Geulah Watch - Next 24 Hours?

20 Tishrei 5785
5th Day Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot 

A year ago at this time, I was watching and waiting for the beginning of WW3 and the beginning of the War of GoguMagog.  I never imagined that a full year later it would still be going on or that it would be as costly or as brutal as it has turned out to be.  I'm guessing the year of plagues in Egypt was very similar.

Consider the following excerpts which are featured at the Shirat Devorah blog...

...Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein,, speaking at his beis midrash in Ramat Elchanan, Bnei Brak, mentioned the mesorah passed down through generations from the Vilna Gaon stating that the War of Gog and Magog will take place during three hours of Hoshanah Rabbah, and whoever wants to be saved should sit in the sukkah. Concerning this, it is said, “For He will conceal me in His sukkah on the day of evil” – the day of evil being the War of Gog and Magog – and whoever wishes to be saved should sit in the sukkah, said Rav Zilberstein.  Rav Zilberstein noted that his brother-in-law, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, said that these three hours refer to the hours before sunrise on Hoshanah Rabbah.

..."The Gemara describes the seven years before Mashiach's arrival.  In the first two years, the rain will be different. During the third year, many tzaddikim will be niftar. This will continue into the first half of the fourth year, the last six months of which will be good. These are understood to be the Covid years. In year five, the Gemara tells us, "Torah chozeres el lomdehah" - we'll come back to the Torah. Yeshivos and batei medrash will re-open, and we'll experience shefa in both ruchniyus [spirituality]  and gashmiyus [physicality].  ln the sixth year, the year after shemittah, there will be rumors that Mashiach is coming. The seventh year - 5784, according to this cheshbon - will be full of wars. Then Mashiach will arrive."

~ Sunrise in Jerusalem on Hoshanah Rabbah will be approximately 06:48. ~

The entire holiday so far has been very difficult for me this year, but the past two days were the hardest days I've had, I think, for the entire year.  It's like everything just caught up with me.  I've never felt so close to giving up, but I just kept clinging on by my fingernails and this morning, that dark mood has lifted and I feel calm and at peace and some measure of happiness.  Like a major battle has just ended.  Maybe it's all over in Shamayim and now it just remains to be realized in this world.

~ With that in mind, I am on active geulah watch.  Join me! ~

For review:  For This We Wait , Hoshanah Rabbah, the Aravot and the Erev Rav, and In the Spirit of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (written Oct. 6, 2023)...