Ahmadinejad: Plotting his own downfall.....

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn stressed Sunday that “Lebanon’s people, army and resistance are an invincible fortress in the face of Israel,” noting that the Lebanese "will never forget that Iran stood by them in great difficulties," during talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.

Ghosn also said that Israel would fear Iran's reaction, should it consider moving in a hostile way against any regional country.

Ahmadinejad told the minister that Lebanon and Iran should work toward unity to confront the west and Israel, Iran's official news agency reported.

Read the Full story here

Haman Is The Architect Of His Humiliating Downfall

With regard to Haman's downfall the U'Masok HaOr brings from HaChaim V'Hashalom that there are two ways Hashem saves Klal Yisroel from our enemies. One way is like Hashem did in Mitzrayim. Hashem pulls out all the stops to demolish our persecutors. Ten brutal nature-altering plagues, one after the other in vicious succession. Similarly by Sancherev whose massive army laid siege on the hopeless Yerushalayim and was poised to strike a fatal blow, Hashem miraculously wiped them all out during the night. This show of force, while devastating, is not embarrassing. In both these cases the victim had been bested by forces far more powerful than they could handle.

Another way that Hashem pays back our enemy and provides a salvation is by sending our oppressor into the trap he has laid for us. This is totally humiliating as the cunning calculation and great pride that went into preparing our downfall not only did not provide the desired result , but ended with our enemy lying in the very grave he prepared so meticulously for us. This was the downfall of Haman. The very same tree that he so proudly prepared was the tree he himself hung from. This was the theme all along even before Haman's final death. He schemed to wear the King's clothing and ride his horse by himself, yet he was the one pulling along his arch enemy in disgrace.

This theme repeats itself throughout the megila as a careful look will show Haman's hand in other events, all of which came back to haunt him. The path Haman paved to the top was simply a path he was preparing for his way back down, far down.

Source: Revach L'Neshama

Adar: The Sweet Smelling Month

Source: Bnei Yisaschar - Revach.net

The Arizal says that each month represents a part of a person's head. The month of Adar represents the "nose". Sweet smell, says the gemara Brachos [44b], gives pleasure not to the body but rather to the Neshama. The Bnei Yisaschar explains that when Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz HaDaas [Tree of Knowledge] they used all their senses for the aveira [sin] except their sense of smell. The pasuk says: she saw, she listened, she touched, and she tasted. But nowhere does it say that anyone smelled. Therefore the sense of smell has a certain purity that is unmatched by the other senses.

It is therefore appropriate that for the great Nes [miracle] that took place in the month of Adar, the month of smell, that both of the heroes of Purim, Mordechai and Esther had names referring to smell. Mordechai's name says the gemara Chulin [139b] is hinted in the name of the fragrance used in the Ketores called Mor Dror or Mira-Dachya as translated by Unkelos. Esther's real name, the Megila tells us [2:7], was Hadassa - the sweet smelling myrtle tree. Since a person's name represents their true inner self, Mordechai and Esther with their lofty purity were able to avoid the pitfalls of Achashveirosh and his materialism during his party and even while living in his palace. During the special month of Adar where these qualities reign supreme, these two pure tzaddikim saved Klal Yisroel from destruction.

Rabbi Winston on the Parsha and Purim [video]

Rabbi Pinchas Winston, based upon his book, "Redemption to Redemption: The Very Deep and Intricate Connection Between the Holidays of Purim and Pesach," discusses the connection between Yosef and his brothers, Shechem, and Purim.

Iran Prepares for War

Unconfirmed rumors from a wellknown and respected mekubal in Israel that the Gog u'Magog war will occur on Purim [yes!] - I will hopefully be able to blog more details about this tomorrow, once I have more information. Meanwhile.... Iran prepares:

Tension is continuing to rise, Iranian state TV has shown pictures of what it says are recent military exercises in central Iran.
Iranian warships have entered the Mediterranean, stoking already soaring regional tensions. The Iranian navy's top admirial said the craft, thought to be a destroyer and its supply vessel, were on a mission of peace, but also that Iran wanted to showcase its naval power. Unconfirmed reports said the ships might be destined for Syria.
Fears that the country's nuclear programme is aimed at developing nuclear weapons led to a decision by the EU to stop importing crude oil from Iran from July 1.
Tension is continuing to rise in the Middle East ahead of a planned inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency next week.

The Purim Torah Codes

[adapted from Keeping Posted with NCSY, Fall 1999 edition and also from Torah.org article by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld]

There is a famous "code" in Megillat Esther :- towards the end of the story, King Ahashveirosh allows the Jews to avenge themselves of their enemies on the 13th day of Adar. In Shushan, the capital, the Jews kill 500 men and hang Haman's ten sons on a gallows. Queen Esther then approaches the King with an additional request: "...allow the Jews who are in Shushan to do tomorrow as they did today, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows" [Esther 9:13]. It's curious that she would request the hanging of Haman's already slain sons. Nevertheless, the King complies.

The Hebrew word for "tomorrow" ("machar") occasionally refers to the distant future. Further, the Sages tell us that whenever the word "king" appears in the Megillah it alludes to the King of kings as well. Thus, the verse could be understood as a request by Esther to G-d to again hang the ten sons of Haman at some point in the distant future. Now, when the Megillah lists the ten sons of Haman during their hanging [Esther 9:7-9] there are a number of unusually-sized letters. (There is a tradition to write certain letters in the Torah larger or smaller than the standard size.)

According to the most accepted tradition, there is a large 'vav' [numerical value = 6] and a small 'tav' [400], 'shin' [300] and 'zayin' [7]. The following suggestion has been made: The large vav refers to the sixth millennium (of the Hebrew calendar); the small letters refer to year 707 of that millennium. The meaning, then, is that G-d agreed to hang Haman's ten sons again in the year 5707 = 1946-7.

When listing the ten sons of Haman who were hanged [Esther 9:6-10], three letters, namely Taf, Shin, and Zayin, are written smaller than the rest (most printed texts reflect this; if yours doesn’t, look in another). The commentaries offer no explanation for this other than that it is a prophecy. The letters "Taf-Shin-Zayin" represent the Hebrew year 5707, corresponding to the secular year 1946-47.

On October 16, 1946 (21 Tishrei, 5707) ten convicted Nazi war criminals were hanged in Nuremberg. (An eleventh, Hermann Goering, a transvestite, committed suicide in his cell. The Midrash tells us that Haman also had a daughter who committed suicide.) As if the parallel were not obvious enough without further corroboration, Nazi Julius Streicher’s last words were: "Purimfest 1946". (In case you question the accuracy of Streicher’s last words, they are are well-documented; they appeared in Newsweek, October 28, 1946.)


It is fairly safe to assume that (a) Streicher did not know about the three small letters in the Megilla, (b) he did not know that these letters corresponded to the year in which he was being hanged, and (c) even had he known, he would have had no motivation to reinforce the validity of Jewish texts, traditions, or prophecies. One could not ask for a more independent confirmation of the all encompassing knowledge to be found in the Sifrei Tanach.

Rabbi Weissmandl - a great Hungararian scholar and holocaust survivor - made a number of findings concerning Megillat Esther using skip distances of 12,111 letters - the exact number of letters in Megillat Esther. If one starts with the first regular mem (as opposed to the "final mem" ) in Bereishis 4:14, where the name Esther (vocalized differently) appears for the only time in the Torah, and count at intervals of 12,111 letters, one finds spelled out the phrase "Megillat Esther." Coincidence? I think not.

Everything happens for a reason

Source: Malbim's commentary on Megillat Esther, translated by Jonathan Taub

Before recounting the troubles that befell the Jewish people, we are told that "the cure preceded the wound". We are taught that the Almighty only strikes us in order to heal us. This is the meaning of the verse: "All the diseases which I brought on Mitzrayim I will not place upon you, because I am Hashem Who Heals You." [Shemos 15:26]

When the messengers sent by Hasach gave Esther's instructions to Mordechai, Mordechai told them to reply to Esther: "Do not think to yourself that you can escape in the king's house more than all the Jews." [Megillat Esther 4:13]

Why did Mordechai say "Do not think to yourself" when "Do not think" would have sufficed?

Mordechai informed Esther of several fundamental principles:

1) Any time something unusual and extraordinary occurs, we must realize that the Almighty has brought this about as a means to achieving some important providential end.  Esther's remarkable elevation to the position of queen was clearly Divinely determined for some significant purpose.  With the revelation of the decree to annihilate the Jewish people, it was now obvious that Esther was intended to help save the Jews.

2) For any tragedy that befalls the Jews, there is a specific time and day ready for their deliverance by certain prepared means. If these means are not actualized, then the Almighty will prepare other means to save them.

3) Anything that does not exist for itself, but to help something else, has its entire existence dependent on what it was destined to help.  For example, if a gardener wants to plant certain flowers in the winter, he will construct a special greenhouse with a heating system to help these flowers grow.  If he changes his mind and wants the flowers to flourish in the summer, when there is an abundance of natural light and heat from the sun, he will dismantle the greenhouse, for it is no longer required.

Mordechai was telling Esther that her position in the royal house was not for her own benefit, but for the sake of the Jews.  If Esther decided not to help rescue them, the Almighty undoubtedly had other means and methods of bringing about their redemption, regardless of how improbable they might seem.

Since Esther was granted her position as queen only in order to help the Jews, and since the date for their salvation had already been determined, if she did not act immediately she might miss the appointed time and the Almighty would use other agents to affect their deliverance.

This was Mordechai's warning to Esther.  Do not think that your elevation to royalty is to yourself, for your own benefit, so that you can escape in the king's house, rather than for saving the Jewish nation.  The opposite is true: it is only to enable you to rescue the Jews.

Appearances can be Deceptive

A Purim Vort

Why did Vashti refuse to appear naked before the King?  The Ohr HaMeir says in the name of the Baal Shem Tov:

Vashti is klipah and Esther is Kedusha. "The King" is obviously in reference to Hashem, the True King.

Klipah is the outer shell - it encases that which is in it, in essence holding what is inside it prisoner. Kedusha is holiness.

The only advantage that klipah has over kedushah is that it is beautifully clothed. The klipah appears to be attractive. But as soon as you remove the levushim (robes) - the klipah has nothing to hang on to and it vanishes completely. Thus, the klipah cannot come before the King.

Anything in this physical world that entices us that is not Kedusha will be nothing in the future: it will cease to exist, because klipah cannot stand before the King "unclothed".

Purim begins this Saturday night.  At that time we will see the Super Moon - the moon will appear huge because it will be very close to the earth -  356,577km away.  The moon represents the Jewish people... so it's a good sign.

The Clothes Have No Emperor

Art: Vladimir Kush

by: Yosef Y. Jacobson

Death of a queen

The opening chapter of the Purim Meggilah is strikingly enigmatic.

Here is the story in brief: The Emperor of Persia, Achashverosh, throws a party in his capital city, Shushan, to celebrate the firm establishment of his kingship. On the seventh day of the feast, "when the heart of the king was merry with wine," he orders seven of his chamberlains to bring Queen Vashti before him, "to show off her beauty."

Vashti refuses to appear. The king becomes furious and he has her executed.

Why did Vashti refuse to appear before the guests? The Talmud explains [1], that when Achashverosh offered to show them his wife's beauty, the guests insisted that she appear without any clothes. Vashti, a wicked queen who found special glee in torturing and violating Jewish girls and women on the Sabbath day, was punished with leprosy on her skin. Under such conditions she naturally refused to expose her body.

But if so, why did Vashti not send a private message to her husband explaining that it would be humiliating for her and him if she were to expose herself before the guests. Though the king was intoxicated, it is hard to imagine that he would bestow a death sentence on a wife who has just spared him tremendous shame [2]!

Also, why does this story occupy the entire first chapter of the Megillah? Though it is a prelude to understanding how Esther, the hero of the Purim story, became the queen of Achashverosh, nonetheless, the detailed description of the event that brought about Vashti's execution seems superfluous in the story of Purim.

The power of evil

In the Kabbalah, where all biblical figures and episodes are depicted as parables for metaphysical realities, Achashverosh, the mighty monarch of a world power, serves as a parable for the King of Kings, the Creator of the universe [3]. Vashti, the wicked queen of Persia, symbolizes the reign of evil in the world [4].

Naked evil has no appeal or power to attract. In order for evil to gain popularity among the masses, it must be "packaged" well; it must be "dressed" in nice garments that will cover up its true identity.

The two evil monsters of the last generation, Hitler and Stalin, presented their colossal murderous strategies as moral and noble programs dedicated to healing the world of its diseases. This was true throughout history. The inventors and implementers of bloodshed and violence usually presented their schemes as ethical and humane endeavors.

This is valid concerning the evil we perpetrate in our personal lives as well. We embrace many of the destructive and immoral temptations we feel in our heart only because they package themselves outstandingly well. The glittering veneer of comfort and happiness that these temptations display lure us into their trap. If every unhealthy craving we experience presented itself without any masks, we would immediately cast it away.

Thus, the Kabbalah teaches [5] that man's daily challenge in life consists of choosing substance over packaging, inherent value over good PR. When one feels an urge to eat something, to engage in a certain intimate act or to say something, he or she ought to reflect whether this is an inherently healthy and moral thing to do, or is indeed hollow and empty, merely exhibiting itself as promising and enjoyable.

The hallmark of a spiritual life is one that always seeks to be in tune with the true essence of things, and not merely with their external appearance.

Removing the masks

This is how Jewish mysticism understands the symbolism behind the opening story of the Meggilah: Vashti, symbolizing the power of evil, can only retain her power and glory if she is garbed in garments that conceal her real identity. If Vashti removes all her masks, she instantaneously loses all of her appeal and charm.

Therefore, when the King of Kings insists that Vashti appear at His feast in her bareness, she must refuse Him. Because the "clothes" of evil have no "emperor" within them.

This brought about the end of the Vashtinian rule. When evil is called on its nakedness, its nothingness is exposed and its power lost [6].

Footnotes

1. Megillah 12b.

2. The Talmud (ibid. Quoted in Rashi to Esther 1:12) explains, that Vashti sent her husband humiliating messages, thus kindling his wrath to an extreme. What follows is the mystical interpretation of the story, as it is presented in the writings of Chassidism.

3. Midrash quoted in Meoray Or 1:182. Cf. Rikanti to Genesis 29:10, quoted in Mechir Yayin to Esther 1, 12:13. Erkay Hakenuyim under the entry of Achashverosh.

4. See Or Hameir Megiilas Esther. Likkutei Levi Yitzchak Megillas Esther p. 79. Toras Levi Yitzchak p. 17.

5. See Tanya chapter 16.

6. See Tanya chapter 29.

The nucleus of this explanation was presented by the Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760, founder of the Chassidic movement). It is quoted in his name by Rabbi Zee'v Wolf of Zhitamir (a disciple of the Maggid of Mezrich, heir to the Baal Shem Tov) in his Chassidic work Or Hameir on the Meggilah. Reference to it is made in Or Hatorah (by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, 1789-1876) Megilas Esther p. 72.

Egypt Overturned, But Israel's Existence Still Questioned

Art: Jacek Yerka

A story of an Island and a Whale by Rabbi YY Jacobson

Two old Jewish men are standing in front of the Czar's firing squad. The officer asks them if they would like a final cigarette.

One of them says, "No, I don't smoke, and you can drop dead."

The other whispers in his ear, "Shhh, Yankle, don't make trouble."

*****************

The Whale

The latest developments in Egypt have become a source of concern in Israel. The Jewish State is in doubt whether the new emerging powers in Egypt will honor the cold peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, signed three decades ago. This only underscores yet once again the vulnerable position of Israel, and how its very existence is still questioned. A revolution so inspiring and uplifting in the land of the Pharaohs, but Israel's right of existence is still not a simple matter.

Let us reflect a bit on this.

One of the great Talmudic sages related the following episode:

Once, while on a ship, we came to what we assumed was a large island, since we saw on it sand and growing grass. We disembarked the ship, went on to the island, built a fire, and cooked our meal. Yet what we assumed to be an island was really a fish. When the fish felt the heat, he rolled over and we were plunged into the water. Had the ship not been nearby, we would have drowned. -- Talmud Bava Basra 73b.

What is the meaning behind this absurd Talmudic tale, related by one of its great sages, Rabba the son of Bar Chana?

According to some of the great Talmudic commentators, this tale captures, in intriguing metaphor, one of the most essential truths about Jewish history, particularly one relating to the holiday of Purim, which will be celebrated in a few weeks.

The Journey

From the moment they stood at Mt. Sinai more than three millennia ago, the Jewish people have been traveling on a lone and long journey. Their destination is a world healed, redeemed and reunified with its Creator; a society cleansed from ego-centricity, hatred and bloodshed; a universe permeated with moral and spiritual awareness, filled with "the knowledge of the Divine as the waters cover the sea" (in the words of the prophet Isaiah chapter 11). The Torah and its Mitzvos serve as their blueprint for this courageous voyage in a vast and seemingly endless sea.

Yet the waters have often become increasingly tumultuous and the voyage discouraging, if not apparently futile. So when in the midst of their journey they observed what seemed to be an island of serenity, an oasis of tranquility, a respite from a miserable fate, many of them abandoned the "ship" of Jewish consciousness and commitment for the perceived blessings of freedom and happiness.

The era in which the Purim story occurred was a classical example of this pattern. The king was married to a Jewish woman; large segments of Jewish society assimilated into Persian culture; the Jewish establishment played a pivotal role in the economical and political structures of the Persian Empire. The community had been invited to the royal feast and given status as equal citizens. In reciprocity, the Jews learned how to "behave;" how to become integrated and law abiding citizens. They did not demand kosher food or kosher wine at the feast, nor did they create any other waves that would disturb the equilibrium and make them stand out as Jews.

Seventy years after being expelled from their ancient homeland, their Temple being burnt to the ground, many of them had abandoned the old ship, secure in their belief that they have reached an island of serenity; they finally "made it."

Identity Crisis

Throughout history, the struggle of Jewish identity and our relationships with the world around us has become so challenging, that it often caused us to redefine ourselves from within. Jean-Paul Sartre claimed in his Sur le Question Juif that the only thing Jews had in common was that they were the victims of hate. It is not Jews who create anti-Semitism, he said, but anti-Semitism that creates Jews. Arthur Koestler wrote: "Self-hatred is the Jews patriotism." Franz Kafka said: "What do I have in common with the Jews? I don't even have anything in common with myself."

Time and time again we have been lured into the faith that if we abandon the "ship" of Judaism-of Torah and Mitzvos-we would gain acceptance among the brotherhood of mankind. "Be a man in the street and a Jew at home," was the 19th century slogan by the Enlightened Jews in Western Europe. If only Jews weren't so Jewish we would have less anti-Semitism, so went the theory.

The past three centuries have produced a dazzling variety of movements, ideals and solutions to the age-old "Jewish problem," offering islands of hope for a people tormented by persecution and targeted for abuse. The Enlightenment (Haskalah) came to "civilize" us and allow us free entry into European society; the Marxists and Socialists promised to create a utopia for us and all of mankind; Zionism's goal was to grant us a State, a national identity, and thus cure anti-Semitism once and for all; Reform came to make us acceptable to the non-Jewish society and to inculcate us with humanistic values; secularism came to free us from the burdens of tradition which have supposedly hindered our progress and happiness.

All of these attempts have been brilliantly captured in that ancient Talmudic tale: Once, while on a ship, we came to what we assumed was a large island, since we saw on it sand and growing grass. We disembarked the ship, went on to the island, built a fire, and cooked our meal.

Disillusionment

Yet, ironically, the end of the Talmudic tale also came to be:

What we assumed to be an island was really a fish. When the fish felt the heat, he rolled over and we were plunged into the water. Had the ship not been nearby, we would have drowned.

Each time we came to feel comfortable on the island, and we began at last to live out our latent dreams, the "fish" turned over and threw us back into the raging waters. In the days of Purim, when the Jews felt that they had successfully integrated into mainstream culture, under the very nose of a Jewish queen-the king was persuaded to issue forth a plan of genocide for the Jewish people.

Assimilation never cured prejudice. Not in the days of Purim, nor at any time in the future. It didn't even in 15th century Spain, where Jews converted to Christianity and yet still suffered from persecution under the vicious doctrine of limpieza de sangre ("purity of blood"), the forerunner of modern racial anti-Semitism. It didn't in 20th century Germany where Jews were often "more German" than the Germans. It didn't in the Modern State of Israel constructed as a secular democracy.

The historical truth remains that none of the above movements achieved their stated goals. The Holocaust made mockery of Jewish integration in the general humanistic world; Zionism created the State of Israel, which we cherish deeply, but only exacerbated the problems of anti-Semitism and still struggles to provide security for its citizens. Israel still needs to fight for its "right" to exist. Stalin "cured" us of the "paradise" of Marxism and Socialism; the Enlightenment apparently did not sufficiently civilize us; secularism has deprived generations of direction and meaning, leaving our youth thirsty for identity and purpose (1).

Our Hope

"Had the ship not been nearby, we would have drowned," is how the Talmudic sage concludes the episode. What saved us during the time of Purim - and what has guaranteed our existence throughout our long and difficult history - was not forfeiting our identity and surrendering our truth; it was our animated relationship with the living G-d, the creator of heaven and earth, and our dedication to His Torah and Mitzvos that has allowed us to survive and thrive, till we reach the culmination of the voyage, speedily in our days (2).

1) Interestingly, the metaphor employed in the Talmudic tale is the fish. What the travelers felt was an island was really a fish waiting to plunge them into the waters. The zodiac sign for the month of Adar is Pisces, fish (mazal dogim.) As the book of Esther relates, the Persian Minister Haman chose a day in the month of Adar (the 13th) to exterminate the Jewish people (Maharsah to Bava Basra 73b). Conversely, what is unique about fish? They must remain submerged in their natural element of water to survive. So too, the Jewish people must remain in their habitat of Torah and Mitzvos for their continued existence (see Talmud Berechos 61a).

2) This essay is based on the commentary of the Maharsah (Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Eidels) to Talmud Bava Basra 73b and on other sources.

Purim Katan: Above Nature

Art Jacek Yerka

This year being a Jewish leap year, we have two Adars.  (The Jewish calendar follows a 19 year cycle, and there are seven leap years in each cycle.... which means that during the cycle we have 19 Purims, but only 7 Purim Katans)  We celebrate Purim in the second Adar, but in Adar I we celebrate "Purim Katan" (the little Purim) on 14 Adar I which begins tonight Thursday February 17.

There is a strong connection between Purim and Purim Katan. The Mishnah teaches: “There is no difference between the first Adar and the second Adar, except for the reading of the Megillah and the distribution of gifts to the poor.” [Megillah 6b]

How to nullify a decree [reprinted from websiteYiddishkeit.org - author unknown]

Both Mordechai and Esther realized that the decree regarding the Jews was the result of improper Jewish behavior.

Since it is abundantly clear that one cannot nullify an end result (the decree) without first nullifying the cause (the erroneous Jewish conduct), their first act was to call Jews to repentance and fasting.

Once the spiritual cause of the decree had been ameliorated through repentance, and because G-d desires that one act through natural means, Esther then went to Achashveirosh in an attempt to abolish the decree.

Because the appeal to Achashveirosh was merely the natural vessel for the true salvation that came from above, it is understandable that Mordechai and Esther were less concerned with physical appearance or diplomatic skills as they were with repentance.

The lesson for us is obvious: There are those who think that during times of distress and misfortune, G-d forbid, natural means should be the first course of action. The story of Purim teaches us that natural means are only a second step; the first step must be to strengthen our bond with G-d by studying His Torah and performing His mitzvos. Then, and only then, should we turn to natural means to extricate ourselves from our difficulties.

When we act in this manner, we can be secure in the knowledge that whatever natural garment we employ will act to convey the supernatural miracle that is ultimately responsible for extracting us from the troubles we may find ourselves in.

For just as this is so regarding Israel as a whole, so too is it in regard to individual Jews: Every Jew must know that he is bound up with G-d, Who totally transcends nature.

It is true that G-d's blessings must be clothed in the natural vessel of human action ("G-d shall bless you in all that you do"). However, after all is said and done, human activity is no more than a garment and vehicle for G-d's blessings. The main emphasis must not be on the garment, but on stimulating G-d's abundant blessings through the study of Torah and the performance of mitzvos.

Entering the Twilight Zone

A light show in the Heavens and a nuclear war on the horizon (Korea)..... we have the total lunar eclipse of the full moon on December 21 - the winter solstice - (the last time this line up occurred was during the Great Depression, and it will not occur again until December 21, 2485)  and the threat of Korea which could begin WW3 - is this the final war before Moshiach?  

Click here to read "Interesting Times: Dec 21 2010"
Click here to read  "Korea: Fulfilling the Prophecy"

An occasional contributor to this blog, Daniel S, shares his thoughts below:

"This upcoming virtually guaranteed war, (we wrote about it several months ago before any tensions) according to my near term calculations, may break out in the next few weeks and last a total of three months, as I have written, before the much broader war is over in the second month of Adar when, according to Sefer Bnei Yissaschor (Adar Ma'ammar 4), nations who behave like Amalekites (who also aid others to destroy Israel -- give Iran the technology to do so) are wiped out just as they were on Purim which took place that year in the second Adar. He also writes that in the End of Days, you will see that Amalek will be wiped out in the month of Adar (containing Purim) and more so in Adar 2 - Hashem, at times, working through the better nations to do so.

For example: the first Gulf War against the Amalekite Sadaam Hussein, ended precisely on the day of Purim (when we also read Parshas Zachor to remember and wipe out the memory of Amalek the first nation to attack us upon our exit from Egypt having just become the nation) while the second Gulf War began precisely on the day after Purim called "Shushan Purim." So anyone who thinks this is not the very end of days, is naive.

This month of Adar, the month of Purim, this year (a leap year) has a hidden second such month called Adar Bet (or Adar 2). There isn't another one like it for 3 more years.

So we are now in the middle of Tevet (coincidentally my Hebrew birthday is today hence the attachment of codes* displayed from my Bar Mitzvah Parsha, Vayechi) when historically, as the Talmud records, the world generally has tragic events that in the past have threatened Israel and the world.

Moreover, this Tuesday night is a total eclipse of the moon, potentially portending bad events in the world.

Following this month of Tevet, only leaves three months of Sh'vat, Adar, and Adar Bet for the duration of this war.

While obviously no guarantees it will be now, however, one just has to read the news to know it is inevitably close."

 

Also see a post from 2005:  "Years of Awe" blog: Koreas in Twilight Zone

*codes are in PDF format, Email me if you want a copy