Why Is This Exile So Long?

Photo Tim Wolverson

by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita

One day the maggid of Radin, Rabbi Binyamin HaTzaddik, went to see the gadol of the generation, the Chafetz Chaim Zatzal.

The Chafetz Chaim said to him, “Alas, Rabbi Binyamin, what will happen? Such a long exile, such a dark night!”

Rabbi Binyamin responded with a vivid explanation:

“Rabbi, I will give you an analogy: During a rough winter, several ba’alei batim undertook a long journey from Petersburg to Odessa, which was to last several days. Since it was the middle of winter, the journey took place in a special sled that was harnessed to two strong and healthy horses. 

The travelers in the sled were well-prepared for the cold, and they wore heavy coats. The journey began at night, and they traveled for a long time. To occupy themselves, they recited a few psalms and talked among themselves, during which time several hours passed. At that point they took out some wine, and everyone drank to warm their bones. Then they slept. 

In the meantime, morning had come. However in the Russian winter, there were very few hours of daylight, and our travelers slept deeply for more than 12 hours. In fact when they awoke, they noticed that it was still dark out, and they again recited a few psalms, chatted among themselves for a few hours, and took out some more wine. Then they drank and slept once again for another day. This repeated itself, for whenever they awoke, it was dark.

“The travelers started complaining to the driver, ‘Hey, what’s going on here? The night can’t be so long!’ The driver replied, ‘What long night? Day has already come, several times in fact, but you were sleeping!’

“The lesson to draw from this,” said Rabbi Binyamin HaTzaddik to the Chafetz Chaim, “is the following: The prophet Isaiah said, ‘ “Watchman, what of the night?” The watchman said, “Morning has come, and also the night. If you will request, request. Return and come” ’ [Isaiah 21:11-12]. We ask the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is the Watchman of Israel: ‘What of the night?’ Why is this night – this exile – so long? The Watchman replies, ‘Morning has come.’ It was already morning – there was already an end to the exile, several ends to it – ‘but also night.’ You delayed the morning and night came again. Rabbi, what can we do? The only answer is to pray!”

This is how the verse ends: “If you will request” – this represents prayer, as Rashi explains: If you present your requests to hasten the end (“If you will request”), then you must do teshuvah (“Return and come”)!

The Perception of the Divine Prophecy and the Messianic Process

For everyone who couldn't hear the Rabbi Kessin video I posted the other day, here it is again, this time in a professional format.




Part Two can be found here.

''A Lot of Love''

If you haven't already seen this, here's President Trump telling Israeli Prime Minister  Netanyahu that ''you're going to see a lot of a love, a lot of love...''

The Power of Hashem

Rashi says that after Yitro saw Hashem punish the Egyptians Midda K'Neged Midda he then declared, "Ata Yadati Ki Gadol Hashem MiKol HaElokim" -  I now know that Hashem is greater than any other power. 

What is it about Midda K'Neged Midda that makes Hashem so unique, is it the ingenuity?

Rav Shimshon Pincus explains that every Koach [strength] in the world only has its own power to use. Fire can fight water with fire only, and not water. Aside from the fact that this is its only capability, it also wants to show its opponent what makes it unique. It cannot use power that it doesn't have.

Hashem works the opposite way. To show fire who is boss, Hashem uses fire to fight fire. He uses water to fight water. This unique fighting strategy shows that Hashem is more powerful than any other force. Moreover it shows that He is the only force, and the force behind all forces. 

In a way this doesn't counter the above logic, it works with it. Hashem fights each element with His unique force. He is Echad Yachid U'Miyuchad and every possible force is His. And He shows it to everybody as needed.

Source: Revach.net

Nibiru's Role at the End of Days

As most of us are aware by now, Nibiru is causing severe weather disruptions on our planet.  In Australia we have just experienced our hottest day EVER, whilst on the other side of the world, there has been an extremely cold winter.   The term ''global warming'' is not applicable at all, as obviously there is also a global cooling, depending on your season.

All of these climate issues have come about because of the dwarf star known as Nibiru, and it's accompanying moons.  I believe it has seven moons, but whatever the case, it is here and visible.

But it's not just about the climate changes: comets and other bodies in the solar system actually cause massive spiritual changes to the earth, and we are currently in the midst of the seventh and last one of those changes. ''God will ‘change’ planet earth seven times before Moshiach comes [according to the Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 18] - and we have one big ‘change’ left to come before the End of Days.''

To understand all this, please go to Emunaroma and read the excellently researched:  How comets really work, and what that means for Nibiru and the End of Days  a remarkable post which also explains those   weird trumpet sounds.

After reading that, you may want to listen to Rabbi Mizrachi's latest shiur: ''Good Advice Before The End Arrives.

Can one really control their thoughts?

Parashat Yitro - Can one really control their thoughts? - Rabbi Alon Anava

A Question

This was received by email, and I do not know the answer.  Please comment.

Hi I wonder if you can help me. Every Friday night our family gets together for Shabbat, even though we are not ultra orthodox we keep a traditional Friday night dinner.  For the past few weeks my divorced niece has started dating a nonJew and she brings him to the dinner. She has two children from her previous husband and I think she is setting a very bad example to them.  The family is not so thrilled about this turn of events but we can't rock the boat, so to speak, and she has spent the past ten years dating Jewish men to no avail and now she has found a very nice nonJew and she does not want to be alone.  What is the ruling with something like this?  Do we tell her she can't bring him to dinner? That will mean she won't come and her kids will not be able to have Shabbat dinner. It is a very difficult situation.  Is there something that says nonJews cannot spend Friday nights with a Jewish Shabbat? Would really appreciate advice as I have no-one else to ask.

The Seven Names of Yitro

People’s names in the Torah all have a special meaning. 

In the case of Jethro – in Hebrew Yitro – there are seven names and seven meanings, according to rabbinic midrash. 

His two main names are connected with a root that means “additional” – he was “Yitro” because he performed extra good deeds and “Yeter” because he caused extra texts to enter the Torah. 

He was “Chovav” because he was beloved of God, “Re’u’el” because he was God’s friend, “Chever” because he was a close associate of the Almighty, “Puti’el” because he abandoned idolatry, and “Keni” because he was zealous for God.

For more kabbalistic learning on Yitro's name go to Chief of the Converts