The Burden of This World

The Alter Rebbe

For the Refuah Shleimah of Alon Yehuda Yosef ben
Chana Miryam



Reb Noah was a devoted disciple of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, who lived in 18th century Russia. Among the Lubavitcher Hasidim, Reb Schneur Zalman is known as the Alter Rebbe because he was the first in the line of seven Lubavitcher Rebbes.

Reb Noah's son eventually married the Alter Rebbe's daughter and from that union came the Rebbe who was known as the Tzemach Tzedek. To this day, the memory of Reb Noah is well honoured amongst Lubavitchers, who tell this story about him.

After Reb Noah died and came before the Heavenly Court, they looked into his case and found that he had been a very good Jew. All his life he had observed the commandments as best he could and never missed any opportunity to perform an additional mitzvah.

Now, as is wellknown amongst the Hasidim, when a Jew says the appropriate blessing before doing a mitzvah, then a holy angel is born from that very act. These angels, it is said, will come to testify on behalf of the soul after death. And so it happened that when Reb Noah stood before the Heavenly Court, thousands upon thousands of luminous mitzvah angels came to his trial, saying "I was born from such-and-such a good deed performed by Reb Noah when he was alive on earth".

The Heavenly Court was very impressed by the testimony of all these mitzvah angels and was about to decide that Reb Noah should go immediately to Gan Eden. But suddenly another angel appeared, which was not very luminous at all. In fact, this angel was dull and lacking in light. The darkened angel stood before the Court and said "I was born from a sin that Reb Noah committed during his life on earth." Then the angel revealed to the Court exactly what the sin had been.

The three judges who sit on the Heavenly Court deliberated long and hard. On the one hand, Reb Noah was a holy man who had led a basically righteous life, so he deserved to go to Gan Eden. But on the other hand, he had committed the sin. Just as no good deed every goes unrewarded, so does no sin ever go unpunished. At long last, the Court decided to give Reb Noah two choices: he could spend a half-hour in Gehenna now, to atone for the sin, and then go straight to Gan Eden. Or, he could avoid the pain of purgatory by reincarnating on earth once again and atoning for the sin there.

Reb Noah answered: "With all due respect to this Court, I would like to consult with my Rebbe, Reb Schneur Zalman, before I make a decision. All my life I never did anything concerning my spiritual life without first asking the Rebbe's advice. And so I would like permission to ask the Rebbe about this now."

The Court consulted the Heavenly Records and found that it was indeed true. Reb Noah never did anything important without first asking the Rebbe's advice. "Very well" the Court replied, "you may return to earth in the spirit and consult with the Alter Rebbe about your decision".

Back on earth, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was sitting at the table as usual, learning Torah with his Hasidim. Then the soul of Reb Noah appeared to him in the spirit and posed the question: "Earth or Gehenna?" The Rebbe turned to his Hasidim and said "Reb Noah is here right now, and he is asking what judgment he should choose: a half hour in hell or to be reborn in this world another time."

The Hasidim said nothing. What could they say? If the Rebbe didn't know, how could they presume to decide for him? So they sat there in silence, waiting to hear what the Rebbe's answer would be.

The Alter Rebbe put his hand on his forehead, then rested his elbow on the table and concentrated very deeply. For a long long time he just sat there in silence, turning the question over in his mind, weighing all the consequences. Then came the answer: "Gehenna - to purgatory!"

As soon as the Rebbe had said the word "Gehenna", the Hasidim all heard a voice cry out "Oy, Rebbe!" At the same moment they saw, burned into the wall by the door, the outline of a human hand. It had been made by Reb Noah's soul as it entered Gehenna.

From this the Hasidim understood what a burden it is to come to this world. Better to spend half an hour in the fires of purgatory than a whole lifetime on earth once again!

Prayers for Rabbi Anava

Interrupting my own break to ask you to pray for the Refuah Shleimah for Rabbi Alon Anava who is currently in intensive care in Israel due to an infection in his blood.  He is now in a life threatening situation.  Please pray for Rabbi Alon Yehuda Yosef ben Chana Miryam.  

To everyone who has written to me, thank you for your emails.  I am taking an extended blogging break, I don't want to say I won't be back because i usually change my mind, but at this point I'm still enjoying the break and desperately needed to get away from things for a while.  I have blocked comments for the moment.  I'm still here, reading other peoples' blogs.... and doing other things and enjoying the spring weather.  

Shana Tova

Wishing everyone a good and sweet new year 5780.

Moshiach ''Standing by the Door''

The Satan is dying.  Moshiach is coming and the Satan knows his time is almost up, and he's fighting to hold on and everyone is doing their darndest to remove the President.  Rabbi Kessin has told us this for many years now.  

As we rapidly rush towards 5780, there is an item that has gone viral all over the internet, and that is the story of Rabbi Kaduri and the Israeli election. [which I told you about back in June] But there's more to this story, if you have not yet seen it somewhere else.  

A report in Israel's daily Yisrael Hayom this week addressed a report that's been spread recently on WhatsApp groups and social media that Rav Yitzchak Kaduri zt''l predicted the current situation of the deadlock between Likud and Blue and White and the fights between the right and left. 

The message on social media says that a ''sefer named U'Shevuato L'Yishchak'' which Rav Kaduri wrote in his youth, was recently found in the yeshiva of mekubalim Nachlas Yitzchak.  A prediction was found in the sefer saying ''On the eve of the year 5780, the Year of Tikkunim, there won't be a government in Israel for an extended period of time.  The camps will quarrel greatly with each other without reaching any decision.  And then, on the day of Rosh Hashanah, the sitra achra [literally the other side - evil] will fight with the sitra d'kedusha [side of holiness] in Shamayim [Heaven] and HaKodesh Baruch Hu and His Legions will decide between them.  This is all I can reveal, and from herein on I swore not to reveal more secrets.''

The report adds that ''In the ancient sefer ''The Bris of the Persimmon'' written by the mekubal R' Sasson Chai Shoshani who was called the ''Navi from Mitzrayim'', there is a wonderful quote which has special meaning during these days:  'The day will come that two ministers will win the government in Israel.  The name of both will be Binyamin and neither will succeed in establishing a government.  On that day you should know and understand that Moshiach is already standing by the door and on the Shabbos afterward, He will come and reveal Himself.'

Yisrael Hayom spoke to Moshe N, who is the assistant of R' Yosef Kaduri, Rav Yitzchak Kaduri's grandson, and the Rosh Yeshivah of Nachlas Yitzchak.  ''In the yeshiva, there's all types of handwritten documents from Rav Kaduri with holy names and similar things that we keep in the safe' Moshe said.  'These are passed down from generation to generation, secretly - only between the mekubalim - and it's forbidden to reveal them.'

'In writings based on the kaballah of R' Sasson Chai Shoshani, Rav Kaduri speaks about the Geula and that before Moshiach comes they won't be able to form a government.  So what was publicized [on social media] is very close to what is written in the documents, but the wording of the published report is not exact.  The chavrusa of Rav Kaduri, Chacham Menachem Menashe, the author of Ahavas Chaim, wrote similar things.  He wrote in the name of R' Sasson Chai Shoshani in Parshat Ki Tavo, the parsha we read this past Shabbat, on what will be at the end of days, how there will be a war with the Erev Rav about Shabbat and how the Erev Rav will have the majority.'

'The documents of Rav Kaduri say something similar but it's written in a more detailed way and it speaks specifically about this year as a year that can turn into a  year of Geula.  It doesn't say ''elections'' - that's an intepretation - but it writes about the fight between two different sides in Am Yisrael, that this is a stop on the way to Geula and one of it's signs.  Ultimately, the Geula is dependent only on us, Am Yisrael.'

[YWN Israel Desk - Jerusalem]

Tamar Yonah talks Elections with Rabbi Kessin

Who will/should lead after the elections?

Tamar Yonah interviews Rabbi Mendel Kessin Sept 24

Click here to listen [scroll down the page]

When Silence is Deafening

"The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah." [Nitzavim 29:28]

[Written by Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein]

Rashi explains that a Jew is not expected to offer his friend rebuke for the sins that lie hidden within his heart, for how can he possibly know what another man is thinking?  Therefore, in the case of hidden sins, Hashem exacts retribution from the sinner alone.

On the other hand, a Jew is expected to rebuke his fellow man for the sins he does openly.  Consequently, when Jews overlook other people's misdeeds, Hashem's anger is brought upon all of them.

A terrible dispute broke out in Radin, the Chofetz Chaim's hometown. Though the Chofetz Chaim was by now in his later years, he rushed to the shul and approached the bimah.  From there, he addressed the community.

"My dear brothers!" began the Chofetz Chaim.  "If someone would have offered me 2,000 rubles to deliver a derashah in shul, I would not have accepted it! I am not willing to sell my precious time for money.  However, because of the situation, I am forced to speak.  We must know that there will come a time when each and every one of us will be required to stand before the Heavenly Court and give an account of all the deeds that he performed over the course of his life.

"You must be aware that strife is a very serious matter!  A person may have performed scores of mitzvos in his life, but if he was guilty of causing or involving himself in matters of dispute, then he is like a person who tried filling a bag that had a large hole at its bottom - all the mitzvos he performed will be lost.

"I have no doubt that when the individuals from Radin who were involved in the dispute come before the Heavenly Court, they will attempt to clear themselves by stating the following:

"We cannot be held accountable! For in our city there lived an elderly Jew, by the name of Yisrael Meir, whom we deemed to be a talmid chacham.  He saw all that was transpiring, yet he remained silent."

"Therefore, my dear brothers" concluded the Chofetz Chaim in a voice filled with emotion, "I beg of you - do not mention my name before the Heavenly Court!"

As these words left the mouth of the Chofetz Chaim, he broke down and wept bitterly, and his frail body trembled. This sight made a very powerful impression on the people of Radin, and the dispute was resolved immediately.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. .... Edmund Burke
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.....Elie Wiesel

The Final Countdown, Atheistic Government, Immorality, Enemies

Rabbi Yehoshua Zitron
Mashiach Part 16: The Final Countdown- Atheistic Government, Immorality, Enemies