12 July 2021

A Cautionary Tale For Our Time

 3 Av 5781

The people in this story are real, but their names are not important to the telling.  They could be any of us.  Until now, I have not spoken of what happened in Miami, but this story won't leave me alone.

Of all the personal stories told to date about the victims of the condo hi-rise collapse at Surfside, this one stands out.  A frum middle-aged man who had lost his wife to cancer and both parents to COVID-19 last year, seemingly wanted to start again fresh someplace new, so he left New York and moved to the Champlain Tower Condominiums a month before its collapse.  His daughter and son-in-law had come to spend Shabbat with him and all were lost on that fateful night.  By some accounts, the son-in-law was a Torah prodigy, and the couple had lived in Yerushalayim since their marriage, but returned to the States at the beginning of the pandemic.

Perhaps, if Eretz Yisrael had been seen as an option, a good place for a fresh start, perhaps they all might have been thousands of miles away from Surfside when that building crashed down in the middle of the night.  One thing is absolutely certain - the future for Jews is in Eretz Yisrael and the lands of exile will continue to be one big graveyard.

There is a phrase that can be heard around the world today from every corner and culture:  "People have to wake up!"  And we hear it also from all those rabbis who have taken on the task of preparing our people for the revelation of Mashiach Tzidkeinu. "People are asleep.  Wake up!" This is evidently a message that Heaven wants desperately for us to hear.  It played out in real time before the eyes of the entire world.  The rescuers reportedly said that the dead they were recovering were all found in their beds.  In Surfside, everyone saw the tangible result when people are sleeping while their world collapses around them.  

Wake up, Jews!  The Diaspora is crumbling and collapsing around you!!

This may be our last warning.  Make the most of it.

* * *

In Eretz Yisrael, there is a different kind of collapse going on.  All the foundations of evil are crumbling - the shells and peels of the klippot are falling away and very soon, all the kedushah will break forth in its full light and strength. 

"For so said the Lord: For at the completion of seventy years of Babylon I will remember you, and I will fulfill My good word toward you, to restore you to this place [Eretz Yisrael].  For I know the thoughts that I think about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. [in Eretz Yisrael]  (Yirmiyahu 29.10-11)

13 comments:

  1. Jewish communities in galut should really start thinking of going up to EY community wise; things are getting worse everywhere, not only in EY, with this new lousy government, but everywhere. The trouble is there must be a stop to the insane restrictions for coming up (aliya) to EY. This is all part of the global agenda and the State is part of it. This is so obvious; the present leaders do not want Jews, especially not G-D fearing Jews to make Aliya, c'v. We must go back to three or so years ago when things were 'normal' (compared to today anyway). We must keep on davening for the coming of Moshiach tzdkeinu and must not stop for one moment because that is our reason for being and our enemies know it, those from within and those external ones. The world will then know there is only H'!

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  2. This story would not leave my mind too... someone loses his wife, his parents, then loses his own life in the building collapse, and his daughter and her husband who happened to have left EY also perish in the rubble... and leave no children.. It is so so sad, there are no words. I feel like lately that's all I say "no words" .My only words are just words of tefilla to Hshem to please bring the geulah shleimah.. and wipe away all tears.. In my own family, and in lives of many those I know, there is such mayhem.. on all levels. A day feels like a month, and a month like a year...Leah R

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  3. This is what I have on a post: http://jerusalemcats.com/truth-or-consequences-covid-19/
    People are Sleepwalking in the Matrix!
    It is time to THINK FOR YOURSELF! STOP FOLLOWING THE CROWD!
    sheeple

    shee·ple
    SHēpəl/
    noun informal derogatory
    plural noun: sheeple
    people compared to sheep in being docile, foolish, or easily led.
    “by the time the sheeple wake up and try to change things, it will be too late”

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  4. I first heard about Klaus Schwab from your blog. Well now you have this to go with
    Klaus Schwab's Nazi Roots

    https://www.brighteon.com/6073eeff-7787-463f-b4ed-669ae879cbe9

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  5. To Anon 1, normal is over, for many reasons. A secular UK newspaper just reported "biblical storms" in London. Never mind singing in the rain, more like swimming in the rain. Or the Venice of Britain. Croatia just had a hail storm of biblical proportions, hail stones the size of baseballs, causing huge amounts of damage. And much, much more. As for difficulties in making aliya, anyone who has the desire to make aliya should listen to Rav Brody at emunabeams. He gives excellent advice in general and on how to make aliya with emuna in particular. And people should hurry up. Chodesh elul is chodesh harahmim, the time for amazing siyata d'shmaya. People need to focus on Hashem, Ein Od Milvado, Hakolyachol, and not be hung up on the government of the day or any other obstacle, however overwhelming it might seem. Eretz Yisrael will expand to receive all the Jews who wish to come home.

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  6. "He gives excellent advice in general and on how to make aliya with emuna in particular"

    Will me and my family be running away from one jab only to run into another (or 2, or 3 or....)? Will we be running away from Jew haters only to run into new ones?

    I want nothing more than to move to Eretz Yisrael. I've spent time and money getting my papers together. I've even put my shalom bayis in jeopardy pushing for it! I just can't stomach that it's run by the erev rav, and it's making me sick knowing we HAVE to go yet it's so unclear at the same time.

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  7. In an ideal world all Jews would make aliya out of love of EY, Torat Yisrael and Am Yisrael, but even if someone is looking at it from a cost-benefit analysis, the galut is over. Both the Pittsburgh massacre and the Vienna attack (two years later) fell on the Hebrew anniversary of Kristallnacht. That's a pretty clear message. So whether you make aliya or not, the whole world has entered an unstable period, socially, economically, extreme weather conditions etc. There are no guarantees in life for any of us, but making aliya is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your family. If they're not all on board yet, focus on tefilla, Torah, and creating a nice, loving atmosphere at home in the meantime, whilst you prepare and beg Hashem to open their hearts and smooth the way.

    I wouldn't think too much about the erev rav if I were you. Millions of religious Jews live happy, fulfilled lives in EY focused on Torah and mitzvot, emuna and tefilla, tamim tihiyu im Hashem ...The best thing to do is to move forward as you are doing, and focus on Ein Od Milvado, and stop listening to classes about the erev rav. Look at the Hidabroot site for positive stories about what is happening in Israel, with many, many heart-warming stories of Israelis making tshuva.

    I have been listening to Rav Brody for years and appreciate his wisdom and advice, and know that he has helped many people, myself included, just by taking what he says in simplicity without the whatifs, which is why I recommend listening to him.

    About the jab, I didn't get it, but even if for some reason you tried not to have it and were forced into it, you still need to focus on Ein Od Milvado. Hashem decides who will live and who will ... not a doctor and not a jab. The whole situation in the world, corona, antisemitism, aliya etc is to get us to strengthen our emuna in Hashem.

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  8. I just wanted to add that I wish you and your family behatzlacha raba in your aliya, and that you should be the poster family for a happy, smooth and successful aliya, Be"D!

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  9. elisheva: It's very brave and easy for you to say, 'make aliya' being you live there, as if it's just packing up and going. Right now, whether you want to look away at what govt's. dictate; they have the upper hand. They want everyone jabbed or taking those phony pcr tests and quarantines. H' does not want us to decide which poison to take, the jab or still being in galut. H' will not abandon any Yehudi who yearns to come home and to see the rebuilt beit Hamikdash (hopefully soon)and to welcome Moshiah tzdkeinu very soon. HE knows what's in everyone's heart and mind. Right now, what's left for every Jew is to teshuvah to the best of his ability and have TOTAL Emunah and Bitachon in Hashem and HE will surely be there for that Jew!

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  10. Thank you, Elisheva. BH have not gotten it (or been forced yet).

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  11. Anonymous (13/7/21 8:11 PM) I agree wholeheartedly. I am NOT looking for reasons not to come home. A very confusing time but at the same time the ikar of what Hashem really wants from us is slowly coming into focus. TEFILLA!

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  12. "Right now, whether you want to look away at what govt's. dictate; they have the upper hand. They want everyone jabbed or taking those phony pcr tests and quarantines. H' does not want us to decide which poison to take, the jab or still being in galut."

    Upper hand is something that applies here and everywhere. Wanting is not doing. Also here and many other places. There is no such choice before us now. Will there be? Here or there? Neither you nor I know the answer to that. If that were your only impediment, I would say that's 100% self-imposed.

    Personally I don't think it will be forced so much as "encouraged" in various ways. Here as well as many other places. But for now, people I know here who are not vaxxed are not bothered any more than anyone else.

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  13. Shimshon, I'm going to attempt to not get bent out of shape about your "self imposed" assertion – as I know it comes from a holy place. However, when I say it jeopardized my shalom bayis, I'm talking one more word and it would have been curtains. Do you understand now?

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