ON THE SEVENTH OF MARCHESHVAN We Began to Ask G–D For Rain

NOW THAT THE YOM TOVIM HAVE SLID INTO RECENT MEMORY, AND THE TUMULTUOUS US ELECTION IS OVER, AND WHILE PEOPLE ARE SPECULATING OVER WHAT/WHO WILL BE IN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION OVER THERE, WE IN ERETZ YISRAEL ARE AWAITING THE RAINS. PRAYING FOR RAIN IS THE ESSENCE OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

IN ISRAEL, THE PRAYER FOR ACTUAL RAIN BEGINS 15 DAYS AFTER SHEMINI ATZERET (7 MARCHESHVAN), ALLOWING ENOUGH TIME FOR EVEN THE JEWS LIVING NEAR THE EUPHRATES TO RETURN HOME AFTER WALKING TO JERUSALEM FOR THE FESTIVAL.

"I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.”
Deuteronomy 11:14

The day of rain is greater than the resurrection of the dead, because the resurrection of the dead benefits only the righteous, but rain benefits both the righteous and the unrighteous. (Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 7a)

––––––––––––

“On the 3rd of Marcheshvan we pray for rain; Rabban Gamliel says, on the 7th thereon, fifteen days after the Festival [Sukkot] ends, so that the last Jew can reach the River Euphrates” (Ta’anit 1:3). The Talmud specifies that in this dispute, “the halakhah follows Rabban Gamliel” (Ta’anit 10a). Even though the rainy season in Israel should ideally begin immediately after Sukkot, we delay praying for rain to give time for the last Jewish pilgrim who had come to Israel for Sukkot to reach the River Euphrates, so that their journey home should not be made unduly uncomfortable or dangerous by muddy roads and swollen rivers (following Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartinura’s commentary to the Mishnah ad. loc.).

The Tosafot Yom Tov (commentary to the Mishnah by Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Natan ha-Levi Heller, central and eastern Europe, 1578-1654) adds: “Because sometimes they would tarry a little in Jerusalem, until the entire Festival had finished”.

And then the Talmud notes the exception: “However, in the exile, [we pray for rain] sixty days after the Autumn equinox” (Ta’anit 10a).

Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartinura concurs (commentary to Mishnah Ta’anit 1:3): “All this applies in the Land of Israel; however in the exile, they only begin praying for rain sixty days after the Autumn equinox”. And indeed, this is the halakhah in practice (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 117:1; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 19:5).

The Talmud (Ta’anit 10a) explains that they would start praying for rain sixty days after the Autumn equinox because that was the time when Babylon needed its rainy season to begin.

And about other countries whose rainy season does not begin at the same time of the year? Rashi (commentary to Ta’anit 10a, s.v. tatai lo ba’u maya), the Ritv”a (Chidushai ha-Ritv”a to Ta’anit 10a, s.v. tanya chanaya), and other commentators explain that the entire exile follows Babylonian practice. The Rosh (Rabbi Asher ben Yechi’el, Germany and Spain, c.1250-1328) tried to change this practice, such that Jews wherever they may be would pray for rain in the season that their host countries would need it. However, great though the Rosh indisputably was, the opposition was so determined that he did not succeed in persuading Jewry to change the ancient practice.

[. . . .]

It is no coincidence that the single most central declaration of Judaism, the Shema, includes G-d’s promise that “if you diligently hearken to My mitzvot…then I will grant the rain of your Land in its appropriate season – the first rain and the last rain – so you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

This is the direct continuation of the depiction of the Land of Israel, scant weeks before entering it: 

“The Land to which you are coming to inherit is not like the land of Egypt which you have left, in which you can sow your seed and water it on foot like a vegetable garden. The Land to which you are passing to inherit is a Land of mountains and valleys; you will drink water from the rain of heaven. It is a Land which HaShem your G-d constantly looks out for; HaShem your G-d’s eyes are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:10-12).

So much more can be read HERE

AND AFTER THE RAIN FALLS . . .

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who remembers the covenant, and is faithful to His covenant, and keeps His promise.

SPECTACULAR RAINBOWS OVER ISRAEL
Abigail Klein Leichman (ISRAEL21c)

Roy G. Biv is one of Israel’s most beloved rainy-season visitors, and oh what a colorful character he is!

Roy. G. Biv, of course, is the mnemonic that American schoolchildren learn to remember the spectrum of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The arc of color is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light as it passes into and out of water droplets under specific conditions.

Prime time for Israeli rainbows is October-November and March-April, explains Tel Aviv University geodynamics professor Pinhas Alpert.

“In order to get a nice rainbow you need two essential conditions, one relatively simple – rainfall, and the other more difficult — sun at the same time as the rain,” Alpert tells ISRAEL21c. “The beginning and the end of the rainy season frequently have these conditions of sporadic rainfall, and this is particularly true for the subtropical belt in which Israel is located.”

Rainbows also depend on two additional microscale conditions: strong solar rays and large raindrops — both found in Israel, he adds.

“Large raindrops do not exist normally in higher latitudes because of colder temperatures and cloud cover, so rainbows are much rarer in Europe. And in the tropics, you rarely have solar radiation even though you have large drops,” says Alpert, who published a study in the journal of the American Meteorological Society in 1990 on the uniqueness of Jerusalem’s climate, including its big raindrops.


A rainbow stands behind autumn trees in Tel Dan Nature Reserve in northern Israel. Photo by Doron Horowitz/FLASH90

Alpert says you’re most likely to see rainbows on the edge of Israel’s desert areas and between Tel Aviv and Beersheva.

Rainbow over the Galilee village of Kafr Cana. Image via Shutterstock.com

In the case of a single rainbow, the arch shape is centered 42 degrees above the horizon. Alpert says sometimes double or even triple rainbows appear; with a double rainbow, the intensity is weaker, the angle is different and the colors appear in the opposite order.

Parshat Lech Lecha – THE MAN WHO DISCOVERED REALITY!

THE MAN WHO DISCOVERED REALITY!

It is amazing how relevant Biblical events are today. The events surrounding the Garden of Eden and the Flood are totally relevant, beacons illuminating today’s dark world. And so, of course, are the events surrounding the life of Abraham. This Hero of the Ages refused to waste his life by adhering to mindless lifestyles and bestial behavior.

He thought about life! Yes, my friends, he thought! Thinking is an almost-lost, but essential art.

Every weekday, Jewish men wear tefillin. First, we place the hand tefillin near our heart; then we place the head tefillin near our brain, then we tie the strap around our hand. It begins with the heart. If we train our heart to desire Truth, then we will search for G-d. Then, we will activate our brain to translate that desire into reality. And all this will culminate in the work of the hands, which means putting our heart and brain to the service of G-d in the form of mitzvos which alter our nature and bring about a manifestation of His will in the world.

That is how we can become “a blessing,” which is what G-d promised our Father Abraham thousands of years ago. Abraham discovered that mankind in general was living a life of falsehood and emptiness. He realized that the world had to have been created and sustained by a Power of Perfect Intelligence and Orderliness. As King David tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of G-d!” But you have to think to see it!

It was but a step from there that the Master of the Universe manifested Himself to Abraham and confirmed his perception of Truth. “Ma’ase avos siman l’bonim … The actions of the fathers are a sign for the children”. The discovery of G-d’s existence and adherence to His Torah is possible for every human being and leads directly to the outpouring of blessing into the world! This is the earth-shaking accomplishment of our First Patriarch. The world has never been the same since he paved the path for man’s return to a direct relationship with the Master of the Universe!

It all begins with a clear perception of the emptiness of the current state of the world, the propensity of mankind to cleave to idols which “demand” nothing but to fulfill the desires of the worshipper. It takes clarity of vision and strength of will to understand that this is not reality.

We who dwell on this planet would do well to remember the events which occurred in the Garden of Eden, at the time of the Flood and the days of Abraham. If we fail to contemplate their implications, they will not help us. And that is (one reason) why we read every year the same order of Torah portions: Beraishis, Noach, Lech Lecha and so on through the entire Five Books of the Torah, whose eternal strength – if we take it to heart – will straighten out our lives and save us week after week, day after day, minute after minute.

If we follow the implications of the lifestyle of Abraham we will also become a blessing to the world. Those who curse us will be cursed.

Do you think it’s easy? If it were easy, then everyone would do it!

My father, of Blessed Memory, used to say, “Don’t have a sheep mentality.”

“V’yagaid l’Abraham ha Ivri …. then came [Og] and told Abraham the Ivri…” (Genesis 14:13). This is where Abraham is first referred to as “ha Ivri … the Hebrew.” This term refers to Abraham as the descendant of Ever, “one of the few solitary individuals … who recognized G-d as the creator even when others were serving idols” (Rambam Hilchos Avoda Zarah 1:1). It also refers to the fact that Abraham came from “ever hanahar, the other side of the river (Euphrates)…” (Rashi to 39:14). Most importantly for our purposes, it implies that Abraham “stood [morally] on one bank (“ever”) of the river and the entire world was on the other side” (Midrash Rabbah), which is understood to mean that Abraham alone served G-d while the entire rest of the world practiced idolatry!

Do we understand what it means to stand against the entire world? It is difficult to stand against the abuse of one person, but the entire world? Last week I wrote about the United Nations declaration that the Children of Israel have no connection with the Temple Mount. I recalled that we are called “Am Levadad Yishkon … a nation that will dwell alone” (Numbers 23:9).

We stand alone in the entire world. Our only sustenance is the Master of the Universe. From our inception as a Nation this has been our role, and no person exemplifies that solitary nobility more than Abraham. His title, “haIvri,” emphasizes that he alone in the entire world recognized the Creator! What a cosmic sanctification of G-d’s Name!

Thousands of years later, in today’s world, our very lives depend on our willingness to put that sanctification into practice. It often seems that we are living in the era described as follows: 

“The son of David will come only in a generation that is either [entirely] virtuous or entirely guilty,” (Sanhedrin 98a) and, I must say, this generation does not seem “entirely virtuous.”

In order to save ourselves – and indeed the world, which depends on our blessing! – it behooves us to follow the way of our Father Abraham, to stand on one side of the river, even if we must stand against the entire world. That means to ignore and abhor the ways of those whose lives are drowning in falsehood and amorality! That means to follow our Father Abraham to a life of unity with the Ruler of the Universe!

“Ki mi Tzion taitzai Torah … For from Zion will come forth Torah and the word of G-d from Jerusalem! (Isaiah 2:3) 

May we see that pure and perfect world soon in our days!

© Copyright 2016 by Roy S. Neuberger

Immense Magnetic Power – THE MOST DESCRIPTIVE TO DATE

THE MOST DESCRIPTIVE TO DATE

It is truly uncanny how Benjamin describes certain things that are supposed to happen to Earth if and when Nibiru gets close enough. His knowledge of descriptions cannot be from experience as no one now lived during Noah's time (unless via gilgul).  It is obvious that this information comes from Shomayim. Some who have been watching and analyzing the upper atmosphere in our universe postulate about the components of this "system". They describe the immense electric pull on our Sun and planets. NASA has invented a sun shield, when viewed attempting to cover the Sun and Nibiru's accompanying orbs. It appears octagonal in shape which can be distinguished from our Round Sun. they are now having trouble covering what can now be seen by the naked eye. This shield also remits ‘light' to counter a distressed Sun. However, this shield cannot cover BOTH SUNS.


From Benjamin (absolute truth) –
"How do they know what is happening? They suddenly look in the sky, and pass out, when they see Nibiru, or whatever you want to call it. And it will give a 'bang' to the Earth. It will not hit the Earth, but it will pull on it and shake it with the strong force effects from the immense magnetic power of Nibiru."



The approach of the mysterious Planet Nibiru is at present sending waves of charged “plasmatic energy particles” through our solar system. The flow of energy will finally affect the “core flows” of the Earth and result in catastrophic changes in Earth’s climate. From Skywatch Media News. (Interview about what was as written in Science Magazine 1961).  Listen to this amazing interview describing Nibiru. (mid tape)

WATCH THIS TO THE END

THE MOST ALARMING AND DESCRIPTIVE TO DATE

PS: With the UN Takeover of the Internet it has been said ( i read elsewhere) that any information about Nibiru (blog, website, etc.) will be erased from the internet.

Sixth of Cheshvan – The Anniversary of the Rambam’s Historic Ascent to Har Habayit

MONDAY THE 6th OF CHESHVAN WAS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE RAMBAM’S VISIT TO JERUSALEM AND HIS ASCENT UP ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

In Cheshvan of 2015 the Temple Institute celebrated Maimonides. On each day of that week they featured articles about the Rambam describing the Rambam’s life and times, his visit to Israel and the Temple Mount, and the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence for G-d on the Temple Mount.. Below is the first of several interesting and informative articles, with links at end of this article to the other days’ articles. 

"From Moshe to Moshe there was none like Moshe."

"FROM MOSHE RABBENU, (OUR MASTER MOSES), WHO LED US OUT OF EGYPT AND RECEIVED TORAH AT MOUNT SINAI, TO RABBENU MOSHE BEN MAIMON, (OUR MASTER, MOSES THE SON OF MAIMON),THERE WAS NONE OTHER OF COMPARABLE GREATNESS." This is the meaning of the well known statement quoted above, which today can be found engraved upon the Rambam's tomb in the city of Tiberias, and such is the measure of esteem in which the Rambam is held in to this day.

DURING HIS OWN LIFETIME, MAIMONIDES was revered by his coreligionists all across the Jewish diaspora. The Rambam's philosophical works were of such universal importance that he was quoted on a number of occasions by the church theologian Thomas Aquinas in his written works. Aquinas referred to the Rambam as "Rabbi Moses."

A CONTEMPORARY AND FELLOW NATIVE OF CORDOBA, the Moslem philosopher, Averroes, shared with Maimonides a fascination with Aristotelian thought, and together, their writings introduced the followers of all three religions to the ancient Greek masters, thus laying the foundations for the European renaissance that would take shape in the ensuing centuries.

ALTHOUGH CONTROVERSIAL IN HIS DAY, the Rambam's great works of halacha, (Jewish law), the Mishneh Torah, and of philosophy, Moreh Nevuchim, (The Guide for the Perplexed), are considered unparalleled classics of Jewish thought.

BASED ON THE BODY OF WORK THAT HE PRODUCED, and the intellectual influence he exerted upon giants of Islamic and Christian thought, one could easily imagine that the Rambam lived during an idyllic era of peaceful coexistence and mutual appreciation between cultures and religions. One could imagine that the Rambam lived a cloistered and sedentary life, dedicated to study and composing. Neither of these misconceptions could be further from the truth. The twelfth century was a turbulent and violent time. The Rambam found himself constantly in the midst of turmoil and upheaval. He enjoyed neither tranquility nor prosperity. The Rambam produced his body of work and made his indelible mark on history, in spite of the inhospitable and deadly environment that he found himself in throughout the days of his life. Where did it all begin?

Cordoba, 1148

The Almohades, a fanatical Moslem dynasty inspired by and established by the North African Berber, Ibn Tumart, have gained control of the city. Under Moslem rule since its initial capture in 711 CE, Cordoba prospered under the relatively moderate rule of the Moslem caliphate. The city flourished, and at its height the Cordovan population may have reached half a million. The Moslem conquerers introduced ancient Greek philosophy, mathematics and science. Cordoba was a cultural center, housing a library that contained as many as 1,000,000 volumes. Cordoba was the capital of the Moslem emirate of al-Andalus, which covered the southern third of modern day Spain. Second class citizens, granted dhimmi status, Jews and Christians were heavily taxed and faced severe restrictions. They were not actively persecuted. This was all about to change. The conquering Almohades immediately granted all non-Moslems two choices, convert or die. The once noble city was in turmoil.

Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides, and reverently referred to by Jews as Rambam, (an acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), was thirteen years old when his mother and father, and his younger brother, along with many thousands of other Jews, fled Cordoba. Moshe ben Maimon was born on erev Pesach, (Passover eve), in 1135. As a child he was able to imbibe upon the cosmopolitan atmosphere and culture of Cordoba prior to the Almohade conquest. But whatever peace and quiet the Rambam had been blessed with as a boy growing up in Cordoba, he would never experience such tranquility again in his lifetime. Disguised as Moslems, the Rambam and his family escaped Cordoba, keeping on the move through southern Spain, eventually arriving in Fez, Morocco, which was also under the tyrannical control of the Almohades. The Rambam later described this time in his life: "[The Moslems] persecuted us severely, and passed baneful and discriminatory legislation against us... Never did a nation molest, degrade, debase, and hate us as much as they.”

Years later, the Rambam would again draw from his earlier experience, in writing his famous 1172 "Epistle to the Jews of Yemen." The Jews of Yemen, facing a renewed wave of persecution and forced conversion, appealed to the Rambam for instruction as to how to conduct themselves. In his epistle the Rambam immediately drew the parallel between his own experience of two decades earlier and what was currently taking place in Yemen: "You write that the rebel leader in Yemen decreed compulsory apostasy for the Jews by forcing the Jewish inhabitants of all the places he had subdued to desert the Jewish religion just as the Berbers had compelled them to do in Maghreb [North Africa]." In detailing the history of persecution against the Jews, Rambam referred to Mohammed as " ...the Madman who... added the further objective of procuring rule and submission."

Fez itself would eventually become the scene of massacre, as tens of thousands of Jews were slaughtered by the Almohades rulers. While residing in Fez, the Rambam was able to study at the prestigious University of Al-Karaouine. The institution was established in 859 and exists to this day. It was no doubt here, at Al-Karaouine, that Rambam absorbed much of his knowledge of philosophy, mathematics, and the natural sciences. It was in Fez, during these years that Rambam wrote his Commentary on the Mishnah.


In the year 1165, the situation for Jews living in Fez, constantly one of danger, took a turn for the worse. Rambam and his family decided to leave Fez after nearly two decades, and head toward the east. Their destination was the land of Israel. What awaited Rambam in 12th century Israel?



12th Century Israel: The Epicenter of Conflict


Rambam’s Journey to The Promised Land

Rambam's Personal Reflections on His Journey to Israel and the Temple Mount


Rambam’s Life in Egypt [plus two video of Jew ascending on the Rambam’s anniversary]

There Are Only Two Options

There are only two options.

Either the exile is ending or it is not. For millions of Jews it can’t be ending, at least as far as they are concerned, because it never started. Yes, the Jews may have once lived as a nation in Israel and were forced out. After that, they say, Jews went the way of all exiled nations, settling elsewhere and adopting the future of their gentile hosts.

Until No One Can Tell the Difference

No big deal, they think, as many don’t even consider themselves Jewish anymore. It takes a Hitler or the like, ysv”z, to teach them otherwise. In the meantime, for them, it’s all about assimilating until no one can tell the difference anymore.

Assimilation? Once upon a time it was a religious thing. In this era of political correctness however it has become a political goal as well. It’s no longer enough for some Jews to separate themselves completely from Judaism. They have to also completely disassociate themselves from Israel as well.

This “community” of Jews give themselves fancy and appealing names. They like to disguise their actions by making their causes sound heroic and universally acceptable. A self-hating Jew by any other cause, however, is still a self-hating Jew. The day may come when they will regret their actions, but in the meantime they are annoying and dangerous.

Many Might Not Want it to Be Over

The second group is different from the first, proudly Jewish and Israel-supporting. They too, however, do not believe the exile is over. They do believe it started and is ongoing, but not over. Many might not even want it to be over, entranced by the current status quo and desiring to preserve it.

This puts them on the defensive. The world around them does not like the status quo and very much wants to change it. This has come to mean, in today’s world, that Israel must go away, if not completely than at least politically. Since both options are unacceptable to this second group, they fight with all their political might to stop a tidal wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric and actions.

Their response is as useless as a person trying to stop a truck from rolling backwards down a steep incline. Political momentum is not in their favor. The intelligence level of the “enemy” works against them. If they persist with their current course of action, they will be more than disappointed. They will be run over and crushed, as they have been in the past.

[T]hose Who Believe this Fourth and Final Exile is Coming to an End

The third group of Jews are those who believe that this fourth and final exile is finally coming to an end. Some in this group base themselves on hope, some on intuition, and some on sources and historical realities. All however prepare for the “end” of this fourth and final exile in one way or another.

Some from this group live in the Diaspora, but the majority, I surmise, live in Eretz Yisroel. A person can have the luxury of believing the end of exile is approaching if they do not have to worry about running to another land for safety. It’s not that they believe they are 100 percent safe in Eretz Yisroel, just a lot safer. Being where they think God wants them to be at this stage of history, they trust He will protect them as well.

Of course, no one really knows what is truly going on in the world today or exactly how things will play out from this point. Many, however, have a difficult time accepting that the world can get much worse, crazier than it already is, and sense that something dramatic has to occur to change it. It’s the “what” that remains the big variable.

If the exile is truly at its end, and it should be after have a 2,000 year continuous run, then it’s good-bye stats quo. The logistics alone demand it. The mentality of Jew and gentile today insist on it.

Something Historical Has to Change

Something has to happen to help clarify who is really Jewish and who is not. Something historical has to change to make Jews in the Diaspora WANT to go home, and Jews in Israel to WANT to stay there. Not everything will have to go once Moshiach comes, but much of it will. The way of doing “business” in the past will no longer be the way of doing it in the future.

According to this third group of Jews, the upcoming American election is not only about choosing the lesser of two evils. It represents a historical threshold for the Jewish people in specific and the world in general. It is a statement about the intellectual and moral level of society, about the direction society is headed in the near future. We have known for some time that the Western world lost its moral compass. We’re finding out vis-a-vis this election just how missing it is.

Washington Was Once Called “Rome,”
With its Very own "Capitoline Hill and River Tiber"

This is why on one level it really doesn’t make a difference who gets into office. The end is the end. Perhaps who wins will make a difference as to the final approach to the end. Either way though, this fourth and final exile, the “Roman Exile” will come to a conclusion. (Washington, of course, was once called “Rome,” with its very own Capitoline Hill and River Tiber.)

Nevertheless, American citizens do “have to” vote. Unless you belong to the third group ]…] and have a very high level of trust and faith in God, living completely with reality of, “There is none other than God,” you have to vote. The only question is how to vote, and by “how,” I do not only mean “for whom.” […]

Bitachon and Emunah

It’s a very complicated situation. In fact, I would say today that because it is, it is one of bitachon and emunah more than other elections in the past. If it was a question of maintaining the status quo, Trump would seem the least risky, seemingly being the most pro-Israel and conservative (in some things at least). But it is not about maintaining a status quo.

Transitioning to the Messianic Era

It […] is about transitioning to the final stage of history, the Messianic Era, as peacefully as possible. Honestly, I don’t know who represents that path more, because it has more to do with what God has in mind than how mindless the two candidates seem to be.

My only suggestion is that voters, at least those who belong to [the third group], acknowledge this reality. This means praying to God for Divine help in making the Torah-right decision that will result in the greatest Tikun Olam—World Rectification.

Be as L’Shem Shamayim—altruistic—when casting your lot. Give yourself over to the will of God, and let Him decide the course of history in a positive way with your vote.

In part from Perceptions by Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlit”a

Strange Object in our Solar System and UPDATE of Photos

A Strange Object captured darting around in our Solar System

At Trump Rally the Green Planet can be seen in the sky above crowd (to right of arrow), link on photo and "zoom in” to view. I can see it on my desktop:

Photo series from New South Wales, Australia (about the Fresnel light apparatus):

Photo Bacalar, Mexico, Nov 5 of Green Planet

Concealing light system (far right hourglass shape) trying to hide the Sun (orange left), showing the Green Planet (right)

Concealing light system trying to hide the Sun, showing the Green and Red Planets (middle upper)

From the Netherlands –
This is a closeup of photo below pointing to objects in Nibiru System:

Parshas Noach

“YOU ARE BANDITS!”

By Roy S. Neuberger

Within the last few months, two great rabbis said exactly the same words to me: “Moshiach had better come soon, or else there will be no one around for him to come for.” Did they mean there will be no people around physically or spiritually? I am not going to speculate, but, whatever the meaning, these are frightening words!

This week we read about a Flood that destroyed the world. Eight people survived!

We should ponder this story deeply. The statistics are ominous, just as the words of the rabbis are ominous. I do not know what the world population was before the Flood, but we do know how many survived. The events described in this Parsha teach us that survival is based on moral stature. In other words, Hashem grants life based on our adherence to His laws.

The consequences of our actions are sometimes delayed so it appears that evil people prosper and good people suffer. “Because the sentence for wrongdoing is not executed quickly, that is why men are encouraged to do evil, because a sinner does what is wrong a hundred times and [G-d] is patient with him, yet nevertheless I am aware that it will be well with those who fear G-d …  and that it will not be well with the wicked and he will not long endure – like a shadow – because he does not fear G-d.” (Koheles 8:11-13).

In the end, our fortunes are completely dependent upon our behavior. Did we not just go through Chodesh Elul and Aseres Ymai Teshuva, during which we begged Hashem for a good year based on our efforts to improve ourselves? Moral stature determines our fate.

Mankind before the Mabul wrote its own death warrant. Chazal point to robbery as the principal cause. “[The] Generation of the Flood transgressed everything [that they were commanded], but the decree of their punishment was not sealed upon them until they stretched forth their hands in robbery.” (Sanhedrin 108a)

There is an organization called the United Nations, which purports to represent all nations of the world. I remember hearing that Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner zt”l referred to this organization as the place where the seventy wolves (the nations of the world), conspire on strategy as to how they can eat up the one lamb!

Recently the United Nations issued a report stating that there is no evidence linking the Children of Israel with the Temple Mount. There is a name for this, my friends. This is called “robbery.” The nations of the world are trying to figure out how to steal the Land from the Children of Israel. Thus we see the evil which caused the Flood once again becoming prevalent in the world. There is nothing new under the sun. “Ma’ase avos siman l’banim,” the actions of the fathers are signs for the children.

At the beginning of my book, 2020 Vision, I quote a Malbim (on Sefer Yechezkel 32:17), which predicts that, when the Children of Israel return to their Land at the end of history, the Children of Yishmael (the Arab Nations) and the Children of Esav (the Western Nations) will unite in a worldwide coalition to drive us out of Jerusalem. Is this not happening in our days?

Why are we surprised? Have we forgotten that these are our enemies from the days of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov? Since then, they have been plotting to steal our entire inheritance, to blot us out from the face of the earth. And nothing has changed.

Have we forgotten? The truth is … yes! We have forgotten!

The words of Bilaam ring throughout the centuries: “It is a nation that will dwell in solitude and not be reckoned among the nations.” (Bamidbar 23:9) We tell ourselves that things are different now, that Western culture is our friend and brother. We fool ourselves into thinking that our enemies are our friends, our jailers are our liberators, our torturers are our benefactors. Warped by the desire for Western-style “success,” we do not understand that we are drowning in the waters of destruction.

My friends, robbery today on a universal scale is sanctioned by institutions that supposedly have the force of law, but are in reality dens of thieves. King David speaks of such a world: “When the wicked bloom like grass and all the doers of iniquity blossom, it is to destroy them until eternity.” (Tehillim 92)

Did not Rashi predict almost one thousand years ago that this would come to pass at the end of history? He asked why, if the Torah is a book of laws, it begins with Creation. And he answers with these famous words, “If the nations of the world will say to Israel, ‘You are bandits, for you conquered the land of the seven nations [who inhabited the Land of Canaan,’ then Israel] will reply to them, ‘The whole earth belongs to the Ribono shel Olam. He created it and He gave [Eretz Yisroel] to the one found proper in His eyes.’”

Who was “found proper in His eyes?” We, the Children of Israel! (Rashi on Beraishis 1:1) As we just read, “This is the Land which I swore to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’” (Dvarim 34:4)

Those who plan robbery on a universal scale should understand the consequences of their actions. In the days of Noach, the waters inundated the entire world, from which only eight people emerged alive.

How shall we survive? The answer is clear, my friends. As in the days of Noach, those who listen to the Master of the Universe will survive. “For behold Your enemies, Oh Hashem, for behold, Your enemies will perish. Dispersed will be the doers of iniquity, [but] a righteous man will flourish like a date palm, like a cedar in the Lebanon, he will grow tall. Planted in the House of Hashem, in the courtyards of our G-d they will flourish … to declare that Hashem is just, my Rock in Whom there is no wrong.” (Tehillim 92)

Roy Neuberger, author and public speaker, can be reached at roy@2020vision.co.il.

© Copyright 2016 by Roy S. Neuberger

"This is the most serious situation of all"

THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE LATEST LETTER FROM BENJAMIN POSTED ON THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH BLOG. THE WARNINGS ARE REAL AND RELEVANT, FOR ALL TO TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. PLEASE VISIT MENACHEM’S BLOG AND READ THE ENTIRE LETTER [link follows the quotations]: 


"This is the most serious situation of all. This star (Nibiru) will not take long to arrive, and it will be causing very difficult situations around the world

"This star is the messenger from Hashem. And this star along with five to seven planets circling it is a solar system within our solar system. And it is very, very dangerous.

"( . . . Benjamin is alluding to the fact that Hashem used the same star and its accompanying heavenly bodies at the time of the flood. He is not sure exactly what type of configuration was used or will be used now but that is was the same system. Hashem is consistant and is obviously doing things the same way now.)

We stand in the very near future, 
in a position similar to the Exodus

"It will end when the separation between good and evil occurs, and evil will disappear, along with the evil ones. Hashem will take it and turn it into something positive. 

"There will be a total fall of world economy. There will be a global crisis and people will start to panic in the world, except for the wicked who have built bunkers in which to hide. But will not help them, not help them at all, it will just help them temporarily, but in the end Hashem will finish them, as he finished the generation of the flood, and the generation of Nimrod . . .

it was not like what is going to be!  

That [it] is going to be something that has never been in human history since the first man! 

 "And those with God will not feel it. While some I fear will, but nothing even close to how the evil ones will feel it; how the Amalekites will feel it and the rabble will feel it - before they all disappear forever. “ [end of quotation of Benjamin from AbsoluteTruth]

The following six photos are most likely the other moons/planets traveling in Nibiru’s solar system. 

We are seeing now the other orbs in the system, and as they get larger and larger, it means Nibiru is close to its appearance. It was also described that when Nibiru finally makes its appearance it will be suddenly and frightenly so.

Nibiru is described as a fiery Star, the Star of Yaakov, more likely similar to the fiery object (below) with wings (of debris). 

Could this be Nibiru? 
(with tails of damaging debris)

THIS IS NIBIRU ON ITS CIRCUIT 
getting closer every (about) 100 days

You can see how Nibiru twists and turns in its orbit pathway.
compare movement captured in both photos.

Nibiru in an Inbound circuit 
(you can nearly see four offshoots reminding of the “Jacks” 
described by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero in ShiratDevorah here)

Estimable diagram of Nibiru (purple)
in its path around its moon as it makes
its path around our Sun (at its closest
circuits, approximating every 100 days,
there were huge earthquakes on earth)

Big Green planet/moon of the Nibiru system.

The photos and description are by some who have been watching and following sightings in our Atmosphere. They are doing a tremendous job, but of course it is limited by the Creator of all that exists and doesn’t exist in our world, and HE alone guides and propels, as is contained in Benjamin’s Letter above. We will only know Nibiru when it arrives.

"Steve Olson is a researcher, cyber security expert, retired USAF and held a Top Security SBI/SCI Clearance. Mr. Olson brings a blockbuster amount of evidence, pointing to the very real possibility a secondary solar system is on a path that will come close to our own planet, possibly causing cataclysms at a mass scale. Almost two dozen photographs taken from multiple cameras and sources from around the world with the best evidence to date of the infamous Nibiru, Wormwood, Nemesis, Planet X aka Winged Destroyer."

The Raven and the Dove: A “Real-World” Perspective of Parshas Noah

The Raven and the Dove: A “Real-World” Perspective of Parshas Noah

INTRODUCTION


In the aftermath of the flood, as the waters receded, Noah lifted off the cover of the ark and sent out a raven, which flew in circles (or to and from the ark) until the earth was dry. He subsequently sent a dove to see if the waters had receded – which is odd, since the raven had already stayed that long… or had it? The dove, oddly, could not find a resting place and returned; 7 days later he sent the dove out and she came back at the end of the day with an olive branch in her mouth; 7 days later, he sent the dove out and it never returned.

Bereshis 8:6-14

And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 And he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8 And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth; and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark. 10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again unto him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dried. 14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.


THE MISSIONS: SEQUENCE AND PURPOSE

Scholars, medieval and modern, traditional and “otherwise” have puzzled over this sequence for centuries. The three “missions” of the dove seem to be unusual – after all, if the land was already visible well before Noah sent out the dove the first time, why did it not find any rest? And why did it return after its second voyage – but with an olive branch – and why specifically a branch of an olive tree? And if it was able to gain access to such trees, why did it come back at all – after all, when it was sent the third time and evidently found the water yet lower, it didn’t return.

One parenthetic note about the sequencing problem as it relates to v. 7; it is possible that Noah sent out the raven and he kept circling; while the raven was circling, he began the dove-dispatches, such that the phrase ‘ad y’voshet hamayim me’al ha’aretz (until the waters dried up from the land) may not have happened before the dove was sent. Thus the seeming contradiction between v. 7 and v. 11 is reconciled.

I’d like to put these questions aside for the meanwhile and look at the un- feted bird of Noah’s ark – the raven. What was the purpose of Noah’s sending it out and what could it accomplish that the dove couldn’t do – and vice- versa? What did Noah learn from the raven’s return and why did that cause him to send out the meeker dove?

The history of interpretation of this conundrum is not overly rich; there has always been such a focus on so many other “major” components of the immediate postdiluvian world (the offering, the covenant of the rainbow, the renewed moral code etc.) that the birds in general – and the raven in particular – have been generally overlooked.

Among the moderns, there are some who, predictably, argue for two traditions and see the two birds as two versions of the same; others, going as far back as Philo of Alexandria, have argued that the birds are purely symbolic; the raven representing vice (and, in his version, never returning as it is comfortable in the destroyed world) while the dove represents virtue (hence must return as it cannot bear to live among the remnants of such havoc). (Questions and Answers on Genesis II; 35-39)

A suggestion was recently made that Noah, by sending out the raven, hovering “to and fro” over the water, was reenacting God’s “spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis 1:2. (Moberly, Why Did Noah Send Out A Raven? Vetus Testamentum 50, 3 2000 pp. 345-356)


REEXAMINING THE EVIDENCE – AND ASKING THE “RIGHT” QUESTION

The key to understanding this narrative twist lies in assessing, as best as we can, Noah’s considerations and intentions at this point in the voyage.

First of all, the rain had stopped, which meant that, sooner or later, the earth would be able to begin absorbing the waters and allowing the water level to recede. The ark came to rest when the water receded to the level of the high mountains, thus giving some ground (perhaps still underwater) for the ark to rest. This is detailed in chapter 8:1-4; in v. 5, approximately 70 days pass and the mountain tops are now visible as the waters continue to recede. It is only at that point or sometime later (the reference point of “40 days” in v. 6 is unclear – is it 40 days after the rains ended? 40 days after the mountain tops were visible? 40 days after the ark came to rest?) that Noah opens the window/cover of the ark and sends out the raven, followed by the dove.

What was Noah trying to ascertain by sending out the raven?

Noah had to wonder what life remained – if any – underneath all of that water; on a more immediate level, he wanted to find out how low the water level was at this point.

Noah remembered the beginning of the flood – it wasn’t that long ago. When the torrential rains came and springs opened up, people’s natural instinct would have been to try to survive. Where do people go when there is a flood – regardless if the flood is the result of an over-swelled river or a torrential downpour? They seek higher ground. The upper ground, as high an area as could sustain animal and/or human life, would have been filled with all sorts of mammals for the raven to feast on. Noah was trying to find out if the water level had gone so low as to allow for a habitable place, at which point he could (at least) let the predatory mammals out of the ark, knowing that they would have access to plenty of sustenance. Keep in mind that Noah could not see how far the water had receded from his vantage point – all he saw was the very mountain tops as his ark was grounded at Ararat – so the raven’s behavior would serve him well as an indicator of how low the water had gone down.

The raven continued to circle until “the waters were dried from the land” – meaning, the land that he was sent to explore. When the raven stopped circling and, presumably, disappeared from view, Noah could safely assume that habitable areas were now exposed and not water-logged. However, that would not help the great herbivore population on the ark – nor would it help the humans who were only permitted meat after leaving the ark.

His next step was to send out a dove, who would not be able to rest until it found a tree with branches appropriate for resting – in other words, the tree-line for nesting trees (which are typically low) would be visible. Since the dove could not find any rest, Noah understood that the broad world of vegetation, needed by so much of his mammalian cargo, was not yet accessible.

He then sent the dove a second time, and it returned that same day (at evening) with an olive branch in its mouth. This was quite informative, as Noah now knew several critical things that would help him in assessing how to restart life on earth. He knew that low trees (an olive tree, while it can grow in mountainous areas, is typically under 50 feet tall) were now visible and that they hadn’t been destroyed by the flood – a most vital piece of data. Secondly, he now knew that that level was visible – but he also understood something else. If the dove returned to him so quickly – or at all – it meant that the dove could not find a proper place to nest. Why couldn’t the dove nest on that olive tree? Simply put – birds build nests from twigs on the ground. The final test of human an herbivorous mammal viability would be to see if the ground was exposed and dry – dry enough that twigs could be used to make a nest.

One week later, Noah got his answer – the dove went out for a third time and evidently was able to build a nest, as she never returned. At that point, Noah was ready to open up the ark, as all of the cargo – human and “animal” – now had access to habitable areas and vegetation.


AFTERWORD

It is vital to view the narrative from a “real-world” perspective, remembering that the characters only know what they know and that the various questions posed, observations made and tests passed (or not) may be designed to further the actor’s grasp of the situation. We find ourselves at the disadvantage of having read the story so many times that, in this instance (for example) we already know that the earth is completely dry (well, at least by the end of the narrative). We have to sensitize ourselves to the reality that Noah doesn’t know that – to anticipate the questions in his mind and view his actions in that light – as intelligent and thoughtful attempts to give him the information necessary to move forward.

Text Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom and Torah.org. The author is Educational Coordinator of the Jewish Studies Institute of the Yeshiva of Los Angeles.

The picture is a copy of an etching by Marc Chagall taken from the web