"And they rushed him out of the dungeon" [Miketz 41:14]
In the Chofetz Chaim's later years, the Communist Revolution raged in Russia. One of the aims of the wicked Communists was to stamp out any trace of Judaism from the hearts of the Jewish people. They spared no effort at trying to achieve this goal. They mercilessly leveled harsh decrees against the Jews, and only thanks to the mercy of Heaven were Jews able to remain firm in their faith.
"Look at what the Torah states in Parshas Miketz", said the Chofetz Chaim to one of his students. "The verse says that 'Pharoah sent [messengers] and called Yosef, and they rushed him out of the dungeon.' For twelve years Yosef languished in prison and no one paid any attention to him.
'But when the moment that Hashem had designated for Yosef's salvation finally arrived, he was immediately rushed out of the dungeon.'
''We are in a similar situation. Our predicament appears to be hopeless: the Communist regime, in their cruelty, will stop at nothing to sever our ties with the holy Torah. Yet when Moshiach comes and our moment of redemption arrivesthere will be no delays and we, too, will be rushed to our Land.''
This is a true story, involving some friends of mine, and it's happening right now. [told with the permission of the couple]
Last Rosh Hashanah, Lizzi travelled to Uman to pray at the kever of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, to help her find her beshert [loosely translated as soul mate]. Lizzi knew the time was right, and she also knew she needed some help from Shamayim. Lizzi prayed very hard that Rosh Hashanah, and then travelled back to Israel.
A few weeks later, Lizzi's aunt Sonni who lives in the UK, had a dream. In the dream she saw her niece Lizzi, standing under a chuppah. She also recognised the choson [groom] - he was the son of her friend Susie, who lives in Melbourne Australia.
Sonny rang Susie to tell her about the dream. Susie immediately relayed this incredible dream to her son Moishe, who was a bit skeptical, but eventually agreed to ''meet'' Lizzi on Facebook.
Lizzi and Moishe became Facebook Friends, and almost instantly they knew they had met their perfect match.
After only a couple of weeks, Moishe got on a plane and flew to Israel, met Lizzi, and within a few days they were engaged.
Im yirtze Hashem, they will be married next week, in Israel.
An amazing class by Rabbi Alon Anava about The Power of Modesty and the great spiritual levels a woman can reach by being modest. Enlightening and highly recommended.
''In three days Pharoah will remove your head'' [Vayeishev 40:19]
The dreams of the chief baker and the chief wine butler, noted the Dubno Maggid, were very similar. Why, then, did Yosef interpret the dream of the chief wine butler favorably - that Pharoah would soon reinstate him to his post - but that of the chief baker unfavorably - that he was about to meet his end?
The answer, explained the Maggid, can be understood with a parable: An artist painted a magnificent portrait of a man balancing a basket full of bread on his head. Two men came to admire the painting. While they stood there, a bird landed atop it and began to peck away at the bread, which it thought was genuine.
''Such a marvellous artist!'' said one man to the other. ''This bird actually believes that the bread is real!''
''No'' responded the other, ''he is not much of an artist at all. For while the bread may be quite realistic, the man carrying it is not, for if it was, the bird would be afraid to approach the painting.''
We are now able to understand concluded the Dubno Maggid, why Yosef interpreted the dream of the chief baker unfavorably. When the chief baker related his dream to Yosef, he said ''And the birds were eating them from the basket above my head.'' Yosef understood that if the birds were unafraid to approach him, it was an indication that he was soon to be executed by Pharoah and was already considered a ''dead man''. For had he been ''alive''', the birds would have refrained from eating the food on his head!
This video explains the Vilna Gaon's concept of dividing up the 6000 years from Adam into six days/ 24 hour segments, and where we are right now ahead of the Geula.
There is a tradition brought down by the Chida that King David put the image of
Tehillim 67 למנצח “For the Conductor” in the form of a menorah on his shield and all
his enemies would fall before him. But what is the secret of the power of this prayer
that it gave King David such power and protection?
Image: המנורה כתובה by Ba'al haKokhav, converted to vector art by Andrew Meit (CC0)
The Torah teaches us that all the peoples of the world are blessed through Avraham
and his offspring the children of Israel. However, this blessing depends upon the
children of Avraham doing the will of Hashem.
The kabbalistic tradition explains that when Jewish people allow the soul to rule over
the body and the physical world is used to serve the higher will of Hashem and His
Torah, then this blessing flows properly to the nations of the world and the desire of the masses of people for a peaceful life is fulfilled; then the evil desires of the
powerful few are held in check.
However, when Jewish people do not follow Torah
and the bodily desires rule the soul, then the power is given to the evil ruling few who
desire war over peace.
Torah and Tefillah
Torah is the source of our power, tefilah
brings this power into manifestation. When we are involved in Torah and tefillah we
give power of soul to rule body and therefore to live like the tzaddik.
The Alter Rebbe - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi author of The Tanya
The 18th of Kislev [today] marks the completion of the annual cycle of daily readings from the Tanya. The 19th and 20th of Kislev are the "Rosh HaShanah of Chassidus".
On Yud-Tes Kislev we re-commence the annual cycle of daily readings in Tanya, as divided by the Rebbe Rayatz.
It is the anniversary of the release of the Alter Rebbe - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi [Hebrew: שניאור זלמן מליאדי], the first Rebbe of Chabad, who was informed upon by misnagdim in Russia and arrested on trumped-up charges of supporting the Ottoman Empire.
His informers pointed to the fact that he would urge his followers to send money to the Land of Israel as "evidence" of his alleged insurrectionist aspirations [in fact, the money was sent to support poor Jews]. At the time, the Land of Israel was a part of the Ottoman Empire, which was at war with Russia.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman was charged with treason, and released in the secular year 1798 on the Jewish date of Tuesday, 19 Kislev.
The 53 days of Rabbi Shneur Zalman's imprisonment are said to correspond to the 53 chapters of the first section of the Tanya.
19 Kislev is also considered to mark the day upon which Rabbi Shneur Zalman was conceived, for he was born exactly nine months later, on 18 Elul. [Shemu'os Vesippurim, Refoel Kahn, vol. 1, p. 39]
Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel born [1798]
On the very day that Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was liberated from prison, a granddaughter was born to him -- the daugher of his son Rabbi Dovber and his wife Rebbetzin Sheina. The girl was named Menuchah Rachel -- "Menuchah", meaning "tranquility" [Rachel was the name of a daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman who died in her youth].
In 1845, Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel realized her lifelong desire to live in the Holy Land when she and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim [d. 1857], led a contingent of Chassidim who settled in Hebron. Famed for her wisdom, piety and erudition, she served as the matriarch of the Chassidic community in Hebron until her passing in her 90th year in 1888.
The 19th of Kislev is also the yahrzeit of R. DovBer, the Maggid of Mezritch, who [as successor to the Baal Shem Tov] was the mentor of the second generation of the chassidic movement - from 5521 [1761] until his passing on the third day of the week of Parshas Vayeishev, Yud-Tes Kislev, 5533 [1772]. His resting place is in Anipoli.
Rabbi Dov Ber was born in Volhynia in 1710, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, though other sources say his year of birth is unknown. Little is known about him before he became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. A Hasidic legend states that, when he was five years old, his family home burst into flames. On hearing his mother weeping, he asked: "Mother, do we have to be so unhappy because we have lost a house?" She replied that she was mourning the family tree, which was destroyed, and had begun with Rabbi Yohanan, the sandal-maker and master in the Talmud. The boy replied: "And what does that matter! I shall get you a new family tree which begins with me!"
How aptly those words described the role he was later to play; for the boy was destined to become the successor to the Baal Shem Tov.
We are living in a time of great confusion. And that's an under-statement. At this point, I could probably believe anything about anyb...
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"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
