7/25/18
7/23/18
7/19/18
7/8/18
A dream not a dream
"We spoke about the true and complete redemption. There are some, however, who question the whole matter. Why, they wonder, does this Jew incessantly speak publicly at every farbrengen about one subject — the coming of our righteous Moshiach. He repeats the previous Rebbe’s call “Immediately to the redemption!” and emphasizes that this is not just words, but means the actual coming of Mashiach, immediately — today, Shabbos Parshas Pinchas, 5744! Likewise, he instructs that the song, “May the Beis HaMikdash be speedily rebuilt in our days” be sung every time, emphasizing that “speedily rebuilt in our days” means today, not tomorrow. Every Jew believes, of course, that Moshiach can come at any moment, as written: “I will wait for him every day that he may come.”
Yet, these people wonder, why is it necessary to speak about it incessantly, to emphasize constantly that Moshiach can come at this very moment? It is very difficult for a person to treat this as being realistic!
It would be understandable if mention of Moshiach’s coming were to be made but occasionally, for in the end analysis it is one of the basic tenets of our faith. But why talk of it and get excited about it at every farbrengen, as if the purpose was to ram the idea into the listeners’ heads forcibly?!
Further, this Jew who speaks of Moshiach’s actual coming, has at the same time a Siddur on the table so that he shouldn’t make a mistake in the text of the “Concluding Blessing” — in which text it talks of the redemption in the future tense. And he similarly uses the Siddur to say “Tzidkoscho Tzedek” at Minchah — which is a prayer associated with exile! Surely this is a paradox.
They therefore conclude that this whole idea of Moshiach’s coming is like a dream. A good dream, a nice dream — but not realistic. Why then, they ask, is it necessary to talk about dreams?!
Such thoughts as these people have do not stem from a lack of faith, G-d forbid, for every Jew believes that Moshiach can come at any moment. But the knowledge that we are still in exile, and that the exodus from exile is possible only with G-d’s desire, has caused the exile to so permeate a person’s senses that his faith in the redemption is but external and superficial, and talk of the redemption appears to him to be as a dream.
The truth is the exact opposite. The Alter Rebbe (Torah Or, parshas Vayeishev, p 28c) explains that exile is the dream, for the true place of a Jew, his true being, is the redemption, whereas exile is a foreign matter. Thus exile is a dream and the redemption is reality. Why then do people wonder that we repeat the Alter Rebbe’s words that exile is a dream, and redemption is the true reality?
The Alter Rebbe explains further that in a dream two opposites can co-exist. In exile, too, a person can synthesize two opposites: He can be busy in business the whole day, and simultaneously arouse his love to G-d in prayer, and cleave to G-d.
The Alter Rebbe is explaining the good aspect of the dream of exile. Although one may be steeped in worldly matters, he can nevertheless totally change in one moment,and shaking free from the illusions of the world, arrive at the true reality: love of and cleaving to G-d.
A Jew can do this for in a dream, two opposites can co-exist.
Our case is similar: Because exile is a dream, in which opposites can co-exist, the situation can change in a moment: Jews can leave the dream of exile and enter reality — the redemption.
Every single Jew holds the key to the redemption, as the Alter Rebbe writes: “It is stated in Tikkunim that if even one tzaddik [and “Your people are all tzaddikim”] in a generation returns in complete repentance, Mashiach would come immediately.” And Rambam rules, “When a person does a mitzvah, he tilts himself and the whole world to the meritorious side, and brings redemption and salvation for himself and for them.” And, as noted above, this can be achieved in a moment. In the well-known phrase: “I shall wait for him every day that he may come.”
Rambam, it is true, says that there is a set order for Moshiach’s coming: “He shall force all Israel to go [in the way of Torah] ... and shall wage G-d’s wars ... etc.” But this order applies only when the redemption will occur in a regular manner. When, however, Jews merit it, and especially since “all the fixed dates [for Moshiach’s coming] have passed,” then the redemption comes immediately, transcending all limits and order.
Moreover, the previous Rebbe has already announced “Immediately to redemption!” and informed us that the situation is one of “Behold, he [Moshiach] is standing behind our wall, he looks in at the windows, he peers through the lattice.” Moshiach is waiting, looking — and Mashiach’s looking certainly has an effect. Thus every Jew can certainly bring the redemption speedily in our days — not tomorrow or later, but today, Shabbos parshas Pinchas, 5744; and on this Shabbos itself, before Minchah. Simply put, at this moment we open our eyes and see that our righteous Mashiach is together with us in this synagogue, flesh and blood, soul in a body!
May it be G-d’s will that our talking and importuning so much about the coming of our righteous Moshiach will so disturb and vex (“noodge”) G-d that He will have no choice (so to speak) but to bring the redemption. This is particularly so since G-d Himself mightily wants the redemption, for since the Divine Presence was exiled together with the Jews, the redemption of the Jews means also G-d’s redemption!
The main thing is that the “dream” I have about Moshiach’s coming — which is really your dream too — be translated into reality immediately, today, before the Minchah prayer. And may the “dream of all dreams” also be realized, that today we go “with the clouds of glory” to our holy land, and pray this Shabbos’s Minchah prayer in Yerushalayim, in the third Beis HaMikdash.
Sicha Parshas Pichas, Tammuz 14, 5744.
7/1/18
5/29/18
Korea in the Twilight Zone
Yom SheKulo Shabbat which will always be Shabbat the entire 7th Millennium which should "officially" begin no later than Rosh HaShanah 6001, the first year of the 7th Millennium. We are allowed to bring on Shabbos as early as Plag HaMincha, half way between Mincha Ketanah and sunset. This is approximately 1 and a 1/4 halakhic hours before sunset on Friday afternoon. Depending on the season, 1 1/4 halakhic hours can be 1 hour and 20 or 25 minutes in the Summer OR 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes in the Winter.
Those who bring Shabbat on early do it in the Summer when the sun sets late. 1 and 1/4 hours before sunset are the last 1/8th of the 2nd half of the 6th Millennium or the last 1/4 of the last 250 years of human history between 5751 and 6001. Each quarter of 250 years is equal to 62.5 years. It seems that b'itah cannot begin until 62.5 years before the end of the year 6000 in the year 5938 (160 yrs from now). That date would be a long way off.
The Zohar (VaEira 32) tells us that B'itah, the third battle of Gog UMagog will begin when Rome has to fight a war against a nation at the edge of the World for about three months. The edge of the world is the Halakhic international dateline. This dateline is determined when it is high noon in Yerushalayim, when Rosh Chodesh is sanctified for the entire world by the Sanhedrin BEFORE high noon, then Rosh Chodesh is that very day not just in Yerushalayim but all over the world.
If the Sanhedrin delayed until after high noon to sanctify the new month, then Rosh Chodesh for the world is not that day but the following day. High Noon in Yerushalayim, the actual date is determined for the Entire World. Yerushalayim is at 35 degrees longitude on the Globe, then at the moment it is high noon in Yerushalayim, it is sunset 90 degrees to the east at the 125 degree longitude mark, separating between one day and the previous day. So 125 degrees to the east of Yerushalayim at this 125 degree mark IS the halakhic international dateline!
This 125 degree line separates China from the Korean Peninsula in the Yellow Sea. If we extend this 125 degree line, it cuts in half Indonesia and also cuts through the western deserts of Australia. We will concentrate on Korea because Yerushalayim, and its high noon is in the Northern Hemisphere.
Yet, it is at this 125 degree line or "Sunset" line that we begin to have a problem. D'Oraisa, the day may begin at Sundown but it does not end until the stars come out the following day approximately 45 minutes AFTER sundown. For each potential day during Twilight, between Sundown and "Tzeit Kochavim" it is BOTH the day before Sundown and the new day after Sundown at the same time! There are 15 degrees for each hour time zone. So for let us say 42 minutes of Twilight, 42/60 = 10.5/15, we have 10.5 degrees of Twilight where at high noon in Yerushalayim on Rosh Chodesh or on Shabbat or on Yom Kippur, it is both the day before and the day after at the same time.
Anyone in that "Twilight Zone" would need to keep 2 days of Shabbat out of every seven days, and they would need to fast for 48 hours on Yom Kippur! This happened to the Mir Yeshivah when they ended up in Kobe, Japan which is just inside this Twilight Zone shaded area. The Chazon Ish ruled that the Mir refugees needed to do just that (two days of Shabbat every week and fasting for 48 hours on Yom Kippur). They did not stay in Kobe long. They moved to Shanghai in order to NOT have to live with these halakhic issues because Shanghai is significantly less than 90 degrees to the east of Yerushalayim. So in Shanghai there is no doubt D'Oraisa what day it is. In Shanghai, it’s one day of Shabbat every week and 24 hours of fasting on Yom Kippur.
Why mention a Twilight Zone of 42 minutes? Seoul is 20 miles from the DMZ. This past Nissan Trump sent 59 missiles to destroy the Syrian Air force because Assad used chemical weapons. After that the situation of the Korean Peninsula began to explode into the headlines and Trump used his military against Assad as a show of force to convince the Chinese to help against Kim Jong Un. The Whisper of War against the country at the edge of the world began during Nissan 5777. The time between sunset and Tzeit Kochavim (stars coming out) is between 41 and 42 minutes for Seoul during Nissan. This corresponds with an additional 10.5 degrees on the Globe AFTER the 90 degree mark east of Yerushalayim for 100,5 degrees on the Globe.
High noon on Friday was Rosh HaShanah 5751 which kicked off the "official" period of the Ingathering of the Exiles. It could last 250 years until 6001. At the same time it is Sunset through Tzeit Kochavim on the entire Korean Peninsula. So it is a Saffeik (a doubt) that at high noon in Yerushalayim on Friday whether that Saffeik area, between 125 degrees and 135.5 degrees, is going into Shabbat or into Thursday night at the same time. Assuming that the Saffeik that they are entering Shabbat is true, then there are 100.5 degrees on the Globe that enter Shabbat before Israel enters Shabbat. Over the course of those 250 years, places to the east of Eretz Yisrael enter Yom sheKulo Shabbos BEFORE Eretz Yisrael enters Yom SheKulo Shabbos, especially the places within either 90 to 100.5 degrees to the east of Yerushalayim.
Yet because the first 10.5 degrees to enter are a Saffeik (A DOUBT) UNTIL those 10.5 degrees have fully entered Tzeit Kochavim so that the 90 degrees to the east then begin to enter, the period of time from Rosh HaShanah 5751 until the 10.5 degrees to the east of 125 degrees fully enter into the darkness of the starlight, Yom sheKulo Shabbat could not begin b'itah. Upon entering the darkness of twilight, the light of Shabbat would begin to shine upon the world from the places on the Globe furthest East of Yerushalayim once there is no doubt that those places entering are now within the 90 degrees east of Yerusahalayim!
At the point that the area 90 degrees east of Yerushalayim begin to enter Yom SheKulo Shabbat, the entire area 10.5 degrees further to the east enters Yom SheKulo Shabbat with it. From the number above we see the following: Over the course of 250 years, 100.5 degrees on the Globe enter Yom SheKulo Shabbat. That is 2.5 years per degree on the Globe starting in the year 5751. If the Twilight Zone shaded area of doubt is 10.5 degrees as it is at the DMZ and Seoul on the Korean Peninsula, then it takes 2.5 years/ degree x 10.5 degrees to bring the Korean theatre and places to the west of it in the Yellow Sea into Yom SheKulo Shabbat. 2.5 x 10.5 = 26.25 years. Rosh HaShanah 5751 + 26.25 years is precisely Tevet of the year 5777! Or the beginning of the Nine Months! Thus the entire Korean Peninsula has now entered Yom SheKulo Shabbat, and on Shabbat the wicked are judged.
So as the entire Korean Peninsula is entering Yom SheKulo Shabbat, it is from there that G-d brings judgement less that 250 years before the end of the year 6000 long before Plag HaMinchah.
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