"Tu B'shvat Redemption Connection"

14 Shevat 5786 

[Reposting from a year ago on the Rabbi's instructions.  He says it is even more relevant this year.]

End Times Unfolding Before Our Very Own Eyes!! Tu B'shvat Redemption Connection | Rabbi Richter

When It's Too Easy to Return to Egypt

12 Shevat 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Beshallach - Shabbat Shirah

Excerpts from the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary on the parashah...

The Route to Eretz Yisrael

The quickest, easiest, and most direct route from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael is northeast along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, a route that goes through Philistia, which is on the west coast of the Holy Land (part of which is the Gaza area of today).  However, just as this was the easiest way to leave Egypt, it would also have been the easiest way to return there.  Since the war-like Philistines were sure to fight the Jewish "invaders," God knew that the people would lose heart and return to Egypt.  To avoid this, He led them on a roundabout path through the Sinai Desert, going east and then north, so that they would enter the Land from the eastern bank of the Jordan River.  This would take them so far from Egypt that it would be difficult - though not impossible - for them to consider returning.  Even so, there were times in the wilderness when the Jews complained against Moses and wanted to return to Egypt; had such a return been quick and easy, they would surely have attempted it.

Although they were confronted by an attack from Amalek, this did not cause them to return to Egypt, because the Amalekites did not fight to protect their homeland from invasion, as the Philistines would have done.  Were that the case, then the fearful Jews would have said correctly that the way to safety lay in a return to Egypt.  But Amalek was the offspring of Esau, and they attacked Israel because of their ancestor's ancient, implacable hatred of Jacob; they would have continued the attack even if the Jews had retreated toward Egypt.  Furthermore, at the time of Amalek's attack, Israel was already too deep into the Wilderness for an easy return (see Rashi, Ramban).

Our parashah ends with "Write This As A Remembrance" 

Hashem said to Moses, "Write this as a remembrance in the Book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens."  Moses built an altar and called its name "Hashem is My Miracle" [Hashem Nisi]; and he said, "For the hand is on the throne of God:  Hashem maintains a wr with Amalek, from generation to generation."  (Shemot 17.14-16)

Moses declared that God had sworn by placing His hand on His throne, as it were, that He would continue the war against Amalek forever, until the memory of that evil nation is obliterated.

 ~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~

About Iran - Just Sayin'...

11 Shevat 5786

A people with a long history cannot afford to have a short memory.

I'm concerned about how quickly the Jews have taken up the fiction that the Iranian people are our natural friends.  It's only their leadership who is at odds with us and why? - because of their Islamic beliefs.  If they could only be liberated from the oppression of Islam and be made over into another Western democracy on the Israeli model, all would be well in the Middle East.  This is the same story we are being sold about Gaza.  

Let's not forget that the first genocide of Jews (men, women, children, elderly to babies) was proposed and accepted in ancient Persia and even when the Jews were given permission to defend themselves, still tens of thousands of Persians attacked the Jews and were killed in turn.  

Not everyone in Iran opposes the Islamic regime.  Granted it does not enjoy the support it did initially, but it was still the Iranian people who put it in power.  

Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah in power when Hitler, y"sh rose to fame in Germany, was an admirer...

Reza Shah Pahlavi’s attitude toward Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in the 1930s and early 1940s was characterized by sympathy, admiration, and strategic partnership, primarily driven by a desire to modernize Iran and break free from the traditional influence of Great Britain and the Soviet Union. While he maintained formal neutrality at the outbreak of World War II, his deep ties to Berlin ultimately led to the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran and his forced abdication in 1941.

Reza Shah admired Hitler and the Nazi regime, viewing his own career as similar to the German leader's—a strongman transforming a nation. He was attracted to the Nazi concept of the "Aryan race," which Nazis used to justify a supposed kinship between Germany and Iran.

In 1935, Iran’s name was changed from Persia to "Iran" (meaning "Land of the Aryans") in part to emphasize this perceived shared Aryan kinship with Germany.

Reza Shah hired Nazi military advisors, and Germany provided educational materials, such as the "German Scientific Library," to promote the idea of shared ancestry. Anti-Semitism Inconsistency: While the Shah was a "Nazi-friendly" ruler, he generally did not adopt Nazi-style anti-Jewish policies internally, and his government sometimes acted to protect Iranian Jews during the war.

As the war progressed, Britain and the Soviet Union feared that the heavy German presence (roughly 1,000 German residents in 1941) and the Shah's "pro-Nazi" tendency would allow the Axis to seize control of the Persian oil fields and railway. Consequently, they invaded Iran in August 1941, forcing Reza Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and sending him into exile in South Africa where he died.   (Source:  Google)

In our own time, lest we forget, a publicly avowed Holocaust denier (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) was elected President of Iran twice - in 2005 and again in 2009.  [See also, Denial of Holocaust nothing new in Iran].

The most positive spin says that fully 80% of the Iranian population (93 million people) oppose the current regime.  The 20% who support would be hard-core Islamists numbering at least 18 million.  That is a considerable number and they are not our friends.  They will continue to exert influence - an anti-Israel influence.

All I'm saying is don't hold onto any illusions about the chances for peace through regime change alone.  Remember that nations don't have friends, they have only interests.  It's in our best interests to keep everyone at a distance - a nation who dwells alone.

It's A Fair Question

10 Shevat 5786 

Why is hakol min Shamayim (All is from Heaven) except "antisemitism"?  Is it not the main tool in HKB"H's hand used to dismantle the exile?  Isn't ending the exile - something we pray for many times every day - something to take joy and hope from and not something to organise "fights" against?  

Which is it?  Do we want to be redeemed or not?  

If you are willing to fight this battle against the One Who is sending it, you've got even bigger questions to answer.

The "Dark" Side of Snow

9 Shevat 5786 

...Snow is generally thought of as a positive force of nature. It covers over all the world's blemishes with a pure white coating and softens all the harsh sounds of modern life. But, does snow have a darker side? Here are some interesting insights on snow from an Aish.com article by Rabbi Borouch Leff. 

SNOW: THE DARK SIDE

...Rabbi Tzadok of Lublin explains that there is a mystical klipah (barrier to holiness) called snow which is associated with the nation of Amalek, the Jews' arch-enemy. Amalek attacked the beleaguered Jewish people as they left Egypt, and God instructed us to remember this evil deed of Amalek, as they will always seek to harm the Jewish nation.

In fact, the Hebrew word for snow -- sheleg -- has a numerical value (gematria) of 333 -- the same as the word shich'cha, which means forgetfulness. This seems to suggest that snow is not a vehicle for growth at all. And when we venture outside on a snowy day, we are surrounded by forgetfulness and Amalek. What could this possibly mean?

The Torah tells us to remember what Amalek did as we left Egypt because he "happened upon you (karcha) and attacked."

The simple reading, as Rashi explains, is that Amalek's attack was a surprising and unexpected one -- "he happened upon you." A key aspect of their hideous crime was the sheer brazenness and trickery involved. However, Rashi suggests that karcha can also mean "he cooled you off," coming from the Hebrew word kar -- cold.

As Rashi explains, the Jews were compared to a hot, scalding bath of water, symbolizing their great passion for spiritual achievements as they left Egypt. But Amalek was willing to burn themselves by attacking the Jewish people with the aim of showing that the heat of inspiration will not endure. By doing so, Amalek cooled off the tremendous fear that all of the other nations had for the Jews, giving them license to attack as well.

* * * 

THE SNOW ANGEL

...the four archangels correspond to the four elements of nature and it is Michael who is the snow angel and also the guardian and defending angel of Israel.

...Michael is made up entirely of snow and Gabriel of fire, and though they stand near one another they do not injure one another, thus indicating the power of God to "make peace in His high places." According to the Aggadah, both Michael and Gabriel will be among those who will accompany the Messiah, and they will then contend with the wicked.

Michael is considered superior to Gabriel in rank and wherever he appears, the glory of the Shekhinah, the Holy Spirit, is also bound to be found. Each nation has its guardian angel, Michael being the guardian angel of Israel. He acts as the counsel for Israel's defense when the wicked bring charges against them before God. According to the midrash, Michael is the angel who prevented Abraham from offering up Isaac at the Akeida; informs Sarah that she will give birth to a boy; rescues Abraham from the furnace; instructs Moses; smites the army of Sancheriv; endeavors to prevent the exile by pleading on Israel's behalf to God; and defends the Jews of Persia when Haman plotted to destroy them.

...Malach Michael...in our time is the...defense attorney of Klal Yisrael. Michael is the one who is going to defend Klal Yisrael in the last moments prior to the geula as it says in Daniel 12:1... There'll be a terrible situation like there never was since Klal Yisrael became a nation....at that time Michael will stand in defense of Klal Yisrael.

...Michael is the one who stands opposite the Sar Malchus Paras, who is today...Iran. Sar Malchus Paras is the gematria of haster astir - that's the hester panim of now, like there was a hester panim in the time of Purim.

...There's an interesting medrash in Esther Rabbah and there it says clearly that Michael was the malach at that time. The medrash says that Haman, while he was being mekatreg on Klal Yisrael, at the same time, ...Michael is defending us....So Michael was [our defender] at that time and Michael will be [our defender] prior to the geula, where Klal Yisrael will be plunged into a hester panim like they were then, where it was Paras and now it's also Paras.

-50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT:

The Polar Vortex Just Fractured

(Winter Storm Fern Update)

" IRAN- U.S.A- ISRAEL.. Final Battle? "

8 Shevat 5786

What are the chances that this video would be delayed until 8 Shevat?!  (Hint:  "8 stars"?) 

Shocking Real Time Prophecy!
IRAN- U.S.A- ISRAEL. Final Battle?

Rabbi Richter

No Power on Earth (or in Heaven) Can Hinder God's Will

5 Shevat 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Bo

Excerpt from the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary...

As this Sidrah begins,  the climax of Moses' mission is impending.  The last three plagues, the commandment to sanctify the New Moon (thus laying the basis of the Jewish calendar and the festival cycle), the laws of Passover, and the sanctification of the firstborn are about to come in quick succession.  Soon Pharaoh's resistance will be completely destroyed and he personally will dash through the streets, seeking Moses and Aaron and urging his erstwhile slaves to leave their land of bondage as soon as possible.

The first plague of the Sidrah, that of Locusts, introduces a new element.  God tells Moses (v. 2) that He intends to make a mockery out of Egypt - putting to rest the  haughty presumptuousness of Pharaoh and his cohorts - so that not only Egypt, but even the Children of Israel would know that I am Hashem.  The inclusion of the Jews in that category implies that even believing people are often imperfect in their faith.  That Pharaoh had resisted the evidence of the Divine origin of the plagues is not surprising.  But it seems that even the faith of the Jews, strong though it may have been, was still not perfect.  In fact, it was not until the Splitting of the Sea that the Torah testified of Israel that they had faith in Hashem and in Moses His servant (14.31).

With regard to the first Pesach detailed in this parashah...

...Pesach teaches that when the time comes for Jewish redemption, no power hinders God's execution of His will.  

For what we are about to face, take to heart what Hashem tells us in the haftarah...

"...be not afraid, My servant Jacob, and be not frightened, O Israel, for I shall save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity, and Jacob shall return and be tranquil and complacent, and none shall make him tremble.  You, be not afraid, My servant Jacob" - the words of Hashem - "for I am with you; though I shall make an end of all the nations where I have scattered you, of you I shall not make an end; I shall punish you with justice, but I shall not destroy you utterly."

This applies only if we are truly His servants.

"Will You Murder and Also Inherit?"

4 Shevat 5786

The answer is apparently "YES" if you play any part in Gaza...

GAZA'S REWARD

BOUGHT WITH JEWISH BLOOD and BETRAYAL!!

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

"THE NEW GAZA"

(Courtesy of Eisav, Yishmael
and the Erev Rav - Foreign and Domestic)

Not that I think any of this will ever happen,
but the fact that they are trying to make it happen is evil enough.