Rabbi Mordechai Swiatycki's shiur series of "End of Time of Galus" at TorahAnytime.com is worth listening to. In the latest shiur uploaded, Part 18, Rabbi Swiatycki stresses that we are still in galus, both in Israel and outside. He particularly mentions our brethren settling in Yehuda and Shomron and comparing their situation with the story about the Jews landing on an island which turned out to be a whale which tossed them over and had Moshiach not been close by, the Jews would not have been saved. The Rabbi is saying that we cannot force ourselves upon settling Israel when the time is not yet ripe. Moshiach hasn't yet come. It's a mistake to assert ourselves in the land. According to the Rabbi, there's an illusion of power, safety, security and control in Eretz Yisrael. This of course is in contrast to those religious Zionists who claim otherwise. To them, the Zionists, the State of Israel has everything. The Rabbi continues that the ruchnius (spirituality) of Am Yisrael cannot strive in a place based on arrogance and vulgarity, referring to the State of Israel today.
Rebbetzin Ivy Kalazan's shiur, also on TorahAnytime.com, on the 10th bracha of Shemoneh Esrei, "Teka b'shofar gadol l'cherosaynu...," mentions three steps in which kibutz galiyos (the ingathering of the exiles) will take place after Moshiach. She quotes the Gra (Vilna Gaon) that the first step is for Hashem to remove our repression (from our enemies), parallel to our Geulah in Mitzrayim. The Jews were freed from their oppresion during the Ten Plagues. Now, by this time Moshiach would already have arrived. The second step is Jews will have a mini-gathering in one location before they return to Eretz Yisrael, parallel to our Geulah in Mitzrayim where Jews were gathered in Goshen to do the Korban Pesach together before they left altogether. The third step is the final exodus from chutz la'aretz, like the exodus of Egypt.
Have a Chag Kasher v'Sameach!
