Exile and Redemption

Source: Extracted from "Letters of Fire" by Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson [Feldheim Publ]

The Gemara tells us that the sprouting of Mashiach will occur in a lowly and fallen generation, a generation that finds itself in a situation of spiritual decay. [Sanhedrin 95,96]

This "rot" רקב will precede the "morning" בקר of redemption.  From the midst of a decadent, "rotten" generation the sprout of the seed of David will come forth.  This resembles the decay of the outer portions of a seed in the earth, enabling the inner germ to sprout and rise.

The Satan, who is identical with the primeval snake, will reveal its negative power in all its force and scope before the coming of Mashiach.  However, Mashiach will destroy the snake.  According to the Kabbalah, this is shown by the fact that the words נחשׁ (nachash - snake) and משׁיח (Mashiach) have the same numerical value: 358.

For every negative force in the universe, G-d created an equal positive force.  The counterbalancing force to the snake (358) is the Mashiach (358).  One might note that the word Mashiach משׁיח is spelled with the same letters as ישׂמח - "yismach" - "he will rejoice". 

The redemption depends upon the unveiling of all the evil in the world.  This can be explained in accordance with the Kabbalistic teaching that the forces of evil trap people in their net by mixing a little truth into their misleading ways............  this teaches us that the small amount of truth that is joined with evil gives it its power of existence; this deceptive coloration is what entraps people.  In time to come, the Holy One, Blessed is He, will reveal the hidden secrets of evil and show its true content.  The following verse in Ovadyah, referring to the downfall of Edom, alludes to the deceptive guise of truth in which evil clothes itself: "How Esav will be investigated, his hidden things revealed!"

The dispersion of the Jewish people in the diaspora will come to an end with the redemption.  When we add an א to the word גולה (golah - "diaspora") it becomes גאולה (geulah - "redemption").  The brother of the Maharal, in his work Sefer Ha-Chayim, explains that the  א, whose numerical value is "one" (אחד- echad) symbolizes the unity (אחדות - achdut) of the Jewish people, which is an essential ingredient in transforming the diaspora (גולה) into redemption (גאולה).

Before the redemption, the forces of evil will reach their end, as it is written: "I shall cut off the horns of the wicked; the horns of the righteous will be exalted." [Tehillim 75:11]. The word קרן (keren) can mean both "horn" and "corner".  Benei Yissaschar states that this latter meaning is also intended by our verse, which would then read: "I shall cut off the corners of the wicked" [Benei Yissaschar 101a].  The word for "the wicked" is רשׁעים (resha'im); the "corners" of this word are ר and ם.  When these "corners" are "cut off", what remains are the letters of ישׁע  (yesha - "salvation"). The "corners" of the word צדיק (tzaddik) are the letters צ and ק.  Together they spell קץ (keitz - "end").  The remaining letters are די (dai - "enough"), which in reverse order spell יד (yad - "hand").  Thus, when the "corners" of the righteous are exalted, the world will merit to see the End (קץ) of Days, when the Creator of the world will say "Enough (די)!" to Israel's exile.  Then the hand (יד) of Divine providence over the entire Creation will be revealed to all.

The letters רם (ram - "exalted") have the numerical value of 240, which equals that of עמלק (Amalek), indicating the arrogant pride of that wicked nation. Amalek is the root of evil, strengthening the destructive powers among the nations by blocking the eyes of Divine providence from seeing the world.  Cutting off and removing this רם from the world will bring rescue and redemption.  When evil is removed from the world and Mashiach comes, the redeemed people "will find rejoicing and happiness; sadness and sighing will flee" [Yeshayahu 35:10].  This happiness which will arrive with the coming of the Redeemer is expressed in the word משׁיח "Mashiach", whose letters spell  ישׂמח   "he shall rejoice".

Speech Therapy

"Ten things were created on the eve of Shabbat at twilight.... [two of these were] the ketav and the michtav...." [Pirkei Avot 5:9]

Both ketav and michtav could be translated as "writing", but if so, one of them is redundant. Michtav can also mean "speech" as in "The michtav of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness" [Isaiah 38:9].  Hezekiah did not write anything; he spoke of his gratitude to G-d for healing him [Midrash Shmuel].

Why was speech created on the eve of the first Shabbat?

Observant Jews rarely commit the cardinal sins. Our problem today is sins of speech: profanity, lashon hara, falsehood, scoffing, flattery and idle chatter. We tend to take these lightly, but G-d is very particular about our speech. On the day of judgment He will scrutinize every word we ever uttered [or wrote]. To make this point, He created speech on the eve of Shabbat at twilight.

Just as the world was created in six days and the seventh was a day of rest, so the world will last in its present state for six millennia and then enter the Messianic era, the Shabbat of history. In our times - twilight on the eve of the great Shabbat - the evil inclination concentrates its attacks on our speech.

from the writings of Hacham Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad [The Ben Ish Hai]

The Forbidden Marriage of the Kohen

"They may not marry....." [Emor 21:7]

Letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l

By the Grace of G-d
19th of Sivan 5717
Brooklyn N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing

This is in reply to your letter in which you write about the case of the Kohen who is contemplating marrying a divorcee. I am surprised that there should be any doubt on the part of any Jew about the strict prohibition of such a marriage, inasmuch as it is emphatically prohibited, both in the Written Law as well as in the Oral Law. So strict is the prohibition, that a kohen who violates this law desecrates his sacred calling, which is his heritage of countless generations.

The point I do wish to emphasize here is that in all matters of matrimony, the happiness of two partners is involved, and if there is any issue, the happiness of children and future generations is at stake. Obviously a marriage which has been prohibited by the Creator and Master of the Universe is one that cannot possibly be a happy one, and is certain to be harmful to both parties concerned.

In other words, if the said kohen has any feelings for the divorcee in question, he should realise that his marrying her would expose her to untold harm, not only in the afterlife and in a spiritual sense, but also in this life, and even in a physical and material sense. The fact that this may be beyond one's comprehension is immaterial, for it is certain that the Creator of the world knows best what is good for His creatures, and since He has so strictly prohibited such a marriage, there can be no doubt that it is harmful. Therefore, even on humanitarian grounds, the said kohen, if he has any feeling for the said divorcee, should give up the idea and avoid causing himself and her irreparable damage, physically and spiritually.

I trust that you will find the suitable words to explain the seriousness of the matter to the person in question, which no words can really overemphasize.

With blessing.....

Also see: Kohanim and Forbidden Marriages

Ahmadinejad Wipes Himself Off The Map

Iran leader Ahmadinejad has been missing for the past eight days......

Powerful MPs in Iran have called for a closed debate on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apparent boycott of his official duties.

The president has not been seen at his office for eight days, missing two cabinet meetings and cancelling a visit to the holy city of Qom.

Analysts believe an internal power struggle may be under way.

Story: BBC News

Why Me?

"...You shall not stand by [the shedding of] your fellow's blood...." [Kedoshim 19:16]

The Baal Shem Tov taught that everything that a person sees is orchestrated by G-d as a specific message to him. 

This is the inner significance of Rashi's comment to verse 16: The fact that you see someone whose life is in danger proves that "you are able to save him".  For the fact that G-d allowed you to witness this event must surely be for a practical reason - namely that you, of all people, have the ability to save this person.

Likewise, if one sees a person "drowning" spiritually, it is a sign from Above that one has the ability to draw him back to the fountains of living Judaism.

[Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe]

The Fifth Year

Arbol de higo (fig tree) by  Ivette Guzmán-Zavala

"In the fifth year, you may eat its fruit" [Kedoshim 19:25]

While the fruits of a tree's fourth year are holy, and may be eaten only in Jerusalem, the fruits of the fifth year may be eaten anywhere.

According to Chassidic thought, the fruits of the fifth year actually correspond to a greater degree of spirituality than those of the fourth year. This is because the ultimate expression of spirituality is not that which must remain confined to a certain holy place (such as Jerusalem). Rather, the greatest holiness is that which permeates the mundane fabric of everyday life, so that even the lowest parts of this physical world are devoted to the "praise of G-d".

Based on Likutei Sichos, Lubavitcher Rebbe

Revenge is [not] Sweet

"You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people" [Kedoshim 19:18]

There are times, said the Chofetz Chaim, that a man grows angry with a friend who did not do him a particular favor.  Such feelings are completely unjustified.

To what can this be compared?  To a man who was walking down the street, looking for his friend.  As he passed people in the street, he would ask them "Have you seen my friend perhaps?"

"Try looking for him in the town square," he was told.  "There are many people gathered there; maybe your friend will be among them."

He went to the town square, searched for his friend, yet he did not find him.

Would it even ocur to him to feel anger toward those individuals who directed him to the town square?  Of course not! He realizes that he must simply continue his search.

The same thing applies to the prohibitions of taking revenge and bearing a grudge, said the Chofetz Chaim.  We are forbidden to feel anger towards a friend who did not do us a favor.  What reason can there be to be angry with him?  Hashem obviously did not designate him as the one who would bestow this particular kindness upon us.  We must simply turn to someone else, and place our request with him; perhaps he is the one who will be able to assist us. 

If a person accustoms himself to constantly thinking in this manner, he will never bear a grudge or feel the need to take revenge.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Protection

from the writings of the Ben Ish Hai

"Hashem safeguards the faithful, and repays the one who goes beyond to make arrogance" [Psalms 31:24]

It is bad enough to give in to negative traits that are part of our nature. Much worse is to arouse or cultivate negative traits, as did the Erev Rav in the desert.

Ben Ish Chai

They "desired a desire" - they desired to have desire - and they said "Would that we were given meat to eat!" [Numbers 11:4]

Another example is a poor man who is haughty. Wealth naturally pushes people toward arrogance, but if a poor man is haughty, he has brought it on himself.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who overcome their nature to serve G-d faithfully. An example is sharp Torah scholars who could find grounds to permit the forbidden but do not [see Eruvin 13b].

G-d punishes or protects most people through angels. But He "repays the one who goes beyond to make arrogance" - G-d personally punishes anyone who goes beyond his nature to make himself arrogant. And "Hashem safeguards the faithful" - He personally protects those who go beyond their nature to serve Him faithfully.