How Can Iran ''Destroy the World''?

Hat tip: Joe

We are all familiar with the Yalkut Shimoni prophecy of the King of Iran destroying the world:

A piece of rabbinic literature [written 800 years ago] known as the Yalkut Shimoni touches on many future scenarios both for the nation of Israel and for the world. In its section on the biblical Book of Isaiah and the prophecies contained therein, a rabbi cited by the Yalkut Shimoni states:

 “That the year the Messiah will arrive when all the nations of the world will antagonize each other and threaten with war. The king of Persia (Iran) antagonizes 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 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.”

But while most of us have thought this would be by way of nuclear weapons, there is a far easier way for them to do it.

As reported by Peter Hartcher in the Sydney Morning Herald today, all Iran needs to do is block oil exports through the Persian Gulf.  Australia, it seems, is the most at risk, having the least amount of oil stockpiled if such a blockage should take place.

The US itself is far less vulnerable - it now imports only a tenth of its oil needs - and could much better withstand disruption to its supply.

From Donald J. Trump ‏Twitter Verified account @realDonaldTrump 13h13 hours ago - China gets 91% of its Oil from the Straight, Japan 62%, and many other countries likewise. So why are we protecting the shipping lanes for other countries (many years) for zero compensation. All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been....

Opposition to Trump, Netanyahu's Election Failure and Iran's Fall

New shiur from Rabbi Mendel Kessin - [may be some audio issues, trouble with microphone]

The Sins of the Father

Art: Marianne Caroselli

"He reckons the fathers' transgression to the sons' account, up to the third and fourth generations" [Shelach 14:18]

In explaining how children can be punished for the sins of their parents, R' Berechiah HaNakdan recounts the following parable:

A hungry wolf met a fox and desired to devour it.

"Why would you want to devour me?" asked the sly fox.  "I am thin and have few bones... go and devour a fat-fleshed human, and you will enjoy the feast."

"I cannot devour a human" replied the wolf, "as the verse states "Of every beast I will demand it" [Bereishis 9:5] - [this verse warns beasts against killing people - see Rashi there]

The fox cackled and said "You have nothing to fear, for it is not you who will receive the punishment, but your children, as the verse says "He reckons the fathers' transgression to the sons' account."

The wolf was persuaded by the fox, and it began to search for a human.  On the way, it fell into a trap laid by hunters.  The wolf began yelling for help.  When the fox heard the calls of the wolf, it carefully approached the wolf.

"You liar!" screamed the wolf.  "Did you not say that only my children would get punished for my sins?"

"Fool that you are" replied the fox, "You are also not getting punished on account of your own sins, but for the sins of your fathers."

"How could that be?" screamed the wolf....."Why would I suffer for what others have done?"

"And why did you set out to devour humans?" queried the fox.  "Was it not because you were counting on the fact that it would be your children who would suffer for your sins? Since you felt it was fair that your children bear your sins, it is only fitting that you bear your fathers' sins!"

A child, concluded R' Berechiah, is only punished for his father's sins if he is guilty of the same sins.  This is because an individual's punishment is meted out measure for measure. When someone emulates the sinful ways of his father, without concern that his children will receive punishment on account of his sins, he too gets punished for the sins of his fathers.

If this is true of the negative, how much more so is it true of the positive: when a righteous son follows in the ways of a righteous father, he will certainly be rewarded for the good deeds of his father!

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

G-d in Nature

Signature of G-d in the Universe 
by Yosef Sebag, physicist, electrical engineer 

Did the Creator of the universe attach his signature in nature? Modern science has unlocked much of the mysteries of the universe. We have probed the atom, studied the cell, and peered out to the far edges of the observable universe. Surely if such a signature exists, we should have found it by now.

Read it at Daf Yomi Review

Out of Order

Teshuvah has the power to wipe away a person's past deeds, and transform him into a new person.

This is the inner reason why the account of the Second Pesach offering [Beha'alotecha 9:2] - which represents the concept of correcting and compensating for the mistakes of the past - was recorded out of chronological order, because teshuvah has the power to re-arrange a person's life ''out of chronological order'', wiping away his past mistakes.

Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

The Greatness of Torah Part 1

New Rabbi Kessin shiur

The Greatness of Torah Part 1

Gog u Magog and the 400 Year Anniversary of the ''Kli Yakar''

Many of us believe that currents events involving Iran / US are the beginnings of the final war of Gog u Magog.

The following text is by R' Dan Stochel

The geographical location was actually revealed for the start of the War of Gog and Magog, according to the Great Torah Sage, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Zatz"l from Luntschitz, Poland - a major Torah commentator known as the "Kli Yakar" who was niftar [passed away] in 1619.

In his holy book "Kli Paz," meaning "Vessel of Pure Gold" he wrote that the war of Gog and Magog will be centered around the area he calls: "the Hormuz."

Kli Paz was also written by another major mekubal - Kli Yakar the Gaon Aran Tzuba HaRav Shmuel Lanaiado from Venice. He also lived almost 400 years ago 1603-1657. He was a chaver of HaRav Chayim Vital and HaRav Galanti and the Holy Alshich in the Arizal's time. He saw these events and wrote them down in his commentary on Isaiah chapter 34.

As Chief Rabbi in Israel over 400 years ago, he wrote, ''there will be a great sacrifice in Basra'' quoting Isaiah chapter 34:1-13 about the last days during which the war of Gog and Magog should occur in a place nearby Basra named "Hormuz."

And the Navi Isaiah's 34:1-12, 63:1-6 foresaw "A sacrifice to Hashem is in Basra and it is a great slaughtering in the land of Edom" meaning to say that this will occur 'from above and descend,' many huge "Re'amim" roaming warrior-like beasts (aircraft/drones) and with them "Abirim" like powerful healthy bulls --(aircraft carriers) since the day of vengeance is for G-d and it is very near the completion of years of Hashem defending-protecting, fighting for Zion.

And the statement, ''the animals will descend with them'' means there will be many kings among the remaining nations whom will join with Edom (America) to help him (Trump) facilitate this slaughtering/sacrifice to Hashem in Basra - a country some distance from Bavel (modern-day Iraq) whose name is Basra and it is adjacent to Ashur (Syria) and Persia (Iran) in between the boundary of the land of Edom - called "Hormuz" - and today (Kli Yakar's time) it is under the rulership of Yishmael... "blessed is the one who knows the truth of these matters.״

However, it will be there in (the straits of) Hormuz where will be the Final 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

Furthermore, during the Brit Bein Habitarim Hashem guaranteed to Avraham that his descendants would be freed from exile after 400 years!

This took place when Avraham was over 70 years old as is the present age of medinat Yisroel.

Moreover, when the current events with Iran's series of acts of terror and then openly blowing up 4 oil tankers (Re'amim) the latest two in the straits of Hormuz for all the world to see -- that intriguingly occurred exactly this year - the 400th year anniversary of the Kli Yakar's petirah in 1619!

It's no coincidence then that, Avraham and Lihavdil the Medinah, were both born in 1948 a time when what I call the "pre-redemption" process began.

Kli Yakar

Two Moshiach Lectures

Two shiurim from Rabbi Shimon Kessin [brother of Rabbi Mendel Kessin] - thank you Leah for the links, for some reason these did not come up on my feed even though I am subscribed.

Purifying the Messiah




Messiah and Torah