Thursday, June 14, 2007

And Ya'akov Went on to Sukkot...(Gen. 33.17)

Normally one does not pray for war. Usually in war the righteous in this incarnation of their lives suffer with the wicked. It is a messy business. Those who build networks of chessed institutions suffer with those who plan parades of homosexuals. Those who vote for kindness to their fellow Jews suffer with those who vote for Kadima. At first glance it seems that war is bloody and unfair. Of course, according to Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato's classic The Way of HaShem, the righteous suffer often to perfect their souls because of sins done or imperfections fostered in previous lives. Sometimes they just suffer for the sins of the generation so that the world itself will not be destroyed by those sins. Be that as it may, War is usually Hell.

The upcoming war that is the final battles of Gog UMagog that will probably take place some time between tomorrow, the 29th of Sivan, and when Gog W. Bush leaves office in January 2009 (Winter 5769) will be no exception to this rule. It will be bloody, lo aleynu, maybe even the bloodiest war in all of history, may Heaven spare us. Yet, the Talmud in several places tells us that in the seventh year there will be war, and when we daven the shmonah esrei (18 blessing prayer), the seventh blessing is a blessing for redemption. Why is this the case? This is so because the war in the seventh year of Gog UMagog is really the beginning of the redemption process even though Mashiach does not show up until the eighth year. The only question becomes how do we know which year of the eight year process we are in now in the year 5767. The Al Aksa Intifada began a day and a half before Rosh HaShana 5761, and Israel was condemned by the United Nations for defending itself by a vote of 92 to 6 on Hoshana Rabba 5761. See my article on The South Asian Tsunami . It was the beginning of Israel's agony of the last generation, our Gog and Magog agony, before Gog W. is elected later that Fall. Counting seven years leads to the conclusion that our seven years are up this summer of 5767, a year which ends in a seven. The more classic interpretation, though, of the word "shvi'is" describing the seventh year is the Shmittah (sabbatical) year which is next year 5768. Rav Kaduri ztl. is quoted as saying that the Gaon of Vilna's iterpretation of the word shvi'is is just that, the sabbatical year. The Gaon according to the Saintly Rav Kaduri even said that the seven years of Gog U Magog would begin on Hoshana Rabbah (the seventh day of the Feast of Booths) in the first year of a shmittah cycle and would conclude in the eighth year, which is the first year of the next Shmittah cycle. The seventh year would be the year of the war. The eighth year would be the year of Mashiach's timely arrival. Therefore it is no accident that while 9/11 was a week before Rosh Hashana 5762 and while 9/11 itself was therefore on the 23rd of Elul 5761, Gog launched his air war against the Taliban in Afghanistan on Hoshana Rabba 5762, the first year of a Shmittah cycle.

I have decided to write and publish in spurts. Check as often as you like to see when I write more. I have time to write often but in spurts.

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear dov

I agree with everything you
said, but alot of people are
talking about the twelve in half years from 5760
which will end about 5772/3

6/14/2007 10:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear dov and readers,

while there are no doubts about how bloody the last war can be i think it is important to stress that the King, Moshiach can be revealed any day through chessed. Hashem loves us like a father, with both chessed and g'vurah. He uses one hand to hug us and the other to discipline/guide us. both for our benefit. the wars and suffering are given to us with the strict hand to help us to get back on track. but we HAVE a choice and we CAN welcome Moshiach through chessed, avoiding all the pain that will come if we choose not to.

may we all find strength and courage within ourselves and welcome the KING MOSHIACH NOW!!!

6/16/2007 4:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose Yom Hilula is on Gimmel Tammuz, this Tuesday, emphatically told us that everyone alive today (and I would presume this 'today' means when Moshiach arrives) will be brought into the Geula. (This is also my wish)

So, asimplejew, what you wish for may just BE"H occur.

HOWEVER, if one looks around (men, that means squinting) the Klal in Eretz HaKodesh and in America, it doesn't take long to gasp from astonishment at the way some of our beautiful and Holy Bas Yisroel are dressing (include the Bubbas in this too).

Switching from Yahoo! so one does not see "ads" is just a drop in the bucket to what the rest of the summer brings. It is only the first day of Tammuz and already something is palpable in the air.

Why, even Ms Farkash of YNet News online, who is billed as their one and only Orthodox commentator, is asking her Israeli sisters to please "Cover UP!" (May 14) and wear clothes this summer.

How can we fight the impurade (and win) when this is going on?

Dov, it feels like we are plummeting headlong into some Black Hole.

NEVERTHELESS, I would rather be in Eretz HaKodesh than remain in America. I am trying my best to be out by the end of the summer.

6/18/2007 4:06 AM  
Blogger Dov Bar-Leib said...

Dear Neshama:

It seems like were headed into a black hole, but in reality we are headed into a sukkah by Sukkot. We will, G-d willing accompany Esau to Mt. Seir after we are cured of the limp that we will develop over Tisha B'Av. Let us pray that as many as possible do teshuvah by Yom Kippur. It will be our ticket into the Sukkah as the rest of the world goes mad.

Dear Simple Jew: I always hope for Chessed, but we are told that HaShem will return to Jerusalem with Rachamim. Rachamim comes after Din while chessed usually proceeds Din. We are now in the b'itah cycle of events. Din is necessary to cleanse us of our unrepented sins from all of our incarnations throughout human history. This is in addition to all suffering that is required upon us for those sins that we committed whose din is kares, "spiritual excision", even if we do repent. The final harvest of Sukkot whose period of history we are in requires HaShem to settle 5767 years of accounts at His store. Chessed was possible and may still be possible if we merit Mashiach to come before its time, but if we remain on the b'itah track that we are on, we can only pray for Rachamim.

Given our long history of stiffnecked opposition to the easier path, let us pray for Rachamim.

6/19/2007 12:56 AM  
Blogger Dov Bar-Leib said...

Oh I forgot to mention. Armilus could have stopped this Abomination Parade, but he wanted his lesbian daughter to lead it as Grand Marshall. In short, he will enter the black hole with all of his unrepentent voters. The rest of the Jewish people will enter a sukkah under the wings of the Shekhinah.

If you are a Kadima voter, give your home to a Gush Katif refugee, and wander around the country in a tent with sackcloth and ashes. The crime you committed requires teshuvah between man and man first. Who knows. Perhaps this summer HaShem will give you a chance to do teshuvah for your despicable crime.

May the Good L-rd help us to repent for even lesser sins.

6/19/2007 1:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear dov,
i totally agree with you, when it comes to our "stiffneck opposition" we tend to misplace it 99% of the time (if not more). we do not oppose governments whose policies flash us into the gutter in which we find ourselves drowning. we do not stand up against expulsions, parades, etc... in a way that stops them once and for all. instead we play stubborn when it come to refine our dear neshamos and stand in the way of their fulfillment.

however, Hashem is our Father, our King. Father first! and just like a father He would find a way to clear us of our misdeeds if only we turn towards Him 100%. and that a HUGE IF. but that the only way we can get Moshiach through chessed. and every moment that we are given is an opportunity to welcome Moshiach through chessed. but it is up to us.

neshama, you mentioned the Rebbe... the Rebbe's instructions on how to bring Moshiach are specifically for the chessed option. He says that there is no need for us to battle evil. instead we should bring light into darkness and the darkness will disappear automatically. no wars, no blood, no pain. meaning that all the wounds that we suffer from now are self-inflicted.
i invite all of you not to prepare for war, but to turn towards our Father and let your neshamos say that "WE ARE READY!"

kind regards

6/19/2007 3:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Moshiach and the Ingathering
Regarding Moshiach's task of collecting the dispersed of Israel, R' Menachem Mendel of Rimanov asks:

"Are we to suppose that Moshiach tzidkeinu will go to all the places where Israel is dispersed, to all the corners of the earth, and collect its members like a shepherd...?"

He answers as follows:

"The Moshiach, with his eleveated state of holiness, will conentrate his thoughts on exalted meditations and awesome forms of unification of Hashem's Names. Among the latter will be an especially petrifying and awesome form of unification which will produce the effect of gathering together all those that are born from the Jewish nation, who are dispersed over all the lands. Of their own accord they will feel compelled to come to the Holy Land. [Here he quotes Hoshea 11:11]

"At this time, each member of Israel will experience a faintness and trembling in his heart, which will hasten him to fly and reside in the place where he will be directed. This is what will be accomplished by Moshiach with a single thought concentration and by invoking a unique holy form of unification of Hashem's Names which "no eye will have seen" or known other then Moshiach himself, whom we aspire to have in our midst speedily in our days."


From the collected teachings of the Holy Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov (1745-1815)

BASED ON THE ABOVE:

Perhaps EACH of us is "hearing" a different message vis-a-vis the Kedusha of our neshoma; then this would make sense that one person feels and thinks that the way is Chessed, while another thinks/feels it is via turmoil. After all, Hashem can save any neshoma wherever it may be.

My gut feeling is one that Hashem will indeed save those who are to be saved no matter where they may be (while surrounded by strife and war). It is possible for both to occur simultaneously.

BE"H May I be settled (and in that Sukkah) in Eretz HaKodesh when "IT" does come down.

Wishing everyone the same.

6/20/2007 3:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Today in Ha'artz:
"Twelve months of national emergency," by Dan Ben David.

You may not agree with his assessment of our government, but the timing and his analysis is interesting and doesn't require metaphysical vision.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/872396.html

6/20/2007 1:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No more than 2 cents....

1. Redemption is Klali or Prati?
Both, each Neshama has to correct his retzonot according to his source and tikunim required. The Klal is the sum of all prat, so each Neshama has its own attribute that will correct itself, maybe Chesed, Din or Rachamim. Some deKdusha and others from the other side. No one can be a reliable judge on anyone, since there is no profecy these days, I would suggest not to judge anyone, since we do not know how thw spiritual forces or the spiritual genetics are workimg on each individual.

My guess is that if each one of us is an Olam Katan, one can see reality only within his perception, so chances are, he is being played by the spiritual divine system, so he is not objective on the big picture.

If redemption Klali is coming trough Rachamim, well, we may not see it in our generation, maybe we need some other 8 guilgulim.

6/21/2007 1:28 AM  

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