Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Acts of Goodness and Kindness


Remember the Rebbe's campaign to welcome Moshiach with acts of goodness and kindness......?

It's mind blowing to now see people trying to out-do each other with acts of goodness and kindness.  I have never seen anything like this.  Guess it takes a disaster like this....

One of the kosher bakeries here has just announced this:


More goodness and kindness is coming your way. If the current reality for you and your family involves sudden job loss/genuine financial hardship, the Bakery will be privately and confidentially helping you this Friday, Erev Shabbat. 

Here are the 'deets': 
In a set-up that is entirely discreet, you are invited to place an order with us via email with the Subject Heading 'COVID-19 ORDER'. 
This order will comprise of: ⭐️2 Large Challot of your choice ⭐️2 Mini Challah Rolls ⭐️1 Chocolate or Cinnamon Babke ⭐️1 Loaf of square wholemeal or white bread OR 1 Loaf of Sourdough bread 
When you come to pick up your order, it will simply have your name on the bag with the word 'PAID' - just like all the other orders. 
 In addition, if the person ordering is elderly and is unable to get out, delivery is free!

Synagogues are organising deliveries of food to elderly and other vulnerable people and basically everyone is being so kind and considerate it's like a new world has already started to emerge.

It's very uplifting.  Moshiach is so close.


Learning from the Past

Photo: Gordon McBryde
The coronavirus quarantine has been compared to the quarantine of the person afflicted with tzara'at - which was a disease brought about by speaking lashon hara.  Rabbi Mendel Kessin says that the word ''dever'' [plague] is related to the word ''davar'' [to speak] and we are being quarantined to stop the spread of lashon hara.  

Here is some Torah learning on tzara'at from Rabbi Pinto.



Text by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita

 “Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying: If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a s’eit, or a sapachat, or a baheret, and it will become a tzaraat affliction on the skin of his flesh; he shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim” [Vayikra 13:1-2]

A person is inflicted with tzaraat for speaking lashon hara [Arachin 15b]. The Torah relates [Bamidbar 12:1-10] how Miriam the Prophetess, the sister of Moshe Rabbeinu, was inflicted with tzaraat for speaking lashon hara about Moshe, discussing his separation from his wife, Tzipporah. Miriam did not intend to disparage her brother; nonetheless, she was punished. How much more so will a person be punished for speaking degradingly about his fellow with premeditated intentions.

The tzaraat does not immediately appear on the body of a person. First the disease afflicts the walls of his home. If the person does not awaken to do teshuvah from this ominous sign, then the disease begins to spread to his household appliances. If he still does not correct his ways, then it spreads to his clothing. Thereafter, the disease appears on his skin and flesh [Rambam, Tumat Tzaraat 16:10]. From this progression, we observe the infinite compassion of Hashem. Hashem does not hurry to punish His children. He first awakens them to teshuvah through external factors. However, if people do not pay attention to the signs that Hashem is sending them from Heaven, the tzaraat gets closer and closer. From this subject we see how Hashem is Slow to Anger, and Abundant in Kindness. He does not strike the sinner immediately, but instead, seeks to grant him the opportunity to reflect on his deeds and do teshuvah to atone for his sins.

The Rav of Ponovezh, zt”l, says that from the disease of tzaraat, one can learn an important lesson. In the beginning, only small signs of the disease appear on the walls of his house. However, if the person does not do teshuvah, he will ultimately be excommunicated and be forced to remain outside of the Camp for a long period of time until he repents completely. From this one can conclude that when a person does not make an accounting of his deeds, he will begin to deteriorate. There are times when a person transgresses in a trivial matter. However, because he does not immediately do teshuvah, he can easily become accustomed to transgressing and thus descend to the depths of corruption.

Therefore, a person should examine his deeds regularly and immediately do teshuvah for the sins he committed each day. In this way, the sins will not become strongly rooted within him, making it very difficult for him to do teshuvah.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Gog and Magog is a ''Tremendous Plague''

HT: AK

This was posted by R' Lazer Brody


The Times They Are a Changing


The cost of fresh fruit and vegetables is sky-rocketing.   In some cases, it has doubled and even tripled.  A bunch of celery just cost me $8.00 as opposed to around $4 a few weeks ago.  I saw on the news that inflation is running at 67% when it comes to buying fresh food.  This was prophesied to occur before Moshiach.

In 2008 Dreaming of Moshiach wrote:

Chazal in Masechet Sota wrote prophecies about the days preceding the Geulah:

 חוצפא יסגא, והיוקר יאמיר, הגפן תתן פריה, והיין ביוקר. מלכות תיהפך למינות – ואין תוכחת. בית ועד יהיה לזנות, והגליל ייחרב, והגולן יישום, ואנשי הגבול יסובבו מעיר לעיר, ולא יחוננו, וחכמת סופרים תסרח, ויראי חטא יימאסו, והאמת תהיה נעדרת. נערים פני זקנים ילבינו. זקנים יעמדו בפני קטנים. בן מנוול אב, בת קמה באמה, כלה בחמותה. אויבי איש אנשי ביתו. פני הדור כפני הכלב... הבן אינו מתבייש מאביו... !

Chutzpa will multiply - Costliness will increase - Grapevine will produce its grapes - And the wine will be expensive.... 
Costliness will increase: The rise in food prices is already causing distress among consumers in some parts of the world... Prices are soaring rapidly in many categories and rose by double-digits including eggs, chicken, fruits, vegetables, milk, butter, pasta, crackers, snacks, cookies, cakes, even cattle feed and grain for horses.

So if you are not in self isolation or mandated isolation,  and you can get yourself to the store, and battle the hoards of people queuing round the block with their trolleys, you need to have money in the bank to pay for the food you need. Seems this is the case all over the world. Those who live from paycheck to paycheck have found themselves in a tight corner.  

In Australia, one food supplier has cancelled all deliveries to regular customers and is only delivering to those who are vulnerable, and can prove it.  You need a disability or pensioner card registration and must provide your ID before they will deliver.  This solves the problem for those vulnerable people, provided they have the money to pay for their food.

Bondi Beach has been closed because many people here are ignoring the social distancing orders.  


I hope everyone out there reading this is surviving the madness.  We have more madness coming up with our preparations for Pesach.  And this year we'll all sitting alone in our homes, some with immediate family around them and some just sitting by themselves.

Meanwhile, because so many people are inside, the earth is healing itself and becoming cleaner and fresher.  The air is better, the water is cleaner.  We are on our way to a New World.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Who Am I ?


by Rabbi Aron Moss


I move fast, and news of me spreads even faster.

I grab the attention of the entire world like no one else can.

I affect you, even if you don't believe in me.

I come from one place in the world, but I reach every corner of the world.

I started with one nation, but I take over all nations and all religions.

Because of me, you will change everything you do. All of your habits and routines will be disrupted. You will have to rethink your entire day, and change all of your plans.

Families will become closer because of me. Communities will become tighter because of me.

I will make you less selfish and more sensitive. You will care for the weak and the vulnerable because you know I am coming.

I will make you turn to G-d. I will remind you what's really important.

I am mightier than your wealth, smarter than your technology.

The world has not seen anything like me before.

Because of me, things will never be the same.

But you need to wake up. There's no time to waste. You need to realise I am coming, and I'm coming now.

Who am I?

I am Moshiach.

Corona and Moshiach: Is this the End? or Fake News


Rabbi Yehoshua Zitron


Thursday, March 19, 2020