24 June 2018

DANGER! BE CAREFUL!

11 Tamuz 5778

We are in the midst of a tremendous birur. HKB"H is testing all of us, each at our own level, so it stands to reason that whatever test we are assigned will be a proper challenge. Now, more than ever before, it is absolutely critical that we be very, very careful not to deviate even one centimeter from our mesorah, either to the left or to the right. 

When a "respected rabbi" or anyone else comes with a chidush that Eisav is the "Fourth Avot," even though our mesorah for over three thousand years says there are only three. Or that Eisav and Yishmael, as descendants of Avraham Avinu, were also "Jews." Or that US President Donald Trump is the presumptive Mashiach ben Eisav while Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman is possibly Mashiach ben Yishmael. Or that any opposition to Trump is "Satanic." Understand that this is a part of your loyalty test. That's what the final birur is all about - your loyalty to HKB"H and to the tradition handed down to us from Har Sinai. And only those who remain absolutely loyal to both will merit to greet Mashiach Tzidkeinu.

An entire generation is being mislead these days by rabbis who are "too big to fail" and too big to call out. Interestingly and very tellingly, their errors all come down to one thing - mixing Jews and gentiles, blurring the lines between them and us, eliminating the division between Jews and gentiles, whether virtually or actually. 

Furthermore, by bringing out this idea of multiple messiahs or even "messianic figures," whether intentionally or not, it does nothing more or less than prepare the ground for the acceptance of a false Mashiach and/or the rejection of Mashiach Tzidkeinu as an anti-Mashiach, Hashem yerachem!

It has been pointed out that rabbis are under a heavier attack from the Other Side because by misleading one rabbi, all of his followers will also be mislead. We learned from this week's parashah that even Moshe Rabeinu erred! 

In this time of sifting, it's not only we who are being sifted, but we must also be sifting everything we consume, separating the news from the fake news and the Torah from the fake Torah. Be as careful about the kashrut of your spiritual food as you are of your physical food. Don't swallow everything labeled "Torah" whole. Chew on it awhile and see if it tastes familiar. If it's "off" in any way, spit it out. It might be ok, but then again, it might be poison for your soul. 

During these days, we can't be too careful!

16 comments:

  1. Yoni, I sympathize, but I cannot publish your comment as written. Thanks for taking the time, however.

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  2. how can you be sure you're right and he's wrong ?
    Chaim

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    1. If you are referring to what I've referenced in the blog post, it's not "me" against anyone. It is the mesorah and halachah as opposed to questionable chidushim. You have to ask yourself if what is being taught is compatible with the Torah as it has been presented by our sages for thousands of years. The Torah does not change and we are not expecting any New Testaments, so....

      Furthermore, we have to ask whether such chidushim are appropriate subject matter for a wide audience of the mostly under-educated in Torah who can't properly filter it.

      Does the benefit outweigh the danger of misunderstanding or misapplying the lessons? In this case, I believe that the danger far outweighs any possible benefits.

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    2. The Rav is not twisting the Mesorah, you don't know the Mesorah. This time you went to far. Eisav was intended to be the 4th Av, which he ruined. This fact doesn't in any way impinge on our days halacha not to befriend, copy, etc Eisav descendants. This Rav never spoke to mingle with the gentiles, he even speaks very strongly against it.. i heard it myself live in Jerusalem how he bashed a not so frum audience (or better said a modern religious audience) for mingeling with eisav's descendants, with christians, etc.. and to stick 100% to halacha and mesorah and on and on. You hit the wrong target thus time. Better remove it.

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    3. Inon, could you show this post and thread to Rav Kessin and ask him to clarify his remarks for us.

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  3. Without going into the subject of the shiur, just knowing some facts As Chazal (Yalkut Shimoni) declare:
    “The Avot are the chariot of the Shechinah.”King David is related to the fourth leg of the Divine Throne, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being the first three. Now, in exile, the fourth leg of the Throne - that of King David - is the one which is missing, in keeping with the saying of our Sages, "His throne is not complete…." (Pesachim 119b).There is a well-known tradition, "The descendents of Esav will fall only in the hands of Rachel's children." (Mechilta D'Rashbi) as we can see throughout the history especially Purim miracle. As Zohar tells us that Mashiach will come in two stages Mashiach ben Yosef will fight klipa of Esav, in which we are deeply ingrained with all the materiality. So expect banks to fall, all western countries going bankrupt etc. Then Machiach ben David will fight klipa of Ishmael, which will be very brief, in terms of their spiritual claim regarding their defunct britmilah. Well, I never heard about Mashiach of Ishmail/Esav. Can someone email to that rabbi, asking for clarifications and sources he brings.
    Chana

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  4. Thank you, We have been warned by many people.

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  5. This Rabbi is quoting the Ramchal, interesting enough during the life of the Ramchal there was a great push to put him in Cherem also!
    I can only except criticism of his Shiurim if a Respected Scholar of the Ramchal agrees with you and says that he is misinterpreting what the Ramchal says.
    Thank you for always fighting for the Mesorah, but in this case the Rabbi might be with a true Torah source.
    Eli

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    1. You seem to imply that I have suggested putting someone in cherem and that is simply not true at all. I said "be careful." No matter who it is and what their reputation, you can NEVER just swallow things whole without tasting it for the absolute truth and even more so, when a person is not bringing accepted sources but their own novel ideas.

      It's interesting that you bring up Ramchal because I prepared a post yesterday for posting today. I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say after you read it.

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  6. Im particularly concerned with how the Rabbi claims to know that Gods decree of the war of Gog umagog has been canceled. He is always saying things like he knows what God is doing. And then there os his belief in the Putin's love for the jews.

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    1. This concerns me, too. In fact, the sheer amount of things to be concerned over has grown to such an extent that this is why I felt compelled to say, "be careful" with these shiurim.

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    2. The Chafetz Chaim and the Lubavitcher Rebbe both said that the war of Gog u Magog is in three parts, the worst part being WW2. This concurs with the Rabbi you are writing about. And as for Putin's love for Jews... yes he was brought up by religious Jews... do you not know that? You present your side of the argument without full facts and those who do not know those facts can be taken in... in other words, the world is a mirror and you are seeing a reflection of your own self in the learned Rabbi you are writing about.

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    3. Devorah, I don't know if you are speaking to me or the first commenter, but this is my reply.

      I wrote: "When a "respected rabbi" or anyone else comes...."

      This is not about any particular person, but about particular ideas that are not backed up by earlier Torah sources. I actually had in mind a few people including some who are not only buying into these ideas but are helping to publicize them.

      Part 3 of Gog uMagog being "cancelled" is what is at issue. I am not ascribing this to one particular rabbi, but, again, it is an idea that is being floated by some rabbis and spread by their students.

      Again, it is strange ideas without solid Torah support that is at issue, not any particular teacher.

      That said, these ideas are widely available in hours and hours of video as you and your readers well know. It would take me just as many hours to explain all the objections I have. That's why I have brought what I perceive to be the most egregious examples and said "be careful" with things like this for which no precedent can be brought.

      Anyone can search "Kessin" on my blog and find earlier blog posts I wrote sharing his teachings and can see from them the high regard and great respect I had for his scholarship. That has, however, now become suspect and so, I say again, "be careful" with these ideas which do not seem to have a solid Torah foundation.

      Putin's personal history aside, what counts today is what he is doing vis a vis Israel on our northern border. There is enough evidence to bring into question any assertion that Putin "loves" Jews. It certainly is not a foregone conclusion that can be taken at face value. And anyone who gives the impression that the Russian bear is some cuddly kitty cat that we have in our pocket is either foolish or is operating from some hidden agenda. A man like that who has gotten to where he is, is someone you don't want to turn your back to, "Jew-lover" or not.

      I'd rather be guilty of overstating the danger rather than understating it.

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  7. I noticed from the first video that I watched where this Rabbi was saying things that were too lenient about Eisav and the good part of Eisav. Made me think, what is wrong here? He goes too far in trying to instil the notzrim into the eventual coming of Moshiach. This type of thinking and talk is not the customary way (according to our mesorah) in speaking of Moshiach Tzdkeinu and our Geulah; especially using the word 'moshiach' for Esav/Edom and Yishmael. Now I'm sure my gutt feelings were correct. Never would I have believed that the world would come to such a confusing time where a 'majority' of Jews are so mixed up, r'l.
    As far as Trump is concerned, do believe he is a patriotic American and is trying to undo all the globalist goals that were placed into the American culture, education, etc. of the last 50 -60 years. He has an uphill battle and for the sake of the righteous, may he succeed in that goal; but this has absolutely nothing to do with our Geulah/Moshiach. Our only obligation is to do teshuvah in every area that we can and try to influence our brethern to return so that the geulah will come b'rachamim for us and for all the righteous.

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  8. It appears to me that Rabbi Kessin believes about himself to be Eliyahu haNavi, cancelling the Gog of Magog war, bringing into the picture two new Messiahs, etc. The next step may be that he will "discover" a Mashiach ben David of his choice. Uri

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    1. Can you bring the exact quote and state the source where he says this?

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