When will Moshiach come? מתי יבוא את המשיח?

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Live Tisha B'Av shiurim 5772 2012 - חי תשעה באב שיעורים 5772 2012

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Tehilim for Yaakov Yosef, תהלים בשביל יעקוב יוסף

Our tears have already fallen for 4½ years, as we await the release of יעקב יוסף בן ריזל.

Our tears will continue to fall until our brother
יעקב יוסף comes home.

We don’t know what is holding up his transfer. We must beg the רבש"ע with our תפילות to overturn this גזירה.

HaGaon HaRav Elyashiv, zt"l, according to Rebbetzin Heller, הגאון הרב אלישיב, זצ"ל ע"פ הרבנית הלר

HaGaon HaRav Eliyashiv, zt"l, according to Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller:

This past Wednesday night the funeral of one of today's great spiritual heroes took place. I can't imagine that very many people in what we laughingly call the Real World heard of Rav Elyashiv. Most of the approximated 300,000 people who attended his funeral never had the opportunity to have met him personally or maintained a real relationship with him. Who was he?

The Rav was born in Lithuania 102 years ago. He came to Israel at the age of twelve with his parents and his grandfather, who was a famous kabbalist. Even at that age, he had already determined that his first and deepest love would be the Torah. Instead of studying at one of Jerusalem's yeshivas, he studied in absolute isolation, hour after hour without breaks. By the time he was 28 (and already married to Rav Aryeh Levine's daughter, Shaina), he was recognized by the greatest authorities of his time as (to quote his ordination certificate) one who has mastered the entire Talmud, and one who can be relied upon to answer any question that arises.

Rav Elyashiv would get up to begin a day of study, prayer, answering questions, and later on leading the entire Jewish people at 2 a.m. He would study Torah, accompanying his discourse with his own singing and chanting (in fact, one of my son's friends stood outside of his window and made a recording of his early morning study session). He studied aloud as though he was teaching himself the subject at hand. His mastery of every possible field of Jewish study defies description. Although he was on the High Court (Beis Din) for 22 years, he is not known for this or any other position. He is known for the spiritual heroism that was expressed by his extraordinary devotion and literal sacrifice of every distraction to pursue truth.

I met him when I was first married. He was relatively unknown then, and a handy address for any halachic issue that I needed to clarify. His tiny house in a Meah Shearim side street took you back in time. The entrance room (which was reached after a short climb up outdoor stairs) was small and featured a table, bench and chairs. The only decoration was a tapestry that his wife (who I got to know -- unlike her austere husband, she was a schmoozer and loved company) had made at least fifty years earlier. On the side was her kitchen, which was about the size of the Neve coffee area. She had two counters, one of which held a two-burner gas stove while the other one held a small oven. The dishes and pots were on overhead racks, and a small refrigerator occupied a corner. There was a book-lined corridor that led to The Room.

This was the large room where the Rav sat. No matter what time it was, it seemed brilliantly lit. His presence filled the room. Alongside was a smaller room. This is where they raised their twelve children. One of his daughters spoke about her childhood without any of what I call negative nostalgia ("we walked five miles in the snow to get to school" etc.). Her memories were occupied by her mother's warmth, the grandparents who were always there for them, and the centrality of their father's presence.

Whenever I came with a question, I spoke to the Rebbitzen first. She screened the women's questions to preserve his time (and given what we women are, I assume also his sanity!). Because the waiting area was so small, women were always given precedence. I learned the art of putting my questions in the most concise possible form, which prevented me from becoming persona non grata in chez Eliashiv. His answers were equally as succinct, but always detailed. He generally would refrain from crossing the line separating telling you what the Torah says, and offering his own advice or displaying what his feelings are on a given matter. This (at least for me) created an aura of trust in the absolute integrity of every word he said.

As time went on, and his reputation turned him into a public personality, one of his aides requested that I come to ask questions only if I could honestly say that they were needed for the benefit of klal Yisrael and to address my personal questions to other rabbanim in order to spare his time. I understood and respected their concerns, and kept to their request. The last time I spoke to the Rav personally was about 17 years ago. I watched as he moved from the job of transmitter of the Torah's truth to the role of spiritual leader for thousands upon thousands of people all over the world. It is not a role that he would necessarily have sought, but it certainly was a role that he rose to.

The reason that I am telling you all this is that there is so much to learn from it. You can be whoever you want to be regardless of your material circumstances. You can teach yourself to put aside your own agendas. You can learn to live for and with truth.

Source: http://tziporahheller.com/?q=blog/-take-a-step-back-to-a-higher-%26--more-dedicated-place

When Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbos, כאשר תשעה באב הוא בשבת

Special halachos apply when Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbos.  Aish.com has an article which details halachos based on Ashkenazi tradition here.  When in doubt, always consult your local Orthodox Rabbi.

Modesty is About Not Sharing the Hidden, צניעות היא לא על שיתוף מוסתרת

Modesty, which can apply to dress codes, is not only obligated upon Jews, but also upon non-Jews. Everyday religious Jews recite the blessing of G-d Who Dresses the Naked, which is not only an act He does for the Jews but also for mankind. Other blessings in the morning have specifics to Jews, for example, G-d Who Girds Israel with Strength, or Who Crowns Israel with Splendor.

Modesty is the concept of not sharing what needs to be hidden, including your personal life, your family life and so forth. Social media is the opposite of valuing modesty.  Every Facebook user has probably shared too much of their personal and family lives with "friends" that probably should not be shared.  Even Bloggers who chose to blog out of boredom and sometimes out of financial need are violating the codes of modesty when they use their family, especially their babies and children and even spouses by sharing personal information to the world.  Twitter users have the same problem. Google+ too.

Here is a "teshuva" reaction from a gentile and Jewish blogger:

In 2010, Armstrong’s oldest daughter, Leta, turned 6 and told her mom that she was no longer interested in having every embarrassing outfit or outburst documented online. Armstrong decided it was time to change.

For now, Bialik has decided that she will continue to post links to articles she writes, but she will no longer read comments or post personal updates on Facebook. Armstrong still writes candidly on her blog about topics like her adult relationships, but is careful about what she writes about her kids.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/158947/perils-of-facebook-parenting/#ixzz218CEiHk3

Social media pages should only be restricted to business, strictly business and that's it. Don't share your frustrations with your boss publicly, which will most likely lead to your losing your job and not being able to get another one.  If you are looking for work, many smart employers are now checking up on you on Facebook,   Google+ and every other social media outlet there is. Separate your public persona from your private life.

The Appointed Time, במועד שנקבע

This year the 9th of Av falls on Shabbos.  There are certain views in the Gemara that debate over whether Moshiach can come any day of the week, or is he prevented from coming on certain days or even certain months.

For example, the Gemara (Eruvin discusses someone who vows to be a nazir beginning on the day that Mashiach comes. Must he refrain from the activities prohibited to a nazir (e.g. drinking wine) immediately, in case Mashiach comes today? The Gemara rules that he may drink on Shabbos and holidays but not during the week -- because Eliyahu, who will precede Mashiach, will not disrupt our preparations for Shabbos and holidays by coming on the prior day. It seems clear from this Gemara that there are some days -- namely Shabbos and holidays -- on which Mashiach cannot come.

Similarly, the Gemara Rosh Hashanah 10b-11a) contains a debate between R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua over whether the ultimate redemption will happen in the month of Tishrei or the month of Nissan. Clearly, according to either sage, there are 11 months in the year during which Mashiach will not come. And there are other similar passages in the Talmud that limit the days on which Mashiach can come.

Source: Waiting for Moshiach

Since there has been a lot of hype that have probably gone viral, thanks to Mrs Iris Odani Elyashiv, that the appointed time for Moshiach is 9th of Av, 5772, I wonder if this is going to be a problem since 9th Av 5772 falls on Shabbos.  Nevertheless, Rambam seems to hold that Moshiach can come on any day.  We will see who's right.

Baruch Dayan Haemes, ברוך דייו האמת

Moriya's Place mourns the passing of HaGaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l, together with Am Yisrael.


From Daily Halacha.com:


YERUSHALAYIM - World Jewry was plunged into mourning as Hagaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l, the posek hador, was niftar this afternoon in Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center. He was 102.

Shortly after Rav Elyashiv's petirah at 4:45 p.m., Yerushalayim municipal officials began preparing for what is expected to be one of the city's largest levayah in modern history. It is currently scheduled for 10:00 pm (3:00pm NY time.) The levayah will leave from Rav Elyashiv's home on Rechov Chanan in Meah Shearim and kevurah will be at Har Hamenuchos.

Rav Elyashiv, considered as an anomaly for his breathtaking hasmadah and absolute command of kol haTorah kulah, held no official position yet was the final word in psak by hundreds of thousands of Yidden across the world. His daily shiur in Yeshivah Tiferes Bachurim, delivered for nearly 80 years, was an astounding tapestry of sugyos across Bavli and Yerushalmi, halachah and aggadah.

Rav Elyashiv was born on 2 Nisan 1910, in Gomol, Lithuania, to Harav Avraham and Rebbetzin Chaya Musha. His mother was a daughter of Harav Shlomo Elyashiv, zt"l, the Baal haLeshem, from whom the Elyashiv name was taken. The family moved to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Yerushalayim's Meah Shearim neighborhood near Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, who was renowned as a saintly mekubal.

Already as a young child, Yosef Shalom shied away from playful friendships, preferring to spend his time learning in a beis medrash or with his grandfather. It was a habit that characterized the Gadol throughout his life, from the early days of living in the shadows to recent times when Chareidi Jewry hovered over his every word and motion.

Rav Elyashiv married Rebbetzin Sheina Rochel, whose father Harav Aryeh Levin, zt"l, was memorialized as "The Tzaddik in Our Times" for his extraordinary acts of chesed in the war-torn country.

Rav Elyashiv and his Rebbetzin raised nine children, all of whom -- with the k of one daughter who was tragically killed during Arab shelling into Yerushalayim in 1948 -- went on to head families of Roshei Yeshivah, rabbanim and Gedolim. He merited the unique experience of watching all his grandchildren marry in his lifetime, with his youngest granddaughter's chasunah several months ago.

Throughout Rav Elyashiv's life, he was known for just sitting and learning, from 3:00 a.m. until late at night. This past February, an existing heart condition worsened and he was hospitalized at Shaarei Tzedek as Yidden across the world davened fervently for his health.

Early yesterday afternoon, Rav Elyashiv's blood pressure began to drop to dangerous levels. Family members, Rabbanim and close aides gathered around the hospital bed where special pesukim and Shema Yisrael were recited. He was niftar at 4:45, leaving behind the Torah world mourning one of its greatest.

Rav Elyashiv is survived by his children, Harav Shlomo Elyashiv, Harav Moshe Elyashiv, Harav Binyamin Elyashiv, Harav Avraham Elyashiv, Rebbetzin Sarah Rochel Yisraelzon (widow of Rav Yosef Yisraelzon, zt"l) and Rebbetzin Gittel Rimmer (wife of Rav Binyamin Rimmer,shlita).

He was predeceased by his daughters Rebbetzin Batsheva Esther Kanievsky, a"h(wife of Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita); Rebbetzin Deena Berlin, a"h (wife of Rav Elchanan Berlin, shlita); Rebbetzin Shoshana Aliza Zilberstein, a"h (wife of Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, shlita);Rebbetzin Leah Auerbach, a"h (wife of Harav Azriel Auerbach, shlita); Rivka, a"h, who was killed in 1948; and Yitzchak, z"l, who was niftar at age three months.

Rav Elyashiv merited seeing six generations of talmidei chachamim and Gedolim. Yehi zicro baruch.

Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood announced that there will be a live hookup in the beis medrash starting from 3:00 p.m.

International Modesty Week, שבוע צניעות בין לאומי

I have never heard of the existence of an international day of modesty, let alone a week of modesty. Well, this lecture is appropriate for this time of year.

Rabbanit Ruth Menashe gave a shiur about modesty two years ago about this at this time of year.  May her message resonate with the Jewish women and girls of today so that the Jewish nation will be worthy of bringing back Kedushas Yisrael and preserving it!

Hat Tip: modestanytime.com

Is 2012 the Year of Moshiach? האים שנת 5772 שנת את המשיח?

Got this viral video from a Geula-list. It sure is not a Hollywood movie, but a recap of 2012 activities worldwide and we are only in July. More and more world citizens are waking up to a G-d consciousness, thus making preparations for Moshiach easier.

It is time to recite Tehilim 117, the shortest tehila.

This chapter, the shortest of all the Psalms (spanning only two verses), is the fifth chapter in the series of Tehillim that comprise the Hallel service. The Psalmist here calls upon "all the nations" to join in giving praise to the Almighty, because of the immense kindness that He has bestowed upon Am Yisrael. The Radak explains this chapter as referring to the time of Mashiah, when Israel will be redeemed and all nations on earth will come to recognize God. Ibn Ezra, by contrast, maintains that David speaks here of the nations that came under his control during his reign.

Either way, this chapter expresses the notion that the redemption of Israel – either during the time of King David, or during the time of his descendant, the Mashiah – will be followed by the nations' praise of God. When Am Yisrael experiences exile and oppression, the other nations erroneously see our suffering as an indication of our abandonment by God, or of the falsehood of our beliefs. But once God's kindness towards us is clearly manifest, all nations will be compelled to recognize Him as Creator, and to recognize Am Yisrael as His treasured people.

And now, the video...