Rav Kanievsky: Moshiach Will Come Motzei Sheviít [video]

Hat tip: Rivka

Moshiach ben David will come motzei shevi''it [after the seventh year - the Shmita year] which is this year, 5775.

For those that understand Hebrew, here is the video of his announcement, and here is a link to an English article.  Leading Israeli Rabbi Says the Arrival of the Messiah is Imminent

 

Passing of Three Gedolim

Three greats passed away this week:

Seretz Vishnitz Rebbe ztzl  Levaya photos here

Bluzhever Rebbe ztzl  Levaya photos here

Mekubal HaRav David Kaduri ztzl  Levaya photos here

Parshas Pinchas: The Lonely Road

Art Jeannette Woitzik

The two Parshiot before Pinchas - Chukat and Balak - are often read together [in Eretz Yisroel only]. The two parshiot afterwards - Matot and Maasei - are almost always read together. 

Pinchas, which is between these parshiot is always alone. Why?

This teaches us that when you are Kana'i [zealous] you should be prepared to spend your life alone. People do not have the courage to fight for what is right and even if they start out behind you, by the time you turn around they will be gone.

Source: Revach.net

Should Jews Leave America?

Stuck at home waiting for a repairman, I sat and listened to a shiur, where Rabbi Mizrachi is talking about the recent gay marriage ruling in America and the ramifications of it.

From 0:25:00 until approx 0:44:00, he asked the question whether Jews should remove themselves from America because of this situation.  The answer is not what you may have thought it would be. Keep listening - @ 0:44:00 he then discusses Greece.

Greek Crisis Explained in Under 3 Minutes

The Motives of a Critic

Art: Norman Rockwell

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos, Lubavitcher Rebbe

Parshas Pinchas

The tribes appeared to have convincing proof that Pinchas' motives were not pure [Rashi] but they were mistaken. This teaches us a powerful lesson whenever we are tempted to find fault with another person's good deeds and question their motives.  One can never know another's true intentions.  So long as a person is doing good, he should not be put down or mocked, even if one has a "solid" proof that the person is insincere. And in any case, even if it were true, and the person indeed had ulterior motives, we are taught always to study Torah and perform mitzvos even for the wrong reasons, since in this way one will eventually come to have pure motives.

A deeper question here is: Where does the desire come from to find fault in people who are doing something good?  In our case, the tribes appeared to have holy intentions: they were concerned that Pinchas had slighted the honor of Moshe by taking the law into his own hands.  Similarly, a person may imagine that he has a low tolerance for other people's bad intentions because he himself is humble, and thus he finds the pride of others distasteful.

In truth, however, the reverse is likely the case.  The fact that a person criticizes the good deeds of another is probably because the critic himself is proud and does not like the idea that somebody else accomplished something that he did not.  Of course, he will not admit this, even to himself, because his pride makes him lazy, and recognizing that somebody else has accomplished something makes it more uncomfortable to remain lazy.  Therefore, his arrogance leads him to put down the other person's good deeds, so they do not wound his pride or inspire him to be a better person, which would require effort.

Furthermore, even if somebody's mitzvah observance does have overtones of haughtiness, the critic's pride is nevertheless more distasteful.  For, ultimately, the person who "showed off" with his mitzvah was at least honest about his pride, and did not attempt to conceal it.  The critic, however, cannot tolerate the truth that he too is proud, and he thus stoops to dishonesty, veiling his pride in a "cloak" of humility and righteous indignation.

The lesson is obvious: It is much wiser to be an activist than a critic.  For a little pride can make criticism destructive, rather than constructive, but a good deed always remains good, regardless of the intention.

The Purpose of Life

New two-and-a-half hour video from Rabbi Mizrachi.

 

Coming Back for More

"V'Anshei Damim U'Mirma" - men of blood and deceit [Tehilim 55]. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos [5:19] says that this pasuk refers to Bilam HaRasha. Why, asks the Ben Ish Chai does it use the plural form of Anshei - multiple men - when Bilam is only one person? 

The Ben Ish Chai quotes the Arizal who says that Bilam was a Gilgul [reincarnation] of Lavan HaArami. Bilam had two spirits in him, his own evil spirit and that of Lavan. 

We know from his dealing with Yaakov that Lavan was the world's greatest swindler. We also know from the Hagadah that he tried to annihilate Bnei Yisroel. Bilam himself also tried to destroy Bnei Yisroel. Therefore within Bilam lay Anshei Damim U'Mirma, two of the most blood thirsty and deceitful villains in history.

Source: Revach.net

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and some of his followers were standing by the window one morning, when a funeral procession went by. As was the custom, the people in the procession were following the coffin, weeping and wailing for the loss of the deceased.

Rabbi Nachman turned to his followers and said "More than likely, the soul of the dead man is laughing his heart out over the big scene they are making out there. When somebody dies, everyone always weeps over him as if to say "How nice it would have been if you had remained in this world a little longer, so you could endure even more suffering and hardships here!"

Reb Nosson, the Rabbi's closest disciple, was deeply puzzled by this strange statement. "But what about Gehenna?" he asked. "Even in the next world, he won't be entirely free from suffering, because he was not righteous enough to escape the torments of Gehenna. So he will have to suffer in the afterlife also."

"But at least when he gets out of Gehenna, his suffering will be over forever!" Rabbi Nachman replied. "Once he has been purged of his sins in Gehenna, his soul will be purified, and he will enjoy the reward for the good deeds that he performed in this world."

"But what about reincarnation?" Reb Nosson asked. "If he has to be reincarnated again, then what is the point of leaving this world and its troubles behind, only to return here again and again?"

"When he gets to the Heavenly Court," Rabbi Nachman replied, "he can put up a stubborn argument on his own behalf, and refuse to be reincarnated in any way, shape or form."

"Can he really do that?" Reb Nosson objected, "How can he refuse to accept the ruling of the Heavenly Court? Will it really help him if he refuses?"

"Of course it will help him" Rabbi Nachman replied. "He can stand before the Court and insist "Do whatever You want with me here in the heavenly realms - send me to Purgatory for every last detail of my sins if you must - but don't make me go back to the physical world again. Just get it over with here." If he is very, very firm in this, if he remains stubborn and does not move from his position, then it certainly will help him."

Reb Nosson took this lesson very seriously, and made a special point of fixing it in his mind. He prayed that, when his time came to go to the Other World, he would be able to remember this teaching and make the same plea before the Heavenly Court. in order to be saved from reincarnation. "No matter what might happen to me up there," he would say, "it would still be better than having to return to earth and be exposed to all of the dangers and temptations of material life again."

Nevertheless, after Rabbi Nachman died of tuberculosis in 1810, and it became the custom for Breslover Hasidim to gather at the Rebbe's grave in Uman on Rosh Hashanah, Reb Nosson also said: "If I knew for certain that I would merit to travel to my Rebbe's grave even once in a lifetime, then I would choose to reincarnate."