No Greater Mitzvah than Redeeming Captives [updated]

The Rambam

20 Tevet: Yarzheit of the Rambam - Moses Maimonides, Rav Moshe ben Maimon - who was among the greatest Jewish scholars of all time.

The Rambam famously said:  THERE IS NO MITZVAH AS GREAT AS PIDYON SHIVUYIM - Redemption of Captives.

It is recorded that a wagon carrying the Rambam’s body miraculously brought him to Teveria from his home in Egypt.

It is also the yarzheit of the Abir Yaakov.

If you listened to Rabbi Kessin's shiur last week The Power of Mashiach ben Yosef and the Upcoming Inauguration you will have heard this story from him.  

To read the transcript of that shiur click here.

The Abir Yaakov Abuchatzeira, grand-father of the Baba Sali

At that time there lived in Jerusalem a holy Jew, Rabbi Yitzchak Alpheya. That same night he had a dream. He beheld a Jew of refined and impressive appearance, dressed in the distinctive garment of a Moroccan Torah scholar. His whole being compelled respect. 

Turning to Rabbi Yitzchak he said: "You are accustomed to pray at the grave sites of righteous men, why do you not come to me?" 

In his dream Rabbi Yitzchak answered him: "Who are you, honored sir, and where is your resting place?" 

"I am Ya'akov Abuhatzeira." 

"And where is your resting place?" repeated Rabbi Yitzchak. 

"In Damanhur in Egypt", was the answer, and after a pause he added: "And now, go quickly to my grave; know that the saving of the Jewish People depends on you doing so!"   [Source]

You can do a virtual visit to his Kever by going to Expo Egypt where he is buried. 

Rav Yaakov Abuchatzeira (1880), grandson of the founder of the Abuchatzeira family, Rav Shmuel (Elbaz), and son of Rav Masoud, who was Rav of Tafelaletch (Taflilat), Morocco. He took his father’s position upon the latter’s petira and built the yeshiva there, which produced thousands of students. He wrote many sefarim on all aspects of Torah, including Abir Yaakov. His grandson is Rav Yisrael, the Baba Sali, and his great-grandson is Rav Meir Abuchatzeira. In 1880, he attempted to move to Eretz Yisrael, but was nifter in Damanhur, Egypt, where he is buried. [Matzav]

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein - video

Va'eira - The Rambam & Abir Yaakov's Yahrtzeit Falling Out During the Parshios of Galus Mitzrayim

Understanding Edom Part 5 - Gog and Mashiach

Rabbi Efraim Palvanov

Who is the mysterious “Gog” of Ezekiel’s Gog & Magog prophecy? Does he have a connection to the Lost Tribes of Israel? Did the prophet Obadiah foresee October 7 and recent global events? What might Putin, Trump, and Obama have to do with it? And why is Mashiach described as hailing from Edom? Find out in this final installment of the “Understanding Edom” series. 

Plus: What are the true origins of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews? Who were the “Canaanite Jews” and the Khazars? And what will happen at the Mount of Olives at the End of Days?

"Stranger Things" in Real Life

Here's a couple of videos of what we experienced a few nights ago during the Sydney Stormaggedon.

They both came from TikTok, which has already been shut down in the U.S.  The latest rumour going round is that it has been sold to Meta.

Second video contains music: Michael Jackson "Earth Song"

Protection

Helicopters, through the night and this morning.

It's OK though, it's the State Government new Police Operation increasing their nightly patrols of the Jewish areas. 

Stay Shtum

Dov bar Leib took the words out of my mouth in his latest comments.   

I had some time to re-evaluate the situation during the past couple of days.

Until those hostages are safely returned and the orange one is installed in the White House, let's stay shtum.

It's a five hour turn-around between the time the Bidens depart and the Trumps are installed. Melania said the removalists and the packers have 5 hours to get things organised and she's bought some new furniture.... I hope that includes a new bed because I would hate to think that the Trumps are sleeping on the Bidens' bed....

So it's a no talk, no comment time until the hostages are back.  

God speed to them all, may they be safely brought back and then we can talk.

Listen and Pay Attention

H/t Sarah

In the winter of 1942, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, gave his son-in-law, the future Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the task of compiling an anthology of Chassidic aphorisms and customs arranged according to the days of the year.  The calendar was entitled Hayom Yom.  

Yesterday was 15 Tevet, the day of the announcement of the ceasefire deal [U.S. time]

This is the HaYom Yom for 15 Tevet.... Listen and pay attention Jewish people....

Or see the HaYom Yom at Chabad

Another Sign

On the front page of NEWS - an Australian news outlet - is the story of Donald Trump announcing the Ceasefire and whilst it's not included in the photos in the actual story, they have a photo of Trump's annoucement with a red circle around the date and time. I didn't put that circle there, they did.  

Look at the time !!

4:24

That's the gematria of Donald Trump and also of Mashiach ben David.

Sydney's Stormaggedon

Hail from today's storm
baseball size with spikes

We just had the most electric, violent, awe-inspiring storm anyone has ever seen here.  

Strobe lighting went on forever.... horizontal lightning close to the roofs of the houses I could see, splitting the sky into technicolor orange shapes.  

Then the flashing white lightning, lit up the entire sky, it was so bright it was like the Ohr Ganuz, that also went on forever.   The thunder was so loud it felt like it took the roof off the house.   

It was apocalyptic and everyone is still in shock [except me, because I loved it]. It felt and sounded like a war zone.

The purple is the actual colour, nothing has been manipulated in any of these.

Video on Facebook click here 

 

Of course Tik Tok has gone crazy with the storm videos, here's a few I found.

 

Strobe lightning

 

 

People are dancing in the streets to Michael Jackson's "What About Us" - female dancing in the rain.