What is the Messianic Meaning of the Trump Presidency?

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

29 Teves: Yarzheit Rabbi Yitzchak Kadouri

An enormous crowd filled the streets of Jerusalem's Bucharim neighborhood to take part in the levaya of the elderly mekabol, HaRav Yitzchak Kadouri zt"l, who passed away on 29 Teves 5766 (2006) at the age of approx 107.

Painting of Rabbi Kaduri by Elena Girshbein

Yitzchak Kadouri (nee Diva) born in Baghdad to R' Zeev Diva, who worked as a spice dealer. As a boy he studied at the Zilcha beis medrash, which drew talmidim from the city's chareidi families. He visited Eretz Yisroel twice in his youth, once traveling through Jordan and a second time through Damascus. After the second time he decided to settle in Baghdad based on the advice of talmidei chachomim in Baghdad who feared the Enlightenment Movement would harm the spiritual development of chareidi youth as the Alliance began to launch activities in Iraq and other countries.

Upon his arrival in Eretz Yisroel the second time he changed his last name from Diva to Kadouri and fixed his place of study at Yeshivat Porat Yosef in the Old City. HaRav Yaakov Ovadia assisted him during his first years in Jerusalem, opening his home to the young man and even teaching his sons gemora for several months.

In Eretz Yisroel it was discovered he had studied from the tzaddikim of Iraq, applied himself to his Torah studies intensively and learned secrets of kabboloh and here in Jerusalem he wanted to study the proper kavonos of the set tefilloh. For several years he was a part of the group of mekubalim who gathered around HaRav Saliman Eliyahu.

The youngest member of the group, R' Yitzchak formed close ties with HaRav Ephraim Hakohen, the head of the mekubolim in Jerusalem and the father of HaRav Shalom Cohen, today rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef. Later he joined the group of mekubolim studying at Beit Knesses Oz Vehadar at the yeshiva. During this period HaRav Kadouri refused to accept tzedakah and decided to earn his living from a bookbinding business he started himself using a bundle of money he had brought from Baghdad.

The chaburoh surrounding HaRav Ephraim Hakohen included Jerusalem's leading mekubolim, such as HaRav Ezra Addes, the grandfather of HaRav Yehuda Addes ylct"a, HaRav Aharon Abud, HaRav Shaul Shaharbani and HaRav Aharon Raful, who would pray according to the kavonos of the Rashash and lived in the yeshiva housing rooms.

After marrying his first wife, Sarah, HaRav Kadouri lived in Shechunat Habucharim, one of Jerusalem's first neighborhoods built outside the Old City walls. He would stay at the yeshiva all week, coming home shortly before Shabbos.

In 5694 (1934) HaRav Kadouri was given a spacious apartment near the yeshiva on the street leading from the Jewish Quarter to the Kosel Maarovi when he agreed to bind all of the yeshiva's books and to copy by hand certain rare books deposited in the yeshiva library. The yeshiva paid him a salary of two liras per month, one for his bookbinding work and another as a member of the group of mekubolim. He agreed to bind only the yeshiva books, keeping the books he copied in his private collection. Before binding every book he would study it carefully and became one of the city's most knowledgeable scholars on many works. Often yeshiva members would come to his home to study from the books.

He would spend all day studying with the group of mekubolim and then spend the evening at home binding books. After Tikkun Chatzos he would go to sleep, waking up before dawn for Shacharis. In 5706 (1946) the yeshiva building turned into a fortress to defend against constant attacks by Arabs, but this did not prevent the yeshiva's rabbonim, including HaRav Yehuda Tzadka, from paying a visit to HaRav Kadouri's home to celebrate the bar mitzvah of his son, David.

With the imminent threat of the Old City falling into the hands of the Jordanians, HaRav Kadouri sought a way to save the yeshiva's sifrei Torah and the enormous collection of sifrei kodesh in his home. After all his efforts to smuggle out the books failed he hid in his library on the last day before the Jewish Quarter fell, unable to part with the books. A short time later Jordanian soldiers took over the house and the entire yeshiva with the surrounding buildings went up in flames. When news of the fire was brought to HaRav Kadouri at his home in Bucharim, he burst out in tears.

Following the petiroh of HaRav Ephraim Hakohen, head of Jerusalem's mekubolim, toward the end of 5709 (1949) HaRav Kadouri was selected to head the group. Yeshivat Porat Yosef had already relocated to Geula but the group of mekubolim opted to attach themselves to Yeshivat Beit Kel on Rechov Rashi. Nevertheless the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, HaRav Tzadka and HaRav Ben-Tzion Abba Shaul zt"l set aside a room where HaRav Kadouri received people every day for years until he started his own yeshiva, Yeshivat Nachalat Yitzchak, on Rechov David in Bucharim.

During the course of his lifetime he wrote only a handful of articles, although others may never have reached the eyes of his talmidim. Some of his writings attacked those who engage in practical kabboloh without understanding any of the secrets of kabboloh. The secrets of the amulets he would write for healing and success were given to him by HaRav Yehuda Phetaia. He was also extensively involved in studying the kavonos of tefilloh. All other secrets of kabboloh which other figures professed to engage in were foreign to him.

Over the years he battled against figures involved in oaths and lots. In one of the few articles he published on this issue, written for the book Tamim Tihiyu by HaRav Yaakov Hillel, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Chevrat Ahavat Shalom, he stressed that the only amulet formulations permitted to be written are those written by HaRav Yehuda Phetaia, "because he has foundations in the language of requests for mercy and the names are known, without any error."

In the article he also attacks users of oaths and praises HaRav Hillel's fight against those who mislead others to believe tricks presented in the guise of applied kabbalah. "His entirely beneficial intention is to save Am Yisrael from people who use sorcery and demons to demonstrate their power and deceive their followers and demand much money from them and take oaths and sometimes mix the sacred and the profane, demons with the names of angels, and sometimes inadvertently cause harm to those who ask them questions and there are amulets that are nothing but rattles. Therefore he who fears the Word of Hashem will avoid applied kabbalah."

HaRav Kadouri wrote several kabbolah books, primarily the different formulations of the amulets, but refused to print and distribute them, keeping them only for those familiar with sod. When people would come to him asking for amulets he would insist they recite a chapter of Tehillim for a certain period and made clear that without full Shabbos observance the amulet would provide no benefits.

His entire life was filled with Torah study, day and night, and lengthy tefillos at Yeshivat Nachalat Yitzchak together with his kabbalah talmidim.

HaRav Kadouri's meals were extremely meager and he abstained from numerous types of food. Every morning he would study Chok LeYisroel after breakfast, and then would delve deep into gemora sugyos for hours on end. He would study late into the night, sitting and learning for hours without rest. Whenever a new book came into his hands he would study it from cover to cover and was able to recite entire excerpts from memory.

According to his talmidim HaRav Kadouri knew the entire Shas and poskim verbatim. While studying he would often hold his beard in his hands, but refrained from doing so on Shabbos to avoid pulling out any hairs. When a beard hair fell out during the week he would keep it in a special box.

Throughout his lifetime he also adhered to asceticism in his speech. He never uttered an untoward word about others and would keep his distance from people who spoke excessively. Every full moon he would travel to the gravesites of various tzaddikim around the country to pray.

In general he spoke exceedingly little. For many years he did not say shiurim, but had others say them in his presence. He would make only comments, as he felt necessary.

His home was open to all. Even after certain household items and pieces of jewelry were stolen, he refused to shut the doors to the public and continued to help everyone who sought his assistance.

HaRav Kadouri avoided leaving Eretz Yisroel unnecessarily, but when he had to conduct a fundraising campaign for the yeshiva building he traveled abroad with his son. The moment he was told the amount collected would suffice for the phase of the building under construction he would insist on returning immediately. On one occasion an entire audience was waiting for his arrival, but he refused to remain abroad any longer, saying he was unable to direct his prayers while outside of Eretz Yisroel. Once the building was complete he stopped leaving Eretz Yisroel.

His wife, Sarah, who managed their modest home loyally until her last day, passed away on Lag B'Omer 5749 (1989). Five years later he remarried and his second wife. She too helped him maintain his daily schedule of Torah and chessed.

For decades people would come to his home seeking advice and brochos and asking him to pray for them. Many people were spared following his blessings, but he remained humble in his ways, devoting most of his time to the study of Torah, both nigleh and nistar.

During the last weeks of his life, he was rushed to Bikur Cholim Hospital to be treated for influenza. Following his recovery he returned home, but a short time later contracted an acute lung infection. He spent the last 13 days of his life in critical condition under the treatment of Bikur Cholim's top physicians, who kept him anaesthetised and connected to a respirator. His family members and talmidim did not leave his bedside and Jews everywhere prayed for his recovery.

Shortly after Shabbos ended, the family and close talmidim, along with a group of Jerusalem mekubolim, were summoned to recite Vidui and prayers at his bedside. They pleaded tearfully and cried out to Heaven, but at 10:00 p.m. HaRav Kadouri passed away.

The mittoh was brought to the yeshiva adjacent to his home and throughout the night and the morning hours family members, talmidim and other followers recited Tehillim under a heavy veil of sorrow. Hundreds of people were unable to make their way into the packed building.

In the late morning the police began closing streets leading to Rechov David and thousands of participants were already on hand when the hespeidim began at noon on Sunday. The police apparently underestimated the crowd and observers said that they were seriously understaffed to control the hundreds of thousands who attended.

Among the eulogizers were HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu, HaRav Beniyahu Shmueli, HaRav David Batzri, HaRav Yehuda Addes, HaRav Ovadia Yosef, HaRav Shlomo Amar, HaRav Reuven Elbaz and HaRav Moshe Cohen. All of the maspidim recounted the deceased's tzidkus and elevated character, his unique avodas Hashem, his devotion to Torah study day and night, his frugal lifestyle and his many acts of chessed. They also said he felt the suffering of every Jew in Klal Yisroel and would pray wholeheartedly for anyone in need. Before the procession set out it was announced that only those who immersed in a mikveh beforehand would be permitted to carry the mittoh.

Following the many hespeidim and a short address by President Moshe Katsav the levaya set out on foot toward Har Hamenuchos via Rechov Yechezkel, Malchei Yisrael, Torah Mitzion, Hatzvi and Yirmiyahu. All of the stores along the way closed down for hours as the very long stream of people passed.

When the mittoh arrived at the burial plot shortly before 3:00 p.m. the deceased's talmidim and leading mekubolim recited Shlosh Esrei Middos and Kabolas Ol Malchus Shomayim. A bitter cry could be heard throughout the cemetery as the mittoh was lowered into the ground. For hours afterwards thousands passed by the gravesite to pay their final respects.

Over 100 medics and paramedics were on hand during the procession with 10 Magen David Adom ambulances and 22 Hatzoloh motorcycles.

Throughout the day the Municipal Traffic Department worked in cooperation with Israel Police, which dispatched 700 officers to control the city's main thoroughfares and provide security for the procession. Traffic lights were adjusted and a special information hotline was set up. Early in the morning the Sanitation Department began to clear refuse bins to facilitate free passage.

Chacham Yitzchak Kadouri is Buried on Har Menuchos - Givat Shaul, Israel, and  is survived by a son and a daughter, grandchildren and other descendants.

The Month of Shvat: Aquarius

 

D'li (pail) is the Hebrew name for Aquarius. The constellation of D'li appears on the eastern horizon every day during the month of Shevat. This constellation resembles a full bucket from which water is poured. The act of watering represents action which affects others. 

The symbolism of the water bucket is very important. A bucket has but one function, design, and purpose: to draw and carry water. That is, to be a vessel of transmission. Its whole essence is one of serving. It is not an end unto itself. It is meant to be a vehicle for something else. 

Water, in many places throughout Jewish thought, is a metaphor for the wisdom of Torah. There are a number of qualities that water has, which are conceptually parallel to Torah. 

One of the qualities of water is that it always flows to the lowest spot. The out-pouring of wisdom (Torah) that comes from God rests on the most humble personality. The more selfless a person is, the more wisdom flows toward him. If a person devotes himself to ideals, to living truth, to helping others... then he becomes a vessel fitting to receive the Torah's wisdom. 

This sign, known as Aquarius, is the sign of the Jewish people. Just as a person is designated by a sign of the zodiac, so too nations also have a sign designated to them. 

The natural element associated with Shvat is wind. Out of the four elements (wind, earth, water, and fire), wind is the least tangible. It often acts as a conduit for other things. It transports moisture, and brings seedlings and other particles of nature from one location to another. Earth, fire and water are more important for what they are, than for what they do. 

The tribe of Asher is kabbalistically associated with Shvat. The name "Asher" means "pleasure" and "happiness." Our father Jacob blessed his son Asher: "from Asher comes delicious [lit. fat] bread, and he shall provide the delicacies of the king." From this it is evident that Asher represents the sense of taste and eating. 

The special tree which Asher personifies is the olive tree, which gives the goodly oil with which Asher's portion in the land of Israel was blessed. 

"Asher" in Hebrew grammar connects the subject of a sentence to a verb. It supports the subject. This is another example of Shvat's relationship to being subordinate to a master. 

Colour: Blue / Green 

Letter: Tzadik צ 

The letter kabbalistically associated with Shvat is the tzadi, otherwise known as the tzaddik. That word in Hebrew also means "righteous one". One of the qualities of the tzaddik is that he uses all of his activities for a higher purpose. When he eats, it is not just to enjoy the food. He eats in order to better serve his creator. The Talmud says, A righteous person eats to satisfy his soul. 

The very form of the letter tzadik (especially its final form, which represents the true manifestation of the tzadik in the future) resembles a tree. In the Torah, man is called Etz hasadeh ("the tree of the field"). Etz hasadeh = 474 = da'at, the unique property of man in general and of the tzadik in particular. Da'at is the power of "connection." The month of Shevat is the month of connection to the true tzadik of the generation, the Tree of Life of the generation. 

The Ba'al Shem Tov said that when one meets a water-carrier carrying pitchers full of water, it is a sign of blessing. The tzadik is a true manifestation of a water carrier.

Also see Gad Erlanger's book "Signs of the Times" 

Purple Again

 I hope you're not getting fed up with these purple storm photos...... this was last night in Sydney. Lots of photos but most of them are not for media use [which I guess includes blogs so I can't show you].

Click here to see FB photo

Unlocking the Secrets of the Four Stages of Redemption

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz

You've probably heard other Rabbis speaking about some of these aspects, but Rabbi Breitowitz has simplified things, and it's only 45 mins.

Which Way ?

And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse [Lech Lecha 12:3]

Trump seems to be offering the people of Gaza several different places to go while they clear up the mess that exists there, and build new homes - I don't know who is supposed to live in these new homes, but I'm thinking they are to be sold to whoever can afford to buy top-of-the-line waterfront property in Israel. People don't invest in property development unless they intend to make money out of it.  That implies that their market is cashed-up Jews in the diaspora, rather than the former residents of Gaza who have lost everything.

Surely Trump knows very well that neither Egypt, nor Jordan, want to take in these people, who are variously described as akin to gypsies, tramps and thieves with a murderous intent towards Jews. 

Trump's not messing around, in case you hadn't noticed.  It's his way or the highway.  And the price of coffee just went up a few notches.

I wonder which way he'll go with the Gaza problem.  And how is he going to give them their "Palestinian State" when he knows full well that these people are not "Palestinians" at all. 

There is a war going on in Shamayim, as some tzadikim have told us, and if you watch the skies you can see this playing out in the cloud formations and shapes which we have never seen here on earth before.  People mistakenly think these photos are AI but they're not, they're actual photos.  There are many AI image detectors freely available on Google so you can always check the photo if you have doubts. Try sightengine.com and see for yourself.

Gold Coast Australia January 25 2025

It's a case of "wait and see" because we don't know yet how things are going to play out, but even when we do know.... we'll still be confused because we are meant to be.  This is a time of confusion, don't expect to understand because you probably won't.  Moshiach comes out of chaos.

Spiritual Darkness

"And there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt... No man could see his brother nor could any man rise from his place" [Bo 10:22-23]

This verse, said R' Chanoch of Alexander, teaches us a valuable lesson in Divine service.

''And there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt'' - when it is a period of spiritual darkness - and ''No man could see his brother'' - when somebody only cares about himself and ignores the plight of others - then ''nor could any man rise from his place'' - he will not be able to rise from his low spiritual state.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Thoughts

I was reading Tomer Devorah's post Our Enemies are Digging Their Own Graves, and I think she's right.

I also watched the video she linked to in the comments, and it does seem ominous that America is so deeply into Saudi Arabia's pockets.  But as far as the murder of Kashoggi goes.... well, why would America want to get involved in that.... he was originally a Saudi, let them deal with their own business. It is also pertinent to bear in mind that some people's actions are too "ahead of their time" and would ruin Hashem's plan.... Kashoggi may have been one of those people who knew too much and was prepared to expose it all, and, unfortunately, he had to be removed as the time was not right. Things need to occur in Hashem's time frame.

Nevertheless, there is movement at the station with all of Jared Kushner's deals connected to the re-building of Gaza.  The people of Gaza who have been bombed out of their homes are allegedly to be shipped to Indonesia while their houses are rebuilt.   The majority of people in Indonesia identify as Muslim so it should be a perfect fit, but no doubt they will expect to return to Gaza.  

But as they say.... Man plans and G-d laughs...  maybe they will re-build, maybe they do intend to divide the Land for the Abraham Accords..... and Hashem will let them go just as far as Hashem wants them to go, and then all hell will break loose, but not coming from Trump, it will be coming from the Creator of the World and iy"H the appearance of Moshiach ben David.

If we're lucky, it will happen quickly, that is why we have three blood moons predicted to show up beginning with Adar [Purim] - however, as you will have seen, we already had a blood red moon this month.   

Will the US or Israel attack Iran this Adar?  Will we have a V'nahafoch hu this Purim when evil plans are turned upside down?  Will Trump be a collapsed clown for Purim? [that was the image that I was shown in my dream about 15 years ago]

How long do we have to wait to see MBD ..... I really believe it's this year.  Just keep watching the skies for all the signs we're going to be getting.  Watch the leaders of the world provoking each other.

I am reminded of this section of the Yalkut Shimoni 

 “In the year Moshiach comes all the nations of the world will provoke each other and threaten with war. The king of Persia [Iran] will provoke the King of Arabia [Saudi Arabia] with war. The King of Arabia goes to Edom [The Western Countries, headed by USA] for advice. Then the King of Persia destroys the world (and since that cannot be done with conventional weapons it must mean nuclear which can destroy most of the world). And all the nations of the world begin to panic and are afraid, and Israel too is afraid as to how to defend from this. G-d then says to them “Do not fear for everything that I have done is for your benefit, to destroy the evil kingdom of Edom and eradicate evil from this world so that the Messiah can come, your time of redemption is now.”

I don't know who to believe, or what to think, so I'm just leaving it in G-d's capable hands, gam zur l'tova even if it doesn't look that way sometimes.