Gog u'Magog in 5772 - Torah Codes

Only By Their Merit

Art: Vladimir Kush

He saw a resting place, that it was good, and he land, that it was pleasant, and he bent his shoulder to bear... [Vayechi 49:15]

Rashi offers the following explanation: "He saw that tranquility was good" - He saw that his portion [in the Land of Israel] was blessed and good for producing fruit.  'Yet he bent his shoulder to bear' the yoke of Torah."

Yissachar saw that the land it had been granted was fertile and blessed, capable of yielding luscious fruit and bringing it great wealth.  Yet he chose to make do with little and to dedicate his life to the study of Torah.

The Chofetz Chaim compared this to the story of a high-ranking official who took a trip by sea.  The ship that he was sailing upon was the epitome of beauty and luxury - even the crew aboard the ship were dressed elegantly. The official strolled along the deck, and was overcome by the ship's magnificence.

Then the official became curious of how the ship worked, so he requested to be shown exactly how it operated.  The captain of the ship took the official down below the deck of the ship. The official was shocked by what he saw. He saw dusty engine chambers filled with black soot, machines producing a horrible noise, and filthy crewmen covered with grease and fuel.

"There you have it" said the captain to the official.  "This is what enables you to ride upon such a smooth-sailing ship."

This is not what I expected, thought the officer.  That such a magnificent ship is operated by workers in soiled garments who look more like beggars than anything else is an absolute disgrace!

The official commanded the captain to clean all the engines and not sully them ever again with grease or fuel.

Obviously, an engine that does not have fuel or oil in it cannot move the ship at all.

The same idea can be applied to the world in which we live, said the Chofetz Chaim. The world is blessed with beautiful trees and springs - it is such a marvelous creation!  But it is important for us to realize that the entire world only exists thanks to the talmidei chachamim [Torah scholars] who sit in the batei midrash [study halls] and engage in Torah study, sufficing with the barest minimum. The world runs only by their merit!

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

So here we are

"In the days before Moshiach.......wisdom shall be putrid; the pious shall be despised........."

'Treatment of haredim – like Nuerenberg Laws'

Eda Haredit member who participated in 'Holocaust display' during Jerusalem rally claims 'persecution of haredim resembles race laws passed in Germany against Jews'; slams secular Jews for 'making Hitler proud by acting like goyim'

After images of kids wearing yellow patches and striped pajamas during haredi protest in Jerusalem shocked many across the country, some participants wished to explain the move.

Warsaw 1943, Jerusalem 2011 [Photos: Jürgen Stroop, Noam Moskovich]

Moshe, a member of the Eda Haredit sect and resident of Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Mea Shaarim neighborhood told Ynet he does not regret participating in the "Holocaust display."

Moshe, who attended the rally along with his eight-year-old nephew, noted that the sect leaders supported the demonstration, even if they did not personally participate. "They didn’t publicly call to attend the rally because they feared that the police might employ violence and rubber bullets, and that haredi blood would be spilled."

The Eda Haredit member attempted to explain the rationale behind the display of Holocaust symbols, saying it was important that secular people understand the campaign that is being conducted against their community.

Source and more: Ynet News

Also see:  Jerusalem - Hundreds Board Segregated Buses to Protest Exclusion of Women

The Quintessential Quality of the Jewish Mother

Art: Sharon Tomlinson

Rachel lost her own spiritual luxury - the privilege of being buried in the Cave of Machpeilah - in order to help her children. This represents the unparalleled quality of the ''Jewish mother'' who is always willing to sacrifice her own needs, spiritual or physical, for the sake of helping her children.

And this is the inner reason why Jewish identity follows the maternal and not the paternal route. For even though the father possesses a greater degree of spirituality - since he has the privilege of observing more mitzvos than a woman - the quality of a Jewish mother is nevertheless greater, that she is willing to forego much of that spirituality in order to enable her to raise a family with tender loving care. And since this quality is even more quintessentially Jewish than the spirituality of the man, it is the mother than actually makes her children Jewish.

Source: Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe [vol 30 pp 239-240]

Holy Channels

Yosef the 'Upper Tzadik' and Binyamin the 'Lower Tzadik'

A tzadik [perfectly righteous individual] is a person who causes G-d to be revealed in this world.  Generally speaking, there are two possible ways of achieving this goal.  One approach is that the tzadik can act as a holy 'channel' through which Godly revelation is brought into the world from the heavens above.

A second approach is for the tzadik to work with the earth below, transforming the world itself to become open and receptive to Godly revelation from above.

This, says the Zohar [1 153b] is the key distinction between Rochel's two sons Yosef and Binyamin.  Both were tzadikim who brought revelation to the world. But Yosef was the 'upper tzadik' who channeled that revelation from heaven to earth, whereas Binyamin was the 'lower tzadik' who worked to render the earth itself receptive to spirituality.

These spiritual characteristics were also recognizable in their physical lives.  Yosef was the 'provider' of Egypt, who channelled G-d's immense blessings into the world, to feed and sustain millions of people.  Binyamin, on the other hand, is described as a ''grabber' [see v. 27 and Rashi ibid] since his holy task was to ''seize'' hold of the physical world and win it over to the side of holiness.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe vol 25 pp 281-2 and sources cited

2012 -

Welcome to what could turn out to be the most interesting year of our lives....

The Mystical Light Of The Baal Shem Tov

Art by Marcus Aurelius

In a letter[1] written by the Baal Shem Tov to his brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov, it states: "I asked my Master and teacher[2] to go with me, for it is exceedingly dangerous to ascend to the highest of the upper worlds and since that time I arrived at my present spiritual level, I had ascended to such places.

I went up, level after level, until I entered the palace of Moshiach, where he studies Torah with all the Tannaim[3] and the Tzaddikim,[4] and with the Seven Shepherds.[5] I beheld very great joy there, but I did not know the reason for this extreme happiness.

I thought this joy was, G*d forbid, because of my demise from this world. But they told me later that I was not deceased and that they derived tremendous pleasure when I performed yichudim[6] in the physical world by means of the Torah. But as to the meaning of this great rejoicing, I still do not know.

And I asked Moshiach, 'When are you coming, my Master?'

He answered me, 'By this you shall know it: Once your teachings become publicly known and revealed throughout the world; when your wellsprings have overflowed beyond, imparting to others what I have taught you and you have grasped; so that they too will be able to perform yichudim and Aliyahs of the Neshama[7] as you do. Then all the kelipos will perish, and it will be a time of favor and salvation."

I was bewildered at this response. I felt great anguish because of the length of time that Moshiach implied it would take until he came.

However while I was there, I learned three Segulos[8] and three Holy Names which were easy to learn and to explain to others and which would allow them to perform yichudim and Aliyahs of the Neshama. So I felt reassured, and I thought that perhaps, using these Segulos and Holy Names, my Chavurah,[9] might also be able to attain my spiritual level. That is, they would be able to practice Ascents of the Soul, and learn and understand the Supernal Mysteries as I do.

But I was not permitted and I am under oath not to reveal them during my life."[10]

[1] Called THE EPISTLE

[2] Achiyah HaShiloni

[3] Jewish Sages of the Mishnah 10-220cCE

[4] Righteous people

[5] Adam, Seth,Methuselah,Abrama,Moses and King David

[6] Contemplative unifications

[7] Ascents of the Soul

[8] Charm or remedy of spiritual potency

[9] Inner circle of followers

[10] Keser Shem Tov

The Incitement Against the Orthodox Jews in Israel - Torah Codes

Rabbi Matisyahu Glazerson Parts 1 and 2