Guest Post: "The Closing Window of Opportunity"

10 Menachem Av 5786

Erev Shabbat Kodesh

Parashat Va'etchanan
Shabbat Nachamu

(Reposting from 5770)

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI

Jerusalem, Israel

HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT VAETCHANAN / SHABBAT NACHAMU

13 Av 5770/23 - 24 July 2010

THE CLOSING WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

"I implored G-d at that time saying, My L-rd You have begun to show your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there in the heavens or on earth that can perform according to Your mighty acts? Please let me cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon."

What was bothering Moshe, that he felt that he just had to enter into the Holy Land? If he was like the great majority of the Jewish people throughout the generations, he certainly would have been happy, quite happy to stay put in the exile and not enter. What made him so possessed that he prayed more then 500 times to enter the Land? The Talmud answered that Moshe wanted to fulfill the commandments of the Torah, something which is done in the exiles only so that we shall not forget them when we come into the Land - what one might call a practice run. But now that the Jewish people were so close to entering the Land of Israel, Moshe wanted the real thing, to be able to fulfill G-d's commandments in the Land.

Similarly, we find King David, who was forced out of the Land of Israel by King Saul, saying: "Why have you taken me out of the inheritance of the L-rd, saying, go and worship idols?" Now would anyone think that the great David would go and worship idols? Rather, David was saying: The mere fact that I have been exiled from the Land, it is as if I am worshiping idols. So, too, Rashi states that one who lives outside the land of Israel is as if he has no G-d.

So much greatness awaits the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, not only on a personal level but also on a national level. For as long as the Jewish people stubbornly hold on to the exile, the Redemption cannot come. We find in the times of Ezra and Nechemiah that only a small minority of the Jewish people heeded the cry and returned to the Land of Israel. The great majority, the important ones, the leaders, the gedolim stayed in beloved Babylon. They said: Certainly G-d is not going to bring the Redemption though King Cyrus, a non Jew, this is not the way of redemption, we will tell G-d how to redeem the nation - so they stayed.

The Midrash teaches us that because they did not come back to the Land, the Divine Presence also did not return in full, and so the Second Temple period, which could have been the Final Redemption, was doomed from the start. What became of all those who stayed behind? All the important Jews? They all died out, intermarried and were lost for all generations; only the riffraff, the "no good" ones who came to the Land of Israel survived - and we are their descendants.

In the book "Eim Habanim Smeichah", Rabbi Yissachar Teichtal, who lived during the years of the Holocaust, cries out that all of the troubles that are befalling the Jewish people are coming because there is no awakening to come up to the Land of Israel. Excuses they had for not coming home: the Jews who are in the Land are not religious, G-d will not redeem His people though the nations of the world. Once again we were teaching G-d how to redeem His people, and once again the exile ended bitterly for the Jews.

As I look out from my home in Mitzpe Yericho, I can see the mountains of Nevo, the same mountains where Moshe stood and implored G-d to allow him to come into the Land. But Moshe Rabenu's dream of entering the Land was not fulfilled, and here I am, together with my family, able to walk the width and length of the Land. Not just me, but anyone can today come up to the Land. With so much greatness and holiness here, what, then, is holding all my brethren back? Why are they not here beside me? As history has proven over and over again, the window of opportunity is not forever open. Now is the time to enter and embrace greatness, now that the door remains open. Take hold of her while there is still time!

Blessings,

Levi Chazen 

And the Mourning Continues...

10 Menachem Av 5786

Mourning for the corrupted minds that equate the Zionist (Erev Rav) State with the Beit Hamikdash, r"l.

Netanyahu: “In The Past Three Years, Together, We Prevented The Destruction Of The Third Bais Hamikdosh”

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu delivered a national address on Wednesday as Israel prepared to enter Tisha B’Av. In his remarks, Netanyahu reflected on the lessons of Jewish history, praised the unity demonstrated by Israelis during times of crisis, and outlined his vision for the country’s future, including the formation of a broad national coalition.

Opening his address, Netanyahu drew a connection between the solemn day of remembrance and the importance of preserving national unity. “My brothers and sisters, dear citizens of Israel. On the eve of Tisha B’Av, we remember the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh. We remember the terrible price of hatred and boycotts within us,” the Prime Minister opened.

The Prime Minister then pointed to the extraordinary challenges Israel has confronted in recent years, saying that the nation overcame them through solidarity and determination. He highlighted the cooperation and sacrifice displayed by both civilians and members of the security forces, declaring: “In the past three years, together, we prevented the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh. Instead of a civil war, we were brothers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder to repel those who sought to harm us. We joined forces, we fought like lions, and together, we saved the State of Israel. We showed the world that the people of Israel are a brave people, with a brave army, a generation of heroes. We repelled the terror of destruction, and we achieved great achievements.”

While emphasizing Israel’s accomplishments, Netanyahu acknowledged that major challenges remain. He said the country still faces significant security and political hurdles but expressed unwavering confidence that Israel will continue to prevail. Stressing his priorities for the coming years, he stated that “even though the work is not complete, even though many challenges lie ahead, I am certain with every fiber of my being that we will succeed.” He also laid out his political objective, saying: “As the Prime Minister of Israel, I intend on increasing unity among us. Therefore, I will work to form a broad national government, a stable government that will care for our security and future.”

God forbid that this arrogant, hedonistic, sorry excuse for a leader will continue to represent the Jewish nation and presume to have any say in its future.  How much longer will Heaven tolerate the daily desecration of God's Name?  😭

All of Our Tragedies Stem From Doubt and Lack of Faith in HKB"H

9 Av 5786

Tzom Kal

[Resharing from 2017.  Set to publish after halachic noon.]

In my previous post, I wrote about the root problem that caused Tisha b'Av to become a fast day. Whenever a person has any doubt regarding HKB"H's goodness (lack of emunah), it opens the door to rebellion which leads to exile.

Chavah listened to the serpent and believed that Hashem would withhold good from her by denying her the tree at the center of the Garden. In her lack of faith and trust in HKB"H, she disobeyed and the end result was exile from Gan Eden.

Am Yisrael listened to the Erev Rav and believed that Hashem would deliver them from Egypt just to leave them leaderless in the midbar. In their lack of faith and trust in HKB"H, they allowed the Golden Calf to be built as a substitute for Moshe.

Yet again, Am Yisrael listened to the ten spies and believed a bad report against HKB"H, that the Land of Israel really wasn't the great gift G-d claimed it was, that He had done all the miracles just in order to bring them to this horrible land to die in a horrible way, chas v'shalom.

If you examine the reasons for why the two Batei Hamikdash were destroyed, you will see that it always goes back to lack of emuna and bitachon in Hashem. The yetzer hara tells us that HKB"H really does not have our ultimate good at heart, chas v'shalom, so we must turn to substitutes and take matters into our own hands.

Avraham Avinu passed the ultimate test of emunah when he did not hold even Yitzchak's life above obedience to G-d's command. Do you wonder how he could do it? He absolutely believed in Hashem's goodness, that He would not ask him to make the sacrifice capriciously, but had only their ultimate good and blessing in mind.

Am Yisrael demonstrated this level of faith and trust when they slaughtered the lambs and put the blood over their doors in Mitzrayim and again when they plunged into the Red Sea. But, keep in mind that they did so in obedience to G-d's commands. It wasn't something they thought up on their own and then offered it to G-d.

This account in Shmuel Aleph, perek 15 is instructive. The prophet Samuel is speaking to King Saul regarding his failure to destroy Amalek...

...the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and you shall utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you shall wage war against them until they destroy them.' Now, why did you not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but you flew upon the spoil, and you did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord?"

And Saul said to Samuel, "Yes, I did hearken to the voice of the Lord. I did go on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag, the king of Amalek alive, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. And the people took from the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the ban, to sacrifice to your God in Gilgal."

And Samuel said, "Has the Lord (as much) desire in burnt offerings and peace-offerings, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a peace-offering; to hearken (is better) than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Since you rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being a king."

We would not be honest with ourselves if we did not ask "what is the point of fasting all these years?" The point is to make us aware of what we are lacking and I'm not talking about the obvious answer "we're missing our Beit Hamikdash, of course." The missing Bayit is a symptom, not the illness itself. We lack the Temple, because we lack faith and trust in HKB"H.

As I've written here before on more than one occasion, Rabbi Kook brought down the Rambam that there is a clear order to the restoration of our nation: 1) we must appoint a king; 2) we must destroy Amalek; 3) we must build the Temple. [IN THAT ORDER!]  It's a very logical progression. Once we have a Torah government, we can destroy the enemy who prevents the rebuilding. But, ignorant and faithless people propose to do it all backwards and so are doomed before they even start.

If we truly want to rebuild the Holy Temple on Har Habayit, we are going to have to be willing to obey HKB"H to the letter of this order. We have to be willing to replace democracy with monarchy, to give up dreams of coexistence and be willing to annihilate Amalek, and to build the Third Temple in accordance with all the strictures of the Torah. There will not be a temple to avodah zarah here!!!

Only once we have repented for the lack of emunah which leads to rebellion (failure to obey G-d's will), then will come the test to see if the repentance is sincere. If it is found to be so, then forgiveness and redemption will arrive hand in hand.

However, there is first going to be a very, very big test of that repentance - a test of our faith in HKB"H - to see if it is really sincere and only those who pass the test will remain in this world to enjoy the messianic era. 

*******Secrets of the Greatest Emunah Test*******

Is A Literal Earth-Shattering Event On Our Horizon?

8 Av 5786
Erev Tisha b'Av 

"In the future, Persia will fall into the hands of Rome.  Firstly, because they destroyed the houses of prayer and, secondly, it is the decree of the King that builders [of the Second Temple] should fall into the hands of the destroyers."  (Yoma 10a.)

* * *

Posted to "X" at 7:11 PM - July 21, 2026

Pickaxe Mountain is located in the Zagros Mountains, just about 1.5 to 2 kilometers south of Iran's main Natanz nuclear complex in the Isfahan Province. It is built deep underground (over 100 meters beneath solid granite rock), making it heavily fortified against aerial bombings and conventional bunker-buster weapons. Western and Israeli intelligence assess that Iran has moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels beneath the mountain to shield its nuclear infrastructure from military strikes.    (Gemini)

A specialized tactical nuclear earth-penetrator would be sufficient to destroy the main underground halls of the Natanz complex. However, it would likely require a full-on strategic nuclear weapon (or repeated tactical strikes) to fully collapse the neighboring, hyper-fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility.

Note the proximity of the City of Qom there. The city of Qom holds massive, dual significance for Iran—serving as both the spiritual heart of the Islamic Republic and a critical, heavily fortified anchor of its nuclear program.  Qom is also the final resting place for several of the most famous and highly revered figures in Islamic history, Persian royalty, and modern Iranian politics.  (Gemini)

The connection of current events to the Hebrew date when both Temples were destroyed is unmistakable and in no way coincidental! 

~ May this mark the end of fasting for our national sins ~ 

The Real Reason for the Season

 7 Av 5786

Many, many religiously observant people struggle with the practices performed during the Three Weeks period.  They can manage the outward forms required, but they are not invested in it mentally and emotionally.  

For example, many modern Jews feel that the redemption arrived with the founding of the State and that hi-rise buildings crowding the narrow streets of the capital constitutes the rebuilding of Jerusalem.  In their view, Jewish life is thriving in Eretz Yisrael despite the constant state of tensions and wars.  Try as they might, they can't work up any depth to the feeling of loss for something that happened 2000 years ago.

First of all, these fast days are installment payments on a past debt to HKB"H - the national sins which occurred at these times.  When the debt has been paid in full, they will no longer be necessary.  Instead, we will celebrate sort of like a couple who pay off a 25-year mortgage note.  What we should be feeling today is the burden of that 'note' that comes due every year at this time, along with regret over the life that we could be living but cannot while the debt remains.  In other words, we mourn over our current sorry condition.

I think there is another major reason people have trouble accepting the curtailing of their business-as-usual activities during this time.  It is a result of a major misunderstanding (or just ignorance) of the impact of spiritual forces in our physical realm.  These basics have been virtually lost in our rational, technological age.  

[I]n Kabbalistic and Jewish thought, the forces of tumah (spiritual impurity) and Din (harsh judgment) reach an annual peak during the months of Tammuz and Av.

Specifically, the 21-day period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av)—known as Bein HaMetzarim ("Between the Straits" or the Three Weeks)—is considered the most spiritually vulnerable time of the year. During this window, the forces of the Sitra Achra (the "Other Side") are in severe ascendance.

Why Tumah Ascends Now

The Concealment of Holiness: Kabbalah teaches that the physical destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem during these months reflected a spiritual reality: a severe restriction of Divine light. When holiness is hidden, tumah automatically rushes in to fill the vacuum.

The Rule of Cosmic Judgment: According to the Zohar, the year is split into seasons of mercy and seasons of judgment. The hot summer months of Tammuz and Av are dominated by solar heat, which mystically represents blinding, raw Din (unmitigated justice/judgment). Without the tempering cooling effects of Chesed (loving-kindness), negativity holds great sway.

The Danger of K**** M*****

The Talmud (Pesachim 111b) and midrashic texts explicitly warn of a physical manifestation of tumah during these weeks: a destructive spiritual entity or plague-demon called K**** M*****. It is said to rule from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of Av. It is particularly active during the middle of the day—from the fourth to the ninth halachic hours (roughly 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM). 

Because of this ascendance, classical Jewish law (Shulchan Aruch) advises people to exercise extreme physical caution during these weeks, avoiding dangerous activities, remote areas, or intense physical confrontations.

The Kabbalistic Paradox: Hidden Light

While the Sitra Achra dominates the surface of Tammuz and Av, Kabbalah reveals a comforting paradox: the greater the darkness, the more powerful the hidden light inside it.

The Chassidic masters teach that the intense energy of these months was originally meant to channel the highest possible spiritual revelations. Because humanity could not handle that intensity, it shattered into tragedy. Therefore, any spiritual work, repentance, or Torah study done during this low point has a disproportionately powerful effect in dismantling tumah and transforming it into ultimate good.     (Source: Gemini)  

I hope this helps the readers as much as it helped me to be reminded.  With thanks to the one who started the conversation which turned into this blog post.   You know who you are. 😉💖

The Internal War - It Can Only End One Way

7 Av 5786  

This is another proof that it's not about needing more soldiers to fight the wars that they refuse to win, purposely extending them with endless "ceasefires."

It's all about distancing them from Torah and exposing them to bad influences.  (Something like assigning dati leumi sherut leumi girls to a missionary base where they would greet Chr*stian tourists.)

ALTERNATIVE TO CONSCRIPTION: Katz, IDF Move To Expand Civilian Service For Chareidim

Defense Minister Israel Katz is advancing a plan, in coordination with the IDF and the Civil Service Administration, to significantly expand civilian service opportunities for Chareidim who will not enlist in the military.

However, I doubt that any court will accept this plan as it doesn't have the added 'benefit' of killing off the soldiers in order to bring down the birth rate in that sector, r"l.  [See: Why are so many of Israel's fallen soldiers from religious Zionist camp?]

Dati Leumi Talmid: “They’re Turning Us Into Deserters Too”

Yishai, a Dati Leumi talmid yeshiva, told Kol Chai about a growing phenomenon of Dati Leumi talmidim who seek to defer their military service to continue learning Torah being classified as deserters.

Yishai said that many of his friends have already been declared deserters despite intending to serve in the IDF in the future.

“They want to enlist—just not at age 19,” he explained. “They want to postpone their service so they can learn for a few more years, but because of problems with obtaining draft deferments, they end up being classified as deserters.”

He said that these are talmidim attending well-known Dati Leumi yeshivos rather than Hesder yeshivos.

He added: “This isn’t just a war against the Chareidi community—it’s a war against everything that is holy. The same people who want to dismantle the Chareidi Torah world also want to dismantle the Religious Zionist Torah world.”

He added that, in his view, this is part of a broader campaign against Torah institutions. He also referred to protests within the Religious Zionist community over religious issues in the IDF, including the integration of women into the Armored Corps, saying that these developments make it more difficult for young men who wish to enlist while maintaining their religious way of life.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

It's way past time for real "brothers" to act like true brothers and join hands in this battle. The Religious Zionists have to decide whether to be religious or Zionist because you can't be both. Not anymore.

UNITY among Jews - from our very beginnings - was only ever around the Torah of Hashem.  There is, and never has been, and never can be any UNITY with those who reject and rebel against God's Law.

Will Mashiach Be 'Born' This Tisha b'Av?

6 Av 5786 

Maybe the concept of Mashiach's "birth" on Tisha b'Av is not referring to a literal physical birth, but to his actual anointing from Heaven releasing him to act as the Mashiach.  This would necessarily result in the revelation of his identity.

In Jewish tradition, the messiah (Mashiach) does not receive a brand new soul when he is anointed. Instead, his existing soul, which already has a very high and holy root, is elevated. When he is officially chosen by God, he is granted a powerful, higher level of divine consciousness and prophetic power. (Source)

1. His Soul is Already Here 

According to Jewish teachings, the soul of Mashiach is not created on the day he becomes the redeemer.  It is an ancient soul that is constantly present in the world, waiting for the right moment.  Some mystical traditions teach that the soul of Mashiach is closely connected to the souls of great leaders from history, like King David and Moses.    (Source)

2. The "Anointing" Awakens Hidden Potential

When a king or a high priest was anointed with oil in ancient times, it was never just a symbol.  It was a physical sign that God was setting that person apart for a holy job.  According to [some] teachings ..., the moment Mashiach is revealed, God pours a new and special "spirit of Mashiach" upon him.   (Source)

Think of it like a musician who is already great, but when they step onto the main stage, a brilliant spotlight is turned on them.  The spotlight (the anointing) gives them the bright, supernatural energy they need to complete their mission, but the musician (the soul) is the same person who has been preparing for this job all along.

3. It Fills Him with Divine Knowledge 

The anointing from on high fills the Mashiach with an advanced level of wisdom and divine inspiration.  It gives him the ability to successfully lead all people toward peace, justice, and the ultimate repair of the world.    (Source)

[Source for the following...]

Zechariah 8:19

Thus said the LORD of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity.

Pesikta Rabbati 28:1

“For there our captors asked us for words of song…” (Psalms 137:3)  At the time (of the Temple's destruction), the nations of the world said to them: Stand up and sing before idols just as you would sing in the Holy Temple.  They replied: If we had sung songs in our place, we would not have been exiles.  And now how could we sing songs before idols?!

... Immediately [the nations] arose and killed heaps and heaps of them, and even though many of them were killed Israel rejoiced that they did not sing songs before the idols, as it says “…and our tormentors [asked of us] mirth…” (ibid.)  At that moment the Holy One swore a whole oath to Israel. He said of Himself, so to speak, if I do not keep my oath, as it says “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill].” (Psalms 137:5)  At the moment Israel was exiled, the Holy One took His hand and placed it behind Him, just as it says “He has withdrawn His right hand from the enemy…” (Lamentations 2:3)  The Holy One, so to speak, did not return it to its place.  And so too the Holy One said to Israel: I will forget My right hand which I placed behind Me if I do not fulfill my oath to you and not forget you among the nations.  “May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy.” (Psalms 137:6) 

In the future the Holy One will return to Jerusalem all of her joy, as it says “And the redeemed of Zion shall return, and they shall come to Zion with song, with joy of days of yore shall be upon their heads…” (Isaiah 35:10)  And anyone who mourns for Jerusalem in this world will rejoice with her in the time to come, as it says “Rejoice with Jerusalem and exult in her all those who love her: rejoice with her a rejoicing, all who mourn over her.” (Isaiah 66:10)

They said in the name of Abaye: joy only comes on the ninth of Av, because they mandated mourning then in this time and in the future the Holy One will make it into a holiday, as it says “…and I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:12)

Eikhah Rabbah 1:26

“…she has no comforter…” (Lamentations 1:2)  R’ Levi said: every place where it says ‘has no,’ she has.  “And Sarai was barren; she had no child.” (Genesis 11:30)  And she did have, as it says “And the Lord remembered Sarah…” (Genesis 21:1)  Similarly, “…but Hannah had no children.” (Samuel I 1:2)  And she did have, as it says “For the Lord remembered Hannah…” (Samuel I 2:21)  Similarly, “…that is Zion whom no one seeks out.” (Jeremiah 30:17)  And she did have, as it says “And a redeemer shall come to Zion…” (Isaiah 59:20)  And so too you say that she has no comforter - she has, as it says “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12) 

Shabbat Chazon 5786

3 Menachem Av 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Devarim - Chazon 

Passing along "Shabbat shalom" from Moshe Feiglin...