#5. Accepting Hashem's will with complete faith 

Although our nation has experienced many awful tragedies on this day, Tisha B'Av, there are countless stories of great people which demonstrate how even in times of hardship and calamity, one can accept Hashem's will with complete faith.

When the Nazis y"sh came to execute Rav Elchanan Wasserman and his yeshivah, he asked for the opportunity to speak to his students for a couple of minutes.  He told them, "It appears that we have been chosen by Hashem as sacrifices on behalf of the nation.  Let us not disqualify ourselves by harboring improper thoughts about Hashem.  We say on Tisha B'Av, כי אתה באש הצתה ובאש אתה עתיד לבנותה.  The fire that is going to consume our bodies is the fire with which Hashem will rebuild the Bet Ha'mikdash.  Let us accept our fate with joy and ascend to G-d in purity."  They all went with joy to die על קידוש ה', like Yitzhak Avinu at the time of the akedah.

On another occasion, the Nazis y"sh were grabbing babies from their mothers' arms and murdering them.  One woman, who was holding her baby tightly with tears pouring  down her face, suddenly pulled out a sharp tool and loudly proclaimed, ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על המילה.  She then proceeded to perform a berit milah on her baby son.  Afterward she looked up to the heavens and said, "Hashem, You gave me a pure Jewish boy, and I am giving You back a pure Jewish boy."

A hasid gave away part of his meager rations for weeks during the Holocaust in exchange for flour so he could bake matzah for Pesah.  Unfortunately, he was caught by the Nazis, who knocked out each and every one of his teeth.  He came to his Rabbi, the Klausenberger Rebbe, and asked if he could fulfill the mitzvah of matzah without chewing.  He didn't ask how Hashem could do this to him after all he had sacrificed for the mitzvah; he asked if he could still perform the mitzvah.

Rav Shalom Schwadron told that the Nazis y"sh would play a game where they would take Jews outside into the bitter cold, order them to undress, and then have them jump into barrels filled with acid that burned the skin.  A man told Rav Schwadron that he was taken out with seven friends, and when it came his turn to jump, he looked up to the heavens and said, "Hashem, the Nazis have taken away my parents, my wife and my children, and now they have even taken away my clothing.  All I have left is the flesh on my body.  Master of the world, now it's just You and me."  He then jumped.  The man told Rav Schwadron that he experienced at that moment a feeling of pleasure which he had never before felt, sensing that the Shechinah was with him.  His friends were yelling at him, "Your skin is burning, get out!" but he did not want to leave the barrel, as he felt so close to Hashem at those moments.

These are just a small handful of the stories told of remarkable faith by even simple Jews in the direst of circumstances.  As hard as it is to believe, emunah gives people courage to withstand even the most painful and unspeakable horrors.  

May this be the last Tisha B'Ab, and may Hashem bring an end to this long and bitter exile, save us from our enemies, and bring Mashiah Tzidkenu, אמן.

 

בס"ד

6-תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב - Behind the Scenes

          We think we all know what תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב is and what it is about, but do we really?  Let me give you brief summary ofאֵיכָה  which is a מְגִילָּה which is read תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב night:

          אֵיכָה talks about יִרְמְיָהוּ who was a young נָבִיא to which Hashem gave him a very painful task.  He was to tell בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל over and over again that destruction and the גָלוּת were coming closer.  יִרְמְיָהוּ kept warning בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל that if they didn’t do תְּשׁוּבָה then the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ would be destroyed, but בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ignored him.  נָבִיאים that gave mussar to כּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל were not popular especially יִרְמְיָהוּ.  His written prophecies were burned.  He was called a false נָבִיא and finally thrown into the dungeon.

          Someone else might have become consumed with hatred for the people that spurned and humiliated him, but not יִרְמְיָהוּ.  When בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל did not do תְּשׁוּבָה Hashem allowed נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַר to be able to burn down the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  Once he destroyed ,בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַר told נְבוּזָרַאדָן to take took יִרְמְיָהוּ out from the dungeon ordered that יִרְמְיָהוּ not be harmed and that good care be taken of him.  יִרְמְיָהוּ saw a group of teenagers in chains and placed his head in their chains. נְבוּזָרַאדָן took him out from among them. יִרְמְיָהוּ then saw a group of old men and tried to put his own head into their heavy chains , but נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַר forced him away.  At the orders of King נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַר, the conquering Babylonian general not comforted by his vindication or his freedom.  יִרְמְיָהוּ wanted to feel the suffering of his brothers.  He found cut off fingers and other limbs, thrown on the ground. יִרְמְיָהוּ picked them up and embraced them and placed them in his chest. He said to them, "My children, did I not warn you? Did I not tell you to do תְּשׁוּבָה before the enemy came and took you from your land and put us into גָלוּת?"

                To his brothers he cried out, “If only you had cried once [in sorrow over your עַבֵירוֹת] when you were still in ,אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאל you would have not been sent into גָלוּת!”  Alas, they had not cried, but he did - before, during, and after his personal and national suffering.  The book of אֵיכָה is יִרְמְיָהוּ’s personal poem for his people, and it hints to Jewish tragedies throughout history. 

          The book is read on תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב, the 9^th day of the Hebrew month of אב, the day liked to Jewish tragedy.  It was the when the Jew in the מְדבַּר believed the לָשׁוֹן הָרָע of the Spies, and that generation lost its chance to enter into Eretz Yisrael.  Among other national calamities, both the first and second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ were destroyed on תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב.  During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב 1492 was the deadline for the Jews to leave the country or face death. And in 1914, תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב was the day when World War I was declared, which brought in the political and economic collapse that resulted Bolshevik Revolution and the Holocaust.

          The חַכָמְים teach that מְשִׁיחַ will be born on תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב, meaning that having a proper understanding and reflection upon the causes of destruction reveal that contained within it are seeds of redemption.  We don’t forget our tragedies; rather we believe that everything will turn out for the best, because “Had I not fallen, I could not have arisen; had I not sat in the darkness,  Hashem would not have been a light for me¹”   

          We know why the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ was destroyed but what was main and biggest עַבֵירָה that caused the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ to be destroyed?  The answer is brought down from the הקדמה חפץ חיים - Once Hashem saw that there was שְׂנַאת חִינָם - Baseless Hatred amongst Yidden - Hashem כַּבֵי יָכוּל couldn’t stand it and destroyed the second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  The Chofetz Chaim says that the עַבֵירָה of שְׂנַאת חִינָם refers specifically to לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. How do we know? Because it is written in the גְמָרָה that the specific עַבֵירוֹת of לָשׁוֹן הָרָע is equal in severity to the three great עַבֵירוֹת - ,גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה combined! And these three עַבֵירוֹת brought the destruction of the first בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.

          Let me ask you a question.  Do you know where else in history an event almost as dramatic as this occurred, but it had nothing to do with the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ?  The answer is רֶבִּי עֲקִיבָא’s 24,000 תַּלמִידְים died in the five weeks of from Askiara – a breathing disorder. Marshah in that place says the following:  That it says if a person speaks לָשׁוֹן הָרָע they will die of Askira therefore, he says, “That the real עַבֵירָה that the 24,000 תַּלמִידְים of רֶבִּי עֲקִיבָא did is they spoke לָשׁוֹן הָרָע and that is the way they reflected, “no’agoo k’vod zeh l’zeh,” that is the way they expressed that they didn’t honor each other because they spoke לָשׁוֹן הָרָע.

          What was the cause of their deaths? לָשׁוֹן הָרָע just like the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, which was destroyed because of לָשׁוֹן הָרָע which was caused though שְׂנַאת חִינָם - Baseless Hatred!

          On תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב we shouldn’t only be crying over the destruction  ,בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ but rather we should be crying that we couldn’t get along with each other!!!  Has your mother ever said to you when you are fighting or just having an argument with your brother and sisters, “All I’m asking is if you can just get along other for once?”  Hashem כַּבֵי יָכוּל is like our mother saying to us that exact line.  What does this mean? 

          If you look at the Kitzur Chofetz Chaim² it says as follows:  Hashem says to the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל:  “My beloved children,  what do I ask of you?  Only that you love one another, and respect one another.”

          When the spies came back from spying in אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאל they told בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל that there giants dying there and other bad things there as well.  So בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל started crying.  Hashem told כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל since you cried for no reason you will have a day in the future to cry for and that was תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב.  Let’s stop here a second and think Hashem said, “Since you cried for no reason.”  What was the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ destroyed from שְׂנַאת חִינָם - Baseless Hatred and we hatred amongst each other for no reason.   The definition of the word חִינָם doesn’t only mean baseless it also can mean for no reason. 

 

          Side Points - Powerful, Interesting and Inspirational Thoughts for תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב:

Even though we had שְׂנַאת חִינָם if we would have been willing to do תְּשֻׁוּבָה.  Hashem would have not destroyed the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  Hashem didn’t want to, שְׂנַאת חִינָם was is what pushed Hashem’s limit כַּבֵי יָכוּל.  Meaning we made Hashem get so angry at us that if we would not of had שְׂנַאת חִינָם which was caused by לָשׁוֹן הָרָע; the  בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁbesides being around today, Hashem would not have gotten that angry at us that he would have no choice, but to destroy His own house the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  We could have done תְּשׁוּבָה.  If we would have done תְּשֻׁוּבָה we would have had the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ up today.

 

It’s interesting that to note that we always start off with סֵפֶר דְבָרִים right before תִּשָׁעה בְּאָב. The root word of "דְבָרִים" is דָבָר which means “word.”³ In order to speak you have to use words. This teaches us how careful we have to be with our words! As Rabbi David Orlofsky says that the word "מְשִֹיחַ" means “speech” (speech is communication by words or which come from using words - דְבָרִים⁴) and if we use our speech - ",מְשִֹיחַ" our words, properly then we will be able to bring the מְשִׁיחַ!

 

If בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל would have done תְּשֻׁוּבָה we could have stopped Hashem’s decree to destroy the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Even though when the מְרַגלִים spoke לָשׁוֹן הָרָע about אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאל and we cried for no reason Hashem said to us, “Since you (plural) cried for no reason Hashem told us that in the future you will have a day to cry for,” תְּשׁוּבָה can still remove a decree even if Hashem made it destined in the future) תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב is going to be the only יוֹם  טוֹב when מְשִׁיחַ comes that we had to do תְּשׁוּבָה for.  I’ll prove it to you:  חַנֻוּכּהwe did ,תְּשׁוּבָה פּוּרִים we did תְּשׁוּבָה and פֵּסַח - we did תְּשׁוּבָה (don’t look for other יָמְים טוֹבִים I’m just trying to illustrate a point).

 

          We also disrespected Hashem when we came to Eretz Yisrael and before the destruction and on ,תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב how?

When the מְרַגלִים to spy went into ,אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאל they saw giants dying and they didn’t have gratitude that Hashem was doing it so they wouldn’t be seen by the giants; they looked at it in a negative way instead of being appreciative.

 

When יִרְמְהָוּ warned us that if we didn’t do תְּשׁוּבָה Hashem was going to destroy the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ and we were going to be sent into גָלוּת.  What did we do to יִרְמְהָוּ?  We burnt his written prophecies. We said he was a שֶׁקֶר נָבִיא and threw him into prison. 

 

          In the מֵעַם לוֹעֵז called, “The Story of ,תִּשָׁעה בְּאָב” brings down a very interesting points (the information is taken primarily from the commentary of סֵפֶר דְבָרִים):

 

When Hashem commanded that a fire should come down from שָׁמַיִם and destroy the ,בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ Hashem asked summoned two מַלָאכִים and said to them, “Who do you love most?” ",בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל" they replied, “And what do you love second-most?” “The בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.”  Hashem bound them by an oath to burn the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.

          מִיכָאֶל took two torches and gave them to ,גַברִיאֶל who went down to burn down the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.

          Rabbi Yehoshua said that for six months the coals burned in 'גַברִיאֶלs hand while he waited for the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל to תְּשׁוּבָה. During this time, the coals cooled down a bit. If they had not cooled down, not a trace would have remained of all the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל.

          At that time it was decreed that גַברִיאֶל be punished. He was flogged sixty times with a fiery lash. They said to him, “If you had not listened to the command of Hashem and had not burned the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ at all, you would not have been punished. But you did Hashem’s will, by throwing down the torch of fire burn the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ; why then, did you cool it down? You are also are a liar. You said to Hashem, “I have done all that You commanded.” You should not have brought the bad news.”

          At this time, גַברִיאֶל lost his high position. It was taken by the מַלָךְ in charge of the Persians. He held this position for eleven days.

          At this time, the מַלָךְ asked Hashem for permission to take a tax from the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל. Authority was granted. The מַלָךְ then asked for authority to tax Torah scholars, and the decree was ready to be signed. גַברִיאֶל spoke from up his place, "Is it good in Your eyes to taxתַּלמִידֵי  חַכָמִים when even their wives go without sleep so that their husbands can study תּוֹרָה?” However, Hashem did not pay attention to him. He then said, “Lord of the Universe, if You put all the nations of the world on one side of the scale and דַנִיאֵל on the other side, his merit would be greater.”

          Hashem said, “Who is speaking well about My people?”

          “It is ,גַברִיאֶל” said the heavenly hosts.

          Hashem then gave orders that גַברִיאֶל be out back in previous position. When he saw the other angels carrying the writ placing a tax on the,תַּלמִידֵי חַכָמִים  גַברִיאֶל wanted to swallow it, which would erase the signature and stopping the decree. During the time of the Persian Empire, therefore, some תַּלמִידֵי חַכָמִים paid the tax and some did not pay the tax.

          When the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ was destroyed, the שְׁכִינָה moved from place to place so that the place so that the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל would see it leaving and do תְּשׁוּבָה.  Finally, the שְׁכִינָה rested on הַר זֵיתִים.  A בַּת קוֹל came out everyday and said, “Do תְּשׁוּבָה and I will return to MY place.” But the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל did not listen and did not do תְּשׁוּבָה.  נְבוּכַדנֶצֶר was then able to burn down the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ and banish us from our land!

          What happened after Hashem waited six months patiently for בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל to do תְּשׁוּבָה?  HE destroyed the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, then His שְׁכִינָה moved from place to place so that the place so that the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל would see it leaving and do תְּשׁוּבָה.  Then Hashem finally said, “If you Just do תְּשׁוּבָה I’ll come back to MY בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  Did we do תְּשׁוּבָה?  No, we did worse than that.  We ignored Hashem and we spat in his FACE  כַּבֵי יָכוּל (ignored him!!!) and this was the third time on תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב!!!  Hashem had no choice, but to destroy the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ! 

          “Hashem waited forכּלַל יִשְׂרָאל  patiently and Hashem toldכּלַל יִשְׂרָאל  If you Just do תְּשׁוּבָה I’ll come back...!!!”

   “We should think that Hashem our FATHER our KING had to make a sacrifice because he loves us so much, HE made a sacrifice by asking two מַלָאכִים (מִיכָאֶל and גַברִיאֶל) for advice for us about whether HE should get rid of בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאל or the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ!!!”

   There are four places to which the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל were sent into גָלוּת. All of them are hinted to in the ,פּסוּק “Say to the prisoners, ‘Go out,’ and to those who are in darkness, “Reveal yourselves” “Eat along the way, and let every hill be your pasture” יְשַׁעיָה- פֶּרֶק מט', פָּסוּק ט'.

   “Say to the prisoners, “Go out.” This refers to those who are on the other side of the Sambation River. "And those in darkness 'Reveal yourselves'" This refers to those behind the mountains of darkness and those sealed in by Alexander the Great.

 

“Eat along the way.”

   This is speaking about those scattered unto the four corners of the earth.

   Hashem bound the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל by an oath that they not make a mass migration to the ,אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאל set up a government, or build יְרוּשָׁלַיִם and its walls. He also bound the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל that they not rebel against the kingdoms or depend on their strength. He also bound them by an oath that they should not urge Hashem in an unusual manner to bring the מְשִׁיחַ.

   Hashem also bound the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל by an oath that they not reveal the mysteries of the תּוֹרָה or the means of calculating the calendar to the world.

   Hashem bound the גוֹיִם by an oath that they not be overly harsh to the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. If the world is too harsh to the ,בְּנֵי ,יִשְׂרָאֵל Hashem will send מְשִׁיחַ before his time.

   Hashem said, "I have bound you by an oath. If you listen to My oath, good. If not, your flesh will be food for the beasts such as harts and deer." Hashem has pity on us even when He is angry. He strikes with one hand and heals with the other. He put us into גָלוּת in the month of,אָב  which is a summer month. If He had put us intoגָלוּת  in the winter, during the time of cold and rain, many people would have died along the way. They did not have adequate clothing and were bound in chains.

   It was also a great act of mercy that Hashem put us into  גָלוּת in the summer, in the month of ,אָב when it is warm. When they lay on the fields they were not harmed. It was also an act of mercy because in the month of אָב there was fruit available, such as pomegranates and grapes.

   Hashem also did an act of mercy that He put it in Titus' mind not to bring the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל to the desert because it was an uncultivated area and they would die of starvation. Rather, he brought them to inhabited territory so that wherever they went they found a city and had something to eat and drink.

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There is a question if the 3^rd will be built by humans? 

          The רַבָּנָן disagree about who will build the 3^rd בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  Some say that it will be built by humans.  Others believe that it is being built in ,שָׁמַיִם and it will descend from שָׁמַיִם surrounded by fire.  Our tradition teaches that we can help build the heavenly בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ!  Every time we do  מְצוָה and learn ,תּוֹרָה a brick is added to the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.  Conversely whenever we do an עַבֵירָה - especially בִטוּל תּוֹרָה - a brick is removed, thereby stopping its construction!  Rabbi Shimshon Pincus zt”l said that the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ in שְׁמַיִם will descend to the one below, just like the soul descends into the body!⁵

 

יְלקוּט מֵעַם לוֹעֵז⁶ says that all the stones and foundations of the מְקדָשׁ/ Temple, in יְרוּשָׁלַיִם were not burned or destroyed They were all hidden away. שֵׁדְים - demons - brought other stones, which were burned so as to fool Titus. Even though the Romans thought they were destroying the מְקדָשׁ this was merely an illusion. Actually, everything in the מְקדָשׁ was hidden. When Hashem rebuilds the ,מְקדָשׁ He will use the same stones and foundations that were there originally. Nothing will be missing.

 

The תלמוד יְרוּשַׁלמִי explains that when it comes to transgressions, לָשׁוֹן הָרָע equals them all.⁷

 

It’s interesting to note the world stands on three things: ,תּוֹרָה עבוֹדָה and גְמילוּת חַסָדִים.  You know what the גויִם’s world runs on? (Not money fancy cars) עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה ,גִלּוּי  עֲרָיוֹת  and שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.   

 

Who is the one person who always tried to judge people favorably?  Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev.  Here is a story to illustrate my point:

          Once, some Chassidim noticed a man reciting his morning prayers in his Tallis and Tefillin while greasing the axles of his wagon. Certainly one must concentrate when praying and not engage in work at the same time! The Chassidim mentioned this to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak with the expectation that he would severely upbraid the offender. Instead, the holy rabbi said, "Master of the Universe, see how righteous Your people are! Even though this man is in the middle greasing the axles of his wagon, he still finds time to praise You!⁸

          If we saw someone doing something like this we would automatically reprimand him.  But, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak always tried to find the good in people so should we try to as well.  Why does לָשׁוֹן הָרָע spoken often?  If we speak about a person without being careful of the circumstances we may be speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע.  Your friend tells his friend he tells his etc. then before you know you have caused a major amount of שְׂנַאת חִינָם the guy you spoke loshon hora about and everyone else.  Your לָשׁוֹן הָרָע had no purpose, no reason for it.  That’s how בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ got destroyed it was because people hated each other for absolutely no reason at all!  Just like when a person speaks loshon hora for no constructive purpose at all he cause שְׂנַאת חִינָם. 

 

There 13 אַנִי מַאֲמִין’s - 13 principles of Faith. We say in the 12^th אַנִי מַאֲמִין:

 

"אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִֽׁיחַ, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵֽהַּ, עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא"

I believe with complete faith in the coming of מָּשִֽׁיחַ and even though he may delay, with all that I await him every day that he will come.

Question: What does the word, "שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵֽהַּ" mean when it says, “he may delay?”

Answer: The word, "שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵֽהַּ" - He may delay is referring to a specific עַבֵירָה that כּלַל יְשֹרָאֶל do as a whole - people speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע.

Question:  What do the words, "עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם" mean when it says, “With all that I await him every day?” The words,  "עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם" - “With all that I await him every day” means that Hashem is waiting for us to do תּשׁוּבָה everyday.  

          Is לָשׁוֹן הָרָע the only reason? It seems like it. Where’s the proof? If you look in the ,הקדמה חפץ חיים the Chofetz Chaim gives us a guarantee that Hashem is ready to end this גָלוּת that where in, any minute.  Which minute?  The minute the עַבֵירָה that brought us into this גָלוּת is corrected which is לָשׁוֹן הָרָע!!! Just like the snake brought לָשׁוֹן הָרָע into the world. We have to bring אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל into the world, which is only possible by not speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע!!! Interesting Rabbi Mendel Kessin says that the gematria of נָחָשׁ is 358 the same as the gematria of מְשִׁיחַ⁹! The נָחָשׁ¹⁰ was didn’t want אָדָם to complete what Hashem sent him for!!! The נָחָשׁ was the one who succeeded by saying לָשׁוֹן הָרָע about Hashem, he said that the way Hashem got all his power was from the עֵץ הַדַעת. So if the gematria of נָחָשׁ is the same as מְשִׁיחַ then he knows that the first עַבֵירָה he brought into the world was לָשׁוֹן הָרָע then the only reversal could be אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל!!!       

          We all know that moshiach was born on תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב.  Do you know that מְשִׁיח is already HERE, what do you mean he’s already here? As the Sefer Ha’sichos¹¹ says מְשִׁיחַ is already here: “Here he stands behind our wall”¹² In a higher world there is שְׂמחָה already: he has already come; down here, however, he is waiting for the Jewish people to do תְּשֻׁוּבָה!!!

          Both the חָפֵץ חַיִים and the שֵׁם מִשׁמֻוּאֶל have the same understanding:  That the key to bringing מְשִׁיח and universal  harmony - אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאל is elimination - getting rid of לָשׁוֹן הָרָע!!!¹³

          The True Understanding is that if we would stop speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע then there will then be no more שְׂנַאת חִינָם have and it will be replaced by אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאל  which will bring מְשִׁיח.

          The only reason why it’s difficult for us to stop speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע is the following answer:

          Rabbi Pinchus Lipshitz says, “That the תּוֹרָה was given on הַר סִינַי and he brings down from a מֶדרְשׁ רַבָּה that notes something interesting, that the word “סִינַי” is the root word of “שׂנאה” - hatred.  Once כּלַל יְשֹרָאֶל got the תּוֹרָה from הַר סִינַי all the nations hated them.

          But the תּוֹרָה also implied that in the future that כּלַל יְשֹרָאֶל was going to have hatred amongst their nation itself, because the חֻרבָּן of the 2^nd  בֵּית המְקדָשׁ  were caused by שְׂנאתַ חִינָם - baseless hatred!!!

          So how does this apply to us today? Were influenced by the freedom of the media. Like what? Freedom of the press and speech. We hear or we read gossip in the newspaper. We hear negative news on the radio mostly, which brainwashes us to become negative, because whatever a person listen to goes into his brain and has an impact on him! Also cell phones and computers. Where does that come in? When a person buys a cell phone today he can decide whether he wants it to work for texting or not - even if the phone itself has texting capabilities he can block if he want (on the computer it’s called e-mail¹⁴). Texting also was made so that instead of talking to the person he can write to him (which is called “Texting”), which is almost like talking. There’s something called, “unlimited texting.” Which is not necessary to explain because most people know what that means. But the problem with that is it teaches a person a negative lesson, “Talk as much as you want about anyone or anything. Then what happens is the following: A person starts forgetting what’s right, what’s wrong to say and to  think; then you start sharing it with your friend within a blink! That attitude, idea and feeling is against the תּוֹרָה!!!!”

          The True Understanding:  That if we would stop speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרָע then there will then be no moreשְׂנאתַ חִינָם  have and it will be replaced by אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאל  which will bring מְשִׁיח.

   The בַּיְת רִאשׁוֹן was destroyed because of ,גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים and עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. The ,בַּיְת שֵׁנִי however, was destroyed because of שְׂנַאת חִינָם. Outside people would appear to be good friends, but inside there was great hatred. Even though the people studied much תּוֹרָה and did many deeds of kindness, this did not help them. As we saw in the story of קַמְצָא and בַּר קַמְצָא, ( מְסֶכֶת גְיטְין- דַף נה', עָמוּד ב' toדַף נו', עָמוּד א )  although Bar Kamtza begged that he not be rejected from the meal, he was thrown out because of great hatred. As a result he denounced the Jews to the Roman emperor, causing the מְקדָשׁ to be destroyed.

   From here our חַכָמִים learned that שְׂנַאת חִינָם outweighs ,גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים and עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. The בַּיְת רִאשׁוֹן was destroyed because of ,גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים and עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. While the second was destroyed because of the sin of שְׂנַאת חִינָם

   ,מְגְילַת אֵיכָה which is an elegy for the destruction of the , בַּיְת רִאשׁוֹן begins with the words "How does the city sit alone," which in Hebrew is אֵיכָה | יָשְׁבָה בָדָד הָעִיר"." The initial letters of this spell out ,אֵיבָּה meaning hatred/ שְׂנָאה. This is teaching us that the מְקדָשׁ was destroyed because of שְׂנָאה. If a person has שְׂנָאה in his heart he is destroyed in both this world and the next. We find that the people of סְדוֹם were destroyed only because of the hatred in their hearts.

 

After one has eaten the last meal and accepted the fast, he should take off his shoes and go to the shul and sit there in the place of the mourners or he should change his place, sitting in a lower place than he usually sits. He should remain silent like a mourner. He should begin to read from the book of קִינוֹת and other things that cause the heart to mourn and groan until tears run from his eyes and he begins to weep for the destruction of the ,מְקדָשׁ or the many קְדוֹשְׁים/ saints, and צַדִיקְים people who were killed, and for the many young children and, pregnant and nursing women who were killed etc.  Whatever a person can do to bring himself to weep and mourn he should do.

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          This year 5770 is a very interesting year indeed. The Hebrew for 5770 is תש"ע. If you pronounce תש"ע it sounds like תִּשָׁע¹⁴ which is 9. The number 9 represents truth. How is that? 9 times 2 equals 18 - 8 plus 1 = 9,  9 times 3 equals 27 - 2 plus 7 = 9 etc.! In fact the gematria of אֶמֶת is 9¹⁵. Everything this year we see more openly than last year. This year תשׁ"ע - when you pronounce it, it sounds like תִּשָׁע which is 9 and תְּשָׁעה בְּאָב is the 9^th of אָב.¹⁶ For instance:

 

גְאוּלָה is the gematria of 45. If you add 4 plus 5 = 9!!!¹⁷

אֵיכָה is the gematria of 36. If you add 3 plus 6 = 9!!!¹⁸

דְבָרִים which is read before תִּשָׁעה בְּאָב is the gematria of 261. If you add 2 plus 6 plus 1 you get 9!!!¹⁹

 

This year is the closest תְּקוּפָה for מְשִׁיחַ to come!!!

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          The federal court officially sentenced Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin for 27 years in prison. You add 2 plus 7 equals 9!!! What the federal court officially sentenced was decreed מִן השָׁמַיִם!!! If we take a closer look at the story of פּוּרִים we find that it relates to Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin. How is that? מֹרדְכַי doesn’t bow down to הָמָן. הָמָן wants to kill all the Jews because one Jew named "מֹרדְכַי" did not bow down to him. All  the Jews are angry at him, because of him not bowing down to הָמָן they are all going to be killed. מֹרדְכַי didn’t care because he knew that הָמָן was his slave.¹⁹

          In the end it turned out to be that the people הָמָן wanted to kill, was his queen’s people!!! The people in the federal court represent שָׂטָן/הָמָן which is being controlled by Hashem; who is testing us to see if despite what happened to Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, who is going to hold on to their אֶמוּנָה and who is going to lose it! Everything Hashem does is for the best even when we see it as good²⁰. Even when something happens bad in middle, that bad is also good even if we can’t see it with our own eyes; Hashem כִּבֵי יָכוֹל in His eyes knows it’s good for us we just have to make the best of what the situation is that were put into! As the Beyali Rebbe said, “You only see Hashem looking behind. It’s only when you look backward, you see Hashem. Looking in the front, you don’t see Hashem from the front. But only looking from behind.”

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          How can we not be in pain when we have people in כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל missing? For instance Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin the Bochrim in Japan etc. all those who are in prison!!!

          Some of you might be asking why is Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin in prison, he didn’t do anything wrong? I don’t know the reason why, but I could tell you my opinion.

          Hashem is waiting for כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל each year to get rid ourselves of שְׂנאתַ חִינָם and we still haven’t done it. So Hashem orchestrated this whole thing Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin in order that he should כַּפָּרָה for כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל which has caused thousands and thousands of Yidden to reach out to someone they don’t know which is אַחדוּת. From this  אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאלand אַהבַת חִינָם came out. This is what Hashem wanted  

          May it be in that זְכוּת that by כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל having אַחדוּת  and showing אַהבַת יִשְׂרָאל and אַהבַת חִינָם towards a yid that some did know personally and some don’t; this year תשׁ"ע which when you pronounce the word sounds like תִּשָׁע which is 9 which represents truth, should be the true and final year that מְשִׁיח comes בְּמֵהֵרָה בְּיָמֵנוּ אָמֵן!!!!!!*

 

* Remember it is not the events that say or rather determine whether מְשִׁיח will come, that will make him come.  But rather it will be כּלַל יִשְׂרָאל who will merit bringing מְשִׁיח through their ACTIONS!!!

 

 

“Every person may change the course of history; it is in the power of every individual to shorten the גָלוּת.”

 - Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz

 

Notes:

¹Midrash Tehillim, chapter 22

²quoted by the Tanya Dvei Eliyahu Rabbah, chapter. 28

 

³My פּשַׁט is that the word דְבָרִים you can also split in half דְבָרִ יַם and change the word דְבָרִ to דָבָר. It becomes ,דָבָר יַם which are two separate things. דָבָר means “word” and יַם means “Ocean.”

The Midrash poetically compares significant characteristics of speech to the ocean:

 

Words, like the ocean, can be stormy or calm.

An evil mouth, like turbulent waves, can destroy and kill.-

A sharp tongue, like deep water, is feared.

Good words, like pearls on the ocean floor, are precious .

 

. - The mouth, like the oceans and rivers which join in the praise of their Creator (Psalms 148:7), was given to all men to express song and praise for Him, Who created the world and all within it (Midrash Alpha Beisa).

 

⁴ אוֹנַס דְבָרִים

⁵Rashi to Rosh Hashanah 30a, Tosafos on Succah 41a, Tanchuma, Shavuos 15a, Rambam, Ritva, Rav Shimshon Pinkus zt"l)

 

⁶Called, “The Story of Tisha B’Av”

 

⁷תלמוד ירושלמי - Peah 1:1. See also לָשׁוֹן הָרָע is even worse than וּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה ,גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת  and שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.

 

⁸Toladoth V'inyanim Shonim Shel Kaooetnu Hamecnaber Kedushath Levi, paragraph 87

 

⁹“The נָחָשׁ is the ,יֵצֶר הָרָע  שָׂטָןand the מַלָאךְ הַמָוֶת are all the same person. They just have different jobs. When a person gives into test of the יֵצֶר הָרָע the שָׂטָן want to prosecute you and the מַלָאךְ הַמָוֶת wants to kill you after the שָׂטָן prosecutes you” - Rabbi Mendel Kessin

 

¹⁰“Barack Obama/ בָּרוק אוֹבַּמָא is the gematria of 358!¹” This could mean that he was elected to be our last president before מְשִׁיחַ comes!!! (This was not said by Rabbi Mendel Kessin)

- ¹Rabbi Mendel Kessin.

 

¹¹5701 - 1941, page 81

 

¹²;שיר השירים (ב:ט)^ֱֱֻֻcf. קְדוּשׁ לְבָנָה in ,סְידוּר תְּהִילַת ה' page 239.

¹³ (,שֵׁם מִשׁמֻוּאֶל פַּרשַׁת ַוִיגַשׁ - 5674).

¹⁴There is also Twitter, Facebook, MySpace etc. These are worse than e-mail itself!!!

 

¹⁵תִּשָׁע is לָשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה and תִּשָׁעה is לָשׁוֹן זָכוּר.

¹⁶When you calculate using the gematria method of HaMeugal (Mispar Katan) .The word for father in Hebrew is אָב. The month of אָב is a time that we are the closest to Hashem! Closer than during any time of the year of the jewish year!!! How do we see it from the word אָב? I believe that the word אָב is the acronym of אָב בֶּן - father, son (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל is considered like one body/ person) This month associates the relationship between Hashem and בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל!!!    

 

¹⁷When you calculate using the standard gematria method.

 

¹⁸When you calculate using the standard gematria method and HaMeugal (Mispar Katan)!!!

 

¹⁸When you calculate using the gematria method of Mussafi

 

¹⁹Look in the Me’am Lo’ez called, “The Book of Esther”, Chapter 7, page 79, 4^th paragraph - In the year 3393...

 

²⁰Through our own eyes - something obvious.