False Prophets of Our Days, נביאי שקרים בימינו

ב כִּי-יָקוּם בְּקִרְבְּךָ נָבִיא אוֹ חֹלֵם חֲלוֹם וְנָתַן אֵלֶיךָ אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת: 
ג וּבָא הָאוֹת וְהַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְדַעְתָּם וְנָעָבְדֵם: 

ד לֹא תִשְׁמַע אֶל-דִּבְרֵי הַנָּבִיא הַהוּא אוֹ אֶל-חוֹלֵם הַחֲלוֹם הַהוּא כִּי מְנַסֶּה יְקוָֹק אֱלֹהֵקֵיכֶם אֶתְכֶם לָדַעַת הֲיִשְׁכֶם אֹהֲבִים אֶת-יְקוָֹק אֱלֹקֵיכֶם בְּכָל-לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁכֶם:

When there will arise from within you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he will give to you a sign or a wonder, and the sign and the wonder that he spoke to you will happen, saying "Let's go after other gods that you have not known and let us worship them", you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams because Hashem, your G-d, is testing you to know if you really love Hashem, your G-d, in all your hearts and in all your souls.  (Devarim 13:2-4)

Rav Elchonon Wasserman (Kovetz Ma'amarim), in the name of the Chofetz Chaim, wrote "Why is He giving so much power to the non-believers? The answer is stated in the Torah!" (as in the above). So too, will it be in the days before Moshiach, as it is written:

And I will bring the third in fire; and I will refine them as one refines silver, and I will test them as one tests gold. He shall call in My name, and I will respond to him. I said, "He is My people"; and he shall say, "The L-rd is my G-d." (Zechariah 13:9)

 Governments will turn to heresy. (Sotah 49b)

According to Rabbi Aryeh Mandelbaum, the author of "Redemption Unfolding", when Chazal revealed to us that in the end of days "governments will turn to heresy", they were telling us that we would be tested in our faith. The power of apostasy will be especially intense in the world. Our job is to fight it through strengthening our emunah (faith) in Hashem, by distancing ourselves from those influences which contradict Torah.

We must recognize the falsehood of those who claim that first we had to accomplish our tasks --- coming to Israel, fighting for it, and ruling it -- and that only then will G-d do what is up to Him, and that with the passage of time fear of heaven and faith will increase.  We must recognize that they (the Erev Rav) are attributing to us something that is completely in G-d's hands and not in our control at all, for "G-d is the man of war", (Shemos 15:3) and it is He Who has brought all this about. (Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, zt"l) 

According to Rabbi Eli Mansour, of LearnTorah.com, we should speak about Emunah and spread stories of Emunah through our lips. Rabbi Mandelbaum recommends saying Hashem's name constantly on our lips. For example, before any activity, we should say "B'ezras Hashem," and after receiving something from Hashem, physical or spiritual, we should say "Baruch Hashem."

Source: "Redemption Unfolding", "Speaking of Emunah", "Mazal Adar/Fish Story", The Erev Rav Among Us

Fifteen Afflictions and Fifteen Levels of Holiness, חמש עשרה רמות עינויות וחמש עשרה רמות קדושות

Chazal foresaw the afflictions that the Bnei Yishmael will do to Bnei Yisrael at the end of days before the coming of Moshiach.

Rav Yishmoel says: Bnei Yishmael will do 15 things in the Land at the end of days ... and in their days will spring forth a sprout from Dovid -- Pirkei DeRebbi Eliezer (end of Chapter 30)

Yishmael's descendants will wage three tumultous wars at the end of days... One will be in an Arab land; one on the sea; and one in a big city, and it will be greater than the first two.  And from there Ben Dovid (Moshiach) will sprout. and both of the nations  which take part in the war will be wiped out, and from there the Moshiach will come to Eretz Yisrael, as it says, 'Who is this coming from Edom?' -- Pirkei DeRebbi Eliezer (Chapter 21)

If the time of the redemption arrives and "wine" is not found, meaning, we are lacking in Torah, the redemption will occur by means of a burdensome and powerful exile, during which the nations will oppress Israel .... Ohr HaChaim (Bereishis 49:11, s.v. "u'bedam anavim")

The question is -- Where does Yishmael acquire the strength to afflict us in these 15 ways? The Maharal says in Gevuros Hashem, Chapter 59, that when Klal Yisrael was at its peak, it had acquired 15 levels of holiness (as elaborated in "Dayenu" on Pesach night). Bnei Yisrael, however, has fallen from these 15 levels of holiness into 15 levels of tumah in the era of the footsteps of Moshiach.

The Mishna states at the end of Tractate Sota (49b) that in the period which will precede the coming of Moshiach, the following will happen:

1. Insolence will increase
2. Inflation will persist
3. The vine will product fruit, yet wine will be expensive
4. The government will turn to heresy
5. There shall be no rebuke
6. There will be meeting places for harlotry
7. The wisdom of Torah will decay
8. Those who dread sin will be despised
9. Truth will be absent
10. Youth will blanch the faces of elders
11. Elders will stand in the presence of minors
12. The son will deride his father; a daughter, her mother
13. A man's enemies will be the people of his household
14. The son will not be embarrassed in front of his father
15. The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog

There is only one antidote to this problem. We need to fix these 15 levels of blemishes and raise ourselves up to our prior levels of holiness. Hashem has permitted Bnei Yishmael to torture us through our own decline.

Rav Eliezer was asked by his students: 'What should a person do to be saved from the suffering of Chevlei Moshiach?' He answered: 'A person should occupy himself with Torah study and gemilus chassadim.' (Sanhedrin 98b)

Rabbi Eliyahu Kin in his video "Crisis of Israel" also suggests 10 other things we need to do to bring Moshiach:

1. Strengthening our tie to Torah
2. Making Charity and Kindness a priority in our lives
3. Eradicating Lashon Hora
4. Avoiding argument and baseless hatred
5. Judging everyone favorably
6. Helping our fellow Jews return to their roots
7. Not bowing down to the golden calf (materialism)
8. Strengthening our Jewish identity
9. Removing harmful elements from home
10. Praying from the heart with sincerity

Source: Redemption Unfolding, by Rabbi Alexander Aryeh Mandelbaum
Additional Sources: The Crisis of Yisrael, The Revolution in Egypt, We Need to  Cry Out to Hashem, How to Bring Moshiach, How to Do Teshuvah

The Ingathering of the Jews

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בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָבִיא אֶתְכֶם וּבָעֵת קַבְּצִי אֶתְכֶם כִּי-אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם לְשֵׁם וְלִתְהִלָּה בְּכֹל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת-שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר יקוק
  At that time I will bring you, and at [that] time I will gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your captivities before your eyes, said the L-rd.
Tzefaniah 3:20

This verse is recited every morning in Shacharis at the end of the "Atah Hu Hashem Elokeinu Bashamayim U'va'aretz" prayer. According to Rav Schwab, zt"l, this verse refers to two stages of the final redemption. The first stage is described as "At that time I will bring you" which we've seen in today's population in the Land of Israel. The second stage will be the ingathering of the entire Jewish nation to Eretz Yisrael (where no Jew will be left behind). This stage is referred to the verse above as "At [that] time I will gather (the rest of) you", before your eyes. The first stage of redemption is limited by the word of "I will bring" (אָבִיא), while the second stage of a wide ingathering is complete as described by the word "I will gather" (קַבְּצִי).

And at the time of the general ingathering of the Jewish people to the Holy Land, Am Yisrael will once again be praiseworthy as a world leader (in Torah), as in "I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth."

נְאֻם אֲדֹ-נָי יקוק מְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד אֲקַבֵּץ עָלָיו לְנִקְבָּצָיו
So says  Hashem, Who gathers the dispersed of Israel; I will again gather, to join those who are already there
Yeshayahu 56:8

Those who don't believe that Hashem will carry out  His word are lacking in emunah (faith).  Even though we see the rate of aliyah increasing over the years, the aliyah may not be permanent as there are families who have returned to their host lands due to many reasons - parnassah (job), kibud av' v'em (honoring their parents when they are sick in the host countries), children (can't find the appropriate schools in the Israeli school sytem, or difficult adjustments leading to kids on the streets, or physical and mental abuse against the children in schools), losing housing (being kicked out of their apartments because the landlords changed their leases), etc.  However, we believe with perfect faith, that just as Hashem will send Moshiach no matter how long he will tarry, Hashem will also gather the rest of Jewry at the appropriate time, some say only to those who merit to be redeemed.

Our final redemption from galus will mirror somewhat our redemption from Mitzrayim (Egypt), but with much more awesome miracles.  Just like in Egypt, Hashem appointed Moshe Rabbeinu as our redeemer, so too, in our final redemption, Hashem has appointed Moshiach ben David as our redeemer.  

 Moshiach Ben David will gather many people around him and bring them all to Jerusalem where he'll "bring good tidings to the humble ... gather together the brokenhearted, and declare liberty". He'll bring us all back to Israel for good, re-establish the Sanhedrin, restore the sacrificial service, encourage the other nations to worship G-d Almighty and be righteous, and he'll establish Jerusalem as the center of worship and wisdom where G-d's Oneness will be attested to by all.

To learn more about his roles and tasks, please read this article "The Great Redemption" by the Ramchal.

Source: Rav Schwab on Prayer

Addditional readings: Baal Teshuvah and Aliyah, Hard Time in a Hard Holy Land, Rabbi Horowitz on Making Aliyah, Do You Have Plans for Making Aliyah?, Parashiyot Tazria-Metzora Jewish Statehood (1), and Parashiyot Acharei Mos-Kedoshim Jewish Statehood 2

The Revolution in Egypt, a Message for the Jews

Rabbi Joey Haber, of LearnTorah.com, prepared a special out-of-the-ordinary shiur (lecture), just to talk about the revolution in Egypt and how it impacts world Jewry. He advocates that we should wake up from our slumber, much like what Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis has forewarned in her past shiurim, and that we Jews must react to this. Without prophecy, we look at world events as messages from Hashem. Everything happens for a reason, it is not for naught, and there is no coincidence.

This is another wake-up call for teshuva (repentance). The voice is the voice of Yaakov -- that's our weapon for all time. We need to better ourselves, commit ourselves to do more good than we are doing now, stay away from our bad habits and get closer to Hashem. It doesn't matter where we are, the Chutz, or in Eretz Yisrael.

According to the Rambam (Maimonides), there are 24 ways that can prevent us from doing teshuva. Watch and listen to Rabbi Yossi Mizrachi deliberate on four very important ways, in his shiur, "24 Ways that Prevent Teshuva".

We need to cry out to G-d!

 

Author: Billy Hathorn

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis implores every Jew to cry out to Hashem, like we cried out to Hashem in Egypt. The situation is ripe for the war of Gog and Magog where the whole world practically will be against the Jews and Israel, as the current political situations play out in Egypt, and the surrounding countries in the Middle East.

Even though the Jewish people is an eternal nation, she asks "At what cost will we survive this war?" She reminds us about the Holocaust that cost 6,000,000 Jewish lives.  Hashem always prepares a solution before a crisis that He places upon the people.  For instance, Esther HaMalkah was placed in a position of power in the palace of Achashverosh for a reason, i.e. to cause the Jews of her time to repent.  The State of Israel was born after the Holocaust, to enable the Jews to return to the Land. Moshiach ben David will come after the war of Gog and Magog.  But, at what cost? How many Jewish lives will be sacrificed as a result of that war?

We, the Jewish people, can change our destiny, to bring Moshiach in a more merciful way. We should be stepping out of our personal crisis and crying out to Hashem to save us already. We shouldn't wait until the war comes before we cry out.

When Israel cries before Him, the redemption will come ... (Midrash Rabbah, Shemos 32:9)

Source: Live shiur on Parashas Terumah, 5771.