President Trump is an Oheiv Yisrael. However, he has a bad reputation when it comes to his personal behaviors. Of course, Biden is not much better, but Trump's indiscretions have been much more public and known for many years already.
It is therefore no coincidence that he was found guilty for something that all began with another one of these indiscretions (albeit in a sham trial with a biased judge and an out-to-get-him DA) on the day that corresponds to גבורה שביסוד. Vehameivin Yavin.
With the beginning of Covid19 in 5780, suffice it to say that the years 5780-5784 have not been good to President Trump or, for that matter, to the Jewish people either. Both are looking forward to better days ahead in the end of 5784 going into 5785.
I was struck by this verse in last week's parasha:
| כה וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם חֶרֶב, נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם-בְּרִית, וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּם, אֶל-עָרֵיכֶם; וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי דֶבֶר בְּתוֹכְכֶם, וְנִתַּתֶּם בְּיַד-אוֹיֵב. | 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and ye shall be gathered together within your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
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Everything in this verse occurred in the past 4-5 years:
- וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם חֶרֶב - Murder on October 7th
- נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם-בְּרִית - this ברית can be interpreted in various ways. The simple explanation is vengeance for not keeping the Torah. It could also be vengeance for not being עמלים בתורה (engrossed in the Torah) or allowing others to be (as per Rashi near the beginning of the parasha). Alternatively, it is vengeance for not guarding the Berit Milah.
- וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּם, אֶל-עָרֵיכֶם - Residents of both the South and North needing to leave their homes and go to hotels in larger cities.
- וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי דֶבֶר בְּתוֹכְכֶם - Covid19
- וְנִתַּתֶּם בְּיַד-אוֹיֵב - The hostages
Perhaps, we can say that the 2 calamities that occurred in 5780 and 5784 are hinted to in this verse, also from last week's parasha:
| מג וְהָאָרֶץ תֵּעָזֵב מֵהֶם וְתִרֶץ אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ, בָּהְשַׁמָּה מֵהֶם, וְהֵם, יִרְצוּ אֶת-עֲוֺנָם; יַעַן וּבְיַעַן--בְּמִשְׁפָּטַי מָאָסוּ, וְאֶת-חֻקֹּתַי גָּעֲלָה נַפְשָׁם. | 43 For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them; and they shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected Mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes. |
As mentioned
4 years ago and again
2 years ago, the word יען has a gematria of [5]780 (when using the final letters' big gematria equivalents). The "ביען ב" has the gematria of [5]784. These are the 2 years when we were punished for rejecting Hashem's ordinances and our souls abhorring His statutes.
Rav Fish
has an interesting explanation why Meiron was either closed or met with tragedy or severely curtailed for the past 5 years (again 5780-5784). He explains at length that going to Meiron was a place to gather during times of Galut. However, since we are close to the Geula, we are being rejected by Shamayim from Meiron. Rather, we should be transitioning to have our pilgrimage only to the Beit Hamikdash.
May these calamities that we experienced the past 4-5 years be the final Hevlei Mashiah, and may we soon see the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash with all Jews gathered there speedily in our days, Amen.
