End of Days Secrets from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai + 2 videos

17 Iyyar 5780 | Erev Lag laOmer

by Efraim Palvanov

Monday evening is the start of Lag b’Omer. This special day commemorates a number of important events in the history of the Jewish people. One of these is the revelation of Jewish mystical teachings by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (or Rashbi), who had fled from the Romans and spent a total of 13 years hiding in a cave with his son. As is well-known, the teachings that he revealed would later be expanded upon and compiled into the Zohar, the primary textbook of Kabbalah. What isn’t as well-known is that there are several other ancient texts attributed to Rashbi. Perhaps the most enigmatic is Nistarot d’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the “concealed matters” or “secrets” of Rashbi.

This work was first published in 1743. However, scholars trace back its first publication to sometime in the 8^th century. This is because the text includes precise details of the Muslim conquest of the Holy Land in the 7^th century, as well as fairly detailed accounts of the caliphs that followed Muhammad. For Rashbi to have made such a detailed prophecy of events hundreds of years in the future is hard for most scholars to accept, so they conclude that the text must have been composed shortly after the events actually took place, and falsely attributed to Rashbi. Another, more likely, possibility is that the core text does indeed go back to the time of Rashbi, but it was edited and expanded in the 8^th century after the Muslim conquests.

Whatever the case, we will ignore those passages that describe historical events (which make up roughly the first half of the text), and focus on Rashbi’s descriptions of the End of Days. Much of what is written there overlaps with prophecies and accounts from the Talmud, Zohar, and Midrash. An English translation of the full text can be accessed here.

Birth Pangs and Two Messiahs

As with many other sources, Nistarot d’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai states that Israel will experience nine months of hardship, the “birth pangs” of the messiah, based on Micah 5:2. Nistarot says this means Edom will rule over Israel for nine months (for the identity of Edom, see here and here). After this, the first messiah, Mashiach ben Yosef, will come “and he will bring them up to Jerusalem. He will rebuild the Temple and offer sacrifices; fire shall descend from heaven and consume their sacrifices…”

At this point, an evil king named Armilus will arise. Some identify Armilus with Gog from the prophecies of Ezekiel. The name “Armilus” itself probably derives from Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome (ie. Edom). Armilus will invade Israel and wreak havoc for 45 days. It is possible that something like a third of the population will perish, among them Mashiach ben Yosef. After this, God will send the second messiah, Mashiach ben David, who will slay Armilus and usher in an everlasting kingdom.

The concept of two messiahs is one we’ve discussed in the past. One of the earliest places it is mentioned is in the Talmud (Sukkah 52a). Yet, Nistarot says it isn’t an absolute necessity for there to be two messiahs: “If they are not worthy, the messiah of the lineage of Ephraim [the son of Yosef] comes; but if they are worthy, the messiah of the lineage of David will come.” In other words, the whole catastrophe with Armilus/Gog can be averted if Israel is meritorious. This was already suggested by our Sages in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a):

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction: It is written: “There came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man…” (Daniel 7:13). And it is also written: “[Behold, your king will come to you…] lowly and riding upon a donkey…” (Zechariah 9:9). [The explanation is that] If they merit, the messiah will come “with the clouds of heaven”; if they do not merit, the messiah will come “lowly and riding upon a donkey”.

When it comes to prophecies, the Jewish view is that negative prophecies do not have to be realized, since they are relayed as a warning. Positive prophecies, however, will all be realized. Therefore, in the ideal case there is one messiah, Mashiach ben David, and no need for a Gog u’Magog-style conflict. If that is not the case, then first will come a Mashiach ben Yosef to lead the people through a difficult time of rectification.

More of this article can be accessed here.

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As R' Ephraim Sprecher says: Lag Sameach!

Bonus Video by R' Yehuda haKohen Richter

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Why the UN Needs the Bet Hamikdash

6 Av 5779

(Can you find the source for this pic? I can't.)

by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first posted here

One of the 13 Principles of Faith listed by the Rambam is the belief that Mashiach will come and build the Final Temple. Why is the belief in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple an Essential of Judaism?

The Bet Hamikdash was much more than just a magnificent physical building in which G-d’s Holy Divine Presence dwelt. The Bet Hamikdash was the place where every human being, not just a Jewish person, could connect with G-d, and form a unique, special bond of love and closeness with Him.

The concentration of Holiness that was contained in the abode of G-d’s Glory enabled EVERY person to develop a special closeness and love that nourishes one’s G-dly soul and spiritual existence. The Holy Temple was the spiritual center of the ENTIRE world, which served as a conduit through which every human being’s prayers ascended to G-d in Heaven. And through which an abundance of Divine Grace and bounty descended to the physical world. The Holy Temple was truly the Stairway to Heaven for ALL mankind.

This is why G-d tells Yeshayahu in ch. 56 “…for My House will be called a House of Prayer for ALL the (United) Nations.” G-d is not just the G-d of Israel but He is the G-d of ALL mankind, and He calls all peoples to acknowledge and worship Him.

The Talmud in Menachot 53 states that the Bet Hamikdash has to be built by a person who is called a YEDID, which means a lover of G-d. That is why King Solomon, who built the First Temple, was called Yedidiyah by G-d, which means G-d’s Lover.

And that is why the first two Temples and the Final Temple are all located in the territory of the Tribe of Binyamin, because Binyamin is the only son of Yaacov who is called The Yedid Hashem, the Lover of G-d (Devarim 33). Why is Binyamin so special? After all, he is the youngest of Yaacov’s 12 sons. The Ramban answers that he is the only son of Yaacov who was born in the Holy Land. Therefore all the Holy Temples are located only in his territory. 

 The message to us is to appreciate and cherish the merit of dwelling in G-d’s Holy Palace!

 

How to Deal with the Terror Tunnels

6 Tevet 5779 | ו" טבת ה"תשע"ט


by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here

A first look at Hamas' terror tunnels in Gaza from 2014. Too soon to reveal pics of tunnels in the North? Source

King David tells us in Tehillim 100, “to serve G-d with joy”. The Mishna in Avot 1 tells us that we should “greet and welcome everyone with a joyful countenance”. Avot D’Rabbi Natan 13 states that a happy and pleasant facial expression is considered equal to giving a person the most treasured gift in the world.

I just returned from a mini Chanukah vacation in Sholomi and Rosh Hanikra which is right next to the Lebanese border. The people there told us that for a long time they have been hearing the sounds of drilling and tunneling underneath their homes. And then next to the Gaza border there are also terror tunnels being dug constantly by Hamas. And this week there was another vicious terror attack next to the Ofra Junction that injured many people and caused the death of a premature infant.

So how is it possible to be in a joyful mood when we are surrounded by brutal Arab terrorists and savage murderers? The answer to this dilemma is found in the Book of Yirmiyahu. While most of the Book of Yirmiyahu contains prophecies of doom and destruction, we see some prophecies in which he speaks words of encouragement and comfort. In these prophecies how is Yirmiyahu’s message of consolation reinforced? How does he prove that G-d will bestow good on the Jewish People? Yirmiyahu states, “Just as I (G-d) brought evil, I also will bring eventual good”.

We see this concept of Yirmiyahu’s consolation at the end of Tractate Makot. Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues were walking on the Temple Mount, and they saw foxes come out of the place of the Holy of Holies. All the Rabbis began to cry, and Rabbi Akiva laughed. They asked him, “How can you laugh when you see foxes (terrorists) prowling on the Temple Mount and the Holy of Holies?” His colleagues said to him that this is the worst tragedy imaginable, “So how can you laugh?”

Rabbi Akiva answered, “Exactly for the reason that you Rabbis are crying, I am laughing. For I see how the words of Micha are being literally fulfilled when he says, “Foxes (terrorists) will prowl the Temple Mount”. Rabbi Akiva continued to console his colleagues, “Just like I see the tragic prophecies come true, so I also know that the wonderful prophecies of Zecharia will also be fulfilled“. “Old men and women and playful children shall yet dwell in the streets of Jerusalem” without the fear of being attacked by murderous Arab terrorists.

In other words, when we see our tragic current situation, it strengthens our faith in the coming of the Moshiach. These prophecies demonstrate that the same G-d who warned us that if we do evil, then evil will befall us, also promised us that He would redeem us and usher in a glorious future for Israel.

What about our current situation? How do we get rid of our fears of being attacked by vicious Arab terrorists? The Rambam in the Guide to the Perplexed addresses this problem. He writes, “Worrying about the past, has no benefit, and someone who frets over some trouble that has already passed, is senseless and foolish. It’s bad enough that such a person once had a tragedy, but he makes things worse by worrying about it after it has passed and gone.”

As for worrying about future troubles, that too, Rambam says is nonsense. It is possible that the trouble will come, and it is possible that the trouble will never come. G-d is all good, and whatever He sends a person is only for his ultimate good, even though we don’t always understand why or how.

Time of Jacob's Trouble? Part 3

BS"D בס"ד
10 Tevet 5776 
Fast of Asarah b'Tevet — due to the beginning of the siege of Yerushalayim before Galut Bavel (the Babylonian Exile). 

UNBELIEVABLY HORRIBLE UPDATE: ISA [Shaba"k] 'SEXUALLY HARRASSED' DUMA SUSPECT

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

This is the last part of the series discussing Jeremiah 30/ירמיהו ל, comprising verses 18-25. It holds some very good news for the Jewish People, and all of it is despite the plans of the wicked of this world, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Yes, we will be saved from 'et tzarah l'Yaaqov — the time of Jacob's trouble — forever! The Complete Redemption that follows is eternal!

Yes! Wicked! Hellions! The Jews who order and carry out the torture of innocent Jewish youth to the point of desire for suicide in order to get false confessions out of them for the sake of the non-Jews who give them the orders to do so are the same ones (or their spiritual descendants and students) who decided —whether on their own or at the behest of the nations — that there is no G-d; that the return of the Jews to the land of Israel was sin; that we must give the land to anyone who claims it to be theirs; who hate being the Chosen People (although many also believe that we were chosen to be punished); and who declare, as the recently late Yossi Sarid — a stimulus to many of these traitors in high places — said that those who are mockingly called settlers (actually inheritors) "are not my brothers." More on him here and here.

Well, maybe we are not your brothers, Yossi Sarid (and hevre — translated much like "posse" or "gang" as used by young Americans). You must have been from a different nation altogether. Like one that was descended from apes, as those who advocate evolution always say about human beings! Precisely because you were born of a Jewish mother makes you subject to more punishment where you are now for what you did to make life harder for the nation of Israel and its reborn state. Don't worry. The others will follow in haShem's good time and in His way.

***

יח  כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, הִנְנִי-שָׁב שְׁבוּת אָהֳלֵי יַעֲקוֹב, וּמִשְׁכְּנֹתָיו, אֲרַחֵם; וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל-תִּלָּהּ, וְאַרְמוֹן עַל-מִשְׁפָּטוֹ יֵשֵׁב.		18 Thus said HASHEM: Behold, I am returning the captivity of the tents of Jacob, and I will have mercy on his abodes, and the City will be built on its hill, and the Palace will sit in its proper place.
		Rashi: and the Palace: The Temple.
		Hava haAharona: This is one of the things that we are waiting for, and striving to see through.
יט  וְיָצָא מֵהֶם תּוֹדָה, וְקוֹל מְשַׂחֲקִים; וְהִרְבִּתִים וְלֹא יִמְעָטוּ, וְהִכְבַּדְתִּים וְלֹא יִצְעָרוּ.		19 The sound of thanksgiving and the sound of merrymakers will emanate from them; I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; and I will make them heavy [of number], and they will not dwindle.
		Rashi: and I will multiply them: I will make them a numerous nation.
		and they shall not dwindle: like יִמְעָטוּ.
		Hava haAharona: I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished: The nations have been "wise with us" just as Pharaoh advised thousands of years ago, and we have been diminished until now as a result. No longer! We will be far larger than we ever have been before, despite the plans of those who want to kill most of mankind, including all of us children of Yaaqov. I have neighbors who say that we are going through a continual baby boom and it never stops. I have seen it in action all the days I have been here, and I am sure many others will say the same.
כ  וְהָיוּ בָנָיו כְּקֶדֶם, וַעֲדָתוֹ לְפָנַי תִּכּוֹן; וּפָקַדְתִּי, עַל כָּל-לֹחֲצָיו.		20 His sons will be [beloved] as in the past, and his assembly will be established before Me, and I shall deal with all his oppressors. Hava haAharona: I shall deal with all his oppressors: Please include the Jewish ones! It seems they are the worst of all, as bad as the non-Jews have been.
כא  וְהָיָה אַדִּירוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, וּמֹשְׁלוֹ מִקִּרְבּוֹ יֵצֵא, וְהִקְרַבְתִּיו, וְנִגַּשׁ אֵלָי:  כִּי מִי הוּא-זֶה עָרַב אֶת-לִבּוֹ, לָגֶשֶׁת אֵלַי--נְאֻם-יְהוָה.		21 His leader will be from his midst, and his ruler will emerge from within him. I will bring him close and then he will be able to approach Me; for who then would embolden his heart to approach Me? — the word of HASHEM.
		Rashi: His leader: lit., his mighty one.
		embolden his heart: an expression of a pledge (fermaille, aatine in French).
		to approach Me: to war, to stop Me.
		Hava haAharona: His leader will be from his midst…: Those who think they will rule over us from afar or within the country, from other places, will find an unpleasant surprise. While we were gone no other could survive continuously here, and while we are here, a Jew with emunah (basic faith in haShem and His rule of the world) has to rule. And he will. A ruler without emunah does so on haShem's sufferance.
כב  וִהְיִיתֶם לִי, לְעָם; וְאָנֹכִי, אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים.  {ס}		22 You will be a people unto Me, and I will be a God unto you. {S}
כג  הִנֵּה סַעֲרַת יְהוָה, חֵמָה יָצְאָה--סַעַר, מִתְגּוֹרֵר:  עַל רֹאשׁ רְשָׁעִים, יָחוּל.		23 Behold, the storm of HASHEM: A rage shall go forth, a tempest will seek rest; it will rest upon the head of the wicked.
		Rashi: tempest seeking rest: camping and dwelling an expression of “the land of the sojournings of (מְגוּרֵי) ” (Gen. 37:1), and a similar case is “and a whirling (מִתְחוֹלֵל) storm” (supra 23:19) stated in the other verse is the same as this for both of them are expressions of camping.
		on the head[s] of the wicked: On the heads of the heathens. Hava haAharona: And on the heads of Jews who attempt to establish heathenism here.
כד  לֹא יָשׁוּב, חֲרוֹן אַף-יְהוָה, עַד-עֲשֹׂתוֹ וְעַד-הֲקִימוֹ, מְזִמּוֹת לִבּוֹ; בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, תִּתְבּוֹנְנוּ בָהּ.		24 HASHEM'S burning wrath will not recede until He has accomplished it, and until He has upheld the plans of His heart. In the end of days you will be able to understand it. Hava haAharona: In the end of days you will be able to understand it: Plain, decent people (let alone righteous, learned tzaddikim) should be able to grasp what HaShem is doing ahead of the Complete Redemption.
כה  בָּעֵת הַהִיא, נְאֻם-יְהוָה, אֶהְיֶה לֵאלֹהִים, לְכֹל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְהֵמָּה, יִהְיוּ-לִי לְעָם.  {ס}		25 At that time — the word of HASHEM — I will be a God for all the families of Israel, and they will be people for Me. {S}

"Israel" throughout refers to the 12 tribes and those who joined the Jews by proper conversion, not those who believe in the supersession by Christianity and the super-supersession by Islam. Need I say more.

We Jews have never demanded that people convert to Judaism. As my rabbi always says, Do the 7 [Noahide Laws], go to Heaven!

PS: Have an easy (pain-free) and extremely meaningful fast, if you can. Today is possibly a watershed day in Jewish history. Make the most of it, as best you can.

End.

More reading: Jews Are Not Terrorists | The People Protest Torture... | All About 10 Tevet | Meanwhile the 10th of Tevet... (be sure to read the updates there too)| Demand Civil Rights for Jews in Israel! |

The Time of Jacob's Trouble? Part 2

BS"D בס"ד 
8 Tevet 5776

URGENT UPDATE: Hundreds Riot over Duma Suspects' Treatment; 4 Arrested

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

This is the continuation of the prophecy of Yirmiyahu haNavi (Jeremiah the Prophet) that speaks of a terrible time of trouble for the nation of Israel (whose original name is Yaaqov), from which it will return to G-d, be saved and redeemed. Things will never go back to the way they were, much to the chagrin of the nations.

This second of three parts goes more into the pain and suffering of the Jewish nation, and at the end of this section haShem begins to pay attention to our plight in an open manner — not just saving us through the wars, but setting us up for the Complete and Final Geula.

During the writing of this part, I have found out that since "ירמיהו ל Jeremiah 30 is not used at all as a Haftarah (Prophetic passage to go along with a Torah portion) it is rarely, if at all, studied. I hope this series will stimulate attention from Jews, if nothing else. After all, it seems that whatever we neglect, others pick up, appropriate and use against us if they can.

The second part covers verses 12-17.

יב  כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה, אָנוּשׁ לְשִׁבְרֵךְ--נַחְלָה, מַכָּתֵךְ.		12 For thus said HASHEM: Your injury is grave, your wound is acute.
		Rashi: Your injury is grave, your wound is acute: (Enfers in Old French).
		Hava haAharona: Could Enfers be the root of the English "infirm" and "infirmary"? Are we in the infirmary?
יג  אֵין-דָּן דִּינֵךְ, לְמָזוֹר; רְפֻאוֹת תְּעָלָה, אֵין לָךְ.		13 No one judges your wound to have a cure; medications or remedy do not exist for you.
		Rashi: to be healed: cure. No one thinks that you will have salvation.
		Hava haAharona: No one thinks that you will have salvation: So we have seen via both major "Abrahamic" religions as long as they have been around! But they have denied us freedom of speech one way or another, to the point where we self-censor constantly for fear of offending them. Else they might actually hear the truth - worse yet, we just might hear the truth too.
		Rashi: healing: a cure, an expression of availing.
		Hava haAharona:  medications or remedy do not exist for you: Explicitly stated by the New Age movement and the New World Order folks! This is their excuse to somehow rid the world of us, and they have the chutzpah to expect us to agree to it!
יד  כָּל-מְאַהֲבַיִךְ שְׁכֵחוּךְ, אוֹתָךְ לֹא יִדְרֹשׁוּ:  כִּי מַכַּת אוֹיֵב הִכִּיתִיךְ, מוּסַר אַכְזָרִי--עַל רֹב עֲו‍ֹנֵךְ, עָצְמוּ חַטֹּאתָיִךְ.		14 All your paramours have forgotten you, they do not inquire after you. For I struck you with the blow of an enemy, with a cruel reproof, because of your many sins, your transgressions that were so numerous.
		Rashi: cruel chastisement: cruel reproof. The reproof is cruel.
		Hava haAharona: All your paramours…do not inquire after you: The nations who benefit from Israel's inventions and out-of-the box ideas take them for granted, so they don't care whether Israel suffers in the meanwhile. But sometimes, when they have nowhere else to go, they come to us.
טו  מַה-תִּזְעַק עַל-שִׁבְרֵךְ, אָנוּשׁ מַכְאֹבֵךְ:  עַל רֹב עֲו‍ֹנֵךְ, עָצְמוּ חַטֹּאתַיִךְ--עָשִׂיתִי אֵלֶּה, לָךְ.		15 How can you cry out over your injury, over your pain that is grave? It is because of your many sins, your transgressions that were so numerous, that I have inflicted these upon you!
		Hava haAharona: How can you cry out…It is because of your many sins…: I believe this is addressing the system (where even "right-wing" leadership follows the left wing's lead for the most part). The powers behind the political, educational, judicial, financial and  military leadership want Israel to be just like any other country, and that just doesn't work here. Israeli Jews' complaints are derided while the same ones put forth by others are taken seriously in the world because haShem wants us to take Him seriously. And they don't wanna! But too many of us do so want to do haShem's will — set up Torah governance, get victory over our enemies and build the 3rd Beit haMiqdash! (Sanhedrin 20b) UPDATE: Now our government so desires to squelch the desires of those who wish to serve HaShem that they torture administrative detainees over last summer's Duma house-burning-and-murder who had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! This is the worst of the many SINS (avonoth עונות and heta'oth חטאות) for which we are being punished. Read this and weep - and pray for haShem's retribution for the people of Israel and whatever we can do to help! Or else, we deserve to be punished if we do not speak up for our brothers and sisters whose families are suffering this!!!
טז  לָכֵן כָּל-אֹכְלַיִךְ, יֵאָכֵלוּ, וְכָל-צָרַיִךְ כֻּלָּם, בַּשְּׁבִי יֵלֵכוּ; וְהָיוּ שֹׁאסַיִךְ לִמְשִׁסָּה, וְכָל-בֹּזְזַיִךְ אֶתֵּן לָבַז.		16 Nevertheless, all who devoured you shall themselves be devoured; all who oppressed you will all go into captivity; who trampled you will be trampled; and all who despoiled you, I shall deliver to become spoils.
		Rashi: Nevertheless [לכן]: This is an expression denoting an oath.
		those who trample you: an expression of spoil, and so did Jonathan render it: וִיהוֹן עָדַי לַעֲדִי.
		Hava haAharona: and so did Jonathan render it…: Targum Yonatan?
יז  כִּי אַעֲלֶה אֲרֻכָה לָךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַיִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵךְ, נְאֻם-יְהוָה:  כִּי נִדָּחָה, קָרְאוּ לָךְ--צִיּוֹן הִיא, דֹּרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ.  {ס}		17 For I will make a cure for you, and I will heal you from your wounds — the word of HASHEM; for they called you 'Discarded!' [saying,] 'She is Zion — no one cares about her!' {S}
		Rashi: cure: Heb. ארכה.
		Hava haAharona: for they called you 'Discarded!': Threatening not to do business with Israel, labeling us a "pariah nation," the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement, threatening to arrest our leadership if they dare go overseas, putting the whole country on trial, calling our presence "occupation," demanding that we not protect ourselves properly…? Need I go on?

I suppose it could be worse, but how much worse? The fish in the Pacific Ocean are still dying from the Fukushima disaster in 2011, and lots of other creatures are affected. Soon even sick people will not be able to get a fish to eat. Sanhedrin 98a is coming true, just in case you didn't realize that even the words of our Talmud can prove prophetic.

The revealing of Mashiach cannot be far away, Baruch haShem!

The last part will come soon, be"H.

More reading: 10th of Tevet Special Announcement | Israel Suddenly Unpopular with Presidential Wannabes | Why Belief in Mashiach is One of the 13 Principles | Say the 'Shema' With Us Monday at 9PM Israel Time! | Anti-Semites Unwittingly Aid Israel | When All Else Fails, Call Israel | In Retrospect | They hung me by my hands and burned them... |

The Time of Jacob's Trouble? Part 1

BS"D בס"ד
5 Tevet 5776

Kindly pray for the baby who lost his leg as the result of an attempted murder attack on Jews: Yotam Shmu'el ben Ya'el.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Introduction

You will recall that in my last post, I had come up with an idea to bring redemption sooner, based on something my husband told me he learned: Get Yosef haTzaddik, the tribal leader who was sold by his brothers, to forgive them. I asked R’ Ephraim Sprecher about it and he said, no; it’s dangerous, it’s not required of us, and besides, Yosef had to forgive them during his lifetime. It appeared that I had to think in a different direction. So, I searched for the prophecy that talks about Israel’s unhealable wound. It turns out that the passage regarding The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, as it is known in English, is located in Yirmiyahu perek 30 (Jeremiah chapter 30). Have our current-day sages been discussing whether this well-known prophecy might be having its fulfillment now? I have no idea. Some, like R’ Chaim Kanievsky, seem focused on Mashiach’s imminent arrival. Will we know what we are going through only in retrospect? We will be taking a look at this key prophecy. 

Confusion on this issue is understandable. After all, the Jewish people have been undergoing terrible trials virtually without letup since the destruction of the 2^nd Temple (Beit haMiqdash) and therefore it could be said that the time of Jacob’s Trouble has been for this entire period. (The Holocaust was not the only time a full third of the People (at least the Ashkenazim) were murdered; one other time I am aware of was by the armies of one Bogdan Chmielnicki, and I do not claim to know everything about Jewish history. For that matter, we do not know nearly enough about the suffering of the Mizrahi Jews through the centuries…) We see that from this prophecy a significant number of the People have to be physically located and ruling on at least part of the Land of Israel (v. 3), so the time period the prophecy is referring to is limited to the present day.

Some notes on the formatting: I took the Hebrew from the Mechon Mamre site because it is formatted with the Hebrew and English verses together, in columns. I chose Artscroll, a more modern English translation than was available there, so that it would be easier for non-English speakers (increasing numbers of whom read this blog) to understand (and actually, the Hebrew is better understood from it as well). The Rashi commentary in English is from Chabad (and I have adjusted it to reflect the Artscroll words, since both are translations in any case) and any commentary I have will be underneath that. Since Rashi does not comment on every verse, I may well comment on a verse where he has no problem (as every student of Rashi knows, he does not comment unless he has a problem.). I apologize for not having found the Rashi commentary in Hebrew.

Why me? Who do I think I am, anyway? Well, actually, v. 24, from the Artscroll translates: …in the end of days you will be able to understand it. The actual Hebrew phrase, tithbonenu bah, means more like you (plural) will observe, watch or look at, it. Could that not be rightfully taken to mean that the average person (Hebrew speaker/reader most likely) — not a rabbi or other sort of learned person — from the time period it refers to should be able to read the prophecy from within his/her context and be able to point at existing events that clarify what might be referred to by our prophet? 

I was hoping that at least one of the gedolei hador (great rabbis of our generation) would have done so already. It is entirely possible that I missed it, as my reading of Hebrew web sites is limited, and I have not seen it in English. Or, it may be that haShem reserved this work for me to contribute to. One way or the other, my poor effort will have to do for now; I will point to as many things as I can as we go. Again, I am not a rabbanit or a learned person in Jewish terms. Hopefully from this study we shall see whether in fact we do understand it and it resonates with and applies to us as we may suppose haShem intended – and whether we need to wait for another generation, as so many have in the past. You are welcome to add your insights in the comments. 

One note of exception: Now, this is neither the time for Christians to jump in proposing their “messiah” as the answer, nor for us to turn to the Muslim Mahdi, or any proposal that has us giving up, whether our G-d, ourselves, our land, our language or our way of life, when it finally gets restored to us. We do not look to anyone but G-d Almighty; otherwise we will fall into the idol worship the Xians offer us, and I would not want to contribute to the defeat at the hands of Yishmael, Esav and all their allies, G-d forbid, in whatever guise they come.

As for their right to speak, they have exercised it with impunity, with threats and abuse up to and including murder for many centuries, forbidding us our right to speak using censure, name calling and violence, and eventually covering it all over with law (the dhimma is that law, taken from Christian practice and applied by Islam; and lest Christians in the lands of freedom forget, it applies to those among them who live in Muslim lands also.).

It is the Jews' turn now to speak freely.

This first part covers through verse 11.

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Jeremiah Chapter 30  יִרְמְיָהוּ

verses 1-11 פרקי

א  הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל-יִרְמְיָהוּ, מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹר.		1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from HASHEM, saying:
ב  כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֵאמֹר:  כְּתָב-לְךָ, אֵת כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר-דִּבַּרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ--אֶל-סֵפֶר.		2 'Thus said HASHEM, God of Israel, saying: Write down for yourself all these things that I am telling you into a book.
		Hava haAharona: on a scroll. As most know, in those days books as we know them did not exist, and the word "sefer" (ספר) referred to a scroll, such as what we use when Torah is read. Now we have a combination of both on the computer! We "scroll" up and down to read, and special commands must be employed in order to make a computer document act like a book. So, has what has gone around, come around again?!
ג  כִּי הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים, נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת-שְׁבוּת עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה, אָמַר יְהוָה; וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר-נָתַתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם--וִירֵשׁוּהָ.  {פ}		3 For, behold, days are coming — the word of HASHEM — when I will return the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, said HASHEM, and I will return them to the land that I gave their fathers, and they will possess it.' {P}
		Rashi: For, behold, days are coming: And you shall not say, Why should I write it, since they all will perish, and no one will read it, neither will anyone remember it anymore, for, “behold, days are coming, etc.”
		Hava haAharona: And what is the State of Israel but the Jewish People's modern-day expression of return and possession of the Land of Israel? Even though we have a long way to go before complete possession and sovereignty is achieved — according to HASHEM's design, without either external or internal opposition — still, ANY sign of this is worthy of note here because of the LACK of any for nearly the last 2,000 years!   UPDATE: I am not saying that the State is holy, G-d forbid; only that our boots on the ground as a Jewish entity in ANY sense is worthy of note.
ד  וְאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל-יִשְׂרָאֵל--וְאֶל-יְהוּדָה.		4 These are the things HASHEM spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
ה  כִּי-כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה, קוֹל חֲרָדָה שָׁמָעְנוּ--פַּחַד, וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם.		5 For thus said HASHEM: A sound of terror have we heard; of fear, and not peace.
		Rashi: A sound of quaking [terror] have we heard: Some interpret this as alluding to the tidings of Babylon, from which those exiled there quaked. But the Midrash Aggadah explains it as an allusion to the war of Gog and Magog.
		Hava haAharona: The voice of terror (qol haradah, related to haredi) is at least as likely our voice, afraid that HASHEM is going to take our land away again through the goyim supporting terrorism here because 'it isn't ours', we are unworthy of it, because we have a secular government...for whatever reason! Our government reinforces this fear by their efforts to hand land over to the Arabs at the behest of the West, even though the latter's assurance that peace will be the result, has proven over and over again to be completely false. The nations, both (Middle) East and West, don't want peace. Their message is clear: They want us dead, whether killed now or made un-Jews first before being killed.
ו  שַׁאֲלוּ-נָא וּרְאוּ, אִם-יֹלֵד זָכָר:  מַדּוּעַ רָאִיתִי כָל-גֶּבֶר יָדָיו עַל-חֲלָצָיו, כַּיּוֹלֵדָה, וְנֶהֶפְכוּ כָל-פָּנִים, לְיֵרָקוֹן.		6 Ask now, and see if a male has ever given birth. Why, [then] do I see that every man puts his hands upon his loins, as a woman in childbirth, and all faces turn pallid?
		Rashi: whether a male gives birth: Whether it is customary for males to give birth, so that labor pains should seize them like a woman in confinement.
		his loins: like מָתְנָיו.
		Hava haAharona: Yerakon  ירקון: nausea and vomiting repeatedly, green sickness. The people in this verse are queasy in addition to, or from, fear. Some translate this word as pale(ness), pallor, pallid, etc. — this in no way begins to describe our experience, our life-threatening distress.  We are not “pale” from fright — what is happening to us is disgustingly nauseating in the extreme! But we should not expect the nations to regard us with understanding, patience or even simple common humanity. Their own evil is not evident to them.
		his loins: like מָתְנָיו.: Seems as though this word is the usual Hebrew one and the prophet's word is a synonym. Rashi was quite the grammarian.
ז  הוֹי, כִּי גָדוֹל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא--מֵאַיִן כָּמֹהוּ; וְעֵת-צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקֹב, וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵׁעַ.		7Woe! For that day will be momentous, there is nothing like it; it will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he be saved from it.
		Rashi: that day: The day of the assassination of Belshazzar and the downfall of Babylon. Another explanation: the day of the downfall of Gog.
		Hava haAharona: Does Rashi mean to say in his "other explanation" that "the time of trouble for Yaaqov" AND the War of Gog uMagog might occur at approximately the same time??? Well, we could possibly see that, has v'shalom! (English video w/Hebrew subtitles)
		…but he will be saved from it: despite the claims of the "daughter religions" and their attempts to dumb us down regarding our own sources (nothing worth linking to on the Internet...but we now have unredacted sources to compare with them...) we DO have salvation and HASHEM will show them! I dearly hope they have the web links and contact information for their nearest Noahides handy!
ח  וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, אֶשְׁבֹּר עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ, וּמוֹסְרוֹתֶיךָ, אֲנַתֵּק; וְלֹא-יַעַבְדוּ-בוֹ עוֹד, זָרִים.		8 It shall be on that day,  — the word of HASHEM, Master of Legions  —  that I will break off the yoke [of the conqueror] from your neck, and I will tear your straps; and foreigners will no longer enslave him.
		Rashi: I will break off the yoke [of the conqueror]: The yoke of the heathens will be removed from Israel.
		Hava haAharona: The yoke of the heathens (zarim זרים): In addition to Christianity, which worships a man as G-d, I would include Islam as well. Under certain circumstances they allow themselves to consume raw flesh, both human and that of living animals — videos are available if one has the stomach for them — in addition to murdering, stealing and lying. The holy Ramba"m likely never saw such violations of the Noahide Laws during his time as physician to the sultan in Egypt. And that's not all...but I have to move on.
ט  וְעָבְדוּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, וְאֵת דָּוִד מַלְכָּם, אֲשֶׁר אָקִים לָהֶם.  {ס}		9They will serve HASHEM their God and David their king, whom I will establish over them. {S}
י  וְאַתָּה אַל-תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְאַל-תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק, וְאֶת-זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם; וְשָׁב יַעֲקֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן, וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד.		10 But as for you, do not fear, My servant Jacob, the word of HASHEM, and do not be afraid, Israel; for behold, I am saving you from distant places, and your descendants from the land of their captivity; and Jacob will return and be at peace and tranquil, and none will make [him] afraid.
		Rashi: But as for you, do not fear: Because of all the evils that you will see befalling Babylon in whose midst you are.
		and tranquil: like וֹשָקֵט.
		Hava haAharona: Despite the desires and plans of the nations to keep our land and people from experiencing peace and tranquility, HASHEM will bring them. The lands of captivity extended to the whole world before the State of Israel rose up.
יא  כִּי-אִתְּךָ אֲנִי נְאֻם-יְהוָה, לְהוֹשִׁיעֶךָ:  כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הֲפִצוֹתִיךָ שָּׁם, אַךְ אֹתְךָ לֹא-אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה, וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט, וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ.  {פ}		11 For I am with you  — the word of HASHEM  —  to save you; for I will bring annihilation upon all the nations among whom I have dispersed you, but upon you I will not bring annihilation; I will chastise you with justice, but I will never eliminate you completely. {P}
		Rashi: but I will chastise you with justice: according to the law of the Torah.
		and I will never eliminate you completely: an expression of a sweeping destruction.
		Hava haAharona: I will chastise you…according to the law of the Torah, etc.: Zecharia 1: 14 and 15: "Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I am zealous for Yerushalayim and for Tzion with a great zeal. And I am very much displeased with the nations that are at ease: for I was a little angry, but they helped forward the affliction." In other words, they made it a whole lot worse than G-d intended, and they will pay for it. We see grossly disproportionate punishment of Israel and Jews, not only in Israel but all over the world now, but its exaggerated nature is not from HASHEM. Therefore, let us cling to the hope this offers us.

More later, be"H.

Abba she-ba'Shamayim, may we be worthy of complete return (teshuva תשובה) and salvation (yeshuah ישועה) (not JC), speedily and in our days. Amen.

More reading: Beware the False Narrative h/t Mashiach is Coming | What Does "Exceptional Measures" Mean? | The Unraveling of the "Zionist" Dream | Price Tag is Not Terror. Period. | Shaba"k Hints that Duma Arson Suspects DID NOT Set the Fire | A Black Day for the State of Israel | Beware of False Messiahs and False Prophets |