Geula Update from Rav Berger - Kedoshim (Israel) 5776

From Rav Berger's latest:

We thank HKB"H that we still believe!

The writer says:  This week, I met a Jew, one of many who are anticipating the Final Redemption, and he asked me: "You write so much about belief in the coming of Mashiah and anticipating Redemption, and just like everyone, I was sure that this Pesah, 5776, we would already merit the coming of Mashiah and for the Kingdom of Heaven to be revealed.  And alas, the holiday of Pesah, Seder night, and Shevi'i Shel Pesah, had passed and we were not yet saved while troubles increase daily.  What will be?"

HKB"H helped me and exactly during Pesah, I received encouragement from a wonderful story that I saw in the book "Marbeh Hayim" - talks and words of encouragement given over by the Yerushalmi Tzaddik, the Ga'on R' Chaim Brim ZTVK"L before his flock.  I told that Jew, "Come and I'll tell you what I saw there in the book.

"R' Chaim Brim told over the following: 'I heard from the Ga'on, the Tzaddik, R' Yechezkel Abramsky ZTVK"L that at the time that he was exiled to Siberia by the evil Russian government, they came suddenly to his house while he was wearing a thin housecoat, while outside, there was a freezing cold snowstorm.  And so, while he was wearing thin clothing, they tore him from his home in a hurry and brought him to the Siberian tundra without any provisions, without a Tallit and Tefilin, and without any book.

" 'On the first day of his arriving in Siberia, when he woke up in the morning and wanted to say Modeh Ani etc., his thoughts turned powerful, and he thought to himself, "I have nothing here that I can thank HKB"H for - no Tallit and Tefillin, no books, and no clothes befitting the Siberian cold.  They took everything from me and I am a prisoner among prisoners..."

" 'However, he immediately became excited and called out and said, "Indeed, I have nothing - they took everything from me.  But my faith in Hashem Yitbarach, they couldn't and they can never ever take from me.  And on this, I am calling out strongly and am saying: ...מודה אני לפניך מלך Why?  Because רבה אמונתך - because of the faith I have in You!"

" 'R' Yechezkel Abramsky continued and related that at the time that he was freed miraculously from there, he met R' Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch ZY"A in Poland and they told over to each other all that happened to them in their exile.  And when he told over to R' Yosef Yitzchak this episode of faith that became strengthened inside him, the Admor R' Yosef Yitzchak answered him and said to him "Because of this amazing attainment in faith that he attained, it was worth all the suffering and travails that he endured in order to come to this realization, and everything that befell me and you and the fact that we suffered, it was all worth it so that I can hear this from you..." '

"Anyone who reads this story definitely gets encouragement since within the bitter exile we are in, all kinds of strange and different travails befall each one of us, and sometimes, a man can get up in the morning and say to himself, 'For what reason should I say Modeh Ani?  For my suffering?  For the not-so-easy days that I am going through?'  However, a wise man says to himself, 'Yes.  I say מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקים because I still believe and know that You are my King, that You created the world and You supervise all Your creations with individualized Divine providence.  And therefore, I am telling You, Hashem, that I am thankful that I still believe and know that even the not-so-easy situations that befall me are only from You and Your providence.' "

And such is how I ended and told that Jew: "You're right.  We have not yet been saved.  However, we thank HKB"H that we still believe in Him and in His promises that He gave us in His Holy Torah and through His servants the prophets that at the End of Days, He will send us His Mashiah who will redeem us as an eternal freedom, as we know that the signature of HKB"H is Truth, and since that is so, all of His promises are true and will be fulfilled in full.

And therefore, we very much need to feel fortunate that still, despite everything, we believe in the coming of Mashiah.  And even though he tarries, nevertheless I will await him every day that he will come!"