No Revenge

 

Words of Comfort

Text by Naftali

For anyone who may be feeling the burden of these uncertain times, I would like to share some words of comfort. 

The verse states ״עֵת־צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקֹב וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵׁעַ״  

“it is a time of distress for Jacob, through which he shall be saved.” [Jeremiah 30:7] 

The initial letters of the first three words in this verse spell the word ״עצה״ “Solution”. This coincides with the idea that GD puts the solution in place before the hardship. 

The initial letters of the last three words of this verse add up to the numerical value of “46” hinting at the current time where a 46th president seems to have been “elected”. 

There’s a solution in place, for our current time. Do not despair! Good things are on the horizon, from financial to health and everything you can and cannot imagine, the likes that we have never seen before.  

“וְהַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ בַּֽ״ד חֶ֜֗סֶד יְסֽוֹבְבֶֽנּוּ'' “but as for him who trusts in the Lord- kindness will encompass him.” [Psalms 32:10]

See this video from Rabbi Glazerson for more. [Hebrew]

Putting the Alef into Exile = Geula

 Picture of the Rebbe by Leon Sternberg

Text by Binyamin HaLevi

The Lubavitcher Rebbe prophesied thirty years ago "that this year 5781 will be the year when I [Hashem] will surely show you Wondrous Miracles", it is appropriate that we open our eyes and bring the following quotation of the Rebbe:

 א - אלופו של עולם - גולה - גאולה 

As is known, that by bringing the Alef - א of אלופו של עולם - the commander of the world into the exile [גולה] – by our Torah activities and our Avoda throughout the period of exile, thereupon “depends the Geula” – coming from within the exile itself – the גאולה - Geula - Redemption. 

And more, since this comes because of the concealment and disguise of the exile, the revelation of the true and complete Geula will be a break-through of overwhelming strength, a Geula never to be followed by exile, “Hashem will rule for all eternity”.

More from the Rebbe on the revelation of Moshiach:

[How, moments before the appearance of the new moon - Royalty - King David [Moshiach] there will no sign in the events of the world of Moshiach's arrival. And this is immediately followed by the appearance and arrival of Moshiach. - Translator].

 ויאמר לו יהונתן מחר חודש ונפקדת כי יפקד מושבך 

And Yehonasan said to him [David] tomorrow is the first day of the new month and you will be remembered because your seat will be empty”, my father [King Saul] will be reminded of you and ask where you are?” [Shmuel 1.20.18]. 

And this is connected to מחר חודש tomorrow is the first day of the new month [moon]: before the first day of the month there is concealment - the moon is hidden, that up until the moment before birth of the moon there does not even remain a minute remnant [“the seat of David will be missing” - of Malchus - his Kingdom, the spiritual source of the moon]. And immediately thereafter comes [tomorrow -] the month, the birth of the moon appearing afresh “and you [King David] will be remembered”. 

Parshas Shemini 5752

B'Hatzlacha !

 Wishing him a great success.  Im yirtze Hashem

Who Will Win the Election?

This is a very interesting shiur from Rabbi Anava. I'm listening to it now and thought it worth sharing.

Rabbi Anava, more than any other Rabbi on the internet, explains everything in a way that can be understood by Jews and nonJews alike.  He translates and he shows the text from the Torah in English so people can clearly see what is written there and understand that the Torah is not just a book, but in fact is a matrix which needs to be taught by a competent Rabbi.  

Listen to this shiur and see the incredible predictions from the Torah, which in hindsight we can see clearly have come about through the election of Donald Trump four years ago.  

The last half hour of this lecture may upset some people, because here Rabbi Anava talks about the destruction of America.  Whatever your personal opinion may be, bear the following in mind.... the Lubavitcher Rebbe prophesied that 5781 would be a Year of Wonders, and the Rebbe was and is a Tzaddik whose words were never incorrect.  

Hidden Blessings

“A blessing rests only on something that is hidden from the eye.” [Taanit 5b]

"And they gave their father wine to drink on that night....."[Vayeira 19:33 ]

According to the Zohar, the dot on the word - וּבְקוּמָהּ - alludes to the fact that God was secretly assisting this event, because Moshiach was to materialize from it, since Ruth, King David's great-grandmother, was a convert from the Moabites.

The latter event between Lot and his younger daughter [19:35] is written without the letter vav, to indicate that the union did not produce such great offspring.  Rabbi  Shimon said "When the verses states that Lot wasn't aware, it means he wasn't aware that Moshiach was destined to come from this union."

Why should the beginnings of Moshiach occur in such an undignified manner?

Ramak explains that when a very lofty soul is about to descend into the world, the forces of kelipah [evil] oppose the soul's descent vehemently.  Sometimes, however, kelipah will consent to the soul's descent if it occurs amidst a particularly sinful act.  Thus we find that from this undesirable act the ancestor of Moshiach was born.

Source: Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rabbi Kessin: Moshiach ben Yosef [Audio]

 

Shiur given 5/19/2020

Various Interesting News

Thank you to everyone who emailed me some of these links.

Tamar Yonah interviews Rabbi Mendel Kessin October 27 - Are we Hearing the Footsteps of Moshiach

Rabbi Batzri composes prayer for Donald Trump

Rav Sternbuch shlita sees Geula in Corona

Rav Kessin: How God Plans to Rescue the Jews before Redemption

The Generation of the Flood has Reincarnated Now

The Sense of Smell

 

The Dove's Message

Art: Charnine

"The dove came to him toward evening, and behold it had plucked an olive leaf with its beak"

[Noach 8:11]

Rashi, quoting a Midrash, recounts that the dove said to Noach: "Let my food be as bitter as an olive - as long as it is provided by the hand of HaKadosh Baruch Hu - and not as sweet as honey - if it will be provided by the hand of flesh and blood."

Why, asked the Dubno Maggid, would the dove make such a statement to Noach before taking leave of him and the ark?  Hadn't Noach so graciously provided for it and cared for all of its needs over the course of an entire year?

Rather, answered the Maggid, the dove was concerned that perhaps Noach would suspect that it had returned not because the flood had ended but because it knew that it would receive all of its food on the ark.  This is why the dove told Noach, "I have not returned for food. For I prefer to be sustained with food that is as bitter as olives, as long as it is provided by Hashem, rather than with food that is as sweet as honey but provided by man!"

Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein

The Rescue of the Jews before the Redemption

 New Rabbi Mendel Kessin shiur

Garments of Leather

by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita

It is written “Hashem made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them” [Bereishit 3:21]

Why did G-d choose garments of skin to clothe Adam and his wife?

The author of Tzafnat Pa’aneach offers us a subtle explanation: When Adam discovered that he was naked and needed to be clothed, he was in a situation that required him to recite the Shecheyanu blessing, for he would be wearing a new garment. However the Halachah forbids a person from reciting a blessing if he is naked.

Adam was therefore faced with a dilemma: Should he recite a blessing for his first garment, and if so, how should he say it?

Hence the verse states, “Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them.” It specifically mentions garments of skin because Shecheyanu is not recited over leather garments, since “His mercy extends to all His creatures” [Tehillim 145:9]. By fashioning garments of skin for Adam while he was still naked, Hashem exempted him from having to recite Shecheyanu.

Are We There Yet?

One of the conditions that will occur before Moshiach is that ''the pious will be despised''.

One major source describes the world-condition in those days as follows: increase in insolence and impudence; oppressing inflation; unbridled irresponsibility on the part of authorities; centers of learning will turn into bawdy houses; wars; many destitutes begging, with none to pity them; wisdom shall be putrid; the pious shall be despised; truth will be abandoned; the young will insult the old; family-breakup with mutual recriminations; impudent leadership.  Source: Chabad

A quick glance at any news outlet will show you many stories of the orthodox [Hareidi] celebrating the chagim amidst corona... whatever your opinion is, it is a fact that right now the pious are despised, accused of spreading corona. 

18 Tishrei Yahrzeit Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's histalkus [ascent from the body] took place in Uman, a Ukrainian town in Kiev oblast, on the 18th of Tishrei, which is the second day of Chol HaMo'ed Succos, 5571 [Oct. 16, 1810]. According to his express wish, Rebbe Nachman was buried in the old Jewish cemetery, together with more than 20,000 martyrs of the Haidamack massacres of 5528 [1768]. His surviving family members included his second wife, who built over his grave the original Ohel [a wooden structure to accommodate those who wished to pray nearby]; his daughters Adel, Sarah, Miriam, and Chaya; and several grandchildren. According to one tradition, the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Simcha, survived him, as well. 

It is customary for Breslover Chasidim to gather together on "Chai Tishrei" in order to commemorate the Rebbe's Yahrzeit. As is commonly the case in the Breslov community, there are no special minhagim [customs] associated with this event, other than lighting a Yahrzeit candle, giving Tzedakah [charity] in Rebbe Nachman's memory, and engaging in the study of Rebbe Nachman's writings.

To read and learn Rebbe Nachman's teachings, click on the REBBE NACHMAN label below this post.

 

Where is the Satan on Yom Kippur?

 

Fundamentals of Repentance - Rabbi Mendel Kessin - given in 2017

5781: Heading for a Showdown

 by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

…and their lifeblood is dashed against My garments and I have stained all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in My heart and the year of My redeemed has come.” [Isaiah 63:3-4]

These two verses in the portion of Prophets read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah always awaken our hopes: Perhaps this is the year that we have anticipated for so long? Perhaps this is the year of redemption?

“For the day of vengeance is in My heart.” God has a passion to take vengeance. The vengeance in this verse refers to Edom, but the essence of Edom is Israel’s age-old archenemy, Amalek. The numerical value of Amalek (עֲמָלֵק) is the same as doubt (סָפֵק), safek. Amalek represents doubt. These verses are particularly relevant this year.

The coming year is 5781 since the creation. It is customary to designate the year by discarding the thousands and thus this year is known as, תשפ”א, or 781, which is (among other important things) the numerical value of Israel-Amalek (יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲמָלֵק), together. This means that the coming year is a decisive one. We might go so far as to say that this year will see the final showdown between Israel and its archenemy, Amalek. God’s spirit will rest upon Israel “And the spirit of Havayah will rest upon him,” [the value of the words, “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל) and “God’s spirit” (רוּחַ הוי’) together also equals 781] and Israel will defeat Amalek. Israel will defeat doubt.

Vengeance on Doubt

What is the doubt that we must defeat? After the Israelites in the desert asked, “Is God in our midst or not?”[1] the following verse says, “And Amalek came and made war with Israel.” Amalek attacks us with the most painful and destructive doubt of all: Is God here, present, and with us, or is He not? Amalek has the power to make us doubt the existence of that which is clearly here.

“For the day of vengeance is in My heart.” The commentators explain that “in My heart” means that the desire to take vengeance on Amalek has been in God’s heart for generations, as is written, “God’s war with Amalek from generation to generation.”[2] It is as if God has restrained Himself throughout the years, but now the time has come. The entire movie is nothing more than a backdrop for the showdown. The showdown, the climax of the movie, is upon us.

The heart is the seat of desire. “The day of vengeance in My heart” means that God has a desire for that day to arrive. If God has this desire, why does He restrain Himself? God fulfills the teaching in the holy Zohar and the holy Tanya: “The mind controls the heart.”[3] This means that the intellect controls one’s passions and desires. We generally think of passion or lust in negative terms, as the evil inclination or the animal soul. But there are also positive passions: “The cravings of the righteous are strictly good.”[4] God is the Tzaddik, the Righteous of the world, and certainly, His desires are all positive. But the mind also controls positive desires. It reins them in if the time has not yet come. The mind sees the possible outcome of the fulfillment of a particular desire and knows when the proper time has come. It controls the desire of the heart so that it will wait for the exact moment—for “the year of My redeemed has come.”

The Mind’s Inner Dimension is Pleasure

Sometimes, however, the desire is so strong that the person’s mind cannot overcome it. An example of this would be when Joseph could no longer hold himself back and revealed his identity to his brothers. It is then that the inner dimension of the heart enters the arena to control the mind. In spite of the power of the heart’s inner dimension wanting to reveal the year of redemption, the mind’s inner dimension can still exercise control over the heart’s inner dimension. So, the wait may continue until the mind’s inner dimension has decided that the time is right.

What is the difference between the mind’s inner dimension and the ‘regular’ mind that controls the heart? When we say that the mind controls the heart, we mean that the mind, which sees the potential repercussions or outcomes of a particular action, perceives that the time is not yet ripe—the mind judges that the world is not yet ready. The perfect, precise backdrop is needed for “the year of My redeemed has come.”

The inner dimension of the mind is about something entirely different. It represents the feeling of Divine pleasure—it senses the exact moment when revealing, “the year of My redeemed” will cause the most pleasure. In Kabbalistic terms, the mind’s inner dimension is described as “the inner dimension of partzuf Abba [the father principle]” and this is equated with, “the inner dimension of Atik” (פְּנִימִיּוֹת אַבָּא פְּנִימִיּוֹת עַתִּיק), which in Chassidic thought is called “pleasure.” Thus, though in His heart, God desires “a day of vengeance” upon Amalek, in the inner aspects of the mind, God’s essential pleasure dictates otherwise. The time has not yet come for the manifestation of this essential pleasure. And so, we wait… until now. The showdown is always the movie’s climax, the high point of the entire story. It is “the year of My redeemed has come.”

Amalek’s Conversion

There is an important debate between the sages as to whether it is permissible to accept converts from Amalek. Maimonides determines that it is permissible, but there are many others who say that it is forbidden and that Amalekites must literally be killed, as in the verse, “Erase the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens, do not forget.”[5] Maimonides writes that before going to war with Amalek, we offer peace. If he is willing to fulfill the seven Noahide commandments and to be subservient to Israel, he is accepted as a ger toshav, a foreign resident who accepts the Torah’s authority and the seven Noahide laws. Some sages say that if an Amalekite is willing to accept the conditions for becoming a ger toshav, he can then proceed to full conversion.

We see from this that there is a rectification for Amalek. It is written that the descendants of Haman (the Amalekite) taught Torah in Bnai Brak.[6] If they were teaching Torah in Bnai Brak, somebody must have converted them. There are opinions that they were accepted without knowledge of their lineage, which only became known after they converted. Nonetheless, we see that something good can come of Amalek—he can even become a Jew! Interestingly, the numerical value of “an Amalekite convert (גֵּר עֲמָלֵקִי) is equal to that of “the King Mashiach” (מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ)!

[1] Exodus 17:7.

[2] Exodus 17:16.

[3] Tanya A 12.

[4] Proverbs 11:23.

[5] Deuteronomy 25:19.

[6] Sanhedrin 96b.

Source

Judge Yourself before Judging Others

 

There is a wellknown saying that if you go to Court, you should do so '''with clean hands''.  In other words, if you are guilty of a wrong-doing, and then you take another party to Court, you will not only be judged accordingly in this world, but you will also be judged in Heaven before the other party is judged.

As the Ben Ish Chai wrote:

"Woe to the victim who cries out, more than to the one who wronged him." [Bava Kamma 93a]

A victim calls upon G-d to punish the one who wronged him - and Heaven treats the victim more severely! Why? Let's say Reuven called on G-d to judge Shimon for doing him a grave injustice. Shimon will not be punished until the Heavenly Court judges him. But Reuven himself probably wronged others at some point in his life - and for him, judicial procedures can be dispensed with. He himself admitted that such sins warrant severe punishment!  [See: Judgments Above and Below]

And also as we see here:

 "You are guilty of the injustice done to me," said the childless Sarah to Avraham when she sensed that Hagar, the maidservant Sarah had given to him as a wife, stopped respecting her after Hagar became pregnant. Sarah was outraged that Avraham had remained silent as Hagar abused her, and she concluded her charge with the words "Let Hashem judge between us!" [Bereishet 16:5]

This summoning of Heavenly judgment, says Rabbi Chanan in our gemara, boomerangs against the initiator, who is punished by Heaven even before the accused is. The proof is that Sarah died before Avraham, who "came to eulogize Sarah and weep over her." [Bereishet 23:2]

The impropriety of summoning Heavenly judgment, qualifies the gemara, is only in a situation where there is an alternative of seeking justice in a court here on earth. What alternative existed for Sarah, who is cited as the classical example of such impropriety?

Tosefot explains that she had the alternative of bringing her complaint against Avraham before the court of Shem, the son of Noach. Rabbeinu Nissim [Rosh Hashanah 16b] offers another approach. Even if Sarah had no court to turn to, she was wrong in not first bringing her complaint to her husband before summoning Heavenly judgment against him.

Heavenly judgment improperly summoned by the wounded party is a two-edged sword. Hashem declared that if the victim cries out to Him the outcry will be heeded and there will be severe consequences [Shmot 22:22-23]. The implication is that both the accuser and the accused will be punished, but the first to suffer will be the accuser. Maharsha points out that in the case of Sarah, her husband was punished with the loss of his wife, for the greatest tragedy of a person's death is suffered by the bereaved spouse. But her punishment of death preceded his punishment, for his grief began only when he returned to Hebron and became aware of her passing.

An interesting historical footnote to this chapter is provided by Ramban in his commentary on Torah. Sarah's oppression of Hagar, and Avraham's consent to her action which eventually forced her to flee, was improper. As a result "Hashem heeded her pain and gave her a son [Yishmael] who would be a wild man oppressing the descendants of Avraham and Sarah in so many ways."

[Source: Bava Kama 93a]

5781 - Raising the Poor from the Dust

 

Shana Tova!