Gog and Magog: The Strait of Hormuz

Received via email [Yosef Kaner] - free translation from the Hebrew 

Rav Yekutiel Fish posted an interesting quote from Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim from Luntschitz [who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, more commonly known as the "Kli Yakar"] in his Kli Paz, indicating that the Milchemet [war of] Gog and Magog will be centered in an area he calls Hormuz...... 

In the sefer Kli Paz "The Vessel of Pure Gold" from the commentry Kli Yakar, who was a Rosh Rabbonim [head of the rabbis] in the land of Israel 400 years ago, ''that there will be a sacrifice in Basra'' [Isaiah 34] that should be in the war of Gog and Magog and that it should happen or occur in a place by Basra named Hormuz. And the Navi's words since the sacrifice to Hashem in Basra and the great slaughtering in the land of Edom and it will descend, animals with them and cattle with Abirim [the strong healthy bulls] since the day of vengeance is to G-d and the completion of years of fighting Zion.. And it says ''the animals will descend with them'' to tell you there are many kings in the remaining nations that will join with Edom to help him and the slaughtering to G-d in Basra - a country with a distance from Bavel - its name is Basra and it is next to Asher which is Assyria and Persia in between the boundary of the land of Edom - The Hormuz - and today it is under the rulership of Yishmael and blessed is the one who knows the truth of these things. However it will be there - the war in the end of days.

וְהֶרְאוּנִי דָּבָר מַבְהִיל בְּסֵפֶר 'כְּלִי פָּז' מִבַּעַל הַ'כְּלִי יָקָר' שֶׁהָיָה רֹאשׁ הָרַבָּנִים בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה (ישעי' לד) שֶׁהַ"זֶבַח לַה' בְּבָצְרָה" שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּמִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג יִתְרַחֵשׁ בְּמָקוֹם עַל יַד בַּצְרָה שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ הוּרְמוּז. וְנָבִיא אֶת דְּבָרָיו "כִּי זֶבַח לַה' בְּבָצְרָה וְטֶבַח גָּדוֹל בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, וְיָרְדוּ רְאֵמִים עִמָּם וּפָרִים עִם אַבִּירִים וְגוֹ', כִּי יוֹם נָקָם לַה' שְׁנַת שִׁלּוּמִים לְרִיב צִיּוֹן". וְאָמַר "וְיָרְדוּ רְאֵמִים עִמָּם וְכוּ'', לְהַגִּיד שֶׁהַרְבֵּה מְלָכִים מִשַּׁאר הָאֻמּוֹת יִתְחַבְּרוּ עִם אֱדוֹם לְעָזְרָם. "כִּי זֶבַח לַה' בְּבָצְרָה", מְדִינָה יֵשׁ רָחוֹק מִבָּבֶל שְׁמָהּ בָּצְרָה, וְהִיא בֵּין גְּבוּל אֲשׁוּר וּפָרַס וּבֵין גְּבוּל אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, הוּרְמוּז, וְהִיא הַיּוֹם תַּחַת מֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאלִים. וּבָרוּךְ הַיּוֹדֵעַ אֲמִתָּתָם שֶׁל דְּבָרִים, אוּלַי יִהְיֶה דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים"

Parshat Yitro-The Origin of Yitro's Soul

[Hat tip: Joe]

Chassidut by Rabbi Herschel Reichman

Our Sages say that Yitro had seven names . The Shem MiShmuel takes an in-depth look at the names, Yeter and Yitro. Yeter was Yitro's gentile name, before he converted, and Yitro is the name he chose upon converting. Rashi explains that the name Yeter connotes that he increased the Torah with one parsha, when he advised Moshe to set up a judicial system. The Shem MiShmuel asks two questions. How does Yitro's non-Jewish name Yeter indicate that he added a parsha, when he only advised Moshe after he converted. Additionally, why did Yitro keep his original gentile name Yeter, adding just the letter vav, instead of taking a completely new Jewish name?

The midrash contrasts Esav and Yitro, who were polar opposites, in five ways. The five qualities correspond to the five senses.

1]  Esav's descendants, the Romans, committed adultery [related to the sense of touch], when they conquered Jerusalem, while Yitro gave his daughter to Moshe in marriage.

2]  Esav devoured Israel like bread, representing taste, while Yitro shared a meal of bread with Moshe.

3]   Esav did not fear Hashem. This is related to vision, because when one sees Hashem, one fears Him. Yitro recognized Hashem.

4] Esav gave up the bechora and the privilege of bringing korbanot. This corresponds to smell, as korbanot are referred to as "rei'ach necho'ach" a good fragrance. Yitro brought sacrifices to Hashem.

5] When Amalek, Esav's descendants, heard about the exodus of Egypt, they declared war against the Jews. Yitro, however, came to join them. The midrash actually contrasts them in a sixth way as well. This sixth trait utilizes the collective of all senses together. Esav represented sinat [hatred of] Yisrael while Yitro signified ahavat [ love of] Yisrael.

The gemara says that Esav was wicked from the beginning until the end of his life. We know that Hashem gave man the gift of bechira, free will. Didn't Esav have free choice? Bechira begins with man's unsullied innate personality which can be used for good or evil. Once choices are made, certain characteristics form. These characteristics then become habitual and harder to change.

Kayin was the first murderer mentioned in the Torah. He was given gevura, strength, which he could have used for the good. Instead, he perverted his personality, chose wickedness by violating the three cardinal sins, and is considered the progenitor of all evil.

Although Hashem gives us free choice, he is saddened when we sin. In spite of this, Hashem doesn't abandon man's original potential for good and wants to redeem it. This happens through reincarnation. Kayin died an evil man. One of Yitro's seven names was Keni, the identical letters that spell Kayin. Kayin's soul was reincarnated in Yitro, who inherited his good traits.

Yitro had enormous inner strength. He discovered monotheism, stood up as one man alone against an entire nation, and was shunned and blacklisted by his people. Esav received Kayin's evil middot [character traits]. He too, transgressed the three cardinal sins, was an egoist, and was jealous of his brother Yaakov. Esav was given amazing powers to rectify the evil of Kayin. But he chose not to do so and died an evil man.

Hevel embodied the trait of humbleness to an extreme. He too needed to be reincarnated because he did not live up to his potential. His humility was smothered by the evil of Kayin. Hevel was reincarnated in Moshe who was the humblest of all men. Moshe's anava [humility] did not prevent him from action. It brought him closer to Hashem.

Yitro and Moshe were none other than Kayin and Hevel reincarnated. Yeter means something more. It is the power of extraordinary courage, which brought Yitro to go against the world and join the Jews in the desert. Moshe told Yitro to keep the name Yeter, signifying admirable strength. However, he advised him to add the letter vav, which refers to Hashem, to make it Jewish.

Every one of us has a Kayin and Hevel within us. We struggle with self centeredness and weakness. Our true personality is enslaved to bad passions and habits. However, we can redeem ourselves by tapping in to the powers of Yitro and Moshe. By summoning the courage to do what's right and taking strength from Hashem, we can defeat the evil side within us.

Rabbi Elyashiv update and Torah Codes

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv

There has been a deterioration in the condition of Maran Posek HaDor HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv Shlita. The senior physicians overseeing the rav’s medical treatment did not have good news for family members earlier this evening, Wednesday, eve 16 Shevat 5772.

An update was received a short time ago from the rav’s spokesman, Rav Shlomo Kook, stating the rav is “stable” but doctors are particularly concerned with a systemic infection which is resulting in a high fever.

It appears that during a consultation between the attending physicians, including experts from Shaare Zedek and Sheba Medical Centers, it will not be possible to disconnect the respirator in the coming days due to the rav’s condition, his inability to breathe spontaneously. The respirator complicates efforts to remove the fluid that continues building up in the rav’s lungs. In short, the situation is critical and continued tefilos are needed.

Source: YWN



Also see: Geulah In Rav Elyashiv's Name!

Oprah Visits Hasidic Communities in NY [video]

Oprah Winfrey spent a day visiting Hasidic communities in Brooklyn, NY. At the end of the day, Chabad.org's own Rabbi Motti Seligson interviewed Mrs. Winfrey about her experiences.

Visit Jewish.TV for more Jewish videos.

The Narrow Bridge

Honor is a Lie and an Illusion

"And you shall select from among the entire people, men of wealth who are G-d fearing, men of truth who despise monetary gain" [Yisro 18:21]

Why, asked the Kotzker Rebbe, did Moshe Rabbeinu appoint ''leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifty and leaders of tens''?  Was he not afraid that perhaps such an appointment might offend some of them if they would be appointed to a post of lesser status than that of their fellows?

However, answered the Kotzker, remember that the Torah describes these individuals as being ''men of truth''.  A man of truth knows that honor is a lie and an illusion. Therefore none of these individuals felt offended by seeing someone else receive a higher position than they.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike?

Diplomats stationed in Israel request gas masks, prepare contingency plans in case of missile attacks; envoys fear that thousands of dual-citizenship Israelis will seek evacuation

Preparing for Iran strike? Foreign embassies in Israel have recently started to formulate contingency plans to evacuate their citizens from the Jewish State in case of a missile attack on Israel.

Senior officials in Jerusalem said that several diplomatic missions have shown great interest in preparing for various emergency situations, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.

In the framework of the preparations for possible fallout in case of an Israeli strike on Iran, foreign diplomats stationed in Israel requested that the Foreign Ministry equip them and their family members with gas masks.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has provided foreign embassies in Israel with a list of public bomb shelters across the country, as well as an instructional pamphlet in English produced by the IDF Home Front Command.

Diplomatic officials deployed in Israel are particularly concerned about the possibility of a missile offensive on the Jewish State that would prompt thousands of Israeli citizens with foreign passports to seek evacuation from country.

A senior European diplomat said that in such case, the European Union does not have the means to undertake a massive evacuation operation within a short period of time.

Meanwhile, the Home Front Command is preparing to launch a two-day drill in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Wednesday. IDF forces, firefighters, police officers and Magen David Adom emergency services will be taking part in the exercise.

Source: Ynet News

Torah: The Antidote to the Yetzer Hara

The numerical value of "Bnei Yisrael" בּני ישׂראל plus the number 8 - corresponding to the words' eight letters - [an accepted method of gematria] - is equal to that of "Torah" [611]. This alludes to the fact that observance and study of Torah is the very essence of the Jewish nation and the key to its survival. In the words of R' Saadiah Gaon: "Our nation is a nation only through Torah".

**************

I have created the yetzer hara [evil inclination] and I have created the Torah as its antidote" [Kiddushin 30b]

It is clear that if the Creator has created nothing but Torah as a remedy against the yetzer hara, then it is absolutely impossible for a person to be cured of this malady without this cure. Anyone who thinks to the contrary is mistaken and will realize his mistake in the end when he dies a sinner.

Who, then, would place this cure aside and take something in its stead in order to live?

Source: Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato

[Mesilas Yesharim ch. 5]