Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Welcome to the Purim Plot

This afternoon on the eve of the 23 Sivan, 5765 the Jewish people are going to war against the Erev Rav. People wearing a sea of orange, young and old, healthy and frail, new Olim and Old Sabras are going to sit down and learn. Not in the Beit HaMedrash but in the middle of the Ayalon (the main highway in Tel Aviv) during Rush Hour. The world will not be the same tomorrow night. How this war of the L-rd will be won is still a mystery hidden in the tzafun of the Matzah that we ate at the end of our meal on Pesach night. We go into it knowing that someway somehow we will win this war. It is not just a war against the Erev Rav lead by Armolgus (Shimon Peres) and his enslaved patsy Ariel Sharon, it is a war against all the corruption and lies of Gog W.? and the House of Saud. The wars of Gog and Magog will surely over the next few months if not weeks arrive on Israel's soil. Let us pray for our fighters wearing orange, for only the Jews who have not been corrupted by the Erev Rav and righteous gentiles who can somehow see through the vomit of the international media will be praying for our success. Let us also pray that the Melitzer Rebbe is correct, and that the only battles of this Gog and Magog war will be spiritual ones and not ones which fill the streets with blood.

Yet, tomorrow night a sea of orange will desecend upon the byways and the highways of the Holy Land, armed with nothing else except Gemorrahs in hand and Tehillim in our shirt pockets. Yes, over the next several months the Ark of the Covenant will be revealed in its long lost hiding place. We can pray that Vendl Jones starts his "dig" before Tisha B'Av, but in the end the only solace that we have is that G-d will help us win. For was not this moment foretold by the prophets of old that a king will arise in Israel to war on Hashem's behalf against the dying world of Malchut Edom? Will not the nations of the world gather against Jerusalem to war against this king? Well this is the summer of our discontent. This is the summer when we seek to annoint Mashiach ben Yosef, who will defeat Amalek forever on a Purim to come.

It is worth noting that because of the horrible train accident last week near Ashkelon that this war was delayed one week. Now, I believe, I understand why. From the book of Esther after Haman's plot was foiled, and he was hung on the gallows that he built for Mordechai:

So they (Mordechai and Esther) summoned the King's scribes at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on its twenty-third day, and it was written as Mordechai had dictated to the Jews and to the satraps, the governors and officials of the countries from Hodu to Cush (the entire world), 127 countries, to each country in its own script, and each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. He wrote in the name of King Ahashverosh and sealed it with the King's signet. He sent dispatches by couriers on horseback, riders of swift mules bred of mares, stating that the King had given the right to the Jews of every city to organize and to defend themselves; to destroy, to slay and to exterminate every armed force of any people or country that threatens them, along with their children and women, and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all theprovinces of King Achashverosh, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar.

Pray for us all, you armies of daveners throughout the world. This afternoon before the eve of the 23rd of Sivan, the army of the L-rd goes to war.

I will report from the home front, G-d willing, tomorrow night.

29 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

What's with the orange? Still didn't figure this out. In any event...


Readers may wish to visit this resource:
Preventing the Disengagement from Gush Katif
Resources on the Jewish communities of Gush Katif, including movies, products, and the proclamation of 300 Israeli Rabbonim


It includes the following, from a recent interview with Harav Mordechai Eliyahu:

Q: When [you] say that the disengagement will not come to pass, is this a prayer, or a description of reality?

A: Both. We pray that this evil thought will be nullified, and we are certain that the prayer will help and the decision will be canceled. We must greatly strengthen ourselves in prayer to the Creator that He cancel this immoral act of expelling Jews from the Holy Land, and I believe that the prayer will bring about a reality of “it will not come to pass.”

May we hear good news

6/29/2005 6:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's wonderful!
It's amazing article!
I never red something more inspiring than that!

6/29/2005 12:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We have to bear in mind that if the Rav's words come about, it will be because of acts of mesirut nefesh as described here. Lest anyone imagine that we can sit back and wait for Hashem to act on our behalf without any contribution from us. This is the spirit of Joshua and of Judah Hamaccabee. This is Jewish Jihad and it's been too long in coming.

6/29/2005 1:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please fill us in on details of the events of this latest battle, that began on Erev 23 Sivan

6/29/2005 10:55 PM  
Blogger Dov Bar-Leib said...

Dear Readers:

Today, the first day of the war againsts the forces of impurity amongst our people, was a successful day. We blocked many highways and byways, and made the lives of the police who came to beat us up as miserable as possible. I personally took a role which I cannot fully discuss, but I believe that I helped with the blocking of the Ayalon in Ramat Aviv for one and 1/4 hours. We were helped by many local residents who brought us water and food and cheered us on. This was in the so-called secular suburb of Ramat Aviv.

Upon returning to Jerusalem, I drove through a high-strung area of Givat Shaul where a crowd which was 50% Chareidi and 50% religious Zionist and secular, was about to close the road. People were singing. People were saying Tehillim. Everyone was taunting the police, many of whom appeared as if they wanted to join the crowd.

During this time the Sharon government tried a counter attack. The IDF, the few soldiers who want to be down there to break heads (May they repent or rot in hell), took up positions against the Maoz Yam Hotel. Sharon has declared this residence of 500 Jews a closed military zone. He will work to his death to make sure his sons receive their inheritance on this side of the prison bars along with getting a fat check from the EU in his Swiss bank account. The war will continue for some time. May G-d help us all. This fascist government must be overthrown or taught a lesson which will change them forever!

6/29/2005 11:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dov, did you get a psak for this?

In any event, it seems that this was a special seder Pesach by the Gerrer Rebbe, shlita. At the seder table he announced that Moshiach will come this year or next. This is not just internet shmua, this is from the Rebbe's son (who was present) to R' Lazer Brody, ish mi-pi ish. Read for yourself

6/30/2005 5:54 AM  
Blogger Dov Bar-Leib said...

Yes, we all had a p'sak din. All the roads that were chosen had alternate bypass routes for emergency vehicles (ambulances and the like). This was in accordance with Rav M. Eliyahu's p'sak that road-blocking should only occur if bypass roads exist. The proof that this occurred is that not one interchange was blockaded. It would have been much harder to remove demonstrators from an interchange, for there is no access to it except from the road itself. Yet no elevated cloverleafs or interchanges were blocked. Bayit Leumi, the passive resistance movement in charge of road closures, is only acting in accordance with piskei din (rules of law) being asked. The coordinator on our yishuv is a Talmud Chacham par-excellance. He received smicha at the Mir Yeshiva in the same class as my Rav from S. Louis. In America there are Rabbi/Drs. Here we have Rabbi/Colonels too, and I am not just talking about army chaplains.

The situation is evolving (some would say deteriorating) and escalating rapidly, though. It is unknown at this time if an residents of the Hof Dekalim (Palm Beech) Hotel were beaten as 2000 policemen/stormtroopers stormed the hotel. We can only pray that people are not severely beaten. This is going to be one hard war. The rules of war, of course, are different than the rules of passive resistance. In the heat of battle, it is unknown how individuals will behave. What is expected of the warrior also changes when he is about to be beaten with a club. Pray for us all.

The unbelievable confluence of this situation at the Hotel and the Abomination Pride parade in Jerusalem cannot be overlooked. What roller coaster hill we are descending will not be known until ...

I would hope that five or six zealots with spears will take up positions, each taking one lane on Rehov Yafo, and face the oncoming To'eva partygoers. The police presence for this parade will also be enormous. It's a good night to block an intersection, off the parade route. Even if the spearchuckers do not show up (zealotry has to come from within), I don't picture a night of peace and quiet tonight in Jerusalem.

6/30/2005 5:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chazak uvaruch. Oros d'tohu b'keilim d'tikkukn.

6/30/2005 5:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YNathan,
orange was the original colour of the Gush Katif regional council and still used today. Another reason is that Adir Zik, zt"l, who was behind many successful promotional campaigns for Yesha/Jewish causes, also chose orange to be the banner for this struggle as well. He detailed that orange stands out, and is photographed/filmed especially well. He was justified when several months later, the movement to overthrow the corrupt Ukranian elections also chose orange.

Anonymous,
I totally agree that 'hishtadlut' is extremely important in the equation. We must also remember though, that zealots are only justified when their hearts are pure. The people blocking roads, and their parents who support them should be commended for their mesirut nefesh. Instead of enjoying a careless summer, they are fighting for hashem nad eretz yisrael. Given that, we should also be very careful to make sure that no one goes overbaord and turn to lethal physical violence. This should be stressed at every opportunity.

Along with the hishtadlut, we can't forget about the importance of davening with more kavanah

I drove by the 'tent city' earlier this week. It is really, really ominous. Hundreds and hundreds of tents that go on for a couple of kilometres. Supposedly for hte thousands of armed forces personnel that will be needed to expel the Jews from Gush Katif.

I, on the other hand, would like to think that that camp is where North American Jews will be placed when they make mass aliyah this summer, for whatever reason. Instead of buying an air conditioned homes when they had a chance, they'll have to deal with a western Negev summer until suitable housing can be built.

6/30/2005 6:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

IDF Division Refuses To Go To Gush Katif

The Rotem Givati division of the IDF, who were ordered to Gush Katif to secure the closure, has announced this morning that they refuse to take any part in the expulsion of Gush Katif, and they will remain on their base.

They said that Rabbanim had supported their decision.

7/01/2005 12:17 AM  
Blogger yaak said...

Excuse the link to myself, but I think it's an important and relevant post here.

7/01/2005 12:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

WE JUST GOT WORD THAT RAV MORDECHAI ELIYAHU SAID TO SAY THE FOLLOWING PIRKEI TEHILLIM
120-124 INCLUSIVE
130
140
HASHEM YERACHAIM LEHAVI MASHIACH MIYAD

7/01/2005 6:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Latest post from Reb Lazer Brody about whether to come to Eretz Yisrael now:

http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2005/07/eretz_yisroel_t.html

7/03/2005 2:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

(from gog1.com, free translation):

We are happy to announce that we heard initial approval that was given by one of the tzaddikim in our generation that vengeance on the goyim has begun with the terror attack in England. This same tzaddik told his close associates over the previous month (Sivan) that this month the vengeance on the goyim would begin . One day before the attack he reminded his close associates that we are standing before "the last day" (referring, apparently, to the last day of Sivan), and today -- after the news of the explosions -- we heard that he gave the first assurance that this is the start of Hashem's vengeance on the goyim who hate Israel. We didn't hear details about what sort of things to expect to occur, but we only look forward to good (for the Jewish people), G-d willing.

7/08/2005 12:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rabbi Bar-Leib please continue your posts - many people are eagerly looking forward to reading them

7/09/2005 10:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After 120 years, in the Heavenly court, I am sure I will be challanged on many of the facets of my life. One of my first problems will be when I am asked, 'Tzipita L'yehoshua?' Did you anxiously await the Redemption? I will have a lot of trouble answering yes to that question. To be sure, every day I hope for the coming of Mashiach; but deep down I don't believe conditions are favorable for the forseeable future. On the one hand, we certainly haven't earned it. And as for 'B'ito', I would think that that means, if we are trying with all our might to bring about the Geula and the work is just too much, then God will bring it anyway. But we are not even doing that. We are expending lots of energy, it's true, but it's all in the wrong directions.

I believe it is ultimately dangerous to expend so much energy trying to calculate the coming of Mashiach, and history bears me out; from Bar Kochba to Shabbatai Tzvi to the Lubavitcher rebbe, it brings internal strife and ultimate tragedy when our 'absolutely postitively for sure this time' timetables and predictions fail. I believe it is the ultimate in chutzpa for US to hold God to a timetable and expect Him to listen; I am among the minority who believes that even the 6000-year limit is not absolute. If we chase after ghosts and wrong enemies while ignoring the real problems within our own dati community, we are not deserving of any promise of redemption by ANY particular date. If the Geula DID come today, we would all have to enter it with our heads hung in shame for the lousy mess me have made of God's world, and for the fact that we are such losers that we have to be bailed out without even beginning to fulfill the most important aspects of our mission.

We are currently building ourselves a dreamworld. Not only the several competing exact timetables for the redemption; we are surrounding ourselves in fantasy. There are those who sit complacently because great rebeim have assured us God will not allow the Hitnakut to happen (there were those who said the same thing about the destruction of both Temples, the Holocaust, and probably most of the other disasters in Jewish history). We have those who believe drilling a hole and sticking a camera through it will magically bring the redemption. We blithely plan to disrupt the entire country with civil disobedience -- or for some of us real civil war -- and assume that our enemies round about will ignore the opportunity for divide and conquer. We exploit small children with vivid dreams, the autistic, and even the holy memory of martyred children to come up with 'prophecies' or 'heavenly statements' that match our prejudices. If the dreams collapse, what will be left us?

I don't have any answers; only directions. When I say "we don't know what to do, for our eyes are on You" in weekday Tachanun, I really mean it.

As a Ba'al K'riya for many years, I take my guidance and begin all analyses from the simple meaning in the text of the Torah. That is where we have to start. And in a vast sweep, the clear message is, everything depends on us. When we, the dati community, behave correctly, nothing can harm us. And when we stray, God will send the whole world against us to destroy us. If we can stop blaming everyone else (Arabs, President Bush, Chilonim) for our troubles; if we can honestly admit, as Walt Kelly so simply put it, "We have met the enemy and he is us," then we can start to turn ourselves to the right tasks, and only then will we be worthy of the Geula.

I have much more to say, but since I don't have a blog or a website (yet!) I am sending out another essay of mine, "Chanuka and Purim", via email. Anyone who is interested and did not yet get it is invited to contact me at meturgeman613 at cs dot com.

7/10/2005 10:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"And when we stray, God will send the whole world against us to destroy us."

The root of your problem: you don't realize that G-d loves every single Jew "like the only son born to Him in old age". All suffering is concealed blessing. The loving parent loves his child even when he spanks, because it is all for the benefit of the child. The child doesn't perceive it that way, but it doesn't change the fact.

"Odcha Hashem ki anafta bi." ("Thank you Hashem that you were angry with me.") The first stage in growing up is recognizing that the broccoli is served with as much love as the ice cream, and similarly when we ask for seconds on the ice cream and don't get. Gam zu l'tova.

We are worthy of the geulah, the only problem is that we are building fences against it--along the "green line" of our psyche as well as the green line of our indivisible Holy Land. But the love of a parent for a child is not dependent on anything. Approval and nachas, yes, but not love. The entire world was created for Yisroel, and Hashem built our success into the very fiber of creation. If we choose to build fences against our destiny, yes, Hashem will send the whole world to destroy them. But only for our eternal benefit. Smile, meturgeman, we are well-loved by Avinu sh'ba'shamayim.

7/11/2005 2:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yaakov,
I think you are misunderstanding Meturgeman's message. It is that the power is within us; that as G-d's beloved we have the ability to turn things around by our behaviour. We do not need to fear any human entity; is G-d to whom we must turn and obey, and then G-d will care for us. Meturgeman does not disagree with you; he recognizes the punishments are from G-d and done with love. But the point of growing up is not only to recognize the meaning of the parents behavior in response to the child's behavior, it is to incorporate the corrected behavior within ourselves and to do right.

Rather than pointing the finger at the outside world, what Meturgeman is suggesting is that we correct our faults (as individuals and as dati people as a whole) and the world will have no ability to move against us. They will become powerless; nothing more than a puff of smoke disbanded by an errant wind.

That is his message, at least as I understand it.

7/11/2005 9:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since I know the guy personally I will say there is a bit of despair his post; the despair is that we have yet to reach the level of deserving the Moshiach. But mostly I think there is fear or concern that the recent wave of Messianic prediction will lead to greater problems.

Anyway, despair is our enemy as well. One of the reasons I love Rabbi Nachman was his emphasis on joy and the idea that there is always hope. I do believe the Messainic age is upon us for several reasons, but I do not want to make predictions about when such time will come.

7/11/2005 5:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://www.jtf.org/bushes.gog.magog.htm

7/11/2005 11:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello everyone.

Just dropping by to ask a quick question.

'that Jews had accomplished all the divine service necessary to "deserve" Moshiach.' -quoted from yaakov's above post

Yaakov, may I ask exactly how it is that we've "deserved" Moshiach? What have we accomplished, exactly, to earn this?

I await your, and no one else's, answer.

7/12/2005 3:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I apologize that I was unable to answer until now.

'it states in Tikkunei Zohar, "bad on the outside and good on the inside."' -quoted from yaakov's above post

Who's to say when someone is good on the outside, anyway? How do you come to the conclusion that someone is, in fact, a good person?

And what's this about deserving Moshiach because we suffered for two millenia? Az mah? We're being punished, but we haven't learned our lesson yet, have we? We haven't accomplished the task set before us, have we? We have not yet earned Moshioch, and we may never unless we try.

My eyes are open, and I don't like what I see.

7/14/2005 4:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

'That's what Hashem planted the tzaddikim in each generation for.' -quoted from yaakov's above post

Alright, then who's to say who is or isn't a tzaddik? Does Hashem come down and tell us? And what do we do when the tzaddikim are wrong? After all, tzaddik are not, they're still only human.

And by the way, your right. The key is that I am going by what I see, and also that you are going by what you see.

Yom Tov

7/14/2005 5:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chareidim aren't interested in having a state (only in milking the galut) and the national religious aren't interested in conquering the land (only in "settling" it). Both of these conditions have to change. When the chareidim decide it is in their own interest to create a holy government and the national religious are ready to rid the land of the enemy, then maybe we will finally be of one mind and heart and that will be the kind of achdut that will lead to Mashiach.

The Tzaddikim are right, but don't think it means you are going to sit by and watch it all transpire. Hashem will drive us by very uncomfortable circumstances to finally do the work that brings the geulah. See, he's doing it even now with the horrible fight over Gush Katif. Anyone who looks around and sees for himself what is happening among our people and doesn't understand that when the Tzaddikim say it's already done, they mean in the spiritual realm, is either a fool or a crazy person.

7/14/2005 5:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For information on anti-expulsion activities in LA and other places, you may want to check out the following web site:

http://www.telavivrally.com/locations.php

7/18/2005 7:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what is your opinion on todays tefilla rally at Baba Sali, and the march...What is the purpose of the march? Will the new ppl stay in Gush Katif indefinitely? What is the RUchaniyut here?

7/18/2005 8:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

on 6/30/05 5.09pm Dov posted

"I would hope that five or six zealots with spears will take up positions, each taking one lane on Rehov Yafo, and face the oncoming To'eva partygoers"

At 7.42 6/30/05 DevoraChaya said...
This just in:
19:34 J`lem gay pride parade halted after two stabbed by religious man (Haaretz)

Dov has not posted anything since then...

DOV, ARE YOU THE ZEALOT?

7/21/2005 10:15 PM  
Blogger yaak said...

Moshe,

To dispel any myth that could constitute a grave prohibition of Motzi Shem Ra, R' Dov commented on my blog here after the news of the stabbing was posted by DevoraChaya.

The dates of the comments may seem to prove otherwise, but don't forget that the dates on the comments are from different timezones.

I don't even know if such an accusation deserves a response, but I'm doing so just to squash it before it spreads any more.

7/22/2005 8:35 PM  
Blogger Dov Bar-Leib said...

Dear Reading Public:

I am sorry for my long delay in publishing another entry to this blog. I had an attack of diverticulitus which incapacitated me for a period of time over the last two weeks. I am also struggling with my own demons regarding the issue of hitnatkut. I am not made of stone that paid for Knesset votes, stifled rallies, dictatorial confiscations of the drivers' licenses of 300 bus drivers, and a vicious assault by an American Secretary of State who is supposedly the daughter of of Pentacostal preacher do not affect me. The Melitzer Rebbe is right. This page of Gog and Magog is a spiritual war first. It is a war against despair and the rank choice of prosperity at the expense of truth.

I will really try, bli neder to have a new blog entry sometime this week.

7/23/2005 9:37 PM  

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