The Blind Mashiach

Art Vladimir Kush

by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

The month of Iyar is the month of light. Even its name, Iyar, is cognate to the Hebrew word for ‘light,’ - Or. In the Bible, the month of Iyar is called the month of Ziv, which also means ‘light.’

How did this month merit such a luminous name? First of all, Iyar comes to us after a long, cold, cloudy winter. The month of Nissan blazes the trail to the spring, followed by Iyar, which is all light. We thank God for the light of the sun, but it is upon us to be mindful of the spiritual light, as well. Light is a wondrous allegory for Divine revelation, God’s illumination and benevolent abundance.

The Torah is also equated to light, “For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light.”[1] This is particularly true of the concealed, inner dimension of the Torah, the wisdom of Kabbalah of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in his book, The Zohar. This is another connection to Iyar, for Lag Ba’Omer, the day of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s passing, is on the 18th of Iyar. In addition, on the 14th of Iyar we commemorate the day of passing of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Ha’nes in Tiberias. Click here for Rabbi Meir's miracle remedy to find lost objects.  

The redemption is also likened to light, and at the Pesach seder we bless God for taking us out of “darkness to a great light.” In the merit of the Torah and the secrets of the Torah the redemption emerges.

Love in the Soul

While all of this is very nice, the fact is that there is still much darkness in the world – hatred, wars, troubles and illnesses. Even in our own communities, the situation is far from perfect. The same is true of our interpersonal relationships and even in our relationship with ourselves. This state of affairs can make it seem like we are light-years away from the redemption.

How do we emerge from the darkness of the exile to the light of the redemption? The main rectification for this time period is love for others. The students of Rabbi Akiva died during the days of the Omer – which we count during the entire month of Iyar – because they did not act with respect toward each other. It is upon us to rectify that blemish and to fulfill Rabbi Akiva’s teaching: “Love your neighbor as yourself – that is a great principle in the Torah.”[2]

How can we truly love our fellow man – even those who seem to be so different from us? Are we supposed to be blind and not pay attention to the distance between us and even the shortcomings and faults of others? Yes! We are supposed to be blind to those shortcomings!

Sometimes, it is good to close our eyes. This world is full of passing sights, replete with smoke and mirrors, old news, breaking news and a flood of input. It is all dizzying, blinding, confusing, superficial light. Stop! It is ok to release the tension, to step off the speeding train and relax. Close your eyes and take a look inward.

A blind person does not see superficial colors and shapes. This is specifically why he can sense something much more internal and essential. Quite a few Jewish Torah giants were blind and it was they who could sense the footsteps of Mashiach:

The Talmudic sage Rabbi Sheshet, who was blind, was the first of his colleagues to perceive when the king was coming by. It was the blind Talmudic sage Rav Yosef who declared: “May the Mashiach come and may I merit to sit in the shadow of his donkey.” (The numerical value of Rav Yosef equals ‘Mashiach’). Isaiah the Prophet says: Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My emissary whom I send? Who is blind as he who is wholehearted, and blind as God’s servant?[3] God’s servant, His emissary, the Mashiach, seems blind and deaf because he is focused inward.

The blind person sees the inner light, the light of the soul and the redemption. There is a deep connection between the Hebrew words for ‘light’ (or -אור) and ‘blind’ (iver – עור ). The blind person sees the light beneath the surface. It is no coincidence that in Aramaic, a blind person is called ‘sagi nahor,’ which means ‘much light.’

This is the way to love our fellow man: We must ignore his external appearance and focus on the inner dimension that unites us, seeing the connection between all the souls of Israel. This love banishes darkness and melts estrangement and hatred.

May this be an illuminating and healthy month for all!

[1] Proverbs 6:23.

[2] Leviticus 19:18, Sifrei ad loc, Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim 9:4.

[3] Isaiah 42:19

Source: Inner

Global Explosion and Economy: Israel and the US vs Iran

This is a brief transcription of the video.  There are English subtitles available but some of them are not clear.  Anyway I have typed up the relevant parts.  Hopefully I have not made too many errors.

Rav Ron Chaya

We are waiting for an American attack on Iran. Why are we waiting for this?

Iran, as Netanyahu said, have an obsesssion with wanting to destroy Israel. They are the ones who ran Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and those who rule all in Yemen. They have militias in Iraq.  We think it is Amalek, there is evidence for this, we have talked about it often.  So America attacks them to prevent an atomic bomb.  France and Israel also have an atomic bomb, but if Iran has one it is to send it to us.  It's obvious. So we can't let them have it.

It is written that at the end of days Persia will fall into the hands of Rome.  This will happen before Moshiach comes.  When it is written that Persia and Rome will last until the end of days it means until just before Moshiach comes.  This means that just before Moshiach comes, Persia will fall into the hands of Rome.

Rome is not the Vatican, especially since the Pope is dead.  Rome is the leader of the Western World, it is America. There has never been a war between the West and Persia.

Negotiations have taken place between America and Iran regarding their nuclear powers, but the Iranians will never agree to stop, they have made it clear. 

We also have a prophecy in the Torah from Bilam, the greatest non-Jewish prophet in history, and at the end he makes a prophecy about the end of time.  

After America attacks Iran there will be an economic crash, and that's the end.  Many are speaking about an impending economic crash. Elon Musk spoke about it a few weeks ago.  Warren Buffett did not say it but financiers say he foresees a great economic crash.

So what will happen in Israel if America attacks Iran?  I don't know but it is clear there will be fantastic miracles.

The Erev Rav are causing us many problems, enormous problems like never before in history.

The Zohar says that at the end of days the Erev Rav will fall.  We are waiting for that.

What happens next... Gog u Magog and Moshiach. Armies will come to attack Israel. For example, Erdogan wants to attack Israel, to "liberate Jerusalem".

After the Gog u Magog attack, Hashem will reveal Himself and everyone will recognize the G-d of Israel, and Moshiach comes.  It is said that this war will be the last 3 hours of the night, but the Vilna Gaon said it would only last 12 minutes and the Baba Sali said it would only last a few seconds.

As soon as the Moshiach arrives, everyone is healed.  The mute will start to speak etc. There will be no more illness, no more divorce, no more lack of Shalom Bayit. Everything will be perfect.

We don't know when it will happen but it's in Trump's head and Trump's head is in G-d's hands. The mind of the kings is in the Hand of G-d.  When Hashem says it's time to attack, they will attack.

No Defence

"For the people who were in the land before you committed all these abominable acts, and the land thus became defiled" [Acharei Mos 18:27]

The Rema [R' Moshe Isserles] explained this verse by way of a parable: A father purchased an expensive and beautiful garment for his beloved son. The son, however, was not careful with the garment and he soiled it.

If the son had been careful not to sit in a dirty area, he could have defended himself before his father with the claim that the garment was so fine and delicate that it stained easily, and he should therefore not be held accountable.

But since the son sat in an area that was so muddy and full of dirt that even a coarse and inexpensive garment would have been stained, he has absolutely no way of excusing himself.

The same thing applies to the Jewish people, said the Rema. The Jewish nation is Hashem's precious and only son, blessed with souls so fine and delicate that even the slightest sin is capable of leaving a stain. They can therefore claim before Hashem that it is the soul's delicate nature that is responsible for its stain.

But if the Jewish people commit sins that are so severe that they are capable of contaminating even unrefined nations - as the verse states "For the people who were in the land before you committed all these abominable acts, and the land thus became defiled" - then they will have absolutely no way of defending themselves before their Father in Heaven.

Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein

An Act of War

I saw Warren Buffett on the news the other day and I made a mental note to look for a clip of it, because he is the only one so far who has said it so concisely.  

Here it is

Judging Others Favourably

It is written, “With righteousness shall you judge your fellow” [Acharei/ Kedoshim 19:15]

The Sages interpret this to mean, “Judge your fellow favorably” [Shevuot 30b]. How can we apparently lie to ourselves by judging people favorably in every case, when in certain cases we can see them doing the very opposite of something favorable? What is the meaning of this mitzvah in that case? The Sages have said, “Any man who is insolent will in the end stumble into sin” [Taanith 7b]. This means that shame serves as a barrier and an obstacle to sin. Once a person had breached the barriers of modesty and shame, there is nothing to prevent him from sinning, as it is written: “It is a good sign if a man is shamefaced. … No man who experiences shame will easily sin” [Nedarim 20a]. 

The same applies to a person’s influence on others. The first one who sins completely breaches the barriers of shame. The one who follows him does not require as much insolence to sin, and the third person needs even less, once these barriers have been broken down. This is why the sin of desecrating Hashem’s Name is so grave. A person who openly sins diminishes the intensity of the fear and shame that are engraved in man with regards to committing a sin, thereby prompting others to sin as well.

We can now understand how the advice given to us by the Sages, to judge others favorably, is designed to help us. It is meant to ensure that the barriers of shame are not breached within our own hearts, for once we are certain that everyone is righteous, how could we dare to be the first ones to sin? However if a person tries to find fault with everyone, he will be more likely to sin at a time of weakness.

Source – Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin via Rabbi David Pinto

Why Does God Want Us to Work for Our Future Reward?

Rabbi Mendel Kessin

Sins from a Past Life

Art: K. Madison-Moore

This was originally published on "Jewish Soul Searching" - a website that no longer exists.

In his commentary on the Book of Yonah, the Vilna Gaon writes 

“The main thing [to keep in mind is that the purpose of reincarnation] is to effect the repair of a [negative] influence originating in a previous lifetime... [One way] to discern exactly what that negative influence is is to reflect upon the type of wrong your soul yearns after the most in this lifetime. That which you yearn after most is likely something you became habituated to in a previous life. And therefore pay attention to your vices. [They tell you exactly what you have to work on in this lifetime.] ...The main thing is to repair that which one stumbled in in a previous [life] ... How can one know what one stumbled in during a previous life? ... [Pay attention] to that particular sin one’s soul longs for greatly (for it was emblazened into the soul as a habit in the previous life). That’s why some people are drawn after one type of sin more than another. And that’s also why our Sages say that one must continually judge himself and weigh his actions..."

Note the subtle difference here between culpability and character improvement [tikkun]. Consider yourself not responsible for any sins you may or may not have done in a previous life, if you even had one (and/or know about it). Nevertheless, since in principle, at least, a previous life may be impacting on your present life circumstance, pay attention to your vices. Rather than limiting your free will, this information can, in theory, help it. For instance, you may feel you have no chance to overcome your lust for cheeseburgers. You may tell yourself you were born with this lust. It’s genetic. You feel you have no free will to oppose it. Every time you pass a McDonald’s you have to go in there and order a Big Mac.

However, if you take the Vilna Gaon’s teaching to heart, you may then come to realize that, although you are not now responsible for the sin of eating cheeseburgers in a previous life, you have this great lust as an opportunity for tikkun. Had it been just a regular lust for cheeseburgers your overcoming it may not be metaken (fix) the original weakness emblazoned into your soul. You don’t want this weakness when you are given your place in Eternity. So you were sent back here for the opportunity of eliminating the weakness; indeed, turning it into a strength. Overcoming this extra-powerful lust in this world turns your soul into a “body-builder’s” soul; perhaps even a “Mr. Universe” soul. It’s now stronger than it ever was. In any event, the point is that knowledge or even intuition about a past life can be a powerful aid to free will in this life.

Granted, it can theoretically create the opposite effect. A person may think, for example: What the heck; I’ll get it right in the next life. Or: If I didn’t get it right in the past what’s the point in trying in this life etc. The latter fear is the reason I believe the doctrine was restricted to Kabbalah, which ideally is reserved for select individuals of a higher spiritual standing to begin with.

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