Reb Neuberger – Where is Moshiach?

WHERE IS MOSHIACH?

By Roy S. Neuberger

 

Anyone who has read my columns over the years will know that Vayigash is, for me, the most emotional Parsha in the Torah.

 

“Ani Yosef! Ha-od avi chai? …. I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?”

 

Imagine the brothers’ shock when they hear these words. Jaws drop. Eleven brothers are frozen in place. The mask falls; all see Yosef standing before them.

 

This is how Moshiach will come. Jaws will drop. “Moshiach was in front of us and we did not know it!”

 

Everything in this Parsha is so clearly relevant. This is the foundation of everything that has happened to us over the years. It is so clear that machlokes, antagonism between brothers, is the cause of all the tragedies that have befallen the Children of Israel. It was true then and it is true now. Yosef, in his greatness, caused the brothers to search their hearts; he was able to restore peace to the family.

 

“Only considerations of absolute necessity could have brought Yosef to follow a course of action that otherwise would appear to be senseless harassment. If Yosef had wanted to remain … nothing but a prince in the eyes of his father and brothers, if he had not cared to return to his family as a son and a brother, he would not have needed to resort to all these contrivances. However, Yosef, … felt that he would have to bring about two changes before he could make himself known to his brothers:  a) He should be able to change his own opinion of his brothers … and above all b) his brothers should change their opinion of him.... In short, at the moment when he would identify himself to them as their brother Yosef, the blindfold would drop from their eyes and it would be possible for both Yosef and his brothers to erase completely the past. Only thus could Yosef hope to be truly restored as a son to his father and as a brother to his father’s children.” (Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch on Beraishis 42:9ff, Feldheim Publishers)

 

I saw a contemporary commentary on the same subject, “It was very important to Rav Belsky that his children stay close to one another and care for one another. After their marriages [the children settled in cities around the world] … yet, to this day, all remain close and in frequent contact with one another.” (Rav Belsky, Artscroll/Mesorah)

 

Machlokes, fighting in the family, is the cause of all our troubles! We cannot receive the Torah unless we are united. At Mount Sinai, where we received the Torah, we were “k’ish echad b’lev echad …. Like one man with one heart.” (Rashi on Shemos 19:2)

 

Achdus … unity is the prerequisite for survival.

 

Have we eliminated anger, jealousy and hatred from our hearts? It is not simple. These emotions are extremely difficult to eliminate.

 

How often do innuendoes against others slip into our conversation?

 

How often do we harbor thoughts of jealousy?

 

How often do we think negatively about others?

 

How can Moshiach come when I am thinking negative thoughts about my brothers and sisters? Every night, we begin Krias Shema al ha Mitah with these words: “Ribono shel olam…. Master of the Universe, I hereby forgive anyone who angered me or antagonized me or who sinned against me ….”

 

We are not allowed to go to sleep unless we have said this. We also cannot begin to pray without accepting upon ourselves to remove barriers between us and every other Jew. (See Magen Avraham, Siman 46/ Pri Eitz Chaim)

 

Can you imagine the suffering of Yaakov Avinu when the brothers sold Yosef?

 

Can you imagine what we are doing to Our Father in Shomayim when we engage in sinas chinom … unwarranted hatred between Jew and Jew!

 

Is it so hard to understand why Moshiach is not here?

 

May we see the day when jaws will drop once again and we hear the words “Ani Hashem, your G-d … for a second time” (Mussaf Shabbos Kedusha) with the coming of Moshiach ben Dovid soon in our days!

The Nile River, the scene of our first exile

Rabbi Mizrachi — A Trojan Horse Is Among Us

An Excellent Shiur

So many new eye–openers for those interested in deepening their understanding of Torah

And when the great Shofar will be blown, who will be able to  . . .

WISHFUL WISHING!

We Are All Waiting for Moshiach to Bring us Home to Eretz HaKodesh
(unless you’re Going Home sooner)
Even Rav Mordechai Eliyahu Shlit"a is getting impatient.
WE ARE ALL FULL OF WISHFUL WISHING!

I must admit that the stimulus for this post is owed to
Nava of Dreaming
for her great post on the Mystical Shield of Moshiach
plus her recent prolific entries.

For some time I have been enamored by the story of the Abir Aluf.
Whenever one speaks about Moshiach, the Abir pops into my mind.
I’m not saying this as a prophecy, but only that several puzzle pieces come together in the Abir (Torah, strength, yerusha).

I submit the following, written so eloquently by Rabbi Lazer Brody,
where you can find more inspiration on his award-winning blog
full of emuna scroll down to read.

It is amazing to gaze at Mori Yehoshua Sofer shlit'a, the Abir Aluf, dressed in traditional *Habani-Yemenite-Jewish garb, a member of the Habani Jews, and to watch him perform the ancient traditions of his family that go back as far as the FIRST BEIT HAMIKDASH.

Torah, the Prophets, Gemorra, Jewish ethics, Zohar,
the Tosefos, and the Malbim. It is amazing how he
answers questions known by heart as if the volumes
are open in front of him.

The Abir tradition: this secret was preserved in the *Sofer family whose documented lineage goes back 100 generations
to the FIRST HOLY TEMPLE.

Abir, the traditional Israelite combat art that goes back to our forefather Abraham. The Aluf knows a variety of techniques, and the source of each technique in the Torah, i.e. Naftali tribal combat style, the combat style of the Tribe of Asher based on its tribal symbol the olive tree, combat style of the Tribe of Dan, and for each of the 12 tribes.

On his clothing he wears the The Starflower: an amazing vision that the Aluf had during Hitbodedut (meditation, personal prayer). Notice the motif, a resemblance of the Star of David that Rav Kaduri zt"l referenced in his descriptions of Moshiach's clothing. Visit here to learn more about the Abir and the
Starflower.

King David killed a lion and a bear at age three, as a lone shepherd in the wilderness. As Hashem's anointed, he was not only a monumental Torah scholar, but a fierce fighter that spent every available minute in personal prayer. People find it hard to believe when the Zohar says that Israel is the fiercest of the nations.

(A recent example of Israeli courage is found on Akiva's Mystical Paths, where you can read about the leopard
that was wrestled down by an Israeli,
after jumping thru an open window and onto his family
while they were all sleeping. Amazing!
Only an Israeli and an Israeli Leopard.)

____________________

*The Habanis of north Yemen preserved an unbroken chain of Abir since the destruction of the second Temple nearly 2000 years ago. Fiercely loyal to their faith, the Habani Jews never assimilated. Of all the Habani clans, the Sofer family was the most proficient and well known both in Torah scholarship - especially the esoteric - and in Abir warrior arts. Don't be surprised - Hebrew warrior arts go hand-in-hand with holiness and Kabbala; you can't be a true Abir warrior unless you keep yourself on a lofty plane of personal holiness and Torah scholarship.

Thank you Rabbi Brody Shlit"a for having such a wonderful friend as the Abir Aluf, and to our blogging community for keeping their EYES OPEN FOR SIGNS.