Irma's Destruction as it heads for Florida

Story: The Guardian

Hurricane Irma Prophecy in the Torah

Rabbi Yaron Reuven

Note for non-Jews: when Rabbi Reuven speaks about "Jews'' it is understood by me to also include righteous non-Jews, Noahides et al., just bear that in mind if you watch this.

America

A picture paints a thousand words.

Photo Jayson Krause

The Gate of Tears

by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita 

It is written, “Because you did not serve Hashem your G-d amid joy and goodness of heart” [Ki Tavo 28:47].

Rabbi Yossi said, “It is written: ‘Serve Hashem with joy, come before Him with joyous song’ [Tehillim 100:2], for in His service there is no room for sadness. It may be asked: What if a man is deep in sorrow and tribulation, and has no heart to rejoice, and yet his trouble forces him to seek compassion from the Heavenly King? Should he refrain from praying on account of his sorrow? What can he do? He cannot help being heavy-hearted!

The answer is, ‘All gates have been closed since the destruction of the Temple, but the gate of tears has not been closed’ – and tears are an expression of sadness and sorrow. The celestial beings appointed over the gate of tears break down all the iron locks and bars, and let these tears pass through. The prayers of the afflicted penetrate and reach the holy King…. Thus the prayers of the afflicted person do not return to him empty, and the Holy One takes pity on him. Blessed is the man who in his prayers sheds tears before the Holy One.”

– Zohar II:165ab

Purification requires Agitation and Confusion

I feel that the world is at a peak right now, in these two weeks before Rosh Hashanah.  It reminds me of these words by Rebbe Nachman below.... the world is on the cusp of Moshiach iy''H.... we are being agitated and purified.... and all the scum is rising to the top, ready to be skimmed off to make way for the pure.

from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan


When one begins to attach to a great tzadik and truly serve G-d, he is often filled with great confusion and evil thoughts.

The evil was always there, but only now it is surfacing.

A pot of water may seem perfectly clear. But when it is placed on a fire and begins to boil, all its impurities are brought to the surface. One must stand by and constantly remove these impurities.

The original purity is merely an illusion. With a little heat the impurity surfaces. But when these impurities are removed, the water is truly pure and clear.

The same is true of a person. Before he begins serving G-d, good and evil are completely mixed together within him. The impurities are so closely united with the good that they cannot be recognized.

But then this person comes close to a true Tzadik and begins to burn with great feeling toward G-d. He is touched with the heat of purification, and all the evil and impurities come to the surface. Here again one must stand by and constantly remove the dirt and impurities as they appear. In the end the person is truly pure and clear.

Purification requires this period of agitation and confusion.

In the beginning a person is totally immersed in the material. He then begins to come close to G-d.

It would seem possible to remove this dirt and impurity at once. But his mind is completely intermingled with this mire. Were it to be removed immediately, his mind would be drawn out with it.

Therefore, one must be purified little by little, in gradual stages.

Rosh HaShanah is Not What You Think

Rabbi Mendel Kessin: new shiur
A very interesting lecture about tikkunim - listen to this and you will have a good understanding of how it all works.

The Significance of the Great American Eclipse

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, latest shiur

Better to Give

Jews customarily increase their giving of tzedakah and performance of good deeds and mitzvot... from Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur, more so than during the rest of the year...  

and in this vein I am publishing this short post from Baruch Landa on behalf of Sulam Israel - please visit the site and consider a small [or large] donation for their worthwhile endeavours in helping children with disabilities in Israel.

Charity for the Disabled on the Rise

One of the sectors experiencing a ‘growth spurt’ in donations is ‘Disabled Charities’ – people, and children specifically, with disabilities such as organizations like Sulam Israel, who provide various child development programs to disabled children. This includes children with Autism and Down Syndrome, both of which have been on the rise on an annual basis. Organizations like these serve hundreds of students daily, with hundreds of staff members and dozens of branches.

Before organizations like these existed, the integration rate (into society) for these disabled children was in the single digits. However, by donating to disabled charities like Sulam, we can increase the integration rate to over 30%!

Let’s help give children with disabilities the gift of a future.