I want to introduce you to an amazing young man named Zev.
Zev is a 17 year old with special needs, he is a non-verbal autistic, who happens to be extremely intelligent.
Non-verbal is exactly as it sounds, he cannot verbalize his words. He can sing and hum, but he cannot communicate in the normal way.
When he turned 13 and became barmitzvah, his parents bought him a computer, and he learned how to type. In the beginning he needed assistance, but it turned out that he could do it mostly by himself.
One of the first things he "said" to his mother via the computer was "Mommy I love you". He had never been able to say that before.
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| Zev with his mother Leah |
His first d'var Torah was this:
Moshe Rabbeinu could not talk perfectly. In spite of his disadvantage, he was our greatest teacher.
It seems to me the lesson is clear. It is not the talking that makes a man great, it is the listening and understanding of the messages of Hashem. I think I never had the ability to know my listening was my strength because I looked only at a lonely, quiet life. Now I have hope for my future, the chance to learn Torah, to become a mentsch...
Since then, he has written many d'var Torahs via his computer.
So, does he have anything to say about Moshiach?
He typed: "It's not enough to HOPE for Moshiach, we have to LIVE for Moshiach."
[Permission was obtained for use of this information and photos]
That's a typo, you mean Zev. But he is very "zen", he's chilled and he's a Tzadik.
ReplyDeleteBaruch Hashem, Zev sounds like an amazing young man.
ReplyDeleteAt my work I met two people in wheelchairs. One of them constantly dribbled out of their mouth and seemed non-communicative. But they were very sharp, remembered my name, and asked great questions related to the business. The other repeated themselves but had a stock of anecdotes and again, asked really interesting questions. It was a pleasure to meet them and spend time with them.
ReplyDeleteZev!!! ❤️
ReplyDeleteNeshama Says: B”H thank you for bringing his message to your readers.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about the statements that Moshiach will be a person who we didn't expect and that will surprise us, and thinking how Moshe Rabeinu was speech impaired, and wondering if Moshiach will be similarly speech impaired, like a non-verbal autistic
ReplyDelete'where can we read Zev's dvar Torahs? Thank you for sharing about him.
ReplyDeleteI'll try and find out if there's any new ones available. I have a few more old ones here, I can put them up when I have time to type them up.
DeletePRIMARY SOURCES INDICATING MOSHIACH WILL BE UNEXPECTED
ReplyDelete1. Sanhedrin 97a–98a — “Three things come when a person is distracted”
“Three things come בִּהִסַּח הַדַּעַת — when one is not paying attention: Moshiach, a lost object, and a scorpion.” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 97a)
This means: Moshiach will come in an unexpected way, catching the world by surprise.
2. Sanhedrin 98b — “If Moshiach is among the living, it might be someone like Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi”
The Gemara lists possible candidates for Moshiach, including unlikely figures. The discussion emphasizes that people do not know who he will be and that ideas about his identity often prove wrong.
3. Yerushalmi Berachot 2:4 — “Moshiach will be revealed suddenly”
“In one moment he will be revealed, and in another he will be hidden.”
This implies the revelation is unexpected and sudden, not anticipated in advance.
4. Midrash Ruth Rabbah 5:6 — He is compared to David, who was unexpected
David HaMelech himself was the least expected among his brothers:
“All the great ones of the generation passed before Shmuel… yet God chose the youngest, whom no one expected.”
The Midrash says Moshiach will likewise come from someone whom no one would have expected, just as David did.
5. Midrash Yalkut Shimoni, Yeshayahu 499 — “A king will arise unexpectedly”
“A king will arise from among them, and no one will have known of him beforehand.”
This is often cited by commentators as a reference to Moshiach’s unexpected identity.
6. Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 11:3 — Moshiach recognized only after success
Rambam rules that people will not know he is Moshiach until after he succeeds:
“If he succeeds… and builds the Temple… then he is certainly Moshiach.”
This means he may appear as an ordinary, unimpressive, or unexpected leader until his accomplishments prove him.
Rambam emphasizes that no one can correctly identify Moshiach ahead of time (Melachim 12:2).
7. Abarbanel (Yeshuot Meshicho, Ma’ayan 1) — Moshiach will be surprising
Abarbanel writes explicitly that:
“Israel will be astonished at the identity of the Redeemer, for he will arise from a place they did not imagine.”
8. Zohar, Vayera 119a — Moshiach revealed in a hidden way
Zohar says Moshiach will be present but hidden in plain sight, and people will not realize who he is until the moment of revelation.