Olmert Announces Resignation - Ge'ula Soon?

PM Olmert says he won't run for the Kadima primaries in September.

As Nava suggests, this may be good news on the Ge'ula front.

Also, see this idea (that Olmert will be the leader before Ge'ula) in Hebrew at Hashem1.net.

California Quake

Newsweek ran an article on the latest 5.4-magnitude ("Moderate") earthquake to rattle California. It quotes a seismologist as saying, "This earthquake was a warning."

The first question Newsweek asked the seismologist was:

First of all, can you tell us which fault produced this particular earthquake?

Putting aside plate tectonics, I'd like to give a guess at a few "faults" that the state of California has that may have produced the quake. Only Hashem knows the real reason, but here goes:

• Hollywood and its continued promotion of immoral values
• The recent California Supreme Court ruling overturning the ban on same-sex marriage (think Sedom, androlomusia, etc.)
• Extreme radical anti-semitic elements on college campuses
• The list goes on...

Of course, the state has its many Zechuyot as well. We'll have to see which ones win out. Remember, this one was a warning.

More from this seismologist:

The San Andreas Fault on average ruptures every 150 to 200 years over the last several thousand years, and it has not ruptured for about 340 years. So every morning we wake up we set a new record between large ruptures.

...

The way I look at events like this, other than making our afternoon crazy, is that this is really just a strong reminder to people that earthquakes can and will occur in this region that are 100 times larger in energy; some day the big one will in fact occur.

ה' ישמרנו מכל מיני משחית ומכל מיני פורעניות המתרגשות לבא בעולם

Interesting Tamar Yonah Shows

2 interesting Tamar Yonah broadcasts about the Ge'ula:

1) Nava from Dreaming:

Listen

2) The people behind Redemption 5768:

Listen

Calatrava Bridge (Gesher HaMeitarim)

I heard various opinions on the new not-yet-finished Calatrava Bridge that you see right at the entrance to Yerushalayim. Some thought it added uniqueness to the city. Others consider it an eye-sore.

But whether you like it or not, it's at the very least a good reference point. For example, I remember a few times knowing where the Tahanat Hamerkazit stop was solely based on seeing the bridge. In addition, I was at a lookout in Mevaseret Tzion looking toward Yerushalayim, and clearly saw the bridge from there - even at night.

I was Zoche to stand on a מרפסת that was very close to the bridge. While there, I shot a video of the bridge late at night.
Here's the video I shot. I know at least 1 blogger will appreciate it.



These 2 פסוקים come to mind when looking at the bridge:

עֹמְדוֹת, הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ-- בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ, יְרוּשָׁלִָם

כִּי-חִזַּק, בְּרִיחֵי שְׁעָרָיִךְ; בֵּרַךְ בָּנַיִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּךְ

Return to E"Y

וַיְהִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת-יוֹסֵף; וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב, אֶל-לָבָן, שַׁלְּחֵנִי וְאֵלְכָה, אֶל-מְקוֹמִי וּלְאַרְצִי

- בראשית ל' כ"ה

After 14 years of Yaakov Avinu working for Lavan, he requests to be sent back "to my place and to my land".

After 14 years of Yeranen Yaakov being away from the Holy Land (can you believe it?), I finally was able to come back to my place and my land, albeit only for a short visit due to a family Simha.

May my next time away be exponentially shorter, and may we all be ingathered to our land, בב"א.

Hafetz Hayim in a Dream

I saw the following on Mystical Paths and Life In Israel:

The famed Rabbi Shachne Zohn, shlita, had an amazing dream about three weeks ago. Rav Shachne Zohn has been the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Kodshim v'Taharos in Yerushalayim for nearly 40 years. Before that, he served as a Rav at Yeshivah Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn. In his youth, he studied at Yeshivos Mir and Kamenitz in Europe. He also studied briefly with the Chafetz Chaim, who had a great impact on him.

About three weeks ago, the Chafetz Chaim appeared to Rav Zohn in a dream. The Chafetz Chaim said to him, "Geula krova lavo. L'farsem, ulehitkonen." (Translation: The "redemption is close. Publicize and prepare yourself.")

I have confirmed this story with Rabbi Zohn's daughter in Jerusalem, and his son, Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, Director of Vaad Harabanim of Queens, Chevra Kadisha).

What's interesting about this is that the Hafetz Hayim writes in his book Tsipita Lishu'a (mentioned here) that the study of Seder Kodshim is recommended now to prepare for the Ge'ula. And here we see that the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Kodshim v'Taharos gets a dream from the Hafetz Hayim, with whom he studied briefly, that the Ge'ula is close.

May his dream be realized במהרה.

Bigdei Kehuna

In this week's Perasha, Aharon Hakohein is about to depart to the next world, but before he does so, he is told to take off his garments and put them on his son El'azar. The Me'am Lo'ez tells us that a miracle occurred in that the garments were taken off in the same order as they were put on (it would be hard to imagine the Kutonet being taken off before the Avneit and Me'il, but this was the miracle).

As Nava and now the Jerusalem Post report, a workshop has been inaugurated by the Temple Institute so that the Bigdei Kehuna can be fitted on Kohanim. So far, it's only for Kohanei Hedyot, however.

Hatzlaha Rabba to them!