Jews of Ukraine: A History

 Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson: short video

Unleashing a Monster

 Rabbi Mendel Kessin, new shiur

Ukraine's Komarna Rebbes

This is a re-blog from 2011. Ukrainian history.  This is a familiar map to us now, back in 2011 perhaps not so familiar to most of us.

Komarno is near the city of Lviv



Source: Yitzchak Yaakov Rosenbaum HaLevi - as heard from the Komarno Rebbe Eliezer Tzvi Safrin shlita

[Interestingly, all of the previous Komarna Rebbes passed away during the time of the Omer]
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After the collapse of communism in 1990, the chassidim of the Komarna dynasty travelled to search for the graves of their Rebbes which had been destroyed by the Nazis.

They arrived in Komarno [Ukraine] and asked many people where they could locate the part of town where the Jews had lived. Here they found an old farmer and questioned him regarding the whereabouts of any Jewish graves.

The farmer had no idea, he couldn't help them at all.... but the chassidim continued to question him and ask him if he could think of anything that could help them....... suddenly the farmer remembered that there is a certain paddock, about a mile from the town of Komarno, where they take the cows and sheep to graze. The animals would always stop at a certain point and refuse to go any further. They would only eat the grass on one side of the paddock.

Ohel of Komarna Rebbes

The farmer took the chassidim to the paddock and showed them the area that the cattle refused to graze in. The chassidim began to gently dig at the grass and discovered the graves of their Rebbes. Although the headstones had been destroyed by the Nazis, the graves were lying untouched beneath the grass.



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A visitor to the ohel reported a newly-lit candle burning in the corner. He wondered who had been there and left it - he went outside and asked the children playing there who it was who had just visited and left the candle. The children said that no-one had been there at all, and that he was the first visitor that day.
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Pirkei Avot [ch.2] states: "Weigh the loss from a mitzvah against its reward." This is an admonition to the leaders of the community, said Komarno Rebbe Eliezer Zvi Safrin [1830-1898] zatz'l, that they should be willing to sacrifice their personal spiritual gain in order to raise the level of others. Even if a person must interrupt his own learning or growth in order to engage in kiruv (bringing others closer), this loss is insignificant compared to the rewards.

Rav Safrin -- known as the "Sar Bet Hazohar" [Master of the Zohar]: Regarding this the Zohar [II:128b] says that if one helps another overcome his yetzer hara, it is as if he has created a new person. Moreover, there is no greater honor to Hashem than this, the Zohar says. If one holds the hand of a rasha and tries to lead the rasha on a new path, he accomplishes three things: he helps to crush the yetzer hara, he brings honor to G-d, and he causes the world to endure. Such a person will merit to see children and grandchildren, and about him it says "Mighty in the land will his offspring be, a generation of the upright who shall be blessed." [Zekan Beto]

Purification Requires Agitation and Confusion

Rebbe Nachman explains how a person is purified.  So too, the world, which is being purified, also requires agitation and confusion.

from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan


When one begins to attach to a great tzadik and truly serve G-d, he is often filled with great confusion and evil thoughts.

The evil was always there, but only now it is surfacing.

A pot of water may seem perfectly clear. But when it is placed on a fire and begins to boil, all its impurities are brought to the surface. One must stand by and constantly remove these impurities.

The original purity is merely an illusion. With a little heat the impurity surfaces. But when these impurities are removed, the water is truly pure and clear.

The same is true of a person. Before he begins serving G-d, good and evil are completely mixed together within him. The impurities are so closely united with the good that they cannot be recognized.

But then this person comes close to a true Tzadik and begins to burn with great feeling toward G-d. He is touched with the heat of purification, and all the evil and impurities come to the surface. Here again one must stand by and constantly remove the dirt and impurities as they appear. In the end the person is truly pure and clear.

Purification requires this period of agitation and confusion.

In the beginning a person is totally immersed in the material. He then begins to come close to G-d.

It would seem possible to remove this dirt and impurity at once. But his mind is completely intermingled with this mire. Were it to be removed immediately, his mind would be drawn out with it.

Therefore, one must be purified little by little, in gradual stages.

Ukraine's Moshiach Hint

I just noticed that the colours of the Ukranian flag are the same colours as the Moshiach flag.

Ukraine

Ekron

Omicron

Corona

It's all coming together: We are heading for the Coronation of Melech HaMoshiach

may it come speedily!

The Rebbe's Eerie Prediction

On 23 Adar 1, 5752 -  30 years to the day of the invasion of Ukraine - 23 Adar 1 5782 - the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke about an ingathering of the exiles, saying that there still remain one or two nations where the Yidden have to flee in a way that is “farbunden mit sakonah”. [laden with danger]

If you understand Yiddish you can hear what the Rebbe said by clicking here

Russia is Gog? and Ukraine is....?

HT: Yosef

It is brought in the sefer “Tzfiras Chen” by the mekubal R’ Noach Gad Weintraub that Russia is Gog u-Magog. In another sefer, “Hadras Chen”, he says that the Ukraine derives its name from “Ekron”, one of the five cities of the Plishtim (Philistines), and that the people themselves descend from Plishtim who migrated there. Regarding “Ekron”, the verse states that in the days of Moshiach “Ekron will be uprooted.” [Tzafanya 2:4]

Continue reading at Russia is Gog? And Ukraine is....

Australia's Biblical Rain Bomb

          My early morning Shabbat shopping rewarded me with a rainbow in the carpark.

It's been raining here for so long, it feels like 40 days and 40 nights [it hasn't been, but it does feel like it].  

It's being called a "Rain Bomb" and over half a million people on the east coast of Australia have had to flee their homes.  

Whilst Australia is known as the "land of droughts and flooding rains", we've ever seen anything like this before.  Biblical times, to be sure.

It's still coming down, and no end in sight yet.  

Photos can be seen here - and although the Daily Mail is not exactly my news outlet of choice, they do publish a lot of photos.

Between the rain bomb and the Ukraine crisis, everyone's forgotten about Covid, apart from our PM who has a dose of it and thankfully has been temporarily removed from speaking his usual nonsense. Perfect timing to shut him up before he aggravates Putin so much that Russia will attack us as well.

Zelensky Tweets Holocaust 2.0

HT: Yosef

"Russia has launched a missile attack on the territory where the Babyn Yar memorial complex is located. These villains are killing Holocaust victims for the second time." [Source: JPost]

It's All About the Jews

The World in Turmoil

 New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Accountability

 מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת "The Dwelling of the Testimony" [Pekudei 38:21]

Why, asked the Malbim {R' Meir Leibush Malbim} is the Mishkan referred to as the "Dwelling of Testimony?"

In the pesukim that follow, answered the Malbim, the Torah gives us an accounting of the vast amounts of gold, silver and other materials that were used in the construction of the Mishkan.  It records how much was donated toward the Mishkan's construction and how much was put to use.

The Mishkan itself was the best evidence that there was absolutely no dishonesty in relation to the Mishkan's construction, and that every last donation was accounted for and put to use.  For it is inconceivable that the Divine Presence would ever dwell in a place that was tainted with corruption.  If any of the donations had been misappropriated, the Divine Presence would never have rested there.

[Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein]

Expect the Unexpected

Something to bear in mind as we watch current events:

The months of Adar are considered to have the power of “venahafoch hu”, turn things around.

Please Support Emergency Food Supplies Ukraine

 

Please join the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine to deliver over 30,000 packages of emergency food supplies and essential needs across 180 Communities in Ukraine.

Click here for full details and donation page

Let Moshiach Come

 

Let [Moshiach] come, but let me not see him. [Sanhedrin 98b] 

The Sages knew that before the arrival of Moshiach, the world would be in a state which they did not want to be part of.  We are the generation who have chosen to be here, to live through the terrible times and greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu.  We all chose to be here, and here we are, as we sit and watch the terrible invasion of the Ukraine by the evil Putin.

But.... Putin is only doing Hashem's Will, as the hearts of the leaders of the world are in the Hands of Hashem.

Our hearts go out to the people of the Ukraine at this time.

Putin and the Jews, and Moshiach

HT: Sherry

This short video below is Rabbi Berel Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia, speaking about Moshiach. "Through the Eyes of Moshiach: Who Needs The Ideal World?"

You may also be interested to see this video: The Enigma of Putin and the Jews, where Rabbi Lazar is interviewed on the topic.  [sound is quite low, so if your computer volume is not loud enough -  like mine - try watching it on another device.

How Hashem Activates the Redemption

 Latest shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

 

A Hint in the Numbers?

It's already Tuesday here in Australia.  Today's date is 22.02.2022 [21 Adar A]

We are in the 3,333rd year from Yetzias Mitzrayim.

All these recurring numbers, and each set adds up to 12. 

Twelve represents totality, wholeness, and the completion of God’s purpose. There are 12 tribes of Israel, 12 months in the year, and 12 houses of the zodiac [Genesis 27:20, 25:16; Exodus 24:4, 25:27; Ezekiel 43:16;Yoma 75b, 77b; Taanit 25a; Hullin 95].  [Source]

Our generation has all the signs of the generation before Moshiach.  The war of Gog u Magog appears to be starting.  Maybe these numbers are a hint that this year will see the completion of God's purpose.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and insights.

Is Putin Starting WW3? Biblical Prophecies about Gog u Magog

 Rabbi Alon Anava - Current events and more

Where is God Now

 New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Chevlei Moshiach and the Double Adar

As we all know, we have a double Adar this year.  We are being told that Russia is set to invade Ukraine on Wednesday [15th of Adar I].  In regular years, the 15th of Adar is Shushan Purim, the festival that celebrates -- in Jerusalem and other ancient walled cities -- the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman's evil decree in the year 3405 from creation (356 BCE). In a leap year -- which has two Adars -- Shushan Purim is observed in Adar II, and the 15th of Adar I is designated as Shushan Purim Kattan, the "Minor Shushan Purim." [Source: Chabad]

Normally, the Jewish calendar year has 12 lunar months and every few years (7 in each cycle of 19 years) we have a “pregnant/intercalated year” (שָׁנָה מְעֻבֶּרֶת) with 13 months. In these years, the first Adar is the intercalated month (חֹדֶשׁ הָעִבּוּר)—the month of ibbur—the 13th month that is added to the year, while the Second Adar is the original Adar that we have every year, which is why Purim waits patiently until we celebrate it during the Second Adar. [Source Inner]

How appropriate that we have the chevlei Moshiach [birthpangs of Moshiach] during a pregnant year !