash] to indicate that, ultimately, ''doing good'' is the ultimate goal which actively brings a person close to God, and makes this world a ''home'' for Him.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 13 p. 9 Lubavitcher Rebbe

Ikvot Moshiach: The Time Immediately Before Moshiach

Because we need reminding, this is the world we live in.

Text by J. Immanuel Schochet

The time appointed by G‑d for the Messianic redemption is a closely guarded secret.1 Nonetheless, we are offered many hints to recognize its proximity: when certain conditions come about, await the imminent coming of Mashiach. 

Most of these conditions are quite disturbing, clearly displaying a situation of the very “bottom of the pit.”2 One major source describes the world-condition in those days as follows: increase in insolence and impudence; oppressing inflation; unbridled irresponsibility on the part of authorities; centers of learning will turn into bawdy houses; wars; many destitutes begging, with none to pity them; wisdom shall be putrid; the pious shall be despised; truth will be abandoned; the young will insult the old; family-breakup with mutual recriminations; impudent leadership.3 

Other sources add: lack of scholars; succession of troubles and evil decrees; famines; mutual denunciations; epidemics of terrible diseases; poverty and scarcity; cursing and blaspheming; international confrontations nations provoking and fighting each other.4 In short, it will be a time of suffering that will make it look as if G‑d were asleep. These are the birthpangs of Mashiach, bearable only in anticipation of the bliss that follows them. 

“When you see a generation ever dwindling, hope for him… when you see a generation overwhelmed by many troubles as by a river, await him.”5 “When you see nations fighting each other, look toward the feet of Mashiach.”6 

Little wonder that some sages expressed apprehensions about those days in terms of, “Let [Mashiach] come, but let me not see him.”7 The prevailing attitude, however, is to await his coming in spite of all, even if thereafter we shall merit no more than sitting “in the shadow of his donkey’s dung!”8 

The troubles and agony of chevlei Mashiach (birthpangs of Mashiach), however, are not unavoidable: 

“What is man to do to be spared the pangs of Mashiach? Let him engage in Torah and acts of loving-kindness!”9 

Moreover, there are also good and happy signs indicating the imminent coming of Mashiach: a good measure of prosperity;10 a renewal of Torah-study;11 and opening of the “gates of wisdom above and the wellsprings of wisdom below,”12 evidenced also by scientific and technological discoveries and advances; a manifestation and propagation of the mystical teachings of the Torah;13 and also “In the time that Mashiach will awaken, many signs and miracles will occur in the world.”14

Source and Footnotes: click here

3 Prophetic Signs We Are Living in the Times of Moshiach

HT: Sherry

Current: uploaded to You Tube today

In today's class Rabbi Moshe Chaim drops some 🔥 🔥 🔥 on the Chevra! 

Here we are discussing three powerful signs that we are literally living in the times of Moshiach! 

You may think it sounds ridiculous. "How could it be possible that we are in the times of Moshiach when he hasn't revealed himself?" 

Just you watch and see for yourself.

The Book of Ruth

 

Why is The Book of Ruth read on Shavuot? 

from the ME'AM LOEZ 

The Megillah of Ruth is read in shul [synagogue] on the festival of Shavuot, "the time of the giving of our Torah". 

What connection is there between Ruth and Matan Torah [the giving of the Law]? One answer is that the account of Ruth's marriage to Boaz testifies to the authenticity of the Oral Law rendered to Moshe Rabbanu at Sinai. 

The legitimacy of David and of the Mashiach depends on the halachic distinction "a Moabite, not a Moabitess," which is an oral tradition not recorded in the scripture. 

Our Sages declare that the book of Ruth is read on Shavuot to teach that the Torah is given only through affliction and poverty. "The Torah said before G-d: If the rich study me, they will grow haughty. But when the poor study me, they know they are hungry and lowly, and will not grow haughty." 

Ruth personifies the teaching that the Torah is perpetuated only by those who made do with little, suffer, and accept death for its sake. She joined the Jewish people and made do with barely, the bread of poverty; enduring wandering, want, and loneliness; and she cleaved to the Torah even if she would have to die for it, declaring, "Where you die, I will die" Therefore, she merited to have Solomon as her descendant, who made the Torah accessible to others through his wisdom. 

This too, we learn from Ruth: One should not study Torah in order to achieve honor and glory, although these will come. She cleaved to the bitter, destitute Naomi, and in the end attained honor and glory in this world and in the next. 

From Elimelech, on the other hand, we learn that one should not leave the land of Israel. Yet one may do so in order to study Torah. 

"How great is the illumination provided by the Torah!" exclaim our Sages. Gentiles abandon their vanities and convert in order to cleave to it; how much more so, then, we must exalt it and toil to possess it! Just as our forefathers accepted the Torah and entered a covenant with G-od through the ritual immersion, so too, did Ruth at her conversion. From the time she joined Israel "at the beginning of the barely harvest" [on Pesach, where the first-grain [the omer] of barely is offered] until the end of the barely harvest on Shavuot, she was purified and elevated during seven weeks from the Exodus on Pesach until Matan Torah on Shavuot. 

We learn as well not to look down on the convert. Rabbi Akiva was descended from converts, and according to the Midrash was worthy of having Torah given through him, had he not been preceded by Moshe Rabbanu. 

Thus the Midrash recounts that when Moshe ascended on high and saw Rabbi Akiva, he said to G-od, "You have such a one, yet You give the Torah through me!" 

Ruth's great grandson, David, is likened to Moshe Rabbanu. Whatever Moshe did, David did also. Moshe saved Israel from the Egyptian bondage, David, from the suppression by the nations. Moshe split the sea, David, the rivers. Moshe Rabbanu gave Israel the Five Books of the Torah, David, the five books of Psalms. 

Ruth was forty years old when she embraced the Torah, and perhaps it was her example that inspired Rabbi Akiva to begin learning Torah at the same age. Hence adults who receive no Torah education in childhood can draw courage to educate and immerse themselves in Torah. 

From Ruth's divinely chosen husband-the wealthy aristocratic Boaz, of whom it is written, "Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was glad [with Torah study], we learn that the rich, too, must occupy themselves with Torah learning. 

The story of Boaz and Ruth teaches that righteous women are equal to righteous men. Although women are not obligated to engage in Torah study, they can attain high spiritual levels, as did the beautiful Ruth, who, by carefully observing the laws of gleaning and scrupulously practicing modesty, merited to become the mother of royalty. 

The book of Ruth is read during the harvest season to remind us that Torah study is a prerequisite for prosperity. When "It came to pass in the days of the judging of the judges," which our sages explain as reflecting a weakening of Torah study, "there was a famine in the land." 

It also reminds us of the obligation of giving to the poor from the harvest, in accordance with the laws of peah, leket and shikechah [Leviticus 19:9-10]. Charity is particularly necessary and advisable at the completion of the days of Counting the Omer, a time of din, strict judgement, for it then protects the giver from the Attribute of Justice. Through charity and Torah study, Israel will merit the speedy coming of Ruth's descendant, the Mashiach.

[This post originally appeared on Pasuk Post]

Two Suns and some Plasma

The sun has a red stripe and red aura.  This red stuff moves around. - I think it is called "plasma".  Our normal-looking sun does not have this red colour.  

The universe is made of up of space plasma. Plasma is the word given to the fourth state of matter (solid, liquid, gas, plasma). A plasma is a gas that is so hot that some or all its constituent atoms are split up into electrons and ions, which can move independently of each other. [Google]

As you can see in the other photos below, we appear to have two suns. 

There is an entire separate solar system currently circling our Earth.  People are seeing two suns, and many other strange phenomena and there are thousands of photos of these things.

Nibiru is mostly thought of as nonsense because in the past people have predicted it to arrive and nothing happened... well the Nibiru System is well and truly here and I will keep showing photos and videos as long as I can find them.  

Just to note: a few minutes into the video, it mentions the book of revelation  and zetatalk, both of which of course I do NOT endorse.   Otherwise, enjoy the video.  

 

Michigan May 22

Location unknown

Birmingham UK May 22

The Power of Words

The Gemorah says [Moed Kattan 18] there lies a power in words. Whatever is said can occur.

This is not only when one says something negative.  The power of speech is very significant and saying positive things can also cause good things to happen.

People tend to complain and say things aren't going well.  They would be wiser to get into the practice of saying that everything is good. Their words can cause change for the better.

Source: Torah Daily 

The Yanuka: Safeguarding the Eyes

"The eye is the way to come closer to Hashem..... all of the functioning of the body is through the eyes..

based on what is seen, all of the body organs, sinews.... all follow what a person sees."

Hashem wants us to see the beauty of His creation and lift our eyes to Heaven.

Regarding this Yeshayahu said "Raise your eyes on high and see who created these things".

Video: Hebrew with English subtitles.

Entering the King's Palace

"A man's holy items shall remain his" [Naso 5:10]

To what can this be compared, asked the Chofetz Chaim? Answer: to a King who summoned his servant Reuven, to appear before him.

Reuven was filled with dread and thought "why has the King summoned me? Perhaps someone has slandered me and falsely accused me of committing some crime".

Reuven approached his trusted friend Shimon, and asked him to accompany him to the King's courtyard; yet Shimon refused!

"What shall I do" thought Reuven. "Shimon my closest friend has refused to join me; I will go and ask Levi. True, Levi is not my best friend, but perhaps my plea will sway him enough that he will accompany me."

"I am prepared to join you" replied Levi, "but I am afraid of entering the King's palace. I will accompany you to the King's courtyard, and then I will have to part from you."

Left with little choice, Reuven approached Yehudah, whom he hardly knew.

Surprisingly, it was Yehudah who agreed to join Reuven on his visit to the King. He agreed to enter the palace and intercede on Reuven's behalf.

"When a person departs from this world", concluded the Chofetz Chaim, "and is summoned to appear before HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the King of all kings, his closest "friend" - the gold and silver that took so much effort to amass - will refuse to accompany him. His sons and daughters escort him partway, but they will not enter the King's palace.

"Only the mitzvos and good deeds that he performed during his life - the things he appreciated least - will be the ones to accompany him all the way to the Throne of Glory. Only they will plead on his behalf!"

This is as the verse states: "A man's holy items" - the mitzvos and holy deeds that a man has done throughout his life - "shall remain his" - only they will remain with him to intervene on his behalf after passing from this world.

Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein on the Weekly Parsha

Meteor Last Night: Queensland Australia

Gog u Magog and What Will Be at the End of Days

HT: Sherry

Correction: this is not a new video, it's from 5775 - eight years ago.  It's just been re-released. Nevertheless, he's giving a lesson on how the End of Days will present itself.

How should people face the End of Days? What does it mean? Will the holocaust happen at the End of Days? Why didn't the Ancient virtuous people wish to live in the last days? Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman will answer all of your questions in detail. Stay tuned till the end of the video. 

Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman studied Literature and Chemistry at Harvard University, later graduating from Williams College, where he majored in History and the Sciences. After receiving his rabbinical ordination in Jerusalem, he published a 600-page halachic work titled "Iyunei Deah," which is studied by many aspiring rabbis preparing for semicha in Yoreh Deah. He teaches at Ohr Somayach's Jerusalem campus, where he lectures on a variety of topics in Jewish thought, and writes the "Ask the Rabbi" column for the Yeshiva's website and Ohrnet publication. He has published articles in numerous Jewish magazines and journals and lectures for a variety of kiruv organizations worldwide.

Wonders in the Heavens #14

We don't know what's going on in the Heavens, but when you see something like this it brings to mind the Third Temple... well, sort of.  I don't have any explanation for it.

The following three videos show various comet tails and another strange object in the sky. 

Consequences of Zohama and the Origin of Disease

New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Wonders in the Heavens #13

Have you ever seen square clouds?

Descent for the Purpose of Ascent

There is a principle in Chassidic thought that ''the higher something is, the lower it falls''.

Descent for the purpose of ascent: in Hebrew this is known as Yerida l'tzorich aliyah

Descent can be understood in two ways: [1]  the descent of the neshama into the body, and [2] the descent in the life of a person through circumstances.


No Pain No Gain

נס - Nes - Miracle

ניסיון - Nisayon - Trial

"All the affairs of the world, whether for the good or for the bad, are trials [nisyonos] for a man"… [Mesillat Yesharim* (Path of the Just) Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]

When a person is destined to reach a level which is much higher than his present rung, it is necessary for him to undergo a descent first. [The Lubavitcher Rebbe]

Before a person experiences a miracle - נס - , he is given a trial - ניסיון. There is no ascent (aliyah) without a prior descent (yeridah). The lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.

G-d tries the righteous, for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make them even more upright, and so He commands them to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey.

Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one being tried. [Nachmanidies, Commentary on the Torah; Genesis, p. 275; Chavel translation; ]

From here, we learn a number of important points. First, the purpose of a nisayon is not to reveal anything new to G-d, but to increase the spiritual reward of the person by bringing forth his or her latent greatness into actual deeds of righteousness.

Second, a person is only sent a nisayon that he or she has the potential to "pass," provided the person uses his free will properly.

Third (and this is implicit in the first point), the nisayon is intended for the good of the person—to elevate the person spiritually.

Nes can also be translated as "banner": The test is meant to "lift a banner" and reveal to the world, and to the person himself, the potential hidden within a human being.


*Learn Mesillat Yesharim at Sefaria

The Secret of Pain: Why My Soul Chose ABUSE

Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson

Your soul is so pure, and it said "I'm gonna go into this place -  and in order to go into this place, I can't remain in heaven. 

It's not only I have to go down, I have to become entangled = I have to become enmeshed. 

I have to allow myself  to become, so to speak, a victim - in order to be able to be inside that space."

And at that moment you have to know that the soul itself was never contaminated, never!  

It can't be.

But there are Souls that sign up for this journey and it seems like an incredibly painful journey -

because it is.

But really what's happening here is that these are the souls that destroy the impurity in the world, and the impurity in the community, and the impurity on the planet.

These are the souls.

It's a lot of courage.

You have to give yourself credit.

The neshama [soul] signed up for this.

People can suffer their whole life because of things that happened [to them], and they don't give themselves credit. 

Your neshama said "Ribono shel Olam.... I'll go there"

The tragedy is that you don't know you signed up for it and you blame yourself and you think you're evil.

But the truth is the exact opposite.

Understanding the Talmud

 Rabbi Efraim Palvanov

What is the true origin and purpose of the Talmud? How do we properly understand some of its seemingly bizarre statements? Find out as we explore the most misunderstood ancient religious text in the world.

Family FIrst

"If your brother becomes poor" [Behar 25:25]

R' Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, the Rebbe of Kapishnitz, once visited the home of one of his chassidim who was known to be wealthy.  The Rebbe knocked on the door and waited for a response.

The chassid opened his door, and was taken aback by the sight of the holy Rebbe standing at his doorstep.  "Why did the Rebbe have to trouble himself to come to my home?" asked the wealthy man. "The Rebbe could have summoned me and I would have come at once."

"It is I who needs you" answered the Rebbe, "and this is why I have come."

"How can I be of assistance?" asked the man.

"I know of a certain family" replied the Rebbe, "that is in desperate need of help.  The husband is without work, the wife takes care of the young children, and, to add to their hardship, they have a son who is ill and requires special medical attention.   Their expenses are well beyond their means."

"But Rebbe" said the wealthy man, "did this necessitate you having to exert yourself by travelling to my home?  Why did the Rebbe not simply send me a messenger, and I would have gladly given whatever sum of money that was needed!"

"This particular request is of great importance to me" responded the Rebbe.  "It was therefore essential that I come to your home personally."

"I am prepared to give as much money as necessary!" exclaimed the man. "To whom shall I send this money?"

"Send the money" answered the Rebbe, "to your brother."

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

The Deeper Meaning of Lag B'Omer

 New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Wonders in the Heavens #12

I have a random collection here.

First up, because it is Lag b'Omer, and Hashem gave us a giant rainbow over Bondi Beach yesterday afternoon about half an hour before Lag b'Omer began. [I didn't take the photo]

This video shows the sun with the giant halo

This video shows the moon and another shining object, which could be another planet or something.

Here we have a white UFO.

A very strange bell shape appears in this lightning. I think it is just a cloud, but these days who knows?

Here is that strange shape again, this time in daylight. It is a cloud, but not the kind of cloud we are used to seeing.

Here is a photo from the FAA camera, Larsen Bay Alaska, 22 April 2023. It's a planet!

Moshiach's Rainbow and Lag b"Omer

Lag b'Omer is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, and we celebrate with bonfires and music.

It is also the yarzheit of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai. [18 Iyar]

This year it is tonight [Monday] going into Tuesday.

Why is Lag b’Omer celebrated with bonfires and bows and arrows?

by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

The bonfires celebrate the immense light that was brought into the world by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai [who passed away on Lag b’Omer], especially on the day of his passing.

The bow commemorates the fact that during Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime no rainbow was ever seen. [Bereishit Rabbah 35:2] Note: This was a good thing because the rainbow appears when the earth deserves punishment. The first time a rainbow appeared was after Noah’s flood, when G-d said that He will no longer destroy the world, rather He would send a sign: the rainbow. During Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime, the world was filled with merit because of him and therefore never saw a rainbow. [Genesis 9:8-17 and Rashi there]

There is a Kabbalistic tradition that on Lag b’Omer a rainbow will appear in a different color, which will symbolize the arrival of the Messianic age [Bnei Yissaschar]

Wonders in the Heavens #11

This is a photo of the moon in Manitoba, Canada, taken two nights ago by Brent McKean.

I don't think any more words are needed here.

King Charles III and the No. 40

As we all know, the coronation of King Charles III took place yesterday 6 May 2023.

He is the 40th British Monarch to be crowned.

40 is a famous number of completion.  Maybe this is the final British Monarch.....

The famous Nostradamus, who managed to accurately predict the date of death of Queen Elizabeth II, also said that the new King would abdicate his throne early, and that a surprise new King would take his place.  

Hmmmm.... I wonder if King Charles III will need to step down to make way for the King Moshiach.

The following text is from Aish.com

The number 40 has great significance throughout the Torah and the Talmud. The number 40 represents transition or change; the concept of renewal; a new beginning. The number 40 has the power to lift a spiritual state. 

Consider: 

When a person becomes ritually impure, he must immerse in a ritual bath, a mikveh. The Talmud tells us that a mikveh must be filled with 40 se'ahs (a measure of water). Immersion in a mikveh is the consummate Jewish symbol of spiritual renewal. 

It is no accident that in the story of Noah, the rain poured for 40 days, and submerged the world in water. Just as a person leaves a mikveh pure, so too when the waters of the flood subsided, the world was purified from the licentiousness which had corrupted it in the days of Noah. 

Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and came down with the stone tablets. The Jews arrived at Mt. Sinai as a nation of Egyptian slaves, but after 40 days they were transformed into God's nation. 

According to the Talmud, it takes 40 days for an embryo to be formed in its mother's womb. 

In Kabbalah, 40 represents the four sides of the world, each side containing the ten Sefirot (esoteric powers). 

When a rabbinical court finds someone guilty of a crime, the punishment is sometimes lashes, prescribed in the Torah as "forty less one." The purpose is to bring the offender to a point of change, transition and atonement. 

There are 40 days between the first day of Elul, when we begin to blow the Shofar to prepare for Rosh Hashana, until Yom Kippur, the end of the annual teshuva (repentance) period. These 40 days are the most auspicious time for personal growth and renewal. 

According to the Talmud [Avot 5:26], at age 40 a person transitions from one level of wisdom to the next. He reaches the level of binah - the deeper insight of understanding one matter from another. After Moses led the Jewish people for 40 years in the wilderness, he told them: "God has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day" [Deut. 29:3-4]. From here we see that it took the Jewish people 40 years before reaching a full level of understanding.

The Great Rain Remedy

The famous 18th Century Hasidic Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, a student of the Baal Shem Tov, writes in his book Nofet Tzufim:

"Rain which falls after the Jewish holiday of Pesach until the holiday of Shavuot constitutes a great remedy for all illness and disease. There's no medicine like it to be found in any pharmacy.

One must stand in the rain, expose his head to the rain, and also open his mouth to let the rain fall on the right side of his mouth."  [seemingly, tilt your head back and to the right]

Why Can't a Convert Marry a Kohen?

by Rabbi Aron Moss

I am a convert to Judaism and I'm very proud of it. I have always felt totally welcomed by the community and in no way an outsider. But I am deeply bothered by the law that says a convert is not allowed to marry a Kohen. If I am a fully fledged Jew like any other, why am I not good enough to marry into the priestly tribe? 

Answer: A convert can marry a king. A convert can marry a prophet. A convert can even marry a rabbi, the highest echelon of Jewish society (if you ask me). So it makes no sense to say that a convert can't marry a Kohen because they are second class citizens. There must be some other reason. 

When the Torah forbids a marriage, it is never because one party is not good enough for the other. It is because the parties are not matched to each other. They are simply not soulmates. In the case of the Kohen and the convert, their soul dynamics clash, their spiritual energies contradict, and so they can't marry. 

The holiness of a Kohen is hereditary. If your father is a Kohen, then you are a Kohen. Priesthood is a birthright that is not achieved through a person's effort nor deserved through a person's righteousness. It is an honor that is bestowed at birth. 

The holiness of a convert is the exact opposite. It is completely earned. The convert was not born Jewish. He or she chose it. They achieve Jewishness of their own initiative and with their own hard work. They are self-made souls. 

So these two souls, the Kohen and the convert, are moving in opposite directions. The Kohen receives his power from above. The convert creates his own soul energy from bottom up. The Kohen has the ability to bring down blessings to others, just as his soul was given to him as a blessing. The convert has the power of innovation, of initiative, of creating holiness from the ground up. For this reason, their souls are not a match. 

Both the Kohen and the convert have awesome holiness. It is a great privilege to be gifted with the soul of a Kohen. And yet, the self-made soul of a convert has a depth of experience that inherited holiness cannot compete with. Neither are second class souls. 

The Kohen is crowned with a legacy from past generations. A convert creates his or her own legacy for future generations. The Jewish people is richer because of each of them.

Source: Chabad

What Really Happened to Rashbi?

Rabbi Efraim Palvanov

Lag b'Omer commemorates the life and teachings of the second-century sage "Rashbi", Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. His discourses form the core of the Zohar, the "textbook" of Jewish mysticism. In this advanced-level shiur, we explore the last Tanakh verse that Rashbi expounded upon and how he passed away, as well as explain the custom of lighting a bonfire on Lag b'Omer and the mysticial meaning of fire.

"Where is the Messiah?"

 

The tzaddik Rabbi Zafarani in an exciting meeting with the Yanuka - Where is the Messiah?

English subtitles

The 5 Existential Levels of Judaism

 Rabbi Mendel Kessin, new shiur

How to Elevate Self-Esteem and Eliminate Immaturity

Rabbi Shimon Kessin = at the start, he says this is probably the most powerful shiur he will ever have given.

TIkkun for an Evil Eye



Art: Linda Boucher

"He who possesses a beneficient eye shall be blessed." [Proverbs 22:9]

There is a “beneficient eye” and an “evil eye”. Both terms have been used for several millennia and are found in the Talmud as indicators of the measure of a man.

Abraham was the paradigm of one who possesses a “beneficient eye”. He always looked for good in others, and felt neither jealousy of, nor hatred for, his fellow man. Bilaam, on the other hand, epitomized the possessor of an “evil eye” – one who always looks for fault or is jealous of another’s possessions or status.

The Talmud, when referring to the evil eye, credits it with almost mystical powers. Looking at another’s possessions with jealousy in your eyes can cause evil to befall that person. For this reason Talmudic law forbids us to build our homes too close to that of our neighbours. Privacy is very important, lest we look upon our neighbours’ possessions with a covetous eye. Neighbours should maintain a reasonable distance between one another, or, at the very least, homes should be built with a separation and a space between them.

Having an “evil eye” is usually understood as looking at another person with the intent that evil should befall him. It also includes coveting another’s possessions, being annoyed at his success (as if his success somehow impinges on our ability to succeed in life), pettiness and so on.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that an evil eye leads to an increased breathing rate. Somehow, jealousy and rage at another’s success causes one to draw breath at an accelerated pace.The Talmud therefore teaches “The cup of benediction at the conclusion of a meal should be given to one with a good eye. It is thus written (Proverbs 22:9) “He who possesses a beneficient eye shall be blessed.” Do not only read “shall be blessed” but shall bless….”

Conversely, one should beware of people with stingy and jealous eyes, as King Solomon cautions (Proverbs 23:6) “Do not break bread with [one who possesses] an evil eye”.

It is not merely a matter of superstition. As much as a good eye blesses, an evil eye takes. The source of the power of the evil eye is greed. When one looks upon another's possessions with greed, and the other is in any way guilty of mis-using his money, or is otherwise unworthy of the wealth he possesses, he might lose his possessions, G-d forbid. Clearly the way we look upon another's possessions can arouse Divine judgment against him. In the same vein, when we view the possessions of others generously, we can with a mere look of our eyes, bring blessing upon them.

When we realise that the eyes are the "windows to the mind" the significance of "evil eye" increases.

Rebbe Nachman taught: Memory depends upon the eyes, as in (Exodus 13:9) "[the tefillin shall be as] a remembrance between your eyes". In order to guard one's memory, one must first guard oneself from an evil eye - from evil thoughts about others, from jealousy, and from all forms of negativity. The evil eye can cause harm not only to the one being focused upon, but also to the one who is focusing, to an even greater degree. Conversely, maintaining an evil eye goes hand in hand with forgetfulness."

Yet we needn't live in constant fear of the evil eye, of others who may wish us harm. Rebbe Nachman teaches that if we feel incapable of guarding ourselves against an evil eye, then we should flee from it. However, if we can come to understand the essence of the evil eye, our actions can be far more effective: we can rectify it.

For example, a person might have an evil eye against another's position in life. This evil eye stems from the fallen attribute of Malkhut (kingship) which, when blemished, leads to low self-esteem and the need to put others down in order to get ahead. To correct one's own fallen Malkhut, one should strive to elevate G-d's Malkhut - by learning Torah or by otherwise disseminating G-d's Name in the world. In this way, one demonstrates one's allegiance to G-d, rather than to one's own need for self-aggrandizement. This serves to rectify the evil eye of the fallen Malkhut at its root.

Source: "Anatomy of the Soul" - Chaim Kramer - from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

When you invite jealousy, you're inviting negative energy from someone else. For this insensitivity or transgression on your part, you may incur a Divine consequence of losing some of your blessing. [If you give a child a toy and he hits his little brother with it, you might take the toy away. He's not using it the way you intended.]

Another spiritual rule that the kabbalists describe, explains the evil eye like this:

When someone stares at your blessing and thinks, "Why should so-and-so have that brand new Hummer? He's not so righteous. Why is God rewarding him?", it's like a complaint to Heaven, and an accusation that gets registered. The heavenly court then examines you and your blessing to determine if you in fact deserve it. If you don't, your blessing may be damaged or lost.

Of course, the accuser doesn't get off scott free, either, because then the heavenly court decides to investigate the accuser. "Who is this that comes to judge My child?" God asks.

So it's always a bad idea to give someone else an evil eye. And it's a bad idea to expose yourself to it, too.

Romania: The Black Sea Turns Red

On 25 April this year,  and the previous week, the sea became red.  They don't know why, but they think it was from the "iron rich clay" which suddenly caused the effect.

Meanwhile I'll just go with this explanation:

Every time Nibiru crosses in front of the Earth, it plants our entire planet (land and seas) with millions of tons of fine red dust of Iron Oxide. As time goes by, the Iron Oxide builds up sediment, and this is covered over by new layers of sedimentation that has been deposited on top. And these days, the ground in many parts has moved. It is possible that the movement of the ground left a cloak of Iron Oxide exposed, that would have come in contact with water and been dragged away.

Story from Romanian News here

Wonders in the Heavens #10

Here are three short videos of meteors falling from the sky.... at least I think that's what they are, I don't really know.

The moon with a rainbow halo

Now here is a photo of the sun, just before the eclipse a few weeks ago.  As you can see, there is a blue circle around the sun.  That is a giant planet or dwarf star or something. 

And here is a photo of the moon with that same blue around it, reflecting from the sun shining on it. 

The Secret of Ahavas Yisroel

 Rabbi Mendel Kessin, new shiur

The Yanuka answers some Important Questions

 English sub-titles.

Recent Plagues : Time to Wake Up !

I couldn't resist sharing this one.  It's showing the hail in Argentina, [there is giant hail all over the world lately] then the darkness that came over Istanbul Turkey [caused by a planet 's cloud covering the sun] and then the locusts or roaches that descended in Mecca.  

The video is in Hebrew and it's telling Israel to WAKE UP !  We are getting all the plagues, just like in Mitzrayim, except they are happening all over the world.  The Geula is coming.

And a few more videos... 

Darkness

Hail

Weird phenomenon in desert in Oman

Locusts/roaches in Mecca - turn the sound off if you don't want to listen to music during the Omer