"No-one is Prepared For What is Next"

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Tovia Singer

Rabbi Tovia Singer explains why the prophets may have seen this moment coming, and why what happens next could be far more significant than most people realize.

War in the Summer? Redemption in Mercy? It's Up to Us.

This has been auto-dubbed, female voice.... usually I don't like the auto dubs, but the message is worthwhile, as we pray for Geula with rachamim [mercy] not judgment.

"Redemption is a multi-stage process..... We are currently on the scales, and it has not yet been decided in Heaven whether the Redemption will come through mercy or through judgment."

What's Behind The Sun?

There is something behind the sun... presumed to be the gas giant Immaru... whatever it is, it should not be there in the normal course of events.  This is why both the sun - and the moon - often have colours around them, and if you point your phone camera randomly at the sun and take a photo, you may end up with a rainbow effect just like this, and wonder why....

Photo S. Holloway Sydney Australia

And this was the full moon in Maine.   Something big is coming.... the signs are right there over our heads.

Maine

To Remain in the Desert

''You will not come to the Land...'' [Shelach 14:30]

G-d does not issue a punishment to bring revenge on the sinner.  Rather, the ''punishment'' is a form of spiritual ''medicine'' aimed at correcting the spiritual deficiency caused by a sin.

With this in mind, the ''punishment'' given to the Jewish people here is difficult to understand.  Their sin was that they did not wish to enter the Land because they desired to remain in the desert where they could serve G-d without distraction; and yet, their punishment was to receive what they wanted: to remain in the desert [for forty years!]  How would this ''correct' their sin of not wanting to enter the Land?

In truth however, the sin of the spies was not that they were too spiritual, but rather they were not spiritual enough.  To be involved with the physical world and remain spiritually attuned demands the highest degree of attachment to G-d.  So when the generation showed that they were lacking this level of dedication, they were given 40 more years of unrestricted Divine worship, enabling them to reach the level where they would be ready to engage in the world.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 33 Lubavitcher Rebbe

23 Sivan Foretold

H/t Yosef Shidler for text and images

 

There is a short video uploaded here by Yosef Shidler 

If you can't access it, I've copied the transcript. 

All right. So the megilla explicitly mentions - in the first column of the megilla - in the first chapter it mentions that this year is 5786 ....what is happening and what is most interesting on what is happening is that this year current events with this whole Iran war, which basically is Persia, the place where the megilla happened, are aligning specifically with the four months that the megilla explicitly mentions.

Teves, the first month that the megilla mentions in the order of things, right? Why Teves is interesting is because Teves is when all the Iranians went out and they started to try and overthrow and cause this uprising, right? Remember this whole scenario? So they were trying to overthrow the government. That happened - the real beginning of that they pinned right to about 8th of Teves and it ended right before the end of Shevat. 

Nothing happens. I remember we were all sitting in Shevat and we're like oh come on. When's this Iran war going to happen? When's this Iran war going to happen? Trump keeps talking about it. Everyone in the media is talking. When's the war finally going to happen? And we were sitting there and nothing's happening. The whole month of Shvat, right? Shvat's not mentioned in the megllah.. 

Then we get to the first date that we can read the megillah... All right, that is when the war begins and it goes all the way until the middle of Nissan. Then there's a ceasefire and it concludes, right - and so we have Teves, we have Adar and we have Nissan - all three months mentioned in the megillah, right? Then we go into Iyar and everyone's like, "Okay, what's happening with this Iran war?" And all this discussion and conversation and everything's going on, right? Nothing happening. Everyone's wondering, "Why is nothing happening?" 

All right, so we're sitting there. We're trying to figure out what's the next step. When's Trump going to act? Finally, 29 Iyar, right? On 29 Iyar, the final day of Iyar, Trump puts up a big post, "the calm before the storm". The storm is coming back, right? We're going to go back into Iran. We're going to do our business right - today is Rosh Chodesh. So literally Trump is saying that I'm about to pick up and he showed the Iranian boats in that picture that he posted. We know that he's going back for Iran.

So essentially you have a pattern where you have months on, then off, months on off right - so what is the mathematical odds that we would get this whole pattern to exactly line up the way it did? 

Also first of all let's just do it in the terms of just this year, meaning that the fact that this year the megilla....you know you have four months that are mentioned in the megilla out of 12 and the factor of all four months lining up specifically to have the megillah calls out those four months. So it says those odds are one in essentially 495 that that happens. 

Then you factor that there's a code in the megilla.. The megilla potentially called out this year of 5786 and that number goes up by like a thousand. Like the mathematical odds that the megilla called out this year and that events are aligning with these months in order is crazy crazy crazy - numbers that are like blown up to the sky type of numbers. meaning that for for this to be predicted or for this to have been predicted and then happen, the mathematical odds are extremely extremely extremely low and very very unlikely to happen. 

So bottom line I guess the month of Sivan is going to be very very telling as to what happens during this month if we perceive and if miracles happen and you know the war continues and I think we have a lot in store for us. I think it's going to be extremely interesting and extremely telling in the general course of events throughout the month. So, I guess pay attention to what happens because it's definitely going to be very very interesting to see that pattern emerge and continue.

Sh'lach - Rejecting the Land of Israel

Art: Jerusalem Landscape by Michoel Muchnik

"And [the spies] began to speak badly about the land that they had explored." [Sh'lach 13:32] 

A dispirited discussion took place at Beit HaRav, Rav Kook's house in Jerusalem, not long after the end of World War II. The Chief Rabbi had passed away ten years earlier; now it was his son, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook, who sat at the head of the table.

One participant at the Sabbath table had brought up a disturbing topic: the phenomenon of visitors touring Eretz Yisrael and then criticizing the country after returning to their homes. These visitors complain about everything: the heat, the poverty, the backwardness, the political situation - and discourage other Jews from moving here, he lamented.

Rav Tzvi Yehudah responded by telling over the following parable, one he had heard in the name of Rabbi Samuel Mohilever, the rabbi of Bialystok.

The Failed Match

There was once a wealthy man who sought the hand of a certain young lady. She was the most beautiful girl in town, and was blessed with many talents and a truly refined character. Her family was not well-off, so they were eager about a possible match with the prosperous fellow.

The young woman, however, was not interested in the match. Rich or not, the prospective suitor was known to be coarse and ill-mannered. She refused to meet with him.

The father asked her to at least meet with the young man in their home, so as not to embarrass him. After all, one meeting doesn't obligate you to marry him! To please her father, the young woman agreed.

The following Sabbath afternoon, the fellow arrived at the house as arranged, and was warmly received by the father. Shortly afterwards, his daughter made her entrance. But her hair was uncombed, and she wore a faded, crumpled dress and shabby house slippers. Appalled at her disheveled appearance, it did not take long before the young man excused himself and made a hurried exit.

What everyone says about this girl - it's not true, exclaimed the astonished young man to his friends. She's hideous!

Rav Tzvi Yehudah stopped briefly, surveying the guests seated around the table. Superficially, it would appear that the brash young fellow had rejected the young woman. But in fact, it was she who had rejected him.

The same is true regarding the Land of Israel, the rabbi explained. Eretz Yisrael is a special land, only ready to accept those who are receptive to its unique spiritual qualities. The Land does not reveal its inner beauty to all who visit. Not everyone is worthy to perceive its special holiness.

It may appear as if the dissatisfied visitors are the ones who reject the Land of Israel, he concluded. But in fact, it is the Land that rejects them!

A thoughtful silence pervaded the room. Those present were stunned by the parable and the rabbi's impassioned delivery. Then one of the guests observed, Reb Tzvi Yehudah, your words are suitable for a son of your eminent father, may his memory be a blessing!

Seeing the Goodness of Jerusalem

Rav Tzvi Yehudah's response was indeed appropriate for Rav Kook's son. When visitors from outside the country would approach the Chief Rabbi for a blessing, Rav Kook would quote from the Book of Psalms, "May God bless you from Zion" [128:5].

Then he would ask: What exactly is this blessing from Zion? In fact, the content of the blessing is described in the continuation of the verse: "May you see the goodness of Jerusalem."

The rabbi would explain: The verse does not say that one should merit seeing Jerusalem; but that one should merit seeing 'the goodness of Jerusalem.' Many people visit Jerusalem. But how many of them merit seeing the inner goodness hidden in the holy city?

And that, he concluded, is God's special blessing from Zion.

[ Source: Stories from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Malachim Kivnei Adam]

Second Thoughts

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

Guard your thoughts carefully, for thought can literally create a living thing. The higher a faculty, the further it can reach. You can kick something with your foot, but throw it higher with your hand. You can reach still farther with your voice, calling to a person very far away. Hearing reaches yet further, for you can hear sounds like gunfire from a very great distance. Your sight reaches even further, seeing things in the sky. Highest of all is the mind, which can penetrate the loftiest heights. You must therefore safeguard your mind above all else. [Rebbe Nachman's Wisdom]

Knowing that thought can reach the loftiest heights, we must realize that thoughts are never mere thoughts. We must never allow ourselves to entertain the notion that it doesn't matter what we think. Good thoughts are extremely beneficial both to those who think them and to the world at large, while evil thoughts are most detrimental.

Rebbe Nachman taught: In ancient amphitheaters, monarchs used to stage battles between wild beasts and their prey. The same type of battle is waged daily in one's mind: battles between good thoughts and evil thoughts. When the good thoughts emerge victorious from the battle, it causes great pleasure Above. [Likutey Moharan 1, 233]

Rebbe Nachman also explains a related passage from the Zohar [III, 123a]

"Every day contains hidden good. But accompanying each day is an angel that prevents people (who are unworthy) from partaking of this good. This angel can take many forms - darkness, thorns, snakes, scorpions - all of which act as guardians to protect the good of that day and to prevent anyone who is unworthy from benefitting. Indeed, were it not for these guardians, the wicked would be able to freely enter into the mysteries of the Torah (and partake of the hidden good of that day).

"It is for this reason that when someone who is not worthy attempts to gain entrance into the Torah's mysteries, troops of destroying angels, which manifest as darkness, concealment, confusion etc. immediately surround him and confuse his thoughts, preventing him from trespassing. However, when one who is worthy wishes to enter, these guardians assist him.... they bring him to the hidden good and speak in his favour to the Master of the Universe..."

The "snakes and scorpions" are the thoughts that confuse a person when he wants to learn the mysteries of the Torah. Yet if he persists in his desire to find G-d, these very thoughts will assist him, then he will find great good every day.... For a person has the ability to incline his thoughts in any direction he wants. Even when his thoughts stray, it is within his power to harness them and return them to the straight path.

The harmful thoughts that assail people serve as a reminder of the ongoing battle with Amalek, the archenemy of the Jewish people. This is the meaning of the verse "Man's thoughts are rak ra kol hayom [only evil all the day]. In Hebrew, the final letters of these words spell AMaLeK. Evil thoughts represent the Amalek within. Amalek also alludes to doubts and confusion. This is seen in the numerical value of the word Safek (doubt) which is 240, the same as the gematria of the world Amalek. Like Amalek, doubts attack a person stealthily. Even before we realize we are under siege, we find ourselves overwhelmed by conflicting thoughts and emotions. It is therefore a Biblical commandment to remember Amalek, that is to be aware of him and his stealthy manner and to wage a constant battle against him.

The Hidden Code in the Mona Lisa

 Well, this is interesting.  

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The Geula Can Come Any Moment Now. Get Your Act Together

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein - 6 min video

Why Is It Harder Now To Believe In The Coming Of Mashiach?

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Is Belief In Life on Other Planets Heretical: UFO's, Extraterrestrial Life & Space Travel

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

The View of the Sefer HaBris & Rav David Nieto

This is Part 2 of Rabbi Glatstein's videos on this subject - Part 1 can be found here

A Collective Responsibility

"A man or woman who commits any of man's sins.... they shall confess their sin.... he shall make restitution for his guilt."   [Naso 5:6,7]

One erev Yom Kippur, R' Moshe Chagiz delivered a derashah in which he said "In Parshas Naso it states: "A man or woman... they shall confess... he shall make restitution for his guilt". The verse begins in the singular, switches to the plural, and then concludes by reverting to the singular. This is to teach us that all Jews form one nation and we are all responsible for one another.

"They shall confess" - on Yom Kippur, an individual is not only required to confess his own sins, but even the sins of his fellow Jew.

To what can this be compared? To a group of individuals who set sail together on a large and magnificent ship. Each one of the passengers received his own quarters for the duration of the trip.

When they had reached the very heart of the sea, one of the passengers began to drill a hole in the wall of the ship.

"What are you doing?" yelled his friends. "You are going to sink the ship!"

"Why is this any concern of yours?" he asked them. "I am making a hole in my quarters, not yours."

"All Jews are responsible for one another" concluded R' Chagiz. "If one Jew sins, the entire Jewish nation is held accountable."

"It is incumbent upon every Jew to keep this great responsibility in mind."

[written by Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein]

If you can understand the above words, you should also be able to understand the entire Torah, which can be summed up in these words from Hillel: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah while the rest is commentary".

It sounds so simple, and yet so many have so much trouble with it. It seems to be the hardest thing of all for so many Jews.

If you call yourself a "Torah-observant Jew", but you still treat others badly, then I would like to suggest to you that you are not what you claim to be. What is the point of doing all the mitzvos if you cannot even achieve the basic criteria for a "Torah Observant Jew" ?

One of the first questions we are asked upon death is "were you honest in business" - and the answer to that question can tell us a great deal about how we treated others. If you knowingly cheated someone, overcharged him or short-changed him, you are treating him with the utmost disrespect. You are harming him financially, you have lied to him, you have deceived him. You have behaved in a manner totally contrary to Torah - because it can only be assumed that you would not treat yourself that way, and yet you find it okay to do so to others. If you sincerely did not do to others what is hateful to you, you would never even consider cheating in business affairs.

Trump's Huge Mistake: The Messianic Process Continues

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

The Traditions of Shavuot

Text: Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

There exist numerous and varied customs regarding the holiday of Shavuot, ones that we will cite and expand upon below. 

Decorating the Synagogue and the Home 

On Shavuot people usually decorate the synagogue and their homes with greenery and flowers, and they also place trees in synagogue [Rema 494]. The Mishnah Berurah [494 al. 10] states that we do this in order to remember that we are judged with regards to the fruit harvest. The Vilna Gaon annulled this custom because it is similar to the customs of non-Jews. However many poskim have written that there is no reason to take this into account, for our custom has a reason behind it and has spread to Jewish communities everywhere [Da’at Torah 494]. We must simply be careful not to pluck branches from fruit-bearing trees, for some believe that doing so constitutes a transgression of the verse, “You shall not destroy its trees” [Devarim 20:19]. The Ya’avetz described the reason for this custom in the following way: It is done in memory of the giving of the Torah, which took place on a verdant mountain. This is why we use many trees and all kinds of fragrant flowers to rejoice in this great day. The Milin Chadetin states that Moshe was born on Adar 7, and the Torah states: “She hid him for three months” [Shemot 2:2] – until Sivan 6 – at which point “she placed it among the reeds” [v.3], meaning the reeds and greenery that we display in memory of the miracles that were performed for Moshe. The Bnei Issachar states that the customs of the Jewish people must be considered as Torah, and they prepare roses and other greenery on Shavuot in accordance with the following words of the Midrash: “The matter may be compared to the case of a king who had an orchard planted with one row of fig-trees, one of vines, one of pomegranates, and one of apples. He entrusted it to a tenant and went away. Some time later, the king came and looked at the orchard to ascertain what it had yielded. He found it full of thorns and briars, so he brought woodcutters to raze it. He looked closely at the thorns and noticed among them a single, rose-colored flower. He smelled it and his spirits were calmed. The king said, ‘The whole orchard shall be saved because of this flower.’ In a similar manner, the whole world was created only for the sake of the Torah” [Vayikra Rabba 28:3]. 

Studying Torah on the Night of Shavuot 

Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah states: In the Arvit prayer of Shavuot, we recite the Ahavat Olam blessing with great joy because it is on this day that Hashem chose our forefathers and sanctified them by a Torah of truth and righteous laws. Let us therefore rejoice in our G-d, in His Torah and mitzvot, and may we be careful not to eat excessively on that night, that we may recite the Tikkun. Immediately after reciting Birkat Hamazon, we should quickly make our way to the Beit HaMidrash, without losing a single moment in mundane conversation. The Ya’avetz states that those who stay awake on that night should not involve themselves in useless pursuits. There is no place for joking around or having lighthearted conversations on that night, for in such a case it would be better for them – and everyone else – to have slept. The Pele Yoetz states that the Tikkun on the night of Shavuot effects a great repair for the damage caused by a person looking at forbidden things, as well as by what a person damages by a few nights of working and anger, for he was awake to disturb his Creator by his laughing, lightheartedness, and other detrimental things. 

Milk Products 

The Rema states [494:3] that in certain places people customarily eat milk products on the first day of Shavuot. The reason behind this is for people to take two kinds of food, much like on the night of Passover when we mention both the Passover and Chagigah offerings. Similarly, on Shavuot we eat milk products first and then meat. [See Mishnah Berurah ibid., which explains the remarks of the Rema.] 

The Mishnah Berurah gives a second reason for this custom by citing the words of a great Torah figure, who said that when the Children of Israel stood before Mount Sinai, they received the Torah and went back to their dwellings. However upon returning, they did not find anything to eat other than milk products, for it took a great deal of effort to prepare meat. They had to slaughter an animal with a knife that had been checked, the forbidden fat on the animal had to be removed, and the meat had to be salted and cooked in a new vessel, since the vessels they had used up to that point were now forbidden. This is why they decided to eat milk products. 

A third reason for this custom is given in the Kolbo: In certain places people customarily eat milk and honey because the Torah is compared to these things, as it is written: “Honey and milk are under your tongue” [Shir HaShirim 4:11]. 

A fourth reason is cited by the Magen Avraham: According to the Zohar, for the Children of Israel these seven weeks were like the seven days of a woman’s purification. We know that blood is transformed into milk, meaning that it goes from the color of strict justice (red) to the color of mercy (white). Now the customs of our forefathers must be considered as Torah. 

Mateh Moshe cites a fifth reason: The Torah alludes to the fact that people ate milk products on Shavuot, as it states: Mincha Chadasha L’Hashem B’Shavuotaychem [“A new meal offering to Hashem in your feast of weeks” – Bamidbar 28:26], the initials of which form the word M’chalav (“from milk”). 

Sixth reason: When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to give the Torah to Israel, the ministering angels wanted to keep it in Heaven. Hashem said to them: When you descended to visit Abraham, you ate milk and meat, as it is written: “He took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared” [Bereshith 18:8]. When a child of theirs returns from school and his mother gives him a meat sandwich and some milk, the child replies: Today our rabbi taught us, “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” From here we conclude that by the merit of the warning against mixing meat and milk, Hashem rejected the arguments of the angels. This warning earned us the giving of the Torah, hence we eat milk on Shavuot to demonstrate how careful we are to separate milk from meat. 

Seventh reason: The word chalav (milk) has a numerical value of 40, alluding to the Torah that was given in 40 days. The importance of Torah is such that all the good things of the earth are worthless in comparison to it. To demonstrate how much they love Torah, the Children of Israel adopted the practice of eating milk products, which alludes to this idea. – 

Sources: Rema 494; Magen Avraham al. 6; Mishnah Berurah ibid.; Beit Halevi, Yitro; Baer Heitev 494; Sefer Nezirut Shimshon; Kovetz Mivakshei Torah, par. 187; Sefer HaToda’ah.

Shavuot and Mashiach

This is a very short video. The Rebbe is speaking in Yiddish, with English translation already on the video, you will probably need to enlarge the video to read the text clearly.

"Every aspect of Matan Torah is associated with the true and complete Redemption."

Shavuot begins this Thursday night.

"A Process of Redemption"

Not sure how I missed this one.... PM Netanyahu's remarks at the Festive Event at Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva, Marking 59 Years since the Unification of Jerusalem.

And I want to add regarding Rabbi Kook's teachings: This is the Torah of the Land of Israel at its best. Rabbi Kook understood a fundamental thing: The Torah that was shaped in the Diaspora is important, but in its character, it addresses the individual, the community. In the Land of Israel, he understood, we need a renewal of Torah: A Torah that addresses all parts of the nation. A Torah that is required for national challenges. A Torah that is connected to Zionism, to the ingathering of the exiles, to security, to settlement, to economy, to education, to culture. A Torah that gives strength to deal with the difficulties, out of the understanding that we are in a process of redemption! Nothing less than that, a process of redemption, as the prophets prophesied. As we came here for the ingathering of exiles to redeem our people, to ensure the eternity of Israel.

Read the whole thing here.

Soul Searching

"A man or woman who distinguishes himself (or herself) by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem" [Naso 6:2]

Rashi asks "Why was the Torah portion of the nazir put adjacent to the portion of the sotah (a woman who deviated from moral behaviour)? To tell you that anyone who sees a sotah in her disgrace should take upon himself to abstain from wine [by becoming a nazir]."

Whenever a person sees something improper, he must think: "Why has Heaven shown this impure thing to me?" He must do some serious soul-searching and attempt to strengthen himself in his Divine service.

R' Yisrael Salanter once caught a bad cold. The first day of his illness, he spent the entire day worrying.

"Why is the Rav so worried?" asked one of his close disciples. "Baruch Hashem, it's just a cold and it will not pose any serious threat to your health."

"It is not my health that concerns me" responded R' Salanter. "I worry over what it states in Mishlei: "Colds and traps are in the path of the stubborn" [Mishlei 22:5] "This verse is evidence that I was stricken with a cold on account of possessing the terrible trait of stubbornness".

Only once evening had arrived and R' Salanter had thoroughly examined his deeds without finding the trait of stubbornness within himself, was his mind put to rest.

[Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein]

No-one Is Prepared... The Final War Is Beginning

H/t Sherry

With clips from Yishai Fleisher and Rabbi Tovia Singer, this video explores Jewish prophecy and the End of Days. 

Is the current conflict connected to the war of Gog and Magog — the final war described in Tanach?  

In this deep dive, we examine: 

• October 7 and its possible prophetic significance 

• The rebirth of Israel and its connection to Tanach prophecy 

• Gog and Magog in the words of the prophets 

• Ezekiel (Yechezkel) and visions of the future State of Israel 

• Prophecies from Joel and readings in the weekly Torah cycle 

• Parshas Vayeilech, Yom Kippur, and messianic themes 

Through Tanach and classical Jewish sources, we explore what these events may mean for Israel’s destiny and the unfolding of history.

No Dispute

Camping in front of the Mishkan, in front of the Tent of Meeting to the east were Moses, Aaron and his sons... [Bamidbar 3:38]

Rashi coments: Adjacent to them was the division of the camp of Yehudah, with whom Yissachar and Zevulun camped.  The righteous man prospers and his neighbor prospers!  Since they were neighbors of Moshe, who was engaged in Torah study, they became great Torah scholars.

A person could influence his neighbour with any good or bad quality.  Nevertheless, the fact that Rashi mentions just one good quality - Torah study - and one negative quality - being quarrelsome [see Rashi's Commentary to v. 29 and 38], is certainly no coincidence; it indicates that these two qualities are connected with each other. 

Rashi is teaching us that the study of Torah and involvement in disputes are diametric opposites.  If a person studies Torah with the proper intentions and sufficient dedication, he simply will not become involved in disputes, bcause Torah is the common thread which unites all Jews.

Based on Likutei Sichos vol 33, pp 16-17 Lubavitcher Rebbe

Trump and Iran - What's Really Going On?

Rabbi Isser Weisberg

Aliens and the End of Days

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff

In The Desert

Bamidbar, the name of this week's parsha as well as the name of the entire 4th book of the Torah, means "in the desert". However, the name Bamidbar itself does not seem to bring to light any unique qualities of the Parsha at all. At this point, the Jewish people have been situated in the desert for a considerable period of time: throughout the whole book of Vayikra and part of the book of Shemos. So what is added now by stressing that the Jewish people were "in the desert"?

The answer to this question lies in the fact that "we always read Parshas Bamidbar before Shavuot" [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim]. Before we experience the giving of the Torah once again - for spiritually the Torah is given anew every Shavuot - it is necessary to recall and take to heart the fact that the Torah was not given in a civilized environment, but in a desert.

The lesson here is twofold:

1. A desert is a place of utter desolation where "no man can live". Thus the Torah was given there to indicate that it should be embraced without any preconceptions or ulterior motives. When a person lives in a civilized place and he encounters a new idea or suggestions, he will first evaluate it to determine whether it is acceptable according to societal norms. With Torah, however, this would be a mistake; the correct approach to accepting the Torah is "we will do, and (later) we will understand" [Shemos 24:7]. Therefore the Torah was given in a desert, where nobody lives, to indicate that one needs to be truly "open-minded" - i.e. not influenced by one's environment - to appreciate its values.

2. The Torah was given in a desert to teach that sharing the Torah with those who currently find themselves in a spiritual desert is fundamental to Torah Judaism. It is not the case that the Torah can "also" reach those who are found in a spiritual wasteland; to the contrary, this is a central theme of the giving of the Torah: To transform every spiritual desert into a "civilized environment".

Based on Sichas Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (5732 and 5734)

The Incredible Power of Staying Silent

Rabbi Shlomo Landau - A one minute video

Self Reflections

"No man among you may mislead his fellowman, and you shall fear your G-d" [Behar 25:17]

According to the simple meaning of the verse, remarked R' Simchah Bunim of P'shischa, the Torah is only prohibiting an individual from deceiving his fellowman.  An individual of true piety, however, will go beyond the letter of the law and refrain from deceiving himself as well.

Trump's Latest Action Could Usher in the Moshiach

H/t Sherry

J-TV - 10 min video

 

Trump Proclaims a "National Shabbat"

As part of the 2026 U.S. 250th-anniversary celebrations, President Trump proclaimed a "National Shabbat" [Shabbat 250] from sundown on May 15 through nightfall on May 16, 2026. 

This initiative encourages a period of rest, reflection, and gratitude, honoring the Jewish tradition of Shabbat and recognizing Jewish contributions to the United States.

Key Details of the National Sabbath [Shabbat 250]:

Significance: Proclaimed to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence (Semiquincentennial) and celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month.

Duration: From sundown Friday, May 15, to nightfall Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Purpose: Encourages all Americans to join in a national day of rest and reflection, acknowledging the Jewish tradition of Shabbat.

Proclamation Context: Trump recognized the role of Jewish Americans and their contributions, referencing early figures like Haym Salomon.

Support: Orthodox organizations and community members expressed support for this initiative.

More at Chabad

Lag b'Omer and Moshiach's Rainbow

I walked outside this morning and there was a rainbow. Half an hour later, another rainbow !

Good sign?  Bad sign?  I don't know, but it made me happy.

Lag b'Omer begins tonight [Monday night]

Photo dario.bs

by Rabbi Yossi Marcus 

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

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]

Super-Rational

"When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Sabbath to the Lord.

You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce,

But in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard." [Behar 25: 2-4]

One of the reasons for the Sabbatical year is to allow the land to rest for a year, to enhance its fertility. From this it follows that after six consecutive years of intensive agriculture, the land is at its least fertile point in the seven year cycle. So the Torah's promise that the land "will yield produce [sufficient] for three years" in the naturally infertile sixth year, is totally irrational and requires a person to accept an authority which is higher than his mortal understanding.

The Talmud [Sanhedrin 97a] compares the six agricultural years to the six millenia of this world, and the Sabbatical year to the seventh millennium [when the Redemption will have arrived].

Since the Jewish people suffer from a gradual regression in spiritual stature as the generations pass, a person might ask: "How could the efforts of the spiritually weak and "infertile" sixth millennium bring the true and complete redemption?

The Torah answers: It is the super-rational self-sacrifice and commitment to Judaism of the final generations of exile, that will bring the blessings of the Redemption.

Based on Likutei Sichos vol 27, Lubavitcher Rebbe

“Trump Made A Huge Mistake” Kabbalist: Assassination Was Part Of Messianic Prophecy

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Mendel Kessin on J-TV

Gog & Magog Explained: Why the World Turns Against Israel

Rabbi Tovia Singer and Rabbi Aron Sokol - 15 min video

What is Gog and Magog — and why do the nations rise against Jerusalem? 

In this powerful and eye-opening breakdown, Rabbi Tovia Singer and Rabbi Aron Sokol explore one of the most mysterious and talked-about prophecies in Tanakh. 

From Ezekiel 38–39 to Zechariah, the prophets describe a future where the Jewish people return to Israel… and the entire world reacts. But why? 

This video reveals: 

• What Gog & Magog actually represents 

• Why the nations feel threatened by Israel 

• The deeper meaning behind “the land of Magog” 

• The spiritual battle between trust in power vs trust in Hashem 

• Why Jerusalem becomes the focal point of global conflict 

• What triggers the final redemption 

As the prophets describe, the return of the Jewish people to their land is not just history — it’s part of a larger unfolding story that challenges the beliefs of the world. Are we witnessing the beginning of these events? Or are these just the early stages?

The Reward

Art: Boris Dubrov

''And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree...'' [Emor 23:40]

The Vilna Gaon had a great love for the mitzvah of the four species.  Year after year, Vilna's vendors streamed to the Gaon's house with choice etrogim, and he would select the one he thought was the nicest.

One year, a vendor showed the Gaon an exquisite etrog.   The Gaon was very impressed and was willing to pay its full price.

''I do not wish to sell the etrog for money''  responded the vendor.  ''Rather, I desire the reward that you will garner for performing the mitzvah of the four species.''

''I readily agree'' said the Gaon.  ''I will take the etrog, and you will receive my reward.''

All those who visited the Gaon that Sukkot saw him savoring his beautiful etrog to a far greater degree than in previous years.

To calm their curiousity, the Gaon explained: '''Throughout my entire life, I have yearned to fulfill the words of our Sages [Pirkei Avot 1:3] ''Be like servants who serve their master, not for the sake of receiving a reward.''  A person must not serve Hashem simply in order to receive a reward.  This is extremely difficult, however, as we are constantly aware that we will receive a reward each time we perform a mitzvah,  But this year I was given the opportunity to perform a mitzvah with the knowledge that I would not be receiving any reward for doing so!''

''I am so fortunate to have merited such an opportunity.  This is why you find me so overjoyed.''

Source: Rabbi Yisroel Bronstein

Miracles & The Messiah Happening Now

Tamar Yonah sits down with Rabbi Tovia Singer to talk about the Messianic age — and whether we may already be living in it. Are biblical prophecies unfolding right in front of us? Are miracles happening around us without us even noticing?

 

Gog & Magog, Iran, and the Messiah: Prophecy Reveals What’s Coming

Rabbi Isser Weisberg

Who is the Moshiach? (Messiah) When will the Moshiach arrive? -Soon! Says this scholar of the End of Days. Who will win the war with Iran? America or Iran? - BOTH are able to, and it will be decided in Heaven. You'll want to hear this interview and learn what ancient sources say about all of these questions as Tamar Yonah speaks with Rabbi Isser Weisberg on what Prophecy says.

Click here to watch on You Tube

How Our Inner Thoughts Have Power Over Our Destinies

In an address the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave in 1963, he expanded on the philosophical and spiritual dynamic behind the principle  "tracht gut vet zein gut" - “Think good, and it will be good.” 

He began by asking the obvious question: On the basis of what should one believe that in the face of any challenge, “it (the outcome) will be good”? Isn’t it presumptuous to assume that in every given situation we are always deserving of Divine grace, regardless of our state of religious and moral standing? 

And what of the basic Jewish belief that there is a Divine order of reward and punishment that governs our world, making salvation dependent on righteous behavior?

The Rebbe’s answer was: When a Jew decides to place his trust in G‑d, believing that his current crisis will be resolved favorably despite facing a bleak reality that suggests otherwise, he has, in effect, risen above his own nature, which in turn elicits, reciprocally, “measure for measure” the suspension of the Divine order, where only the righteous are deserving of salvation.   In fact, according to Nachmanides [Bechukotai 26:11]: “When the majority of the Jewish people are complete [in their faith in G‑d], their affairs are not run by the natural order…to the extent that there is no need for a physician or to follow the ways of medicine, as it says, ‘I am the L‑rd your healer….’” Obviously, those times of spiritual perfection are all too rare, and under the current circumstances, we are encouraged to follow the natural order of things.

G‑d, the creator of Man, understands how difficult and even “supernatural” it is for a human being to truly believe—to the degree that he or she no longer experiences fear and anxiety—that an unpromising and even seemingly hopeless situation will have a positive outcome. And, thus, as a result and even reward for the extraordinary act of worship of “tracht gut,” G‑d deems the believer, who is otherwise undeserving of a positive outcome, to be deserving in this instance of an extra measure of Divine generosity.

This was extracted from an essay at Chabad, to see the original plus footnotes, click here

No Revenge and No Worries

"You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people" [Kedoshim 19:18]

There are times, said the Chofetz Chaim, that a man grows angry with a friend who did not do him a particular favor.  Such feelings are completely unjustified.

To what can this be compared?  To a man who was walking down the street, looking for his friend.  As he passed people in the street, he would ask them "Have you seen my friend perhaps?"

"Try looking for him in the town square," he was told.  "There are many people gathered there; maybe your friend will be among them."

He went to the town square, searched for his friend, yet he did not find him.

Would it even occur to him to feel anger toward those individuals who directed him to the town square?  Of course not! He realizes that he must simply continue his search.

The same thing applies to the prohibitions of taking revenge and bearing a grudge, said the Chofetz Chaim.  We are forbidden to feel anger towards a friend who did not do us a favor.  What reason can there be to be angry with him?  Hashem obviously did not designate him as the one who would bestow this particular kindness upon us.  We must simply turn to someone else, and place our request with him; perhaps he is the one who will be able to assist us. 

If a person accustoms himself to constantly thinking in this manner, he will never bear a grudge or feel the need to take revenge.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

No Intermediaries

What is a Rebbe? What does a mitzvah reveal?

A Rebbe is not an intermediary, we don't require an intermediary, we are already connected to Hashem.  So why do we need a Rebbe?  Rabbi Nochum Schapiro explains - 2 min video:

Is the Prophecy about Iran and Turkey Coming True?

Rav Ron Chaya

An ancient prophecy foretells a decisive war between Rome and Persia before the liberation. Yet, who are these powers today, and what role does Turkey play in this scenario? Indeed, certain geopolitical signs seem to correspond precisely to these millennia-old writings. Are we truly on the verge of experiencing the events that herald the coming of the Messiah?

[French with English subtitles.  If you make yourself a You Tube account, it remembers your settings, so as soon as you click on the "CC" your chosen language automatically appears in the sub-titles.  If you don't want to make a You Tube account, then you need to click on the Cog as well as the CC, and navigate to auto-translate and choose your language.]

Click here to watch on You Tube.

Moshiach's Coming, Climate Change and the Sun

H/t Anonymous commenter

Rabbi Sholom Zirkind

Understanding "the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun and the light of the sun will be sevenfold" and "climate change" at the time of Moshiach.

The Three Blessings

Chassidus teaches that the Angel Michoel is responsible for bestowing the three blessings of  health, wealth and children.  Some people have all three, some people have only one of them, and some people have none at all.  The word ''children'' does not just refer to being blessed with having children, but also that the child grows up to be a mensch... that you receive nachas [loosely translated as pride and pleasure] from your children.

The Zohar teaches that if a Jewish woman covers her hair, she will be blessed with all three..... [Likutei Sichos, vol. 13, p. 188 Lubavitcher Rebbe]

.... unfortunately, these days, it is not always that simple.   Our souls are all reincarnations and our situations in this life are probably determined by our past lives and whatever needs to be atoned for and fixed in this life  [although for women, covering the hair is still a very good way to give yourself and your family extra blessing from Above].

Of course, Torah, Tefilla [prayer] and Tzedaka [charity] can improve all three blessings.

Wealth

There are two tests – for a wealthy person, his challenge is to not believe that he is the creator [of his wealth].

For the person in dire straits, it is to still believe.

Both can be educated through the “Ma-an” [manna - the daily seeds which fell, giving the Jews food during their duration in the desert].

For the wealthy person, the Ma-an was literally the Jews' sustenance  - for though people were famously wealthy – having taken the Egyptian wealth, nonetheless they were in a desert, and the Ma-an was their sole sustenance which forced them to daily look Heavenward.

In contrast, the Ma-an was miraculous in that if you took extra even for one day, it rotted [in other words, the poor person could appreciate that extra was actually not a blessing].

How To Unlock Divine Flow 

However, the key to unlock the Divine infinite flow is by setting aside one’s ego – acknowledging that everything is merely G-d’s kindness.

We find there is a commentary that explains that after Yitzchak gave Maaser [tithe] on the produce of his fields, he discovered that the same produce multiplied one hundred times.

In other words, what Hashem is coming to teach us is that from the reward of giving Maaser, man is blessed even a hundred times more. 

We can ask, if the ultimate reward is spirituality, and fulfilling unconditionally G-d’s will, why does the Torah promise physical rewards [as we learn in the Shema]?

Furthermore, why would it be so laudable that in the messianic era so many Divine miracles will create a miraculous physical abundance [such as “When you plant, things will grow” – “The taste of the tree’s bark will be like its fruit” – all indicating a world of complete physical pleasure]

The answer is that in truth, everything in the physical flows from the Torah.

Hence when a Jew engages in the Torah [as the Zohar teaches, “First G-d creates through Torah, then Jews maintain through its study”] so this manifests not only spiritually, but also physically.

In the era of Moshiach this flow will be apparent.

Sources: Lubavitcher Rebbe: Likutei Sichos 4 Page 1099; Likutei Sichos 5 Page 12; Likutei Sichos 37 Page 79; Kabbalah Wisdom