A Wrinkle in Time: The Weirdest Election in World History
One of my favorite novels when I was a youth was Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time. Yes, it was pure fantasy. But nothing but pure fantasy can compare to the U.S. presidential election of 2000 in which after over 100 million votes cast, the presidential election was decided in one state, Florida, where the final count gave Gog W. Bush just over 530 votes more than Al Gore, his Democrat contender. In particular, the voting "irregularities" seemed to emanate from three heavily Jewish-populated counties in South Florida. These three beach counties in South Florida have a total Jewish population comfortably exceeding 600,000 Jews. Here is their story in the form of another letter to a reader of this blog.
You asked a while back about something that I was going to write about: Gog W.'s original presidential election inYear 2000 (Cheshvan 5761). It truly was the weirdest and closest election in world history. There was something Ma'aleh min Hateva (supernatural) about it from the beginning. One might expect that something such as this would occur since there are over 650,000 Jews in those three counties in South Florida. Whenever 600,000 Jews are gathered together, supernatural forces express themselves in mysterious ways. We even have a special bracha for such occasions, Chacham HaRazim (that HaShem is the discerner of the deepest secrets in Creation).
The parsha (torah portion) of his election was Lech L'cha, but the challenges to his election got hot and heavy by the following week, parshat VaYera. Prior to Shabbat parshat Lech L'cha massive confusion reigned. The vote recounts did not begin in earnest until the following week, parshat VaYera, when concern by political pundits and hilarity filled the news on a daily basis. There in VaYera it says that because Avraham and Yitzkhak agreed to carry out the Akeidah (The Binding of Yitzkhak) in accordance with G-d's command, Mashiach would come from the seed of Avraham and Yitzkhak. For the first time G-d tells Avraham and Yitzkhak that "your seed will inherit the gates of his enemies." This is the first indication in Tanach (the Hebrew bible) that Mashiach will come from the seed of Avraham. Of course, since Gog W. is also from the seed of Yitzkhak, he may, as you know, think that the prophesy is talking about him. This prophesy is preceded by the following: "I will surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand at the sea shore." (Gen. 22:17)
At this point, the vote recounting in those three beach counties in South Florida commenced. Out of 5.9 million votes cast in the state of Florida, Gog W. only managed a slim margin of just over 530 votes. One of the most fascinating quirks of the election occurred in Palm Beach County. Contrary to Florida state law, both Democratic and Republican committee members in the county signed off on a ballot where the name of the candidate was not immediately to the left of the hole that was to be punched. Because many of their constituents in that county are elderly, they both signed off on a ballot which enlarged the names but staggered them on both sides of the holes. Gog W.'s name was on top. Pat Buchanan, an offspring of Amalek (Israel's mortal enemy throughout history), had his name placed second on the ballot to the right of the second hole. Al Gore's name was to the left of the third hole. Keep in mind in every other county in Florida, Pat Buchanan could not muster one thousand votes. Strangely in Palm Beach County he received 3000 votes. How did this happen? 2000 elderly Jews showed up at the polls in the county without their bifocals. These 2000 Grains of Sand on the Atlantic Seashore proceeded to punch out the second hole on the ballot, thinking that they had just voted for Al Gore. Against their obvious wishes they simply voted for Amalek's candidate on the ballot. Instead of Al Gore taking the election with 1500 votes to spare, Gog W. won by just over 500 votes. The sheer hilarity of the situation got so out of hand that Buchanan, the week immediately after the election, was on Nightline with Ted Koppel explaining to a national audience how those two thousand extra votes in Palm Beach County were obviously not from his people. Imagine that! The seed of Amalek disavowing 2000 Jewish voters on national television!
The event continued to reach new heights of hilarity and weirdness. Every suspicious chad attached to a ballot in those three beach counties needed to be counted and recounted. We all learned the difference between a pregnant, dimpled, and hanging chad. From what I can recollect a dimpled chad unlike a pregnant chad was detached at one corner. While a hanging chad was detached from at least two corners. If you remember differently please let me know! Anyway, the vote recount continued and continued and continued. The Florida Supreme Court continuously showed how inept they were by failing to make a final decision that would apply to ballots in the entire state. The standard for a legitimate vote in those three beach counties for about four weeks had greater leniency than all of the other counties in Florida. By the more lenient standard of accepting pregnant and dimpled chads it was becoming more apparent that Gore might squeak into office. In short, the more pregnant but less hanging the chad is without being detached, the more a ballot signified that Gore was his man. Retired Jewish voters in South Florida had a distinct advantage taking into account this more "liberal" standard, for these Jews were and still are heavily "Democratic". In this election amongst Jews, Gore won hands down. Even though, I am sure Jews are careful about pulling off hanging chads, others who voted for Gore apparently were less so.
Yet, four weeks later, it was decreed on high that the Indestructible Sand at the Seashore would not be the Jews who would stop the rise of Gog W., for then it was parshat VaYishlach and the U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 squeaker decided that the vote recounts must now stop. Lest one think that this was happenstance, we see in parshat VaYishlach that Ya'akov is praying for protection from his brother Esau who is approaching with 400 armed Centurions (about 40,000 men). And what does Ya'akov say? "You (HaShem) have said, 'I will surely do good with you, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea which is too numerous to count.'" (Gen. 32:13) Too numerous to count? Well, the Supreme Court decision was the answer to Ya'akov Avinu's prayer.
The question immediately arises, "What happened to the Stars? Avraham and Yitzkhak were blessed with stars. Why does Ya'akov Avinu not mention them amongst his seed?" The answer from Chazal (Our Sages of the Ages) seems to be as follows. If Israel had done what was required from our beginning, we would have been as stars in the heavens. We would have been untouchable. G-d would have protected our national existence in every possible way. We would have chased our enemies in seven different directions. We would not have been trodden on by the gentiles, especially trodden on by Esau, Jacob's brother. After over 20 years in Lavan's house, it became evidently clear to Ya'akov that this would not be the case. His seed was destined to be trodden on by the gentiles, and only at the end of history would he come out on top. Yet, for most of history, Esau would get the stars, and Ya'akov would be stuck with the sand. Esau would get the "1000 points of Light". He (Gog Sr.) would be able to hand out membership in such a club when he became President while Ya'akov would be stuck with indestructible particles of sand unable to stop the rise of Gog Sr.'s son, for it is not the role of sand to affect the destiny of stars. Ahhh, but "Baruch HaShem," it took a gentile sorcerer named Bilaam about three hundred years later to tell Israel and all of Mankind through the Torah, "A Star has issued forth from Ya'akov and a scepter bearer has arisen in Yisrael, and he shall smash the nobles of Moav (the Palestinian Authority) and the chatter of all the children of Sheth (Mankind). Edom will be conquered, and Seir will be conquered by his enemies, and Yisrael will be victorious." (Num. 24:17-18) Such is the fate of Esau's first born son, Eliphaz (a.k.a Gog W.) at the hands of the Star of Ya'akov when he comes from afar with the U.N. in tow in order to divide Jerusalem. Thank you, Bila'am, for even though you desired to curse us, you have blessed us with a miraculous salvation that even Ya'akov Avinu was apparently unaware of.
Yours truly, from Kochav Ya'akov (Star of Ya'akov),
Dov Bar-Leib
You asked a while back about something that I was going to write about: Gog W.'s original presidential election inYear 2000 (Cheshvan 5761). It truly was the weirdest and closest election in world history. There was something Ma'aleh min Hateva (supernatural) about it from the beginning. One might expect that something such as this would occur since there are over 650,000 Jews in those three counties in South Florida. Whenever 600,000 Jews are gathered together, supernatural forces express themselves in mysterious ways. We even have a special bracha for such occasions, Chacham HaRazim (that HaShem is the discerner of the deepest secrets in Creation).
The parsha (torah portion) of his election was Lech L'cha, but the challenges to his election got hot and heavy by the following week, parshat VaYera. Prior to Shabbat parshat Lech L'cha massive confusion reigned. The vote recounts did not begin in earnest until the following week, parshat VaYera, when concern by political pundits and hilarity filled the news on a daily basis. There in VaYera it says that because Avraham and Yitzkhak agreed to carry out the Akeidah (The Binding of Yitzkhak) in accordance with G-d's command, Mashiach would come from the seed of Avraham and Yitzkhak. For the first time G-d tells Avraham and Yitzkhak that "your seed will inherit the gates of his enemies." This is the first indication in Tanach (the Hebrew bible) that Mashiach will come from the seed of Avraham. Of course, since Gog W. is also from the seed of Yitzkhak, he may, as you know, think that the prophesy is talking about him. This prophesy is preceded by the following: "I will surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand at the sea shore." (Gen. 22:17)
At this point, the vote recounting in those three beach counties in South Florida commenced. Out of 5.9 million votes cast in the state of Florida, Gog W. only managed a slim margin of just over 530 votes. One of the most fascinating quirks of the election occurred in Palm Beach County. Contrary to Florida state law, both Democratic and Republican committee members in the county signed off on a ballot where the name of the candidate was not immediately to the left of the hole that was to be punched. Because many of their constituents in that county are elderly, they both signed off on a ballot which enlarged the names but staggered them on both sides of the holes. Gog W.'s name was on top. Pat Buchanan, an offspring of Amalek (Israel's mortal enemy throughout history), had his name placed second on the ballot to the right of the second hole. Al Gore's name was to the left of the third hole. Keep in mind in every other county in Florida, Pat Buchanan could not muster one thousand votes. Strangely in Palm Beach County he received 3000 votes. How did this happen? 2000 elderly Jews showed up at the polls in the county without their bifocals. These 2000 Grains of Sand on the Atlantic Seashore proceeded to punch out the second hole on the ballot, thinking that they had just voted for Al Gore. Against their obvious wishes they simply voted for Amalek's candidate on the ballot. Instead of Al Gore taking the election with 1500 votes to spare, Gog W. won by just over 500 votes. The sheer hilarity of the situation got so out of hand that Buchanan, the week immediately after the election, was on Nightline with Ted Koppel explaining to a national audience how those two thousand extra votes in Palm Beach County were obviously not from his people. Imagine that! The seed of Amalek disavowing 2000 Jewish voters on national television!
The event continued to reach new heights of hilarity and weirdness. Every suspicious chad attached to a ballot in those three beach counties needed to be counted and recounted. We all learned the difference between a pregnant, dimpled, and hanging chad. From what I can recollect a dimpled chad unlike a pregnant chad was detached at one corner. While a hanging chad was detached from at least two corners. If you remember differently please let me know! Anyway, the vote recount continued and continued and continued. The Florida Supreme Court continuously showed how inept they were by failing to make a final decision that would apply to ballots in the entire state. The standard for a legitimate vote in those three beach counties for about four weeks had greater leniency than all of the other counties in Florida. By the more lenient standard of accepting pregnant and dimpled chads it was becoming more apparent that Gore might squeak into office. In short, the more pregnant but less hanging the chad is without being detached, the more a ballot signified that Gore was his man. Retired Jewish voters in South Florida had a distinct advantage taking into account this more "liberal" standard, for these Jews were and still are heavily "Democratic". In this election amongst Jews, Gore won hands down. Even though, I am sure Jews are careful about pulling off hanging chads, others who voted for Gore apparently were less so.
Yet, four weeks later, it was decreed on high that the Indestructible Sand at the Seashore would not be the Jews who would stop the rise of Gog W., for then it was parshat VaYishlach and the U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 squeaker decided that the vote recounts must now stop. Lest one think that this was happenstance, we see in parshat VaYishlach that Ya'akov is praying for protection from his brother Esau who is approaching with 400 armed Centurions (about 40,000 men). And what does Ya'akov say? "You (HaShem) have said, 'I will surely do good with you, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea which is too numerous to count.'" (Gen. 32:13) Too numerous to count? Well, the Supreme Court decision was the answer to Ya'akov Avinu's prayer.
The question immediately arises, "What happened to the Stars? Avraham and Yitzkhak were blessed with stars. Why does Ya'akov Avinu not mention them amongst his seed?" The answer from Chazal (Our Sages of the Ages) seems to be as follows. If Israel had done what was required from our beginning, we would have been as stars in the heavens. We would have been untouchable. G-d would have protected our national existence in every possible way. We would have chased our enemies in seven different directions. We would not have been trodden on by the gentiles, especially trodden on by Esau, Jacob's brother. After over 20 years in Lavan's house, it became evidently clear to Ya'akov that this would not be the case. His seed was destined to be trodden on by the gentiles, and only at the end of history would he come out on top. Yet, for most of history, Esau would get the stars, and Ya'akov would be stuck with the sand. Esau would get the "1000 points of Light". He (Gog Sr.) would be able to hand out membership in such a club when he became President while Ya'akov would be stuck with indestructible particles of sand unable to stop the rise of Gog Sr.'s son, for it is not the role of sand to affect the destiny of stars. Ahhh, but "Baruch HaShem," it took a gentile sorcerer named Bilaam about three hundred years later to tell Israel and all of Mankind through the Torah, "A Star has issued forth from Ya'akov and a scepter bearer has arisen in Yisrael, and he shall smash the nobles of Moav (the Palestinian Authority) and the chatter of all the children of Sheth (Mankind). Edom will be conquered, and Seir will be conquered by his enemies, and Yisrael will be victorious." (Num. 24:17-18) Such is the fate of Esau's first born son, Eliphaz (a.k.a Gog W.) at the hands of the Star of Ya'akov when he comes from afar with the U.N. in tow in order to divide Jerusalem. Thank you, Bila'am, for even though you desired to curse us, you have blessed us with a miraculous salvation that even Ya'akov Avinu was apparently unaware of.
Yours truly, from Kochav Ya'akov (Star of Ya'akov),
Dov Bar-Leib
posted by Dov Bar-Leib at 11/26/2005 08:36:00 PM
7 Comments:
Dov,
You mentioned that Pat Buchanan is an offspring of Amalek. Is this a suspicion? Because you wrote it as a matter of fact.
Regarding the identity of Gog. Are there signs from the Torah as to who is Gog. Is Bush definitely Gog?
I'm more interested in how Moav is the PA. Can you elaborate?
Dear Ya'ak and Anon.:
I dropped the question mark from Gog W.'s name after the evacuation from Gush Katif. The evacuation is so precisely described by the Targum Yonatan on the last vision of Moshe Rabbeinu as being the kick-off of the the battle of Gog in Eretz Yisrael that accepting Gog W.? as Gog mamash (really)is virtually unavoidable. Yonatan ben Uziel lived 2000 years ago, and he precisely described this Crime against Humanity by our own "brothers" down to the smallest detail. From all my previous posts on the subject, I believe that the evidence is pretty convincing. Reread "Land of Magog", "American Twilight", and my discussion about the 33rd level of purity in the comment section of another post. I believe that before Gush Katif he was at least Chezkat Gog (#1 candidate for the role). After Gush Katif I am adding another .99% to the 99% certainty that I believe that he is Gog. There is always the chance that G-d will overturn the applecart, but I doubt he would do so with the lives of 5 1/2 million Jews in Eretz Yisrael on the line. He told his prophets of old the signs of the end at least in part to help us hold on until the end of this most difficult time in history. We should hold on with hope and trust because of His promise of a miraculous conclusion to the matter. This B'itah Keitz is for keeps. It has been built into the Creation itself. On the related question of Ya'ak, the Targum Yonatan is very specific about who are our tsarot causing neighbors when our spiritual battles with Gog commence. He tells us that they are Ammon and Moav and the residents of the "Maishraw" (the lowlands a.k.a. Gaza). The residents of the Maishraw are really 80% Egyptians who were trying to return home in 1947 and 48 when King Farouk closed the border. Even today the most common last name in Gaza City is Masri meaning Egyptian. This leaves us with the 8 Palestinian cities in Yehudah and the Shomron. By logical process of elimination and identification, it is obvious that the Targum was identifying those people who live in those cities as coming from Ammon and Moav. Even though Senchariv mixed up all the Semitic peoples of the Mideast during the Assyrian conquest resulting in an Arab (mixed-up) people, like grains of sand through a sieve Avraham's ancient nephew's children have taken up residence here in the Land of Israel. Yep, Lot's kids are in Ramallah, Jenin, Shekhem, Bethlehem, Yericho, Hevron, Tulkarem, and Kulkilya. Lot's kids have come back to stake their claim at the End of Days. Of the two nations from Lot's loins, Moav is the one with leadership potential. Based on a very accurate Targum Yonatan, I believe that the heads of the PA are from Moav. By the way, carefully look at the verse on which the Targum is commenting. Kikar Bikat Yericho can either refer to the open plain in the Jordan Valley that encompasses Yericho. Or it might refer to the areas around Yericho where the descendents of Lot stake their claim. I realize that the so-called two state solution is the first stage in a two stage anhiliation plan, but these wayward children of Lot cannot get world sympathy for stage two. So they are publicly geared up for stage one only. In their minds stage two will come in time.
This brings me to Pat "yemach shmo" Buchanan. Anyone who can say that the only group of people supporting the Persian Gulf War I was the IDF and its Amen lobby in the U.S. has got a problem with the IDF's very existence. To posit every attack at the Oliver North hearings in the 80s as an attack by Pharisees is totally absurd especially given Ollie's strong love for Israel (which is evident from his book on the Iran-Contra hearings). Yet, Buchanan sees a Jewish conspiracy behind every cause and person that he loves to hate. His fetish for attacking Jews is only rivaled by Joseph Sobran. Yes, I believe strongly that Buchanan has within him the soul of Amalek. Can't prove it, just a strong hunch.
Dov,
In reference to your previous post about an upcoming war with Iran, note that the head of Israeli Military Intelligence testified today before a Knesset committee that if the international community cannot resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis by the end of March, then Israel will have considered diplomacy to have been a failure, and apparently implying that Israeli military action would follow not long after. Note the end of March coincides with the period between Purim and Pesach.
Dov, combined with the scheduled elections during the same period, this could be a very interesting Adar/Nissan 5766.
BS"D
The Gulf Stream is collapsing! That has catastrophic consequences to world weather. Heads up folks. The jet engines have just kicked in to the Geula.
Go to www.rabbiyess.com and read emergency message at top right corner of home page.
Rabbi Moshe Yess
I think we need an update about Vendyl.
Dear Josh:
It looks like Vendyl needs our help again. His deal with the television promotional company is on hold. I will be speaking with his PR manager, Mr. Long, this week to see what we can do. He has raised about 1/3 of the money for the project to be done independently. A very large check just came from a well-known Jewish philanthropist. Yet, he still needs over $50,000 to cover the gap. I wish that I had better news on this front, but we just need to believe that we should do our hishtadlut (best effort) in this area and pray that G-d finds the way to make it work at the proper moment. Remember that one can always make a contribution through the link on my sidebar.
In closing he has all of the scientists lined up as well as Israeli university support staff. He just needs the bucks.
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