Beha'alotecha: Great Dreams

Written by Chanan Morrison - Rav Kook Torah

In contrast to the unique level and clarity of Moses' prophecy, ordinary prophecy is bestowed through the medium of visions and dreams:

"If someone among you experiences divine prophecy, I will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream." [Num. 12:6]

Why Dreams?

Dreams, Rav Kook wrote, serve an important function in the world. Great dreams are the very foundation of the universe. Dreams exist on many levels. There are the prescient dreams of prophets, and the conscious dreaming of poets. There are the idealistic dreams of great visionaries for a better world; and there are our national dreams of redemption — "When God will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers" [Psalms 126:1].

Of course, not every dream falls under the category of a great dream. Some dreams are inconsequential, as it says, "Dreams speak falsely" [Zechariah 10:2]. What determines whether a dream is prophetic or meaningless?

True and False Dreams

True servants of God concentrate their aspirations and efforts on rectifying the entire world. When one's thoughts and actions are devoted exclusively to perfecting all of creation, then one's imagination will only be stimulated by matters that relate to the universal reality. The dreams of such individuals will naturally be of great significance. Their dreams are tied to the inner truth of reality, to its past, present, and future.

But for those people who are preoccupied with private concerns, their imaginative faculties will be limited — like their waking thoughts and actions — to personal issues. What truth could be revealed in imaginings that never succeeded in rising above the thoughts and wishes of a self-centered individual?

The Sages expressed this idea with the following allegorical imagery: prophetic dreams are brought by angels, while false dreams are brought by demons [Berachot 55b]. What does this mean? Angels are constant forces in the universe, pre-arranged to perfect the world. True dreams relate to these underlying positive forces. Demons, on the other hand, are non-holy forces based on specific objectives which are inconsistent with the overall universal order. False dreams are the resultant fantasies of such private desires.

The True Reality of Dreams

What would the world be like without dreams? Life immersed solely in its material aspects is coarse and bleak. It lacks the inspiring splendor of wide horizons; like a bird with clipped wings, it is unable to transcend the bitter harshness of the current reality. The ability to free ourselves from these shackles is only through the power of dreams.

Some foolishly take pride in being 'realists.' They insist on only considering the material world in its present state — a partial and fragmented view of reality. In fact, it is our dreams that liberate us from the limitations of the current reality. It is our dreams that accurately reveal the inner truth of the universe.

As that future reality is steadily revealed, we merit an increasing clarity of vision. Our perception approaches the aspaklaria me'irah of Moses, with whom God spoke "face to face, in a vision not containing allegory, so that he could see a true picture of God" [Num. 12:8].

[Adapted from Orot HaKodesh vol. I, p. 226; Ein Eyah vol. II, p. 279]

Source: RavKookTorah.org

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, Current Events Updates, What is happening in the world?

 

The Countdown for Mashiach Has Begun

H/t Sherry

Rabbi Eliyahu Kin

Parshat Naso and the Hostages

H/t Hillel Fuld

Moshiach the Movie

 I'm not kidding.   Here's the trailer.

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.  

The Profound Secret of the Conviction of President Donald Trump

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

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.

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

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?

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]

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. 

Source and more click here

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.

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

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.