The Final Test Before Mashiach

Rabbi Yehoshua Zitron

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. 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

The final war - What has been is what will be - The fall of the new world order

Rabbi Alon Anava - live

With no doubt we are heading towards the redemption. But on the way there will be a force, an evil power that will do anything to stop it... You need to WAKE UP and recognize who we are dealing with and what is their agenda!

Reb Sha'ayle's Awesome Power

For the Yarzheit of Reb Sha'ayle

Recently someone asked me how to get rid of ants.  I remembered a story I heard about a famous rabbi whose picture, when hung in the room, would rid the house of pests, notably mice but also other kinds of vermin.  Although I have not had a chance to test this myself, I am assured that it does work. [If you're going to try this, print out the photo below and perhaps laminate it, and put it in the room where the pests are bothering you] 

Reb Shaya'la of Kerestirer [1851- 1925] was a famous chasiddic Rebbe from Hungary in the early Twentieth century. [His yarzheit is on 3 Iyar] Many make the trip to his Kever and spend Shabbos at his house in northern Hungary. His picture is believed by many to be a segulah and a amulet of protection. Many stores have his picture to keep away mice. 

The Famous Mouse Story

Affectionately known as Reb Shaya'le [Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir], the Kerestirer Rebbe lived around the beginning of the 20th Century. He was a very pious man and extremely humble, always referring to himself in the diminutive [Shaya'le]. He was known as a "miraculous" person. His greatest pleasure was to host a very elaborate Melave Malka, the meal that follows Shabbos, on Saturday night. Often he would have his chassidim shecht fresh chickens for his meal.

Reb Yeshaya'le Kerestirer

One motzei Shabbos, while Reb Shaya'le was eating this special melave malka meal, a chossid came to him with an urgent request. He was a man who had a warehouse full of foodstuffs and he made his living by buying and selling food. For the past number of months, his warehouse had been taken over by mice who were eating his grain and other commodities and his entire livelihood was threatened. He asked Reb Shaya'le for a blessing that the mice should leave his warehouse. 

At that time, each small town in Europe was ruled by the local church pastor. Some of the pastors were kind towards the Jews and others were very harsh. Reb Shaya'le asked the chossid if the pastor of the town he lived in was kind or harsh. The chossid replied that he was very harsh toward the Jews. Reb Shaya'le then instructed the chossid to go to his warehouse and to tell the mice, "Reb Shaya'le says to go to the estate of the pastor." The chossid followed the Rebbe's advice and instantly hundreds of mice raced out of the warehouse all heading in the direction of the pastor's estate. 

The chossid's business was saved and ever since Jews who have been plagued with this problem have used Reb Shaya'le's picture to accomplish the ridding of mice from their homes.

Source: Jewish Gen

Moshiach is a Process.....

....and it's happening right now.

A Must Listen 


Thank you Yosef Shidler 

Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein
full lecture can be seen at Torah Anytime

...and why the shuls had to be shut down

Iyar: Healing

The Coronavirus Pandemic as a Pivotal Part of the Messianic Process

Rabbi Mendel Kessin new shiur

Birthpangs of Moshiach and Lessons of Quarantine

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz

Tzedaka

Amongst the many calls for help these days, this one caught my eye:

For many years, Rebbetzin Toiba Jungreis was the main breadwinner in her house. She juggled the responsibilities of caring for her growing family and paying the bills in order to allow her husband, the Tchenger rebbe of Boro Park, pursue a life of spreading Torah and of avodas Hashem.

The vicissitudes of the coronavirus, however, came down hard on the esteemed Jungreis family. The rebbetzin, the backbone of the family, was abruptly taken away on the second day of Chol Hamoed, during the worst of the pandemic. She had been suffering for awhile with the debilitating ALS disease, requiring the family to expend enormous sums for her support and medical expenses.

Her husband, Rav Asher Anshil shlita, is a quiet but strong influence on his kehillah. He has been known since his youth as a holy man, a gaon and tzaddik who is dedicated to his shiurim and yiras shamayim.

Nothing in the rebbe's life has swayed him from this single-minded focus, not even when he lost one child, and then another. When the dreaded ALS diagnosis came, he and his children mustered an extraordinary reservoir of strength to be a bulwark of support for their mother and to keep themselves strong at the same time. The household was totally restructured to ease her pain and suffering.

But now, the rebbe and his children face their biggest test yet. How will they remain a solid unit when the glue that kept them together is no longer with them? How will the rebbe raise his young children while simultaneously worrying about tuition, utility bills and other expenses? How will he marry off his children when still burdened by crushing medical debts arising from years of caring for his rebbetzin?

We must not let this latest tragedy bring him down! We cannot allow the passing of the rebbetzin undo decades of her work to build up a bayis ne'eman b'Yisroel!

You will be the family's savior!

We established a goal of raising $500,000, which askanim estimate is the amount needed to put the Jungreis family on a firm financial footing.

The rebbe is a namesake and successor to the holy Menuchas Asher of Tchenger zt"l, who was renowned for his brachos on behalf of the sick and needy. He will surely be there for those who help his descendant during his direst hour.

May all the generous donors who help the rebbe and his family overcome these challenges be blessed with all types of brachos and yeshuos.

Click here to donate [Verified Campaign, The Chesed Fund]

Social Distancing

Rabbi Shimon Kessin on Covid 19

Audio only - thank you to whichever Anonymous sent it to me

Please note, this is not Rabbi MENDEL Kessin, it is his brother Rabbi SHIMON Kessin

Locked Up or Locked Down?

Having just read a rant by an Israeli blogger who believes the Covid19 lockdowns are sinister and have nothing to do with the disease, which is harmless...... and no worse than a normal flu.... perhaps that blogger needs to spend some time in an emergency ward in the UK.

Just checking the statistics, and although many Israelis would leave us to believe that Israel is doing very well comparatively [which it is B"H] it is not exactly beating other countries in the war against Covid19.

From the Statista statistics at April 18:

Israel comes in at number 37 on the list for example with 158 deaths, while Australia is much lower at number 53 with 69 deaths.

Burundi has the lowest amount: 1 death

USA the highest at 37,175

[although I believe China would be much higher than that, they are just not telling the truth]

So whilst some countries have a massive amount of casualties, others have relatively few.  Why?  I tend to think that countries such as Israel and Australia handled the situation very quickly and locked down before it got out of control.  Australia had advance warning, as did New Zealand [showing as 11 deaths], and certainly Israel took action very quickly.  

I can't understand why some people think this is all a giant conspiracy toward some evil end.  And even if it is, don't you think G-d knows what's going on and will take care of it in due process?  

Meanwhile we enter Lockdown Day Something, I've lost count.  I rarely know what day of the week it is anymore.  

Returning the Corona [Crown] of the Torah.....

.... to it's rightful place

Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

Corona: Necessary Preparation for Global Redemption

Rav Avraham Shira
How the virus is equivalent to the 9th Plague of Darkness.

These Are The Days of Moshiach

Recently, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, shlita, the head of the “Shuvu Israel’ institutions, and Av Beit Din of the Jewish community in Morocco, gave over another message, about what Am Yisrael can expect over the coming weeks and months.

Rav Pinto said: “YOU SHOULD KNOW, WE ARE IN THE DAYS OF MOSHIACH – THE YOMIM SHEL MOSHIACH!

We need to strengthen ourselves [spiritually], there will be hard times, and people will die.

After this, another period will begin, an earthquake.

A big Rabbi will die, and then there will be a war.

And after this, there will be Moshiach Tzidkaynu, our Righteous Redeemer.

Source and More click here

Loneliness

Never succumb to feelings of loneliness. No matter where you are, God is close by.

Remember: Feeling distant from God is subjective, not objective; it is just your own feeling, not reality.

[Rebbe Nachman of Breslov]

What Do We Need To Do Now?

A few words from Rav Ephraim Kenig, Breslev Tsfat

What Do We Need To Do Now?

There is no question that we need to pay great attention to what is going on around us right now. As the Rambam writes, when things like this happen, don't say it is by chance or a rare occurrence, and then let it pass as if nothing happened. If so, the Rambam says, God will need to send an even more difficult warning to get our attention, God forbid. So what do we need to do? Right now, without delay, take a good honest look inside yourself to fix whatever you know needs repair. God knows the heart and mind of each one of us and knows if we are really learning the correct lesson from what is going on right now. Whatever we understand that we need to improve in our lives, it is important to put it into immediate action. The main thing is to fix the relationship between us and others, whether it be family or friends, or anyone else with whom we interact. Ensure there is no grudge, malice or hard feelings between you and anyone else.

Likewise, it is time to take a deeper look at our relationship with God. Regarding prayer, we are now in a situation where it is already impossible to pray with a minyan. I think the message is for anyone who has perhaps taken prayer in a minyan lightly. Thus we now face what is described in Pirkei Avot, that whoever neglects the Torah in wealth, will ultimately neglect it in poverty. We see that for all sorts of reasons, we are being told not to pray in a minyan. The advice for this is also found in the same Mishnah, that whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty, will ultimately fulfill it in wealth. (Pirkei Avot 4:9) In other words, it is time to strengthen ourselves and do whatever we previously found difficult—all of those things we avoided doing until today. Yes, fulfill them, yes, strengthen ourselves in those things we previously belittled or disparaged. Yes, be spiritually stronger and have greater focus in prayer. Then, of course, God will have compassion and give us the ability to fulfill the Torah in wealth, in many different ways: practical mitzvot, mitzvot connected to thought, and those dependent upon speech. God should bless us all with whatever we need in order to do what He desires, according to halacha. If we fulfill God's desire, He will most certainly fulfill our own holy desires as well, and we will see immediate deliverance and redemption.

How to Celebrate Pesach This Year

Apparently, we need to celebrate Pesach this year in a way that we’ve never celebrated before, at least as things appear at the moment. God can do anything, and everything can be transformed into good in a second. Nonetheless, we need to be prepared—and if we must make Pesach under certain different circumstances, so these are exactly the circumstances that God wants. As I’ve mentioned before, if it isn’t going the way you want, then want the way it is going. This means that everyone needs to see to it that they will observe Pesach this year. Ensure there is matzah and maror (the bitter herbs for the seder plate) at home, along with a joyous atmosphere and the holiday meals. Make sure to read the Passover Haggada, which leads us through every aspect of the Pesach seder—how and what to do. Of course, everyone has their own family customs, and whatever you don’t know or are unclear about, you can ask someone. Or ask other family members regarding your family traditions or anything else that you need. In this way, little by little, we will all pass through the holiday calmly and in a settled manner—exactly in the way that God wants for this moment.
 
We were redeemed in the month of Nisan, and the future redemption will also be in Nisan. We hope that it will be immediately, this year, as the verse says, “You are all alive today.” HaShem should bless us all with a chag kasher v’sameach, and a holiday of total freedom. Amen.

Pesach: Pink Super Moon

This is my dream...... the moon becomes pink. 

Wishing you all a Chag Kosher v'Sameach and may we see the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days.  

[If anything interesting turns up, I'll keep blogging until Yomtov - note: Thursday, Friday are Yomtov, followed by Shabbat, iy''H blogging resumes Sunday.]

Photo Randy Small Photography

Mysterious Shofar Sounds in Sweden

It's not a train, there are no trains near where this was filmed.  Sounds like a shofar.... in Sweden.... if you can't hear it on your PC, play it on your phone [my phone's volume is much louder and better than my computer's is, don't know about yours]

Bibi Invokes 800 Year Old Prophecy

Jerusalem Post

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening announced tough new restrictions on public movement, prohibiting all travel between cities from Tuesday at 4 p.m. until Friday at 7 a.m.

A complete lockdown and increased enforcement will begin on Passover Eve from Wednesday at 6 p.m. until Thursday at 7 a.m. Citizens will be required to remain in their homes amid fears that going to someone else’s house for the Seder or during Passover’s intermediate days could lead to the spread of coronavirus.