Birthpangs of Moshiach and Lessons of Quarantine

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz

Tzedaka

Amongst the many calls for help these days, this one caught my eye:

For many years, Rebbetzin Toiba Jungreis was the main breadwinner in her house. She juggled the responsibilities of caring for her growing family and paying the bills in order to allow her husband, the Tchenger rebbe of Boro Park, pursue a life of spreading Torah and of avodas Hashem.

The vicissitudes of the coronavirus, however, came down hard on the esteemed Jungreis family. The rebbetzin, the backbone of the family, was abruptly taken away on the second day of Chol Hamoed, during the worst of the pandemic. She had been suffering for awhile with the debilitating ALS disease, requiring the family to expend enormous sums for her support and medical expenses.

Her husband, Rav Asher Anshil shlita, is a quiet but strong influence on his kehillah. He has been known since his youth as a holy man, a gaon and tzaddik who is dedicated to his shiurim and yiras shamayim.

Nothing in the rebbe's life has swayed him from this single-minded focus, not even when he lost one child, and then another. When the dreaded ALS diagnosis came, he and his children mustered an extraordinary reservoir of strength to be a bulwark of support for their mother and to keep themselves strong at the same time. The household was totally restructured to ease her pain and suffering.

But now, the rebbe and his children face their biggest test yet. How will they remain a solid unit when the glue that kept them together is no longer with them? How will the rebbe raise his young children while simultaneously worrying about tuition, utility bills and other expenses? How will he marry off his children when still burdened by crushing medical debts arising from years of caring for his rebbetzin?

We must not let this latest tragedy bring him down! We cannot allow the passing of the rebbetzin undo decades of her work to build up a bayis ne'eman b'Yisroel!

You will be the family's savior!

We established a goal of raising $500,000, which askanim estimate is the amount needed to put the Jungreis family on a firm financial footing.

The rebbe is a namesake and successor to the holy Menuchas Asher of Tchenger zt"l, who was renowned for his brachos on behalf of the sick and needy. He will surely be there for those who help his descendant during his direst hour.

May all the generous donors who help the rebbe and his family overcome these challenges be blessed with all types of brachos and yeshuos.

Click here to donate [Verified Campaign, The Chesed Fund]

Social Distancing

Rabbi Shimon Kessin on Covid 19

Audio only - thank you to whichever Anonymous sent it to me

Please note, this is not Rabbi MENDEL Kessin, it is his brother Rabbi SHIMON Kessin

Locked Up or Locked Down?

Having just read a rant by an Israeli blogger who believes the Covid19 lockdowns are sinister and have nothing to do with the disease, which is harmless...... and no worse than a normal flu.... perhaps that blogger needs to spend some time in an emergency ward in the UK.

Just checking the statistics, and although many Israelis would leave us to believe that Israel is doing very well comparatively [which it is B"H] it is not exactly beating other countries in the war against Covid19.

From the Statista statistics at April 18:

Israel comes in at number 37 on the list for example with 158 deaths, while Australia is much lower at number 53 with 69 deaths.

Burundi has the lowest amount: 1 death

USA the highest at 37,175

[although I believe China would be much higher than that, they are just not telling the truth]

So whilst some countries have a massive amount of casualties, others have relatively few.  Why?  I tend to think that countries such as Israel and Australia handled the situation very quickly and locked down before it got out of control.  Australia had advance warning, as did New Zealand [showing as 11 deaths], and certainly Israel took action very quickly.  

I can't understand why some people think this is all a giant conspiracy toward some evil end.  And even if it is, don't you think G-d knows what's going on and will take care of it in due process?  

Meanwhile we enter Lockdown Day Something, I've lost count.  I rarely know what day of the week it is anymore.  

Returning the Corona [Crown] of the Torah.....

.... to it's rightful place

Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

Corona: Necessary Preparation for Global Redemption

Rav Avraham Shira
How the virus is equivalent to the 9th Plague of Darkness.

These Are The Days of Moshiach

Recently, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, shlita, the head of the “Shuvu Israel’ institutions, and Av Beit Din of the Jewish community in Morocco, gave over another message, about what Am Yisrael can expect over the coming weeks and months.

Rav Pinto said: “YOU SHOULD KNOW, WE ARE IN THE DAYS OF MOSHIACH – THE YOMIM SHEL MOSHIACH!

We need to strengthen ourselves [spiritually], there will be hard times, and people will die.

After this, another period will begin, an earthquake.

A big Rabbi will die, and then there will be a war.

And after this, there will be Moshiach Tzidkaynu, our Righteous Redeemer.

Source and More click here

Loneliness

Never succumb to feelings of loneliness. No matter where you are, God is close by.

Remember: Feeling distant from God is subjective, not objective; it is just your own feeling, not reality.

[Rebbe Nachman of Breslov]

What Do We Need To Do Now?

A few words from Rav Ephraim Kenig, Breslev Tsfat

What Do We Need To Do Now?

There is no question that we need to pay great attention to what is going on around us right now. As the Rambam writes, when things like this happen, don't say it is by chance or a rare occurrence, and then let it pass as if nothing happened. If so, the Rambam says, God will need to send an even more difficult warning to get our attention, God forbid. So what do we need to do? Right now, without delay, take a good honest look inside yourself to fix whatever you know needs repair. God knows the heart and mind of each one of us and knows if we are really learning the correct lesson from what is going on right now. Whatever we understand that we need to improve in our lives, it is important to put it into immediate action. The main thing is to fix the relationship between us and others, whether it be family or friends, or anyone else with whom we interact. Ensure there is no grudge, malice or hard feelings between you and anyone else.

Likewise, it is time to take a deeper look at our relationship with God. Regarding prayer, we are now in a situation where it is already impossible to pray with a minyan. I think the message is for anyone who has perhaps taken prayer in a minyan lightly. Thus we now face what is described in Pirkei Avot, that whoever neglects the Torah in wealth, will ultimately neglect it in poverty. We see that for all sorts of reasons, we are being told not to pray in a minyan. The advice for this is also found in the same Mishnah, that whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty, will ultimately fulfill it in wealth. (Pirkei Avot 4:9) In other words, it is time to strengthen ourselves and do whatever we previously found difficult—all of those things we avoided doing until today. Yes, fulfill them, yes, strengthen ourselves in those things we previously belittled or disparaged. Yes, be spiritually stronger and have greater focus in prayer. Then, of course, God will have compassion and give us the ability to fulfill the Torah in wealth, in many different ways: practical mitzvot, mitzvot connected to thought, and those dependent upon speech. God should bless us all with whatever we need in order to do what He desires, according to halacha. If we fulfill God's desire, He will most certainly fulfill our own holy desires as well, and we will see immediate deliverance and redemption.

How to Celebrate Pesach This Year

Apparently, we need to celebrate Pesach this year in a way that we’ve never celebrated before, at least as things appear at the moment. God can do anything, and everything can be transformed into good in a second. Nonetheless, we need to be prepared—and if we must make Pesach under certain different circumstances, so these are exactly the circumstances that God wants. As I’ve mentioned before, if it isn’t going the way you want, then want the way it is going. This means that everyone needs to see to it that they will observe Pesach this year. Ensure there is matzah and maror (the bitter herbs for the seder plate) at home, along with a joyous atmosphere and the holiday meals. Make sure to read the Passover Haggada, which leads us through every aspect of the Pesach seder—how and what to do. Of course, everyone has their own family customs, and whatever you don’t know or are unclear about, you can ask someone. Or ask other family members regarding your family traditions or anything else that you need. In this way, little by little, we will all pass through the holiday calmly and in a settled manner—exactly in the way that God wants for this moment.
 
We were redeemed in the month of Nisan, and the future redemption will also be in Nisan. We hope that it will be immediately, this year, as the verse says, “You are all alive today.” HaShem should bless us all with a chag kasher v’sameach, and a holiday of total freedom. Amen.

Pesach: Pink Super Moon

This is my dream...... the moon becomes pink. 

Wishing you all a Chag Kosher v'Sameach and may we see the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days.  

[If anything interesting turns up, I'll keep blogging until Yomtov - note: Thursday, Friday are Yomtov, followed by Shabbat, iy''H blogging resumes Sunday.]

Photo Randy Small Photography

Mysterious Shofar Sounds in Sweden

It's not a train, there are no trains near where this was filmed.  Sounds like a shofar.... in Sweden.... if you can't hear it on your PC, play it on your phone [my phone's volume is much louder and better than my computer's is, don't know about yours]

Bibi Invokes 800 Year Old Prophecy

Jerusalem Post

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening announced tough new restrictions on public movement, prohibiting all travel between cities from Tuesday at 4 p.m. until Friday at 7 a.m.

A complete lockdown and increased enforcement will begin on Passover Eve from Wednesday at 6 p.m. until Thursday at 7 a.m. Citizens will be required to remain in their homes amid fears that going to someone else’s house for the Seder or during Passover’s intermediate days could lead to the spread of coronavirus.

A Couple of Links

'Coronavirus heralds the end of Globalization'

French-Israeli philosopher and sociologist Shmuel Trigano sees the pandemic as a stark reminder of the limitations of nations and humanity itself.

Very interesting, to read click here

Audio: Rabbi Akiva Tatz on why CV and other interesting facts

click here to listen

Positivity from Rabbi Wallerstein

Someone sent me these short clips from a Torah Anytime lecture.
Rabbi Wallerstein can say it in 60 seconds.  Standing ovation for this man.

Fear of CV May Bring our Redemption

“It's astounding in many ways how one topic can completely consume the entire planet but that's what's happening. Of course I'm talking about the coronavirus pandemic. The question is how do we understand what's going on. Is it possible to understand why Hashem is doing this?” 

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, a leading expert on the Ramchal, spoke from the isolation of his home on the inner meaning of today’s events in a profound lesson taught last week, pointing out that worldwide phenomena are not happening “coincidentally.”

Click here to read the entire article at the Jerusalem Herald

The Solution for Corona

Rabbi Alon Anava

What is the cause for the virus and what should we be focusing on!

While the entire world is 'under attack' by the Corona Virus... Is the virus really the problem? are we over reacting? are we focusing on the the REAL problem or are we fooled...

Don't be fooled!

 And remember: Truth can only be seen by others with truth within them! He who does not have truth in his heart will always be blind to truth!

Refa Na La

This Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes

Shared true story from Chaya

***** if anyone would like to share this story, please attach my Zaidy's name, Moshe Ben Amrom/Moshe ben Chaya Grunwald yes that is Zaidy's actual name, same as Moshe rabbeinu, who is known for anivut, a middah that also exemplified Zaidy*****

 I want to share something that happened today. Something that if today was a normal day, could have never happened.

We were told that the funeral would be at 10 am sharp. Don't be late or we will miss it. The funerals are very minimal. And quick. Mamash a minyan and a kapittle of tehilim a kel maale rachamim and done.

The avelim came up to the aron, they begged mechila. They started the tehillim. They got to almost the end when a funeral aide walked in and took a peek in the aron. It wasn't my grandfather. We had conducted a funeral over someone else.

Everyone was shocked, horrified, dumbstruck. They sent the family out. I was in the car outside, so my sister came to tell me what had happened.

About 20 minutes later they started all over again this time with Zaidy present.

I have to admit I was so upset that this had happened to my Zaidy. The man who was loved by all. Who deserved so much kavod, who had to die alone due to a pandemic, who had to have this embarrassment of a funeral, who couldn't have a befitting burial, or shiva. This was the final insult. I was so upset, I started to laugh and cry simultaneously. I couldn't believe I was living in a time where there are so many bodies, that they mixed them up.

And then my mother called me. And she says I won't believe this story, I told her I already knew about the mixup. She said "You don't know the rest!"

The body that was brought in, it was a meis mitzvah [in Jewish law a meis mitzvah is a person that is found dead, or for whatever reason does not have family to bury him. It's the obligation of the community to bury him in a dignified way] he was dead alone in his apartment for 4 days before he was found. This man had no one there. No one to be sad, no one to say tehillim, or give him a minyan. Through a weird twist of fate, he ended up with a beautiful funeral, a minyan, something under normal circumstances he would not have had.

And then I remember my Zaidy, my Zaidy was always honored but he ran and hid from it, he never wanted the spotlight. My cousin posted that we would send people to follow him in to chupah to make sure that if they gave him a bracha he'd be there. That was part of us ensuring he got what he deserved. Even then he always thought there was someone greater than him that deserved the honor.

Well Zaidy, as usual got the last laugh. We couldn't chase him to the front of the funeral home. Even in death he gave his kavod for someone else. This is the most Zaidy like thing to ever happen.

A meis mitzvah got a funeral. I can just imagine the laugh in Zaidy's eyes as he watched this. His chesed and hachnasat orchim knew no bounds. I know in my heart my Zaidy did in death what he always did in life. Instead of my horror of earlier today I am filled with pride. As Zaidy's neshama continues to give even in death.

May Hashem heal the world quickly, so no one suffers anymore. May we celebrate smachot soon.

Haggadah Online

Suddenly realize you don't have a Haggadah at home?

Don't worry, Chabad and Breslov have you covered.

Click here for Chabad Haggadah download

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