Monday, November 14, 2016

The Descent of a Lofty Soul - Moshiach



Art by Andreas


And they gave their father wine to drink on that night, and the elder came and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up -  וּבְקוּמָֽהּ

According to the Zohar, the dot in the הּ in the word וּבְקוּמָֽהּ [Vayera 19:33] alludes to the fact that G-d was secretly assisting this event, because Moshiach was to materialize from it [since Ruth, King David's great grand-mother, was a convert from the Moabites].  The latter event, between Lot and his younger daughter [19:35] is written without the letter vav - וּבְקֻמָֽהּ - to indicate that the union did not produce such great offspring.   Rabbi Shimon said "When the verse states that Lot ''wasn't aware'', it means he wasn't aware that Moshiach was destined to come from this union" [Zohar I 110b]

Why should the beginnings of Moshiach occur in such an undignified manner?  Ramak explains that when a very lofty soul is about to descend into the world, the forces of kelipah [“peel” or “shell”—words used by Kabbalah to describe layers of impurity] oppose the soul's descent vehemently. Sometimes, however, kelipah will consent to the soul's descent if it occurs amidst a particularly sinful act.  Thus, we find that from this undesirable act, the ancestor of Moshiach was born.

Source: Lubavitcher Rebbe

Sunday, November 13, 2016

''The Victory Of Donald Trump And The Consequences Of It Are Very Powerful''

This is an extremely interesting lecture from Rabbi Mizrachi.  You should know that the negative disastrous prophecies DO NOT have to happen.  They are there to scare us into teshuva.  I highly recommend listening to this, it is excellent.

''The Victory Of Donald Trump And The Consequences Of It Are Very Powerful''

Also see:  Trump is the Kelipa that is needed for the coming of Mashiah. [Rav Fish]

Saturday, November 12, 2016

The 70 Year Supermoon

Supermoon in Israel. Credit: Sergei25/Shutterstock.com


On 14 May 1948, the day before the expiration of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel".

On the night of Sunday November 13, the Moon will be the closest to Earth it's been since January 1948 and will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. This is the closest the Moon will get to Earth until 25 November 2034.    We know that the moon represents the Jewish people.  Is this supermoon a sign ..?

Click here to read more about the supermoon.

Click here to see photos.

Friday, November 11, 2016

11 Cheshvan - Yarzheit Rachel Imeinu



Jewish Mother's Day The 11th of Cheshvan 
by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

One of the most important days in the month of Cheshvan is the 11th, which commemorates the day of passing of our matriarch Rachel. Rachel was Jacob's most beloved wife and was the principal of his household and thus the principal of the entire house of Israel. From the first day of the year, the 1st day of Tishrei, the 11th day of Cheshvan is the 41st day. 41 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word "eim," which means "mother," thus the 11th of Cheshvan is truly the Jewish Mother's Day.

"Rachel cries for her children, she will not be comforted…"

Rachel constantly mourns over the exile of her children, the Jewish people, and the Almighty comforts her with the words: "Withhold your voice from crying and your eyes from tearing, for there is a reward for your actions… and the children will return to their border." Literally, "return to their border" refers to the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. But, more deeply, it refers to the return of our people to our natural spiritual environs: Judaism and our ancestral Jewish nature. These are the borders that truly circumscribe the uniqueness of our people. Amazingly, numerically, the value of the Hebrew word for "border" (g'vul / גבול) is exactly the same as the value of the word for "mother" (eim / אם); both equal 41.

In Hebrew, Cheshvan is written with the four letters: חשון. The borders (the first and last letters) of Cheshvan are chet - ח and nun - ן, which together spell the word chein - חן, meaning "beauty." The word chein - חן, "beauty" equals 58. The 58th day of the year is the 28th day of Cheshvan.

Rachel is described as the most beautiful woman in the Torah. The numerical value of the two middle letters, shin and vov, שו, is equal to isha -אשה , meaning "woman." Thus, the name of the month itself hints at the special and unique grace endowed to women.

King Solomon says that external beauty by itself is deceitful. If external beauty is all that a woman seeks then the name of the month becomes Marcheshvan, which means Bitter-Cheshvan. It is of such a woman King Solomon says: "And I find the woman to be more bitter than death." But, of true beauty, the beauty of a Jewish woman that emanates from within, he says: "The woman of beauty shall support honor." This true beauty is given to us, the Jewish people, by G‑d through the Torah, for "there is no truth but Torah" and "there is no honor but Torah."

It was Rachel, who was first endowed with this real beauty. Rachel is described as the most beautiful woman in the Torah, "She had a beautiful face and a beautiful figure." Thus, Rachel was the embodiment of the verse: "A woman who fears G‑d, she shall be praised," praised both for her grace and true beauty.

The beauty of the Jewish woman is not just a passive agent of spirituality. The sages teach that the offspring of Esau and his grandson Amalek can be defeated only by the children of Rachel.

Who embodies the spirit of Amalek in our day and age? In Hebrew, the words "Amalek" (עמלק) and "doubt" (safek / ספק) have the same numerical value. Thus, the spirit of Amalek that continues to plague each and every Jew is doubt; doubt in our faith, doubt in our Torah, and doubt in ourselves and the moral justification of our path.

But, sometimes the spirit of Amalek becomes bolder and captures a Jew (whether he be a private individual or a political figure) to the point of driving him or her to unconscious or even conscious self-hatred. This can result in a Jew's cooperation with the enemies of our people.

Finally there are the direct spiritual offspring of Amalek: those enemies who threaten the lives of Jews and our return to the Land of Israel.

The sages say that beauty is a woman's weapon. With everything that we have said about Rachel, her role as our matriarch, as the progenitor of Jewish nature, and of her beauty, it should now be clear that our weapon for defeating Amalek is the special beauty and grace of the Jewish mother. Joseph the tzaddik (righteous one) inherited his mother Rachel's beauty and he too is described as having a beautiful face and a beautiful figure. That is why the prophet says about him that "the house of Jacob will be fire and the house of Joseph its flame and the house of Esau straw, and together they will ignite him and consume him; and there will be no remnant for the house of Esau."

True Jewish beauty and grace destroy the enemy indirectly but, beauty is no regular weapon. True grace and beauty work by attracting the sparks of holiness that are bound within the enemy. These sparks are G‑d's will that the enemy still exist. Yet, when they are redeemed by their attraction to true beauty, they escape the enemy's grasp, leaving him void of any Divine source and causing his demise. True Jewish beauty and grace destroy the enemy indirectly by leaving him void of any beauty or grace himself, making him irrelevant and powerless.

The battle against Amalek in our generation must be conducted primarily with our ability to communicate to all around us the true nature of Jewish beauty and grace. It is to this beauty of Jewish nature and character that we return during the month of Cheshvan by reconnecting with our matriarch Rachel, with our own Jewish nature, and with ourselves.

Also visit: Rachel's Tomb

************************
Yiddishe Mama


Rachel lost her own spiritual luxury - the privilege of being buried in the Cave of Machpeilah - in order to help her children. This represents the unparalleled quality of the "Jewish mother" who is always willing to sacifice her own needs, spiritual or physical, for the sake of helping her children.

And this is the inner reason why Jewish identity follows the maternal and not the paternal route. For even though the father possesses a greater degree of spirituality - since he has the privilege of observing more mitzvos than a woman - the quality of a Jewish mother is nevertheless greater, that she is willing to forego much of that spirituality in order to enable her to raise a family with tender loving care. And since this quality is even more quintessentially Jewish than the spirituality of the man, it is the mother that actually makes her children Jewish.

Based on Likutei Sichos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Parshas Vayechi

*******************
Mama Rochel understood that tending to a broken heart comes above even Kavod Hashem....

When Rochel, out of frustration, complained to Yaakov about not having children, Yaakov got angry with her. The mefarshim say, based on a medrash, that Yaakov was punished for getting angry at Rochel and telling her that she needs to daven to Hashem and not complain to him.

Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro points out that Yaakov was defending Kavod Shamayim (the honor of Heaven) and was correct that Rochel's complaints were unjustified. His mistake was that he addressed the words that she spoke and not the pain in her heart. Had he pierced the veil of her soul, he would have known that because of her anguish, the words escaped her mouth and she was not accountable for them. He should have been slower to defend Kavod Shamayim and faster to understand human suffering.

This he explains was the greatness of Rochel. After the destruction of the first Temple, when Bnei Yisroel went into Galus, all the Avos and Imahos came before Hashem with all their great zechusim but were turned away empty handed. All the heroism of the Akeida, Yaakov's Torah, and lives of pure mesiras nefesh to build Klal Yisroel, did not impress Hashem in that dark moment of history.

The only one who merited Hashem's attention was Rochel Imeinu. What was her great act that warranted this special treatment? That she gave the simanim to her sister and helped fool Yaakov. With this bravery, in her mind, she was sabotaging the history of the Jewish nation since she understood that it was her and Yaakov that were destined to build the nation. Nevertheless she chose to cast aside her own destiny and Hashem's grand plan in order to save her sister from a single embarrassing moment.

Only Rochel, who had such a deep understanding of another person's pain and how it carries more weight than the entire Jewish experience, can be Hashem's emissary to bring his children's pain before Him. Only tears from Mama Rochel can bring the Geula.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

The Trump Presidency: How did it happen? What does it mean?

All the Trump haters need to listen to this lecture from Rabbi Simon Jacobson.


Stunning. History in the making. Shocking upset. The greatest upheaval in US Presidential history. A devastating loss. These are some of the ways that the surprising election of Donald J. Trump is being described. No one (except for a select few, who perhaps are as stunned as everyone) expected it -- not in the establishment, not in the government, not in the media. Without even a campaign office in some of the states he won, without a well-oiled political machine, without spending exorbitant sums as the Clinton campaign spent, against all the polls and predictions, despite all his guffaws and offensive remarks -- despite all the odds, Trump pulled off this sound and astounding victory, winning states in which no one ever expected him to be a contender.

Every one -- foremost in the media -- is rubbing their eyes. Just look at their faces -- like a doe caught in the headlights. What happened?! No one can wrap their head around this.

What did indeed happen? Is Trump a genius? Was the establishment and the media too arrogant? Did the blatant bias of the most powerful voices in America backfire? How could so many experts and strategists have so misread the sentiments of the US public? How did a man vilified by many reputable voices win such a resounding victory? What does nit say about the credibility and reputation of the venerable New York Times, as one example of many media outlets that made it their crusade to defeat Trump (venturing far beyond their mandate of reporting the news without prejudice)? The questions will certainly be asked for years to come. But will anyone ever find the answers? Perhaps this belongs in one of those watershed junctures in history which can never fully be understood. Maybe there is an invisible hand which shows its guiding force at key moments in time?

Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this extraordinary presentation about this unprecedented election, as he places it in historical context of events that are shaking up the world today, forces that are disrupting the existing systems and institutions, leading us into a new era. Shock is the natural reaction to changes that jolt us out of comfort zones and conventional wisdoms. Groundswells like these can either overwhelm and upset our very foundations, they can demoralize and disorient us; or they can be seen as convulsions preceding a new birth. If we allow our egos to stand in the way, we will look to blame others and all types of factors (except ourselves) for these shake-ups. However if we stand humble, and set aside our own agendas, we can allow these seismic shifts to open up new horizons.

Huge Object on AllSkyCam



This enormous red object has been seen on the AllSkyCam four nights in a row.

The red dwarf star, our sun's binary twin, otherwise known as Nibiru.  And it appears just as Rabbi Cordovero described [click to read].....  ''Remember we used to play with Jacks?  That's precisely what he drew.  A star with several smaller bodies surrounding it with 70 rays of light streaming out... connecting itself to each body surrounding the star.''


The Rebbe's Blessing


Seen on Facebook:

The Rebbe's Blessing

and then there's this:


Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Trump Trumps


Well done Donald Trump!  Amazing news - the man with the gematria of ''Moshiach ben David'' - has won the US Election: it must be a sign for us that the times of Moshiach are very near.  [and an update: he will be the 45th President of the US.... 45 is the gematria of Geula - thank you Yaak for that info.]  I'm sure Ivanka's davening at the Rebbe's Ohel didn't go astray either.

Rabbi Mendel Kessin called it, as you would know if you listened to his ''21st Century'' shiurim, and he also said that Trump would rebuild America.  Whether he will get a chance to do so, or Hashem has other plans, remains to be seen.  

It is an irony that stock markets around the globe took a very sharp down-turn as Trump's victory became kinda obvious.  Investors wanted a Clinton win, people are nervous, Hillary was their safer opinion.  And the polls got it totally wrong - as we know, blessing comes to that which is hidden, and Trump's popularity was ''hidden'' - seems that people gave the indication they would be voting for Hillary, but when given the privacy of their polling booth, they actually voted Trump.

And in the year 5777 Trump will be 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old on his first full day in office.

It's going to be a wild ride from here on.

P.S. The date is 9 November which here in Australia we write as 9/ 11.  

What this Election is Really Saying to the Jews


Rabbi Pinchas Winston

A new shiur from Rabbi Pinchas Winston


Video has now been put up and can be watched below.


Sparks of Holiness





"They will leave with substantial wealth" [Lech Lecha 15:14]

The above verse indicates that amassing wealth was one of the purposes of Egyptian exile.  For this to be achieved, it was necessary for Yosef to become the ruler of Egypt and gather wealth from all the other lands.

According to chassidic teachings, ''sparks of holiness'' are trapped within the physical world and are released when a Jew takes the object and uses it to perform a mitzvah.  Therefore, one of the inner purposes of exile is for the Jew to utilize physical objects in the service of G-d.

Thus, someone who truly desires to cleave to G-d needs to involve himself in the physical performance of mitzvot, for this is also the only way he can fulfill his soul's mission.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

Monday, November 7, 2016

Lech Lecha: Father of Many Nations


Source: Chanan Morrison from the writings of Rav Kook


Notarikon in the Torah    -      [Notarikon is a method of deriving a word, by using each of its initial
(ראשי תיבות) or final letters (סופי תיבות) to stand for another, to form a sentence or idea out of the words]

Abbreviations and acronyms are common in rabbinic writings, but they are rare in the text of the Torah itself. Nonetheless, the Sages observed that a few acronyms - notarikon in Aramaic - may be found in the Torah. The first and clearest example is the new name that God gave to Abraham:

“No longer shall you be called ‘Abram.’ Your name will be ‘Abraham,’ for I have made you the father of many nations.” [Gen. 17:5]

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, explaining that this new name indicates his new identity and mission. The name Avraham is short for “av hamon goyim,” ‘the father of many nations.’

The Talmud [Shabbat 105a], however, was not satisfied with this interpretation of the name. While the Torah explains “Avraham” to be a syllabic abbreviation of the words av hamon, the Sages converted it into a full-blown acronym. They wrote that each of the six Hebrew letters of av hamon (אב המון) indicates a different aspect of Abraham’s standing and influence in the world.

Aleph - I have made you a father [Av] to the nations;

Bet - I have made you chosen [Bachur] among the nations;

Hei - I have made you beloved [Haviv] among the nations;

Mem - I have you a king [Melech] for the nations;

Vav - I have made you exemplary [Vatik] among the nations;

Nun - I have made you faithful (Ne'eman) among the nations.

Of all the names in the Torah, why is Abraham’s name an abbreviation? Why did the Sages further expand this abbreviation, letter by letter?

Abraham’s Dual Influence

It would be a mistake to consider a notarikon as merely a homiletic or mnemonic device. Rather, it reveals deeper levels of meaning in the text. In addition to a literal understanding of the words, there is a wealth of profound ideas contained within the written text. This is similar to the workings of an acronym, where from each letter we extrapolate an entire word.

Of particular interest is the example that the Sages chose for a notarikon in the Torah - the name ‘Abraham.’ Why is this significant?

Abraham’s life-mission was to found the Jewish people. All three patriarchs, the Sages taught, are called ‘Israel’ (Breishit Rabbah 63:3). This is because their primary goal was to establish the people of Israel, a unique people who would serve as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6).

But Abraham also had a powerful impact on all nations. His teachings of monotheism transformed a world of paganism and idolatry.

The Sages analyzed Abraham’s influence, noting that it incorporated six qualities - corresponding to the six letters of אב המון. Thus, like a notarikon, Abraham’s influence was on two levels. His explicit life-goal was to found the Jewish people. But Abraham had an additional level of influence, as he disseminated his ideals of monotheism and morality among all peoples.

Six Aspects of Universal Influence

By examining each letter of the phrase av hamon, we uncover a different aspect of Abraham’s influence. He was an Av - a spiritual father and mentor to many nations, the source for true knowledge of God throughout the world.

His teachings were Bachur - select and distinct from the jumble of confused beliefs and superstitions held by the pagan nations. His faith in one God was pure, free of erroneous influences. Furthermore, his Torah enjoyed a charismatic attraction. Recognizing its inner truth and beauty, many were drawn to it and inspired by it. It was beloved and Haviv.

Due to his sterling character traits and beliefs, Abraham was highly respected. He was regarded as a Melech, a king. The people looked upon him as a “prince of God” [Gen. 23:6]. Like a king in battle, he led the fight for truth in a world shrouded in darkness and ignorance, victorious by virtue of the truth of his vision.

Furthermore, Abraham’s Torah was not just some theoretical philosophy. He was Vatik among the nations - respected for his personal integrity and piety. Abraham sought to refine deeds and character traits through the holiness of his beliefs, and promoted a life of morality and justice.

The final quality of Abraham’s influence was Ne'eman - as a man of steadfast faith. As the Torah testifies, “He believed in God, and God counted it as righteousness” [Gen. 15:6].

Abraham and his radical ideas kindled a nascent spark of faith among the nations. This flame of faith continues to illuminate the paths of many nations - a flame that will be elevated in the future into a pure and refined faith in God.

[Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. IV, p. 264]

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Trump Seeking Rebbe's Blessing.....

Photo: COLLive


Blink and you'll miss it.... but here is a video of Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner visiting the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe seeking a blessing days before the election.


Friday, November 4, 2016

The Misery of Life Without Faith


Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi returns after the holidays.

The Miraculous Torah Scroll


Danny Avidan, Rabbi Levi Wolff, Susan Avidan
Central Synagogue Sydney


Text by John Lyons, The Australian - 

After being buried in a Jewish cemetery in Nazi-occupied Hungary, a family Torah is about to complete a remarkable journey to Sydney.

The Central Synagogue, at Bondi Junction, in Sydney’s east, will soon receive its first pre-­Holocaust Torah, the final leg of a journey managed by property ­developer Danny Avidan.

The Torah will be flown from Israel to Sydney by his sister, Dorit Avidan Eldar, and her husband, leading Israeli journalist Akiva Eldar.

Before it is taken on to the plane it will have been carefully wrapped under the guidance of a rabbi.

In 1934 in Budapest, Mr ­Avidan’s grandfather, Haim Yacov Meir Bialazurker, was given a Torah by his 10 children to mark his 60th birthday.

But in 1944, amid the chaos of the Nazi invasion of Hungary, someone, without the family’s knowledge, buried the Torah in a Jewish cemetery in the hope it would survive.

As the war was ending, a man disguised as a Nazi soldier knocked on the family’s door — he had brought back the Torah, hidden in a potato sack.

Today, Yacov’s youngest daughter Susan lives in Sydney and is about to turn 90.

To mark her birthday, Mr Avidan — her son — will present the Torah to her at the synagogue on November 7.

Asked if she thought the Torah would survive the war, Mrs Avidan said: “We didn’t even think that we would survive.”

After the war, the Torah was taken to Israel, but it deteriorated to the point where it was no longer considered Kosher — which meant it could not be read from in a synagogue.

With the aim of presenting it to his mother, Mr Avidan had it ­restored, letter by letter, over many months. The Torah, which contains the five Books of Moses, is considered the central document of Judaism.

Mr Avidan began the project after reading a book by Susan Gordon, called Finding Eva, about his grandfather and the Torah.

“I had to find out more and I had to see that Torah,” Mr Avidan said. “I followed my feelings, went to Israel and found it.

He said that for his family, who came to Australia in the 1960s with little family and money, bringing the Torah was “a way of bringing and planting our heritage in our country, Australia”.

“Having my mother still with us to be able to embrace that, and feel the satisfaction of knowing that for me, my children and great-grandchildren in years to come will always know the story of where we came from — and the Torah will be our family root, our family tree, and hopefully keep us practising Judaism in the manner that my grandfather did and the manner that we try to do, and hopefully future generations in our family will do,” he said.

“In 1944 people were worried about surviving, eating, and my grandfather was very active with the Wallenberg movement and the whole Swedish movement in saving his family’s lives and as many people’s lives as possible by handing out Swedish papers.

“I don’t think the Torah was a concern. As the war was ending in Hungary, a person disguised as a Nazi brought him the Torah and, as far as I understood it, my grandfather was overwhelmed that the horror, the dark night of the last couple of years, had come to an end.

“He died a couple of days later.”

The Chief Rabbi of the Central Synagogue, Levi Wolff, said even if one letter of a Torah was cracked it was deemed not to be Kosher.

Asked how he saw this story at a human level, Rabbi Wolff said: “At first glance, it may seem like a stretch to find common ground between Danny’s Hungarian grandfather, his mother who resided in Israel and his Aussie children,” he said.

“Different language, different culinary tastes and vastly different recreational activities and sporting teams.

“Yet it is a microcosm of the Jewish experience ... Often, by necessity, we’ve been scattered and nomadic. At its core, our unity is based on one truth: the Torah. The values and moral compass found within teach us life lessons that are lovingly passed down from generation to generation.”

Click on the source to see video: The Australian

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Mekubal Predicts Trump

Donald Trump holds a question-and-answer session with Jewish reporters at his offices at Trump Tower, New York, April 14, 2016. (Uriel Heilman/JTA


HT: Yaak


The head of the Republican Party’s branch in Israel, attorney Marc Zell, told an ultra-Orthodox website that an unnamed but “great” Jewish mystic told him Judaism’s major mystical work predicts an election victory for Donald Trump. 

''....a mekubal, or sage steeped in the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, had informed him that according to the tradition’s seminal text, the Zohar, Trump will be the next president of the United States.

 “Two days ago, a great mekubal came to me — I don’t want to say his name — with all his entourage from Bnei Brak, just to give me this message for Donald Trump,” Zell reportedly said. 

“According to the rabbi, the Zohar says Donald Trump will win next week. The rabbi didn’t ask for anything, but just wanted to send this message.”

Source and more at:  Times of Israel

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Spreading the Knowledge of the 7 Laws of Noah



Could G-d's blueprint for creation exclude over 99% of the world's population?

In this video from 1986, the Lubavitcher Rebbe is talking about the obligation of the Jew to teach the Seven Laws of Noah to the non-Jews.  I have not previously seen this video, I discovered it after searching for an hour, trying to find a different video which I subsequently could not embed. 

I know there has been discussion on other blogs that Jews are NOT obligated to teach these laws to the nations, but here is the Rebbe on video clearly stating the opposite.  

None of this in any way endorses any cults or groups attempting to latch on to the Jews by way of attempting to live as a Jew without either a kosher conversion or having a Jewish mother.  There is no midway point: just like a pregnancy.... you either are or you aren't.... you are either a Jew, or you are a Gentile, and that's it folks.




Related:  Reach Out To the Non Jews    United Nations  Torah for Non-Jews


The Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach - The Seven Laws of Noah
[Source: CreedofNoah]

1. The prohibition of worship of false Gods/idolatry [The essence of life is to recognize and believe in the Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, accepting His laws with awe and love. There is only ONE God, God is ONE. Do not deny God. Acknowledge that there is ONE Almighty a timeless creator. God stands alone, He is infinite...The prohibition includes the prohibition against believing in a false prophet, false messiah and a false religion.]

2. The prohibition of blasphemy [Respect the Creator. As frustrated and angry as you may be, do not vent it by cursing your Maker]

3. The prohibition of murder [Respect human life. Every human being is an entire world. To save a life is to save that entire world. To destroy a life is to destroy an entire world. To help others live is a corollary of this principle. The act of murder includes the intentional killing of a human being, suicide, aborting a fetus except to save the mother’s life. The act of killing for self defense at any time or during times of war is not included in the prohibition against murder]

4. The prohibition of immorality and promiscuity [Do not engage in adulterous, incestuous, bestial or homosexual relations. Respect the institution of marriage. Marriage is a most Divine act. The marriage of a man and a woman is a reflection of the oneness of G-d and His creation. Disloyalty in marriage is an assault on that oneness.Wholesome families are a basis of healthy communities and societies. Immorality leads to inner decay. [Gen. 2:24].

5. The prohibition of theft  [The prohibition is inclusive of kidnap. Respect the rights and property of others. Be honest in all your business dealings. Since our sustenance comes from God, we should seek to earn it honestly, with dignity and not through deceit, we express our trust in Him as the Provider of Life. Theft is forbidden.]

6. The establishment of a judicial system.  [The establishment of courts of law to institute justice, truth, righteousness and morality over society is an essential institution. As well as to establish a police force and army as needed. A fair and effective legal system creates a society worthy of God’s blessing. It brings God’s ideals for our personal life into a formal order for society, and completes the other six laws.]

7. The prohibition of cruelty to animals. [Respect God’s creatures. Do not cause unnecessary suffering or pain to any creature, this includes not eating flesh removed from a living animal.]

The Post-Flood Era


Chassidic thought teaches that before the Flood, G-d sustained the world despite its low spiritual standing, due to His attribute of kindness.  There was a limit, however, to how long G-d was willing to sustain a world without merit - hence the Flood.

The waters of the flood were not merely a punishment.  They purified the world, making physicality in general more refined, and spiritually attuned. [see The Great Flood]

Consequently, in the post flood era, people were more predisposed to repentance.  This ensured that G-d would always sustain the world - not despite of, but - because of its spiritual standing.  For, even if man would become corrupt, people would inevitably repent, ensuring that the world itself would have sufficient merits for its continued existence.

With this in mind, we can explain the following details:


  • Noach was unaware of the above, so he was scared to repopulate the world, fearing it would be destroyed again.  Therefore, G-d had to re-command him to ''be fruitful and multiply''. [Noach 9:1]
  • The inner reason why Noach's generation failed to repent was because, before the Flood, the world was spiritually insensitive.
  • Meat is an extremely coarse food that can lead a person to excessive physicality.  Thus, it was only permitted to the spiritually-attuned post-Flood generation. [Noach 9:3]
  • Before the Flood, people had extremely long lifespans because the world was sustained by G-d's kindness which was bestowed disproportionately to people's merits.
  • Before the Flood, physicality was more coarse.  This was true in a literal sense, to the extent that the clouds were too thick to refract light, so a rainbow never appeared.  After the Flood, physicality become more refined, so the clouds began to refract light.  Thus, the rainbow was not only a ''sign of G-d's promise not to destroy the world, it was also a physical consequence of the refinement of the world that ensured its permanent existence.

Source: Based on Sefer Hasichos 5751, Likutei Sichos vol. 15 - Lubavitcher Rebbe


Rainbow at Bondi Beach Sydney 31.10.2016 - Photo: Glick Photography

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Great Flood

Art: Jacek Yerka

The Flood came to purify the earth... because the earth had become filled with robbery and corruption to the extreme and required purification.  

It was for this reason that the flood waters came for forty days, like a mikveh [ritual bath] which must contain a minimum of 40 se'ah of rainwater if it is to purify the ritually unclean.

Thus, for the generation of the Flood, the waters were a punishment, but for the world itself, the waters were a blessing, since the world became blessed through them.

This sheds light on the Torah's statement that the waters were both mild ''rain'' [of blessing] [Noach 7:12] and at the same time torrential flood waters [Noach 7:17] for even though the floods destroyed all the inhabitants of the world, they still had the positive effect of cleansing and purifying physicality itself.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos vol 25 pp 26-27 Lubavitcher Rebbe

The World is Going Crazy: Preparing for Moshiach



A new video from Rabbi Yuval Ovadia: Emergency call for all Humanity.  Why the world is out of control and how to cope with it.  An important message for all nations of the world.  ''The End of Days Is Here''.

HT:  AP


Sunday, October 30, 2016

A Good Wife Disagrees - The Majesty of Debate

by Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson

Who's listening?

"How is married life?" Greg asks his old buddy Mike.

"It's quite simple," Mike responds. "When we got engaged, I did most of the talking and she did most of the listening. Later, when we married, she began doing all of the talking and I began doing all of the listening. Now, ten years later, we both do all of the talking and the neighbors do all of the listening."

The biblical description of the woman's role

This week we begin the Torah afresh. The opening portion section of the Bible, Bereishis, captures the first 1,600 years of human history. It is filled with enrapturing tales that encapsulate the most profound mysteries and challenges of the human condition, including the enigma behind gender relationships.

It all begins with one 'innocent' verse, describing the raison d'etre of having two distinct genders in the world. "And G-d said, 'It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper against him (1).'" Until this point, Adam and Eve were fused into one body. Here they were divided into two distinct creatures, each one possessing his or her unique structure and personality (2).

Yet, the choice of words the Torah employs to describe the role of the feminine spouse — "a helper against him" — seems contradictory. If a wife is supposed to serve as a helper to her husband, she is obviously not "against him."

Much has been written to explain the meaning of this verse (3). One Jewish thinker, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (4), interprets the sentence exactly the way it sounds (5): The woman becomes a "helper" for her husband by sometimes being against him. What this may mean is that for a husband to become the maximum he can be, he must profess the courage to welcome the ideas and feelings of his spouse that are "against" his own.

The hollering husband

Some men cannot tolerate their wives disagreeing with them. They grow angry and frustrated, at times even yelling at their wives for daring to challenge their "sacred" views. What often transpires as a result is that the woman, in order to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in the home, remains silent or even removed.

Who loses the most?

It is the husband who loses most, according to this verse in the Torah. Frankly, a man at times must be saved from himself, from his ego, his insecurities, blind spots, rashness and temptations. When a man learns to genuinely embrace his wife's contrasting personality and her otherness, he will travel to places he could never reach on his own.

This does not mean, of course, that it is a biblical injunction upon every woman to disagree with her husband 100 percent of the time. (A man once asked me: If he stated an opinion alone in a forest away from his wife, would he still be wrong? I told him: Your mistake is that you think you need to state your opinion for her to know what you think.) For a relationship to work, wives and husbands need to learn the art of compromise. She must learn to see things from his perspective, and conversely, and they must both be flexible, kind, and reasonable.

What it does mean, though, is that it is unproductive and unhealthy when a man creates a climate in the home in which his wife must always agree with his opinions, answering "amen" to all his declarations and meshugasen.

Maintaining the balance

But how do couples guarantee that the proper proportions are preserved? How do we ensure that the "against him" component of a spouse does not overwhelm and subdue the "helper" dimension of a spouse?

The Talmud (6) states that in the beginning G-d planned to create man and woman as two distinct people. In the end, however, He created them as one (only afterward did He proceed to divide them into two, as stated above). Why did G-d "change His mind," so to speak?

Perhaps (7) He wished to teach us how a married couple ought to relate to one another. In marital relations, there ought to be both an "in the beginning" and an "in the end." In the beginning, husband and wife ought to be two; each party should express his or her opinion freely and uninhibitedly. Each of them ought to challenge his or her spouse to grow taller and deeper. Then, in the end, they ought to find a way to reconcile the different views into one unified pattern of behavior, making out of many -- one, E Pluribus Unum.

This may be one of the symbols behind an interesting distinction between the tefillin (phylacteries) that Jewish men wrap on their heads vs. the tefilin wraped on their arms. The tefillin we place upon our head is conspicuously divided into four sections or chambers. Each chamber contains another fragment of parchment inscribed with one portion of the Torah. The tefillin we place on our arm, however, is conspicuously made of one chamber and all of the four portions are inscribed on a single piece of parchment placed in one container.

Why?

On the "head" level — the analytical level — diversity between couples is desirable. Let each party argue his or her point. However, on the "arm" level — the level of implementation and action — there must be one path, one verdict, one pattern of behavior. If not, chaos might reign (7).

G-d's yearning not to be alone

G-d and His people are often compared in the Bible to a husband and wife (8). Thus, this verse — "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper against him" — may also be understood symbolically as a statement concerning the relationship between G-d and humanity.

Prior to the creation of the world, G-d, the ultimate "Man" was "alone." Even after creating the world, G-d could have revealed His presence in our lives so that we would still acknowledge that G-d is in truth alone, for the entire universe is essentially an extension of His light and energy.

Yet G-d chose otherwise. He chose to create a world that would eclipse His reality completely and even oppose Him. G-d chose to create a human being with the ability to deny Him, to ignore Him, to expel Him from his life. Why would G-d arrange such a situation?

The answer is, because "It is not good for Man to be alone; I will make Him a helper against Him." What this represents symbolically is that G-d's profoundest pleasure and help stems precisely from this opposition to Him. When a human being, who by his very nature feels himself absolutely detached from G-d, cracks the shell of his physicality to discover the light of G-d within; when a person challenges the coarseness of his nature to find the tiny flame of idealism etched in the recesses of his heart — this grants G-d a pleasure and joy that His being alone could never have achieved.

The purpose of our creation, in other words, was not to generate light, but to transform darkness into light (10).

So the next time your wife disagrees with you, or the next time you "disagree" with G-d emotionally or psychologically — don't get frustrated. On the contrary, this is an opportunity for you to experience the ultimate raison d'etre of your marriage.

You can watch a video class by Rabbi YY on this same theme.

Footnotes:

1) Genesis 2:18.

2) This is clear from the biblical narrative. Cf. Talmud Berschos 61a; Eiruvin 18a; Midrash Rabah Bereishis 8:1; quoted in Rashi Genesis 1:27.

3) See Talmud Yevamos 63a; quoted in Rashi to this verse.

4) 1745-1812. Rabbi Schnuer Zalman, author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch HaRav, was the founder of the Chabad school of Chassidus.

5) Torah Or Bereshis pp. 4-5. A similar interpretation can be found in the commentary Haamek Davar and Harchev Davar by the Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, 1816-1893. He was the dean of the Volozhin Yeshiva and one of the great rabbis of his day.)

6) Talmud Berachos and Eiruvun ibid.

7) This idea was suggested by Rabbi Moshe Avigdor Amiel (1883-1946), a rabbi in Lithuania, then in Antwerp and finally, from 1937 until his death, chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, in his work Hegyonos El Ami, on Bereishis. (An English translation, entitled Jews, Judaism & Genesis was published in Jerusalem in the year 2000 by the Rabbi Amiel Library, under the auspices of the American Mizrachi movement).

8) The entire book of Song of Songs is based on this analogy. Cf. Rambam Laws of Teshuvah ch. 10

9) See Ezekiel 1:26; Torah Or ibid. p. 5a.

10) See Tanya chapter 26.

11) This essay is based on a discourse by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Torah Or referenced in footnote #5), and on the commentary of Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin) on this verse in Genesis, see Haamak Davar and Harchav Davar.

Below is a new video from Rabbi Alon Anava: How do we maintain achdut in marriage?

The Rainbow Covenant



God made a covenant with Noah that He will not destroy the entire world again with a Flood. The symbol of this covenant is the rainbow.

When observing a rainbow, we recite a blessing: "Blessed is God, Who remembers the covenant (of Noah)."

However, the rabbis discourage one from staring at a rainbow, since it has a negative message:  It is telling us that the world deserves (another) flood but because of God's covenant, it will not happen.

The Talmud relates that during the lifetimes of certain great sages, a rainbow was never seen, because they were capable of saving the world from a flood, in their own merit.



Rav Kook writes:


Were there not rainbows before the Flood? How did the rainbow suddenly become a symbol of protection from Divine punishment?

In truth, the rainbow was created immediately before the Sabbath of creation (Avot 5:6). Before the Flood, however, the rainbow could not be seen. It was a "Keshet Be'Anan," a rainbow in the clouds. The thickness and opacity of the clouds, a metaphor for the world's dense physicality — obscured the rainbow. Only after the Flood, in a world of diluted physical strength, did the rainbow finally become visible.

The rainbow is a symbol of weakness. Physical weakness, that the cloud no longer conceals it. And also spiritual weakness, that only a Divine promise prevents destruction of the world as punishment for its sins. The Sages taught in Ketubot 77b that rare were the generations that merited tzaddikim so holy that no rainbow could be seen in their days.

The Flood restored balance to the world in two ways. In addition to weakening the material universe, the aftermath of the Flood resulted in a bolstering of the spiritual and moral side, through the Noahide Code. The Flood annulled all previous obligations, and initiated a new era of repairing the world via the seven mitzvot of Bnei-Noah.


Read entire essay at Rav Kook Torah


Why was the rainbow chosen as a symbol of peace between Hashem and mankind?

Hashem said: "When I brought the mabul (flood), My bow was drawn against man. The rainbow resembles a reversed bow, signifying that there shall be no more "arrows from Heaven" sent to destroy humanity".

In the Torah portion that relates the establishment of the covenant between God and Noah (and all generations to come) by means of the rainbow, the word "covenant" (בְּרִית) is repeated seven times. These seven appearances of the word "covenant" allude to the seven colors of the rainbow studied and documented by Isaac Newton, and to the seven Noahide commandments.

The seven colors of the rainbow and the seven Noahide commandments correspond to the seven lower sefirot as follows:

RED - Gevurah (might) - The prohibition against murder

BLUE - Chessed (loving-kindness) - The prohibition against adultery

YELLOW -Tiferet (beauty) - The prohibition against theft

ORANGE - Hod (thanksgiving) - The prohibition against blasphemy

VIOLET -Netzach (victory) - The prohibition against idolatry

GREEN -Yesod (foundation) - The prohibition against eating the flesh of a live animal

INDIGO -Malchut (kingdom) - The injunction to establish a just legal system


by Rabbi Y. Ginsburgh
Read entire essay at: Inner.org

Also see: The Seven Universal Laws for all Humanity

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Garments of Leather



by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita

It is written “Hashem made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them” [Bereishit 3:21]

Why did G-d choose garments of skin to clothe Adam and his wife?

The author of Tzafnat Pa’aneach offers us a subtle explanation: When Adam discovered that he was naked and needed to be clothed, he was in a situation that required him to recite the Shecheyanu blessing, for he would be wearing a new garment. However the Halachah forbids a person from reciting a blessing if he is naked.

Adam was therefore faced with a dilemma: Should he recite a blessing for his first garment, and if so, how should he say it?

Hence the verse states, “Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them.” It specifically mentions garments of skin because Shecheyanu is not recited over leather garments, since “His mercy extends to all His creatures” [Tehillim 145:9]. By fashioning garments of skin for Adam while he was still naked, Hashem exempted him from having to recite Shecheyanu.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Torah Codes: ''Trump Will Be Elected''

Here are some new codes from Rabbi Glazerson which show that Donald Trump will be elected President.

Of course we have also seen codes that say President Hillary.

And we know that the name of Donald Trump has the same gematria as ''Moshiach ben David'' and we know that the name Hillary Rodham Clinton has an extremely unique gematria equalling the phrase ''a time of terrible distress'' which may well hint to her time as leader of America.

And we also have the widespread conspiracy theory that there will be no elections at all.

Anyway, here is the video of the latest Trump Codes.


Why does the Diaspora still keep Two Days of YomTov?

Question of the Week from Rabbi Aron Moss

Why on earth do we still keep two days of Yomtov outside of Israel? I know the history: in ancient times people didn't have calendars on their phones, because the calendar was not set in advance, but rather month by month. When witnesses saw the new moon they reported it to the rabbis in the Temple, and the rabbis would declare that a new month had begun. It would take a couple of weeks for the message to reach outlying communities, so they could never be sure of the correct date to celebrate the festivals. So the diaspora communities kept two days to be on the safe side.

That made sense back then, but for heavens sake, we have calendars today! Why do we still keep two days in the diaspora for every festival that is one day in Israel?

For me, this is one of the most ridiculous laws. It's like the World Jewish Council of Rabbis can't be bothered to overturn it or discuss it. Or perhaps they fear a backlash from Jewish bakers, butchers and grocers around the world who like having more Jewish festivals with more meals....

Can't we update this one already?

Answer:

I remember I had a teacher who had little patience. If a student missed out on what he said, he got furious and thundered, "Why can't you listen the first time? I will not repeat myself."

This is not fair. Not everyone can grasp an idea all at once. There are some gifted individuals who are sharp enough to get it the first time. But many of us need to hear something twice before it sinks in. a good teacher should no this.

G-d is the greatest teacher, and time itself is His classroom. Every festival in the Jewish calendar is like a lesson G-d teaches to the world. On Pesach we learn about freedom, and G-d beams a light of freedom into the world. On Sukkos we study the meaning of true happiness, and G-d sends the gift of joy into our hearts. Each festival and its observances are the way we receive the lesson, the light and wisdom of the day.

When you live in the Holy Land, its very air makes you wise, it opens you up to spiritual wisdom. Like a gifted student, you get the lesson the first time. You need only celebrate one day of each festival, and its message hits home straight away.

In the diaspora, we just don't get it so fast. We need more time for the lesson to sink in, as the air here is not as spiritually refined as Israel air. And so we are given a second day, another chance to fully absorb the power of the festival and for the message to hit home.

Our sages prophesied that one day in the future, the holiness of Israel will cover the entire earth, and then we will all get it the first time. Until then, we in the diaspora can enjoy the extended holiness of an extra day.

Make sense? If not I am happy to repeat it...

Source: Likkutei Torah Shmini Atzeres 92c

Friday, October 21, 2016

Russians Mobilizing.....

On the yarzheit of the Vilna Gaon........



''When the Russians mobilize their fleet towards Jerusalem - GET READY FOR MASHIACH!!'' - Vilna Gaon

Quoting Rabbi Alon Anava : 

Rabbi Dov Eliach the author of the book 'Hagaon' [Chapter 2 page 765/60] says that the students of the Rebbe from Brisk confirm the Vilna Gaon said it. Also Rabbi Aryeh Levin confirmed he heard directly from Rabbi Chaim Berlin who heard it directly from Rabbi Yitzchak Itzkovitch of Volozhin who heard it directly from the Vilna Gaon.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

19 Tishrei - Yahrzeit - Vilna Gaon


Painting of the Vilna Gaon from Yesodei Hatorah School corridor wall

Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna - The Vilna Gaon - Leader of Lithuanian Jewry, Torah scholar and kabbalist. Born: Vilna, Lithuania, 1720 Died: 19 Tishrei Vilna, Lithuania,1797

Popularly referred to as the Vilna Gaon, the Gra (initials of Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu), or simply as the Gaon. Considered to be the greatest Torah scholar of the past two centuries.

Even as a child Eliyahu of Vilna amazed the congregation when, at the age of 7, he delivered a learned discourse in the Great Synagogue in Vilna. By 10 years of age he had surpassed all his teachers, and, studying by himself with total concentration, he acquired knowledge of the vastness of Torah in both its revealed and mystical aspects. Every minute of his life was devoted to Torah study. He never slept more than two hours in a 24-hour period; he never accepted any rabbinic post or leadership of a yeshivah. He taught few disciples, selected from the foremost Torah scholars of his time. He also mastered astronomy, mathematics and music.

Known for fierce opposition to Chassidut, which was initiated in 1736 by the Baal Shem Tov, he and his followers in this anti-Chassidic Movement were known as "Mitnagdim," or opponents. Their opposition was based on the beliefs, vigorously denied by Chassidic leaders, that Chassidut took liberties with the Oral Law, that it substituted emotion for intellect in the Study of Torah, that its form of prayer departed too far from the traditional form of prayer, etc.

The Vilna Gaon cleared a new path to Talmud study, focusing on gaining a clear understanding through keen analysis of the principals and approaches of the early authorities. His methodology stood in sharp contrast to the pilpul system of the Polish yeshivahs, an intricate system of creating a complex framework with which a series of questions would be answered. He toiled hard on emending the the talmudic and midrashic texts. Subsequent discoveries of ancient manuscripts confirmed the soundness of his corrections, which appear in the Vilna edition of the Talmud [Haga'ot Hagra].

His works which were recorded and published by his disciples, include Aderet Eliyahu, a commentary on the Torah; a commentary on Ecclesiastes; Shenot Eliyahu, a commentary on the Mishna, Order of Zeraim; Biur Hagra, a commentary on Shulchan Aruch; a commentary on Sefer Yetzirah, a kabbalistic work; and many other works.

His commentary on the Torah is filled with interesting allusions that show the oneness of the Written Torah and the Oral Law, demonstrating their common source in Divine revelation.

The Vilna Gaon was revered in Vilna and throughout the world for his phenomental knowledge and saintly character. One of his most outstanding disciples was Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, the founder of the yeshivah of Volozhin. Following the Gaon's approach to learning, this institution spread Torah for more than a 100 years. Today most yeshivas follow the study pattern of Volozhin, keeping alive the approach to Torah pioneered by the great Vilna Gaon.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Here Come The SuperMoons

The October full moon kicks off the first of three supermoons happening in late 2016 - [but whether it will be red or not is anyone's guess these days]


Sky-watchers are gearing up for a super-sized moon that will grace evening skies this Sunday, October 16. The so-called hunter’s supermoon kicks off a lunar triple play happening over the next three months.

The full moon on the 16th will appear 16 percent larger than average and nearly 30 percent larger than the year’s smallest full moon, which we saw back in April.

The full moons of November and December will also be supermoons. Next month’s supermoon promises to be the most impressive, as it will be the largest full moon visible in our skies so far this century.

More at National Geographic