The Houthis' Attack and 760
This past Shabbat, we read the Parshiyot of Tazria and Metzora, which mainly deal with the affliction of Tzara'at. One day later, the Houthis sent a missile to Ben Gurion Airport, creating a large crater in the ground.
This past Shabbat, we read the Parshiyot of Tazria and Metzora, which mainly deal with the affliction of Tzara'at. One day later, the Houthis sent a missile to Ben Gurion Airport, creating a large crater in the ground.
A little background:
Rav Meir Mazuz, the Rosh Yeshiva of Kisei Rahamim and one of the great rabbis of our generation, passed away on the 7th day of Pesah. He was 80 years and 8 days old when he passed away.
According to this video by Rav Naftali Nissim, on the 13th of Nissan (his 80th birthday) this year, he asked for 10 men to come to his bedside. They came and his daughter saw that his face was shining. She asked him why this was so, and he replied, "Because this is the last day." He knew that he would pass away on the 13th of Nissan, but later changed his mind due to the fact that he didn't want to pain the Jewish people with a funeral during the holiday so he was able (presumably via צדיק גוזר...) to push it off for 8 days.
Before he passed away, while he was gravely ill, people were encouraged by the following story (see this video [at the 3-minute mark] in Hebrew and also in the previous video):
51 years ago, in 5734, Rav Mazuz fell from the third story of a building and he severely damaged his leg to the point where his doctors were doubtful that he would even survive. His wife went to the Baba Sali ZY"A and asked for a blessing. The Baba Sali assured her that not only would he survive, but he would walk again, he would have length of days, and he would greet the face of Mashiah (Penei Mashiah).
The first 3 parts of the blessing were miraculously fulfilled. B"H, he survived, he was able to walk again, and reached the age of 80 (גבורות). However, as Mashiah has not yet arrived, it seems that the final blessing about greeting Mashiah has not yet been fulfilled. So, people were encouraged when they heard this, but were later discouraged when Rav Mazuz ZTVK"L passed away with the blessing seemingly unfulfilled.
There are a number of ways to answer the question. Some, like Rav Nissim in the first video, want to say that he did see the Mashiah, but he just wasn't revealed yet, but will be if the generation is worthy.
Rav Amir Cohen, a Talmid of Rav Mazuz, has a different take. He says in this video that the period before Mashiah comes is divided into different periods (it wasn't clear what the order is):
The tragedy and catastrophe of the October 7th Massacre, like everything else, is hinted to in the Torah and Tanach. For example, as we're in the Bein Hametzarim period, let's look at Eicha.
טו סִלָּה כָל-אַבִּירַי אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבִּי, קָרָא עָלַי מוֹעֵד לִשְׁבֹּר בַּחוּרָי; גַּת דָּרַךְ אֲדֹנָי, לִבְתוּלַת בַּת-יְהוּדָה. | 15 The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin the daughter of Judah.' |
כְנַשׁ כָּל תַּקִּיפַי יְיָ בֵּינִי אֲרַע זְמַן עָלַי לִתְבִירָא חֵיל עוּלֵימַי וְעָלוּ עַמְמַיָּא עַל גְזֵירַת מֵימְרָא דַייָ וְסָאִיבוּ בְתוּלְתָּא דְבֵית יְהוּדָה דִּי הֲוָה דִמְהוֹן דִבְתוּלְתְּהוֹן מִיתְשַׁד הֵיךְ כַּחֲמָר מִן מַעֲצַרְתָּא בְעִידַן דִגְּבַר מְבַעִיט יָת עִנְבִין חֲמַר עִינְבוֹהִי שַׁדְיָין:The Lord has crushed all my mighty ones within me; he has established a time against me to shatter the strength of my young men. The nations entered by the decree of the Memra of the Lord and defiled the virgins of the House of Judah until their blood of their virginity was caused to flow like wine from a wine press when a man is treading grapes and the wine of his grapes flows.
ז וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת-הָאִישׁ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים, אֲשֶׁר מִמַּעַל לְמֵימֵי הַיְאֹר, וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיִּשָּׁבַע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם: כִּי לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי, וּכְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד-עַם-קֹדֶשׁ--תִּכְלֶינָה כָל-אֵלֶּה. | 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. |
This week, we heard the sad news of the passing of Rav Moshe Wolfson ZT"L.
I was not zoche to know him, but he made it to this blog a few times:
12 years ago: Rav Wolfson Shlit"a on the Iranian Threat (Updated)
9.5 years ago: Rav Wolfson Shlit"a Talks About 5775 Being the Year of Geula
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. |
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. |
For those following these posts, the timeline that I proposed is based on R' Ari Goldwag's video, but slightly different than that of his timeline. R' Ari is counting 9 lunar months from Av until Adar Bet. My calculation is counting 9 solar months from Tamuz (July 8th) until 2 days before Rosh Hodesh Nissan (April 7th) - based on the Tekufot.
As I explained in detail in Part 2, the beginning of the 9 months started on the day of Tekufat Tamuz. The October 7th massacre occurred on the secular day of Tekufat Tishri (which occurred Oct. 7th at 9:39PM). This was also explained in detail.