Q & A

B"H 28 Adar 5767


Anonymous #1 commented:
I also thought of Pollard. From a friend who visited him this past week, sounds like American security officials from the top down, are ready to release him - if the Eruv Rav here would only ASK!!!

Since when do the Americans let the want of asking prevent them from doing whatever it is they want to do? Did the Iraqis ask then to come and liberate them from Saddam Hussein? No. I am not defending the evil regime, but if the Americans WANT to do this, lack of asking will not stop them.

The fact is that this matter, like all other matters, is in the hands of Hashem and if there is a lack of asking, it is OUR lack of asking from HASHEM. However, when the time comes that Hashem wants it, even if the Americans DON'T want, it will happen, which is why I do not believe that there is danger in speaking of it. It is already a matter of such importance that HASHEM alone will determine when and if it occurs. Just like with Yosef---he went out at the pre-ordained time, not a minute before and not a minute after, despite requesting help from the chief cupbearer.


Shayna commented: BS"DAm i to understand according to what you are writing that there are still Chas V'Shalom another 61/2 years until Moshaich will come? Is it very possible for Moshiach to come or it it really another 61/2 years of waiting?

As ALWAYS, dear Shayna, Mashiach can come at ANY MOMENT. This is because no one but Hashem knows how He figures our cheshbon. I hope to address this further in another response, so please read on. About the pekidah/zechira issue. As I understand it, the Ramchal says that all redemptions have followed this pattern. During our enslavement in Mitzrayim, the zechira stage was the point at which Hashem sent Moshe to be the redeemer.

I personally expect Mashiach to be revealed very, very shortly in accordance with this pattern, but we have to expect that since we are living out the b'ita scenario, it may not be so obvious. In "geula b'ita," everything comes the hard way. Not everyone is going to realize that Mashiach IS Mashiach. We have a tradition that if a leader arises and wins all Israel's wars, he is b'chezkat Mashiach, suspected of being Mashiach, but only if he rebuilds the Holy Temple is he then known for certain to be Mashiach. Remember that even when Moshe first arrived back in Egypt and went to Paro, the servitude suddenly got much worse before it got better. The people despaired of ever being redeemed even with their redeemer right in front of them. We must prepare ourselves for these tests and strengthen our faith to a very great degree.

Trust Hashem to provide where you are lacking, Shayna. Hold onto Him and don't let go. He truly provides for every need. He longs very much to deliver us at every moment.

Anonymous #2 commented: ... You would think his release would be a good sign, not a negative or frightening one.

It is meant to be a good sign for ALL the Jews. Since our destiny puts us at odds with the goyim, what is good for the Jews at this stage in history is a bad sign for the goyim and consequently for the Jews who choose to remain among them. Those who truly have no choice must continue to simply trust Hashem.

Sabzi Aash commented: ...I don't understand this business about Jews being unable to return to Israel because they've waited too long.

I gave for an example,that after the Six Days War in 1967---for the last FORTY YEARS---the only obstacles to fulfilling the mitzva to live in Eretz Israel were our own fears and base desires. All "good" things must come to an end and the exile is a big chillul Hashem that MUST come to an end. To ask that Hashem prolong His own suffering so we can continue our "good" life in America is something I don't even have a name for!

Isn't it one of Moshiach's tasks to gather in the Jews?

In a manner of speaking, "he" has been doing so for almost sixty years already! There is both a person who is Mashiach and a process that is Mashiach. The State of Israel has functioned since its inception as a type of Mashiach ben Yosef---the process of MBY, if you will---rising to power, fighting the wars, providing for the physical needs of the Jewish people, bringing in the exiles through its aliyah programs and funding, developing the infrastructure which will eventually be turned over to the hands of Mashiach ben David.

(When you look at the new light rail and all the improvements being done around the Old City, you can't help but think that all of this is preparing the way for the pilgrims who will flock to see the rebuilt Temple and Mashiach.)

Some people will have a very difficult time thinking in these terms. They will point to the "evil" acts of the government against the religious and say this is not possible. However, we know from sources that had the effort not been weighted in favor of the secular, the Sitra Achra would have stopped at nothing to destroy it while it was still too weak to survive on its own. Obviously, this is how things have to work when the Jewish people do not merit Redemption in haste. Also, the religious did not flock home in droves. If they had, the picture might have been very different.

Even if there's a period where they're stuck in Galut, won't they be able to come later?

It is the nature of this world, that there is an END after which it is not possible to do things that were possible before. There are innumerable examples not only in nature but in history. That's just the way life is. The exile is ending. The choice before us is to get on the bus and go where it takes you (EY) or stand in front of it and get run over.

And it seems unfair to the Jews of America, ....

This comment does not merit a response.

Even if you want to do something, sometimes you need a push ... so why haven't the American Jews had such a push? Even the sign being predicted here is only supposed to affect those who are already very sensitive to these things and prone to interpret them in a particular way ... surely a small segment ... and even then it will be too late? What gives?

This will be addressed more fully in my final blog posting. Watch for it.


Regarding the account of a tradition that there would one day be a contest between the People of Israel and their enemies, in which it would appear that Hashem had rejected Am Yisrael's "sacrifice" and accepted that of the reshaim:

There is a story about a King who had to punish his son with a very large rock which could seriously injure or even kill him, G-d forbid! To solve this problem, the king ordered the rock broken up into little pebbles and these were thrown on the king's son little by little so as not to cause him serious injury.

We do not know how Hashem figures His cheshbonot, but overall when it concerns His "son" He acts with great mercy. It may be my own wishful thinking, but I believe that Hashem allowed Gush Katif to be "sacrificed' for the sake of Yerushalayim.

Unless you are here, I don't know that one can have a proper perspective on how devastating it was to those Jews from all over the country who with much mesirut nefesh worked and prayed and had faith until the very end that Hashem would spare Gush Katif, to then see failure and see our enemies rejoicing in victory over us; destroying every holy thing and then using it to launch further attacks against us. If this does not fulfill the essence of the "tradition" that you cite here, then there is no understanding what happened on Tisha b'Av 5765.

js commented: Play it out. Why and how would Pollard's release signal the pending closing of borders?

Please see my final blog post later tonight.

Many thanks to everyone who has written comments.