Excerpts from Kol Tzofayich - Ki Tisa 5773

This week's Kol Tzofayich has some interesting tidbits about the Geula and a nice story at the end:

• Ge'ula Lig'ula
• Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin (Peri Tzaddik, Shemot, Purim) says that the miracle of Pesah is a redepemption of the miracle "The peoples have heard, they tremble", whereas the redemption of Purim is hidden.  The juxtaposition of the 2 redemptions comes to teach us that they are connected with each other - that the Future Redemption will begin naturally and continue supernaturally.
• The Or Hahayim (Bemidbar 24:17) also brings down that there are 2 types of redemption: natural and supernatural.  If the redemption comes via Israel's merit, then the matter will make an impression up Above, and the redeemer will be revealed from heaven via supernatural miracles, as it says in the Zohar (I:119), but if it comes because of a Keitz and Israel does not merit it, it will occur differently, as a pauper riding on a donkey...and on such a scenario, it says "וקם שבט מישראל" - meaning that one tribe will arise in Israel just as others arise in the world - naturally.
• Also, the Ramban in his commentary on Shir Hashirim 8:12 explains that it will start in a natural way, since first, the Final Redemption will occur via the permission of the kingdoms, and there will be a partial ingathering of the exiles.  And afterwards, Hashem will add His hand a second time "that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee."
• From where do we learn that this is the path?  From the redemption of Mordechai and Esther and the construction of the Second Beit Hamikdash that followed it.  As the Radak (Tehilim 146:3) says: "For salvation is Hashem's alone, and He will make it happen via people, just as He made the salvation from Bavel happen via Koresh.  Also, in the future, He will make the Redemption of Israel happen via the kings of the nations - that He will awaken their spirit to send them."
• [YY - The Radak's comparison to Koresh is interesting since President Truman, who voted for the State of Israel against the advice of his advisors, is quoted as comparing himself to Koresh.]
• [YY - See also this post with more sources for this.]
• Preparing for salvation
• The Hafetz Hayim wrote "Tzipita Lishu'a" explaining the importance of learning the laws of Kodashim and other aspects of the Geula for if one does not do so, it is tantamount to inviting everyone to a party, and as soon as everyone arrives, starting the preparations for the party. 
• Learning the paths to Geula and its laws are very very important.  The Hafetz Hayim explains that the Geula progresses via 2 channels just as in the Exodus, where together with the tidings of redemption came the decree to make the burden heavier.  Also, in the Second Beit Hamikdash: together with the beginning of its construction came Haman's decree to halt its construction and the decree to wipe out the Jews.  If we know that this is the way things happen, we won't break.  Just like Mordechai, we know that then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place.  We act and don't get discouraged.  If we don't know the path to Redemption, then immediately when Par'o makes the burden heavier, we'll go crazy and scare everyone else, just as Datan and Aviram did.
• The Hafetz Hayim explains that the same thing happens on the spiritual side.  During the period of Redemption, there is a strengthening of Torah, like it says in Nitzavim.  This implies that it will occur via Teshuva.  On the other hand, the generation of Ikveta Dimshiha has a weakening of Torah, as it says in Sotah 49b.  One who does not recognize the paths of Redemption can get confused.
• The Hafetz Hayim was asked why he worked so hard to prepare for the Redemption.  He answered that life is like the Man (מן) that we ate in the desert.  Our rabbis told us that it tasted like whatever one wanted, but it depended on the person's will.  If he doesn't know what anything should taste like, he wouldn't be able to taste anything.  The same with our day.  Hashem is making many things happen in the world.  If you know the implications of the Geula and are expecting it, you can taste the taste of Geula in life.  However, if you never learned these tastes, you will never be able to taste the taste of Geula in these events.
• Rav Mordechai Eliyahu ZT"L saw Geula in every fruit that grew in the Land of Israel.  This is exactly like it says in Megilla 17b: "And why was the blessing for Kibbutz Galuyot after the blessing of the years?  As it says (Yehezkel 36:8), 'But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they are at hand to come.'"  If you know that the fruits of the land are a sign for the ingathering of the exiles, then every time you see a fruit, you are tasting the taste of Geula.
• Rav Eliyahu would constantly mention the aforementioned gemara as being a preparation for Mashiah.  He would say this gemara over to ministers and prime ministers too.  This is tasting the Geula like the Hafetz Hayim wrote.
• Once, Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin was a guest at a Talmid Hacham's home and he heard the whistle of a train that had started, at that time, to travel to Yerushalayim.  Not having heard this before, he asked what the noise was.  When explained what it was, he exclaimed, "Aha!  They're already clearing the paths!  It's happening already, and the time of Redemption is approaching, and we're still not ready for the coming of Mashiah!"  He was supported by what it says in Pirkei DeRibbi Eliezer that before Mashiah comes, they will clear the roads.  (Otzerot Aharit Hayamim vol. 2) 
• This is what it says there: "Ribbi Yishmael says:  The children of Yishmael will do 15 things in the land in the End of Days..."  And among those listed is "Clearing the paths".  It appears that Ribbi Yishmael relies on what it says in Yeshaya (57:14) regarding the Redemption: "And He will say: cast ye up, cast ye up, clear the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of My people."  This is so that they will easily be able to go up to the Land of Israel.  Yeshaya repeats this also in 62:10 "clear ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway, gather out the stones; lift up an ensign over the peoples."  All this was a preamble to the building of Yerushalayim and for the return of Am Yisrael to its physical and spiritual place.  If a person learns the paths of Redemption, he understands that every road that is paved in Israel is a taste of Geula.
• Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin knew the words of our sages, and therefore, with this train, he tasted the taste of Geula.  The same with us, who now know the words of our sages, are able to taste the taste of Geula with every new road built in the Land of Israel.  Every train, every tunnel, and every road that is paved is the taste of the Man.
• The Hafetz Hayim wrote that if there were prophecy today, he is certain that the prophet would tell us to prepare ourselves to learn the laws of the Beit Hamikdash - exactly like it used to be - and especially Kohanim.  "And we already found the same in the time of the Babylonian Exile before the Second Beit Hamikdash that even though there were men who still rememberd the First Beit Hamikdash and did not forget the Temple Service, nevertheless, there was a prophecy from Hagai Hanavi that he should ask the Kohanim laws of holy objects and the Beit Hamikdash [to make sure that they still know the laws].  So what can we say in our day?  And it is clear to me that would we have a prophet in our day, he would definitely have a prophecy from Hashem to ask Torah questions from the Kohanim and encourage them about this."
• The Hafetz Hayim continues and says that expecting salvation cancels decrees.  Exactly like we saw with Queen Esther, who longed for the building of the Beit Hamikdash, and eventually, her son, Darius II, built it.  With this merit, Esther had the merit of saving Kelal Yisrael from the decree of Haman Harasha.  The same applies with every time that there is a strengthening in expecting the Final Redemption, it saves us from all types of troubles that arise against us constantly.
• Haza"l say (Midrash Tehilim 17, Midrash Shemuel 31):  "All the thousands who fell during the time of King David only fell due to their not longing for a Beit Hamikdash.  And the matter is a Kal Vahomer:  If those in his days, who never had a Beit Hamikdash built or destroyed in their days, received this punishment for not longing for a Beit Hamikdash, for us, where it is in a state of destruction in our days, and we had had it in our history, and we are not mournful and we don't ask for mercy, all the more so.  Therefore, the early sages established that Israel will pray 3 times a day, 'Please return Your Shechina to Tzion and Your service to Yerushalayim.'  And they established Boneh Yerushalayim as its own blessing in daily prayers and in Birkat Hamazon with the command of Moshe Rabbeinu." 
• The Ramban (Bemidbar 16:21) says regarding the plague during the time of King David: "And I say by way of logic that it was a punishment for Israel for delaying the building of the Beit Hamikdash since the Aron was going from tent to tent like a stranger in the land.  And the tribes did not awaken themselves to say, 'Let us seek Hashem and build a house for His name.'  This is similar to the verse: 'unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come'.  Until eventually it took a while for King David to be awakened to this, as it says, 'And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet: "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains."'"
• Story with the Baba Sali ZT"L and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu ZT"L told over by a resident of Tzfat:
• His wife was in her second pregnancy when [לא עלינו] she was told that she had a growth on her brain.  The doctors claimed that since the treatment necessitates radiation, she has no choice but to abort the baby.  The couple, who were Ba'alei Teshuva, were pained and confused, so they decided to go to the Baba Sali ZYA"A to request advice and a blessing.  They arrived at the place emotional and full of hope, but after a few minutes, hope was replaced by disappointment.  It was clarified that at that day, the Baba Sali was not accepting the community.  All those who were waiting were told, "He is busy."  The couple did not give up - it was hard for them to leave without receiving a blessing from the Tzaddik - so they starting going around the house.  Suddenly, they saw through a window that the Baba Sali was praying with cries for the sake of Am Yisrael, and next to him was Rav Mordechai Eliyahu praying as well.  After a certain time, when Rav Eliyahu left, they approached him to ask him for advice and a blessing.  However, Rav Eliyahu did not agree to give a blessing by the house of the Baba Sali.  After they asked him to make a blessing in the merit of the Baba Sali, he acquiesced and wanted to know what the matter was.  The couple told over the problem to Rav Eliyahu, who listened to them intently, and then declared, "The growth is canceled, and the birth will be extremely easy."  And so it was.