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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to ther refuah shleimah of Ginadi Chaim Notah Ben Raayah Rachel…. a gardener in Hebron, who yesterday was viciously stabbed by a Jihad terrorist in the heart, lungs, and stomach, as he was beautifying the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. He is fighting for his life right now. Please Hashem send Ginadi Chaim Notah ben Raayeh Rachel a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
TOPIC: Emuna & Geula 101
I have received so many emails asking questions about the current situation and how to keep our emuna strong. B’H we will address this and much more during the 45 minute teleconference, leaving room for Q & A at the end.
Start time: 9:00 pm, Israel time
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Chanukah falls at the end of the month, a time where the moon decreases in size until it reaches its smallest towards the last day. Additionally, we light from left to right, adding a new candle to the left of the previous one lit. Both demonstrate a time of increased darkness and judgment.
Much of Jewish history is filled with miracles and open Divine providence; what makes this festival different? Chazal answer it is the backdrop on which the Chag occurs. Chanukah’s miracles are compared to rays of G-dly light shining at a time of remarkable darkness; much like the upcoming geula, b’karov, B’H. A candle is not cherished during the day; yet is most powerful when lit in darkness. Chanukah brings incredible light and hope for the Jews particularly when there appears to be no hope in sight.
It was in the merit of the Maccabbi’s mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) when they went to war against the Greeks that the Jewish people were saved. The Greek exile caused the Jews to fall into a deep spiritual slumber; a time where the Jewish soul was fading away from consciousness. The Maccabbi’s foresaw the danger and went to battle under the most illogical circumstances. The sum total of miracles experienced then and B’H soon to us will come in the merit of acts of self-sacrifice that we, the Jewish people do in order to stay loyal to the Holy Torah.
Often we must go against the flow of worldly thought in order to maintain our loyalty to Hashem. Yet just as then the Maccabbi’s acted with bitachon in order to save the Jewish soul, so too must we do the same and B’H we too shall merit the incredible redemption, in the form of open miracles and Divine providence, Amen.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chana bas Dina Frimit, a newborn baby, who is recovering from heart surgery. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
The main avodah during the festival of Chanukah is to light a candle; to dispel the immense darkness with a flicker of light. During the eight days of Chanukah a tremendous G-dly light pours onto this world through a small act done here below, whether one deserves it or not. In fact we see this through the spinning of the dreidel. The dreidel needs to be twisted on top in order for the bottom to twirl around. The flow of blessings during the next eight days is from Heaven to Earth initiated by a small act we do in this world.
The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh ztk’l based his teachings on this particular concept; a little light removes a lot of darkness. The Jewish people are not meant to battle with the darkness, but instead to strike a match of light thus dispersing the impact of negativity and confusion.
Practically speaking let’s take for example the state of sadness; symbolic of darkness. Instead of fighting the gloom we need to inject light, also known as joy, into our current state. That means turning on the music, going for a walk to enjoy nature’s scenery, doing a mitzvah which automatically fills the soul with light, dialing 1-800-ALMIGHTY picking up the ‘phone and speaking to Hashem’ or reading Tehillim, to name some suggestions. We should not try to convince ourselves why we shouldn’t be sad rather light up our lives and disperse the glum.
When we light the Chanukah candles, a seemingly ‘small act’, we open the gateways for an incredible radiant light to shine forth. The reason being the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles professes our emuna in Hashem; a sign of Jewish hope and G-dly clarity, a trust in G-dly justice and the ultimate fulfillment of Hashem’s promises to the Jewish People.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated for the refuah shleimah of Dreisel Bas Sarah Bella – who just underwent for lung cancer surgery. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Ahm Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!
We learned that our generation comprises of the last of the souls left to elevate the sparks of holiness in this lowly world back to its source on high. As unredeemed souls, we emanate from the bottom soles of Adam HaRishon feet.
Being so lowly, the souls of this generation are even more tempted by the hype of secular living. We are all battling fierce forces from the side of our yetzer hara. Yet, precisely because of this strong temptation, our victories are so much more potent and effective. In today’s world, every choice to do a mitzvah is tremendous. Each movement towards Hashem effectively wins a war. Every minute holy thought, speech or deed, from emuna statements such as “I believe there’s a G-d” to putting on Tefillin or increasing tzniut, removes darkness and corrects the balance. Each prayer for the lost souls, for ourselves and Klal Yisrael strengthens the fight and does not go in vain, ever!
Our eyes may not witness immediate effects of these minute yet holy acts, and our hearts may thus fail to stir with excitement at these successes. Yet, the Shechina HaKedosha, Who nourishes us and is rooting for us, is watching and recording our every deed. He knows the level of difficulty this generation faces to choose good over evil, holy over unholy, ruchniut over gashmiut. And thus, He receives great nachat from each seemingly small acts of holiness.
If we were to see a burning home, we would not think twice about what we could do to help save people inside. We would act immediately and do everything in our power. Analogously, we are saving lives with our prayers, Torah study and acts of kindness. We are giving strength to the Shechinah when we elevate ourselves, act with emuna and joyfully serve Him by fulfilling our holy mission.
Though we souls emanate from the lowliest places, the Shechinah has continuously sustained us, never giving up on us or believing in us, and constantly giving us second chances. Reciprocally, it is our constant and persistent and patient emuna, our never giving up and believing in the upcoming geula that will serve to unify and glorify His name throughout the world.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of לאה רחל בת בריינא מלכה , Leah Rochel bat Braina Malca, a young mother who will be going through chemo for the next year. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
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For the past 5775 years, the Jewish people’s mission or tikkun could be simplistically summarized as rectifying Adam’s original sin. The souls that have been redeemed up until this point in history are those souls fallen from Adam HaRishon’s upper and middle section of his body. At this point in history, we now face redeeming those holy sparks representing the lower end of Adam’s body, the heels of his feet. What does this teach us about the geula process?
Many Rabbonim point out that our generation is lowly and weak, in comparison to previous generations. This teaching supports the fact that we are the holy sparks from the lower end of Adam’s body. Thus, elevating ourselves may be more difficult than the souls of previous generations because we face a greater pull towards the base or physical temptations. However, success is intrinsically important. And accomplishment will be more meritorious given these souls have further to travel and a greater challenge to accomplish.
Our souls are encapsulated by impure husks, enslaved by the whims of the evil inclination. Therefore, we experience intense temptation and a strong pull towards physical drives and needs. We are weighed down by materialism and temptations, yet our souls’ yearn to be freed, to be pulled up and out. It is hard work to pull ourselves and the connecting souls out from these difficult and dark places. Mashiach will not come until we are all taken out.
Yet, despite these intense challenges, we have survived all this time and our souls are sustained during the darkness, recalling their G-dliness and destiny for greatness. Herein lays the secret to the amazing eternal connection between the Jewish People and the Shechinah HaKedosha.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Leah Rachel bat Golda Fagel. May Hashem send her a complete healing refuat hanefesh v’refuat haguf among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
Though the Torah provides hints and insights, according to the Arizal, we cannot comprehend the [exact] way that the geula will unravel.
A Midrash on Perek 45 of Tehillim teaches that [as part of the geula process], Ahm Yisrael will come before HaKadosh Baruch Hu and ask “When will you redeem us”? Hashem will answer “when your soul is cast down to the dust, then I will assist you and redeem you.”
Why does the nation need to descend to such lowliness to merit redemption? The Arizal teaches that during Creation, all of the souls of Klal Yisrael were included in the soul of Adam Harishon. When he sinned, we sinned. When Adam was banished from Gan Eden, all Jewish souls were banished. Adam Harishon’s soul was dispersed among all the people of Ahm Yisrael. To correct and remedy Adam’s sin, the Jewish people’s task is to gather the sparks of holiness that were captured by the Satan (represented by the snake) at the time of the original sin.
In the past, Hashem has given Ahm Yisrael numerous opportunities to completely rectify this original sin. Two examples are at Har Sinai and the building of both Batei HaMikdash. However, Ahm Yisrael failed to stick with the G-dly plan, instead building the golden calf, sinning with immorality and senseless hatred.
Though we have now managed to partially redeem ourselves and thus the first soul’s sin the redemption process is not complete. When we have completely redeemed ourselves, we will witness the coming of Mashiach ben Dovid. More tomorrow.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chaya Leah Bat Baila and Baila Rachel Bat Chaya Leah a mother and baby, both are experiencing serious complications after given birth a few days ago. May Hashem send them a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’mheira, b’rachamim, Amen.
In Parshat Toldot (25:28) the Torah describes Eisav,“… Esav, for game was in his mouth.” The Torah teaches that one dominant character trait of Eisav’s was his deception. Though he shows one thing on the outside, he felt something else on the inside. The United Nations correspond to the modern day Eisav as they predominantly emanate from his lineage. Although the UN voted and passed a right for the Jewish People to establish the State of Israel, it nevertheless continues to side with the Palestinian right to establish a state on the same ground. By funding Israel’s enemies and painting Israel as evil wrongdoers, the UN are contradicting their original pledge and acting with deception.
The Divine master plan is unraveling, leading the world to the Final Redemption. B’H. The war of Gog and Magog is the final stage which will bring the Redemption to completion. There are five main reasons for the war:
According to Masechet Brachot, this war of Gog and Magog will be different from all previous wars. The wonders and miracles will be indescribable and incomparable to any of those in the past. But we need to act now. We need to prepare now. We need to wipe away the falsehood now. And we need to daven for all the lost souls so that they too can merit experiencing the Geula.
Be proactive. Talk Geula. Think Geula. Prepare for Geula.
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Sarala Ginsberg who just fell into a coma and the doctors are saying she has 48 hours to live. Please please daven for her. She’s just 17 years old. Her name is Alter Sarah Chaya bas Leah Avigayil. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
The Jewish people will go through 4 exiles: Babylonian, Median, Greek and Roman. We are currently in the last exile, the Roman exile. How do we know who today’s Romans are? The Gemara in Masechet Gittin teaches the wicked Titus destroyed the second Beit HaMikdash and sent us into our current exile. Eisav married an Ishmaelite; Titus descended from this marriage (some say even a reincarnation of Eisav). Consequently Eisav, Edom and Rome are one in the same, with a mix of Ishmaelites in there as well.
Chazal teaches Rome refers to any nation representing Christian culture. Eisav hates Yaakov; this is a halachah. Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai ztk’l further explains Christianity is founded on Jewish hatred; they continuously fight against the Jewish people.
We read in this week’s parsha,”Yaakov remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of day.” [32:25].The children of Yaakov, continue to fight with Eisav nations until daybreak (until the light of Mashiach illuminates the world). Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch ztk’l and others view the confrontation between Esav’s angel and Yaakov as a metaphor for Jewish history. The passuk continues, “Yaakov was left alone”. The Jewish people regularly find themselves helpless and abandoned to face persecution at the hands of our enemies. Sound familiar?
This in spite of the fact that then and now Yaakov acted in self-defense. Yaakov survived the battle and moved forward in life while the angel disappeared. The Jewish people will survive, even if injured and oppressed, weary and alone. Yet, the pages of history testify that their enemies have disappeared and will be removed forever when Mashiach comes to redeem us. B’H, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
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