Geula-Related Recent Links

Saturday, March 31, 2012

More on Rav Zohn's Dream

A long-time reader sent me a pdf from Mishpacha Magazine from Av 5768 (August, 2008) that contained an interview with Rav Shachne Zohn Shlit"a - may he get well soon.  Click on the image below.



(As an aside, the date on the magazine article is 12 Av, 5768 and August 13, 2008.  Adding 1335 days from that date brings you to April 9, 2012 - the middle of Pesah. אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה, וְיַגִּיעַ:  לְיָמִים--אֶלֶף, שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Every Shabbat is Called Shabbat Hagadol

From the Kol Emunim newsletter by the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe, p. 2, bottom-left:

In the blessing of Retzei that we say in Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat day, we ask, "ובמצות יום השביעי השבת הגדול והקדוש הזה...And with the mitzvah of the seventh day - this great and holy Shabbat". We need to understand what it means by השבת הגדול - the great Shabbat.

We can possibly explain this based on how we find that the Shabbat before Pesah is called Shabbat Hagadol as is explained in the Tur O"H Siman 430. The holy books explain the reason for this: since during the following week there was the Exodus, and since all blessings are dependant on Shabbat as is mentioned in the Zohar (II:88b), it comes out that the Exodus stemmed from the preceding Shabbat. And that is why it is called Shabbat Hagadol, based on the Yad Hagedola - the great hand - which Hashem placed against Egypt during the time of the Exodus.

And according to this, it appears that also the Shabbat before the Final Redemption will be called Shabbat Hagadol since that will start the flowering of our Redemption and the freedom of our souls. This is why we say every Shabbat השבת הגדול והקדוש הזה - this great and holy Shabbat - because every Shabbat we hope and pray that our salvation is close in coming any day. It comes out that this (הזה) Shabbat is a Shabbat Hagadol. Once could also say that that which Haza"l say (Shabbat 118b) that if the Jewish people would only keep 2 Shabbatot, we would immediately be redeemed. Therefore, we say in Birkat Hamazon, "This great and holy day" because we hope that perhaps it will be this Shabbat that we will keep properly and we will merit through this to the True Redemption speedily in our days, Amen.

And we can possibly also say that by the Exodus, it was just called Shabbat Hagadol, but in the future, it will be called Shabbat Hagadol Vehakadosh. This is because it will be called "Hagadol" similar to the Exodus, as it says (Micha 7:15) כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים אראנו נפלאות - like the days of your leaving Egypt, I will show him wonders. It will be called "Hakadosh" because of the verse (Zecharia 14:3)וְיָצָא יְהוָה, וְנִלְחַם בַּגּוֹיִם הָהֵם, כְּיוֹם הִלָּחֲמוֹ, בְּיוֹם קְרָב Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fighteth in the day of battle. And the early sages have said that the Gog Umagog War will be felt on Shabbat day. Our rabbis have given a hint to this when they said, "Whowever keeps 3 meals on Shabbat is saved from 3 things, one of which is Gog Umagog. And the prophet already said (Yehezkel 38:23) "וְהִתְגַּדִּלְתִּי, וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתִּי, וְנוֹדַעְתִּי, לְעֵינֵי גּוֹיִם רַבִּים Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations". And this is our request and our expectation - that on this Shabbat day, Hashem's great name will be magnified and sanctified via Am Yisrael's victory in the Gog Umagog War, and this Shabbat will thereby be a great and holy Shabbat - speedily in our days, Amen.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Rav Shachne Zohn Needs a Refuah Sheleima

Matzav.com:
Rav Shachne Zohn, one of the last remaining talmidim of the Chofetz Chaim and one of the tzaddikei hador, has been hospitalized after feeling unwell. Rav Zohn is now at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, where doctors are treating him. He suffered a precipitous drop in blood pressure and high fever as his conditioned has been deemed serious.

Rav Zohn, who is 101 years old, served for 30 years as a rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn and authored the seforim Ateres Yaakov, named for his father, Rav Yaakov Zohn zt”l.

In his later years, Rav Zohn has lived in Yerushalayim and has been rosh kollel of Kollel Kodshim V’Taharos for nearly forty years.

In his youth, Rav Zohn studied at the yeshivos of Mir and Kamenitz in Europe and received semichah from Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz zt”l. He is one of the few living people to have had the privilege of spending time with the Chofetz Chaim zt”l.

Several years ago, Rav Zohn had a remarkable dream. In his words: “I saw the Chofetz Chaim…and he said to me to make known in the world that the redemption is close, and it is necessary to be ready for the redemption.” Being humble by nature, Rav Zohn did not mention his dream publicly. Then the dream was repeated. The Chofetz Chaim came once again and repeated the message, at which time Rav Zohn revealed the dream publicly.

In his youth, one of Rav Zohn’s chavrusos was Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg zt”l, the great rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Ore who was just niftar last week. Rav Zohn himself had been to the Scheinberg home to be menachem avel the family. Over the last two days, however, his condition deteriorated.

All are asked to daven for Rav Shalom Shachnah ben Ettel.

About That Global March...

Zecharia 14:12:

וְזֹאת תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה, אֲשֶׁר יִגֹּף יְהוָה אֶת-כָּל-הָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ, עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם; הָמֵק בְּשָׂרוֹ, וְהוּא עֹמֵד עַל-רַגְלָיו, וְעֵינָיו תִּמַּקְנָה בְחֹרֵיהֶן, וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ תִּמַּק בְּפִיהֶם

And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

All the nations already forced the Jews away from half of the city (East Jerusalem, see verse 2), and even its "best friend" the U.S. can't say what the capital of Israel is.

But since the word of G-d doesn't deter these people naturally, we need to pray to Him that they will be deterred.

We also need to worry about our Iranian Jewish bretheren.  Debka reported:
The Islamic regime in Tehran was not satisfied with the public support the Iranian Jewish community’s was forced to confer on the Global March to Jerusalem for which Iran is recruiting Islamists worldwide. Now, the event’s organizers, Majlis Speaker Hossein Sheikh-ol-Eslam and Salim Ghafouri, have ordered the community to send a Jewish delegation to march with the Islamist groups in Lebanon, debkafile’s Iranian sources disclose.
The delegations are scheduled to mass on the Lebanese and Jordanian borders with Israel and at West Bank and Gaza checkpoints on March 30, when Israeli Arabs mark Earth Day every year.

Iran’s ancient Jewish community of around 15,000 souls (9,000 in Tehran, 4,000 in Shiraz and 1,300 in Isfahan) has been living in fear of reprisals should Israel or the United States carry out a military operation against the country’s nuclear facilities. Now, they face a fresh danger of murder and abduction by Hizballah and Palestinian gunmen and terrorists in Lebanon.

Jewish communal leaders were instructed by the Iranian authorities this week to have at least 10 young men aged 18 to 22 ready for the march. They were to be given “the honor” of acting as vanguard for breaking through the Lebanese-Israeli border fence and leading a mass incursion across the border.

They suspect that this ploy is meant to prevent Israeli soldiers from firing on the trespassers for fear of killing the Jewish contingent, while at the same time, exposing them to violence when the event is over at the hands of al-Qaeda linked Palestinian groups under Hizballah protection.

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, תִּהְיֶה מְהוּמַת-יְהוָה רַבָּה בָּהֶם; וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ, אִישׁ יַד רֵעֵהוּ, וְעָלְתָה יָדוֹ, עַל-יַד רֵעֵהוּ
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

וְגַם-יְהוּדָה--תִּלָּחֵם, בִּירוּשָׁלִָם; וְאֻסַּף חֵיל כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם סָבִיב, זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּבְגָדִים--לָרֹב מְאֹד
And Judah also shall fight against Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

Rashi and Metzudat David say that Yehuda will be forced into fighting against Yerushalayim.

May Hashem protect them and may Hashem protect all of Kelal Yisrael.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Video: Vehi She'amda - Chief Rabbi of South Africa's Pesach Message Featuring Yaakov Shwekey

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Tzav 5772

From Rav Fish's latest:
  • [More details on what Rav Scheinberg ZT"L said at the Purim Seuda.]  I heard from the right-hand man of Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg ZT"L, YBLHT"V Rav Asa Vito Shlit"a, who heard from Maran [Rav Scheinberg] ZT"L at the Purim Seuda the following wording: "The world says that those who say when Mashiah will come don't know and those who know don't say.  However, I am saying to you that the Mashiah is Mamash at the entrance and his coming is very soon.  In the next weeks, there will be a Hester Panim [hiding of Hashem's face]."  (He was prophecying about himself.)  Similarly, I heard from his grandson, Rav Shalom Scheinberg Shlit"a, that at least 2 men told him that Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg ZT"L told them on Purim that the Beit Hamikdash is close.  One of them added that Rav Scheinberg told him that the Beit Hamikdash is close and that he is going to help build it.
  • I heard from a Jew who returned from the Diaspora recently and hear there from one of the community leaders who recently asked advice from Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman Shlit"a whether he should buy land to build a synagogue.  Maran [Rav Shteinman] answered him in the following words: "For what?  Even though Haza"l said that in the future, HKB"H will transfer the synagogues of the Diaspora to the Land of Israel, but it's not clear that He will transfer the land too!  You will only have a chance to buy the land, but you won't have a chance to build until Mashiah comes!"  (The story came first-hand [to Rav Fish], and the source wishes to remain anonymous.)
  • The verse says (Bereishit 15:14): וְגַם אֶת-הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ, דָּן אָנֹכִי; וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן יֵצְאוּ, בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל [and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.]  Rashi explains on the word וגם that it includes all 4 kingdoms who will be destroyed for subjugating Israel, so this verse hints to all redemptions.  The Hatam Sofer explains the verse on the Egyptian and Babylonian exiles as כן is 70 to denote the 70 years of the Babylonian exile. ואחרי כן hints to the letters ע"ם, which are the letters that come after the letters כ"ן [as אחרי denotes more than just "after" - it denotes far away, which means at least 2 letters].  The Milui of עי"ן מ"ם is the 210 years of the Egyptian exile.  Now, to get to 772, which, G-d willing, we will merit to leave the final Galut.  Rav Yosef Marciano Shlit"a from France explains that כן is the gematria of 770 if we count the final-Nun both as 50 and as 700, as the "Ketonet Tashbetz" on Midrash Peli'ah (Pinhas) does.  Add the 2 letters and you get 772.  Alternatively, אחרי כן means 2 years after 770 [as, again, אחרי denotes more than just "after" - it denotes far away, which means at least 2 years], which gives us the gematria of 772.
  •  הוי"ה צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה: הוי"ה צְבָאוֹת אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בּוֹטֵחַ בָּךְ:   הוי"ה הוֹשִׁיעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵנו is the gematria of 5771, plus 1 for the Kollel, when counting 500 for ך and 600 for ם.
  • כל הסומך גאולה לתפלה is the gematria of 772 with the Kollel.
  • מגלה x הדסה equals 78 x 74 = 5772.
  • As the first Mishna in Mesechet Megilla says, the Megilla can be read on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th of Adar. Add 11+12+13+14+15+707 (707 is the gematria of תש"ז, the 3 small letters within the names of the 10 sons of Haman) and you get 772.  And תש"ז hints to the second time the 10 sons of Haman were hung, as is known.  If we add to this all the days that the Megilla could be read on, we get to 772, to hint to the fact that this year, we should merit to wipe out Amalek anew. Amen.
  • הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְקַבְּצֵנוּ מִן הַגּוֹיִם לְהֹודוֹת לְשֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶךָ: בָּרוּךְ אדנ"י אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם וְאָמַר כָּל הָעָם אָמֵן הַלְלוּיָהּ is the gematria of 5771, plus 1 for the Kollel = 5772.  See Radak and Malbim who say that these verses refer to the Final Redemption.
  • Rav Asher Zelig Rubinshtein Shlit"a writes in a letter to the book "Uva Letzion Go'el":
    Before I left for the Diaspora, the Mashgi'ah Rav Yehezkel Levenshtein Shlit"a [ZT"L] told me that he heard from the Hafetz Hayim ZT"L that when Mashiah will come, the invitations to join in the redemption will be like invitations to a wedding: first he will invite all the neighbors - those who will be in the Land of Israel, but those who are far away, he will only invite those who are closest.
  • See also the Torah code at the end from Rav Glazerson about the connection between Rav Scheinberg ZT"L and יבלט"ו Rav Elyashiv Shlit"a and the interesting stories about Rav Scheinberg at the very end.

5772 Years Split Into 2 Periods

The History of mankind can be split into 2 periods:

1) the period before the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash
and
2) the period after the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash

The former was a period of Hashem's constant miracles that could be seen every day.  The latter was and is a period of Hashem's face hidden, where we long for the days of old.  Even the second Beit Hamikdash was no consolation for those who saw the first.  Life was changed forever, until Mashiah will restore that former glory.

The first Beit Hamikdash was destroyed in the year 3338.  That was 2434 years ago.  We therefore have 2 periods of history - the first being 3338 years and the second being 2434 years.

There are 2 verses in Tanach that seem to bring out this dichotomy  Both are talking about the year of the destruction, but at very different angles.

Micha 7:8:

אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אֹיַבְתִּי לִי, כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי:  כִּי אֵשֵׁב בַּחֹשֶׁךְ, יְהוָה אוֹר לִי
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light unto me.

The gematria of this verse is 3338.  This verse tells of the Galut from the Babylonians and others (see Rashi) that started at the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash.  It is telling the Jews' enemies not to rejoice because although we are in Galut, Hashem will be our light and we long for Mashiah.  This verse is therefore "standing" in the first period of history (hence, the gematria of 3338), but looking forward toward the second period of history (hence, the reference to Galut).


לַמִּצְעָר, יָרְשׁוּ עַם-קָדְשֶׁךָ; צָרֵינוּ, בּוֹסְסוּ מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ
Thy holy people they have well nigh driven out, our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.

The gematria of this verse is 2434.  This verse tells of the too short of a period (see Rashi and Metzudot) that we had the Beit Hamikdash, but that now, it has been trampled upon by our enemies.  This verse is therefore "standing" in the second period of history (hence, the gematria of 2434), and looking back at the first part of history (hence, bemoaning how short we had the Beit Hamikdash).

May we merit to reach the new period when we are no longer sitting in the darkness and Hashem will return His Shechina to its place and the Mikdash to its former glory.  Amen.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Eva Sandler accepts/gives out Tanhumin

Kikar reports that Eva Sandler went to the cemetery today as Shiva is over.

She then went to the home of Rav Ovadia Yosef and received his blessing.

One who was in the room at the time of the meeting stated, "It was a difficult meeting. She was very broken. The Rav heard her and tried to encourage her as much as possible."

On the radio, she said, "I first of all send my condolences to Avivit Shaer for the tragedy that befell her. I request of the tzibbur to strengthen themselves in laws of Leshon Hara and Bein Adam LaHaveiro - both within and outside the family. Especially they should strengthen themselves in the "Asher Yatzar" blessing to bless it with intent, and to have in mind the raising of the souls of my husband and sons."

Monday, March 26, 2012

Rav Scheinberg ZT"L During Purim Seuda: Mashiah is At the Entrance

The Mashiach Is Coming blog is living up to her name by referring us to an AnashNews article which contains a statement by Rav Scheinberg at the Purim Seuda to one of his household members:  "Mashiah is Mamash at the entrance.  The upcoming weeks will have the aspect of 'A hidden face' for Israel."



Also, on Shirat Devorah last week:

The following was related to Rabbi Uri Silver [a rebbi at Rabbi Senter’s yeshiva] by Rebbitzin Wolbe on February 29th 2012. [This story has been verified via Nava at Dreaming of Moshiach, who called Rebbetzin Wolbe to confirm details]

Three months earlier Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe [author of the Alei Shor and the leading Mashgiach of the last generation] appeared in a dream to his granddaughter. He was very excited and animated - which she mentioned was uncharacteristic for Rav Wolbe who always spoke in a very controlled and measured manner. He was speaking very quickly and was looking upwards [also uncharacteristic] and he said that "Mashiach is ready to come, if people would be “concerned for their friends like they are concerned for themselves” then Mashiach will come immediately."

Rebbetzin Wolbe mentioned that it is a mitzva to publicize this dream!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Video: The Things People Say About פסח

After the week we had, we need some cheering up.  After all, Nissan is coming. And that means that פסח is coming:


(h/t Hamikdash)

Shabbat Shalom.

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Vayikra 5772

Here's a very brief summary of a portion of Rav Fish's latest points:
  • He talked about Rav Shteinman's shiur
  • The writings of the Ariza"l teach us that to know the point of connection of 2 things, you need to multiply them together.  We also know בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להגאל.  When we multiply the word פסח (which equals 148) with the word גאלה (which is how the word is spelled in the Torah, and equals 39), we get 5772.
  • Alternatively, one can substitute the word גאלה for the word טל, which also equals 39.  And we know that טל is the Sod of Tehiyat Hameitim.
  • Restating something mentioned last week, 1,200,000 men and women left Egypt.  If we count the number of days that passed from the time the Israelites ceased dying in the desert as punishment for the Golden Calf (see Rashi Bemidbar 14:33 which states that they died as a punishment for the sin of the Golden Calf, and see the Rashbam Bava Batra 121a that they did not die on the last Tish'a Be'av, so they ceased dying 1.5 years before they entered the land) until Shevat, 5772, which is a bit more than 3285 years - multiplied by 365.2469 days per year, we get 1,200,000 days.  This is 1 day per Jew who sinned at the Golden Calf.  And it says (Shemot 32:34) וּבְיוֹם פָּקְדִי, וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵהֶם חַטָּאתָם [nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them]. We see that the punishment has the aspect of a day.  Also, the word פקדי hints to Redemption, as it says (Shemot 3:16) פקד פקדתי אתכם.  This means that when the first פקד is finished, the second פקד will begin.
  • In addition, an accepted count of the number of letters in Tanach [this number will vary depending on which codex you use] is 1,203,006.
There is more there, but that's all from me.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

OU and RCA call for Prayer and Words of Inspiration

ou.org:

OU AND RCA CALL FOR PRAYER AND WORDS OF INSPIRATION IN SYNAGOGUES THIS SHABBAT

Events of the past days and weeks have demonstrated clearly that the Jewish people are in an “ait tzarah,” a time of formidable challenge, according to a statement by the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America.

The statement continues, “Our brothers and sisters in the southern communities of the State of Israel have experienced rocket barrages and the current ‘truce’ is a tenuous one.

The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran looms greater with each passing day.

Those of us who live in the Diaspora face mounting anti-Semitic hostility, which in France has culminated in the horrific murders of recent days.

The OU and the RCA are therefore urging our member synagogues and member rabbis to respond over the coming weekend with programs of tefilla and divrei hitorerut, prayer and words of inspiration, in a manner appropriate to the severity of the situation.

We all fervently pray that the month of Nissan, which we are about to usher in this Shabbat, should indeed prove to be a month of ‘yeshuot bo makifot,’ a month in which our people will witness a comprehensive salvation.”

Weird News All Around

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Rav Scheinberg ZT"L

It's turning out to be a very sad week.

First, the Toulouse shooting happened yesterday morning (of which the barbaric details are still coming out). 

Then, last night, I went to a very sad funeral for a young boy in the community.

And today, we hear of the passing of Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg ZT"L.

Coverage: YWN, VIN, Matzav, Lazer Beams, Kikar (with pictures from his life), Ladaat, Behadrei Hareidim (with his last moments and an article on his daily schedule).

I had seen Rav Scheinberg ZT"L a few times and my wife once asked him for a Beracha.

Many articles are also mentioning the famous video of him and יבלחט"ו Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlit"a.

תנצב"ה

May he be a Meilitz Yosher for all of Kelal Yisrael.  Amen.

Rav Mutzafi On the Toulouse Murders

From here:

שאלה - 93454
לכבוד הרב אנו גרים בצרפת רצח מזעזע בבית ספר יהודי,כל היהודים בפחד , איך הרב יכול לחזק אותנו? תודה רבה

תשובה
כולנו אבלים דוויים וסחופים על השמועה הנוראה ברצח של אב ושני בניו ועוד ילדה יהודיה , כולם יהודים כשרים וצדיקים , האב תלמיד חכם ידוע ומוכר בירושלים עיר הקודש ונרצח בפתע ובאכזריות נוראה יחד עם שני ילדיו הרכים באופן נפשע על היותו יהודי . כי עליך הורגנו כל היום נחשבנו כצאן טבחה , נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה אל השם , כולנו חייבים להתנהג באחדות ובאהבה איש עם רעהו , זו עת של אחדות , זו עת לסליחה , זו עת לתפלה ולזעקה , זו עת לתשובה ולתיקון המעשים . צריכים לחזק את חומת הקדושה והצניעות ביתר שאת , ולא להדמות לגויים בלבושיהם ובמנהגיהם , יש לנו את תורתינו הקדושה אשר ירדה מהר סיני , והיא מורה לנו כיצד להתנהג , נפסיק לרכל איש על חבירו , נסלק את הקנאה והשנאה מליבנו , נתחזק בלימוד התורה , ונפסיק עם איבוד הזמן בשיחות בטילות ובחוסר מעש , ננצל כל רגע מחיינו בלימוד תורה ובעשית חסד איש עם רעהו , וכך יבא קץ לסבלינו , ולא ישפך דם ישראל כמים , ולא ישמע שוד ושבר בגבולינו , כי כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה .

My translation:

Question #93454
To the honored rav: We live in France where there was a terrifying murder in a Jewish school. All Jews are afraid. How can the Rav strengthen us? Thank you very much.

Answer

We are all in mourning, sorrow and pain about the terrible news about the murder of a father and 2 of his sons and another Jewish girl - all of whom are Kosher and righteous Jews. The father was a known Talmid Hacham and recognized in Yerushalayim - the holy city - and was murdered suddenly and with terrible cruelty together with his 2 young children whose guilt was for being Jewish. "Nay, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD. We are all required to conduct ourselves with unity and love for each other. This is a time for unity. This is a time for forgiveness. This is a time for prayer and crying out. This is a time for repentance and for rectification of our deeds. We need to strengthen the wall of holiness and modesty with greater fortitude and not imitate the nations in their dress and customs.  We have the holy Torah which came down from Mt. Sinai and it teaches us how to conduct ourselves.  We must cease tale-bearing against each other.  We must remove the jealousy and hatred from our hearts.  We must strengthen our Torah learning.  We must cease with the time-wasting, idle chatter, and idleness.  We should salvage every moment of our lives with Torah learning and doing kindness with each other. 

And such is the way that an end to our suffering will come about so that Jewish blood will not flow like water and we will no longer hear about tragedies in our border because all of Israel is responsible for each other.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Terror in Toulouse

The ugly face of Jew-hatred has struck again in Europe.  This time, in southern France.  The victims are:

Yonatan Sandler
Gavriel Sandler
Aryeh Sandler
Miriam Monsonego

The attack occurred on the second day of the week of Vayikra.  This corresponds to the second Aliya of the week.  Sheni of Vayikra begins with the following verse:

 וְאִם מִן-הָעוֹף עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ, לַיהוָה:  וְהִקְרִיב מִן-הַתֹּרִים, אוֹ מִן-בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה--אֶת-קָרְבָּנוֹ
And if his offering to the LORD be a burnt-offering of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons.

Those murdered today are a Korban Olah - a burnt offering to atone for all of us. 

What was brought?

מן התרים is the gematria of 745.
מרים חנה בת יעקב מנסנגו  (Miriam Chana bat Yaakov Monsengo, HY"D) with the Kollel is the gematria of 745.
Also, the beginning מ and ending רים of the phrase "מן התרים"spell Miriam.

בני היונה hint to the sons of יונתן - Yonatan Sandler, i.e. Gavriel and Aryeh Sandler, HY"D.

The rest of the phrase:
או מן בני היונה את קרבנו is the gematria of 860 with the 4 words.
יונתן סנדלר - Yonatan Sandler, HY"D, is the gematria of 860.

May those who were murdered today be an atonement for all of Kelal Yisrael.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Rav Shteinman on the Hospitalization of Gedolim and Iran

My translation from Kikar:

In recent months, the Haredi public in Israel and the Diaspora has been increasing their prayers for Gedolei Yisrael whose medical situation is dire and have been transferred to various hospitals.

In his weekly Shiur yesterday, like every Motza'ei Shabbat, Maran the Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman related to the hospitalization of Gedolei Yisrael recently, starting with Rav Elyashiv, the Mashgiah - Rav Matisyahu Salomon, and even - Lehibadel - the Vishnitzer Rebbe ZTVK"L, who passed to the next world.

"Lately, HKB"H is making it that there will be many people that are needed by the public to be ill," Rav Shteinman began his words.  "HKB"H desires the prayers of the righteous, and all those who learn Torah are considered righteous.

"You need to know that there is a wicked non-Jew in Iran who is preparing a large bomb.  He wants to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews from young until old.  However, since people talked so much about this, people became used to it and nobody is praying regarding this.  Everyone thinks, 'Nu?  Hashem will help and nothing will happen.'  But these are fools who do not understand that there is a decree in Heaven.

"However, HKB"H is merciful and gracious and desires our prayers, so HKB"H tries to shake us in every way - the main reason being so that we will pray already.  You need to know that every chapter of Tehillim recited, even if it appears that it doesn't help - as behold, the Tzaddik [the Vishnitzer Rebbe] is lost to us and it appears that as if no one is paying attention to our prayers - you should know that by HKB"H, nothing is wasted.  What did not help here will help elsewhere.

"HKB"H wants the whole world to pray.  Behold, by Rav Elyashiv, we see that people are praying and the secular doctors who are not believers are standing in shock - in their lifetimes, they have not seen open miracles [like what they saw with Rav Elyashiv] and everything is in the merit of Tehillim.  And he still need a lot of mercy from Heaven.

"Sometimes, a person thinks, 'There are so many people reciting Tehillim!' or he thinks, 'Nu?  Really, this is not our rabbi - this is the rabbi of others.'  You should know that these thoughts are improper.  In all cases, every chapter of Tehillim is important.

"Behold, now, there is a situation that everybody has a reason to say Tehillim even outside of Israel and everywhere, and HKB"H will help Am Yisrael in all types of things in which we need protection.

"Someone came to me and said, 'Who said that we need to stop our Torah learning and recite Tehillim?  These Jews are so old already!'  I said to him, "What - are they deserving a death-penalty?'  A Jew needs to know that every moment of life is a merit and with Tzadikim, there is a special importance that they live longer and longer.

"HKB"H desires the prayers of the righteous - only our prayers will help.  People don't understand - or they prefer not to think or understand - how dangerous the situation is here in Eretz Yisrael and every moment here is fear and trepidation, and if it weren't for HKB"H saving us from their hands, everything would become Tohu Vavohu - Has Veshalom.  Therefore, HKB"H is testing us in every way so that perhaps, it will cause us to pray in order to fill the repository of prayers.

"Hashem should help that they should all have a quick speedy recovery," concluded the Rosh Yeshiva's words.  This caused a great awakening among the community of listeners [of his speech].

[YY - after I wrote this up, YWN has another translation of his holy words that just came through the wires.]

Friday, March 16, 2012

A Device that Displays Wait-Time

Jpost:
Student to market Shabbat elevator tracker

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH 03/15/2012 01:31

Engineering student finds commercial solution to endless Shabbat elevator wait.

By BeeOnTime

If observant Jewish residents of towering hotels and apartment buildings feel that waiting for the automatic Shabbat elevator is like awaiting the Messiah, there will soon be a solution.

A 24-year-old Jerusalem inventor and biomedical engineering student will soon market the first tracking device that informs would-be elevator users in their rooms or apartments when it will reach their floor.

Approved by rabbis for Shabbat use, the affordable wireless device is being manufactured in China. The system is patent pending in both the US and Israel.

Shlomo Friedman, who graduated from yeshiva high school at 16 and is the son of a dermatologist, started building “smart homes” – whose functions are monitored and controlled by a computer system – four years ago. Working for a family in a luxurious penthouse on the top floor of the capital’s Wolfson Towers, Friedman heard that they had to wait 15 minutes or more until the elevator arrived, as it moves only one floor at a time without human intervention.

According to Jewish law, one may not press the elevator button to call for it, or to open or shut the doors, on Shabbat or festivals.

The imaginative Friedman came up with the idea of launching a timer – as an offshoot of the smart home system – to tell the residents automatically how many minutes and seconds remained until the elevator’s arrival.

...
Now, if only he would invent a device to show the wait-time for the Messiah...

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Vayakhel/Pekudei 5772

There's some REALLY good stuff in this one.

From Rav Fish's latest:

  • It is written (Daniel 11:13)
    And the king of the north shall again set forth a multitude, greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much substance. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south; also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall stumble. And the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city; and the arms of the south shall not withstand; and as for his chosen people, there shall be no strength in them to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the beauteous land, and in his hand shall be extermination.
    I heard from Rav Yehuda Sheinfeld Shlit"a and Rav David Hameyahel Shlit"a who explained these verses as referring to a war between Edom and Paras, which is the expected war between the U.S.A. and Iran. The King of the South is Iran, who is in the South, whereas the King of the North is the U.S.A. and Europe who are in the North.

    In these verses, we see the process of the development of the war in the End of Days: First, we have "there shall many stand up against the king of the south" - i.e., they will threaten and enact sanctions against Iran. And "the violent among thy people" are those who rule today in Eretz Yisrael "shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall stumble", which means that they will try to attack Iran, but they will fail. Afterwards, "And the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city" - the U.S.A. captures Iran, which is a "well-fortified city" since it fortifies the entire world by way of blocking the Straits of Hormuz. Afterwards. the U.S.A. will go to war against Yerushalayim, as it says "and he shall stand in the beauteous land, and in his hand shall be extermination." Rav Y. S. Tzur Shlit"a adds that "פריצי עמך" [violent among your people"] is the gematria of the name of MBY "נחמיה בן חושיאל" since they are the Kelipot which clothe the actions of MBY. They name of the 3 Meshihin: מנחם, שריה, and נחמיה is the gematria of 772. See the Zohar that there is a Mashiah from Shevet Dan whose name is Seraya, whose purpose is to assist MBY.
  • Rav Yosef Marciano from France adds that פרס נפל ביד רומי [Persia falling in the hands of Rome] is the gematria of 772.  [YY - I guess that would be the same gematria as רומי נפל ביד פרס.]
  • [As already posted by Tzvi and Devash] Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlit"a said after his Shiur on Motza'ei Shabbat Zachor to prepare for Mashiah this upcoming Pesah.
  • The milui of the first and last words of Megillat Esther (ויהי and זרעו) are  וָ"ו יוֹ"ד הֵ"א יוֹ"ד זַיִ"ן רֵי"שׁ עַיִ"ן וָ"ו, whose gematria is 777 = ה'תשע"ב.
  • A few connections between Esther and the Geula:
    • The gemara in Hulin 139b says that Esther is hinted to in the Torah from ואנכי הסתר אסתיר [And I will surely hide My face in that day].  Rashi there explains that during Esther's time, there began a hiding of Hashem's face which caused many troubles for Israel.  The letters that come after the word אסתר - meaning after the period of Hester Panim is over and the revelation of Hashem's face begins - are תשע"ב [YY- when you say that after ת is only ת]. 
    • Also, אסתר המלכה with the words and letters = 772. 
    • Also, the קרובץ for Purim [said by Ashkenazic Jews] has: את אסתר גל ממסתיר לגואל. 
    • Also, the Likutim of the Ariza"l says that אסתר is Rashei Teivot for ראש תוך סוף א'  with the Sod of ואנכי הסתר אסתיר, meaning that Esther hints to the entire Creation from beginning to end
    • Rav Yosef Marciano from France adds that הסתר אסתיר has the gematria of 1336, which is close to the Keitz mentioned by Daniel.
    • Just like after Esther's time, we merited a second Beit Hamikdash, so too, after the letters אסתר, which me mentioned earlier is תשע"ב, we should merit the third Beit Hamikdash, Amen, Ken Yehi Ratzon.
  • More Purim connections to the Geula:
    • The text of the berachot of the Megila [the first with the full text - the other 2 with just the words after מלך העולם and using Hashem's name as written and read] is: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יאהדונהי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִקְרָא מְגִלָּה: שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה: שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְקִיְּימָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה, which is the gematria of 5773.
    • Rav D. Leiv Shlit"a adds that the word פורים in Torah codes with a skip of 773 is found starting at Yeshaya 52:9 and on and includes verses that are connected with Redemption.  [YY - it's also interesting the first letter begins the verse and that the last letter ends the verse, and is actually a final letter.]
    • המן [Haman] is mentioned in the Megilla 54 times.  Multiply that by his name (95) and you get 5130.  ממוכן [Memuchan, whom the rabbis identify with Haman] is mentioned 3 times.  Multiply that by his name and you get 468.  Altogether, you have 5598.  If you add the letters, you have (54x3) + (5x3) = 177.   5598 + 177 = 5775.
    • If you add the names of the 10 sons of Haman from the right column + the word איש that precedes them + one word ואת to connect them all + ten for the 10 sons, you get 5775.
    • If you add the 10 words ואת on the left column of the 10 sons of Haman, you get 407 x 10 = 4070 (as we know, ואת is the same gematria as ארור [cursed]) + the word איש [which is 311] + the 2 letters ח"ת that are big in the Megilla + the words, you get 5772.  [YY - my calculation only got 5210 at the most.  Perhaps, something is missing.]
    • Rav Moshe Levinger adds that just like over Haman was a king of higher rank, so too, over Ahmadinejad, there are the ayatollahs who are over him.
  • The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Esther 1056) brings down:
    During the second year of Ahashverosh's reign, Mordechai had a dream that there was very strong noise and trembling along with sounds of confusion all over the land, and fear and trembling over all its inhabitants.  2 sea-serpents traveled - one to greet the other - for war, and the whole population fled in fear.  Between the 2 sea-serpents was one small nation, and all the nations rose up against this small nation to wipe its memory from the earth.  And behold, that day, there was darkness and thick fog for the entire world, and this small nation was very troubled and it cried out to Hashem, all while the sea-serpents were fighting with angry cruelty.  And behold, Mordechai saw a spring running between the 2 sea-serpents and it separated between the 2 sea-serpents from the war that they were fighting.  And the spring grew and became an overflowing river like the flowing of the Mediterranean Sea that floods over the entire land.  Then, the sun had risen and had shone over the entire world and the small nation was lifted higher and peace and truth was made in the entire earth.
    The Abravanel (Ma'ayenei Hayeshua 11:8) explains that the War of the Sea-serpents is the Gog Umagog War between Edom and Yishmael.  [YY - I couldn't find a reference to this Midrash in the Ma'ayenei Hayeshua, but he does discuss the war between Edom and Yishmael there.]  We see in this Midrash that between Edom and Yishmael, there is a small spring that separates between them, which hints to the Strait of Hormuz.  The Shomrei Emunim Rebbe Shlit"a explains that this spring is the spring that will come out of the Holy of Holies in the future, and will become a flowing river.  According to what we said, that the Strait of Hormuz symbolizes the spring of wisdom that will come out of the Holy of Holies in the future - which is the spring of Remez, which connects the Peshat to the Sod, and will spread in the future.  This is why the Midrash concludes that with the merit of this spring, the Jewish people will be saved from this war and will be redeemed with mercy.
  • The gemara (Sanhedrin 97b) says according to the Gr"a's text:
    Rav Hanan bar Tahlifa sent to Rav Yosef:  I found a man who had a scroll written in Assyrian script in Hebrew. I said to him, "From where did you get this?"  He told me, "I was hired out to the Persian armies, and I found it among the hidden treasures of Persia.  Written on it was: 'After 4231 years after the Creation of the world, the world will end.  Some of them will be the Wars of the Sea-serpents, some of them will be the War of Gog Umagog, and the rest is the Days of Mashiah.' "
    And we find in Zohar Hadash (Vayeishev 36b) that immediately after 1540 years that rectifies the selling of Yosef, we will merit Redemption.  If we add 4231 to 1540, we get 5772 [YY - you can add one especially since Creation started in Year 1].  This is because the War of the Sea-Serpents hints to the selling of Yosef who is compared to a fish, as is brought down in the Gemara Berachot 20a regarding the verse וידגו לרב בקרב הארץ.  And therefore, the Zohar points out that immediately after the 1540 years that the War of the Sea-serpents rectifies the selling of Yosef, we will merit Redemption.  And we will bring down the wording of the Zohar: 
    They were punished according to the number of years that they caused him to be missing [away from his father] from the Sod of שבע על חטאתיכם.  Come and see, when you count 22 years - 7 times for each of the 10 [brothers] that sold him, you come out with 1540.  And then, the Redemption will be aroused for Israel like the morning.
  • The 3 verses about Creation that hint to Redemption: (Bereishit 1:2) וְהָאָרֶץ, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם; וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם:  וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאוֹר, כִּי-טוֹב; וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים, בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ is the gematria of המשיח 5772 [YY - my calculation gets me to המשיח 5773].
  • Rav Matityahu Glazerson Shlit"a adds that the 3 words that begin the Torah:  בראשית ברא אלהים - its Milui plus the Milui of its Milui = 5772.
  • The Pit'hei She'arim uses the verse  לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה--    דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם to hint to the lights of the Shechina which are hidden in the Partzuf of the Ze'eir Anpin, which has the Sod of the letter ו, until the future.  Rav Y. S. Tzur adds that if we multiply the gematria of the verse [962] by 6 [gematria of ו], we get 5772 to hint to the fact that it is only hidden until this year and no longer.
  • In the Sin of the Golden Calf, there were 600,000 men and 600,000 women, as it says (Shemot 12:37) וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרַעְמְסֵס, סֻכֹּתָה, כְּשֵׁשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי הַגְּבָרִים, לְבַד מִטָּף.  And if we count the number of days that passed from the time that the Israelites entered the Land of Israel in 2488 until the year 5773, which is 3285 years multiplied by 365.2469 days per year, we get 1,200,000 days.  This is one day corresponding to each person who was there at the time of the Sin of the Golden Calf.  And it says (Shemot 32:34) וּבְיוֹם פָּקְדִי, וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵהֶם חַטָּאתָם [nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them].  We see that the punishment has the aspect of a day.
  • The Kabbalist Rav Moshe Aharon Hakohen Shlit"a is very worried about a flood for some countries in the world soon.
  • חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי with the words is the gematria of ה'תשע"ב.
  • It's brought down in the "Davar Be'ito" calendar (Tishri 1) that the piyut Untaneh Tokef was written by Rav Amnon of Mainz in the year 4772 and it has an incredible hint to the Redemption in the year 5772.  The piyut starts וּנְתַנֶּה תּקֶף קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּום כִּי הוּא נורָא וְאָיום [Let us now relate the power of this day's holiness, for it is awesome and frightening.]  This hints to one of the "days" of HKB"H, which is 1000 years - until 5772.  The piyut continues וּבו תִנָּשֵׂא מַלְכוּתֶךָ וְיִכּון בְּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֶךָ וְתֵשֵׁב עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת [On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth.]  This means that after this "day", we will merit Redemption, as Your Kingship will be exalted and Your throne will be firmed with kindness - or חסד, the gematria of 72.
  • The text of the Haggadah: עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים: דָּם, צְפַרְדֵּעַ, כִּנִּם, עָרֹב, דֶּבֶר, שְׁחִין, בָּרָד, אַרְבֶּה, חשֶׁךְ, מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת is 5775 [YY-I got 5774] since at that time will stop the 10 plagues of the Future Redemption. 
  • The text of the blessings for Hannuka: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יאהדונהי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנוּכָּה: שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה: שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְקִיְּימָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה also is the gematria of 5772.
  • The ancestry brought down at the end of Megillat Rut: פרץ חצרון רם עמינדב נחשון שלמון בעז עבד ישי, when using final letters as big numbers, comes out to 5775.
  • We want to add onto what we have brought down from the family of Rav Yitzchak Shlomo Zilberman ZT"L, who have a tradition from the Gr"a about the year 5772 as the year of the Keitz, which comes out of the verses of the Song of Ha'azinu.  According to what is brought down in the Hagahot HaGr"a on Mesechet Sofrim (12:8) that the Song of Ha'azinu is written on 72 lines in the Sefer Torah.  That is, 70 lines, plus the group of lines above it and the group of lines below it are considered like 1 each - making 72 lines altogether.  And we see another connection between Ha'azinu and 72 - that it can be divided into 70 years of birth pangs and 2 years of birth.  And we will copy a picture of the Song of Ha'azinu as it is written in the Sefer Torah, and we will see that the 72 lines have a shape of a final Mem ם - that is made up of 2 letters dalet ד, and in the Zohar this symbolizes the womb from where the fetus emerges.  Also, the top and bottom "line" each are made up of 6 lines, which symbolizes Mashiah Ben Yosef, to whom this time period relates.  The bottom-left corner of each group of lines is a final-Mem ם.  Also, the letters in the corners of the upper "line" are ו from ואעידה, then the י from ידעתי, followed by ק from קהל, followed by ם from תמם.  These have the gematria of יוסף (which is 156).  And it's brought down in the Minhat Shai that the verses from האזינו until וישמן ישורון start on the right side, and from וישמן ישורון which starts the exile the verses start from the left side.  Later, it starts again on the right side starting from the verse כי אשא אל שמים ידי because from there begins the Redemption that comes from the Keitz Hayamin [Endtime of the right side].

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Victim of Last Year's Bombing in Yerushalayim Still Needs Rahamim

Last year, I mentioned the victims of the bombing in Yerushalayim and how my uncle was close to it.

Arutz Sheva English tells us that one of the victims is still unconscious and needs mercy from Heaven:
A prayer vigil was held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for Odelia Assouline (also spelled Asulin). The teenage girl has been unconscious since the attack which occurred at a busy bus stop in between the Jerusalem central bus station and the Binyanei HaUmah International Convention Center. One woman, 59-year-old Mary Jean Gardner, was killed in the attack. Thirty-nine others were injured. Her mother Michal Assouline asked the public to pray using her Hebrew name Odelia Nechama Bat Michal.
For a full podcast interview on Arutz Sheva Hebrew language new service, click here.

Headline of the Not-Too-Distant Future

See here.

Vishnitzer Rebbe ZT"L - ברוך דין האמת

The Vishnitzer Rebbe ZT"L has passed away at the age of 95.

Pictures and videos from his lifetime can be found here, here, here, and here.

Pictures and videos from the funeral can be found here, here, here, and here.

This article shows how he was not only praised by PM Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Rivlin, but Religious Zionist websites too.

תנצב"ה

May he be a Meilitz Yosher for Kelal Yisrael.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Recent Interesting Links - Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei

  • Rav Kanievsky recently told those learning in Yeshivot who were already in the south of Israel not to leave, but he told those who wanted to go there not to go.  On the other hand, the Slonimer Rebbe told his Hasidim to go back to Ashdod and not to worry.
  • Kikar tells us not to underestimate Hashem's role in the miracles that have occurred BA"H during the rocket attacks.  Along the same lines, YWN reports:
    15:15: A number of homes and vehicles were damaged. One cannot truly grasp the Yad Hashem without seeing the impact site, a street in the heart of a residential neighborhood yet the major fuss is over property damage and not worse chas v’sholom. Unfortunately, the media continues speaking of “The miracles” and the effectiveness of the Iron Dome system, but it appears they cannot say the “G” word, G-d. For those who understand what is taking place, it is clearly Yad Hashem, directing the over 130 rockets that have hit Israel since Friday night away from people and protecting the air force as pilots conduct sorties over Gaza. 
  • Incredible video of people's reactions to how Hashem allowed the Iron Dome system to work (h/t Hamikdash):
  • Mashiach is Coming points to a Behadrei Hareidim article which talks about the Tzanzer Rebbe's visit to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, and notes what the Rebbe said:  
    כבר שומעים בחלל את קול שופר של משיח והוא יגאל אותנו ויוציאנו מאפילה לאורה

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Ki Tisa 5772 - Part 2

Continued from here.

From Rav Fish's latest:
  • The Tikkunei Zohar Hadash (115a) says that the Rashei Teivot of מי כמוך באלים י has the gematria of 72, which is חסד to hint to the kindness done to us at the Yam Suf.  Rav Avigdor Aharonson Shlit"a adds that the Rasheit Teivot of the entire verse מִי-כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם יְהוָה, מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ; נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת, עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא has the gematria of ה'תשע"ב with the letters and words.
  • תשע"ב is the gematria of the Rashei Teivot of the words of the Kaddish: כל ברכתא שירתא תשבחתא ונחמתא
  • The "Sefer Halikutim" by the Ariza"l (Beha'alotecha) says that the word עני from עני ורכב על חמור is the Rashei Teivot of עירובין נדה יבמות.  The Maharsham, in his approbation to the book "Minhat Yisrael" brings down that Tractate Eiruvin is the first of the signs of Mashiah, and it is therefore a Mitzvah to be busy learning it.  According to what has been written that the Redemption is the Sod of "ערב" - of "Erev" Shabbat, when the "Erev" Rav is being subdued, along with the "Arab"s, therefore, learning Tractate Eiruvin, which deals with the Mitzvah of "Eiruv" that is made on "Erev" Shabbat, brings the Redemption closer.
  • The Ramha"l brings down 2 verses that show how Hashem's Hesed will bring about a Tikkun that will bring about the Redemption: 1) אלהי ארוממך and 2) הודו לה' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו.  The gematria of these 2 verses is 770, plus the 2 Kollelim equals 772.
  • In the [Ashkenazic] Nusah of the blessing before the Shaharit Amida is: צור ישראל קומה בעזרת ישראל ופדה כנאמך יהודה וישראל ונאמר גאלנו ה' צבאות שמו קדוש ישראל, which has the gematria of 5700 when you use the value of 500 for the ך.  When you add the letters, you get 5773.  Rav Moshe Levinger Shlit"a adds that the verse (Yeshaya 11:1) ויצא חטר מגזע ישי with the letters is the gematria of ה'תשע"ג.
  • In the verse (Bereishit 48:20) בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר, יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה, the words  יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל come out to a gematria of 773 and  כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה come out to a gematria of 772.
  • The prayer וגאלנו גאלה שלמה מהרה with the letters comes out to the gematria of ה'תשע"ג.
  • It's brought down in the Siddur of Rav Yaakov Emden (at the end of the portion of weekday prayers) that the middle of the 7th hour was the unification of Adam and Hava, which hints to the time of Minha Gedola, which is the time of unification in the worlds.  Rav Avigdor Aharonson Shlit"a adds that the unification of Adam and Hava was made up of 2 parts: First, the Nesira and afterwards the unification. Similarly, the 7th hour is divided into 2 halves: the first half was the Nesira and the second half was the unification.  [Already mentioned was that אעשה לו עזר כנגדו is the gematria of 772.]  Also, the word צלע from Bereishit 2:22 has the gematria of קץ.
  • Rav Yosef Sofer Shlit"a adds that the letters that come after the letters מנחה גדולה spell out the letters זה סוד טמון.  This hints to the fact that until the time of Minha Gedola, the secret was hidden, but was revealed afterwards, and will have the aspect of זה - where everyone will be able to point to it with his finger.
  • We see from Tikkunei Zohar 28b that HKB"H will destroy the Erev Rav between the 6th and 7th hour, which is the time that they sinned with the golden calf - because that is when the Redemption process begins.  And that began at the time of 6.5 hours of the day, during Minha Gedola.  We also find in the Zohar (Ki Tisa 191a) that the concept of Erev "Rav" means the "big" mixture, which corresponds to Minha Gedola, which is at 6.5 hours, while there is a concept of Erev Ze'ir, who are a smaller group of evildoers, who correspond with Minha Ketana.
  • The holiday of Pesah begins at 6.5 months into the year, which corresponds with Minha Gedola's time in hours.
  • [On what the Ariza"l said that was mentioned earlier that שנתים ימים refers you to 2 "years" of 365 years each, plus the 6 letters of שס"ה שס"ה equals 5736 to reach the Keitz Hayamin up above and Rav Glazerson adds another 36 years to reach the Kietz Hayamin down on earth:] we can say that בי"ת שס"ה is the gematria of ה'תשע"ב.  Also, Yaakov accepted the blessings from Yitzhak in the year 2171, which is 3600 years until 5772, and 3600 is a multiple of ל"ו.  We find in the Zohar (Toledot 143a and on) that the blessing of Yitzhak to Yaakov came to return to Yaakov that what was taken from Adam Harishon after he sinned, and this blessing will be fulfilled in the future during the time of Mashiah when the sin of Adam Harishon will be rectified.  And it's brought down in the book "Emunat Itecha" (5760, p. 45) that Yitzhak's blessing was influenced by way of Yosef, whose attribute is Yesod.  This is why it is written in Parshat Toledot, the sixth perasha in the sixth Aliya of that perasha.  And the blessing starts with the letter ו as in ויתן לך האלקים.  Also, Yitzhak lived 180 years, like the gematria of חי times 10 because Yitzhak was of the aspect of Tzaddik Yesod, which relates to the number 18.  And it is hinted to in his name - קץ חי.  And it comes out that the year 5772, when 2xחי will be completed, we will merit the blessing of Yitzhak who is קץ חי - during the time of the Keitz.

Friday, March 09, 2012

Laugh a Little - It's Purim

I meant to post this yesterday, but was way too busy.  At least it's still Purim in Yerushalayim for a few more hours.  Enjoy!

The Women's Segregation Prayer

(hat tip Jameel)

Latma's Peace Now Megillah

(hat tip Batya)

Dramatization Of The Mishloach Manot Circle

(hat tip Rafi)

GOP to nominate PM as US presidential candidate

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Refuah Update From Dr. Dolphin MD - Purim 5772

(Note: the following is parody of my blog.  No person or idea is being mocked.)

Dr. Dolphin is a highly-regarded practitioner (in certain circles) at the Hold-The-Mayo Clinic and offers free medical advice to our readers.  Please note, only 2 people out of the hundreds of patients given this advice came away with stomach ailments.  (The rest had a severe rash, but who's counting?)
  • Who said there is no cure for the common cold?  Dr. Dolphin knows exactly what to do!  He recommends buying your own vineyard and drinking its wine.  As we know, the word for a cold is הצטננות, whose gematria is 610, which equals the gematria for כרמי שלי (from Shir Hashirim 1:6 and 8:12).
  • Do you suffer from constant headaches?  No need to suffer any longer as Dr. Dolphin has your cure.  He suggests that you stand up often throughout the day and do your laundry, and you'll feel better by the evening.  Headaches are כאב ראש, with a gematria of 524.  This equals ויתיצבו (Shemot 19:17) and עמדתי (Iyov 30:20) and also יכבס בגדיו וטמא עד הערב (Vayikra 11:40).
  • Ingrown toenails can be painful.  Dr. Dolphin is an expert podiatrist too!  His advice is to hang like a monkey from a tree, put some ashes on your toe, and throw the rest of the ashes to the river.  An ingrown toenail is a ציפורן חודרנית, which equals 1114.  This is the gematria of ותלו אתו על העץ (Esther 8:7) and והתפלשי באפר (Yirmiya 6:26) and ואשלך את עפרו (Devarim 9:21).
Well, that's all the advice Dr. Dolphin is ready to share with us today. You can get an appointment with Dr. Dolphin for the very nominal fee of $399.99 by calling 1-800-DOL-PHIN or by visiting his website at http://www.ifitquackslikeadolphin.com/. Visa and Mastercard accepted. Sorry, no insurance will take us. is accepted. Special discounts for Yeranen Yaakov readers!

Happy Purim!

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Geula Update From Rav Fish - Ki Tisa 5772 - Part 1

From Rav Fish's latest (link available when ready now):
  • The Midrash (Shoher Tov 9) says that as long as Amalek is around, His name (השם) and His throne (כסא) will not be complete.  The gematria of the Milui (hinting to completeness) of both words (הא שין מם כף סמך אלף) is 777 - ה'תשע"ב.
  • The Benei Yissaschar (Tamuz-Av 2:8) writes that there are 4 things that are not complete in this world, but will be completed when Mashiah comes: ירושלים is missing a י and אליהו is missing a ו and כסא is missing an א and Hashem's name is missing ו"ה.  The words ירושלים אליהו כסא הוי"ה have the gematria of ה'תשע"ג.
  • Moshe lifted his hands in the Amalek War for 3 hours to pray for the 3 hours of the Gog Umagog War.  The Keli Yakar on Shemot 17:12 says that עד בא השמש hints to Mashiah's time.  עד בא has Rashei Teivot of ע"ב.  Also, עד בא השמש hints to when the sun begins to set - a hint to Minha Gedola.
  • The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Bereishit 41) says that HKB"H showed Adam Harishon all the generations, and saw that King David was only supposed to live for 3 hours so he gave him 70 years of his life to King David.  We can understand the 3 hours as the 3 hours of Gog Umagog which is the true life of King David, where Hashem destroys evil and the period of Mashiah Ben David's reign begins.  When those 3 hours start, that's when King David will receive the true time allotted to him from Heaven.
  • The gemara Rosh Hashana 11a, Midrash Tanhuma Bemidbar 14 and Tikkunei Zohar 6a all say that the future Redemption is in the merit of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.  If you take the Milui of אברהם יצחק יעקב שרה רבקה רחל לאה - using the מלוי ההי"ן for the ה in אברהם but the מילוי האלפי"ן for the ה of שרה רבקה לאה, you get:
    אל"ף בֵּי"ת רֵי"שׁ הֵ"ה מֶ"מ יוֹ"ד צָדִ"י חֵ"ת קוֹ"ף יוֹ"ד עַיִ"ן קוֹ"ף בֵּי"ת שִׂי"ן רֵי"שׁ הֵ"א רֵי"שׁ בֵּי"ת קוֹ"ף הֵ"א רֵי"שׁ חֵי"ת לָמֶ"ד לָמֶ"ד אָלֶ"ף הֵ"א
    you get the gematria of 5772.
  • [On the Alef Bet gematria that came out to 5772, as also noted by Shirat Devorah]  Rabbi David Katz Shlit"a adds that the Milui used is יודי"ן to hint to Hashem's name that adds up to 72 using the Milui of יודי"ן.
  • R' M. Z. Shlit"a adds that the one verse in Tana"ch that has all 22 letters + the 5 end letters is Tzephania 3:8:  לָכֵן חַכּוּ-לִי נְאֻם-יְהוָה, לְיוֹם קוּמִי לְעַד:  כִּי מִשְׁפָּטִי לֶאֱסֹף גּוֹיִם לְקָבְצִי מַמְלָכוֹת, לִשְׁפֹּךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמִי כֹּל חֲרוֹן אַפִּי--כִּי בְּאֵשׁ קִנְאָתִי, תֵּאָכֵל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ, which is a verse that talks about Gog Umagog.  The verse that follows stresses the importance of Leshon Hakodesh.  The Zohar Hadash at the end of Shir Hashirim shows a connection between all the letters of the Alef Bet and the שם ע"ב.
  • The book "Zohar Hai" from Rav Yitzhak Isaac of Kamarna ZT"L (Pekudei) writes that the gematria of all the letters of the Alef Bet + the end letters is 1775.  This hints to the verse that has to do with the Keitz: וְאֶת-הָאֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע הַמֵּאוֹת, וַחֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים, עָשָׂה וָוִים, לָעַמּוּדִים according to the Ariza"l.
  • The number of Simanim of Shulhan Aruch is 1705.  This equals the gematria of אֹרַח חַיִּים, יוֹרֶה דֵּעָה, חוֹשֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט, אֶבֶן הָעֶזֶר.  This hints to the fact that a man, in his 70 years on earth, needs to live his life according to the number 1705 - which is the Shulhan Aruch, and then, he will merit the number 1775, which is the number of Redemption.  Also, the 7 shephards - אברהם יצחק ישראל משה אהרן יוסף דוד - with the words are the gematria of 1705.
  • The Hoshen (חשן) is the gematria of Mashiah (משיח).  The letters of the Alef Bet (1495) + the names of Hashem which are the Sod of the Urim Vetumim (72 + 42) + the gematria of what was written on the stones of the Hoshen according to the Rambam on Yoma 7:4: אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקֹב, רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי יְהוּדָה יִשָּשׂכָר זְבוּלֻן דָּן נַפְתָּלִי גָּד אָשֵׁר יוֹסֵף בִּנְיָמִין שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ with the words and the Kollel (4168) = 5772.  [YY - I got 5777.  I don't know the discrepancy.] 
  • We were redeemed from Egypt because of the merit of blood of Mila.  Similarly, in the Future Redemption.  Rav Avigdor Aharonson Shlit"a adds that יסוד ברית מילה is the gematria of ה'תשע"ב.
  • Tikkunei Zohar 119a says that HKB"H will take revenge against both Kayin and [his great-great-great-great-grandson] Lemech and that's what it means when it says כִּי שִׁבְעָתַיִם, יֻקַּם-קָיִן; וְלֶמֶךְ, שִׁבְעִים וְשִׁבְעָה [If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.] and that's what it means by בלע המות לנצח.  We see that the verse כִּי שִׁבְעָתַיִם, יֻקַּם-קָיִן refers to the revenge at the time of Redemption.  The year תשע"ב is the first letters of שבעתים.  It implies that the revenge will come after 7 generations, so if we combine the number 7 with 77, we get 777, the gematria of ה'תשע"ב.  Also, תשע"ב is the letters of ע' שבת, or 77.
  • The gematria of the first blessing of the Amida (again, without the Hatima - ending of the blessing):  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ. אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם. אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק. וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב. הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבֹּר וְהַנּוֹרָא אֵל עֶלְיוֹן. גֹּמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים. קוֹנֵה הַכֹּל. וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵּי אָבוֹת. וּמֵבִיא גֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה: מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ וּמָגֵן is 5773.
  • The gematria of the end of the Amida: עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ. עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן תּוֹרָתֶךָ. לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ הוֹשִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי with the words is 5772 and the Tur (Orah Hayim 122) brings down in the name of Shemuel that whoever says those 4 עשה למען prayers will merit to greet the Shechina, and that he himself has the custom of preceding those words with a prayer to bring Mashiah closer.
  • מקדש is 444, multiplied by 13 = 5772.  Shekalim 6:3 says that there were 13 gates in the Beit Hamikdash.  Yoma 54a says that there were 13 curtains in the Mikdash.  Rabbeinu Bahye (Vayikra 6:2) says that there were 13 types of sacrifices in the Mikdash.  Midrash Tanhuma (Teruma 5) says that Israel donated 13 things to the Mishkan.  Also, Shekalim 6:1 says that there were 13 Shofars, 13 tables and 13 bowings in the Mikdash.  Also, we find in Yoma 25a that 13 Kohanim dealt with the daily sacrifice which had 13 tasks.  Also, the Greeks fought against the Beit Hamikdash by making 13 breaches, as the Mishna in Midot (2:3) says, which is why the 13 bowings were instituted.
  • Rav Avigdor Aharonson adds that יהיה עולם מתוקן is the gematria of 772.
  • Psalm 93, according to the Metzudat David and the implication from Rashi, has to do with the days of Mashiah.  We say this pslam on Friday, which corresponds to the 6th millennium.  Rav Avigdor Aharonson adds that תהלים צדיק גימל is the gematria of 772.  The gemara in Pesahim 117b implies that there is meaning behind the division of the chapters of Tehillim.
  • Tikkunei Zohar (4a) says: בְּדַרְגַּת יַעֲקֹב תָּלוּי קֵץ הַגְּאֻלָּה, שֶׁדַּרְגָּתוֹ אֱמֶת. זֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב תִּתֵּן אֱמֶ''ת לְיַעֲקֹב,
    שֶׁהוּא סִימָן אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם תִּשְׁעִים. אֶרֶץ אֶלֶף רָ''ץ, מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים, לְקַיֵּם בָּהֶם "אֱמֶ''ת מֵאֶרֶ''ץ תִּצְמָח", כְּשֶׁיִּהְיוּ בַחוּץ כְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן אֶרֶ''ץ.  The Zohar explains that the Keitz of Daniel of 1290 years is hinted to in the word אר"ץ, which is אלף רץ and all this is connected to the trait of truth of Yaakov, whose merit will let us be redeemed.  It appears we could say that if we take the gematria of אמת (which is 441) + the מ of מארץ (which is 40) + the 1290 of ארץ, we get 1771, which hints to 5772, and with the Kollel, it's 5772.
  • The number of years from the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash (in 3828) until the end of 5772 is 1945.  1945 is the gematria of וְלִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִירְךָ בְּרַחֲמִים תָּשׁוּב with the words and the Kollel.
  • The Sephardic Nusah for the 7th blessing of the Amida, while using the Kabbalistic name of Hashem for that blessing and by using 500 for a final Chaf and 700 for a final Nun:  רְאֵה נָא בְעָנְיֵנוּ וְרִיבָה רִיבֵנוּ. וּמַהֵר לְגָאֳלֵנוּ גְּאוּלָה שְׁלֵמָה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ כִּי אֵל גּוֹאֵל חָזָק אָתָּה, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יאהדונהי, גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל is 5772.  [YY - I got 5815.  I don't know the discrepancy.]
  • I heard from Rav Yisrael Gliss Shlit"a that for the first time, they recently saw caperbushes growing between the stones of the Kotel close to the small stairs in the women's section, and producing fruit - something that they never saw before.  It's brought down in the book "Sha'arei Yerushalayim" by R' Moshe Reisher ZT"L that was published in 5278 on the verse מֵצִיץ מִן-הַחֲרַכִּים [he peereth through the lattice] that if fruits come out between the walls of the Kotel, we will know that the Redemption is at the doorway.  
  • The word for caperbushes צלף is hinted to in the verse (Tehillim 31:20) מָה רַב-טוּבְךָ, אֲשֶׁר-צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ: פָּעַלְתָּ, לַחֹסִים בָּךְ; נֶגֶד, בְּנֵי אָדָם [Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; {N} which Thou hast wrought for them that take their refuge in Thee, in the sight of the sons of men!]
  • (Another amazing thing I heard from Rav Yisrael Gliss Shlit"a: that there is a cave in northern Israel in Kfar Kabul wherein are buried the Ibn Ezra, Ribbi Shelomo Ibn Gabirol, and Ribbi Yehuda Halevi.  There is a tradition that is brought down in the book "Hibat Yerushalayim" and other books that every year on the night of Tish'a Be'av, a great wailing sound is heard from the cave.  He related that he and others tried to go there on the night of Tish'a Be'av to investigate this tradition, but the Druze villagers closed the village on that day and darkened their homes, claiming that there were noises coming out of the cave and they wouldn't let anyone enter, whereas the rest of the year, they have no objection to anyone entering.)

Geula Update from Rav Fish - Tetzaveh 5772 - Part 5

Continued from here.

From Rav Fish last week:

  • The after-blessing that we say on the Megilla, if we count Hashem's name as both הויה and א-דני, which equals 91, and we don't include the Hatima (conclusion) of the blessing:
       ברוך אתה הויה [א-דני] א-להינו מלך העולם הרב את ריבנו והדן את דיננו והנוקם את נקמתנו והמשלם גמול לכל אויבי  נפשנו והנפרע לנו מצרינו
    equals 5772.
  • (Summarized) The verse of Shema corresponds to the ברוך שם.  According to the Ariza"l, ברוך שם corresponds to לאה, which is the Sod of מד"ת (which equals 444).  If you take the gematria of אחד, which equals 13, and multiply by 444, you get 5772.
  • R' Shimon Goldberg says that the word צלע is mentioned 4 times in the portion of the boards of the Mishkan.  צלע + the letters = 193.  193 x 4 = 772.
  • R' M. Z. Shlit"a adds that מנחה (as in Minha Gedola) is the same letters as נחמה (consolation). 
  • Rav Avigdor Aharonson Shlit"a adds that אוי לנו כי פנה היום כי ינטו צללי ערב + the words = זמנו תשע"ב.
  • Backwards Torah code of תשע"ב from No'ah's leaving the ark until the word לעת ערב:
    וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ כִּי קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ: וַיִּיָּחֶל עוֹד שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת הַיּוֹנָה וְלֹא יָסְפָה שׁוּב אֵלָיו עוֹד: וַיְהִי בְּאַחַת וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ וַיָּסַר נחַ אֶת מִכְסֵה הַתֵּבָה:
  • Rav Avigdor Aharonson Shlit"a adds that וְהָיָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב יִהְיֶה אוֹר is the gematria of זמן ה' אלפים תשע"ב, and its Milui has the gematria of חמשה אלף שבע מאה ושבעים ושתים שנה.
  • Rav Y. S. Tzur Shlit"a adds that גאלה שלמה משיח is the gematria of תשע"ב.
  • Rav D. Leiv Shlit"a adds that אירן (Iran) is the Sofeit Teivot of the verse (Esther 3:10) וַיִּתְּנָהּ, לְהָמָן בֶּן-הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי--צֹרֵר הַיְּהוּדִים [and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.]
  • I [Rav Fish] heard that Ahmedinejad's name in Persian is Ahamani.
  • Rav Eliyahu Buhbut Shlit"a adds that אחמדינג'ד is the gematria of המן האגגי with the words and Kollel.
  • The word מחריד from the verse וְאַתָּה אַל-תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב, וְאַל-תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק, וְאֶת-זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם; וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן, וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד [But fear not thou, O Jacob My servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel; for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall again be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.] equals איראן [Iran].
  • Sanhedrin 98a לא זכו עני ורכב על החמור is the gematria of ה'תשע"א and with the Kollel, it's ה'תשע"ב.
  • אליהו הנביא יבא ויבשר לנו גאלה is the gematria of ה'תשע"ב.
  • Other gematrias of 772:
    • בּוֹ יָבוֹא רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ הוי"ה
    • הָאָב יַעֲזוֹר וְיָגֵן וְיוֹשִׁיעַ
    • זְמַן שֶׁל גְּאֻלָּה בְּרַחֲמִים
    • מַהֵר אֱהוֹב [אָהוּב] כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד וְחָנֵנוּ כִּימֵי עוֹלָם
    • הַגְּאוּלָה תָּבוֹא עַל יְדֵי חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים
    • זָכְרֵנוּ לִגְאוּלָה וִישׁוּעָה
    • הִיא הִיא הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁל הַגְּאוּלָה
    • הִיא שָׁנָה שֶׁבָּהּ נִיגָאֵל
    • זְמַן הַיְצִיאָה מִגָּלוּת לִגְאוּלָה
  • Other gematrias of 777 - ה'תשע"ב:
    •  מִבּוֹר גָּלוּת דְּלֵנוּ
    • בָּהּ הִיא הָעֵת הַפְּקִידָה לַגְּאוּלָה
There's a lot more there, but that's all for now.  On to the next update which just came out.