Rav Chizkia Shlita

The meaning of the name Chizkia is 'Power from G-d'.

During the time that King Chizkia, zs'l, was king over Israel, the general Sancheriv came to conquer the land. After destroying every town in the country he finally arrived at Jerusalem. His astrologers had informed him that in order to take Jerusalem, he would have to arrive there and attack on that very day, before sunset. If he failed to attack on that day, he would lose the opportunity. He had heard many stories about the invincibility of Jerusalem, and how it could never be taken, so when he arrived there, and saw that the whole city was only a ten minute walk from one side to the other, he burst out laughing and told his generals that he was going to sleep, and that he would attack and destroy the city in the morning. But his advisers had been correct, that very night, a plague, sent by Hashem, hit his army, and its one hundred and eighty five generals and millions of men were all destroyed, and Sancheriv had to run away and hide.

The prophet Yeshayahu, zs'l, informed King Chizkia that it would be proper and fitting for him to sing praises to Hashem for the great miracle that had been done for them. King Chizkia disagreed, he felt that it would be more suitable to learn Torah in honor of the miracle.

This was a great mistake for King Chizkia to make, for really, the singing of the praises of Hashem is on no less a level than Torah learning. However, when the time comes to sing the praises of Hashem, even Torah learning must take second place.

King Chizkia, zs'l, would have become the Moshiach and the redemption would have come immediately but because he did not sing his thanks to HaShem, the opportunity for redemption was lost.

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Is it no wonder that the last link for building the Tzion for Devorah HaNevia, a'h, is Rav Chizkia Shlita???? ...More details to come...

Motzei Parshat Bo, Shvat 8-9, I was told that MOSHIACH'S ARRIVAL IS DEPENDED ON DEVORAH HANEVIA, A'H.
MOSHIACH WILL ARRIVE AFTER DEVORAH HANEVIA'S TZION IS BUILT.

במדרש זוטא לשיר השירים פרשה א לפסוק: שיר השירים אשר לשלמה, נדרש: עשר שירות הן. שירת אדם, שירת אברהם, שירת הים, שירת הבאר, שירת משה, שירת יהושע, שירת דבורה, שירת דוד, שירת שלמה דשיר השירים ושירת לעולם הבא [שנאמר] שירו לה' שיר חדש (ישעיה מ"ב י')..."

"עורי עורי דבורה עורי עורי דברי שיר".

ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות
Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds
ברוך אתה ה' הטוב והמטיב, אמן

Secret of the Mikveh & Redemption

From the sefer Chesed L’Avraham (Maayan 2, Nahar 59) written by the Kadosh Tzaddik Rav Avraham Azulai, zs'l.

Kadosh Elyon Rav Avraham Azulai says that a Kabbalah tradition of true Torah scholars say that 400 squads of impurity lies on each person. In order to remove the impure squads, 40 Se'a of water is needed. Each Se'a of water equals the total weight of 144 eggs.

A person is created from 4 foundations; water, air, fire, and earth. The only way for the impure squads to be removed from oneself is thru water, as it says, Zechariah 13;2 "וְאֶת-רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה, אַעֲבִיר מִן-הָאָרֶץ and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land".

It is unnatural for unclean spirits to be in water and as soon as a person enters Mikveh water, the impure spirits must leave him. How does the impure leave the person? When a person first places his 2 legs inside the Mikveh water, the impure squads travel upwards and as the person lowers his body inside the water, the impure squads travel upwards on his body. It is therefore necessary to dunk the whole body into the Mikveh water. If even one hair is not dunked into the water, the person is just as impure as he was before going into the Mikveh water. This is because the 400 impure squads travels to that one strand of hair and when the person goes out of the Mivkeh water, they again spread out throughout his body.

Each Se'a of water of the Mikveh can remove 10 impure squads. Multiply 10 by 40 Se'a water of the Mikveh, it equals 400 and therefore, it removes the 400 impure squads.

There are 10 places in the body that have hair compared to 10 impure squads:
1. Hair on head
2. Hair on the right cheek
3. Hair on the left cheek
4. Armpit of the right
5. Armpit on the left
6. On the throat
7. On the right knee
8. On the left knee
9. Brit Kodesh
10. And behind it.
These 10 places are used like a chair for the impure squads to sit on when the person is impure.

The weight measurement of the Mikveh is five thousand seven hundred and sixty 5,760 (144 measurement of eggs multiplied by 40 Se'a) And this is the secret of the end of days...

At the end of the years 5,760 (the latest 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. As well as the Pasuk from Leviticus 26;6 "וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה, מִן-הָאָרֶץ, וְחֶרֶב, לֹא-תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land" will also occur. (In other words, the latest date possible that all impurities will cease in the world is at the end of 5769).

Having read the above, we can now understand the mysterious eight-year-long global temperature crisis which included disasterous tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, etc...

ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות
Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds

Gog from the Land of Magog

In tractate Sanhedrin (94,a) the Talmud reveals: “G-d, blessed be He, wished to appoint Hezekiah (zs'l, King of Judah in 562 BCE) as the Messiah, and Sennacherib (King of the Assyrian Empire) as Gog and Magog”. The Talmud goes on to explain why this plan did not materialize.

It is clear from the Talmud that Magog is not a specific nation. At the time of Redemption, whenever that may be, a given nation will take on the identity of Magog, regardless of its particular name or local. So how do we identify Gog and Magog in our day?

The key to this secret was revealed by the great and holy mystic, Rabbi Issac Luria, zs'l, (Safed, Israel 1534-1572), the most eminent of all kabbalists. His word is the undisputed final word amongst all Jewish sages in every part of the world for almost 500 years. He is said to have studied with the prophet Elijah on a daily basis. He is known as “The Holy Ari of Blessed Memory.”

The Ari revealed the following: The words “GogUMagog” have the numeric value of 70 [3+6+3+6+40+3+6+3]. Seventy is the number of nations mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 10). In Jewish writings, reference is frequently made to the 70 non-Jewish nations of the world. (The fact that there are close to 200 independent nations today is not relevant, as a group of politically independent countries may be considered one nation. For example, 21 Arab countries are only one nation). This alludes to the fact that Gog from Magog is the head of the super power which dominates the 70 nations of the world.

The AriZal has thus clearly and unequivocally identified Magog as the super-power of the world. He has uncovered the mystery. Magog is none other then this country of ours, the United States of America, and “Gog” is its president.

The location of the Land of Israel at the centre of the world is based on another tradition, namely that the creation of the earth began from the Even Hashisiya, the Foundation Stone located in the holiest part of the Temple (Talmud Yoma 54b, Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 3).

This is the stone that is presently under The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. (According to the Kabbalists the Foundation Stone is not only the center of this planet, but it is the centre of the all reality. See Sefer Yetzira 4:4. This will be developed at length when we discuss the secret of Jerusalem) .

In fact, in the very place where Ezekiel shares his vision about Gog and his armies coming from “the distant north” (Ezekiel 38:6, 39:2), he also places Israel at “the navel,” i.e., the center, of the earth (ibid. 38:12). Thus, the prophet himself gives us the “key” to locate the region he considers “the distant north.”

However, the question begs to be asked. Why are we designating either the entire U.S.A., or the State of Alaska as being north of Jerusalem and not west?

Here we find another amazing phenomenon. Logic would dictate that in determining the relationship between two areas on a globe, we would set the direction based on the shortest distance.

The distance between Jerusalem and northern Alaska (the furthest northern state of America) is practically identical to the distance between Jerusalem and eastern Main (the furthest eastern state of America). They are both 5,300 miles away! Hence from a physical perspective the U.S. is both north and west of Jerusalem.

However from a metaphysical perspective, America’s role as Magog corresponds to its northern character. (In the Kabbalah the link between Esau/Edom and the Left/North is extensively developed. In fact in the Bahir, one of the oldest and most important of all classical kabbalah texts (written in the first century by Rabbi Nechuniah ben HaKana), “north” is identified as the source of all evil (chapter 163 in Rabbi Kaplan’s edition). For this reason, the prophet as well, focuses on the northern connection of Magog.

We find a similar phenomenon regarding ancient Babylon.

Babylon was about 500 miles east of Jerusalem, but only about 50 miles north. Clearly we would consider Babylon east of Jerusalem, not north. Indeed, throughout the Babylonian Talmud, the sages refur to the Land of Isreal as “Ma’arava”, the “West.” Yet when G-d informed Jeremiah about the impending destruction of Israel by the hands of Babylon, the prophet is told (Jeremiah 1:14), “Out of the north the evil shall come forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.” (See Talmud, Bava Basra 25b).

Here too we are to understand this from a metaphysical perspective. Although from a geographic perspective Babylon is essentially east of Jerusalem. From an inner spiritual perspective, it is it’s northern dimension which is the primary sourse of its destructive power against Israel.

There is another interesting link between America and the “north”.The Kabbalists reveal that the two world religions, Christianity and Islam, are each linked to opposite directions. Christianity is represented by the “North” or the “left” when facing East. Islam is connected to the “South” or the right side. (The explanation of this correlation is beyond the scope of this letter). Incidentally, that is why, the Christians celebrate Sunday which is to the “left” of the Jewish Shabbat. And the Moslems celebrate Friday, which corresponds to the “right” side.

Thus, when the prophet Daniel reveals that “at the time of the End, the king of the south will engage the forces of the north” (Daniel 11:40), he is prophesizing that America, a predominantly Christian nation will be drawn into military confrontation with Islamic countries (Afghanistan, Iraq etc.).

Why is America in Iraq?
There is also another aspect to America’s “northern connection”.

We can safely assume that G-d brought the U.S.A. to Iraq to rid the world of the final incarnation of the evil Nebuchadnezzar. But now that the Americans are stationed in Iraq, they are quite literally “North” of Jerusalem even according to the common designation of “north”. (Interestingly, the US is stationed in the northern part of Iraq. Southern Iraq which is east of Jerusalem is occupied by the British and the Poles.)

I find it fascinating that the United States, whom G-d has designated as the final nation to confront Israel at the End of Days, has now occupied the very same region as ancient Babylon, the very first nation to confront and conquer the Jewish state 2,427 years ago!

Another interesting observation is that Mogog has the Gematria (numeric value) of 52 [40+3+6+3]. The number 52 corresponds to the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Indeed the U.S. has other inhabited territories: Guam (166,000), U.S. Virgin Islands (109,000), the Northern Mariana Islands (78,000), and American Samoa (58,000). However, none of these areas contain a population anywhere near that of any of the other states.

In contrast, Puerto Rico’s population of almost 4,000,000 is larger then more then half of the states in America. The District of Columbia’s population of around 600,000 is about the same as Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska and Vermont.

In addition, both Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have strong and organized movements who are pushing for statehood, whereas with the others it is a non issue.

It is therefore very possible that in the spiritual realms, where the prophets experience their visions, the U.S. is represented by 52 distinct spiritual forces, even though from a technical and legal point of view down on Earth, 2 of the 52 are not actually “states”.

It is also possible that in the not-so-distant future, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia will indeed be granted statehood. Although this may take a decade or two, in the spiritual worlds where things move very rapidly, it seems as if this is occurring at around the same time as the wars of GogUmogog.

[It is important to stress the following: One can never prove anything from a Gematria or any form of Torah code. There are only 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and therefore numerous unrelated words will share numeric values. It is only once we are certain of a specific truth, that we can then go on to add “spice and pepper” by pointing out that this particular truth which has been established, is also reflected in a Gematria or another form of code.]

Now that we know which country is “Magog”, we also know who the prophet is referring to by “Gog”. The president of the United States, at the time of this war is the “Gog” of Ezekiel.

It is interesting to note that throughout the Bible leaders of nations are “kings”. Here the prophet titles the leader of Magog as a “Nasi,” which is best translated as an elected president. The prophet knew that we would be dealing with a democratic country and an elected leader.

The prophet calls Gog the president of Magog, and also the leader Meshekh and Tuval. Many suggestions have been offered as to the exact identity of these two countries. I suggest that Meshekh and Tuval be translated literally. Meshekh means “to pull” or “draw” and Tuval means “the world.” The leader of Magog is also the World leader, the one who pulls and draws the entire world to the direction he chooses.

George W. Bush, must be “Gog”!

Interestingly, the name, George, is closely related to the Hebrew “Gog.” (The Hebrew letter “Gimmel” can be pronounced either as a soft G (J) or a hard G. In the Koran “Gog” is spelled with the Arabic equivalent of “JOJ”).

In addition, the numeric value of the first 2 letters of Mogog, Mem and Gimel, is 43, alluding to George the 43rd.

The letter “Mem” at the beginning of a word means “from”. Thus, Gog Mogog may also be hinting at George from (the son of) George.

Another interesting observation:
As mentioned earlier, the Talmud reveals that Sennacherib was poised to become “Gog”. The Kabbalists teach that they actually share the same soul. In Hebrew, both you, Gog Bush [3+6+3+2+6+300], and Sennacherib [60+50+8+200+2] share the same numeric value [320]!

Although Bush is a strong supporter of Israel, stronger than most previous presidents of the United States, and clearly head and shoulders above every other head of state in the world, he has stopped short of publicly acknowledging the Biblical right of the Jews over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. He have personally blocked the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem several times.

He has also failed to identify and target the true culprits of the 9/11 massacre. They are obviously not the Taliban or Saddam Hussein but rather Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in whose midst the monsters who perpetrated that atrocity were born and bred. Under the watchful and dictatorial eye of both governments, venomous hatred to both Christians and Jews has been encouraged.

Bush is unable to mouth this obvious truth, and continues to refer to these countries as US allies.
He has made major steps in the right direction, and will continue to go further. He will most likely isolate and even possibly neutralize Iran and Syria. But as far as identifying the essential source of evil - militant Islamic fanaticism, embraced openly by hundreds of millions of Moslems worldwide, and tolerated by hundreds of millions more - he is silent.

He is now pressuring Israel to grant the 22nd Arab Islamic state of Palestine partial sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount as predicted by the prophet Zechariah, and complete his preordained historic role as “Gog from the land of Mogog”.

Rabbi Shlomo Ben Yitzchok, zs'l, (France, 1040-1103) was one of the greatest Jewish scholars in the past 1000 years. He is known as Rashi. He wrote the most popular and authoritative commentary on the Bible. He begins his commentary with a powerful question:

The Hebrew name for the Bible is “Torah” which means (Book of) Directives or Instruction. The primary purpose of the Torah is to teach us how to act. If so, why does the Torah include the book of Genesis? The entire book is composed of stories and historical data, beginning with the creation of the world, continuing on to the life of Noah, and then to the lives of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There are practically no “Mitzvot” (directives) in the entire book?!

Rashi's answer (which he cites from an earlier Midrashic source from the 5th century) is shocking. The entire book of Genesis was included in the Torah for one purpose. At the “End of Days” just prior to the redemption the Jews will have returned to their ancient homeland. The non-Jewish nations will then claim that the Jews are thieves who stole the land from others. In response, the Jews will produce the Book of Genesis, where G-d repeatedly assures each of the Patriarchs that the Holy Land is given to their descendants.

The obvious question is this: Why would the non-Jewish nations be impressed by what it says in the Jewish Bible?

The answer is equally obvious: G-d foresaw that at the “Time of the End”, the nations whose opinion matters will be lead by people who are deeply committed to the will of G-d, as expressed in the Bible. Otherwise, an entire book of the Bible would have been added for no reason.

Which American president since Abraham Lincoln really cared about what is says in the Bible? Which president ever did, or ever will, override the State Department, the CFR, the U.N., the E.U., the Media and everyone else because of what he feels is the will of G-d expressed in the Bible?

Think about it and you will realize why I am certain that those prophetic words written by a great Jewish sage 1500 years ago, were addressed to President George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States of America!

Think about it. An entire book of the Bible was added by G-d and will endure for all eternity, just so that one man, leading the greatest and strongest country on earth will listen to its message at this crucial juncture in the history of man.

“The entire land of Israel from the Jordan River, and its West Bank, until the Mediterranean and east bank (Gaza, Gush Katif), and of course, including Jerusalem, is G-d’s gift to the Jews, and only the Jews.” That’s the message.

But Bush has chosen to ignore G-d and His Torah.

Bush is ignoring G-d’s word!

Bush is exerting pressure on Israel to relinquish significant parts of their tiny country and hand them over to unrepentant murderers. And this, while he is pursuing with uncompromising conviction those that directed their terror at the United States. The hypocrisy is blinding! He will even pressure Israel to give up parts of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, as the prophets clearly predicts!

The question is: Why?

Why is it so important to the massive combined forces of “GogUMagog” and all his allies amongst the Muslims and the Jews to keep the Temple Mount out of Jewish hands? Why is Bush together with all other Christian countries and the world media collaborating with murderers and terrorists against Jerusalem?

Source: The Prophecy of Magog

Torah's Ultimates

"בן בג בג אומר: הפוך בה והפוך בה, דכולא בה"
"Ben Bag Bag says: Delve in the Torah and continue to delve in the Torah for everything is in it; look deeply into it ..." (Pirkei Avos 5:26)

BOOKS, CHAPTERS, & VERSES

Shortest word
The opening letter Hey in Deuteronomy Chapter 32;6 ( הַ לְיְהוָה, תִּגְמְלוּ-זֹאת; Hey is considered a word in itself)

Longest word
3 words containing 11 letters:
וְהָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִים - (and the satraps); Megillat Esther Esther Chapter 9;3
וכעלילותיהם - (and their plots) Ezekiel 7
וכתועבותיהן - (after their abominations); Ezekiel 16:47

Shortest Verse
"אדם שת אנוש" (Adam, Seth, Enosh); Chronicles 1;1

Longest Verse
Megillat Esther; 8 (43 words)

Shortest Chapter
Psalms 117 (2 verses)

Longest Chapter
Psalms 119 (176 verses in alphabetical order; 8 verses per letter)

Shortest Sefer (Book)
Ovadia (only one chapter)

Longest Sefer
Psalms (150 chapters)

NAMES:
Most common male name in the Torah
14 men were named Zecharia and 14 men were named Meshulam.
13 men were named Yoel.
If the name Zecharia and Zecharyahu are considered same name, 27 men in the Torah were named it.

Most common female name
5 women were named Ma'acha, including King David's wife and Rachava'am's wife.
3 women were named Tamar: Yehuda's daughter in law; King David's daughter (Amnon's half sister); and King David's grandaugher (Avshalom's daughter).

Most mentioned name
(King) David is written 1,023 times.
Moshe (Rabenu, a'h) is written 414 times.

Most names for one person
"פלא יועץ, אל גבור, אבי עד, שר השלום" (Pele-Yoetz-El-Gibbor-Avi-Ad-Sar-Shalom); Isaiah 9;5

Longest male name
נבוכדראצור (Nebuchadrezzar); Jeremiah 49;28

Longest female name
הַצְלֶלְפּוֹנִי (Hazlelponi); 1 Chronicles 4;3 (according to the Midrash, she was Manoach's wife and Shimshon's mother).

Fastest man
Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field (2 Samuel 2;18)
Naftali was compared to "Naphtali is a hind let loose"

City with most names
Yerushalayim is also called City of Shalem, Ariel, Tzion, City of Yevus, City of David, and much more.

Most mentioned city
Yerushalayim is written 700 times.

Name with most various spelling
נבוכדנאצר מלך בבל, שנתכנה גם נבוכדאצר, נבוכדאצור, נבוכדנצור (Nebuchadrezzar)

HUSBANDS AND WIVES
Husband with most wives
King Shlomo (a'h) had 1,000 wives.

Wife with most husbands
Michal, daughter of King Shaul. Her husbands were Adriel HaMecholi, King David, Palsi ben Lish.

First man to have 2 wives
Lemach; Ada and Tzila.

WAR AND PEACE
The longest period of peace
During the reign of the Judge Ehud ben Gra. The land was peaceful for 80 years.
During Prophet Devorah''s (a'h) reign among other judges, the land was peaceful for 40 years.

Battle where all were killed
In the Pool of Gibeon (all 24 soldiers died); 2 Samuel Chapter 2;13

Battle between most kings
The battle of Vale of Siddim; 9 kings participated (Genesis 14)

SONS AND DAUGHTERS
Most sons
Judge Gideon had 70 sons (it is said that he had 71 sons and Avimelech, whom killed the sons of Gideon, was the 71st son (Judges 8;30).

King Achav had 70 sons (2 Kings 10;1)

Avdon son of Hillel HaParatoni, the 12th judge, was a father to 40 sons (Judges 12;9)

Most daughters
Rachava'am had 60 daughters (2 Chonicles 11;21)

Abtzan, Judge of Bet Lechem, had 30 daughters (Judges 12;9)

Most famous females
Jephte's daughter (an only daughter).
Tzaluphachad's daughers (he only had daughters); Malka, No'a, Chulga, Machla and Tirtza.

FAST AND MOURNING
Longest fast
Moshe Rabenu (zs'l) fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34;28)

Shortest fast
Queen Esther and her mainservants fasted for 3 days (Esther 4;19)

YOUNGEST ORPHAN
Yo'ash ben Achazi was one year old when his father died.

ANIMALS AND PLANTS
Largest animal
The Livyatan (Isaiah 27;1)
It is said in the Torah that the sea-monsters were giants (Genesis 1;21)

Most names for an animal:
The lion, also called Shachal, Lavi, Ari, K'fir, and Lish (Job 4;10-11)

Verse with most trees mentioned;
Isaiah 41;19 אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה, וַהֲדַס וְעֵץ שָׁמֶן; אָשִׂים בָּעֲרָבָה, בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר--יַחְדָּו.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane-tree, and the larch together;

Smallest animal
The ant (Proverbs 6;6)
The flea (1 Samuel 24;14)

Fastest animal
The leopard (Habakkuk 1;8)
The eagle (Jeremiah 4;13)

Tallest and most powerful trees
Palm and cedar tree
"צדיק כתמר יפרח, כארז בלבנון ישגה The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Psalms 92;13)

NUMBERS
Largest number
A thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword (אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ, שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב; Chronicles 21;5

Smallest number
Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah והאומר עשירי האיפה הוא (Exodus 16;36)

KINGS
Longest kingdom
The kingdom of Menashe, son of Chizkiyahu king of Yehuda; 55 years.

Shortest kingdom
* Zimri was a king for only 7 days.

* Shalom ben Yavesh was king for 1 month only.

* Yehoachaz and Yehochin ruled for 3 months each.

Longest dynasty
* The house of Yehu; 5 kings - Yehu, Yehoachaz son of Yehu, Yoash son of Yehoachaz, Yerava'am son of Yoach, and Zecharyahu son of Yerava'am.

* The house of Omri had 4 kings (Omri, his son Achav, his sons Achazia and Yehoram).

Largest kingdom
The kingdom of Achashverosh; he ruled 127 states.

Youngest king
Yo'ash was 7 years old when he became a king.

Oldest king
Yehoshafat was 35 years old.

JUDGES & PROPHETS
Longest ruling
Tola ben Pu'a (23 years)

Shortest ruling
Iftach the Giladi (6 years)

Longest prophet book
Isaiah (66 chapters)

Shortest prophet book
Ovadia (1 chapter)

First prophet
Avraham Avinu (zs'l); Genesis 20;7

First prophet to prophesize for many kings
Hoshe'a in the days of Aziyahu, Yotam, Achaz and Chizkiyahu, Kings of Yehuda, Yerava'am ben Yo'ash; king of Israel.

First prophetess to be mentioned in the Torah
Miriam HaNevia (a'h) Exodus 15;20

Other prophetesses
Devorah, Noadia, Chulda, as well as Yeshayahu's wife (Isaiah 8;3).

LIFE
Longest recorded life span
* Metushelach lived for 969 years;
* Yarad died at the age of 962;
* Noach lived for 950 years;
* Adam HaRishon lived for 930 years;
* Shet lived 912 years; and
* Enosh lived 905 years.

Shortest lifespan
Bat Sheva and King David's first son died after 7 days (2 Samuel 2;18)

Mentioned female's lifespan
The holy Torah states that Sara Imenu, a'h, died at 127 years.

Oldest father
Noach was 500 years old when he had Cham, Shem, and Yefet.

First twins
* Most famous twins are the sons of Yitzchak Avinu and Rivka Imenu: Yaakov (a'h) and Esav.

* Other famous twins are Perach and Zerach, sons of Yehuda.

Strongest and tallest
* Og, king of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3;11)

* Goliat (height was six cubits and a span) 1 Samuel 17;4.

* Shimshon was the strongest, he killed a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15;15).

* Shamgar ben Anat killed 600 men in Melamed HaBoker (Judges 3;31).

CHARACTERIZATION
Handsome men
King Shaul, King David and Avshalom.

Beautiful women
Sara, Rivka, Rochel Imenu, and queen Esther, a'h.

Fattest
Eglon, king of Moav

Strongest
Shimshon

Fastest
Asha'el

Smartest
King Shlomo

Drunkards
Noach and Lot

Tormented
Iyov (Job)

Scoundrel
Naval HaCarmeli

Traitor
Zimri ben Salu

Loyal
Rut

FIRSTS
First career
Hevel (shepherd)

First killer
Kayin (killed his brother Hevel)

First city
Chanoch (named after Kayin's son)

First grandson
Chanoch son of Kayin, grandson of Adam and Chava.

First to have multiple wives
Lemach, husband of Ada and Tzila

First musician
Yuval (played the violin and pipe organ)

First woodworker
Noach built the ark.

First metal
Gold

First prophet
Avraham Avinu, zs'l

Behold the Dreamer

By Rabbi Meir Kahane, zs"kl
"Kahane" magazine (Feb 1978) p.10-11

"And they said one to another: 'Behold, the dreamer....' " (Genesis 37)

It is said in the Talmud that from the time that the Temple was destroyed prophecy was given over to children and fools. The concept is staggering! Prophecy! Is there anything greater for man to achieve? Prophecy! To be in deepest communion with G-d, to sense the future, to speak of that which will be. What an astounding gift and it is given over to children and fools?

There is profound and sad wisdom in the words of the rabbis who contemplated a post-destruction world that saw not only a Temple structure leveled but also a human level lowered and profaned. The end of the spiritual presence of the Temple and the flight of the Shechina, the Divine presence, led also to the debasement of the spiritual nature of man. His faith and belief in things that were part of the soul were replaced by an inability to believe in that which he could not see and touch.

Pragmatism and realism and logic became his yardsticks and touchstones and cynicism and doubt were his natural reactions to visions and dreams.

He mocked those who spoke of things that were of the spirit. He derided those who spoke of faith and destiny and Divine decree. He deprecated the dreamers with sneers of "fools!" He labeled the visionaries "children!" No, prophecy is not given over to children and to fools, but it is given to dreamers of dreams and to visionaries who are called those names.

One who does not believe in G-d and the greatness of the spirit tends to tear down the visionary with mockery and humiliation. He laughs at the young who dream great hopes and calls them "children." He sneers at the few who are beyond "reality" and "logic" and "practicality" and labels them "fools."

But it is these "children" and "fools" who DO possess the truth, who do grasp the prophetic vision that comes clearly through to them and the Biblical and Talmudic messages of faith that the non-believers mock and the 'wise'(?) believers ignore. And that which will be is perceived by the fools and the children---ONLY BY THEM---while the men of pragmatism sink into the graveyards of forgotten persons. Shimon Peres, leader of the Laborite logicians and losers, promoter of the program of "practicality," sneerer at seers and realist PAR EXCELLENCE, spoke with contempt of the fools and children, as he attacked Menachem Begin.

As early as 1947, said Peres, when the Laborites accepted the Partition Plan that ripped away all but a fraction of Eretz Yisrael from the Jewish People, Begin through his rejection of the scheme showed the difference between "vision and realism. It was the realism of Labor that brought Israel one of her greatest achievements."

And, of course, Begin's statements after his election victory were, according to Peres, "examples of the gap between a realist and visionary. One can make heart-rending speeches in Kadum, but there are still American interests and I am sure they will not be looked after according to the Books of Jeremiah and Isaiah...One can change a government, but one cannot change the world. One can change the regime, but one cannot change the situation."

The dwarf. The grasshopper. The little man of little faith who so symbolizes the tragic past ten years.

Peres is Joseph's brothers who watch him come and who sneer: "Behold, the dreamer cometh...." But, it was Joseph's dreams that proved to be real. Peres is the spy that Moses sent to Canaan and who came back trembling with fear. But, it was Joshua who believed, who led the Jews into Canaan and the spies who conceived of themselves as grasshoppers, vis-a-vis the giants of Canaan, who died in the desert.

One cannot change the world? One cannot change the situation? One must be "practical?" Thank G-d that the Pereses of the world did not dissuade the Herzls and Jabotinskys and Nordaus. Thank G-d that throughout the ages the visionaries named Abraham and Moses and Mattathias and Akiva overcame the practical men of little faith.

One remembers them. Rabin, in October of 1976, telling Parade Magazine: "If the United States deserts us, then our very existence wil be truly jeopardized." Man of logic and reason. Man of little faith. Gentile in Hebrew garb.

One remembers the words of General Shmuel Gonen describing Moshe Dayan at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War: "Dayan was a broken man and predicted a destruction of the Third Temple...." Dayan, the pragmatist, the realist, the logical military man.

The dwarf. The Grasshopper. The gentile with the Hebrew eye-patch.

All of them are the doubters, the scoffers, the men of no faith and little belief. Hussein speaks with tears of "Allah taking his beloved wife" and Fahd of Saudi Arabia releases prisoners in an "expression of gratitutde to G-d" for the recovery of King Khallad and Sadat speaks of Allah's aid in the Yom Kippur War, but the realists of Labor do not know G-d because He is not a practical concept.

One cannot change a world or a situation? Who says so? Does the survival of a people that wandered the earth for 2,000 years under incredible conditions of suffering, and without state, government, or army add up to logic? Does the return to Zion exactly as prophesied in the visions of the prophets constitute "realism?" Do the victories in four and six days over hordes of enemies constitute victories for rationality?

It is precisely the Books of Jeremiah and Isaiah that one turns to, not because of American interest, but because of Jewish ones. It is precisely the dependence on political, military, economic and realpolitik considerations that brings tragedy on Israel for not one of these things can save a state that has nothing to convince any ally to aid her.

Only the "children and the fools" understand. They, at whom the clever logicians and realists scoff and sneer, understand.

They SEE, they perceive, because they believe, because they have faith, because they are Jews. The generation of Peres is the generation of the desert. They cannot enter the Promised Land of Redemption.

They have no prophecy, and it is only the children who believe who will see the glory of G-d.
http://www.kahanetzadak.com/index1.html

The Last Chance

A sensational NEW movie about the end of days; the Last Chance. The world is in a state of terrifying whirlwind; natural disasters, world-wide terrorism, illnesses, plagues, wars, etc. Today's news causes us to forget yesterday's news. Everything is happening so quickly, too quickly. Each person knows and feels that the world is on the threshold of collapse.

Thru all this mess, something extra ordinary is happening. In the last decade, millions of people around the world are experiencing clinical death, popularity of séances grew dramatically, reincarnations, visions, dreams; things that never happened ever before in such large quantities. Today, all professionals, doctors, and scientists unanimously agree that there is life after death.

Documentary of people that were in the Heavenly Court and returned to life and share their experiences, including Sharon Nachshoni, Sa'ada, Dudu Mints, Nir Abujan, Yoni and Sharon, Rochel Noam, and more.

New prophetic visions from Sa'ada from the past and future; she describes the vision she saw 4 days before the twin towers fell but didn't know where it will happen because she was never in the United States. 4 days later, her neighbor called her to quickly come see the news. Both twin towers were hit and even before the towers fell, she said to her neighbor that the towers will fall as it was shown to her in the dream vision. Less than 15 minutes minutes later, both towers came crumbling down.

Sa'ada also speaks about a future prophetic vision she saw (at 41:33 minute) and gives detailed chilling descriptions of her vision (very similar to my and my sons' dream America Burning but much more detailed).
The Last Chance

What's Next: Doomsday and Redemption

Lecture presented by Rabbi Eliyahu Kin Shlita of Torah Ohr about where the world is headed as predicted by the prophets and as further elaborated in the Talmud and the Kabbalah.

The Nazi & His Jewish Grandchildren

In a trip to visit Israel, Rabbi Berel Wein attended morning services in a synagogue in Jerusalem. He relates that, unlike his own synagogue, which has benches facing the front of the synagogue, this synagogue had tables and benches, so he was forced to look at those praying opposite him. A tall, blue-eyed, blond-haired man and three blond small boys walked in and sat down opposite him. Rabbi Wein is used to the racial diversity of the citizens in Israel so little surprises him, but this was different; this particular family was definitely Aryan.

More noteworthy than their racial features was the seriousness and intensity of their praying. The children were especially well-behaved and followed the service dutifully without once wavering in their concentration. For Rabbi Wein, accustomed to the more freewheeling American child, it was an unusual experience.

Afterward, the rabbi remarked to a friend that they looked like fine people. His friend said that the man was a microbiologist at Hebrew University who happened to have an extraordinary story to tell. "Would you like to hear it?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer, called to his fellow congregant, "Avraham, this is Rabbi Berel Wein. I'm sure he would like to hear your story."

The two shook hands and agreed to walk home together. As they went, the rabbi listened to him tell the following story:

"I was born and brought up in Germany. My father was an officer in the elite Gestapo killing squad, the Todtenkopf (Deathhead Squad). He served throughout the war and after it was over successfully eluded apprehension. But his crimes were so heinous that years later the West German Republic continued to pursue him. Finally, he was caught and imprisoned for ten years. Later, because he was so old, they reduced his sentence and let him out after four and a half years.

"My father never talked about his past, and when he was caught, I read about his crimes in the newspaper. It was a bewildering experience to find out that my father led such a monstrous life.

"The family was shaken by the news. I was a teenager and became very confused by all the notoriety. When we went to visit him in prison I couldn't go in to see him. I felt as if he betrayed me. However, one useful thing came out of this -- I developed an interest in the War and found out as much as I could about the Todtenkopf and its role in the Holocaust.

"All this occurred around that time the Eichmann trial was taking place, and Holocaust material began to be published. I read all I could find and was able to get a general picture of what happened to the Jews. What I found out horrified me and the thought that my father took a role -- a leading role in the slaughter -- made me feel that perhaps our family was tainted with evil. If the conditions were the same, I asked myself, could I too become a killer?

"I took a trip, getting as far away from Germany as possible. It was as if I was haunted by Germany and all things German... On the way, I decided to visit Israel to get some perspective on the victims of the Nazis and find out what was so special about this nation that so consumed Hitler. I needed to come to terms with what was churning inside of me, and I toured the country, working periodically here and there on agricultural settlements.

"While in a kibbutz, I saw a poster advertising a summer's program at Hebrew University in desert zoology, and I enrolled. I did very well and in the fall was able to register for a graduate program at the university. While I was engaged in graduate work, I also became interested in Judaism.

"I loved Israel so much I just stayed on and applied for citizenship. Also, after about two years of learning about Judaism I decided to study to become a Jew. A few years later I earned my Ph.D. in microbiology and became a Jew. I married and settled in Jerusalem. My wife was a German Lutheran, but she, too, converted. A psychologist might interpret my conversion as sublimating my guilty feelings, but I prefer to think about it as fulfilling my Jewish destiny. Don't ask me how or why, but here we are -- an observant Jewish family. And we are very happy living as Jews.

"About a year ago we learned that my father was not feeling well. My wife thought it would be a mitzvah to visit him and show him his grandchildren. At first I was apprehensive about going back to Germany, a country I now feared. But in the end, I took a sabbatical and we went back to Darmstadt to visit with my father.

"It was quite a scene. My boys wore their yarmulkas, and had their tzitzis (fringes) showing. Their payos (sidecurls) were tucked back behind their ears and, of course, they spoke Hebrew.

"When he first saw us, my father was overwhelmed, and initially, couldn't bring himself to embrace anyone. Later we got to talk and he seemed to be pleased by the way things were turning out for us.

"My father is very old now, over ninety, and I wanted to know what he did to merit such a long life with such grandchildren, so I asked him point blank what he had done to earn his good fortune.

"I explained to him that we Jews believe that there are consequences to what we do, and the reward system in life is measured very carefully. He looked at me and pondered the question.

"He answered, 'I can't think of anything outstanding, but once, in Frankfurt,' he said, 'when we were rounding up the Jews, I had the chance to save the lives of three Jewish boys who were hiding in a Catholic orphanage. For some reason they aroused my sympathy. I was touched by their plight; they were so lost and forlorn I felt pity for them, so I let them flee. I don't know what happened to them. But I didn't kill them.'

"I thought his answer over and told him that according to our tradition his answer made sense. 'You know, papa, if you had let four boys go, you would have had four grandchildren.'"

Excerpt from "Vintage Wein" - the collected wit and wisdom of Rabbi Berel Wein, by Dr. James David Weiss. Reprinted at Aish
Visit Rabbi Wein's website at: www.rabbiwein.com

Defining Freedom II

Found this video on the Gruntig blog... What is Passover? AskMoses TV

Defining Freedom

By Rabbi Levi Brackman

Passover is the time of year to throw off our individual enslavements and emancipate ourselves to achieve the desires of our authentic self - our soul.

In the West and especially in the USA, people pride themselves on being free. Indeed it is freedom that America would like to export to the rest of the world. However the question needs to be asked: are people living in western style democracies really free?

I recall a few years ago having my portrait taken by an Iranian photographer and asking him whether he enjoyed life in the UK more then he had enjoyed it in Iran. I was stunned when he answered no. "But here you are free and in Iran you were not," I said. "Surely it must be better here." He explained that in the UK he was completely enslaved by the financial expectations of society, whereas in Iran he was not. The reality is that we often get confused about the word freed and do not realize that the definitions vary. For most of the nearly 2,000 years that Jews have been in exile, they did not have self-determination and their actions were severely confined by the governments under which they resided. Today, however, most Jews live in the West or Israel where there are no limits to what they can achieve higher spiritually or materially. In this sense Jews are free in the West. However there is a greater element which my Iranian photographer was alluding to. The Kabbalists will this a personal exile or individual redemption. The former is where individuals are still enslaved to inner elements that hold them back from reaching their full potential and the latter is when one is freed from those restraints. To illustrate this there is a story told about the second generation Chassidic leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok, zs'kl.

One day, after he had settled in the land of Israel from Russian, he heard a commotion outside his house. When he asked a family member what the noise was about, he was told that a Shofar blast had been heard from the top of a high mountain, and people thought the Moshiach has arrived. Rabbi Menachem Mendel opened his window and said, "No, he has not come; I cannot smell the scent of redemption." His followers explained that Rabbi Menachem Mendel had to open his window for this because the smell of redemption always pervaded his private room.

This Chassidic leader and Kabbalist had reached the stage of self mastery where no other influences either outer or inner was able to contain him from reaching that which his authentic self wanted to achieve. Thus, his room was filled with the fragrance of redemption but the outside was not. It is common for people to talk about where they would ideally like to be in life and then give reasons why they have not been able to get there. Most often when one feels empty of lacking it is because one has not achieved what the authentic self would like to accomplish.

The reason for this is because other influences, psychological, emotional and societal hold one back. Self mastery allows one to move beyond that and progress freely in reaching the objectives of the authentic self. The problem my Iranian photographer was talking about had nothing to do with living in the UK or Iran. It was a personal issue. If he had reached self mastery he would not have the need to conform.

The problem was that he had allowed himself to become enslaved to the outside expectations of society and was out of sync with his authentic self. We must not confuse the types of freedom. Indeed in Western democracies citizens have a freedom of expression but although this must be cherished it does not make us personally free. Ironically, we can live in a free society and be personally enslaved. Conversely one can live in an oppressive society and be individually emancipated. Passover is all about freedom and for those living in democracies it is a time to think about individual personal freedom. It is the time of year to throw off our individual enslavements and emancipate ourselves to achieve the desires of our authentic self - our soul.

Printed in Jewish Weekly Magazine Hebrew Time 1-800-519-0984

MAZAL TOV, SHIRA DEVORAH

While my husband is still in Israel this week, organizing necessary permits for the building of the Tzion lichvod Devorah HaNevia, a'h, his first-born daughter (from his first marriage) gave birth to her first-born daughter this Shabbat Kodesh, 7 Nissan, at 3 am.

The newborn baby girl is named... SHIRA DEVORAH - mazal tov. What a beautiful original name!!!

My husband and his mother and and the entire family, including the uncles and aunts are right now on their way, for the first time ever, to Kever Devorah HaNevia, a'h, to tell Devorah HaNevia the good news and to pray....

If you live in the Tel Kadesh area, (upper Galil) you can go there within the hour and meet my husband and his family and personally wish him mazal tov on his first granddaughter, Shira Devorah.

MAZAL TOV!!!!!

ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות
Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds

Moshiach is Hiding Amongst the People

"...When my brother-in-law was finally permitted to speak with the holy Kabbalist Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira Shlita (grandson of the Baba Sali, zs'l) the night before Purim (he was granted visitation with the Rav about 3 am), he asked him about the urgency of Jews living in the diaspora coming to Israel by Purim. The Rav confirmed that he said it but added "זה לא דחוף It's not urgent." The Rav told him to return the following week and he'll then explain it.

My brother-in-law was very surprised because the Rav never 'changes his 'mind' and also, he was planning to return to Be'er Sheva to see the Rav the following week and the Rav's answer to return next week caught him off guard.

...When he returned the following week to meet with the holy Rav, he was told the Kabbalist Elazar Abuchatzeira Shlita is not seeing anyone... This is highly unusual and the first time the Rav ever requested not to see the public."

UPDATE:

Since then, my brother in law did not return to Kabbalist Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira Shlita because the Rav has stopped seeing the public. We were all puzzled by this, but of course accepted it without any questions asked....

With Divine Providence, I found out the reason why the Kabbalist Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira Shlita stopped seeing the public... In this week's edition, 7 Nissan 5768, the religious newspaper Maayanei HaYeshua brought this fabulous, earth-shattering, exciting story...

"...This week I had the opportunity to drive with a Rav. Never in my life did I experience such a conversation as I had with this Rav.

After a long silence, the Rav asked me, "Do you know that Moshiach is already here!?"

"What?!" I looked at him in wonder, "What does the Rav mean?" I asked.

The Rav answered, "Didn't you hear about the Mekubal in Be'er Sheva?" At this point, the Rav mentioned the famous Mekubal's name (nk: Kabbalist Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira Shlita). "He has decided to stop seeing the public. His chasiddim explain that the Rav said that Moshiach is hiding amongst the people and all that needs to be done is to discover him. The minute he will be 'discovered', Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira told them, "Moshiach will receive the public and therefore, I'll no longer be necessary."

Shock overcame me. "It sounds... in this manner... very serious."

"It certainly is very serious. There is no disagreement that he is a tremendous Tzaddik and extremely serious!," the Rav ruled.

I kept silent. The Rav continued to surprise me, "Did you not hear last week that a Rosh Yeshiva left to the North?" "No," I replied. "He (NK: Rav Shmuel Tal Shlit"a, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Torat Chaim formerly in Neveh Dekalim) left his ''flock of sheep' and appointed a young scholar in his place. Now he secluded himself near Miron. He said to his students that he'll continue sending Shiurim thru special messengers. People say about him that he is an Iluy (Torah prodigy). One of the giants of this generation."

"Did you hear about the Mekubal from the Moshav in the Negev that exiled to Teveria?" The Rav asked.

"No... I didn't hear," I replied.
"He is in Teveria for a few years," The Rav told me.

"Did you hear about the famous Rosh Yeshiva from Yerushalayim (NK: Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Mordechai Alon Shlita) that ascended to the Kineret about 2 years ago and today transfers Sichot to hundreds of participants?"

"What does all this mean?" I asked the Rav. I was attempting to explore the internal significance of what the Rav is saying.

Suddenly, the Rav looked at me with a sharp penetrating gaze and said in a deep voice that directly penetrated my heart: "The meaning of this is Tzaddikim all over Eretz Israel are preparing, each one individually and together... They are 'polishing up' in the direction of the coming of Moshiach. Something is happening in Northern Israel as well as in the entire land of Eretz Israel.
YOU TOO MUST PREPARE!"

Update on Kever Devorah HaNevia, a'h

After posting Prophecy: Transfer Your Money to Israel, many are emailing me inquiring to know what is the currect status of the donation money for building the Tzion for Devorah HaNevia, a'h.

80% of the donations have already been transferred to Israel and exchanged into Shekalim, b'h. Atara Kadisha approved the project, chasdei Shamayim, and are preparing the work plans. My husband is in Israel this week and is meeting with Rav Israel Herzberg Shlita at Tel Kadesh.

After Pesach, I'll be going to Israel, b'h, and meeting with Rav Israel Herzberg, Atara Kadisha, Israel Antiquities Authority of the Galil, Golan Archeology of Merchav Tzafon, Prinicipal Machoz Tzafon, RT'GA rcheology, and RT'G Supervisor of Antiquities of the Galil to sign all necessary documents to begin the building of the Tzion lichvod Devorah HaNevia, a'h, לתפארת עם ישראל.

הודו לה' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו
ברוך אתה ה' הטוב והמטיב, אמן
Thank You, HKB'H - Thank You for letting and meriting Am Israel to build a Tzion for Prophet Devorah...

ps - Although it's halachically permitted to use money from the donations for expenses such as travelling to Israel to meet with officials for building the Tzion for Devorah HaNevia, a'h, know that neither my husband nor I are using even one penny from the donation money. Each penny, dollar, shekel that is donated will be used only for building the Tzion. Any expenses of this tremendeous merit to build the Tzion is ONLY from our own money and not even one penny from the donations are used for expenses!

Please choose to be part of the past to be able to be part of the future - It's Time, B'H: Preparing for Moshiach's Arrival

Prophecy: Transfer Your Money to Israel

It's not every day that a person can meet with HaRav Baruch Avraham Rakovsky Shlita, and he definitely never gives interviews to the media. The 93 years old Rav agreed to speak to NFC and answer a few questions.

First question we asked the honorable Rav, the head of "Chachmei Torah and Kabbalah Council" is about Israelis investing money outside of Israel on property. "In general, it must be known that investing in property outside the land of Israel is worthless and useless. But there is no need to panic. All the rich Jews that have big investments outside the land of Israel need common sense and calmly begin transferring their money to Israel because only here, in Israel, it will remain stable. We currently see what the future holds - the shekel is in second place out of 72 world-wide currencies and it'll continue this way, b'h."

The second question asked was in regards to all the 'white-collar' corruptions. "The media damages more than repairs. If you (NFC) continue to avoid writing about all these scandals, you will have much success."

Regarding Olmert, Rav Rakovsky Shlita refuses to speak about him and only agreed to quote what Mekubalim say, "It is prohibited to live with him in one 'basket', he is compared to the 'snake beneath the straw'" (nk: the snake is silent but underneath, he is devious and plans to harm us).

Autistic Message: Tragedy of this Generation

Chapter 72 The tragedy of this generation
FC with Binyamin Feb.28.08

Modesty
(This session took place between Binyamin and a group of women)

We will discuss the situation of modesty in this generation and the importance of modesty. Of course we can only speak about the Chareidim because the secular Jews do not have even the basic concept of modesty and as for the modern orthodox world - the Dati-Leumi; their whole concept of modesty is completely warped from the beginning.

The Chareidi Jews are supposed to be the holiest, but a lot, and in fact, most of the Chareidi community is very confused when it comes to this vital matter. There are those who want both the secular - goyish - Hellenistic world together with Yiddishkeit; their whole desire is to combine Yiddishkeit with goyish concepts, particularly regarding modesty.

"Kedoshim Tihiyu" ("And you shall be holy") is the essence of Yiddishkeit [Judaism]. However, the concept "kedoshim" in this generation has taken on a completely warped meaning. According to the Hellenistic terms, kedoshim means: A Torah- learning Charedi Jew, dressed in black, wearing a white shirt, a black hat and either a short or long black jacket.

But in many cases, this man's wife is walking around wearing a beautiful wig, with real hair and a skin colored part to look like a real head - really beautiful hair, looking exactly like a non-Jewish model! The sleeves of the shirt she wears just barely cover her elbows, the top button of her shirt is open, her shirt is tight against her body, her skirt is short and not wide and her stockings are transparent. As for the shoes, if she wants to dress comfortably, she wears white tennis shoes and if not, she wears shoes with very high heels that click loudly against the floor, plus makeup, plus jewelry, and so on and so on, just like the non-Jewish women. Sadly enough, this is how a lot of the wives of the Charedi men look nowadays.

There are righteous women whose husbands are really sitting and learning Torah properly and they - the women - may be either Rebbetzins (wives of Rabbis) or wives of well-known Talmidei Chachamim (Torah scholars). These women wear a short and simple looking wig, perhaps with a hat on top, with relatively modest clothes and thick stockings.

Then there are even more righteous women who are wearing shawls upon their heads and over their shoulders, wide long skirts, loose-fitting shirts, without makeup on their face, without jewelry, etc. and everything about them is modest. These women are a true example for real modesty.

Regarding the Yerushalmiot, though, there are those who wear black tichels on their head, but yet the way they dress goes completely against the teachings of their Rebbe, the Shomer Imunim, zt"l. These women wear short skirts that show at least part of the leg, and so on. Although there are some Yerushalmiot who wear longer skirts, still, many of these skirts are considered immodest because they are tight on the body and certain movements show the shape of the leg. Their stockings may be black but they are still often transparent. Often, they wear Jewelry and makeup and this is a most strange and unfortunate thing.

These women make fun of the most righteous women who are wearing shawls on their heads and over their shoulders, wide clothes and so on. Why do they make fun of them? Because they are terrified that they will soon be asked to let go of their tight grasp on the 'Golden Calf' (the world of materialism) they love so much. They are really afraid that they will be robbed of the precious toys they are so in love with (the makeup, jewelry, fancy and expensive clothes…).

This is the greatest tragedy of our generation that is destroying everything. Every time a Charedi woman chooses to deviate from the Truth, she inflicts more tragedy upon Am Yisrael, G-d Forbid, and brings the spiritual level of this generation one step lower. And every husband that approves of his wife dressing this way, is no less to blame than her, since that is clearly what his heart desires. Every woman that does not dress according to the Torah laws negatively influences everyone around her.

And if she happens to be a Rebbetzin who is basing her anti-Jewish behavior on the Torah [as if that were permitted] - this is a disastrous tragedy and I do not envy this Rebbetzin. Her husband, the Rabbi, would certainly be upset with the poor autistic person who dares to say such things, but baruch Hashem there are very long, impressive lists of great Rabbis over time who have outright objected to the wearing of wigs and the immodest dress code that has erupted throughout the Charedi community.

Q. Some of the women we have spoken to about modesty say that there is no point talking to them about shawls when they have so many other middos (traits) to work on first. Are they right in their way of thinking?

A. The first and foremost essence of the Torah is "Kedoshim tihiyu", and that is the root of modesty. Yet there is such great confusion on this matter and now there is even a new fashion of wearing shawls among the Goyim. So now you might see American Charedi tourists wearing shawls while continuing at the same time with their usual immodest behavior. This refers to women who are supposedly connected to the holiest of holies in the Charedi world but they are very influenced by the Hellenistic, modern world.

Why is modesty so important? Because Hashem commanded us to be holy - "kedoshim tihiyu", and a person who is unholy is looked upon in Heaven as something filthy and disgusting, since that person is full of uncontrollable lusts, and how can holy words and prayers come out of the mouth of one whose heart and mind is completely wrapped up with desires for the pleasures of this world?!

The Jewish People, who stood before Hashem at Mount Sinai and received His Torah, were the most modest nation of all and yet, today, even the Charedim - the most orthodox Jews - have started behaving like the Goyim.

"Kedoshim tihiyu" is the essence for all of Yiddishkeit. A person who is drowning in gashmius (materialism), who davens (prays) like a tzaddik but looks for pleasures like a Goy… his prayers cannot reach up to Heaven.

Q. How can we bring down the wall that is resistant to shawls?

A. There is nothing else to do but to daven for everyone and explain to people that anyone can see what a difficult situation we are in and that everything is happening precisely as our Sages, z"l, predicted [Masechet Sota page 49: the face of the generation is like the face of a dog, the child is not respectful of his father…]. They predicted that in this generation (preceding the Redemption), a Jew will have to truly sacrifice himself in order to live like a Jew. It is much more important to live like a true Jew than to die as a martyr. The more a person covers himself the better protected he is from all the troubles of this world and this pertains also to the men.

If the men would demand modesty from their wives it would save the whole situation but even most of the men are not dressing appropriately. For example, there is a new fashion among many of the Litvish / regular Chareidi (not Chassidish…) men who wear tight pants. Their jackets are short and tight as well. This is not a true avrech - a true Torah learning Jew. A man who wears a striped suit, his clothes tight against his body so that you can see each and every move the body makes - his head is not in the right place.

A true Jew wears clothes as wide as possible. Both men and women are obligated to cover their bodies as much as possible.

There are many Rosh Yeshivas who do not put any emphasis at all on the matter of modesty in their yeshivas. They look at it in a "psychological" way which says: What can you do? Every boy has an evil inclination…

Yet, if this is the case, G-d Forbid, it is a terrible tragedy, and something drastic must be done to rectify the situation. But they overlook it in silence, something which destroys the entire generation and many generations thereafter. In many situations they are even teaching the boys to be forgiving about matters relating to modesty amongst each other. They are following the psychological rules of the modern Goyish world. This is a mistake and absolutely forbidden.

Q. Regarding the women who wear shawls on their heads, people say that there is no way they can influence others because they look too radical.

A. As with every thing in life, one must be real. If he is real (not just doing things to impress others), people will respect him - even if they are upset with him. Therefore, definitely wear shawls and wide-cut clothes because if not, all the mussar (rebuke) these people give will be completely worthless.

Q. Do you think there is still a chance to change the situation of modesty in our generation?

A. Hashem is Omnipotent. We must all make efforts and pray for all of Am Yisrael that we should all understand what is the path of truth and follow that path. And we must rebuke and arouse people's awareness even more now, but be sure to pray beforehand that you should be successful.

As we have said many times, only a fifth (at the most) came out of Egypt, etc. - very few, relatively. Every generation the Jews suffered under the hands of others (such as in Egypt, the holocaust, the Spanish inquisition, etc.), only few managed to do teshuva and survive. This is why it is very advisable for people to live with Jewish extremism. The women should be true "Bas Yisraels" and "Eshes Chayils" (women of valor) and the men should be true "talmid-chachams" (Torah Scholars).

Q. There are parents who love modesty and want to live by it but are not managing to influence their daughters. What should they do?

A. They must pray for their daughters and build small schools and discuss the topic often. But there is not much time. This whole party is going to come to an end very soon. Hashem is bringing everything to an end. The Judaism level is about to drop so low that it will not have any resemblance to Yiddishkeit anymore. If another generation goes by, it will be hard for anyone to discern who is Jewish and who is not.

This generation is orphaned from leaders, and it is facing such harsh times, the likes of which have never been seen throughout the history of mankind. Only those that decide to follow Hashem all the way, with as much loyalty as possible (i.e. taking all the steps to really come close to Hashem, like dressing modestly, detaching ourselves from gashmius, etc.), will receive our righteous Moshiach.

We have disassembled the Jewish home. Without a Jewish home there is no future for Am Yisrael. The Jewish Home of the past generations still exists, but only with a few individuals. Yet now, it is almost history, with only a few examples left here and there. Woe to us, woe to us!

Only one thing will help us now and that is real teshuva, along with the foundation of "Kedoshim tihiyu". We must delve deep into ourselves and extract every stain, every point of transgression or of the desire to transgress, and the needs we have for this world which have no connection whatsoever to the purpose of our existence.

This will help us remove every single defect within our body and soul. Then we must pray and shed tears over every single sin we have performed and feel truly sorry for wasting our lives on foolish things, and make the firm decision that from now on we are returning to Hashem with everything that involves.

Q. Regarding modesty do we need to go back to the way our grandmothers used to dress?

A. You must go back, yes. But if we say "like our grandmothers", it depends on which grandmothers. Grandmothers from 100 years ago were very modest but there were also those who did not cover their hair and there were avrechim (Torah learning men) from 100 years ago who spent part of their time learning and part of the time occupying themselves with things that are absolutely forbidden! So which grandmothers are we referring to? Even 200 years ago there were grandmothers and grandfathers that were not modest.

People must be modest, men and women, with appropriate head-coverings, wide and long clothes, simple, dark shoes, etc. But beyond that, you must really want the modesty and love it - for it is the Will of Hashem. We must literally run after everything Hashem wants us to do.

Start with modesty, because the exterior of a person influences the interior [as written in Messilas Yesharim chapter 7].

The aspirations of one who is dressed like a tzaddik are to be a tzaddik and likewise the opposite. A Jew who is dressed like a Goy certainly wants to live the life of a Goy. This does not mean that there are no Jews who dress appropriately yet are rotten on the inside. But if you take a closer look at them you will see that they are not really 100% modest either.

All I can tell you is that in the very near future you are going to see some very frightening things. If you stick to the kedusha, everything will go over peacefully. Unfortunately, a lot of blood will be spilled, but because of your (to the group of women wearing shawls…) messirus nefesh (devotion), a lot of Jews will be saved.

Q. But why must blood spill at all?

A. It is a fact. Look at our history; the Jews were always given the chance to do teshuva and because they didn't, it ended in blood.

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Binyamin Golden is a 29 year old autistic young man who cannot speak and needs help for most of his daily life. He communicates by a system called “Facilitated Communication” (FC). By means of this system it is possible to reach the higher parts of the soul of a handicapped person (which are usually pure), and are able to give us messages from higher worlds. (A full explanation of FC is contained in the book “Secrets of the Soul”.
For additional information: tel (818) 996 4060, in Israel: 053 804795)

For additional information and messages see FC Messages: Geula
Binyamin has requested that readers forward these messages to others in order to help them come closer to Truth and do what needs to be done to be worthy of greeting the Messiah..

Assimilation and Destruction

Secret of "Blessings"

Thurdsday night, my husband was teaching me the secrets of saying Brachot (blessings) over food from the sefer Chesed L’Avraham (Maayan 2, Nahar 41) written by the Kadosh Tzaddik Rav Avraham Azulai, zs'l.

Kadosh Elyon Rav Avraham Azulai says that the person's neshama (soul) acts as a ladder and it ascends blessings over food from the lower world to the upper worlds and in the same way, it becomes a ladder to lower the blessings from the upper worlds to the person in the lower world. Any time that brachot are said in the lower world, it becomes a basis to receive blessings from the upper worlds.

Neshamot come from the 4 worlds: Olam Olam Ha'Beriah, the World of Creation; Olam Ha'Atzilut, the World of Divine Emanation, Olam Yetzirah, the World of Formation, and from Olam Asiya, the World of Action. No matter which world the person's neshama comes from, when brachot over food are said, the neshama becomes a ladder to ascend the blessings to the upper world and in turn, influences the person to receive blessings from the upper Olam to the physical body. Only from the Olam Ha'Atzilut, blessings on the person returns from a different source and from there to Olam Haba.

After learning this beautiful chidush (renewal), I had a dream that same night, 28 Adar II. In the dream, I was asking from His Majesty to forgive me for not saying blessings over food and drinks from the time I was born. (In reality, I learned to say Brachot about 15 years ago). Additionally, I asked for forgiveness for mixing up blessings. (for example, saying Ha'Etz on strawberries when the actual bracha is Adama or saying the blessings of Hadama on Avocado when the Bracha is really Boreh Pri He'Etz).

I was told that in the Zchut of Shabbat Kodesh, I'm forgiven. I didn't understand the connection and asked if this can be explained to me. In Shamayim, I was told that when a person prepares extra special food for Shabbat, which includes shopping, cooking, chopping, dicing, washing dishes, even the slightest action done Lichvod Shabbat, this act forgives the person's error for not saying Brachot or mixing it up.

I was amazed that Shabbat is so powerful and in the z'chut of taking pains to prepare for Shabbat, I was forgiven.

After the dream, it gave a whole new meaning to the passuk:
מי שטרח בערב שבת, יאכל בשבת; מי שלא טרח בערב שבת, מהיכן יאכל בשבת
He who prepares on the eve of Shabbat will have food to eat on Shabbat; He that did not labor on the eve of the Shabbat what shall he eat on Shabbat?

This world is like the eve of Shabbat, and the Olam Haba is compared to the Shabbat.

Trust HaShem

Two of the most commonly cited reasons why many Jews fail to make aliyah are: financial hardships and physical danger. People are worried that they will not be able to make ends meet here, and they are very concerned about the current security situation in Israel. I believe that this week’s parashah addresses both of these concerns and puts them into proper perspective. Midrash Tanchuma on Parashat Tazria (6) relates the following story:

A kohen who used to “see” [i.e. diagnose] tzara’at afflictions became
impoverished and decided to go to Chutz LaAretz. [Before leaving], he called
upon his wife and said to her: “People come to me regularly to show me their
afflictions, and I find it difficult to leave them. Therefore, come and I will
teach you how to diagnose afflictions. If you see that the ‘wellspring’ [i.e.
source of sustenance] of a person’s hair has dried up, you can be sure that he
is plagued. For, the Holy One Blessed be He created a separate ‘wellspring’ for
every single hair, from which it ‘drinks.’ If the well dries up, so does the
hair.”

His wife replied: “If the Holy One Blessed be He created a separate ‘wellspring’ for every single hair…, then He will certainly provide sustenance for you – a human being with many hairs, upon whom your children depend.” Therefore, she did not let him leave the Land.

This kohen had a serious flaw in his bitachon in HaShem. Fortunately, however, his wife set him straight. He thought that his sustenance depended solely on his own efforts, but his wife taught him that although one has to do one’s hishtadlut, in the long run one’s livelihood is in God’s hands. And it is not coincidental that this incident took place in Eretz Yisrael. Outside of God’s Special Land, a person can easily fool himself into thinking that he is in control, that his income is directly proportionate to his efforts. In Eretz Yisrael, however, where God’s providence is much more pronounced, one develops a keen understanding that we are completely dependant on God.

Alternatively, perhaps God makes it more difficult to make a living in Eretz Yisrael because He wants us to choose to live there for the right reasons, not because of physical comfort. It is a test to see whether we are willing to lower our standards of living in order to dwell in the King’s Palace.

No matter how we look at it, it is clear that God can sustain us in Eretz Yisrael just as He can in Chutz LaAretz. The only difference is our level of bitachon. Living in the Courtyard of HaShem demands an extra measure of faith and more self-sacrifice on our part. But it is well worth it in the end.

Turning now to the second major deterrent to aliyah: the current situation in Israel. I believe that there is a source in Parashat Metzora that teaches us how to view diversity in general and particularly in Eretz Yisrael. The verse states, When you come into the Land of Canaan which I give you as a possession, and I will place a tzara’at affliction on a house in the Land of your possession (VaYikra 14:34).

The words “When you come” seem to be out of place here, because they usually preface a good tiding. Rashi (quoting Chazal) explains: I WILL PLACE A TZARA’AT AFFLICTION: This was a good tiding for them, that they would be afflicted with tzara’at. For the Amorites hid treasures of gold in the walls of their homes during the forty years that the Jews wandered in the wilderness, and now, because of the affliction, the Jews will knock down the houses and find the treasures.”

Just imagine you are one of the Jews who entered the Land with Yehoshua bin Nun, zs"kl. After years of wandering and living in cramped tents, you finally move into a spacious home. You invest a tremendous amount of time, money, and effort into renovating the place, until you finally settle in. Then, you start noticing funny colors appearing on your walls. You fear the worst but hope for the best. You know that if this growth is deemed tzara’at you will have to demolish the entire house, but you hope that it’s benign. In comes the kohen and pronounces your beautiful abode tamei. Your heart drops; you are devastated; all your dreams are shattered. What could be worse?

Nonetheless, you do as you are told and begin knocking down the walls. All of a sudden, you notice something glittering beneath the rubble. Taking a closer look, you realize that you have just found a treasure of gold worth ten times the value of your house. Now, was all that grief and disappointment warranted?

In retrospect the answer is obvious. The problem is that when a person is faced with adversity, he cannot always see beyond the here and now. What the Torah teaches us here is that in such situations we must have faith that things will get better. Moreover, we must believe that things had to happen specifically as they did. We must understand that the bad is really just a mask and a precursor for the good that is hidden beneath the surface.

One day, hopefully very soon, we will understand why we had to experience such hardships on the road to the Messianic era. In the meantime, let us remain strong and show God that we have complete faith in Him, by not letting the apparent obstacles stand in our way tomaking His Land our permanent dwelling place.

From Rav Lichtman’s “Eretz Yisrael In The Parashah”, published by Devora Publishing.
http://www.torahmitzion.org/pub/parsha/tazria.pdf

ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות
Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds

The Devil's Passover Law

The story of Salach Taomri is related to Passover and can illustrate the background of the unfortunate situation in Israel. It is one of the reasons why we are still attacked by the Palestinians. Who is Salach Taomri and why is his story so important?

Salach Taomri was a heroic figure for the Palestinian world. He received his recognition before the Lebanon War–1982 when he managed several big terrorist attacks against the Israeli army. He is tall and physically strong and he looks more like a stiff Englishman than a Palestinian or Arab. He is very proficient in English and his French, Hebrew and Arabic are excellent. Salach Taomri is one of the top scholars in the Palestinian world. He is bright, smart and charismatic. There isn’t one single Palestinian child that hasn’t heard about Salach Taomri. Every child knows what he looks like. By the time he turned twenty-four, his picture was hanging on the wall in almost every Palestinian household. If you stop a Palestinian child on the street and ask what he would like to be when he grows up, he will answer you that he would like to be Salach Taomri.

At the time that this story takes place Salach had already given up hope. He thinks, despairingly, that the Palestinians will never rule over the Israelis, never get even and never get their own Palestine. The only hope that he had left was that, if he fights, the Palestinians might get a tiny portion of land of Israel. These anxieties were always on his mind. He had spent all his life wondering what will happen to the Palestinians. He was convicted for his terrorist attacks and became a prisoner in an Israeli jail where he stayed for many years. The jail in Nasser holds more than a thousand terrorist and suspects. In the jail, he became the leader of all the prisoners. The top Israeli prison officers, weren’t able to get anywhere with any of the prisoners without speaking to Salach in advance.

Here in the words of Taomri, he explains the reason for the big change that occurred to him that would make a difference to every single person living in Israel.

Salach Taomri says, " I was in solitary confinement, absolutely closed off and disconnected from the rest of the world. Only through the bars that divided me from the long hallway was I able to look out. In this hallway, for twenty-four hours a day walked an Israeli guard with his arms full of guns and ammunition. I called him to me, because I had noticed that he was eating a pita sandwich, with great gusto and relish."

"Are you Jewish?" I asked him. He shook his head yes, his mouth full with the pita. " If so, why are you eating Chametz on Pesach? Don’t you know that Jews are forbidden to eat Chametz on this holiday?" The guard was astonished and shocked to hear these words coming from a top terrorist. There was a moment of silence and then he replied." I am not obligated to the wonders that happened to my people more than two thousand years ago. I am secular, I have nothing to do with that."

Salach Taomri continued "...I sat on my dirty mattress, absolutely in shock. I said to myself, " A nation that has no connection to their history and past, and is capable of publicly desecrating its own credibility and beliefs, is a nation that has cut their roots from the land. Therefore, we, the Palestinians can achieve our goals."

That night, my attitude underwent an about face. I wasn’t able to fall asleep. In those dark hours of the night, I tried to figure out what happened in that short confrontation with the officer. As I sat thinking of everything, his words came back to me, " I am not obligated to the wonders that happened to my people more than two thousand years ago. I am secular, I have nothing to do with that." Then I said to myself, " If these Jews have no respect for their religion, why should we respect them?" I could not accept the idea that this Jew was willing to eat Chametz on Pesach with no concern in front of all the Arab prisoners.

The next day, the guards allowed me to go to the regular prison room. I gathered together all the leaders of the Palestinian prisoners that were there. I told the story of what had happened to all those who knew my opinion that we had no chance to win the war against the Israeli’s. I told them about the shocking event that I went through and my conclusions.

"We are changing our approach," I told everybody. "From this very day on, we are going down a new path, a new war. We want everything. We shall demand everything. Not just a little percentage of Israel, not just the little bones that they throw down to us when they feel like it. We are going to battle for the whole ball of wax. We want all of the Holy Land, because standing against us is a nation that is not connected to its past. We will fight against the Jews in Israel for amongst them there is no concern for their history. We are fighting against the Jews in Israel, because they don’t care about their roots anymore. Since the Jewish people don’t care about their religious laws and traditions, they will have no strong motivation to fight and to go to battle. Therefore, we are going to win."

Salach Taomri went on talking, " Since that event, I have told this story to more than a hundred thousand of my people. I convinced them that we had to change our tactics. We must fight without compromise!!" Taomri was later selected as a member of the Palestinian Parliament. He was later offered a position as minister in Yasser Arafat’s cabinet, but he refused. The Palestinian world still keeps a very special and unique dignity for Salach Taomri. He continues to be a top instigator and preacher for the new war against the Jewish state. Salach Taomri adopted a new attitude and a new battle since that meeting on the night of Pesach with the Israeli officer in 1987 in prison.

The damage was done, the first intifada began... We cannot even come close to assessing the great damage that this officer caused to the Jewish people. There is no way that we can appraise the great harm that the Israeli guard at the prison put every single person into with his words and his actions. Can anyone estimate how much Jewish blood was spilt and is in danger’s path because of that?? Thousands and thousands of our people cannot fix the damage that has been done. Salach saw the pita on Pesach, and understood that it is possible to make the Arab revolution, because some of our people decided to disconnect from our path and roots. Those who want to cut the relationship and threaten our right to exist on our land should look at what one single pita on Pesach can do. If we don’t have a past we don’t have a future. This principle, the Arabs understood, and therefore they come to their terrorist attacks with the power of their faith and are willing to sacrifice their lives to become martyrs.

They call those who fight against the Jews, Jihad and holy. The sheik sends men, boys, girls and kids out to fight, and they meet with great success against the mighty Israeli army. Why? Perhaps it is because we have a lack of faith. If we have a fear of G-d, they will not be able to defeat us.

Unfortunately the situation has gotten even worse... Jerusalem Municipal Court Justice Tamar Bar Asher-Tzaban has issued a ruling allowing the sale of bread and other leavened products in groceries, restaurants and pizzerias during Pesach. The court’s decision purposely comes on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Nissan in order to avoid an appeal against the apikoret's ruling prior to Pesach.

Oy to us.