"IN ITS TIME, I WILL HASTEN IT"

20 Shevat 5781

Since there is some important new information related to the vaccine today, I propose a compromise of sorts.  While I don't expect to write any more full-length blogposts about it, I will, iy"H, continue to post updates as needed prior to whatever post I've written for the day, starting with today.

It appears that a "plateau" has been reached [Long and crowded queues gone as vaccination drive turnout plateaus].  Apparently, with a reported 30% of the population vaccinated, people have stopped running to get it [Israel's vaccine drive is slowing, with clinics struggling to bring people in].  The kupot are desperately calling people up and asking them to come in - no appointment necessary, while 1000 doses are reported to have been dumped in the trash for lack of takers [Coronavirus: 1,000 vaccine doses thrown away after expiring].

That's all good news, but it means they have to change their tactics now, so get prepared for how that is going to affect you and your family.  With the traffic-light plan, up until now, a city was judged to be "green - yellow - orange - red" based upon the number of positive cases in the population.  Green cities were allowed more freedom of movement and red cities could be severely locked down with varying degrees for yellow and orange.

So, now, new criteria is going to be implemented.  A city or town will be judged on the traffic-light plan according to the numbers of people vaccinated.  They will attempt to set neighbor against neighbor as those vaccinated remain locked up because of those who insist on refraining from the poison [19-year-old hospitalized in ICU days after receiving second Pfizer vaccine; One-third of Israel's coronavirus victims died in January].  The mayors will become the new slavedrivers [Lod mayor threatens sanctions on residents who refuse to get COVID shot].

But, it won't avail anyone anything because irrespective of the vaccine, they don't intend to ever let us go free again [I had my second Pfizer vaccine shot.  So can I hug Bubby and Zayde?].

So this non-government we are saddled with voted yesterday [just to make it look like they aren't the rubber-stamp that they really are] to extend the current lockdown [ongoing since after Hanukkah] til Friday at 7am and already today, the Crime Minister [has a certain ring to it, no?] wants to make that at least another week, but that will bring us too close to Purim, and we all know that they already said Purim will be under lockdown [Health officials indicate pandemic rules to be in place over Purim holiday; "Eat alone at Purim so you can be with family at Pesach"].  The numbers of infected are still too high, but as those numbers go down, other numbers will come into play.  The excuse for extending the lockdown through Pesach will be, no surprise here, the numbers of vaccinated are not high enough.

In short, they don't intend to let us out of some form of lockdown - ever again.  Anyway, that's the plan - their plan.  HKB"H has His own plans.

Moving on...

This is what the Prophet Yeshayahu wrote concerning the arrival of the Final Redemption:  "...I am the Lord, in its time, I will hasten it."  (Yeshayahu 60:22)  The commentators discuss that this represents two scenarios; if we merit it, it will come quickly and gloriously, and if we don't merit it, it will still come, but only in its time, and with much suffering.  However, they also said that even amidst a scenario of b'ita - in its time - HKB"H will "hasten" it with mercy.

This is the proof of those long-ago predictions and further proof that the time of b'ita is surely here.

[SEE THE FEB. 2ND FOLLOW-UP VIDEO.]

We are nearing the end of a very long process and now HKB"H is speeding it up.  

Most of us have probably heard the story about the Chafetz Chaim and his uncanny predictions about the Three Wars of Gog uMagog:  

After World War I, which ended in November of 1918, the Chafetz Chaim zt"l said that it was the first part of Milchemes Gog U'Magog and that the second part would take place in another twenty-five years.  ...The third part, said the Chafetz Chaim, would be about seventy years - ten smittos - later.  (Source: The End Illuminated by Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Sorotzkin)

I knew of the "seventy years," but not the ten shmittot part.*  And that part is critical. Counting seventy years from the end of World War II brings us to 2015.  But, did 2015 see the Third War of Gog uMagog?  

The first shmittah after the end of World War II began in the year 1951 and the tenth shmittah after that was 2014-2015.  Seventy years from 1951 brings us to 2021 which will introduce the next shmittah cycle in the fall.  This means that HKB"H, in His great mercy, has extended the opportunity for teshuvah til the very end of the tenth cycle, rather than cutting it off at the beginning.

This is b'ita - in its time - in the fullness of "its time."  But, like we can bring in Shabbat early, but we can't push it off, geulah b'ita can not be pushed off either.  

We've been informed by many rabbis that Mashiach is already here in Eretz Yisrael.  The stage is set, the curtain is about to go up.  We have no idea how short the time we have left to change.  Purim is a very good time for everything to turn upside down followed by "in Nissan you were redeemed and in Nissan you will be redeemed."  
____________________

* Unconfirmed.  Per Rabbi Yehudah Richter, this cannot be reliably traced back to the Chafetz Chaim.  See also here.