7 Marcheshvan 5784
If you are blessed from Above to live in Eretz Yisrael, strengthen your emuna and bitachon and stand firm where you are.
DO NOT JUMP FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE!
***
From The Ishmaelite Exile by Rabbi Yechiel Weitzman, copyright 2006, Jerusalem Publications:
...When evil gets stronger, this increased power is itself a sign that the evil is about to give way to the redemption waiting to emerge.
......the imminent redemption is very unique. Man's evil inclination will leave him, and the world will return to the state it was in before Adam's sin. This is why evil will become so much stronger in this era.
Our sages tell us (Midrash Daniel 12:11) that the verse "It will be a time of distress the likes of which there had never been from when they became a nation until that time, and at that time, Your people will escape" (Daniel 12:1) refers to the birth pangs of Mashiach.
...the Chofetz Chaim writes:
The days of exile are like a pregnancy, and the end is like the contractions of labor. With contractions of labor it is known that if a woman is having a hard time giving birth, when the difficulties overwhelm her to the point where she can't bear it any longer, the midwife will comfort her by saying that the pains won't last much longer. She'll say, "Don't be afraid. This is a sign that the birth is near." This is exactly how it is with this matter. As long as our many troubles were not overwhelming, we could think that the pregnancy would continue for a long time. But now that the troubles are so strong that they are unbearable, we can certainly look forward to the revelation of His salvation soon (Shem Olam, in the name of the Vilna Gaon).We must understand, however, that there is another reason for the intensification of evil: the separation between the forces of good and evil, as will be explained.
The Gemara says, "The son of David (Moshiach) will come only in a generation that is either entirely worthy or entirely unworthy" (Sanhedrin 98a).
...how can there be "a generation that is entirely unworthy"?
...The Vilna Gaon explains that the generation spoken of here will be like any other, with both righteous and evildoers. The words of the Gemara will apply to each individual. Every individual will follow a set course, either toward utopian perfection or toward absolute evil. Little by little, the numbers of those who waver between the two directions will disappear, for each one of them will decide on one of the two.
...In short, at the time of "the footsteps of Moshiach," evil will increase in the world and be readily apparent. This is good news for the approaching redemption, for many will learn to identify it for what it is. Then they will abandon it and improve themselves in the direction of absolute good. Others, who also search for perfection in their way, will become more evil and will distance themselves completely from Judaism.
[I firmly believe this is what we witnessed over the past nine months of the Kaplan protests and it culminated in the attacks on Judaism on Yom Kippur. I believe that signaled the end of the birur. It only waited until the sealing of the decree on Hoshana Rabbah to be carried out.]
...This is also linked to the coming of Moshiach, for when people's choices are not clear, good and evil remain a mixture in the world, and the time is not yet ripe for Moshiach's arrival. But when good and evil are clearly distinct and separate from each other, redemption will arrive.
***
"Righteous is Hashem in all His ways and magnanimous in all His deeds. Hashem is close to all who call upon Him - to all who call upon Him sincerely. The will of those who fear Him He will do; and their cry He will hear, and save them. Hashem protects all who love Him; but all the wicked He will destroy." (Ashrei Prayer)
He will save you, if you are His,
even when the rockets are falling and the bullets are flying!!!
Incredible Story of Hashgacha Pratit
Regarding the protests, I think this post is interesting.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.timesofisrael.com/in-stunning-response-15000-volunteers-fill-leadership-vacuum-to-help-victims-of-hamas/
— ROCKET MISS… a rocket landed in one of the Arab villages in the Gush Etzion area, injuring 3 Arabs. (Realtime Updates)
ReplyDeleteParty on Friday night which is Shabbat what do you expect was Gd happy? I do not think so! Hilul Shabbat in public! I hope many of the survivals will Shomer Shabat after all, I hope everybody will see the hand of Hashem and will start to keep Shabat properly. That is the solution . Ki Eshmera Shabat Kel Ishmereni….who keeps Shabat , Hashem will save
ReplyDelete—Moshe
Unfortunately this lucky young guy did not thank HaShem for the great miracle ! Hopefully he'll understand this sooner than later ......
ReplyDeleteSo, he said he prayed to God for help and you call him "lucky". I didn't hear him attribute his life to "luck" as you just did. But it's kind of understood that if you say you put yourself in God's hands and you survived, you'd be attributing the salvation to Him. He was struggling with the language and his emotions. Furthermore, to speak so openly about putting your faith in Hashem's salvation in such a public forum took a lot of courage in itself, because it is so looked down upon by 'enlightened' people. He shows a lot of faith and courage for someone obviously deprived of a Torah education growing up. I pray he continues to draw closer to the God of his salvation.
DeleteYes, I agree with you Chaya Devorat @9:07. He said a number of times that he really didn't know anything - he comes from Brazil and apparently has no religious background, but he is, B;H, G-D fearing. H' is giving him a chance in his living now in Eretz Yisrael to learn all about who he is and will have, hopefully, a Torah life. I have a feeling that this horrific experience had a
Deletegreat impact on him and he sees the Hand of H' in his having been saved.