Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A Star Goes Forth from Yaakov (Zohar, Parshas Balak)

Zohar III Balak 212b

"I will show you, but not for now", for these things will only come to be at that time, some after time and some in the days of Moshiach. "A star has gone forth from Yaakov..." (Numbers 24:17). This teaches us that in the future, The Holy One, Blessed is He, will build Jerusalem and one star will spark within 70 pillars of fire and 70 sparks will receive light from it in the middle of the sky. The other 70 stars will be swallowed within it. It will give off light and blaze for 70 days.

At the end of the sixth day it will become visible at the beginning of the 25th day of the sixth month. It will be gathered in at the end of 70 complete days and be visible in the city of Rome, and on that day, three great walls will fall, a great hall will fall, and the power of that city will die.

...Then this star will emanate to be seen in the world. This will cause a great war to occur at that time in all four directions, and there will be no faith amongst them. In the middle of the world, once this star begins to shine in the middle of the sky, a great king will arise and take control of the world, and act arrogantly over all the kings. A war will begin on two sides and he will overcome them.

On the day that the star is gathered, the Holy Land will shake for 45 miles from all around until the place of the Temple. An underground cave will become revealed, and from that cave will go out a fire that will burn the world. From that cave a great and elevated branch will sprout and it will control the world. To him the kingship will be given. The holy and elevated ones will gather around him, and then Moshiach will be revealed in the world, and to him will go the kingship.

The world, at the time that Moshiach will be revealed, will have been experiencing trouble after trouble, and the enemies of Israel will have been prevailing. Then, the spirit of Moshiach will be aroused against them, and the evil Edom will be destroyed. The entire land of Seir will be destroyed by fire. Regarding that time, it says, "And Israel will attain success" (Numbers 24:1), and, "Edom shall be a conquest and Seir shall be the conquest of his enemies." The enemies of Israel, and then Israel, will attain success.

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

17 Tammuz: Punishment or Love?

Externally, the fast day of 17 Tammuz is a matter of punishment. But the inner aspect of the fast -- which is the aspect of the fast that will be revealed when Moshiach comes -- is a day of joy and happiness and a festive time. Which means that it is not an instance of punishment which brings about the geulah, but rather that the fast itself is at its inner core a matter of joy and happiness. This reveals that even the aspect of punishment associated with the day comes from the Almighty's love for Jews, as expressed in the analogy of "a great and awesome king who himself in all his glory washes the filth from his only son due to his great love for him," as stated in the posuk "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion" (Yeshayahu 4:4).

Likutei Sichos 18:313 (free translation)

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Monday, July 14, 2008

12-13 Tammuz: Transforming Spiritual Enemies

"Hashem, be with me among those who help me, and I will see [vengence] in those who hate me." (Tehillim 118:7)

This verse suggests that there are those who help, and the request is that Hashem should be among them. And why does he request to see vengeance? Shouldn't he request that the enemies and haters be transformed into those who love him?

"Those who help me" refers to the nitzutzos (sparks) that have been refined, which are a man's true helpers (according to the known explanation that "not on bread alone does man live, but from all that comes from Hashem's mouth" [Ekev 8:3], that from refining the nitzutzos in mineral, vegetable, and animal he receives additinoal energy in his divine service, that the nitzutzos help and assist him).

So the explanation "Hashem should be among those who help me" is that this refers to the nitzutzos that have been refined ("those who help me"), that the refinement is from below to above, and then drawn down in them is a revelation of the name YKVK which is above the order of Creation (seder hishtalshelus). The combination of these two things comes from YKVK, the essential name (shem ha'etzem).

This also explains "I will see [vengeance] in those who hate me", that those who hate Dovid also hate Hashem, but there is no need to push them away completely, but rather to refine the nitzutzos within them. And by bringing out the nitzutzos from them, the evil is thus nullified. In this way we come to see G-dliness, "I will see in those who hate me", seeing G-dliness with our physical senses, even in worldly things.

As happened with my father-in-law, the Rebbe, that even the opposition -- despite that they remained in their reality -- they were forced (by the nitzutzos within them) to act according to the Divine intent, and there was a revelation of G-dliness (above nature) perceptable in nature.

Chassidic Discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 12 Tammuz, 5717

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