Geula-Related Recent Links

Monday, October 31, 2011

Rav Fish Submits English-Language PDF Entitled "Geula in 5772" - Part 1

I already wrote a partial unofficial translation, but this one is more updated, better organized, and includes things that may have fallen through the cracks.

You can view it by clicking on the image below and then click "Download" on the right panel.

This is part 1, and I hope more parts will be coming out soon.



May we truly merit to have the Geula in 5772.

Why Can't Eli Yishai Sleep?

Arutz Sheva:
Shas chairman and Minister of Interior Eli Yishai delivered a message of foreboding to the Sephardi-hareidi religious movement's activist leadership Sunday, saying that he had trouble sleeping at night thinking about Israel's security situation.

"The nation of Israel is not redeemed except through making teshuva [finding G-d]," he said in a conference at the Kinar Hotel in northern Israel. "If we want redemption in this difficult and complex time… it is better not to say how complicated and how complex it is and how much sleep we lose over it."

"It's difficult to sleep at night when you know what is going on," said the minister, in an uncharacteristically dramatic statement. "Remember the Second Lebanon War, how many missiles there were – the entire North ran away. Imagine the North, Center and South… I do not want to scare anyone, but the missile array of Hamas, Hizbullah and the Syrians, the approximate number of long and short range missiles approaches 100,000 missiles. Try to calculate G-d forbid what that can do."

"And here, more and more people understand what we like to say – 'We have no one to trust except our Father in the Heavens.'"

Kikar Hashabbat has an article that assumes that Eli Yishai's comments about how complicated and complex it is refers to an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.  They also refer to the secret portion of the meeting between Netanyahu and Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlit"a last week and speculate that perhaps, such an attack was what was being discussed.  Just today, the Prime Minister was speaking about how a good offense is as important as defense, and I don't think he was only referring to Gaza.
 
The U.S. is against any such strike and prefers further sanctions to military action.  So does Netanyahu, but likes to keep the military option on the table.  The question is - is this the table?

Picture from shas.org.il
Halevai!

May Hashem nullify the plans of those who rise up against us and make successful the plans of those who protect us.

Google Searches Coming Here

According to my statcounter,

This post comes up first on:

which became more popular after he was named MVP of the Series.  (He doesn't seem to be, by the way, as he's not listed here.)


This post comes up third on:

which became popular after the UN announced that there are that many people in the world today.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Tana"ch Being Reindexed

Some authors of Sefarim, like Rav Wolbe in Alei Shur, were careful to not reference the chapter and verse of Tana"ch references, but used some other method like Parsha:Aliya.  The reason these authors did so was because the source for chapter and verse did not originate with Jews.  However, as pure as this method is, the references were nowhere near as specific as the good-old Christian-based chapter:verse references.

Some bold-thinkers are now thinking out of the box and starting to reindex Tana"ch into the Parshiyot and Sedarim that were originally used by Jews for millennia before it was changed by non-Jews.

(As an example of both methods, the end of Vezot Haberacha counts and gives a siman for both the Sedarim [Jewish] and chapters [non-Jewish] of Sefer Devarim.)


This is a great way to take back Torah Shebichtav from those who hijacked it and bring us into a new era.

Ashkenazic Gedolim Suggest Learning Mussar to Stem Tide of Violence and Tragedies

Kikar has an article that tells us that due to the recent tragedies and violence in the community, the Lithuanian and Hasidic Gedolim suggest to all to learn Mussar books in order to stem the tide.  They say that no one is exempt from learning Mussar - whether it be Yeshiva boys, Kollel men, Ba'alei Batim, women, and children - everyone needs to learn Mussar.

Among the rabbis who came out with this declaration:

Rav Elyashiv Shlit"a
Rav Shteinman Shlit"a
Rav Vosner Shlit"a
Rav Kanievsky Shlit"a
Belzer Rebbe Shlit"a
Sanzer Rebbe Shlit"a
Vizhnitzer Rebbe Shlit"a


In an unrelated note, Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlit"a recently gave a shiur about the importance of Shenayim Mikra Ve'ehad Targum, and gave suggestions to people for whom it is difficult to do so.  He put an exclamation mark on this by repeating a warning that those who do not do so will be punished.

Anti-Semitism by Occupy Protesters Catches Media's Eye

World Series Game 6 and the Jewish People

I don't like the St. Louis Cardinals.  I'm a Cub fan.  Actually, I hate the Cardinals.  But I respect the Cardinals for what they've done this year and this last game.

First, a little context.  The Cardinals were 10½ games back of the Atlanta Braves for the wild card spot on August 25th.  They then won 23 of 31 games to amazingly clinch that wild card spot.

They then went on to beat Philadelphia and Milwaukee, 2 great teams, in 2 playoff series.

In the World Series, they were down 3-2 to the Texas Rangers before game 6.

In what was arguably the best World Series game in history, the Cardinals faced defeat and were down to their last strike not once, but twice in the game, and came back to win it to force a game 7.

Here's how it happened: being down 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Albert Pujols hit a 1-out double. Lance Berkman walked. Down to the final strike that would have won the game for the Rangers, David Freese hit a 2-strike, 2-out pitch for a triple, scoring Pujols and Berkman to send it to extra innings with the score tied 7-7.

In the Rangers' 10th inning, Josh Hamiton hit a 2-run homer to put the Rangers up 9-7. But just when you thought it was over again, the Cardinals came back in the bottom of the tenth. Back to back singles by Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay put runners on first and second. Kyle Lohse bunts the runners over to second and third. Former Cub Ryan Theriot grounds out, scoring one run, making it 9-8. With first base open, the Rangers intentionally walk Pujols to bring up Berkman. And it happened again - with two-outs and two-strikes, Berkman singles, scoring a run and tying the game at 9-9.

After a scoreless 11th for the Rangers, David Freese comes through again with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning, winning the game for the Cardinals, and sending the series to a game 7.

Depending on what happens in game 7, this has got to be one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. Even the 69 Mets (don't get me started) might have to concede to this team.

And no matter what happens in game 7, game 6 has got to be one of the greatest World Series game comebacks in baseball history.

The way they came back in the regular season and the way they were at הגיע מים עד נפש, and they came back to win reminds me of the history of the Jewish people.

The Jewish people were on the brink of extinction too many times to count. Think of the sins of the Egel and the Meraglim. As Tehillim 106:23 reminds us, Moshe Rabbeinu needed to pray for our continued existence. Think also of Par'o, Haman, Hitler, and everyone in between. And they're still trying to destroy us as the Hagadda reminds us, while HKB"H saves us from their hands.

We needed our Go'el Rishon, Moshe Rabbeinu, who saved us with his prayers when Hashem thought to destroy us.  That was David Freese's ninth-inning triple.

We also needed our intermediate Go'alim, like Mordechai and Esther, among others, who saved us from extinction from history's madmen who would like nothing more than all Jews dead.  That was Lance Berkman's tenth-inning single.

And finally, we will need our final Go'el, Mashiah Tzidkeinu, who will bring us home and build the Beit Hamikdash.  That was Freese's walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th.

All the signs for Mashiah's arrival have passed long ago.  Although the third 2000 year period is called the days of Mashiah, we have yet to experience this fully.  We are currently in extra innings.  May we all merit to see that walk-off home run in the very near future.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Double Murder Across the Street from Jewish Day School in Skokie

Patch.com:

Update 10:06 p.m. -

The father of the murdered 18-year-old mother called 911 operators shortly after attacking them and told police he had just stabbed his 18-year-old daughter and 2-year-old granddaughter, police said.

Police did not say what the man's motive was.

Update 8:08 p.m. -

A 39-year-old Skokie, Ill., resident is being questioned by police and is currently a person of interest, investigators said. Police officials said the man's relationship with the victims will not be released until all family members have been notified.

Earlier -

A woman and her 27-month-old daughter were stabbed to death in their Main Street apartment Wednesday, police said.

The incident happened in the 4600 block of Main Street, near Kilpatrick Avenue. Both were transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston but were pronounced dead shortly after, police said.

Police currently have a suspect in custody, and they noted that there is no threat to the public at this time.
This is across the street from Arie Crown Hebrew Day School.

Scary!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Gematria to Show Herman Cain Will Win in 2012

OK, this is not totally serious, but I'm just having a little fun here.

The original punishment of Kayin (Cain in English) was נָע וָנָד, תִּהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ (a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth).

However, once Kayin went into exile, half of his punishment was atoned for, as it says in Sanhedrin 37b, which is why it says he lived בארץ נוד, but as Rashi in the gemara says, the "נע" part is atoned for already.

Therefore, Kayin's punishment is only וָנָד, תִּהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ , which equals the gematria of 773, or 5773 - the year of the election.  Cain will therefore be President in the year 5773.

Take it with a grain of salt.

Shomrei Emunim Rebbe on Europe's Economic Crisis

Rav Fish sent his pdf out for Parshat No'ah (I'll BL"N update it with a link when it's on Ladaat it's there now - see here).  Included is his quote of the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe from his newsletter from Parshat Ha'azinu.
Shomrei Emunim Rebbe Shlit"a:...We see that they took knowledge from us. Everything's moving, as it says, "The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth."

And we see that the whole world is boiling supernaturally, and the entire [way Hashem is] conducting [the world] is supernaturally. And I said that whoever is knowledgeable will see that [the verse] "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them" is being fulfilled, as HKB"H increased the 2 most capable economies - America and Europe - and transfered 85% of their manufacturing to China, and today they need to borrow money from them, and this is how China is capturing Europe.

And this is mentioned in the holy Zohar [Va'era 32a] בההוא זמנא יתער עמא חד מסייפי עלמא על רומי חייבא, ויגח בה קרבא תלת ירחין, ויתכנשון תמן עממיא ויפלון בידייהו - [a nation from the end of the earth [namely, China] will wage war against evil Rome and will win] and they have no merit whatsoever left to them as Europe is saturated with Jewish blood that was spilled therein in the past 2000 years, and especially in the last 1000 years.

Buhosher Rebbe Shlit"a: All the nations there.

Shomrei Emunim Rebbe: All of them, and not one is innocent. And Mashiah cannot come until there will be a day of vengence, as it says "For the day of vengeance that was in My heart, and My year of redemption are come."

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Rav Chaim Kanievsky Blesses Nachman Kletzky with More Sons

Nachman Kletzky, Leiby Kletzky A"H's father, felt so inspired by the consolation letter Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit"a sent him when he was in mourning, that he had to return the favor and personally go to Israel and console Rav Chaim Kanievsky during his own period of mourning.

During their conversation, Rav Chaim repeated what he wrote earlier and said, "You should know that your son was a Gilgul of a high-level soul that completed its purpose in this world after its rectification.  We don't know the calculations in heaven, but this was a decree from Hashem upon us to be strong and encouraged."

At that moment, Nachman Kletzky turned to Rav Chaim and cried noting the sad circumstances that his only son was murdered and he has no more sons.  Rav Chaim looked at him for a long time and surprised everyone by saying, "I wish you that you will have additional sons who will Be'ezrat Hashem be Gedolei Yisrael."

See also Mashiah is Coming for additional details of the visit.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Qadaffi's Death, Turkey's Devastation, and Shalit's Freedom

No, sorry.  I didn't connect these three monumental events.  I'll leave that for those greater than me.  Just a post with links about them separately.

Gilad Shalit
  • Kikar Hashabbat has an article (in Hebrew) which lists more connections between Gilad Shalit and Yosef Hatzaddik and asks commenters to add even more.  (See also here, here, here, here, and here.)

Qadaffi
Turkey

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Recent Interesting Links - Hoshana Rabba, 5772

Pitka Tava and Hag Same'ah!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Man Claiming to be Mashiah Interrupts Rav Ovadia's Amida

From Kikar:

An apparently disturbed individual interrupted Rav Ovadia Yosef's Amida of Arvit on Hoshana Rabba, claiming "I am Mashiah Ben David.  I request that Rav Ovadia annoint me as the king."

Everyone, including apparently Rav Ovadia Shlit"a himself, was afraid of the man.

He was quickly taken out of the Beit Midrash by reporter Ephraim Gilad, who described the man as extremely strong, and said that he was afraid for Rav Ovadia's safety.  He told him not to return there again.

Waiting for Redemption: 1941 days/1943 years

Gilad Shalit waited for redemption for 1941 days.
We are waiting for the Final Redemption for 1943 years and we are still waiting.  (For those who insist the destruction took place in the year 70 CE, it is 1941 years.)

The redemption of 1 Jew gives us hope for the Redemption of all Jews.

Netanyahu, in his speech this morning, quoted from the Haftara of Bereishit, which will be read this Shabbat:

לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר, מִבֵּית כֶּלֶא יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

And the Rada"k explains that it refers to those who are tied up in exile. We too will be redeemed, G-d-willing soon.

Also, one cannot discount the power of prayers, which stormed the heavens to help free Gilad.  1941 is the gematria of Tehillim 40:2:
 קַוֹּה קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה;    וַיֵּט אֵלַי, וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי
I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

The Hoshana Rabba service is full of references to the Final Redemption.  Let us take this opportunity to storm the heavens for that purpose as well.

Mo'ed Tov and Pitka Tava to all.

Gilad is Free!

It's a happy/apprehensive/sad day for Kelal Yisrael.
 
Baruch Hashem!  Gilad Shalit is back home.  During Sukkot, which is חג האסיף, Hashem has gathered one of his children back home.

On the other hand, many are apprehensive that terrorists are being freed and saddened that justice was not done properly to them.  May אל נקמות ה' take care of that part of the deal.

And during this חג האסיף, while Hashem is gathering His children from captivity, may He also gather the other Jewish captives back, such as:
  • Jonathan Pollard
  • Sholom Rubashkin
  • Alan Gross
  • Jacob Ostreicher
  • Yaakov Yosef Gruenwald
 and all others as well.

Rav Sitorsky on Sukkot

I hadn't listened to Rav Sitorsky's Shiur in a while, so I checked out his shiur on Sukkot, and it was great as usual.

Here are some of the gematriot he mentioned:

אדום וישמאעל= 51 + 457 = 508
חג הסוכות = 11 + 497 = 508
וסוכה תהיה לצל = 97 + 420 + 150 = 667
רוח מלך המשיח = 214 + 90 + 363 = 667
בסוכות הושבתי = 494 + 723 = 1217
ובא לציון גואל ולשבי פשע ביעקב = 9 + 186 + 40 + 348 + 450 + 184 = 1217
בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים = תשבי
 שבעת =  תשע"ב
 
ישראל בטח בה' = 541 + 19 + 28 = 588
מלחמת גוג ומגוג = 518 + 70 = 588
He also quoted the Gr"a who made the distinction between the bullocks that correspond to the days where the Torah says שעיר and the number of days where the Torah says שעיר עזים.  One corresponds to the nations under Edom and one corresponds to the nations under Yishmael.  And they both equal 35 each, as 13+12+10 = 35 and 11+9+8+7=35.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Gilad Shalit BE"H Being Released on Yosef's Day

With Hashem's help, Gilad Shalit will be released on Tuesday, which is the 6th day of Sukkot.  According to the Kabbalistic way of ordering the Ushpizin, the 6th day corresponds to the day of Yosef Hatzaddik.

I wrote a post a couple years ago on the connection of Gilad Shalit to Yosef Hatzaddik.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

חיל בלע ויקאנו and Gilad Shalit

1027 soldiers are destined to be exchanged for Gilad Shalit.

1027 is the gematria of חיל בלע ויקאנו מבטנו ירשנו אל  - as drush, one might say Al Tikri Hayil, Elah Hayal, meaning Hamas has swallowed up a soldier for many years, and is now spitting him out - from the belly of Hamas, Hashem will throw him out.

As another way of interpreting the verse, one can see what we learn in Sanhedrin 106b from this verse.  It says there (per Rashi's interpretation) that David Hamelech asked Hashem to kill Do'eg.  Hashem responded חיל בלע ויקאנו - he learned a lot of Torah, so wait until he forgets it all.  David Hamelech asked Hashem מבטנו ירשנו אל - please don't wait - make Do'eg forget his Torah already.

Similarly, we have to endure the wait of getting Gilad out by releasing Palestinian prisoners due to whatever merits Yishmael has.  We plead to Hashem to erase the merits of Yishmael and not wait any longer.

The same is true at the macro level.  Please, Hashem, erase the merits of both Edom and Yishmael so we don't have to endure this Galut any longer.

This verse is also Kabbalisticly used for its Rashei Teivot, which spells out a Holy Name, which is used to gather the holy sparks from the Kelipot - as a rectification of the Pegam Berit.  Gilad returning home is a symbol of the return of the holy sparks to their rightful place.

May Gilad come home soon and may all the holy sparks be rectified soon and taken out of the Kelipot, speedily in our days, Amen.

Recent Interesting Links - Erev Sukkot, 5772

חג שמח and מועדים לשמחה to everyone!

May Hashem soon establish for us Sukkat David Hanofelet, using all interpretations.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Shalit for Over 1000 Pieces of Garbage

Good news:  Gilad is going home BE"H!

Bad news: So are over 1000 terrorists, which some reports say includes Marwan Barghouti ימ"ש (whose release, if you use a little imagination, was predicted long ago).

See Debka, which attributes this deal to Panetta's recent visit and meeting with Mashaal ימ"ש, and says:
By procuring the release of 1,000 Palestinians from Israeli jails, Hamas has outperformed is rival, the Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as the lead champion of the Palestinian cause. After defying the Obama administration by applying for UN recognition for Palestinian statehood, Abbas is now getting his punishment.
So we have a small glimpse of how things work in Shamayim.  We all were nervous about Palestinian statehood. However, the whole Palestinian statehood attempt just got the U.S. angry, which, in turn, led the U.S. to punish Abbas, which, in turn, led to a U.S. meeting with Hamas, which, in turn, led to this Shalit deal.  This is an unbelievable example of Yad Hashem.

Now, as for those who have big problems with this deal because it will lead to more terrorism, I understand you.  Here are the logical arguments against the deal and the counter-arguments:
  • Statistics are that 80% return to terrorism.  However, 80% is still considered a Shema, especially when you add the probability of the terror being successful ל"ע.  And the rule is Bari VeShema - Bari Adif. 
  • אין פודין את השבויין יותר על כדי דמיהן.  What they're getting back doesn't even come close to Shalit's value.  His value to Am Yisrael is priceless.
  • This will lead to more kidnappings.  Again, a shema, which is trumped by a bari of getting Shalit back.
Then, there are the emotional arguments made, like "how can you release the guy (or woman) who killed so-and-so and many others?"  Yes, I agree that it's emotionally gut-wrenching to do so.  However, we must follow Halacha here, no matter what our emotions may tell us.

Of course, it's not as simple as that - and we are talking about life and death matters either way it's handled.  The decision must have been a painful one for all involved.  That's why we have a gadol like Rav Ovadia to make these decisions.  And it seems that he supports the deal of releasing these pieces of garbage for Shalit.  Some other gedolim may have ruled otherwise in the past about it, but I support Rav Ovadia's decision.

May Hashem justify the decision he made.

Update: Similar sentiment expressed by the chief rabbis of Israel:
The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi Yona Metzger, released a joint statement Tuesday welcoming a proposed deal to free Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,000 captured terrorists. The two also said they are praying the deal will not cause harm to the country.

“We call on the entire people to pray for Gilad, and to pray that the joy [of his release] will be complete and will not be accompanied by sorrow or damage as a result of the agreement and its aftermath,” the rabbis wrote. “In the merit of the mitzvah of freeing captives, the greatest of the commandments, may the Holy One, Blessed is He, hear our prayers and hasten our redemption.”

No Lulavim from Egypt

My lulavim I bought this year were an extra cost over the price of the Etrog - something that had never occurred before in Chicago (as long as I can remember). The seller told me that it was because of the shortage created due to the lulav export ban from Egypt. The Chicago Jewish News had an article about the extra charge too.

Egypt not celebrating Sukkot [and hindering others from doing so to boot]? Where have I heard that before???

Oh, yeah!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Shomrei Emunim Rebbe: We're Without a Doubt Standing Before a World War

Kikar has an article which quotes the Morasha Magazine (Hebrew) where the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe was interviewed and had some interesting things to say:
  • We're without a doubt standing before a world war - this is 100% definite.
  • Malachi, the last of the prophets, prophecied that there will be an awesome war like one that had never existed before - before the coming of Mashiah.
  • We don't know when this will occur - even a second before it does.  It could be that an Arab will go insane and will fly his plane into the Vatican and destroy it, which will drag the world to Tohu Vavohu.
  • The war could be a matter of seconds long, as nuclear blasts can do awesome damage
  • The Abravanel wrote 600 years ago how the world will be destroyed in a matter of seconds while knowing nothing about nuclear bombs.  The Abravanel also said that the war would be a religious one - 50 years ago, the nations didn't have this concept of fighting based on religion - neither the Christians nor the Muslims, but now, everyone is a "frummer".
  • There won't be even 1 second of warning when this will occur.  Therefore, we must prepare בכל נפשנו ומאדנו [which possibly means "with all our souls and money"].
  • All Jews outside of Israel should come to live in Israel.  Even those who cannot do so should purchase an apartment so they'll have a place to which to escape when the time comes.
  • The closer the Palestinians declare their state, this is a sign that they will be pushed out.  This is why Yishmael is turning over the world - because it still wants to stay in the land.  Very soon, Hashem will remove this Ru'ah Tum'ah from the land, and all the impure chaff and straw which is delaying the Redemption will be as chaff before the wind and as the flame that setteth the mountains ablaze
  • Already 120 years ago and especially in the past 16 years, our leaders wanted to give land away and the Arabs refuse to take it.  Do you have an explanation?  We see how Hashem is running the world.  We have a Defense Minister who is much more successful than the one who calls himself the defense minister.  He that sitteth in heaven laugheth, the Lord hath them in derision.  HKB"H took the world by the hand and we need not worry.
  • All the revolutions started in 5760 and only increased from there.  We need nothing more than the Taliban capturing Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and then it will all be over.  We're talking about brutal animals that can threaten the entire world.  And it will happen.  Then the following verse will be fulfilled: Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations.
  • From the year 5760, the world was not quiet - tsunami, earthquakes, Japan.  HKB"H is taking care of them and doesn't give them rest.  We can feel that these things are a preparation for something big that is coming.  The Hesed LeAvraham said that in the year 5760, the ocean will rise and flood the world.  In addition, both the Christians and the Muslims say that the end is nigh because their Mazal sees and feels this.  This in itself isn't one of the signs of Redemption, but one who contemplates the words of Haza"l and other holy books can see out in the open that our day is having a wonderful revelation.
  • The revolutions aren't solely in the Arab world, but in the entire world.  Even the economic downfall in the U.S. is something very important.  The whole world doesn't think about this, but I think about their shameful behavior at all times, but especially during the Holocaust where they were partners in killing Jews...
  • The beginning of Yishmael's downfall was in Bavel - today's Iraq.  About 150,000 from Bavel already died.  We have already been saying for over 2000 years, 'בת בבל השדודה אשרי שישלם לך את גמולך שגמלת לנו אשרי שיאחז וניפץ את עולליך על הסלע' and Baruch Hashem, we merited to see this now.  Is this a coincidence?  Are the eyes blind?
The Rebbe has some other interesting things to say about the presidents of both the United States and Israel.

Update: Ladaat has an article too and YWN has its own translation into English, where you can see more details that I may have missed.

Recent Interesting Links

Friday, October 07, 2011

Kippur, 5772 - Mehila, Seliha, VeChapara

It's that time of year again, and we thank Hashem for the wonderful opportunity to have a clean slate for the year.  However, this doesn't mean that we are clean with our fellow Jews.

And so, I once again must ask forgiveness from readers, commenters, fellow bloggers, people about whom I wrote, and people about whom I neglected to write.  I know my faults and sometimes get carried away in my comments to those who disagree with me.  If I argue, it's Lesheim Shamayim, but that's no excuse for getting carried away.  I beg those who were insulted, offended, and otherwise hurt by something I wrote - for true forgiveness. 

May we all have an easy and meaningful fast and may we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life with a Gemar Hatima Tova.

The Significance of Mt. Gerizim

Arutz Sheva:

Rav Yisrael Rosen, the Director of the Zomet Institute for Halakha and Technology, explained about the great significance of Joseph’s Tomb for the Jewish people.

“On Sukkot we’ll read the story of Gog Umagog and there it is written that Mount Gerizim is the place that will announce redemption, and that’s why Yosef is buried in such a strategic place,” he said. “We’re here in one of the cities in which Torah was given and a covenant was made with the people of Israel, in Shechem, on Mount Gerizim and on Mount Eval.”

“Just as the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, it has been said that Torah was given a second time in Shechem of all places,” added Rav Rosen. “The return and the praying and saying of Selichot near the grave of Yosef will certainly help us that he will protect us, both in the practical life as well as in the spiritual life.”

“May we all have a full redemption, Shana Tova and Gmar Chatima Tova to the entire people of Israel,” he concluded.

Massive Selihot Gatherings in Israel

Huge crowds at the Kotel for Selihot with Rav Ovadia and the chief rabbis.

Video here.

Photo gallery here.


Also, in Be'er Sheva, a night with Selihot, Kapparot and Hatarat Nedarim all packed into one at the local stadium.

Photo gallery here.

Piyut Yomi #30: Kel Nora Alila

Today's Piyut: Kel Nora Alila
Composed by: Ribbi Moshe Ibn Ezra
Version I'm most familiar with
: this

Although I'm used to the Turkish version, here's a concert that played both the Yerushalmi and Moroccan versions:



מִיכָאֵל שַׂר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלִיָּהוּ וְגַבְרִיאֵל
בַּשְּׂרוּ נָא הַגְּאֻלָּה בִּשְׁעַת הַנְּעִילָה

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Song in Memory of Baba Elazar ZT"L

On its website, Kikar has a new song sung by Itzik Cohen in memory of Ribbi Elazar Abuhatzeira ZT"L, who was murdered this summer in Be'er Sheva.  The song is based on the Kina that Rav Shelomo Moshe Amar wrote for him shortly after his tragic death.  Rav Amar even heard an early version of the song when the singer asked him for his blessing to use the Kina, according to the website.

Piyut Yomi #29: Adir VeNa'or

Today's Piyut: Adir VeNa'or
Composed by: Unknown
Version I'm most familiar with
: this

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Kippur, 5772

Here are some of the tidbits from Rav Fish's latest:
  • The Exodus from Egypt also occurred when the shadows of evening started stretching, as the Mechilta (Bo 5) says, "When did they leave?  From 6 hours onward, as it says 'בעצם היום הזה'.  Ribbi Natan says: How do we know a proof that 'Bein Ha'arbayim" is from 6 hours onward?  Even though there is no proof, there is a verse that can be used to remember this idea, 'אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי פָנָה הַיּוֹם כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עָרֶב'."  [YY- the shadows really start to stretch at the 6.5 hour, as mentioned here based on Rashi Shabbat 9B s.v. מנחה גדולה.]
  • Midrash Aggada Bereishit 36:
  "שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶשָׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים". זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים", לְפִי שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִים בַּמַּלְכֻיּוֹת הֵם אוֹמְרִים רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים עַד מָתַי מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִים בָּנוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "עַד אָנָה אָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשִׁי", וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶן "עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים", אֵלּוּ הַמַּלְכֻיּוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי פָנָה הַיּוֹם כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עָרֶב
  • The Likutim of the Ariza"l (Toledot p.76):
 וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה, וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד", וְרָמַז לְזֶה הַגָּלוּת הַמַּר הַנִּקְרָא לַיְלָה, שֶׁהוּא יוֹם אֶחָד לַה', כִּי אֶלֶף שָׁנִים בְּעֵינָיו כְּיוֹם אֶחָד, וְאָז בֶּהֱיוֹת יוֹם אֶחָד שֶׁלֹּא יוֹדֵעַ לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה מִגֹּדֶל הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת, אָז יִהְיֶה מֻכְרָח שֶׁיַּבְדִּיל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶךְ, וְזֶהוּ "וְהָיָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב יִהְיֶה אוֹר", בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עֶרֶב. וְאָז יִפָּרַע השי"ת מֵאֱדוֹם הָרְשָׁעָה, וְיִדְרְכֵם בְּאַפָּיו וְיִרְמְסֵם בַּחֲמָתוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַגַּת שֶׁל יַיִן, בְּתֹקֶף הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב "פּוּרָה דָּרַכְתִּי לְבַדִּי.
  • The Siddur HaRasha"sh says that when we say the ובכןs on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we should have in mind that בכן has the gematria of 72 [YY - as is printed in many Sephardic Mahzorim] and these paragraphs are about the Final Redemption.
  • In the name of Harav Hagaon R' David Samson Shlit"a: we find in the Siddur HaRasha"sh that when saying the chapter of Tehillim (Psalm 20) יענך ה' ביום צרה, which contains 70 words, one should have in mind the 70 sounds of a birthing mother, and when saying the Kedusha of Uva Letziyon, one should have in mind the birth of the Heavenly influence of the entire day.  It comes out that the words, ובא לציון גואל are words 71, 72, and 73 respectively.  Going a bit deeper, the words ובא לציון hint to the birth as Tziyon symbolizes the birthplace, whereas גואל hints to the actual Redemption, in the year 5773.
  • Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld saw the Balfour Declaration as a sign of the End of Days.  The Hafetz Hayim, on the other hand, saw it as the Redemption coming via nature, and saw the infux of Jews to Eretz Yisrael an עת פקידה.  The Hazon Ish said similarly in his letters (vol. 1, 109).
  • When Rashi on Daniel 8:13 says ערב ובקר is a gematria, Harav Hagaon R' Berel Eisenblat Shlit"a says he means that לעת ערב is the gematria that is being referred to, which equals 772.
  • תקע בשופר is the same letters as פרוק תשע"ב ("redeem 5772").
  • The Hafetz Hayim says that whoever doesn't contemplate the Redemption process is similar to a man who accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai but did not learn from it.
  • R' Yonatan Eybeshitz, in Tiferet Yehonatan on Nitzavim, says that the Jews in the Diaspora are in for a second-wave of ingathering of the exiles, but the Shechina will have gone to Israel first, and as a result, the Diaspora Jews will be left without protection [YY - see also a recent Tomer Devorah post and a recent Shirat Devorah post].  The Netziv in Ha'ameik Davar also mentions a second-wave of ingathering.  Rav Yehezkel Levenstein ZT"L said in the name of the Hafetz Hayim that it will be more difficult for those in the Diaspora to be redeemed, and will require more merits.
  • The Malbim on Micha 4:8 that I mentioned here.
  • Zecharia 14:16 (see Radak and Metzudot David there) and onwards prove that the Gog Umagog War will be on Sukkot.
  • Zecharia 14:12 proves unconventional weapons like those that exist today will be used in the war.
Also, not mentioned by Rav Fish, but Geulah Perspectives reminds us of the 70th anniversary of the single-largest massacre of the Holocaust at Babi-Yar on the 8th and 9th of Tishri, 5701.  The first death camp opened the following day.  I believe that there is significance to this.

The Hafeitz Hayim on his Recently-Published Will

The Hafeitz Hayim's family recently gave permission for his will to be publicized.

VIN from Ami Magazine:

The Chofetz Chaim’s legendary yearning for Moshiach is also evident in the tzavaah’s last line.

The English translation of the last line reads:

Hashem should give us the merit to see when He brings the return to Zion and then we will toss aside all the property that we have here and run to our holy land among the rest of all Israel. Amen.

Amen!

Piyut Yomi #28: Kal Nidrei

Today's Piyut: Kal Nidrei
Composed by: Unknown
Version I'm most familiar with
: this

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Piyut Yomi #27: Lecha Keili

Today's Piyut: Lecha Keili
Composed by: Ribbi Avraham Ibn Ezra
Version I'm most familiar with
: this

Monday, October 03, 2011

MBD on the Future of Jewish Music

MBD - Mordechai Ben David, that is - on the future of Jewish music in an interview with VIN:

VIN: In that case, what does the future hold for Jewish music?
MBD: Moshiach will come and we will have the music of the Leviyim in the Beis Hamikdash.

Piyut Yomi #26: Yisrael Avadecha

Today's Piyut: Yisrael Avadecha
Composed by: Unknown
Version I'm most familiar with: this

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Piyut Yomi #25: Ana BeKoreinu

Sorry - late for Sunday's piyut

Today's Piyut: Ana BeKoreinu
Composed by: Ribbi David Ibn Bakuda
Version I'm most familiar with
: this