Thoughts and Notes on Rabbi Anava's Lecture

Note: I have added a few of my own bit and pieces here, but basically all of this information was part of Rabbi Anava's lecture.  

Rabbi Anava is polarising, people either love him or hate him. [Judging by the number of views and reading the comments under the video at You Tube, he is adored by thousands]  He can say scary things, and that is why I stopped putting his videos on the blog quite a while ago.  However, in hindsight, I can see he was right, even if I didn't want to hear it then. 

Rabbi Anava's words are always from his heart.  He is obviously angry about the situation and all the lies we're being fed from various sources.  I did listen to the entire lecture, bit by bit, and I found it extremely helpful in many ways.   

One of the more interesting points he made was when he quoted the words of Esther haMalka from Megillat Esther... and showed how she was talking about the End of Days, in coded language, and the gematriot of the words Haman haRa haZeh... this evil Haman.... and the ultimate plan for the State of Israel at the end of time.  It's very scary... but it rings true.  I have not heard it spoken of so clearly before, and I think he's right.  I'm not giving you any more information, you'll have to listen to find out what I'm talking about. However it involves the Pope and the English monarchy. Rest assured, Rabbi Anava brings it all back to G-d.  

None of the conspiracies he talks about have any relevance when Hashem strikes back, and that is going to happen, no doubt about that.  Just as the evil ones have a "plan" for the State of Israel, so Hashem has a "plan" for them.   

In the last hour of the shiur he talks a lot about sinat chinam and ahavat chinam, and the baseless hatred that exists amongst us all.  Jealousy, bitterness... whatever form it takes, we all have it at times and it is directed at someone we may not even know.  Rabbi Anava had some very helpful advice for how to handle this, and remove any baseless hatred from your life.  Rabbi Kessin also spoke about this topic in his latest shiur..   Now Rabbi Kessin and Rabbi Anava are totally different personalities in so many ways... and yet they were both talking about the very same thing in relation to current events. 

After listening to Rabbi Anava,  I came to the conclusion that it is midda kneged midda.... Jews have baseless hatred towards each other, and Hashem has sent baseless hatred towards the Jews [worldwide anti-semitism] because Hashem has HAD ENOUGH of our behaviour and we are being chastened by the stick.  We are the generation with the face of a dog.... we are blaming the stick for our pain.... but the real force behind the stick is not Hamas, or Iran, or the jihadists in every country..... it is Hashem Himself.   

The Baal Shem Tov famously said "not a leaf falls from a tree without  Hashem's Will".  

Rabbi Anava explains how Hashem is angry with people who worship a man.... and whether that man is from 2000 years ago or 50 years ago, it doesn't matter.... Hashem is angry because we should not be worshipping a man! and calling that man "Moshiach" when he is already gone from this world.  Stop calling people, whether they are dead or alive, by the term "Moshiach" and worshipping that person as if it was already a certainty.  Hashem is angry about that. Moshiach will be revealed at the right time, and not a second before.  Right now we need to be putting our faith in G-d alone, not a man, not the IDF, or anything else.   

In the end, we are all one body of people.  Just because I don't do or think exactly as you do, it doesn't make me the enemy.  Accept everyone's differences and respect them, don't hate them because they do things in a different way to you. 

Now that we have had the scorpion attack us in the month of Heshvan which is the mazal of the akrav - the scorpion - we are instantly realizing who the enemy really is, and we are being nicer to each other, because we're all in this together: all the types of Jews that exist are one.   Just take off the face of the dog and stop blaming the stick.... it is from Hashem.... and when we all turn to Hashem, and Hashem alone, He will fight our battles and bring Moshiach.  

How long will it take?  That depends on us.  

I would like to sincerely thank Rabbi Anava for making it all so clear to me. 

He mentions the fact that many people are saying masses of Tehillim, giving tzedaka, etc etc but the bottom line is, what Hashem REALLY WANTS from us is not just to say Tehillim and continue living as before. We have to change inside ourselves. We have to actually DO something about the way we behave towards others. You can't spend hours saying Tehillim and then write, speak or believe lashon hara about another  and expect Hashem to accept your prayers. 

It is our fault that Hashem is angry, and we have to fix that with concrete action on the ground. If the Israeli government followed Torah, they would understand that.  Hashem would fight this war for them. All we have to do is turn to Hashem.   

Rabbi Abba son of Kahana said, “David’s generation were all righteous, but because there were informers among them, they fell in battle...Ahab’s generation were idolaters, but because there were no informers, they went to battle and were victorious.” [Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 1:1]

Jerusalem is the city that joins all the tribes together as one. When the Jewish people come together as one, nothing can destroy Jerusalem. And only when there is love and caring between them is the destruction and our exile healed.  When a father sees his children working together with love, he is prepared to give them anything.  Yes, love for one another means also to care enough to encourage the other to do mitzvahs and learn Torah.  But first comes the love.  See Likutei Sichot, vol. 30, pg. 221.