Chevlei Moshiach (Birth Pains)

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, zs'kl, wrote 2,000 years ago in the Zohar HaKadosh, (Tikunei Zohar; Tikun 60) the following about President Gog Bush and End of Days.

לבתר ...זמנא תנינא יתוב , וכדין חשוכא תקיפא יתחזי וכמה זעפין יהון בעלמאוכמה טורין רברבין יתבקעון דאתר בהו
During and after President's Gog second visit to the Holy Land, there will be gigantic events in the world.

'זעפין בעלמא'
Judgment on the world will be tightly stretched.

In the Sefer Chesed L’Avraham (Maayan 2, Nahar 59) written by the Kadosh Tzaddik Rav Avraham Azulai, zs'l, he writes, "At the end of the year 5,760 (the latest possible date of 5760 is end of 5769) since the creation of the world, the Pasuk from Zechariah 13;2 "וְאֶת-רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה, אַעֲבִיר מִן-הָאָרֶץ and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" will occur.

Since President Gog Bush's second visit to the Holy Land in May 2008, the world has witnessed tremendeous catastrophies. If one is not familiar with the above prophecies, they would claim that the world is spinning out of control, literally.

The world is enduring an almost mind-numbing series of shocks in recent weeks:
* More than 69,000 people died in the China earthquake;
* 78,000 were killed and 56,000 missing from the Myanmar cyclone;
* Midwestern levees are bursting;
* Floods engulf Midwestern river towns;
* Gas prices are skyrocketing;
* Food is becoming scarcer and more expensive on a worldwide scale;
* Residents of the nation's capital and its suburbs repeatedly lose power for extended periods as mere thunderstorms rumble through;
* In California, unrelenting drought;
* Weak U.S. dollar;
* USA on verge of economy collapse;
* Utilities across the globe are raising power prices up by 30%;
* Killer tornadoes and record floods across the U.S.;
* A plague of locusts in New England;
* Hundreds of wildfires sparked by lightning in Northern California;
* Typhoon Fengshen in Manila.
* Daily earthquakes (June 12 in Israel; 5 earthquakes within 24 hours)

In the past, many of these signs were seen individually, such as rampant wars, widespread disease, earthquakes, but they never occurred simultaneously as they have now been occurring.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, zs'kl, lifted up his hands and wept. 'Woe,' he said, 'to him who will live at that time! Yet fortunate he who will live at that time! When the Holy One comes to visit Israel, He will examine who it is that remains loyal to Him at that time, and then woe to him who shall not be found worthy, and of whom it shall be said, "I looked and there was none to help" (Isa. 22, 23)

When terrible tragedies and chaos happens to us, we must realize that HaShem is sending us a clear message to do Teshuva. When we turn our tragedies into opportunities for deeper spiritual connection, careful introspection about our actions, and greater commitment to HKB'H, then we may find the Divine spark of compassion and hope in our darkest times.

Chazal says that at the "End of Days" if we do not repent on our own, Hashem will force us to repent so He can bring about the Final Redemption. He does this because He is merciful and wants us to repent so we can attain the ultimate reward.

אבינו מלכנו החזירנו בתשובה - Our Father, Our King, return us in Teshuva - AMEN.