The Presidential Debate and the Hand of G-d

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Clarification of the Jewish Understanding of Christianity

Moshe's Donkey and Moshiach

Art by Elhanan Ben-Avraham

Moshe complains about the accusations hurled against him and says "Lo Chamor Echad Meihem Nasasi" -  I didn't even take a single donkey from them [Korach 16:15]. Rashi says this refers to when he came down to Mitzrayim to redeem them on a donkey, and he paid for it from his own money. Rav Shimon Schwab asks, why would Moshe think that he should have taken the money from Bnei Yisroel?

Rav Schwab answers that the gemara in Sanhedrin [98a] says that when the geula comes, if we are zocheh [if we merit it] Moshiach will arrive on clouds, if not then Moshiach will come come as a pauper on a donkey. Why? 

The whole world needs to know that Hashem is bringing the geula and Moshiach has no power by himself. If Bnei Yisroel are Maaminim [believers] and Ovdei Hashem [servants of Hashem] then Moshiach can come in grand fashion and we will all place thanks in Hashem and not Moshiach. But if we do not recognize Hashem's hand, then Hashem will need to send a Moshiach who is powerless and destitute to show that it is not his charisma, brains, or money that will release us from the galus.

Moshe was the Goel in Mitzrayim.  Bnei Yisroel was not Zocheh and Moshe came riding into town on a donkey lacking any pomp or grandeur. He came with the stick in his hand and the shirt on his back. To show his poverty he should have asked Bnei Yisroel to pay for his donkey. Even then he did not, since he did not want to take anything from any member of Klal Yisroel.

Source: Revach

"Moshiach is Arriving Very Soon"

Update: This is a must listen shiur.

Please read the comments first, as there is a link to listen to it in English via AI,  sent by Yisroel.

Someone asked me to help them watch this video with the sub-titles .... anyway I started to transcribe it, and so here is the beginning of the shiur transcribed, I will add more to it a bit later.  To see the sub-titles click on the Settings cog and navigate to English and click on the CC.  

Thank you to Dave for sending this link.

Rav Ron Chaya

The Yanuka said last week Moshiach is arriving very soon so we are preparing, we believe it !

Does Moshiach know he is Moshiach?

In the writings of the Ari, in the beginning he does not know he is Moshiach and then one day G-d reveals to him who will be Moshiach, and he tells no-one but after a while he tells a few Tzaddikim. 

We heard already two weeks ago that Moshiach has revealed himself to two hidden Tzaddikim, and they know he is Moshiach.  One of those is Rav Kook, we believe, and he believes he knows who Moshiach is.

Moshiach is waiting for the green light from G-d and when this happens he will reveal himself and he is going to do actions where all mankind will know He is Moshiach.  I don't know what he is going to do but it will go very quickly - there is something very interesting in Eruvin that says Moshiach cannot come on Shabbat because a day before the prophet Eliyahu must come and announce His coming.  If he comes on a Friday we are preparing for Shabbat and we are busy, who has time for that, especially if it's a winter Shabbat we don't have time, so it won't be a Friday.  As soon as Moshiach comes all the people will recognise him and will help us prepare for Shabbat..

When Moshiach comes it's immediate and very fast. When Moshiach comes we make four blessings.,,,

Created at Twilight

"But if Hashem will create a phenomenon, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them" [Korach 16:30]

Rashi cites the Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin [110a]: "If the mouth of the earth is a creation from the six days of Creation," said Moshe Rabbeinu, "then fine. But if not, may Hashem create one!"

Why, asked the Chasam Sofer [R' Moshe Sofer], did Moshe Rabbeinu have any doubt as to whether or not the mouth of the earth had been created during the six days of Creation?  For Chazal state [Avot 5:9] explicitly:

Ten things were created at twilight on the eve of the first Sabbath:

the mouth of the earth

the mouth of the well

the mouth of the ass

the rainbow;

the manna;

Aaron's staff;

the Shamir, writing;

the inscription on the tablets of the Ten Commandments;

and the tablets themselves. 

How then could Moshe have overlooked this Mishnah?

One of the ten things enumerated by Chazal, answered the Chasam Sofer, was "Moshe's grave".  This grave, whose location is unknown, was also created at twilight of that erev Shabbos.

Hashem therefore concealed all ten things from Moshe so that he would not hear of his own passing.  Thus, Moshe had to request "If the mouth of the earth is a creation from the six days of Creation, then fine. But if not, may Hashem create one!"

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

The Perfect Storm

 

Text: Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

Every great person I’ve ever met has found their sense of purpose from the storm they’ve encountered. 

It was in the very process of being broken and overwhelmed that they found the strength to build their identity, clarify their purpose, and strive for greatness. 

And our story, in essence, is always the same. 

Hashem sends a storm our way. 

We break. We struggle. We persevere. We get up. 

And we then spend the rest of our life on a journey of self-actualization, striving to help as many people along the way as we possibly can. 

No matter where you are along this storyline, always remember: The storm wasn’t sent to break you; it was sent to build you… so that you can help other people do the same.

What Lies Behind Unjustified Hatred

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

On Tisha B'Av night we say in the Kinnot, "By our necks we are pursued, because we pursued purposeless hatred, O woe! What has befallen us". 

The first principle that we must be aware of, says Rabbi Elimelech Biderman, is that we think we are sitting on the ground because of unjustified hatred, and with this, the subject is closed. But this is not the case! We must know that right beneath where we are sitting, something is buried! Something is concealed underneath the unjustified hatred! If we would pay attention to that buried matter, we would not come to unjustified hatred.

Under all "unjustified hatred" is buried "a lack of faith"!

Would we have faith, we would save ourselves hatred, jealousy, argument and lashon hara!

The Vilna Gaon explains the seemingly hard-to-understand expression 'unjustified hatred'. Why indeed do we call it 'unjustified hatred'? The hatred is not unjustified! If my friend drove me crazy, this is called 'unjustified hatred'? Do I really hate him for no reason?

Says the Vilna Gaon, Hashem tells us that this kind of hatred is unjustified. Hashem, as if, is telling me, do you think that he drove you crazy? It is not him, it is I! This person, he is only a messenger! Had he not done to you what he did, I would have sent a different messenger to do exactly the same thing, for everything that happens is predetermined by Me!

If you hate him because you think that it is he who hurt you, this points to a lack of faith in Hashem.

This is the meaning of what we said above, that underneath all 'unjustified hatred' lies 'a lack of faith'.

It is told that someone dreamt that a certain friend was speaking lashon hara about him. These thoughts accompanied him for a long time. One day he met that friend and asked him:

"Why are you saying evil things about me?"

"Far be it from me to do such a thing," the friend answered in astonishment. "I never spoke lashon hara about you. You must have dreamt it."

The next day he again met his friend and once again asked him, "Why are you speaking lashon hara about me?"

Yet his friend once again repeated the same answer, "You are simply dreaming."

When this happened for the third time and his friend tried to explain to him that it was all a figment of his imagination and a dream, he replied, "It may have indeed been a dream, but why are you talking about me?"…

This is exactly how we wander around in This World. If any of us would be asked, "Do you believe in Hashem?" we will no doubt answer, "Of course, certainly. What's the question?" "Do you believe that everything is ordained by Heaven?" "Of course, certainly. Everything is from above!"

Nice words.

But if indeed everything is from above, why are you furious with your neighbor? If you believe with perfect faith that everything is destined by Hashem, why are you quarreling with your friend? Why is your mouth constantly full of complaints against all types of people who did to you, took from you, harmed you?

How the Problem of Nahama d'kisufa Invades the Spiritual World

Rabbi Shimon Kessin

Nahama d'kisufa translation is "bread of shame"

What is the next move? Are we heading for a bigger war? What should we do?

Rabbi Alon Anava

"The timeline of the Geula is going as scheduled. We have nobody to count on but our Father in Heaven.  Once the majority will understand that - that's it. "