Given June 3rd 2016
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
The usual shiur-lesson is “Derech Hashem”--The Way of G-d (famous work of RaMCHaL), but what I’ve been doing is to use Derech Hashem as a springboard to address many areas of hashkafa—overarching principles in the Jewish world-view because “Derech Hashem” lends itself to many opportunities to talk about areas of Torah that “Derech Hashem” alludes to.
I try to interpret current events based on the hashkafah of the RaMChaL--Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato. The hashkafahof RaMChaL offers a certain framework with which to sense that a play is being enacted but whose characters/s are not specified. Also, you don’t know what the background, or exposition, is. But what the RaMcChaL reveals is the structure, the plan, of the bria—-Creation, how it’s supposed to unfold in general terms.
What is very fascinating is to look apply these principles to is current events and try to somehow get a handle on what is happening today and why. I’ve spoken about it before, but what I haven’t really done is speak about what I think is going on right now and what seems likely to happen during the next fifteen years.
This is speculation on my part, but it’s based on the system and the plan, according to the RaMChal, as it addresses the Divine agenda. Even though you could say, “Well, you know ‘A’ is really such and such,” -- that’s fine--we can differ. I won’t get upset. But it’s fascinating to have even a cursory understanding because nobody out there has any idea what’s going on.
When you look at Obama, Trump, and Clinton, and what’s going on with Iran and Iraq, one is naturally perplexed. This past winter, in Ma’ale Adumim Israel, I gave a shiur--lecture about what’s happening in current events. The problem is that nobody recorded it so I felt bad. I don’t know what I spoke about before and after because current events are always “current” in that sense, so I’m going to go back to a certain point chronologically, and then forward from there. I don’t know if I’ll finish today, but I can begin now and, since next week is Shavous—holiday of “Weeks”, there’s no shiur but we resume the week after. I want to give you what’s called a “hands-on understanding” of current events. That’s number one.
Number two: I want to show that the hashkafa speaks not only to something that happened thousands of years ago. If you understand what’s called the “framework of the bria—Creation,” you can mamash—really understand what’s happening in current events.
A third idea which I always find very important is that of yad Hashem--Hand of G-d. You see how the Ribono shel olam—Master of the Universe manipulates history. A lot of people think that G-d is gone. He talked to people thousands of years ago but who knows where He is now. He’s abandoned us. Current events, interpreted according to the Divine agenda, demonstrate that you can see the Hand of G-d in history. The incredible thing is how secret, how concealed it is. So, that’s what I’m going to do, bring you up-to-speed.
For some of the old guys, some of what I say will probably be repetitive but its k’dai,--worthwhile; it’s chazal--our sages. I’ve done this who knows how many times and I’m always fascinated by chazal. One never gets bored because there’s always a new insight, a new concept.
The Satan: There’s one phenomenon happening today that is fundamentally responsible for everything, although you’d never guess it. The Satan is dying. The Satan, the prosecutorial angel of the heavenly tribunal, who survives on the chata’im —sins of k’lal Yisrael”--nation of Israel is dying.
Tikkun: What is “tikkun”? It is defined as “rectification of Creation.” There’s a certain ohr – Divine Light that comes down into Creation. It is also referred to as “kedusha”--holiness, spirituality. It gives existence to everything. K’lalYisrael is supposed to fulfill His mitzvos--commandments thereby bringing down this ohr and altering reality. The ohris comprised of sefiros-spiritual forces which have the power to create and alter reality, thereby rectifying Creation. K’lal Yisrael’s mission is to perform this tikkun, the ultimate purpose of which is to transform olam ha’zeh-this physical world into olam ha’ba—Future World.
The RaMChaL speaks to this process of transforming reality, this transformation called “zikuch.” Actually, the process is the removal of gashem--physicality from all substance rendering it spiritual instead of physical. K’lal Yisrael has the koach-power to do this, (without getting into the how) but, fundamentally, it’s done by doing mitzvahs--commandments.
The Effect of Sin on Ohr Kodosh—Divine Light and The Role of the Satan--adversary
If people are chataim—sinners, the ohr that should have come down doesn’t just go away; it comes down regardless. The problem is that this ohr of kedusha goes to the Satan. That’s a fundamental balancing act and so the Satan is yoneg-nourished off the kedusha meant for K’lal Yisrael. This is a critical formula to know. As a result of that nourishment, the Satan grows incredibly strong. RaMChaL calls this “tigbores ha'ra”-- proliferation of evil. The more he’s yoneg, the more kedusha he makes his own, that which should have belonged to K’lal Yisrael. Greater becomes the Satan’s strength.
What is the process whereby the Satan can get his nourishment? He gets it through dinim--judgements and ketrugim- prosecutions against the Jews. He prosecutes k’lal Yisrael in the Heavenly Tribunal which paskin--renders judgment inbeis din shamayim--Heavenly Tribunal. The jury says, "Okay, they sinned; you (the Satan) get their ohr.” So, he grows stronger. The Satan is the only malach-angel that can grow. Angels are created at certain levels of existence and they remain at that level. The only one who waxes and wanes, so to speak, like the moon, is the Satan. His strength or weakness depends on what K’lal Yisrael does. If they do mitzvahs, then they take the ohr for themselves. If they sin, the Satan gets it. The whole of history is shaped, basically, by that relationship, that which is between us and the Satan. It’s a seesaw; if we, k’lal Yisrael / Ya’akov are up, automatically, the Satan is down. If we are down because we sin, the Satan is up. And that’s our relationship with Esav, whose Guardian Angel is the Satan, as it says in the Torah.That’s what dominates history. This formula is fundamental in understanding history.
Mashiach
Moshe Rabbeinu—Moses our teacher was the mashiach--messiah. He did the job of Maschiach ben Yosef—the Josephic messiah. He took the Jews out of galus Mitzraim--Egyptian exile. He gave them the Torah which is the ohr rishon—Messianic/First Light. He brought them to Eretz Yisrael--Land of Israel. He, himself, however, wasn’t able to enter Eretz Yisrael because of the cheit ha’eigel-Sin of the Golden Calf but, basically, he was the messiah.
Tikkun: Galus and Yesurim, Geula
We know that mashiach comes after the tikkun ha’klali--Jewish nation’s rectification of Creation. But we also know that the Jews in Egypt were at the mem-tet sharei tuma--49th level of defilement. If that’s the case, how in the world could mashiach come to a nation that is on such a grievously low level? Makes no sense. In fact it’s impossible. Anybody have an answer?
Participant: They’re mesakim--correctors through yisurim--suffering.
R' Kessin: Yes, I accept that.
There are three ways to do the tikkun. Tikkun has three “devices,” so to speak: one way is mitzvos—commandments. If you don’t do mitzvos, then the second device is teshuva--repentance. If you don’t do enough teshuva, then yisurim is the third tikkun device, or tactic. When you suffer, your suffering actually moves the bria--Creation forward in terms of the Divine objective. Yisurim is not so much a device that punishes as the undoing of the cheit--sin itself.Therefore, K’lal Yisrael suffered at the hands of the Egyptians so that their suffering, added to the mitzvahs and the repentance they did over ten years, accomplished the entire tikkun.
We do the tikkun by way of the galus. We do mitzvos too, but because of the persecutions, pogroms, expulsions and the Holocaust, all this colossal yisurim was the primary means by which the kedusha has been taken back, just like in Egypt. Again, even though Jews are pretty far-gone, they still qualify for the geula--Redemption because the tikkun is almost complete.
We begin to understand something very important, that the hanhaga--conduct of G-d depends on how k’lal Yisrael does the tikkun. For instance, today we read the Torah portion “Behuchotai” in which you notice there was a whole tochachoh--rebuke. What’s the logic of the whole tocachoh prominently displayed in today’s parsha—bible portion? The hanhaga of G-d was, originally, that of the mercy but that changed.
Tikkun’s Two Stages: Egyptian Exile and Current Situation
What does that mean, that they accomplished the entire tikkun? Remember, tikkun really has two stages: the first stage is the Jews taking back all the kedusha that the Satan took from K’lal Yisrael because of their sins. The second stage is the bringing down of the ohr. That is what is meant by sur m’ra v’aseh tov-- veer from evil and do good. Therefore, what K’lal Yisrael did in Egypt was to take back all the nitzotzot kedusha--sparks of holiness, the ohr. As a result, the Satan’s power collapsed. In Mitzraim-Egypt, he was dying even though they were at the 49th level of impurity. But the Jews could be at that critically low level and still do the tikkun because of the tactic of suffering.
We’re really at the same place today, at that abysmally low level. Just take a look at what’s going on; it’s astounding what’s out there. There are a small number of Jews that are doing the tikkun through mitzvahs. Who are they? They are the b’nei Torah, the Haredim. It’s amazing. The Haredim, basically, are the ones bearing the brunt of the tikkun; it is on their shoulders. The rest of k’lal Yisrael , eleven million Jews at least, are totally gone.
Mashiach Ben Yosef and Mashiach Ben David
That is why there is a Mashiach ben Yosef, his job being to take back all that kedusha Jews have given the Satanbecause of our sins. To bring down the rest, there is Mashiach ben David. That’s why there are two meshichim--messiahs. Mashiach ben Yosef is involved in veering from evil which will take back the ohr that the Satan got. That done, Mashiach ben David does his part, bringing down the kedusha via doing good. As it went in Mitzraim—Egypt, so it goes today.
Strategies of the Satan
Today, the Satan is dying which means that 98% of the kedusha that k’lal Yisrael has given him over the last 4000 years-- because that’s how long we’ve been doing this--is basically returned to us. It doesn’t look that way, but he’s dying.
People who are dying do desperate things, incredible things. Once you understand this concept, this balancing act between the Satan and k’lal Yisrael, then you begin to understand current events and history in a totally different way. Political events begin to explain many things but the simple and critical idea is that the Satan is dying and therefore he’s desperate.
Question: How do we get back the tov?
R’ Kessin: How do we get it back? Exile. Galus--exile causes yisurim—suffering.
I give this example in which the Satan is like a general; imagine a general is conducting a war and he only has one week left of armaments. After he's exhausted them, he has but three strategies that he can employ or else he’s finished.
The Satan’s Strategies: Calling the Enemy’s Bluff, Shock and Awe, Send in the Dissidents, Call Allies
The first strategy is to call the enemy’s bluff. He throws all six-day’s worth of firepower at the enemy hoping that the enemy will be shocked and intimidated. It’s called “shock and awe” (which they did in Iraq) and the general hopes the enemy will sue for peace. But this strategy fails.
Now he’s only got one day’s armaments left. The second strategy is what’s called “send in dissidents” in which the Satan sends his guys into the enemy camp to break the resolve of the enemy to wage war, which is what they did in Vietnam. His guys say, “We don’t want to make war; on the contrary let’s make peace.” This is like when there was pressure to pull forces out of Afghanistan. This too fails.
He has one strategy left. He needs an ally to send new soldiers and new equipment.
The Satan does the exact same thing. Ninety-eight percent of his power is gone. K’lal Yisrael has taken back nearly all of the kedusha, by doing mitzvahs, repentance, and, most of all, suffering. Let’s look more closely at how these strategies have manifested in history.
The Big Bluff: The Holocaust
Which historical event is the equivalent of the first strategy, the big bluff?--The Holocaust. The Holocaust has many, many aspects; it’s multi-deterministic, but one of the important ones was that the Satan, through kitrugim—prosecutions, created a situation in which the Jews were being slaughtered en masse and every nation took part. Why?
The Satan’s guys are all the nations of the world and he got all of them, in one way or another, to kill the Jews. Either they killed the Jews directly or supported the killers or, at least, cheered them on. There were different levels of contribution.
Satan doesn’t get any benefit from the death of a Jew. He only benefits if the Jew does, what? --sins. So his hope is that the Jews will say, ”Hey, G-d has abandoned us so why do mitzvahs?” The agreement, the covenant becomes null and void. Therefore, Jews would be chata’im—sinners, and the Satan, therefore, would be able to yoneg--nourish again. That was the big bluff.
Sending in Dissidents: The Eirev Rav
It didn’t work. Why not? Overall, Jews did not give up Yiddishkeit- Judaism altogether. So, how was the second strategy manifest? Who are the Satan’s loyal dissidents to be sent into the Jewish camp to break the resolve of Jews to be frum—observant? The answer is the Eirev Rav, the loyal soldiers of the Satan. Who are they? They’re the maskilim--enlightened ones (named after European Jewry’s Enlightenment 1770’s-1880’s) In Eretz Yisrael, it’s those guys that try to destroy Judaism. Whether you want to call them the Labor Movement, the Mapai and Mapam parties of the past--all these guys. And it’s also the Reform and Conservative movements in America.
It’s important to state out that the Eirev Rav are not rank-and-file Jews; it's the leadership who misdirected the Jews to renounce observance. They want to promote the notion that Torah is not supreme, that the real relationship between the Jews and the G-d is not based on Torah, but culture. Gefilte fish. And the Torah is great literature just like Shakespeare. The ultimate coups de grace is what?--when Jews forget about it (the covenant); they become Israelis. This renders Torah and mitzvos redundant. What defines Jewishness is culture. They even go so far as to say Jews are “Middle-East citizens.”
When was this strategy employed? After the Holocaust, in 1948, the State of Israel was founded by the Eirev Rav. That’s right, all those inheritors and proponents of haskala—-European Enlightenment. Whether it be the Yemenites, Tunisians, or any of those who came to Israel after the war, the Eirev Rav’s actions made them effective soldiers of Satan.
Find an Ally: Ishmael
The Satan employs the third strategy of calling in an ally. But who is such an ally that can bring down kedusha like the Jews? If the Jews are not sinning, where will the Satan get his nourishment from? According to the Maharal there is only one other nation besides the Jews that bring down the kedusha by themselves without having to go through the Satan. Who is that?--Ishmael, the Arabs, the Muslims.
Upon being told by G-d that he, Abraham, will have a child, Isaac, who will be the bearer of the covenant, Abraham said, “Lu Yishmael yichye lefanecha”— It should be that Ishmael lives before You (not before the Satan). Therefore, Yishmael is able to bring down kedusha for the Satan independent of the sins of the Jews. They’re the only other nation that can, the Maharal says. And that’s why the only nations that have the name of G-d in their names are “Israel” and “Yishamael.” Also very interesting is that Yishmaelites are not interested in converting Jews, as you may have noticed. Their main thrust is to get the Jews to admit that they, the Ishmaelites, are superior.
Christians vs. Ishmaelites
Christianity, on the other hand, wants to convert Jews. Why? The malach--angel of Esav is the Satan. Esav became Edom, which became Rome, which became Christianity, and Christianity is Western Civilization. Since the Satan’s survival depends on getting the Jews to sin, Christianity has to get the Jews to convert. If they don’t convert, they don’t sin, and Western Civilization’s malach doesn’t “eat.” That’s why they’re always missionizing.
Muslims, however, don’t care. Jews don’t have to become Muslims. You can remain who you are but you’re a second-class citizen. And there are all kinds of rules that Muslims have for Jews. Yishmael doesn’t yoneg--nourish, gets no sustenance from the sins of the Jews.
Question: So why does Yishmael need to kill the Jews?
R’ Kessin: For supremacy.
Question: And why does he need this feeling of supremacy?
R’ Kessin: Because they want to take over the Jewish position.
Edom and Ishmael Compete to Supplant the Jews
Both nations, whether it be Yishmael or Edom, want to take over the Jewish position. The Gemara says: “Atem kor’im ‘Adam’”--you are called ‘Adam’.” The concept of an “Adam” is a person that has a neshama--Divine soul that is connected to all the olamos--spiritual worlds and can bring down the sefiros--spiritual forces. Adam is a masaken--a fixer.
Both Yishmael and Edom want to be “Adam” but they cannot. This power of Adam was taken from all mankind except Abraham and his descendants, given solely to the Jew from the time the world’s sole nation split between the followers of Nimrod, who built the Tower of Babel, and Abraham whose descendants took a different path.
The non-Jew and the Ishmaelite have a conception of the “Adam.” The Torah calls Ishmael a pe’er adam--wild man. Esav is called “Edom.” So, humankind is either “Adam,” “Edom,” or “pe’er adam.”
The Satan says to the malach—angel of Yishmael, “I need you guys. I need the koach of kedusha (holy power) that you have. Let’s be friends. O.K?”
The malach of Yishmael answers, “No problem. How much do you need?”
The Satan responds, “Okay, I need kedusha, enough to regain my koach—strength.”
Ishmael’s malach agrees but says, “O.K., but there is a caveat, a condition.
What is that condition? Until now, who has been the bachor—firstborn of the Satan? Who was the privileged child? That child is Esav--also known as Edom, later to be known as Rome, also to assume the form of Christianity and Western Civilization. “You want my energy?” says, Yishmael’s angel? “I want Yishmael, my guys, to be the big chief.” He means the Arabs, the Muslims. The Satan agrees; he has no choice. All this happened, you should know.
The Rise of Yishmael: Creation Calendar, 1990, Intifada, Obama, Poras/Iran
Approximately 1990 is when this happened, when the intifada began, you began to see a lot of Arabs around. Why 1990?
Perhaps you’re familiar with the “Creation Calendar,” which is a calendar based on the timeline from Creation as established in Genesis. There were six days of Creation and one day designated as Shabbos--Sabbath. The six days of Creation parallel the six thousand years that this world is to exist. Each thousand years is a designated period of history. As David Ha’Melech--King David said, “One day in Your eyes is like a thousand years is mine.”
What is significant is chatzos-noon, particularly Friday noon, is equivalent to the Gregorian year, 1990. That is equivalent to the Creation Calendar year 5750, because every six hours is 250 years. So, 5750 is 18 hours from 6 p.m. or, in other words, 12 o’clock noon on Friday.
Noon on Friday is very interesting because the sun begins to set. It’s the last day of the week before Shabbos. In Creation’s time, the sun begins to set, never to rise again on the past “week” which is all of Created time. As the Navi--book of Prophets says, “At the time of evening, there will be Light.” Evening is bein arbaim-twilight which starts at chatzos shesh v’chetzi--6.5 hours from sunrise. That’s when the sun’s shadow becomes apparent.
Chatzos, Weakening of Edom, Collapse of the Soviet, Rise of Yishmael
September 1989, Rosh Hashannah—Jewish New Year is the beginning of the end. In October, November of 1989 what happened? The Berlin Wall collapsed and the Soviet Union collapsed shortly thereafter. So that is really the beginning of the rearrangement of the world’s nations.
This began what can be called “the last scene of the Bria.” We are now into the last scene approaching the climax--1990. Yishmael makes his deal with the Satan. Yishamel’s guardian angel says he wants his guys to be the bachor--firstborn of the Satan, his major agent. It’s right around chatzos so, low and behold, that’s when the whole world began to change. The Berlin Wall collapsed, Communism collapsed, and the intifada began. That was the beginning of the Arabs asserting themselves.
Participant: What’s communism “collapsing”?
R’ Kessin: Gorbachov gave up the whole Soviet Union in 1991.
Participant: What’s the p’nimius--inner meaning of that?
R’ Kessin: Yishamel’s taking over, so parts of Edom are collapsing also. And once the power is taken away from Edom/Christianity, Western Civilization begins to collapse.
From September 1989, the whole world began to change. You begin to see the rise of Yishmael as part of this. Because the Satan is really dying, he needs this development of Yishmael’s rise to get energy. Even though k’lal Yisrael is at that49th level of impurity (beyond which Redemption is not possible), they’re almost at the end of their travails of rectification because of all the suffering they’ve endured.
We can observe the ascendance of Yishmael taking over Europe. Also, Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth. They now have 1.5 billion adherents. Christianity has two billion. When the Moslem population reaches two billion, there’s going to be a massive war. So, this is basically what’s happening in terms of Yishmael and their progression to being the bachor--firstborn.
Edom: America, the Good Aspect of Eisav
Edom is divided into three areas: the United States, Europe and the former Soviet Union. They’re all Christian therefore these three regions of the globe are really Edom.
Where do you see this? Edom/Eisav had three characteristics: arrogance, fraudulence, hypocrisy. His arrogance prompted him to reject the birthright. His fraudulence manifested in that he would inquire of his father, Yitzhak, as to his having to give a ma’aser--tithe knowing the answer full well, that it was not necessary given the conditions in question. The query was to make him appear humble. Third, he was a ba’al taiver—pleasure seeker.
The arrogance of Eisav “settled” in the Soviet Union. For 70 years, they were self-proclaimed communists even though they have a Russian Orthodox Church.
The fraud, the imposter, is Europe. Christians tell you to “turn the other cheek” but, of course, it’s always your cheek that they want turned--never theirs. They’re frauds. More people have been killed in the name of Christianity than all other wars combined. We have no idea of the slaughter that these guys did with the Crusades and the pogroms and the Holocaust and the evictions and expulsions.
The taiva—good part of Eisav/Edom is America. America is the least hostile aspect of Edom.
Known historically for being democratic and fair-minded, America promotes the commandment of honoring one’s father and mother. The only country that has Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is America. Also, America has unusual zechus--merit of instituting freedom of worship. This has expressed itself also in the sponsorship and support of Torah learning. Much of Lakewood, New Jersey lives on grants given for the purpose of Torah study. America is also a tremendous ba’alei chesed—practitioner of kind deeds giving a tremendous amount of foreign aid, more than any nation in the world. It’s just unfortunate that America’s so steeped in materiality.
To sum it up, we see Yishmael rising since 1990 because it was chatzos, the beginning of geula—Redemption.
Obama’s Three Tasks: Destroy Edom, Raise the Arabs, Predict the End, Iran/Poras Final War
The amazing thing about this transaction, if you want to call it that, between the Satan and the malach of Yishmael, is that the Satan acquiesced and the king of Edom would be a Muslim--Obama. That’s why Obama is president of the United States, because he’s a Muslim.
Find an Ally: Yishmael—Enter Obama
The election in 2008 of Obama was a nes-miracle. He was a nobody from nowhere. His claim to fame was being a community organizer; he had no other professional credentials recommending him to become president of the United States. It’s ludicrous. When you look at it, you can’t believe that Americans voted this guy in—a community organizer, hanging around with Reverend Wright who’s lambasting America. He hangs around with terrorists. He was a first-time senator and the most liberal of all. But G-d said this is what has to be. So, America has a Muslim as president. It’s all part of the idea that Yishmael must grow tremendously.
Participant: He’s a Christian but he’s sympathetic to Islam, supports it…
R’ Kessin: Extremely sympathetic to Islam. Extremely. Why do you think he bowed in front of the Saudi king? Because Saudi Arabia is the crown of Islam.
What does Islam have to do with the Satan? If you spell out “Islam” in Hebrew--alef-samech-lamed-mem--and rearrange the letters, it spells out, “S-a-m-a-e-l” (angelic name) which…I don’t want to say the name (indicative of Satan).
Obama has three jobs and he’s doing them very well. The first two we’re aware of but the last one hardly anybody knows. The first job of Obama, since he’s a Muslim, (although lately no longer a closeted one) is to destroy the United States. In fact, he’s destroying the Constitution. Are you aware that there are 94.9 million people are unemployed? Did you hear that statistic? It’s beyond belief. His administration has done such a con job on the United States. There’s an enormous amount of poverty; people have no jobs. I can’t even go into all the terrible things he has done to the United States. He, himself, is a megalomaniac and a narcissist.
But that was the deal, to destroy America. Yishmael’s angel says he wants his guys to be the favored child so, to accomplish that supremacy, Ishmael has to destroy his rival. That’s why Ishmael destroys the United States. America is being reduced to a banana republic, almost. If Obama ever had another four years, it would be a banana republic. Destroy Edom.
The second thing is to raise Yishmael, to empower the Arabs: Iran, the PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah. He always sides with the extremist Muslims. Even in Egypt, he sided with Morsi! Is he crazy? Morsi was killing the country; he is an extremist, a part of the Muslim Brotherhood. Obama sided with him, as opposed to the other guy, al-Sisi. Without al-Sisi, Egypt would be finished. He still sided with Morsi. Obama is a Muslim through and through.
The third thing that’s fascinating is that the gematria of Barak Obama is “mashiach.”
Question: So, is Trump through?
R’ Kessin: No. Trump is, according to gematria-- numerology, Mashiach Ben David (not that he is the messiah!). I will explain. But first let’s take Obama…
Remember one thing! The word “mashiach” which is gematria 358, is also gematria of “nachash”--snake. The mashiach fights the snake, right? And the nachash, of course, is the Satan. So therefore, Obama has a role in the messianic progression, believe it or not.
What Obama has done is very interesting and, because of it, he’s messianic. He has called the end of time. Can you believe this, that Obama has designated the end of time? What does that mean? He’s actually said, in so many words and deeds, “Here’s the end.” And that was his job and that’s why he’s gematria maschiach. How?
T’chias Ha’Meisim—Resurrection of the Dead, Configuring Mashiach, Iran and the Final Conflict
There’s an interesting “Zohar” which says the following: Most people think that when the Moshiach ben Davidcomes, you’re immediately going to have techias ha’mesim-resurrection of the dead and everybody’s going to get up. But the Zohar says that’s not what happens. When Mashiach ben David comes, resurrection begins but it takes 210 years till everybody has gotten up, depending on how “material” they are, how much of their consciousness was devoted to materialism and pleasure-seeking while alive. It’s really a machlochet--debate as to whether it takes, in total, 210 or 213 years. We know that the world ends in the year 6000, when the mashiach ends his reign. After 6000 years is what’s called the “chad chorov”—year of destruction/ beginning of the 7000th year, the seventh millennium,which is the end of olam ha’zeh, this reality we’ve known since Adam’s exile from the Garden. What that means is, if you take 6000 and you subtract 210 years, that tells you the latest that Moshiach ben David can come. That would be 2030, only 14 years from now (at the time of this lecture) isn’t it? That means, based on that Zohar, the mashiach will be here within 14 years, and Mashiach ben Yosef has to come earlier than that!
Also interesting is that there’s a midrash in sefer Yeshayahu--Prophetic Book of Isaiah, 499. It says, “b’shavua shel ben David bo”--in the week that Mashiach ben David comes (which doesn’t necessarily mean a literal “week,” but could mean a “shmitah week” of seven years), it says that Poras--Persia is going to incite a war against Arov--Arabia. Then Arabia is going to seek council with Edom. Poras will begin to conduct a war against the entire world to destroy it. The Jews will run around, back and forth, terribly worried what’s going to happen and wondering what to do.
At that point, there’s to be a bas kol--a Divine voice, G-d saying “higia zman geulaschem”--the time of your Redemption has arrived. The war of Persia, which is Iran, against the world is the last war.
That midrash--commentary was written 2000 years ago, so you might ask yourself how could it be that 2000 years ago anyone could predict the last war would be prompted by Iran.
If you asked that question thirty years ago, you’d ask incredulously, “Iran? How can Iran conduct a war against the world? It’s ridiculous!” And the answer is: the nuclear bomb. That midrash predicts that Iran will have the capacity to destroy the world, not that it will. Therefore, that’s the last war.
Anybody who knows that midrash knows that Iran will build the bomb to make war against the Jews because that’s what they say they’ll do. They’re also going to try and take over the entire Middle East. Iran has been threatening Arabia. Who’s the greatest enemy of Iran? Saudi Arabia. So Arabia is trying to work out a deal with the United States. Meanwhile, Iran is getting stronger and stronger each day.
What I find interesting is that, in July of 2015, Obama made the deal with Iran. And he told them that, right now, they may not build the nuclear weapon however, in fifteen years, they may build the nuclear weapon and America won’t object. He legitimatized and legalized their ability to build the weapon in fifteen years—2030. That’s interesting because 2030 is the year that the Zohar says the Mashiach ben David will arrive. It’s incredible timing. The buildup for Iran to become a nuclear power indicates the timing of the last war. So, Obama established the end by legally and legitimately empowering Iran to become a major threat to the entire world. Obama has called the end of time. Amazing!
Everybody knows what Iran is the greatest state-sponsor of terrorism. They’re busy building a bomb and now they have legal right. And Obama wants to give Iran 150 billion dollars. Only a lunatic would do this. You know the guy wants to kill you so how do you give him the weapons to kill you? And we’re not talking about just the Middle East; they’re going to threaten the entire world. That’s what the midrash says. Of course, they’re going to have a missile that will be able to reach and destroy Europe. What do you think Europe is going to do? Europe is going to tremble and they’ll say, “Okay, you can have the Middle East.” Iran will certainly have a bomb to reach the United States. You’re looking at the potential for an incredible slaughter or massacre and a clash of civilizations that’s coming up shortly.
We should also realize that, simultaneous to his rise, Yishmael is collapsing. You notice all the Arab states collapsing; they’re failed states. Libya is gone. Egypt is about to go. Iraq, Lebanon are gone. Syria is finished. Jordan is about to go; they cannot handle all the immigrants. It’s astounding to watch the Arab nations collapsing all around. In fact, Israel hasn’t got natural enemies anymore because they’re so busy collapsing. They don’t have to worry about the Syrian army? What army? They don’t have to worry about Iraq – ISIS is taking over. What we’re watching is an incredible growth of Yishmael as a result of the fact that the Satan is dying.
Question: Why should Yishmael collapse if he’s going to be number one?
R’ Kessin: They only have a certain amount of kedusha—holiness and they’re using it up.
They can only gain a certain amount by doing what they do. They have tefillah—prayer. They do certain mitzvahs and they can access it directly from the shechina—Divine Presence and they don’t have to go to the Satan to access sparks of holiness but, as time goes on, they use it up. That’s why they’re collapsing. The question is--what happens now? We’re going to have to see. Once you understand this, you will now understand what’s happening in Israel, who Trump really is, Hillary, and what’s about to happen in the next 15 years in terms of the mashiach.
Now you have a framework from which to interpret some of the current events happening because the Satan is dying: the rise of Yishmael, the paradoxical collapse of Yishmael, and the beginning of the collapse of Edom.
What’s happening now, in today’s election in America (2016)? After the weekend of Shavuos—holiday commemorating the reception of the Torah we’ll resume, okay? Any questions?
Participant: Why would the nuclear war happen in 2030 when Ben David comes? When is Ben Yosef involved?
R’ Kessin: Well, earlier than that.
Question: So, there’s no nuclear war until then?
R’ Kessin: Ben Yosef has a different job. The culmination of that job will be at that point in time. There are many things that he has to do even before that nuclear war and I’m going to speak about that the next time, what seems to be the messianic process and why Trump is gematria Mashiach ben David.
Participant: There’s fifteen years. Maybe Hillary will win first and then --
R’ Kessin: No, no, no.
Participant: Trump would like it if he hears about this.
R’ Kessin: If he hears about this? Oh yeah. That’s all he needs to really get him going. As it is, he’s egotistic.
Question: How are you spelling Trump that you get gematria Mashiach ben David?
R’ Kessin: daled-alef-nun-ayin-lamed-daled, tes-resh-vav-mem-peh. But you have to understand, he’s not Mashiach ben David. What it does tell you is that he’s involved in the process. I’ll tell you next week incredible concepts of why he is involved with what Mashiach ben Yosef has to do and what’s going to happen when ben Yosef appears to k’lal Yisrael—the nation of Israel.
Participant: Obama’s importing Muslims into Mexico now, it seems. Only Putin…(indiscernible)
R’ Kessin: Yeah, I’m going to talk about Putin, where he fits in; he’s a very interesting guy.
Participant: Maybe Trump will join him and there’ll be at least 2/3 in Edom olam (world of Edom).
Participant: Does the RaMCHal’s Daas Tevunos say there’s less holiness coming down? It’s not that ha’kadosh baruch hu—Holy One blessed be He sends directly ra-bad. It’s just that there’s less of a shefa bracha—blessed flow that comes down.
R’ Kessin: But if you think about it, nothing works in an absence. What do you mean there’s less shefa--flow? That would mean that there’s an absence. An absence doesn’t do anything. If everything only works through a shefa, that means a force, right? Even if you diminish that force then what replaces it? How can anything exist in an absence? That’s the problem. It says, “bara tov u’bara ra”—Creator of good and Creator of bad. Even if it’s true that the diminishment of shefa—Divine flow does allow evil to flourish, there has to be something that replaces that flow because nothing can flourish in a vacuum. In order to exist, everything needs that koach--power. If you take away the koach, then nothing exists. So, what does it mean that evil can exist in an absence? It must mean that there is something there. It says bara ra-- He creates evil.
Participant: But G-d doesn’t send ra--evil.
R’ Kessin: Absence always means nothing, so how can anything flourish in a vacuum? There has to be something that replaces the absence of kedusha so then, if that’s the case, so you’re back to your original question—Is G-d a creator of evil? It’s problematic. The absence is what allows the evil to flourish but the problem is evil cannot flourish in an absence of kedusha--holiness. Nothing exists in an absence of kedusha.
Participant: Then why do you say that the absence of kedusha doesn’t hold to “He created evil”?
R’ Kessin: You need to distinguish between an immediate evil but an ultimate good, or even that immediate evil is not evil; it’s good. You have to play around with those terms.
Question: It takes you to olam haba—Future World. So why’s it bad?
R’ Kessin: Because now you’re suffering. If pain is considered ra--bad then suffering is bad. Let’s say a guy’s sick, right? He’s got to have surgery. The guy says to the doctor, “How do you do this to me? You’re evil because you’re going to cut me up.”
So, the surgeon says, “Are you crazy? If I don’t remove this tumor, you’re finished.” Yes, the guy is getting cut up but is the surgery evil or good? It has to be good because it allows the individual to survive. Thank G-d there’s anesthetics.
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