Monday, June 10, 2024

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Thank G-d

I hope the release of four hostages has given everyone some much needed chizuk.  

I also hope that soon we'll all be celebrating like these guys were, when their friend returned from Gaza.  




Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Asteroid Trails

All over Sydney today, these amazing clouds.  Everyone was trying to work out what they were...  they are asteroid trails from close-passing asteroids.  Seen it many times in photos from all over the world.



Souls and Names

Art by Sharon Tomlinson


The Talmud [Berachot 7b] teaches that a Hebrew name has an influence on its bearer. Therefore, it is extremely important to name children after individuals with positive character traits who led fortunate lives and helped bring goodness to the world.

The Arizal writes that the nature and behavior of a person, whether good or bad, can be discovered by analyzing his or her name. For example, a child named Yehudah could possibly be destined for leadership, for Yehudah, the fourth son of Jacob, symbolized monarchy and most Jewish kings descended from the tribe of Yehudah.

It is said that parents are actually blessed with prophesy when naming their newborn babies.

According to the Arizal, even the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in one's name can be indicative of an individual's character. For example the gematria of the name Elisheva is equivalent to the numerical value of the Hebrew words yemei simcha, meaning "days of happiness," perhaps portending a joyous life for a baby girl named Elisheva.

It is precisely because the fortunes and misfortunes of mankind are concealed in the secrets of the letters, vowels and meanings of Hebrew names that a seriously ill person is given an additional name like Chaim, meaning "life," or Rafael, meaning "God heals," in order to influence his destiny. We hope and pray that the new name will herald a new mazel, or fortune, for the stricken individual.

Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhansk, writes in his classic work on Torah "Noam Elimelech" [Bamidbar] that there is a profound connection between the soul of an infant and the soul of the person for whom he or she is named.

When a child is named after the deceased, the latter's soul is elevated to a higher realm in heaven and a spiritual affinity is created between the soul of the departed and the soul of the newborn child. That deep spiritual bond between these two souls can have a profound impact on the child.

Zocher HaBris 24:4, who also quotes Noam Elimelech on Bamidbar: “If they give him the name of a tzaddik who has already lived in this world, this will cause him also to become a tzaddik, because it has aroused the soul of the departed tzaddik in the Supernal World.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Oct 7, Trump v Biden, Iranian President's Death and more

I posted a clip earlier today, but here is the entire video

Rabbi Mendel Kessin interviewed by Jonathan Benshimol


End of Days Hail

 

Everything really is bigger in Texas. 

Location: Vigo Park, Texas Panhandle

Photo: Thomas Hinterdorf : Extreme Weather Chaser [link to original photo]


The Message of Trump / Biden


Jonathan ben Shimol interviews Rabbi Mendel Kessin

This is from a FB Reel which you can view here.

Shimol's questions are in Bold.

With Trump and Biden and craziness happening, what's really the message?

The bottom line is that G-d wants to  dispel an illusion, He wants to show  what evil is and where it could lead , and how far it could deteriorate mankind.  Basically that's really a contest.  The conflict between Biden and Trump is really the conflict between good and evil, each one representing a side.  I believe Biden represents evil because of what he's done - the complete disregard of a human life, Fentanyl, the welfare of mankind .  Trump represents good [although] I'm sure people will disagree.  Trump has done a great deal of good for America.  He vows to do good.

It is the contest between good and evil. That's the bottom line. They are both being represented by struggle. Good and evil - which one will flourish.  Survive.

Where is Hashem's Hand in all this?

Well the Ribono Shel Olam is directing this. None of this could happen unless G-d allows it to happen. G-d wants to demonstrate that if He allows evil to flourish, how bad can it get?  How bad is evil really?  G-d is demonstrating that, He's saying to America and the entire world: "Well you can do whatever you want, I will stand back."  And He does, and that demonstrates that if evil,  if it is left on its own, will destroy mankind.

G-d is concealed, do we have to reveal Him?

Not only do we have to reveal Him, that's the whole point of His creating us - it's to reveal another reality besides the physical. There is a spiritual reality, that's the whole point of mankind. Labor toward meeting that particular insight.

Thank you, chazzak u'baruch.

Iran and Current Events

Rabbi Shimon Kessin - this is a very important shiur, as he says, this is about Iran and current events


Thursday, May 30, 2024

Why the World is Crazy

Rabbi Shimon Kessin


All Eyes On Rafah

All over social media are posts and pictures like this


Of course it's propaganda, it's an AI generated image, designed to provoke outrage and more anti-Israel/anti-Jewish emotions around the globe.

It's another sign that Rafach is the main event here. 

Everything has ramped up several notches in the last few days.  

Contractions getting faster?  I think so. What does everyone else think?


Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Spiritual Guidance for Bibi


Prime Minister Netanyahu reading "Toward a Meaningful Life" in Hebrew during a session in the Knesset - Photo: from the book's author Rabbi Simon Jacobson

"Toward a Meaningful Life" is a spiritual road-map for living based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.  You can check it out here




I wonder if Bibi remembers the Rebbe's prophetic words to him in 1978:  

"Make no mistake about it; we are on a direct path to a situation when Israel will be forced to stand up to the world."

That quote is from a letter written to Netanyahu which you can find here
https://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/2011/09/mr-netanyahu-heres-truth.html
 
[Blogger is playing up, I can't do a click link to that post, or anything else right now]




Monday, May 27, 2024

The Suffering of the Last Generation

Text below was transcribed by Nava from the Dreaming of Moshiach Blog, in 2007.

This is  exactly where we are now, in case you didn't realize.  How do I know this ? Isn't it obvious to everyone? Just look at the insanity everywhere. Look at the aggression towards Israel and the Jews, even from their own allies. Look at the weather, the lies... we have all the signs.  We just need to hang in there a bit longer.


In Gemara, Chazal tells us that three divisions of sufferings came down to the world. 

The first division of suffering was placed on the generations of the seven holy shepherds: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov Avinu, Moshe Rabenu, Aaron HaKohen, Yosef HaTzaddik, and Melech Dovid, zs'l. 

The second division of suffering was placed on the remaining generations, excluding our generation.

The third division of suffering was placed on our generation, the last generation. 

The first two sufferings were a gradual process but the last suffering, the third, is the hardest and harshest. Whether it's an illness, unnatural death in a family, livelihood, divorce, finding a spouse, having children, etc....every Jew, regardless where, when, what, who, why, is suffering! 

This is the reason Chazal wrote in Gemara that if a person is not suffering in the generation of the End of Days, know that this person is not a Jew!

If someone tells you he is not suffering, he is not the son/daughter of Avraham Avinu, zs'l. 

Why is this very harsh decree occurring specifically in our generation, all at once and so numerous?

The suffering is a necessity required before the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkenu. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, explains it further in the Zohar HaKadosh, as follows: 

When Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, (Rashbi) was hiding in the cave, he wrote the Zohar HaKadosh in Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Spirit). Thru Ruach HaKodesh, he saw that in the last generation will be in a large fire and he cried for us and said, ווי לון מאן דגרמי דיוזיל ליה - Oy to the people who will live in the last generation. Rashbi saw that our generation will transgress the Torah and commit adultery, lust, promiscuity, stealing, heresy, secularism, etc. He cried because he saw that we will need to go thru so many tests and suffering. 

But why so much suffering in our generation? Why does the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) have so much power in this generation, more than in all past generations? 

It is because HKB'H is so merciful and so generous! The Zohar HaKadosh explains: Every soul comes into this world only for the reason to correct past lives for sins committed. HKB'H saw throughout all generations that many souls were unable to correct themselves and remained unworthy to enter Gan Eden. Even though they were reincarnated as humans, animals, in-animates, plants, food, etc., and also placed in Gehenom or Kaf Hakela. Yet, they were still unable to correct their souls. Even after so many reincarnations, these souls were unsuccessful in their tikun and were placed in Heichal HaNeshamot (hall of souls). 

The Zohar HaKadosh continues and says that HKB'H revealed Himself to the souls placed in Heichal HaNeshamot and the neshamot cried to HaShem, "Merciful Heavenly Father, help us correct ourselves, we want to succeed in cleansing our souls, we reincarnated as humans, plants, animals, we went thru Gehenom, Shaol Tachtit, Kaf Hakela... but we still have not properly corrected our souls...". 

When Merciful HKB'H heard this, He said, "I'll place you all in one generation, a generation that will have much confusion, tests, suffering, and hardships, a generation where the truth will be absent, a generation where one will be easily trapped by the evil inclination. There will be many opportunities to get trapped into terrible sins; everything will be available to you in split seconds. It will be a generation that will feel exhausted from trying to do Teshuva, the evil inclination will be very powerful and adultery, lust, temptations, promiscuity, stealing, heresy, secularism, etc. will be everywhere." "BUT, despite all these hardships, all neshamot that will succeed to pass these difficult tests and continue to have Emunah, will be tremendously rewarded and will merit to live in the Geula." 

This is the reason the holy Rashbi also said  "Overjoyed is the person who lives in that generation." Although it's difficult to comprehend, it's important to know:  all people in this generation: you, me, him, her, them.... are all from Heichal Ha-Neshamot. 


Whoever Has Not Suffered

Art Oreshnikov and Milner


From the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov - Yitro

 
"The Jewish people were not exiled until they denied G·d and the dynasty of David." [Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel #106]

"The only difference between the world at the present and the world at the time of the Messiah is the subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms." [Tractate Pesachim 68a]

The Baal Shem Tov taught:

The Talmud teaches, "Whoever has not suffered for forty days has received thereby his future reward. And what is considered suffering? Even if one puts his hand into his pocket to take out a golden coin and instead takes out one of lesser value." [Tractate Erkhin 16b]

However, since suffering is only in atonement for liability, how can such minor inconvenience constitute atonement?

The explanation is that since the righteous person lives with G·d, he believes in Divine providence and knows that G·d is guiding all events in his life down to the smallest minutiae, and that all his suffering is an expression of Divine justice - DINA, which is represented by the Divine Name of ADoNaI - on account of his sins.

Hence, as soon as the righteous person suffers however slightly, he immediately [searches his soul and] regrets [any misdoing], and becomes filled with anxiety and fear of G·d. He is thus immediately forgiven, since he believes [that his suffering is from G·d], and he repents and binds his mind to G·d.

Therefore, even when one is only slightly inconvenienced by having not taken out the coin he intended, since this only happened because of his sin, and he [is aware of this and] repents, this constitutes atonement.

This concept is referred to as "David" [made from the letters daleth, vav, daleth] :-  for the Infinite One, Who is referred to as Ayin/Nothingness, is represented by the [first] daleth. "Nothingness" is then conveyed via the vav to the [second] dalet, which represents the nadir of nothingness, which is expressed by a belief that everything that happens is Divine providence from G·d.

However, when a person does not believe that everything that happens is Divine providence from G·d, but rather attributes things to his own actions, this is considered having denied G·d and the aforementioned concept of "David" for he is denying the justice [providence] of the Kingdom of G·d/ADoNaI.

But G·d's Kingdom is hidden and subservient to the kelipoth/shells that cover and conceal G·d's providence from mankind. (1) 

In the future, though, with the coming of the Messiah, who will banish the spirit of impurity from the earth, G·d's providence will be revealed even in the minutest of events.

With this we can understand, "The Jewish people were not exiled until they denied G·d and the dynasty of David" and "The only difference between the world at present and the world at the time of the Messiah is the subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms."

Understand this well (2) for everything that a person is able to comprehend about G·d is only regarding His Malkhut/Kingdom, but above that cannot be comprehended.

1) These "shells" are the "laws" of nature, the apparent cause-and-effect, and in this case, the statistical but "chance probabilities" that seem to govern whether one picks the gold coin or the copper one from one's pocket.

2) Until here is quoted from the Toldot Yaakov Yoseph, VaYishlach #8. The conclusion is that of the compiler of the Kesser Shem Tov, and its relevance to the rest of the piece is not clear.

Friday, May 24, 2024

Moshiach's Rainbow and Lag b'Omer

Lag b'Omer is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, and we celebrate with bonfires and music.
It is also the yarzheit of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai. [18 Iyar]
This year it is motzei Shabbat going into Sunday.




Why is Lag b’Omer celebrated with bonfires and bows and arrows?
by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

The bonfires celebrate the immense light that was brought into the world by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai [who passed away on Lag b’Omer], especially on the day of his passing.

The bow commemorates the fact that during Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime no rainbow was ever seen. [Bereishit Rabbah 35:2] Note: This was a good thing because the rainbow appears when the earth deserves punishment. The first time a rainbow appeared was after Noah’s flood, when G-d said that He will no longer destroy the world, rather He would send a sign: the rainbow. During Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime, the world was filled with merit because of him and therefore never saw a rainbow. [Genesis 9:8-17 and Rashi there]

There is a Kabbalistic tradition that on Lag b’Omer a rainbow will appear in a different color, which will symbolize the arrival of the Messianic age [Bnei Yissaschar]

I have quite a few Lag b'Ome posts which include informative videos, click here to view

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Orange Moon over Melbourne

The moon photographed this morning 6.40am at Docklands, Melbourne Australia.

Do things look normal to you?  Uh-uh, none of this is normal.

Jane Bunn's Weather Photography




Where is the red aura coming from?   It's reflecting the sun, and whatever is behind the sun, causing the red.  Or if you have a better explanation, leave a comment.  



Wednesday, May 22, 2024

The Demise of Raisi - The Message for the Jewish People

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

"The Texas Cube"

Some people call this the Texas Cube, because it was first seen over Texas.  It's a giant cube flying around, and it's been video-ed and photographed for years.  What is it?   




Far North Queensland, Australia - looks more like a rectangle, and no-one really knows what this 

Texas Cube over Texas

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The Rebbe: Shavuot and Moshiach

H/t Ron

"Every aspect of Matan Torah is associated with the true and complete Redemption."


Believe It - Or Not



I'm a bit late to the party..... Tomer Devorah has already pointed out the 40 day sign: 40 days plus one since the total solar eclipse, and the Iranian President is incinerated in a helicopter crash.   

At the time of the eclipse, people pointed out that the date of 4/8 as written in America [in Australia we would write it as 8/4] corresponds with Chapter 4, Verse 8 of the second book of the Bible [as they call it] - Shemot

4:8  And it will come to pass, that if they do not believe you, and they do not heed the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the last sign.

Rashi comments: When you tell them, “Because of you I was stricken, because I spoke ill of you,” they will believe you, for they have already learned that those who trespass against them are stricken with plagues, such as Pharaoh and Abimelech, [who were punished] because of Sarah. 

So it's a warning to the world, to those who attack the Jewish people in some way, and indeed one day after the 40 days was up, the Iranian President was obliterated - midda kneged midda - he said there would be "nothing left" of Israel, and there was nothing left of him.

So that is the first sign, as far as I'm concerned.  

And if they do not heed the voice of this sign, they will believe the voice of the last sign.

I'm not sure why some commenters are attacking Devorah Chayah in the comments of her post.  In one of her responses she wrote "the constant recognition of possibility is what keeps me going" - and I totally agree with that.  Hope and possibility is also what keeps me going.

Anyway, she was right when she blogged about the 40 days.... and I think she's right again.  But please don't attack me, it's not good for my mood.