Given: Jun 30, 2021
Youtube Video Link:
Death and Exile as Model
We are at the End.
Adam, the first man, was created to declare belief in one G-d and that there is nothing else but G-d. (As the rabbi has said many times, G-d doesn’t “have” existence—He “is” existence). Primordial Adam’s obedience to the command to abstain from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would have been tantamount to such a declaration thereby meriting the Future World for him and all of mankind.
Since he did not obey, the subsequent action by G-d was to subject him, his family, and all who were to come after, to mortality and eviction from Gan Eden. We look upon these as punishments but that is not so. Such recompense are the model of what mankind must do to rectify Creation; they are methods. As we see from the events in the Garden, the primary way to rectify Creation, to “bring G-d back,” is to obey His commands, do the mitzvot—commandments.Failing that, death atones, and eviction, which is exile, does too. We can say that the first ones to be exiled were Adam and his wife, Chava.
In the beginning, there was no evil in the Creation itself. It existed in the form of a snake but it was external to Adam’s near-perfect world. The snake, the Satan, became part of the fabric of Creation when Adam disobeyed. He failed to perfect Creation by exerting his free will to choose to carry out G-d’s Will. Mankind’s objective has been, since then, to contend with evil and eradicate it.
The climate of today, the deterioration of civilization, is a continuation of the saga of perfecting the world via contending with evil. After the expulsion, this mission continued, given to Avraham and his descendants to retrieve the sparks of holiness that the Satan gleaned from the sins of man. The task continued in the descent to Egypt, to live there as foreigners and resist assimilation and maintain the integrity of the mission. Were they to succumb and not do the commandments, they were given the option to suffer or repent.
How does suffering bring rectification? When a person sins, he’s indulging his desire for pleasure, and declaring that his will is equal to, or greater than, G-d’s. His indulgence testifies to his belief that, alongside G-d, he has independent existence. Those two elements, those two misguided beliefs are expunged through suffering. Suffering confiscates the pleasure derived from the sin and also demonstrates that the person is powerless to relieve his own suffering. Clearly, he would if he could. The illusion of omnipotence becomes evident when, for example, someone is suffering in a hospital bed unable to just get up and walk out. The realization that one is “nobody,” is a form of repentance.
Ultimately, as formerly, the rectification is about declaring “Ain od milvado”—nothing exists besides G-d. Reaching this point, intellectually, and spiritually, annihilates evil.
The Gemara in “Maseches Brachos” brings an interesting story, Rav Yossi went into a ruin of Jerusalem to pray. While praying Eliyahu ha’Navi came to wait outside where he prayed. A discussion ensued in which Eliyahu asked him if he heard a bas kol—a Divine voice. Rav Yossi said he had which told him “Woe to the children due to whose sins I destroyed my House (the Temple on the Mount) and exiled them among the nations.” Eliyahu explained that these ideas are repeated three times per day, meaning that they are constantly “on the mind” of G-d.
What does G-d mean? Until then, the method of tikkun--rectification was primarily, zechus—merit, keeping the commandments in the Land governed by Jewish kings with a Temple to enact the ritual sacrifices and to connect to the shechina--His presence. But sin became so pervasive that G-d had to enact that which brought about the “woe to the children,” the suffering and exile. Method “B” is what G-d bemoans in this Gemara.
In this last stage, the suffering takes on the dimension of Darkness. They both accomplish what they must. These two methods have different levels. The more the Jews sin, the greater the Darkness and the inherent suffering. For example: when there is no Temple, that is one level. The Divine Presence is absent. A second example is that, despite being in the Holy Land, it is dominated by the Eirev Rav—the Mixed Multitude, an entity that endangers Judaism. Another level is the exile when the prevailing culture provides distractions and temptations. Worse is when the prevailing culture and government forbids or prevents service altogether. There can be an even worse level, persecution or murder for attempts to serve. Another deadly level is when the killing becomes a campaign. Such was the Holocaust.
We are now in the mem-tet sharei tumah—49th Gate of Defilement. We know that G-d will not tolerate that because to fall below this level renders the Jews, and the world, irredeemable. The “restart button” must be pressed but not as was done in the time of Noah. Utter destruction is not an option, as the covenant symbolized by the rainbow promises. Therefore, the level of Darkness is staggering. We have been seeing terrible strife among the Jewish people beset with calamities such as what happened in Meron, at the Stolin synagogue, and most recently in Miami.
There is a unique kind of Darkness at the End. When mashiach comes, the essential feature is the consciousness of ein od milvado. That is the essential revelation. Since that is the ultimate undoing of evil, the climate at the End is its antithesis—yesh od milvado—there is “other” besides G-d. Evil is so great that mankind is buttressed between feeling powerless and powerful, between sensing he is nothing and believing he is supreme. The illusion that man is independent of G-d is countered by an environment that demonstrates he is nothing. It is this staggering contrast which tells us we are at the End.
In such a climate of contrast, events shape themselves to remind man of his impotence even while events point to man’s ability to do as he wishes. The principle is chillul ha’Shem—desecration of the G-d’s Name. The more G-d appears powerless and man is supreme, the greater the test.
This deepening of the profundity of the test has been going on throughout history but has intensified since World War 1. Fifteen hundred Jewish communities were destroyed, Hence when Gentiles saw that the Jews were destructible, it was a desecration of G-d’s Name, conveying He is not all-powerful.
The Holocaust was the second test and probably the greatest crime in all of history. The only competition could be the economic policies of Mao which hurt or killed a hundred million Chinese, and Stalin’s reign over the Soviet. Despite the tragedy of six million Jews killed, a number overshadowed by Mao and Stalin, the desecration of G-d’s name was the greater tragedy in which the means of slaughter conveyed to the non-Jewish world a message that G-d must be dead (G-d forbid). The reasoning was “Would a king allow his prince to be abused, be killed?” The answer being “no,” implies that the king doesn’t exist or is impotent. The world’s awareness of the Jews being His people is what conveyed the message with such power. When Jews are slaughtered en masse, the Gentiles say “What G-d is that Who would allow His children to be slaughtered?” This is evident not only in the slaughter but in the manner of slaughter which included the use of the corpse for various purposes: gold extracted from teeth, skin used for lampshades, bone, hair, fat, flesh, all raw material as though the Jew were an animal to be used as a commercial item. G-d conveyed the illusion that the non-Jewish world could get away with it.
The climate of yesh od milvado continues with the excelling of science and technology. What really runs the universe are scientific laws. That there is a Creator behind it is obscured. Even thirty years ago, it was reported that 7,500 articles were published in scientific journals daily and that the sum total of human knowledge doubles every five years.
Another characteristic of this climate is the surge in immorality, particularly the “LGBTQ Plus,” (as the rabbi calls it). Emerging as a mass movement with political and social implications around 1968, it is a threat to Creation and deemed by G-d as “abomination.” The world has become immoral: gender distinction is dismissed, a slap in the face to the Torah. It is not only allowed or tolerated, it is preferred, even glamorized. Liberalism and progressivism are both advancements in the destructive philosophy advocating for prikas ohel—the overthrow of the yoke of G-d. America has become the embodiment of this thinking despite having been considered a beacon of justice at least until the first half of the 20th century. When Justice Kennedy made same-gender marriage constitutional, America became steeped in delusional thinking.
As mankind rebels against G-d, G-d shows them what will result, that civilization will be destroyed. It has gone beyond just immorality. Norms of civilization are being overthrown.
Defund the police? As it says in “Pirkei Avos,” were it not for the fear of Heaven, everyone would swallow each other alive while still living!” The “No-bail” law means that a guy who commits a crime won’t be held and is released to commit another crime. In San Francisco, if you steal less than $950-worth of merchandise, there is no consequence. Cities, run by Democrats, have seen destruction of property--private and commercial--with no consequences to the perpetrators. Crime is increasing, up by 100%! There are no borders. Criminals are let in. Stimulus checks have replaced employment. Inflation, homelessness is rampant.
We live in a time when it seems there is no judge and no judgement. G-d seems to have abandoned His desire for civilization. G-d, seemingly, has disappeared. In the past, there was some retribution, some stop-gap measures. Not anymore. This environment is akin to that of the pre-Flood. Those generations brought civilization to its knees and G-d said, “That’s enough!” That final generation before the Flood was to have been the one redeemed, having done the rectification. But the restart button destroyed to start again and not Redemption. What should have been a “flood” of messianic Light took on the form of its analogue, water.
The good news is that this environment augurs Redemption. The bad news is that we are watching the deterioration of civilization getting worse by the day. Another example: a law was just passed in New York State that gender as recorded on birth certificates can be anything the parents want. This is what the 49th Gate looks like. Man operates with no deterrent. “U.S.” is no longer “United States;” it is “United Sodom.” It is an irrational world where the victim of a crime pays the perpetrator.
This level of decrepitude cannot go on for long. Aside from eleven million Jews being totally divorced from identifying with the Jewish people, the powers currently in control in Israel would destroy the remnant that exists. The Arabs would destroy the state and Jewish lives while the Eirev Rav seek to destroy Judaism. How long will G-d tolerate this so that we earn the Future World of bliss? How long the necessity of Darkness? The Darkness is that which blocks the Divine flow necessary to sustain Creation. Darkness increases because the Window is closing. But at some point, it closes. All holiness, all Divine energy, would be blocked and existence would cease. This is a world not just rife with sin but one in which G-d, if acknowledged at all, is severely desecrated and the Divine energies are almost totally arrested.
Q & A
Participant: In the three recent events when Jews were killed, the common theme has been “collapse.”
Rabbi: I believe the message is that there is an uncommon amount of sinas chinam—baseless hatred and loshon ha’ra—harmful speech among the Jewish people which caused them and I brought many proofs of this in a prior lecture.
Participant: Many people are failing to see the connection. Are more things going to have to happen to wake people out of their coma?
Rabbi: It could continue in other ways or somehow they will get the message. Somehow, G-d will enable them to get the message.
Participant: Someone said that the collapsing was for the sin of not keeping the Sabbath. But it’s been said that there is the common theme of strangulation, not being able to breathe. In Miami, there was strangulation, falling, the finding of body parts and it seems like this latest had all in one, including Corona.
Rabbi: I look at strangulation as the foremost cause of death in all of them. The daily generation of loshon ha’ra is massive—the internet, the media, everyone killing everyone else. In the olden days, you spoke loshon ha’ra to one person but, with the internet, you can speak to millions in an instant. As I said at the start of the pandemic, this virus affects breath, the means to speak.
Participant: You said there is another way to wake people up other than suffering. What is that “other way”?
Rabbi: Somehow someone will get it out there. It could be mashiach disguised as a regular guy.
Participant: What do we take away from these events which make us lose hope and cause more confusion, especially given the questions about the cause of the collapse—was it government officials? Was it deliberate? All the things coming out little by little….
Rabbi: When Moses came to Egypt, he declared that he was mashiach. He said, “I’m the guy; pakod yifkod” (the code language of the mashiach) so what happened next? Pharoah sends them packing to gather their own straw to make the bricks. Can you imagine the confusion, the hopelessness, the desperation during those months? Same thing here. What G-d wants is for us to pass this ultimate test of bitachon—trust. No matter what you see, it is all part of the Divine Plan to bring the mashiach. Imagine being in the Holocaust. There are many stories of Jews who had tremendous bitachon at that time. The greater the trust in what appears a hopeless situation, the greater the reward. It says that no matter what the measure of suffering, of evil, the measure of good will be 500x the measure of suffering. We look around us and the evil is so pervasive, so imagine when mashiach comes, the measure of good being 500x greater? That will be the compensation for what G-d had to do. We have to say, “This too is for the good.” That is what is required now as it was in Egypt when Moshe failed to deliver. Same at the splitting of the Reed Sea. The Egyptian army was in pursuit of the runaway slaves. G-d said, “You have to trust me.” Nachson ben Aminadav jumped into the sea, went in up to his nose, and then the sea split. G-d needed someone to demonstrate unwavering trust. In that merit, the people were saved.
Participant: Tonight, U.S. forces in Syria were attacked by multiple rockets (ostensibly) by Iran.
Rabbi: Good. It might wake up the idiots in the State Department who imagine they can make a deal with Iran that allows Iran to build a bomb. How can they not see that Iran’s only objective is to dominate the Middle East and create the ultimate caliphate? It would be easy to destroy Iran; just bomb the infrastructure, but nobody wants to do it. Amazing how Iran can hold the entire world hostage and nobody cares. They get away with everything they do, antagonize all the nations in the Middle East. But one day, justice will be done. G-d will judge the world.
Check out the haftorah (biblical portion from the book of Prophets or Kings read after the traditional Torah reading) of the portion “Nitzavim.” It was read, interestingly, the same week the World Trade Center was brought down. Isaiah says of his vision that G-d was riding a horse, His clothing stained with blood. Isaiah took this to mean that G-d would punish the Jews but
G-d said that the cause of his blood-stained attire was because He had just crushed Edom just as a winemaker crushes his grapes. Guess what? That is exactly what will befall the Edomites of today, the Democrats, the liberals, the progressives, all those who try to destroy morality. Same with Iran. All will be crushed eventually when G-d ends the program of Darkness.
Participant: They say that 9/11 wasn’t a terror attack, that it was done by political insiders. Will the truth about all that eventually be revealed? The Matrix that we are living in right now,…
Rabbi: Everything. The vengeance of G-d is not only punishment; it’s revelation. It is both. G-d must reveal the nature of—the quality and quantity—of the sins of the nations of the world. Therein lies justice. He must reveal why He has done what He’s done.
Participant: Will this revelation be like an epiphany or just what comes out like in the news, leaked….
Rabbi: We don’t know exactly how, whether by prophecy, consciousness,…we don’t know exactly.
Participant: These revelations occur once the Window closes and the Gate opens?
Rabbi: These revelations won’t happen until the Gate opens, when all existence is sustained by the Gate opening. That is the pekida, when Mashiach ben Yosef is released from his prison. Once that happens, it is just a matter of time. Redemption begins and it is a process. Once it begins, like in Egypt, there is no back-tracking.
Participant: Where is this Gate and Window? In which olam—world (of the four: Asiyah, Bria, Yetzirah, and Atzilut)?
Rabbi: It’s in malchus (a sefira, one of ten Divine energies which create realities.) The shefa-- flow of Divine energycomes from Yesod which “pours” into the others which, ultimately, flow into malchus—majesty, kingship, the domain of the world. But Yesod is blocked. That is the pekida, when the “water” from the reservoir –in this case like the clouds or even the seas from which the waters evaporate and become clouds--can flow out and finally into the pipes in your house. It ends at the faucet which is Yesod but the faucet is shut. The malchus is a kli--vessel underneath the faucet but nothing can fill malchus. But when the faucet opens, it will all pour forth.
Participant: We just fasted, beginning the “three weeks” (of mourning commemorating many catastrophic events in Jewish history). During this time, don’t they say that there is a vast amount of good energy, joy, happiness, inherent in it but we can’t tap into it. Just as it is a time of tragedy, it will become the happiest time. How can we connect to that potential?
Rabbi: The way to connect is to invest in your bitachon that G-d will reverse the evil. Look forward to the revelation. Looking forward isn’t just because you want to have a good time. It is because the beauty of it will be your profound relationship with G-d, a closeness to Him. You can express your desire to establish a relationship with Him because that is how much you love Him.
Participant: It is said that there will be a major war to destroy Edom/Rome.
Rabbi: Yes, I believe there will be a major war between Iran and Israel. America too, but only if Trump is president. If Biden is president, he won’t even know there is a war!
Participant: It says “On that day, everyone will know that G-d is One and His Name is One. Correct?....incoherent audio...
Rabbi: Correct! Edom is Russia, Europe and America. But Russia and Europe is the evil aspect of Edom whereas America has been the good part slowly transforming to evil. The Satan is trying to take away the tov she’b’Esav—the good aspect of Esav/Edom and replace it with the evil for his own preservation because he is dying. Eventually, the evil will be thrown out and the good aspect of Esav, restored. I believe this translates into the return of Trump who will not only restore America but will do tremendous good for the Jewish people and advance their entire hatzlacha—fortune.
Participant: You think Trump is coming back?
Rabbi: Yes.
Participant: It was found in the bible codes that Trump will win pamayim—twice.
Rabbi: We’ve been in a holding pattern—that’s all. This was a shochad l’Satan—bribery to the Satan. G-d allowed Satan to survive, to re-emerge briefly because he had legitimate kitrugim—prosecutions against the Jews. But it’s temporary. It is an interruption like what happened with Moses. When he went to Pharoah the first time, the plagues should have begun but they didn’t. When you are the 49th Gate of defilement, many sins must be atoned for so the books can be balanced. Therefore, there is suffering and Darkness.
Participant: How long will the Arizona audit take?
Rabbi: I don’t know but it is taking a long time because they are being very thorough. When is comes out there was fraud, there will be a constitutional crisis. The other states will be compelled to do an audit. When they too can determine fraud, Biden will be proven an illegitimate president. Any orders he signed into law will be deemed illegal. That will be a stunning defeat for the Democratic Party and the Left will go bananas. Trump was, in some respects, naïve. He underestimated the evil around him. When he returns, he will go after these people, as he should have done the first time, with an incredible vengeance. We don’t realize the depth of evil of these people because we are good. Before the Holocaust, if someone had told you that they will be baking Jews in ovens, would you have believed it? That is what evil relies on, that you will not safeguard yourself because you don’t believe such evil can exist. That’s the problem. We think they just differ. Evil never hesitates to enact evil while good hesitates to counter it. Evil is absolutely ruthless! Trump is now “woke” to how bad they are. The Deep State must be stopped.
Participant: How does Trump fit into the scenario of the coming of mashiach? The nations are expected to be against mashiach but Trump would approve of him.
Rabbi: Trump is a major character in the messianic process, to bring Esav’s teshuva to bear. He is a messianic figure. We don’t know what G-d has done to the War of Gog u'Magog. He may have substituted it for another nation. Hezkiahu was to have been mashiach and Sancherev should have been Gog. I believe that Gog is the United Nations. They argue as to whether Israel has the right to defend itself against Iran. Are they crazy? They are always subjecting Israel to condemnation based on a double standard and are against Jerusalem. That qualifies them as Gog. It is a real possibility.