BS"D
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
PARSHAT LECH LECHA
10 Marcheshvan 5769/7-8 November 2008
HAIL TO THE NEW CHIEF
Our parsha teaches us about the birth of Abraham's first son Ishmael: "And an angel of Hashem said to her, behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, you shall name him Ishmael, for Hashem has heard your prayers, and he shall be a wild-ass of a man."
Our Rabbis teach us why he was called that: In the future, G-d will hear the cries of His people Israel regarding what the Ishmaelites are going to do in the Land in the end of days. Therefore he was called Ishmael, as it says: "G-d will hear and will answer them". This means that things will be so bad for the Jewish people from the hand of Ishmael at the end of days, that they, the Jewish people, will cry out to Hashem because of them, and G-d will hear and save His people Israel.
The holy Zohar also teaches us that the exile of Ishmael will be the hardest exile of them all, and that Ishmael will rule over the entire world, including Israel, at the end of days. In the covenant that Hashem made with Abraham in our parsha, G-d showed Abraham all of the history that will befall the Jewish people until the end of days. It says: "A great dark dread fell upon Abraham". Our sages learn out that "dread" refers to the fourth kingdom Edom, as the Book of Daniel tells us: "Dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong". Dark refers to Greece, which covered the Jewish people in darkness regarding keeping G-d's commandments. Great refers to the kingdoms of Persia and Media, which rose to sell Israel for free. Upon refers to Ishmael, for it will be that Mashiach the son of David will flourish upon them.
Rabbi Chaim Vital, the arch-student of the holy Ari, taught us about the sentence in Zechariah: "I will gather the nations against Jerusalem"; at the end of days both Edom and Ishmael will join forces together and come against the Jewish people in Israel. For we find that Esau, the son of Isaac, went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, for a wife. From here is a sign for future generations that Esau and Ishmael will join forces; as the prophet tells us, they will come together to fight against Jerusalem and G-d will go out and battle for His people and judge the nations through fire.
Interestingly enough, the world's new "commander in chief" is considered by Moslems throughout the world as a Moslem, as Moslem law states that the a person's religion is brought down by his father - and Obama's father was a Moslem. Still, his mother was white - i.e., Edom - making him a combination of both Ishmael and Edom. Could this be what the holy text was alluding to when it said that at the end of days both Ishmael and Edom will join together against the Jewish people? Was this what the Zohar meant when it said that at the end of days Ishmael would rule over the world and Israel? Only time will tell! One thing is for sure: The Redemption process has taken one giant step forward.
With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen
*************
Today we all know that Rabbi Kahane was right! Help spread the Jewish Idea -Join the Jewish Idea's E-mail list and spread the word!jidea@netvision.net.il
Showing posts with label jewish idea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jewish idea. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Support the Jewish Idea!
BS"D
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI (The Jewish Idea)
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
Dear Friend and Supporter,
Shalom from Jerusalem!
This year commemorates the 18th year since the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane ZT"L HY"D. At the Yeshiva we are continuing to spread the Authentic Jewish Idea, as expounded by Rabbi Kahane, throughout Israel.
We are now in the midst of refurbishing the building, the Beit-Midrash, library and classrooms.
Now is the time to show your support for Rabbi Kahane's Yeshiva by taking part in our renovation effort. Now is the time to dedicate the library, classroom, Beit-Midrash and a host of other items needed for the yeshiva, in memory of your loved ones or in honor of a simcha, etc.
What a great way to memorialize a loved one and to really make a difference in Israel! Please let me know if you are able to help out, as I know that the Yeshiva is close to your hearts.
Wishing you all the best,
Levi Chazen
****************************************************************************
Today we all know that Rabbi Kahane was right! Help spread the Jewish Idea -Join the Jewish Idea's E-mail list and spread the word!jidea@netvision.net.il
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Parshat Noah (weekly Torah portion)
BS"D
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
PARSHAT Noach
3 Marcheshvan 5769/31 October-1 November 2008
HEY NOACH, NICE BOAT
The sun rose in the sky as it has since "time immemorial", another perfect day, not a cloud on the horizon. "Hey Noach, where's that great flood that you have been talking about for the longest time", his fellow neighbours taunted him. "Good thing you got that boat, Noach, looks like rain",they mocked. Noach himself was starting to have second thoughts; here, after working for the past 120 years preparing for this day, the day that the flood was supposed to start, lo and behold - it turns out to be a day like any other day in "Gothem City". As our rabbis teach us, Noach believed, yet did not believe, and only entered the ark when the waters started to rise. In fact, every day during the generation of the Flood was picture-perfect. Crops from the field would last for 40 years, never did it rain nor was it cold, but they enjoyed an all-around spring-like temperature. All this was bestowed upon them by the goodness of Hashem, to give them the perfect conditions for them to serve Him. Yet they used this very gift to rebel against G-d.
Hashem even granted them an additional seven days' respite before bringing the Flood upon the world, that maybe, just maybe this time they would do teshuva and return to Him. This, too, did not help. Finally, on the 17th of Marhesvan the first cloud appeared on the horizon, small and insignificant but maybe this would be the wake-up call to return to Hashem and the world could be spared. Slowly the heavens were filled with dark clouds, and the first rains began to fall. Slowly at first, as the first rains were rains of blessings, maybe now that they started to see rain they would return, and G-d would leave it as is - a rain of blessings.
But they refused to see it as a G-dly sign, even though the warnings of the past years were now being fulfilled; they went about their "business as usual". When the rains persisted, instead of returning to Hashem they gathered at the site of the ark, trying to enter, and when they could not, they tried to destroy it. Finally, the time to repent was over, the Gates of Mercy were closed, Noach was taken up into the ark, the door was shut and the rains quickly turned to acid. The world was lost, all was destroyed.
In spite of the fact that the people of the generation of the Flood were forewarned for years - an amazing aspect of human nature comes to light - even as the warnings were being fulfilled, they still continued denying that this was G-d-sent and acted as if all the events were natural occurrences.
The next generations continued in this folly of seeing everything as a natural occurrence, instead of being the Hand of G-d. The generation of Dispersion had a rational explanation for every event that ever occurred; they stated that once every 1656 years - the time between the Creation and the Flood - the heavens shake, causing a flood - and to prevent the heavens from collapsing again, we must take precautions by building supports, and this tower will be the first. And as G-d had given the generation of the Flood time and time again chances to repent, so he gave the generation of the Tower of Babel time to repent, for there was peace and friendship among them. Still, they did not return to Him and heed His warnings, and so punishment was meted out to them.
In our day, some 4000 years later, we unfortunately continue down this path. Far too few really believe that G-d is the all-powerful Mover of history and Someone Who plays a real part in our daily lives. For many, religion has become a nice object that we place somewhere on the backburner, to be taken out at will but not to be taken too seriously.
There is a G-d of history, Who has returned His people, as described by the prophets, back to their Land. And there is a G-d Who is bringing the Final Redemption to the world, one way or another. And He does play a daily part in all our lives. Now is the time to see His handwriting on the wall, as He turns out the lights in the exiles. Now is not the time - as the "Wall" comes tumbling down - to say this is just a natural occurrence. And as the "god of the bear market" falls fast, it is up to us to see G-d's handwriting on the wall and to grab up this extra time that He has given us to return to Him and to His land. It is still not too late!
With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen
*******************************************
Today we all know that Rabbi Kahane was right! Help spread the Jewish Idea -Join the Jewish Idea's E-mail list and spread the word!jidea@netvision.net.il
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
PARSHAT Noach
3 Marcheshvan 5769/31 October-1 November 2008
HEY NOACH, NICE BOAT
The sun rose in the sky as it has since "time immemorial", another perfect day, not a cloud on the horizon. "Hey Noach, where's that great flood that you have been talking about for the longest time", his fellow neighbours taunted him. "Good thing you got that boat, Noach, looks like rain",they mocked. Noach himself was starting to have second thoughts; here, after working for the past 120 years preparing for this day, the day that the flood was supposed to start, lo and behold - it turns out to be a day like any other day in "Gothem City". As our rabbis teach us, Noach believed, yet did not believe, and only entered the ark when the waters started to rise. In fact, every day during the generation of the Flood was picture-perfect. Crops from the field would last for 40 years, never did it rain nor was it cold, but they enjoyed an all-around spring-like temperature. All this was bestowed upon them by the goodness of Hashem, to give them the perfect conditions for them to serve Him. Yet they used this very gift to rebel against G-d.
Hashem even granted them an additional seven days' respite before bringing the Flood upon the world, that maybe, just maybe this time they would do teshuva and return to Him. This, too, did not help. Finally, on the 17th of Marhesvan the first cloud appeared on the horizon, small and insignificant but maybe this would be the wake-up call to return to Hashem and the world could be spared. Slowly the heavens were filled with dark clouds, and the first rains began to fall. Slowly at first, as the first rains were rains of blessings, maybe now that they started to see rain they would return, and G-d would leave it as is - a rain of blessings.
But they refused to see it as a G-dly sign, even though the warnings of the past years were now being fulfilled; they went about their "business as usual". When the rains persisted, instead of returning to Hashem they gathered at the site of the ark, trying to enter, and when they could not, they tried to destroy it. Finally, the time to repent was over, the Gates of Mercy were closed, Noach was taken up into the ark, the door was shut and the rains quickly turned to acid. The world was lost, all was destroyed.
In spite of the fact that the people of the generation of the Flood were forewarned for years - an amazing aspect of human nature comes to light - even as the warnings were being fulfilled, they still continued denying that this was G-d-sent and acted as if all the events were natural occurrences.
The next generations continued in this folly of seeing everything as a natural occurrence, instead of being the Hand of G-d. The generation of Dispersion had a rational explanation for every event that ever occurred; they stated that once every 1656 years - the time between the Creation and the Flood - the heavens shake, causing a flood - and to prevent the heavens from collapsing again, we must take precautions by building supports, and this tower will be the first. And as G-d had given the generation of the Flood time and time again chances to repent, so he gave the generation of the Tower of Babel time to repent, for there was peace and friendship among them. Still, they did not return to Him and heed His warnings, and so punishment was meted out to them.
In our day, some 4000 years later, we unfortunately continue down this path. Far too few really believe that G-d is the all-powerful Mover of history and Someone Who plays a real part in our daily lives. For many, religion has become a nice object that we place somewhere on the backburner, to be taken out at will but not to be taken too seriously.
There is a G-d of history, Who has returned His people, as described by the prophets, back to their Land. And there is a G-d Who is bringing the Final Redemption to the world, one way or another. And He does play a daily part in all our lives. Now is the time to see His handwriting on the wall, as He turns out the lights in the exiles. Now is not the time - as the "Wall" comes tumbling down - to say this is just a natural occurrence. And as the "god of the bear market" falls fast, it is up to us to see G-d's handwriting on the wall and to grab up this extra time that He has given us to return to Him and to His land. It is still not too late!
With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen
*******************************************
Today we all know that Rabbi Kahane was right! Help spread the Jewish Idea -Join the Jewish Idea's E-mail list and spread the word!jidea@netvision.net.il
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