Lazer Beams

Rabbi Pinchas Winston: Hastening the Redemption, Peacefully

My esteemed friend Rabbi Pinchas Winston says that we can bring Geula B'rachamim - redemption through compassion rather than through strife - by being proactive. His message is not only superb, but highly enjoyable too.

The New Era of Redemption

This week, several readers reminded me of a post that appeared on the Beams six-and-a-half years ago on December 5, 2005, when I interviewed a Chassidic tzaddik and kabbalist named Rabbi CAE, a a friendly, unassuming, and amazingly astute tzaddik and Kabbalist. In fact, Rabbi CAE then told me things that Rav Kadouri zatza"l said before his death, namely, that the Geula must begin full force within 7 years of the notorious Disengagement from Jewish Gaza, when 8500 Jews were expelled and exiled from their homes. If the Disengagement was on Av 11, 5765, that means that 7 years are up this coming Av 11, 5772 (July 30, 2012).

Here is the interview, reprinted in its entirety:

Rabbi CAE is a scion of the greatest Chassidic dynasties, and though more than worthy, has refused to be coronated as a rebbe. Instead, he prefers to learn Torah in anonymity, while being subservient to his own rebbe - his cousin and one of this generation's most respected tzaddikim. Rabbi CAE and I become steadfast friends some thirteen years ago. For three years, we were late-night learning partners. For the benefit of Jewish Outreach around the globe, Rabbi CAE agreed that I publicize portions of a discussion we had during his stay with me in Ashdod this past Shabbos, on condition that I don't reveal his identity or the identity of other tzaddikim he mentions, unless stipulated otherwise. After I transcribed the interview, I showed it to the Melitzer Rebbe and asked him what he thinks about Rabbi CAE's ideas; he smiled and nodded in the affirmative.

LB: Rabbi CAE, can you share with me something of your rich lineage? Did any of your great grandfathers - the Noam Elimelech, Rebbe Sar Shalom of Belz, the Afta Rov, or Rebbe Michal'e of Zlatchov - leave any father-to-son traditon as to how and when we can expect Moshiach?

CAE: I'm happy to say yes, Lazer. Are you familiar with the book,Menoras HaZahav?

LB: The commentaries of Rebbe Zusha of Hannipoli, isn't it? He's your great great uncle, the Noam Elimelech's brother.

CAE: True. The book wasn't written by Rebbe Zusha himself, but it's rather a compilation of his sayings collected from other books by Rabbi Natan Neta of Kalbiel more than 100 years ago. Look at page 135, the end of Parshas Zos Habracha; there's an amazing kabala (oral tradition - LB) from my great grandfather of 8 generations ago, Rebbe Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Medziboz (and later Afta, known as the "Afta Rov" - LB), who told Rebbe Moshe Elyokim Beria of Koznitz, the son and successor of the Maggid of Koznitz, that directly before the coming of Moshiach, Jews will be expelled from the outlying villages. Rebbe Moshe of Koznitz further emphasized that this kabala is al pi ha'emes, in other words, according to absolute truth, which means that the Afta Rov probably heard it from his rebbe, the Noam Elimelech, the Noam Elimelech from the Maggid of Mezeritch, the Maggid from the Baal Shem Tov, and the Baal Shem Tov from his rebbe, the prophet Achiya HaShiloni.

LB: What a bombshell! Does this have any connection to Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai's saying in the Yerushalmi Talmud (tractate Chagiga, page 6a), namely, "If you see settlements uprooted in the Land of Israel, know that no one paid the salaries of cheder(elementary Torah school) teachers and yeshiva teachers"?

CAE: It certainly does. The Disengagement was preceeded by an anti-religious coalition that choked the allotments for Torah learning. Torah protects the land of Israel. What's ironic is that the IDF and the Police, who purportedly are in charge of protecting the country, implemented the expulsion with their own two hands. Ah, but everything Hashem does is for the best; therefore, once settlements are uprooted, the door is opened wide for Moshiach, who will soon make his entrance. Hashem works in strange ways, to fool the Yetzer, who's fighting tooth-and-nail against the Geula (redemption - LB).

LB: Have you shown this amazing passage from Menoras Hazahav to any of today's leading rebbes?

CAE: I certainly did. I discussed it with my cousin (one of Israel's leading rebbes - LB); he pulled a Menoras HaZahav off the bookshelf, and read silently for several minutes. He then closed his eyes, and went into a deep concentration. When he opened his eyes, he told me that Rabbi Arie Shechter (one of Israel's most brilliant lecturers, and a specialist in the computer analyses of Torah's hidden codes - LB) told him that the B'ito beginning of the Geula was Rosh Hashana 5766. "Now I'm positive it's accurate," my cousin said, "that the Disengagement triggered the Geula. We have now entered the new era of redemption."

LB: B'ito, the Geula in its own time, is a dangerous situation.

CAE: That's why your rebbe the Melitzer, and others like him, are trying to sweeten (mamtik dinim) the harsh decrees.

LB: What does your cousin the ____er Rebbe say?

CAE: He says that once the Geula has been set in motion, Moshiach must come within a period of one to seven years, maximum. He also said that he can't understand why the Jews from overseas aren't coming to Israel already in droves. What do they think? That New York and London aren't dangerous places? Israel is much safer, he said.

LB: Apropo Israel, how do you see the future of the secular state according to Torah?

CAE: I'll answer you with something that Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg, a brilliant and well-known Lubavitcher scholar from Kfar Chabad, wrote in one of his recent pamphlets entitled, Klipa Kudma La'pri, or "the peel comes before the fruit". In Kabala, the layers of peels are allegoric to the ritual impurity that surrounds the essence of holiness, or the fruit. This pamphlet explains the secular state of Israel along Kabbalic lines, namely, that the state was designed as a "peel" to protect the "fruit" of the Jewish people learning Torah and performing mitvas. At first, the peel did an excellent job, protecting the fruit that was almost destroyed in the Holocaust.

LB: Then what happened?

CAE: As you well know, in the last 4 years, since Sharon made a coalition with the anti-Torah parties, the world of Torah has been dealt a serious blow. Many Torah-learning institutions have been closed for lack of funds.

LB: The Breslever Kollel in Ashdod is one of them.

CAE: Precisely. One of two things happens when fruit matures: Either you shed the peel, or the peel chokes the fruit and the fruit rots or dries up. Since Torah is eternal, and Hashem won't let the world of Torah learning to continue its amazing development, then Hashem will shed the peel.

LB: Do you mean that the State of Israel will no longer exist?

CAE: The secular state as we know it, according to Rabbi Ginsburg, will give way to the rule of Moshiach, King of Israel.

LB: How soon will that be?

CAE: A leading Sephardi Kabbalist whispered in my ear that Arik Sharon will win the coming election, and that he will be the last Prime Minister of the secular State of Israel.

LB (after a long, deep breath): People desparately need to know that this is no joke.

CAE: We all must pray that the transition will be a peaceful one, with no wars, killing, and/or natural disasters. The Tsunami, Katrina, and Rita were wake-up calls, but few people are waking up. There's no time. In order to sweeten the decrees, the religious Zionists must dismount their secular-state horse, realize that Sharon has betrayed them and their settlements, and come home to the world of pure, nonpolitical Torah; we all need to make Tshuva, and every so-called secular Jewish child must learn how to say Shma Yisroel. Money and fancy houses in Great Neck or Golder's Green won't be a protection during the era of Moshiach - only Torah, prayer, and good deeds.

LB: Let's pray for a peaceful and merciful redemption.

CAE: May Hashem help us. Chazak ve'amatz, be courageous and strong in your outreach work, Lazer; even if the whole world throws tomatos at you and spits in your face, continue to spread the word of Hashem to anyone that is willing to listen. B'hatzlocho!

LB: Thank you immensely, Rabbi, and may G-d bless you.

V'hi She'amda: The Eternal Promise

The Gemara (tractate Sanhedrin 97b) says that the Nation of Israel (aka the Jewish People) will be redeemed as soon as they make teshuva, in other words, return to Hashem and the ways of His Torah. The Gemara then asks, what happens if the Nation of Israel doesn't make teshuva? Rebbe Yehoshua answers that if Israel doesn't make teshuva, then Hashem places them under the influence of a wicked king whose evil decrees are as severe as Haman's, and then they make teshuva.

We cannot fathom The Almighty's love for us and His infinite mercy. Despite the fact that we haven't made Teshuva from Love, which is what we need to do in order to be redeemed, and despite the fact that our own misdeeds put us under the boot of each generation's wicked kings, Hashem has made an eternal promise to deliver us from their hands. That's the V'hi She'amda prayer that we recite each year in the Haggada.

Let me share with you something additional about Hashem's love for His people: The Heavenly Altar and Throne is known as Upper Jerusalem; it is situated directly above Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is known in the Zohar, Midrash, and Gemara as Lower Jerusalem. Hashem refuses to dwell in Upper Jerusalem until His permanent dwelling on earth - the Holy Temple - will be rebuilt in Lower Jerusalem (see Gemara tractate Taanit 5a, Midrash Tehillim 122, Vilna Gaon's elaboration of Zohar, Safra DeTzniuta, ist Chapter). The entire world and certain evil leaders are denying our right to the area of our own Holy Temple. Once again, we have no cause to be angry at them, for as soon as we make real teshuva, they will crumble. But, until we make teshuva, those evil leaders should be forewarned that by disenfranchising Israel from what they call East Jerusalem, they are in effect trying to disenfranchise The Almighty. Cherished brothers and sisters, that won't happen, period.

Hashem has no gratification by forcing us to make teshuva. When we strengthen our emuna and seek Hashem on our own accord, we sanctify His Holy Name. Let's wake up, beloved brothers and sisters. It's either nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles or emuna books and CDs; the choice is ours.

V'hi She'amda is a Passover song whose words come from the Haggada. It conveys a very timely message for the Jewish people: He who stood by our forefathers stands by us to deliver us from the hands of our enemies in every generation.

One of Jewish music's favorite sons, Yonatan Razael, wrote a beautiful melody for this song, which he sings here with the king of Jewish singers, my very special friend Yaacov Shweikey. You'll get shivers up your spine and tears in your eyes listening to them. We're sure you'll enjoy this musical treat as much as we do. G-d willing, we'll be singing this same melody on the Brody seder table this coming Monday night. Meanwhile, have a wonderful Seder Night, Shabbat, and Pesach!

"I Await His Coming"

We are delighted to share with you a magnificent clip of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed and saintly memory, speaking about Moshiach. Seeing and hearing a true tzaddik is in itself a purification of the soul. Have a wonderful Shabbat and weekend.

Rav Shalom Arush: The Decree has been Delayed

My beloved teacher and spiritual guide Rav Shalom Arush had a bigger smile on his face this 
morning (image at right)than I've seen in the last few  weeks. He told Rabbi Nosson Maimon and me that Israel's 36 hidden tzadikim - several of whom are in contact with Rav Shalom - got together and prayed at the Kotel, the Western Wall and remnant of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They succeeded in delaying the decree of imminent war before Rosh Hashana that we spoke about last week.

Amazingly also, I heard this morning from a reliable source inside the IDF that if any of our diplomats or security personnel would have been harmed this past Shabbat in Cairo, then a war would have broken out between Israel and Egypt. With that in mind, we owe Hashem a tremendous note of gratitude for the prodigious miracle of rescuing the Israeli embassy staff from the thousands of blood-thirsty rioters that broke into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo this past Friday night.

Rav Shalom says that Hashem's love for us is beyond anyone's comprehension; the delay - not cancellation - of the war decree is to enable more people to make teshuva. Just yesterday, Rebbetzen Kanievski said that outreach is the most important mitzva today - we must help others come home to Hashem immedately. People scoff at me when I keep saying there's not much time; I'll get no satisfaction from telling someone "I told you so" when he or she can no longer get on the train to redemption.

Rather than dropping our guard, we must use the next few weeks to spread emuna everywhere and to strengthen ourselves in teshuva and emuna. We all have work to do; Hashem is moving forward in His timetable and things are definitely not business as usual.

Halacha forbids conjecture about when Moshiach will come. But, Halacha also demands that we prepare ourselves for his immediate arrival. We must all do teshuva anyway before Rosh Hashana, so there's no time like the present.

Many people - particularly here in Israel - have written me that deep inside, they're hoping for an all-out war to get things over with already. I understand their feelings, but with each day, so many people are getting closer to Hashem. Let's appreciate the fact that everyone is getting another chance, for the more we come coser to Hashem, the more tremendous miracles we'll see in the coming war, which Iran, Turkey, and Hizbulla are just itching to start.

Rav Berland: We Are There!

My special friend and the hot red pepper of the Jewish blogosphere, Reb Nati of Mystical Paths. met Rav Lazer Berland shlit'a earlier today. Here's what Reb Nati writes:

Dear Rabbi Lazer,

I spoke personally to Rav Lazer Berland shilta – he confirms what Rav Shalom Arush says - WE ARE THERE!

So if we are there what are we to do? We need only to listen to the words of the sages and keep our eyes in the holy texts and to do what he sages told us.

Emunah is our spiritual immunity…It protects us from spiritual disease. Just like a virus breaks down our immune system so does the negative mida Arrogance. 

Arrogance leads to Emunah Deficiency Syndrome, It is our very own ego centric self-reliant attitude that is the leading cause of our suffering in our world today.

We struggle against this daily, but know! This is an eternal struggle. From the time of Yaakov and Esav. And it is these very midot that keep us in Galus today. Arrogance, Rebellion, and Heresy.

These three negative midot are the source of the evil inclination, and feed the kilpot of Esav, Yishmael and Erev Rav. Which are the source of our Galus. These midot are what we come to repair during the days of repentance.

But mainly the mida of Arrogance.

For we know that it was on Rosh Hashanah that Yaakov battled the angel of Esav. “This encounter was on, the eternal days of atonement “for days of Rosh Hashanah  and Yom Kippur are days of the great war between Yaakov and Esav.” i.e. Humility vs. Arrogance.

The Holy Zohar parshat mishpatim tells us that the angel of Esav comes every year to accuse Yaakov in this eternal court case on Rosh Hashanah. He accuses us of not being brotherly. And Yaakov is an aspect of all of Am Yisrael. “He provokes the ‘Midat of Din’ against us.” For on the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Yisrael is involved in the Great War against Amalek and it is only by the strength of the Tzaddik Ha Emes, who is an aspect of Moshe Rabbenu that we can win this war. Likutey halchot

And because the main aspect of T’Shuvah is in overcoming the ‘mida of Esav’ which is arrogance.

The sages teach us that it is only Esav who can destroy us. i.e. his mida. That of arrogance, it is the most destructive of all forces and is the root to all sins.

And the main T’Shuvah is emulating the mida of humility which is an aspect of Moshe our teacher. Moshe was the complete opposite of Esav. Esav ha Rasha and Moshe ha Tzaddik. HaShem says that “He and the arrogant one cannot exist in the same world”, thus HaShem leaves. Oy!

Prayer is an aspect of T’Shuvah as it takes a breaking of one’s will to be able to pray.

And it is only through prayer and the breaking of one’s will that we are able to draw closer to HaShem.

There exists in the world today an insanity which is produced by arrogance. For it is impossible to be arrogant and not be insane. The arrogant one say’s “I, will do it!”   He leaves out any possibility of Hashem’s involvement. FOOL!

It is as if we are saying to HaShem move over I’m sitting down on Your Throne and running my world! “Leave me alone!”  OY! Gevalt!!

And this very act is Heresy… Idol worship at its best “I am now god!”

What a terrible situation to find ourselves in, separated from our source, from all our blessing, from our life force. OY!!!

It is most unfortunate that the majority of the world today suffers from this heresy induced insanity.

Most today live in a Heresy induced dream world of thinking we are in control, sole rules of ‘our’ worlds.

What a lie! It is none other than the serpent himself who puts this vain thought into our minds.

BUT THERE IS HOPE! 

There is a cure for H.I.I. Heresy Induced Insanity. This is a symptom of E.D.S Emunah Deficiency Syndrome. 

 

It is humbling ourselves and opening up our mouths and crying out to HaShem in prayer!

This is exactly what our soul’s needs to overcome E.D.S and avoid H.I.I.

Only by prayer can we draw close to HaShem which in Turn defeats Esav and his evil middot.

On the very day that we overcome our Arrogance we will have the Geula and the restoration of the Beis HaMikdash. Then we can be Yisrael!

What are we waiting for?

Hashem said “Return to me and I will return to you”.

A big hug, and looking forward to seeing you in Uman on Rosh Hashana, with wishes for a miraculous emuna-filled New Year 5772, Nati

Is Israel on the Brink of War?

Back in Rosh Hashana eve of 1973, Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir reassured a complacent Israeli public still drunk from the miraculous 1967 Six-Day War victory, "We've never been stronger! The Arabs wouldn't dream of attacking." On Yom Kippur of 1973, Syria and Egypt launched a two-prong surprise attack that brought Israel to its knees. Moshe Dayan was the first one to have a panic attack. Hashem saved us by a bigger miracle than 1967. Those of us who fought in that war can testify first hand.

Exactly 38 years later, we are in the same exact position. Only this time, the Arab noose is umpteen times more dangerous. Iran will have an A-bomb any day now. Al Qaida has taken over Sinai and our once quiet border with Egypt is now a powder keg.  Turkey, our newest (old) enemy, i moving ships into our side of the Mediterranean. Hamas in Gaza has dangerous new Iranian and Libyan weapons, including bunker busters. Syria and Hizbulla have the nastiest chemical warheads, something beyond Satan's imagination. 

One honest IDF commander -  Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg - said we must prepare for imminent war. Defense Minister Barak and company say that Eisenberg is exaggerating. Minister Yaalon is now joining the bandwagon of complacency too, saying, "No war in sight." These politicians are spiritually deaf and blind, hearing none of Hashem's wakeup calls.

My beloved teacher and spiritual guide, Rav Shalom Arush shlit'a, called me urgently to come see him today - he rarely does that, for we usually meet at regular intervals. He told me that his spiritual guide - the holy hidden Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Zev Leibowitz of saintly memory - came to him in a dream last night and said that in Heaven, all-out war against Israel has been decreed, a war which is supposed to break out before Rosh Hashana, in other words, within the next 3 weeks.

But, don't be afraid. Hashem does love us and wants to be with us. But, we must be worthy of the Divine Presence. Rav Shalom told me that every single Jew must begin doing serious teshuva and self-assessment while begging Hashem to delay this harsh decree. I asked Rav Shalom, "Why pray for a delay? Why not pray for a total cancellation?" Rav Shalom said the delay is to allow more people to make teshuva. A cancellation is almost impossible, because it's part of Hashem's plan to bring Moshiach, in the nearest future. Once Moshiach comes, teshuva will be worthless. Today, teshuva is still worth it's weight in diamonds. But time is running out super-fast.

I know that this post may earn me the status of the village idiot. But it's worth it if even one family heeds me. There is little time left. Forget about the new furniture and the new jewelry. We must all raise our voices in such a manner that the Heavenly Throne shudders. This is Nineveh 2011. Please, if you love your spouse and your children, start speaking to Hashem for an hour a day. Personal prayer invokes phenomenal Divine compassion, because it's a strong expression of emuna. Rav Shalom says, if you believe in Hashem, you speak to Him. If you don't believe in Him, then you don't speak. Let's all start speaking before it's too late.