On the Heels of Moshiach

Thank you to Tomer Devorah for uploading this video, which I liked so much I decided to put it here as well.  

The subject Rabbi Yaakov Hillel is talking about is something I learned very early in my journey ... why our lowly generation will bring Moshiach.   

Our generation is the lowest one of all.  The earlier generations came from the higher parts of Adam HaRishon, but our souls, in this last generation, come from the heels of Adam HaRishon.  

It's a 30 minute shiur, and Rabbi Hillel is someone you can relate to, his kindness and honesty shine through.

National TV: Messiah is Coming

 

Re'eh: An Inner Secret

 

by Rabbi Alon Hazi

BSD 

See I set before you today a blessing.....[Re'eh 11:26]

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה 

Why is the word  "lifnechem" used rather than the word "lachem" - [to you] - which would seem to be the more obvious word choice in Hebrew? 

The inner secret:  The word “lifnechem” means in front of you but also means “to your inside “ 

The word ‘anochi’ appears when the Torah was given, in the Ten Commandments: “I am HaShem your G-d′′ When He says “I am” He uses the word anochi rather than “ani.” 

The word chosen here is parallel that use. The word lifnechem means in Hebrew “in front of you” but also “to your inside.” So it actually comes to say that HaShem was giving the Torah from the inside of Himself to the inside of bnei Yisrael. 

When it says “face to face”   -  The face, pnimi, refers to the penimuyit, the inner dimension. 

Today:  HaYom - means to say that the blessings will come like daylight, in a revealed and renewed way. Like each day is new, like it never came before. 

Blessing: The origin of the word bracha used is found in ‘lehavrich’ which is a word for bending a grape vine down arched to the ground and burying it which causes the grape vine to grow stronger. First it was on top but now it is brought low in order to strengthen the flow of abundance. 

How we bring down the bracha is by studying the Torah and keeping the commandments. 

Have a blessed week, ′′And He will give you rest from all your enemies all around, and you will dwell securely.” 

The Trait of Arrogance

וְלֹא תָבִיא תוֹעֵבָה אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ 

Nor should you bring an abomination into your house [Eikev 7:26]

The verse teaches us, noted R' Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, just how despicable the trait of arrogance truly is.  It is so abhorred that one is forbidden to even allow a haughty individual to enter his home.

We learn this from a verse in Mishlei: ''Every haughty heart is the abomination of Hashem'' [Mishlei 16:5]

We see, therefore, that a haughty individual is referred to as an ''abomination'', about which our verse explicitly states:  "And you must not bring an abomination into your home''.

Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein

Shabbat Nachamu: The Definition of Real Nechama

 New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Tu b'Av: Hidden Secrets on the Coming of Moshiach

The 15th Av [also known as Tu b'Av] will be this coming Shabbat.  On Rabbi Anava's website, he has these three videos which he suggests we should watch in preparation for the day.

The Secrets of the Coming of Moshiach

The Mystical Explanation of Tu b'Av

The Hidden Secret of Tu b'Av

The Lower We Fall.... The HIgher We Will Rise

The world is experiencing a huge DESCENT and we are collectively experiencing many trials.  

The lower we fall, the higher we will rise.

"All the affairs of the world, whether for the good or for the bad, are trials [nisyonos] for a man"… [Mesillat Yesharim* (Path of the Just) Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]

When a person is destined to reach a level which is much higher than his present rung, it is necessary for him to undergo a descent first. [The Lubavitcher Rebbe]

Before a person experiences a miracle - נס - , he is given a trial - ניסיון. There is no ascent (aliyah) without a prior descent (yeridah). The lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.

G-d tries the righteous, for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make them even more upright, and so He commands them to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey.

Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one being tried. [Nachmanidies, Commentary on the Torah; Genesis, p. 275; Chavel translation; ]

From here, we learn a number of important points. First, the purpose of a nisayon is not to reveal anything new to G-d, but to increase the spiritual reward of the person by bringing forth his or her latent greatness into actual deeds of righteousness.

Second, a person is only sent a nisayon that he or she has the potential to "pass," provided the person uses his free will properly.

Third (and this is implicit in the first point), the nisayon is intended for the good of the person—to elevate the person spiritually.

Nes can also be translated as "banner": The test is meant to "lift a banner" and reveal to the world, and to the person himself, the potential hidden within a human being.

Gender Identity Confusion

What is really going on with Gender Identity, same sex marriage, and rampant gender confusion?  

In the video below, Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz has some answers as to why our generation is so confused about gender, and gives us some Halachic insights. I highly recommend this shiur, it's not too long either.

I remember learning or reading somewhere.... perhaps it was in Sha'ar HaGilgulim... that if a male soul reincarnates into a female body, that female cannot give birth to a male child, only female children.  I hope I've remembered that correctly, if  I've got it wrong, please let me know. [Rabbi Breitowitz mentions this aspect of souls born into opposite gender bodies towards the end of the shiur]

Rivkah Lambert Adler has also written a blog post on this subject, which you can read by clicking here.