Finding Eli and Hannah

When two Jewish teenagers failed to return from a walk two days ago, hundreds of people from the community set out to look for them.  

They were found, having spent the night in a hut they built from moss and twigs.  Here is a video [no sound] of the Police finding Eli and Hannah.  

NSW PolAir : great job!

Enough is Enough

"I believe G-D will begin the process before the end of the tikkun. He won’t be able to hold Himself back, so to speak. This is the rachamim gedolim for akabtzech---tremendous mercy that speaks to that “one second I will abandon you and with incredible mercy I will gather you.” It is that “tremendous mercy” which tells us that, even before the tikkun is completed, G-D will have said: 'Enough is enough. I’m the boss and I declare that it’s over,' and it’s over.

"This is what we await, when G-D has had enough of the sinning, the relentless rebellion of mankind going against His Will and against the Jewish people. That’s when it’s gonna happen. He’s gonna be fed up with the whole process and end it. He wants to end it now."

Excerpt from Rabbi Kessin's shiur below, transcript can be found here.

The 10th of Teves: Entry into the Klipa

 New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Yaakov's Secret

Art by Alec Levin

In Parshas Vayechi, Rashi explains that Yaakov wished to reveal to his sons when the end of Israel's exile would finally take place (ha'keitz), but the prophetic vision was closed off from him.

Rabbeinu Bachye elaborated on Rashi's words: Yaakov observed that the letters ח and ט do not appear in any of the brother's names. These are the two main letters of the word חט- sin. Yaakov took the fact that the brothers' names did not contain this word as an indication that they were clean of sin and worthy of being told when the future redemption would occur.

But then Yaakov noticed that the letters ק and ץ, which together spell the word קץ (keitz - the end of the exiles) also do not appear in their names. At that point Yaakov thought that perhaps his sons were not worthy of knowing this secret after all.

Because of his hesitation, Yaakov kept the secret closed and did not reveal the information to his sons.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Surely, if Yaakov would have indeed revealed the time of Moshiach's coming to his children they would have been totally devastated to hear that they had so long to wait.

When Yaakov's sons would hear that Moshiach was not scheduled to come for a long time, they would have realized that some considerable additional effort was needed to bring him sooner - as the Talmud states that through additional merit the Redemption comes earlier  [Sanhedrin 98a].  

Thus, Yaakov hoped that by revealing that ''the End of Days'' was a long way off it would motivate his children to add substantially in Divine Service, so as to bring Moshiach sooner.

Nevertheless, despite his good intentions ''the Shechinah departed from him'' and Yaakov found himself unable to reveal the ''End of Days''.  For, ultimately, God wants us to bring Moshiach through our own efforts, and not through the assistance of ''revelations'' from above.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe vol 20 pp228

Total Control

Related by Rabbi Zalman Shimon Dworkin a"h who heard it from Reb Shmuel Grunim a"h

by Rabbi Rafael Nachman Kahn, translated by Basha Majerczyk

A man once came to the Maggid of Mezeritch Rabbi Dov Ber and, before returning home, requested that the Maggid instruct him how to be a "baal habayis" - in full command and control of himself at all times.

"Go to Zhitomir" the Maggid told him, "and introduce yourself to my disciple Reb Zev. Tell him in my name to teach you how to be a baal habayis."

It was late one stormy night when the man arrived in Zhitomir and knocked on Reb Zev's door. There was no response, so he knocked again.  He finally peeked in through the window and saw, quite clearly, that Reb Zev was awake and about.  Still, he ignored the door.  Having no other option and being well after midnight by then, the man sat down on the doorstep to wait. He was soon drenched from head to toe.

An hour later the door opened and Reb Zev welcomed the visitor inside.  In response to his questions, the man explained that the Maggid had sent him to learn how to be a baal habayis. Reb Zev was silent and did not respond.

For a whole week the man was wined and dined by his host, but oddly enough, not once did Reb Zev mention the reason for his visit.  At long last the man could not contain himself, and asked Reb Zev why he failed to comply with the Rebbe's directive.

"Why, what do you mean?" Reb Zev replied in surprise. "I gave you a lesson the very first moment you arrived! A baal habayis only opens the door when he decides he wants to; when he doesn't, he keeps it closed."  The point was well taken. The guest understood that a person can prevent extraneous thoughts from intruding on his avodah.

[In another version, as related by the Rashag, a baal habayis is one who "stokes all the furnaces in his house early in the morning; in the evening he closes all the doors and latches his gate to prevent pigs from entering his domain".]

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It is said in the name of the Alter Rebbe that when Moshiach comes, all Jews will be on the level of Reb Zev of Zhitomir.  Reb Zev will ascend to the level of the Baal Shem Tov, and the Baal Shem Tov will attain a level that completely transcends human understanding.

Aspects of Evil before Moshiach

 

My Father's Honour

Art by Alec Levin

"Therefore, tell my father of all the honor that is given me in Egypt" [Vayigash 45:13]

The Ohev Yisrael [R' Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta] was travelling with his son, R' Yitzchak Meir, through the neighboring towns. Wherever he went, hundreds of Jews came out to greet him, the gadol b'Yisrael, and showed him great honor.

The Ohev Yisrael was distressed by the amount of honor that he was receiving and, because of his great modesty, he truly believed that he did not deserve it. He therefore turned to his son and asked: "My son, why is everybody honoring me so much, being that I am not worthy of it?"

R' Yitzchak Meir saw how distraught his father was, so he consoled him: "Do not let it worry you, Father. For these people have come to honor me."

"And why do you deserve such honor?" asked the Ohev Yisrael.

"That is obvious" replied R' Yitzchak Meir. "It is because I am the son of the Apter Rav."

The Rebbe smiled, and he said: "This, my son, is what Yosef meant when he stated "Therefore, tell my father of all the honor that is given me in Egypt - for all the fame and honor that I receive in Egypt is only thanks to my father's merit!"

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

The Menorah: Rededication of the Messianic Light

 New Shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin, given 11/29/2021