Over the Moon

What damages a marriage

Third Beis HaMikdash

The Vilna Gaon on Moshiach

This is what the GR”A – the VILNA GAON, the leading opponent of Chassidus in his time (1720-1797), writes about Moshiach (Sefer Kol HaTor, Ch. 2 par. 75, Ch. 2:2, 4:1), check marks indicate how this matches up to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

1. Moshiach Ben Yosef will teach Pnimiyus HaTorah (essential Torah secrets, i.e. chassidus). √
2. Moshiach will reach out to non-Jews (7 Laws of Bnei Noach). √
3. Moshiach will begin the preparations for the Redemption. √
4. Moshiach will be hidden before he completes the process (3 Tammuz). √
5. At that point, a period of darkness and confusion will ensue. √
6. The nations, particularly Yishmael, will intensify their false claims against Eretz Yisroel and Jerusalem in particular. √

Additionally, he writes "when the situation seems hopeless, Moshiach Ben Dovid will appear to resurrect Moshiach ben Yosef, and the process of redemption will be completed by them both”

Moshiach Ben David and Moshiach Ben Yosef are NOT two separate Moshiachs at all. According to such notables as Rav Chaim Vital, Moshiach ben David and Moshiach ben Yosef are terms that represent different aspects of one and the same individual. (Sefer Chizyonos p. 106). We are left with the following scenario: One Moshiach will arise to prepare the world for redemption for forty years after which he will die, only to return in resurrection to complete the job.

Give Me Your Tired

BEHAR-BECHUKOSAI 

SUNDAY, MAY 14 18 IYAR, 5777

 ב"ה וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ: וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלשׁ הַשָּׁנִים (ויקרא כה, כ-כא) 

AND IF YOU SHOULD SAY, “WHAT WILL WE EAT IN THE SEVENTH YEAR? WE WILL NOT SOW, AND WE WILL NOT GATHER IN OUR PRODUCE!” I WILL COMMAND MY BLESSING FOR YOU IN THE SIXTH YEAR, AND IT WILL YIELD PRODUCE FOR THREE YEARS. (VAYIKRA 25:20-21)

 Give Me Your Tired Once every seven years we observe a year ofShemittah in the land of Israel, during which we refrain from working the land and growing new produce. For our sustenance in the Shemittah year, G-d promises that in the sixth year the earth will yield much more produce than it normally does, providing enough food to last for two and a half years, until new crops are ready for harvest in the eighth year. The tremendous output that G-d promises for the sixth year utterly defies the earth’s natural ability. 

The sixth year’s crop would naturally be smaller and weaker than that of the previous years, as the nutrients in the soil deplete somewhat after five consecutive years of planting. In fact, this is one of the reasons suggested for the observance of Shemittah in the seventh year: to ensure that the nutrients in the earth will have a chance to replenish (see Moreh Nevuchim 3:39). Nevertheless, G-d promises that specifically the produce of the sixth year will be greater than the crop of any other year. This promise is reflected in our efforts to bring about the coming of Moshiach and the long-awaited Redemption. 

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) compares our history to the seven-year Shemittah cycle. After six thousand years of human effort to develop G-d’s world, the seventh millennium will be a sabbatical era, holy and sanctified to G-d—namely, the era of Moshiach. Like in the sixth year of the Shemittah cycle, the question of “what will we eat in the seventh year?” is strongest in the sixth millennium. For with every passing generation, our sensitivity to holiness has only become duller in comparison to the generations that preceded us. 

How can it be that our impoverished deeds will succeed at bringing about the coming of Moshiach, if theirs did not? To this G-d responds with the guarantee, “I will command My blessing to you in the sixth year”: it is precisely your simple devotion and loyalty despite the weariness of thousands of years of exile that will elicit the extraordinary blessings of the era of Moshiach. 

—Likutei Sichos, vol. 27, pp. 189-190 BEHAR-BECHUKOSAI SUNDAY, MAY 14 18 IYAR, 5777 ב"ה וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ: וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלשׁ הַשָּׁנִים (ויקרא כה, כ-כא) AND IF YOU SHOULD SAY, “WHAT WILL WE EAT IN THE SEVENTH YEAR? WE WILL NOT SOW, AND WE WILL NOT GATHER IN OUR PRODUCE!” I WILL COMMAND MY BLESSING FOR YOU IN THE SIXTH YEAR, AND IT WILL YIELD PRODUCE FOR THREE YEARS. (VAYIKRA 25:20-21) Give Me Your Tired Once every seven years we observe a year ofShemittah in the land of Israel, during which we refrain from working the land and growing new produce. For our sustenance in the Shemittah year, G-d promises that in the sixth year the earth will yield much more produce than it normally does, providing enough food to last for two and a half years, until new crops are ready for harvest in the eighth year. The tremendous output that G-d promises for the sixth year utterly defies the earth’s natural ability. The sixth year’s crop would naturally be smaller and weaker than that of the previous years, as the nutrients in the soil deplete somewhat after five consecutive years of planting. In fact, this is one of the reasons suggested for the observance of Shemittah in the seventh year: to ensure that the nutrients in the earth will have a chance to replenish (see Moreh Nevuchim 3:39). Nevertheless, G-d promises that specifically the produce of the sixth year will be greater than the crop of any other year. This promise is reflected in our efforts to bring about the coming of Moshiach and the long-awaited Redemption. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) compares our history to the seven-year Shemittah cycle. After six thousand years of human effort to develop G-d’s world, the seventh millennium will be a sabbatical era, holy and sanctified to G-d—namely, the era of Moshiach. Like in the sixth year of the Shemittah cycle, the question of “what will we eat in the seventh year?” is strongest in the sixth millennium. For with every passing generation, our sensitivity to holiness has only become duller in comparison to the generations that preceded us. How can it be that our impoverished deeds will succeed at bringing about the coming of Moshiach, if theirs did not? To this G-d responds with the guarantee, “I will command My blessing to you in the sixth year”: it is precisely your simple devotion and loyalty despite the weariness of thousands of years of exile that will elicit the extraordinary blessings of the era of Moshiach. —Likutei Sichos, vol. 27, pp. 189-190

Animals First

וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל הַכֹּהֵן . . וְלֶחֶם וְקָלִי וְכַרְמֶל לֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַד עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (ויקרא כג, י-יד)

YOU MUST BRING AN OMER, THE BEGINNING OF YOUR HARVEST, TO THE KOHEN…YOU SHALL NOT EAT BREAD OR PARCHED GRAIN OR FRESH GRAIN UNTIL THIS DAY. (VAYIKRA 23:10-14)

The Omer is an offering of barley flour that is brought in the Beis Hamikdash on the second day of Pesach. Until the harvesting and offering of the Omer, the Torah prohibits us from partaking of the new year’s crops.

Most other flour offerings in the Temple involved wheat flour. In comparison to wheat, barley is regarded as animal food (see Mishnah, Sotah 2:1). As such, the Omerbarley-flour offering represents the early stages of a person’s spiritual development, when his internal “animal” is still untamed. He must therefore focus on “sacrificing” his inner “animal”,  i.e., constraining and subduing his selfish or negative impulses.

Accordingly, we can also explain why we may not partake of the new produce until we offer the Omer. Before deriving personal benefit from any grain of this year’s crop, we must ensure that our “barley,” our animalistic tendencies, are under control. By doing so at the start of the harvest, we make certain that even our mundane use of this year’s grain will be “for the sake of Heaven,” to further and facilitate our service of G-d.

—Likutei Sichos, vol. 32, pp. 136-137

EMOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 14 IYAR, 5777

ב"ה לָמָּה נִגָּרַע לְבִלְתִּי הַקְרִיב אֶת קָרְבַּן ה' בְּמֹעֲדוֹ (במדבר ט, ז) WHY SHOULD WE BE DEPRIVED, THAT WE MAY NOT BRING THE OFFERING OF G-D IN ITS APPOINTED SEASON? (BAMIDBAR 9:7) Searching for Connection The mitzvah of Pesach Sheni, the second opportunity to offer the Pesach sacrifice, is somewhat of an anomaly among the other mitzvosof the Torah. All the other mitzvos are characterized by obedience; we dutifully follow whatever G-d instructs. Pesach Sheni, however, came about through the insistence of a few people who were restricted from offering the Pesach sacrifice in its proper time due to ritual impurity. They approached Moshe and begged not to be deprived of offering this sacrifice.  Seemingly, what basis was there for their request? If G-d had not communicated a desire that they bring the Pesach offering at a later occasion, they were obviously not obligated to do so! Yet, in response to their demand, G-d gave the Jewish people a new mitzvah—the observance of the Pesach Sheni. From here we learn that when a Jew senses that he is being deprived of an opportunity associated with Torah and mitzvos, he must not simply accept that G-d has not yet obligated him in this area. He must demand, "Why should I be deprived?" As the Talmud (Berachos 33b) declares, "Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven." G-d waits for the individual to pursue a relationship with Him, but when a person demonstrates a genuine desire to connect with G-d through the Torah and mitzvos, G-d graciously grants him additional opportunities to find the connection he seeks. —Toras Menachem 5744, vol. 3, pp. 1679-1682