Iran Threatens Global Jihad

JTV: 

Jihad as Deterrence: Iran’s Clerical Regime Issues Global War Threat as Protests Surge and Trump Turns Up the Heat 

Pesikta:

והחזיר מלך פרס והחריב את כל העולם כולו

The good news is that we know how this story ends.  It's the middle of the story that we need to pray for.

Iran Falling

Shirat Devorah brought down an interesting hint to what's happening to Iran from Megillat Esther.

Perhaps, there are other hints we can say as well.

Esther 9:22:

כב  כַּיָּמִים, אֲשֶׁר-נָחוּ בָהֶם הַיְּהוּדִים מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם, וְהַחֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר נֶהְפַּךְ לָהֶם מִיָּגוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה, וּמֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב; לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם, יְמֵי מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה, וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ, וּמַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיֹנִים.

22 the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

Note that the letters in red - with a letter-skip of 5 - spells out התשל"ט - which is 5739, or the secular year 1979, the start of the Iranian Revolution. 

2 verses later (9:24), it mentions the very last המן in the Megilla.  As we know, the 2 rulers of Iran since the revolution are Khomeini and Khamenei.  Both are pronounced similar to המן.  Both hate Israel and are considered a צרר כל היהודים and חשב על היהודים לאבדם, as that verse says.  They can be considered the last המןs in history just as this verse is the last המן mentioned in the Megilla.

Back to the original verse (9:22), the verse says that the month will turn from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a Yom Tov.  For the Purim story, this month is obviously referring to Adar, as it explicitly says in the previous verse.  But perhaps we can say that the standalone verse hints to our day, as the letter-skip hints to, and the month therein refers to perhaps Shevat or perhaps Nissan, as I will explain soon.  

In Megillat Esther, the exact phrase פרס ומדי appears (4 times).  Perhaps, the hint is:

פרס - Persia - namely, the government hinted to in Esther 9:22 - 

ומ - for 46+ years

די - it is enough!

It is not destined to complete 47 years.

In order for the regime to fall withing the month it was established, but before it reaches its anniversary (since we need that month to turn from sorrow to joy and it also cannot reach 47 years), there are 2 possibilities. 

In the Iranian Revolution in 5739, the monarchy officially collapsed on Leil Tu Bishvat.  Perhaps, the current regime will collapse within the month of Shevat, but before Tu Bishvat.

If the regime ח"ו survives past then, perhaps we can say:

In the Iranian Revolution of 5739, a referendum that was tallied on the 4th of Nissan "showed" that 98.2% of the people wanted the Islamic Republic, thereby establishing it.  Perhaps, the current regime will collapse within the first 3 days of Nissan.

Time will tell.  

(And if it falls even before Shevat, I won't be too upset about it 😏.)

Statue of Liberty in Brazil has Fallen

Many years ago, there was a video about the destruction of the Statue of Liberty being a sign of Mashiah.  It was based on R' Yaakov Nathan's find.

Here's the Hebrew-only version of the video. 

I couldn't find the version with English subtitles, but it did exist a couple decades ago.

To review, over 1500 years ago, the child-prophet Nahman Ketufa prophesied about the Colossus of Rhodes falling.  But many nowadays have interpreted it to be referring to the Statue of Liberty.  This is because the Colossus had been destroyed many years ago and the Geula has still not come.  It therefore makes sense to say that it refers to its close copy - the Statue of Liberty.  The video explains that Emma Lazarus' poem, "The New Colossus", is on a plaque on the base of the Statue of Liberty. 

I referred to it a long time ago in this post, and the video is even older than that.

Sefaria has the prophecy along with an English translation of the introduction of The prophesy from Nahman Ketufa, but not of the prophesy itself, presumably since it is difficult to understand even for native Hebrew speakers.

Here is the relevant part of the prophey:

צ׳) צולמא דרודוס [דרודם], כד אתיהב לגרוס, קריב אגרוס, רומי למהרוס.

It is not clear, but it seems to say that when the Colossus will be destroyed, then Rome will be destroyed, and the Geula will come.

Due to strong winds, a replica of the Statue of Liberty - admittedly a copy of a copy of the Colossus - toppled in Brazil.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן יָשְׁבוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת

 

Source: Fulcrum

CBS:

Ahashveirosh praises Haman after Throne room meeting: "I want him to do a great job"

Mamdani and Mashiah

Rav Hayim Volozhin ZT"L predicted that America would be the last station of 10 exiles for Torah before Mashiah.

New York City has the biggest Jewish population for a city outside of Israel.

Matzav: Nearly A Million New Yorkers Ready To Flee NYC If Mamdani Becomes Mayor — Possibly Igniting Largest Exodus In History

Now, Mamdani became mayor.  We shall see if those threatening to flee will make good on their threats, who exactly are these people, and where exactly they will go.  But it seems that the exile from the last station of exile has commenced.

---

Some statements of Haza"l come to mind:

1) Socialism will now rule the day in New York City.  

אין בן דוד בא עד שתכלה פרוטה מן הכיס

אין בן דוד בא עד שיבקש דג לחולה ולא ימצא

2) And NYC will now have a pro-Hamas mayor, and government officials will now follow their leader in that sentiment:

אין בן דוד בא עד שתתהפך כל המלכות למינות

3) Those stuck in Mamdani's NYC will end up being fatalistic:

אין בן דוד בא] עד שיתייאשו מן הגאולה, - שנאמר 'ואפס עצור ועזוב': כביכול אין סומך ועוזר לישראל]

so based on these statements from Haza"l, there is hope coming from the terrible election news.

---

The following phrase:

ראש העיר ניו יורק זוהרן ממדאני

has the gematria (with the ן as 700) of 2231.  This is also the gematria of (Tehillim 132:17):

שָׁם אַצְמִיחַ קֶרֶן לְדָוִד; עָרַכְתִּי נֵר, לִמְשִׁיחִי

Upon the Sheloshim of my Rosh Yeshiva - Rav Doniel Lehrfield ZT"L

Rabbi Lehrfield ZT"L was my Rosh Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael, I was in his shiur for the better part of a year, and I merited to learn with him בחברותא for a certain period.  He will be missed.

Links:

Matzav: Rav Doniel Lehrfield zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Yisroel, Yerushalayim

YWN: BD”E: Harav Daniel Lehrfield Zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Bais Yisroel In Eretz Yisroel

Mishpacha: He Saw What We Could Be

Hesped in Chicago

Old link on the Blog: Rabbi Doniel Lehrfield Shlit"a on Corona and Mashiah

The Hostage Release on Hoshana Rabba and Yosef's Release in Egypt

Parashat Miketz begins: 

א  וַיְהִי, מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים; וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם, וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל-הַיְאֹר.

1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

This was the end of two extra full years in jail for Yosef, who, on his level, didn't completely trust in Hashem and was therefore punished by having to endure these extra 2 years in prison.  Yosef stands for the people currently in Eretz Yisrael as יוסף is the gematria of ציון - the people of the Zionist State of Israel.  We put our trust in the government to save us, but ולא זכר שר המשקים את יוסף וישכחהו - we were forsaken by our government.  We trusted in the conceptzia instead of trusting in Hashem to protect us.  When Hashem doesn't protect us, שוא שקד שומר - no one can protect us.

So now, we are exactly at the end of 2 years since the Simhat Torah massacre when the hostages were captured.  And at the end of these 2 years, it is a קץ.  As the Midrash here in Miketz says, quoting the verse in Iyov 28:3, "קץ שם לחשך" - Hashem is putting an end to the darkness.  This refers to the darkness endured by Yosef Hatzadik - and the hostages of today - in the dungeons of Egypt and its Gazan neighbor respectively.  

Daniel 12:1

א  וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל, הָעֹמֵד עַל-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְהָיְתָה עֵת צָרָה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נִהְיְתָה מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא; וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ, כָּל-הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר.

1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

In the End of Days, the Angel Michael will be our great defense attorney in the Heavenly Court against the attacks from the Yishmaelim (see Metzudat David on this verse) as it will be a time of great trouble that we never endured before, but at that time, the Jews will escape - if you were written in the book.  לולא דמסתפינא, perhaps, this time of trouble refers to the Simhat Torah Massacre and the people who escape refers to the remaining hostages who were written in multiple lists over the past 2 years.

Which brings me back to Miketz.  What occurred at the end of 2 years?

יד  וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְרִיצֻהוּ מִן-הַבּוֹר; וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּבֹא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

When the 2 years were up, Par'oh - the most respected leader of the world's largest superpower at that time - sent for Yosef to be rushed out of the dungeon of Egypt to freedom.  And Yosef actually went to go meet this leader.

Similarly, after exactly 2 years were up, Trump - the most respected leader of the world's largest superpower of today - sent for the hostages to be rushed out of the dungeons of Gaza to freedom.  And reports are that Trump may make a surprise hospital visit to the hostages if time permits.  But even if he doesn't, Trump has seen many other released hostages in the past 2 years and will likely see the newly released ones soon.

Interestingly, the Sha"ch says that it's possible that the one who shaved Yosef and changed his clothes was the Angel Gavriel, who was the one who protected Yosef for many years and taught him 70 languages.  That was then when we were beginning the first exile of the Jewish people, so it required the attribute of Din, which Gavriel is associated with.

Now that we are at the end of our final exile, the Angel Michael, who is associated with the attribute of kindness, will be our defense against Yishmael, as the aforementioned verse in Daniel states.

The entire verse:

 וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְרִיצֻהוּ מִן-הַבּוֹר; וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּבֹא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה.

when using final letters as big numbers - has the gematria of 5685.  When we add 101 for מיכאל, we get 5786.

On Hoshana Rabba, we say verses at the end of Hoshanot that have to do with the Final Redemption.  A couple of these verses seem appropriate for the hostage release:

Yeshaya 52:7:

ז  מַה-נָּאווּ עַל-הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר, מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב--מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה; אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן, מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announceth peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announceth salvation; that saith unto Zion: 'Thy God reigneth!'

Only Mashiah can announce "Peace".  But we hope that a cessation of fighting in Gaza will bring peace.  Trump is optimistic.  Skeptics abound (including myself), but let us pray for it. 

Yeshaya 51:11:

יא  וּפְדוּיֵי יְהוָה יְשׁוּבוּן, וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם, עַל-רֹאשָׁם; שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּן, נָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה.

11 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

No explanation needed on this verse.

May Hashem bring comfort to Kelal Yisrael in many ways.

חג שמח!