Decoding Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream/ Gog u Magog/Mashiach's Arrival

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff

Beha'alotecha: Great Dreams

Written by Chanan Morrison - Rav Kook Torah

In contrast to the unique level and clarity of Moses' prophecy, ordinary prophecy is bestowed through the medium of visions and dreams:

"If someone among you experiences divine prophecy, I will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream." [Num. 12:6]

Why Dreams?

Dreams, Rav Kook wrote, serve an important function in the world. Great dreams are the very foundation of the universe. Dreams exist on many levels. There are the prescient dreams of prophets, and the conscious dreaming of poets. There are the idealistic dreams of great visionaries for a better world; and there are our national dreams of redemption — "When God will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers" [Psalms 126:1].

Of course, not every dream falls under the category of a great dream. Some dreams are inconsequential, as it says, "Dreams speak falsely" [Zechariah 10:2]. What determines whether a dream is prophetic or meaningless?

True and False Dreams

True servants of God concentrate their aspirations and efforts on rectifying the entire world. When one's thoughts and actions are devoted exclusively to perfecting all of creation, then one's imagination will only be stimulated by matters that relate to the universal reality. The dreams of such individuals will naturally be of great significance. Their dreams are tied to the inner truth of reality, to its past, present, and future.

But for those people who are preoccupied with private concerns, their imaginative faculties will be limited — like their waking thoughts and actions — to personal issues. What truth could be revealed in imaginings that never succeeded in rising above the thoughts and wishes of a self-centered individual?

The Sages expressed this idea with the following allegorical imagery: prophetic dreams are brought by angels, while false dreams are brought by demons [Berachot 55b]. What does this mean? Angels are constant forces in the universe, pre-arranged to perfect the world. True dreams relate to these underlying positive forces. Demons, on the other hand, are non-holy forces based on specific objectives which are inconsistent with the overall universal order. False dreams are the resultant fantasies of such private desires.

The True Reality of Dreams

What would the world be like without dreams? Life immersed solely in its material aspects is coarse and bleak. It lacks the inspiring splendor of wide horizons; like a bird with clipped wings, it is unable to transcend the bitter harshness of the current reality. The ability to free ourselves from these shackles is only through the power of dreams.

Some foolishly take pride in being 'realists.' They insist on only considering the material world in its present state — a partial and fragmented view of reality. In fact, it is our dreams that liberate us from the limitations of the current reality. It is our dreams that accurately reveal the inner truth of the universe.

As that future reality is steadily revealed, we merit an increasing clarity of vision. Our perception approaches the aspaklaria me'irah of Moses, with whom God spoke "face to face, in a vision not containing allegory, so that he could see a true picture of God" [Num. 12:8].

[Adapted from Orot HaKodesh vol. I, p. 226; Ein Eyah vol. II, p. 279]

Source: RavKookTorah.org

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, Current Events Updates, What is happening in the world?

 

The Countdown for Mashiach Has Begun

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Eliyahu Kin

Parshat Naso and the Hostages

H/t Hillel Fuld

Moshiach the Movie

 I'm not kidding.   Here's the trailer.

Thank G-d

I hope the release of four hostages has given everyone some much needed chizuk.  

I also hope that soon we'll all be celebrating like these guys were, when their friend returned from Gaza.  

The Profound Secret of the Conviction of President Donald Trump

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Asteroid Trails

All over Sydney today, these amazing clouds.  Everyone was trying to work out what they were...  they are asteroid trails from close-passing asteroids.  Seen it many times in photos from all over the world.

Souls and Names

Art by Sharon Tomlinson

The Talmud [Berachot 7b] teaches that a Hebrew name has an influence on its bearer. Therefore, it is extremely important to name children after individuals with positive character traits who led fortunate lives and helped bring goodness to the world.

The Arizal writes that the nature and behavior of a person, whether good or bad, can be discovered by analyzing his or her name. For example, a child named Yehudah could possibly be destined for leadership, for Yehudah, the fourth son of Jacob, symbolized monarchy and most Jewish kings descended from the tribe of Yehudah.

It is said that parents are actually blessed with prophesy when naming their newborn babies.

According to the Arizal, even the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in one's name can be indicative of an individual's character. For example the gematria of the name Elisheva is equivalent to the numerical value of the Hebrew words yemei simcha, meaning "days of happiness," perhaps portending a joyous life for a baby girl named Elisheva.

It is precisely because the fortunes and misfortunes of mankind are concealed in the secrets of the letters, vowels and meanings of Hebrew names that a seriously ill person is given an additional name like Chaim, meaning "life," or Rafael, meaning "God heals," in order to influence his destiny. We hope and pray that the new name will herald a new mazel, or fortune, for the stricken individual.

Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhansk, writes in his classic work on Torah "Noam Elimelech" [Bamidbar] that there is a profound connection between the soul of an infant and the soul of the person for whom he or she is named.

When a child is named after the deceased, the latter's soul is elevated to a higher realm in heaven and a spiritual affinity is created between the soul of the departed and the soul of the newborn child. That deep spiritual bond between these two souls can have a profound impact on the child.

Zocher HaBris 24:4, who also quotes Noam Elimelech on Bamidbar: “If they give him the name of a tzaddik who has already lived in this world, this will cause him also to become a tzaddik, because it has aroused the soul of the departed tzaddik in the Supernal World.

Oct 7, Trump v Biden, Iranian President's Death and more

I posted a clip earlier today, but here is the entire video

Rabbi Mendel Kessin interviewed by Jonathan Benshimol

End of Days Hail

 

Everything really is bigger in Texas. 

Location: Vigo Park, Texas Panhandle

Photo: Thomas Hinterdorf : Extreme Weather Chaser [link to original photo]

The Message of Trump / Biden

Jonathan ben Shimol interviews Rabbi Mendel Kessin

This is from a FB Reel which you can view here.

Shimol's questions are in Bold.

With Trump and Biden and craziness happening, what's really the message?

The bottom line is that G-d wants to  dispel an illusion, He wants to show  what evil is and where it could lead , and how far it could deteriorate mankind.  Basically that's really a contest.  The conflict between Biden and Trump is really the conflict between good and evil, each one representing a side.  I believe Biden represents evil because of what he's done - the complete disregard of a human life, Fentanyl, the welfare of mankind .  Trump represents good [although] I'm sure people will disagree.  Trump has done a great deal of good for America.  He vows to do good.

It is the contest between good and evil. That's the bottom line. They are both being represented by struggle. Good and evil - which one will flourish.  Survive.

Where is Hashem's Hand in all this?

Well the Ribono Shel Olam is directing this. None of this could happen unless G-d allows it to happen. G-d wants to demonstrate that if He allows evil to flourish, how bad can it get?  How bad is evil really?  G-d is demonstrating that, He's saying to America and the entire world: "Well you can do whatever you want, I will stand back."  And He does, and that demonstrates that if evil,  if it is left on its own, will destroy mankind.

G-d is concealed, do we have to reveal Him?

Not only do we have to reveal Him, that's the whole point of His creating us - it's to reveal another reality besides the physical. There is a spiritual reality, that's the whole point of mankind. Labor toward meeting that particular insight.

Thank you, chazzak u'baruch.

Iran and Current Events

Rabbi Shimon Kessin - this is a very important shiur, as he says, this is about Iran and current events