What About Iran?

I have had several requests asking my opinion and also what scriptures say about Iran.  Even though I generally don’t do opinion, there is one aspect of Iran that I am very opinionated about.  Does Iran have the bomb?

 

The news is all lies.  Don’t believe what comes from any source as to the status of the Iranian nuclear program. Iran under the Shaw got into the nuclear business in the 1950's.  With the help of its friend, the US of A, it started an aggressive program.  It accelerated in 1986 (for the purpose of weapons) under the previous president, Rafsanjani, and in the early 1990's Iran purchased completed nuclear systems from the then defunct Soviet Union and from China.  In the 1990's there were an estimated 15,000 advisers from Russia in Iran helping them set up their nuclear program.  They have been testing missiles, delivery systems, for decades.  I used to be in the missile development business.  You can only design a missile after you have the ordinance package (nuclear bomb) already determined.  After all, you design a missile to carry a designated weight to a designated target with a designated arming capability.  Having a missile without your bomb already designed is useless.  A nuclear bomb is not so difficult to design -- I know how (don't tell anyone).  Let's go one step further.  Iran has nuclear submarines.  Where they purchased to deliver a bomb they don't have yet?  How did Iraq (before Israel knocked out and saved the world), Pakistan, India, Korea, etc, etc, etc get nuclear capability and Iran couldn't?  In the news recently I saw that Korea actually is performing nuclear testing for Iran and even disclosed how much Iran is paying for the effort.  Iran arranged for Syria's nuclear capability before Israel knocked it out.  Now comes the best part of the story.  Iran has already tried a nuclear attack on Israel, twice.  In September of 2008 with an immense dirty bomb and again in 2010 with who knows what?  Do you remember seeing all the details in the Jew-hating news?  No way!!!  The news is only interested in condemning Israel when they defend themselves.  That sells more media time.  Never, never would Devine intervention ever be printed in the media.  In both attempted attacks, an act of Hashem curtailed the attacks.  Details are too extensive to go into here but both attempts would have started WW3.  We know in Israel exactly Who protects us and watches over us.  Israel is the safest place in the world.  All wars fought by Israel, 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2006, 2012 (maybe) and internal intifada wars have all been miraculous, even impossible.  The Israeli IDF would love to take credit for these victories, but I have known many who fought in these wars who will tell you what really happened.  Don't believe the news.

So, what does the future hold in store?  Now I put on my other hat (actually the yarmulke never comes off except the shower and the mikvah) since there are very interesting messages from scriptures and commentary.  The Talmud (Yoma 10), for example, talks of the battle in the end of days between Edom (led by the US) and Paras (Iran).  The bottom line of the discussion says that Edom will attack Persia and win the war.

 

YALKUT SHIMONI (usually referred to as "the Yalkut" of Simeon of Frankfurt) the best known and most comprehensive midrashic anthology, covering the whole Bible.  Written over many years about 1000 years ago.  This Yalkut says:

Yalkut Shimoni Yishayahu Remez 499 - "Rabbi Yitzchak said: The year that the Messiah will be revealed, all the kings (leaders) of the nations will be struggling against each other.  The leader of Persia (Iran) will contest with the leader of Arabia, and the leader of Arabia will go to Edom (US) to get council from them (this has already occurred).  The leader of Persia will respond and destroy the entire world.  All the nations of the world will be trembling and shaking and falling on their faces.  They will be seized by pains like labor pains.

The Jewish people will be trembling and quaking and saying: "Where can we go?  Where can we go?"  And Hashem will say to them: My children, do not fear!  Everything I did, I did only for you!  Why are you frightened?  Don't be afraid--the days of your redemption have arrived!"

A very interesting concept to know about prophecy is that if it is a positive decree, it will happen.  If it is negative, involving great death and destruction, it can be curtailed by us simply doing the voluntary will of Hashem.  The two attempted attacks on Israel in 2008 and 2010 (mentioned above) were curtailed by the efforts of certain Rabbis in Israel (another long story).

Both sources above talk about Edom at war with Iran and never mention Israel’s involvement.  I do believe that there will be a conflict but it will not be Israel attacking Iran.  Of course, those clever Israelis have already attacked Iran using cybernetics.  The Stuxnet computer virus supposedly developed by Israel with US involvement has already provided chaos to the Iranian nuclear program and other Iranian industrial efforts.  

 

There is an interesting Op Ed on Arutz 7 discussing the trust that one can have in Obama.  Obama goes back and forth on the issue of Iran making it look like he doesn’t have a clue as to what he should do.  I think Hashem has hardened the heart of Pharaoh and making him do His will.  Here is the article:

 

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11541#.T5U1p9mmEg8

 

An interesting thing about the Israeli leadership is they don’t know to turn to Hashem for help.  Throughout history, Israel has asked nations, who they thought were friends, to assist in domestic problems.  A little known fact is that 2000 years ago when there was much conflict amongst different factions within Israel, we invited the Romans to help settle the situation.  What, we invited the Romans who proceeded to kill us and exile us?  I rest my case.  Take the Oslo Accords as a modern day example (please take Oslo).  The most one sided agreement between Israel and terrorist organizations, had to be the most foolhardy, ridiculous arrangement for Israel to get into.  Yet, with the help of our dear friend America, we have lost thousands of Israelis to the Oslo war that pursued.

 

I saw today that:

White House closes Israeli option on Iran
By agreeing to 'peaceful enrichment' of uranium by ayatollahs, the White House
allows Iran a whole host of nuclear activities:
- to keep upgrading its centrifuges well beyond the capacity needed for nuclear
reactors,
- to break the commitment to buy uranium rods in Russia, exchanging them for the
depleted rods; now Iran can produce its own rods,
- to build any number of reactors despite them being economically non-viable in
an oil-rich country,
- to keep the spent rods from all the reactors, providing a stock of plutonium.

After the US signs such agreement with Iran and starts lifting the sanctions,
Israel won't be able to attack Iran, as such actions would lack international
legitimacy. Strictly speaking, to carry out such attack in the absence of
international sanctions, we would need a simple leader like Menahem Begin or
Levi Eshkol, while all we get now are facebook-savvy bunch in the government.

 

Another indication that I noticed is that the US seems to be setting up another False Flag operation.  A False Flag operation is where a country wishes to provoke a war with another country and does so by attacking itself and blaming the other country.  This would take allot of explanation, but every major war that has occurred in the past 100 years has been a False Flag.  Just a few examples.  The US was totally aware that the Japanese were approaching Pearl Harbor.  The US moved out some of its best ships and move in its worst.  The White House never notified Pearl Harbor command and the rest is history.  The US wanted to get into the war and that False Flag did it.  The Gulf of Tonkin Incident or the USS Maddox Incident was a False Flag operation where the US claimed to have been fired on by the North Vietnamese.  It was the False Flag that got us into the ten year conflict with Viet Nam even though the attack on the US never occurred.  911 was a False Flag Operation that is the most controversial of them all.  It was even called the new Pearl Harbor.  It got us into a war with Iraq and Afghanistan even though neither country had anything to do with 911.  Why do all these False Flag Operations occur?  War is a big money maker.  The bankers and the big industrialists make a fortune selling bullets, tanks, planes, ships, etc.  Viet Nam served no purpose at all but made allot of money for the already rich and greedy (and may I add evil) %*#@% (I’m sorry I couldn’t think of a word to call them especially after talking so much about positive speech).  The staggering number of deaths caused by these wars is mind boggling; yet, the perpetrators couldn’t care less about the horror -- after all, they made allot of money.  Why am I bringing it up now?  I saw recently that the US was moving into the Gulf region, around the Straits of Hormuz (to where we have seen many scriptural references), the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier.  This particular carrier is the oldest ship in the US fleet and is due to be mothballed in the near future.  Is this setting up a False Flag as an excuse to attack Iran?  I believe that the Pentagon had that in mind but recent disclosure of the possibility may change the plans.  Something else, that should make the US leery of such a possibility.  There are terrorist sleeper cells all over the world even with nuclear capability that are ready to carry out their plan to make the entire world Islamic.  I believe that Iran is the go-ahead source.    

 

It is really cute what is happening.  Whatever assessment I could give as to what the truth is – whatever guess I would make, I just need to wait until tomorrow and it will change.  What is really happening?  Why are Obama and many world leaders playing such games with Israel and the future of the world?

 

Hashem is running the show.  We are told that when all the Jews of the world do repentance, the Messiah will be announced.  One would say that that is impossible to get all the Jews to just turn to Hashem.  But the plan is that when the world gets so frightening because of war, terrorist activity and even natural disasters, everyone will look up and say “help.”  I believe that a day is coming that people will realize that Obama isn’t the solution, Netanyahu isn’t helping – only the Master of the Universe can help, and He will.  If Iran gets destroyed, it will probably come from earthquakes, measure-for-measure.  I believe that  Ahmadinejad is the reincarnation of Haman and that, in the same way that Haman tried to do away with the Jews and met his doom, ol’ Mahmoud will also discover a hell of an eternity.

 

In my final analysis of the situation I can give you a definite maybe about nothing (I sound like the news media where the experts agree with each other on nothing).  I was thinking of changing the name of this blog, just for this one post, to The Absolute Speculation.  Tomorrow back to The Absolute Truth.

 

Hashem works in mysterious ways and I totally trust that He will take care of His faithful followers.  Those who turn to Hashem are protected and have nothing to worry about.  I am not at all worried; because, one thing I know for sure is that this all will have a happy ending.  I know – I read the book.

 

Leaving Egypt

The Torah uses the expression 50 times “leaving Egypt” in one form or another.  What is so important about us going out of Egypt that it has to be repeated so many times?  I’m glad you asked or this post would have been very short.  As with everything else, the Torah always is conveying a deeper message.  Usually the “handbook of life” is teaching us an important concept about our lives and this is exactly what we have here.

Egypt was a place that was strictly a physical existence.  As slaves, we were completely dependent on the Egyptians for our food, shelter, clothing, etc.  We had virtually no spirituality until we left and traveled into the desert, received the Torah and continued to the land of Canaan.  Life is the same way we are born completely physical beings; but the Torah is telling us and guiding us as to how to make the trip through life.  Our lives are a trip from the physical to the spiritual – leaving Egypt and going to the Holy Land.

When we are born everything centers on meeting our physical needs.  I am hungry – feed me.  I am tired – let me sleep.  I am wet – there needs to be some changes made around here.  Clothe me, house me, entertain me, love me, etc me.  Then we start to grow and learn.  We get the Torah early in life, just like Mount Sinai, we start to learn about Hashem, and we spend forty years, not in the desert, per se, but progressing through life’s challenges.  All along the way going from a physical, trying to get closer to Hashem and becoming much more spiritual as we approach 120 years old (we expect to be as old as Moses when we change addresses).

Next month, I will be celebrating the 29^th anniversary of my 39^th birthday (just past middle age according to the last paragraph).  I can tell you without reservation that my physical needs have greatly diminished over the course of my life.  I eat much, much less than I used to.  I sleep about 4 or 5 hours a night (being retired, YEAY!, affords me time for naps during the day but usually not more than an hour at a time – maybe twice a day).  I go to bed around 10PM and get up about 2 AM to work on this blog (it takes me about 3 to 4 hours to compose the daily post – I hope you appreciate my sacrifice) then I go to Morning Prayer services.  I remember when I wasn’t happy unless I got about 10 hours a night sleep and I still wanted to nap during the day.  My desire to study Torah has increased as my great desire to come closer to Hashem.  I have experienced this trip from Egypt to the Holy land especially since I just happen to live in the Holy Land.

But what is the significance of 50 times in the Torah.  50 is a very significant number in Judaism.  At this time of year we count the Omer - 49 days from the second night of Pesach until Shavuot, the 50th day which is the day that we received the Torah.  The Israelites were at the 49^th levels of Spiritual Impurity which was just above the lowest level, the 50^th.  So, even their trip had the significance of coming out of such a low spiritual level and making the trip towards the Spiritual Purity.  Moses achieved the 49^th level of bina, intellectual insights, out of a possible total of 50 such levels.  The reason that Moses never reached the 50^th and ultimate level of bina was that the achievement must parallel the effort expended on achieving the goal in question.  Had the Israelites descended to the 50^th level of impurity, the effort at gaining the final level of insight would have been possible.

I forgot to mention, when I talked about reincarnation, that our present generation which is here to greet the Messiah, is the generation that was at Mount Sinai.  The Jews of today (and even the lost tribes that are returning to Israel) are all reincarnated to experience the redemption.  I think I remember seeing you there.

Back to the subject.  There are other 50’s such as the Jubilee celebration that occurred every 50 years when we had the Temple.  The Jubilee cycle will resume with the coming of the third Temple.

One can see the tremendous significance to the number 50 in leaving Egypt and going to Israel – leaving the physical and going to the spiritual.

Does this mean that Hashem doesn’t want us to be materialistic in life?  What about the American Dream:  cars, a mansion, maybe a yacht, vacations, drugs, alcohol, corruption, greed, higher suicide rate, splintered family relationships, looking over your shoulder often, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc (oh, I’m sorry I think I added some extra, very realistic, commodities to the American Dream).  Hashem wants us to be comfortable and have the necessities of life.  But, what does a two million dollar home give me that a 500,000 dollar home doesn’t?  The answer is much less spirituality and more waste.  There are so many people in this world that are hungry and without the necessities of life.  Wouldn’t the extra 1 and ½ million be better spent on helping people?  If our job in life is correcting ourselves by following the will of Hashem, it seems very counter-productive to waste the opportunity to achieve a tremendous eternity in exchange for opulence during a very short time on earth.  Remember the space between my fingers with which I started this blog – that’s how long life is, outside the fingers is the real life called eternity.  The mansion and vacations are starting to look like a hell of an idea.  They could provide you with a hot spot for travel after you leave Earth.  Go for the Jewish Dream instead, happiness, loving family, much happier children, a better education system, dear friends who help each other, great neighbors, peace of mind, good food, nice clothes including a prayer shawl (tallit) with fringe benefits, two kitchen sinks, no boredom, great future and, the best of all, a relationship with the Owner of the universe (now you are truly a VIP).  Oh, I forgot etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc and, one more, ETC.   

       

Enjoy your journey through life.  May you be both physically and spiritually comfortable and realize which one truly is the greater comfort.  

Prophecy Being Fulfilled

I have mentioned that being in the end of days (the end of history before the Messiah is announced) means that we know that all prophecies have either been fulfilled or in the process of being fulfilled.  I have had a few messages sent to me as comments on this blog or private Email verifying a very profound prophecy that is happening now.  It is found in the last of the prophets, Malachi.  It is spooky when the prophet tells us what we will complain about in the end of days and then getting messages from my readers with that exact complaint.  What a coincidence.  Let me state the verses from Malachi Chapter 3 -- my commentary on the meaning of each verse is in brackets.  What you have voiced as a concern in alluded to in my commentary.  

 

13. "Still harder did your words strike Me," says the L-rd, but you say, "What have we spoken against You?" [Hashem is stating that we are complaining]

14. You have said, "It is futile to serve G-d, and what profit do we get for keeping His charge and for going about in anxious worry because of the L-rd of Hosts?" [why should we serve Hashem and keep the commandments?]

15. And now we praise the bold transgressors. Yea, those who work wickedness are built up. Yea, they tempt G-d, and they have, nevertheless, escaped. [especially when we see the wicked people going against Hashem, thriving and getting away with it]

16. Then the G-d-fearing men spoke to one another, and the L-rd hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the L-rd and for those who valued His name highly. [Hashem is totally aware of the complaint of the righteous people who are trying to do His will.  This is so much happening now – kvetch, kvetch, kvetch]

17. And they shall be Mine, says the L-rd of Hosts, for that day when I make a treasure. And I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. [we are receiving the final, difficult testing before the end.  But the time of Hashem helping us and ending the our difficulties is here]

18. And you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves G-d and him who has not served Him. [for Hashem is noting that even though it looks very unfair, who amongst us will still have faith and trust in Him and still will continue to serve Hashem.  He truly knows His faithful followers and will take care of them]

19. For lo, the sun comes, glowing like a furnace, and all the audacious sinners and all the perpetrators of wickedness will be stubble. And the sun that comes shall burn them up so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, says the L-rd of Hosts. [when the test is over in the near future, justice will prevail and the situation will completely reverse.  Those who defied Hashem will be destroyed before our very eyes (I’m talking to you good people who follow Hashem).]

20. And the sun of mercy shall rise with healing in its wings for you who fear My Name. Then will you go forth and be fat as fatted calves. [then all the righteous will thrive and be in want of nothing]

21. And you shall crush the wicked, for they will be as ash under the soles of your feet on the day that I will prepare, says the L-rd of Hosts. [the wicked with be like dust under our feet instead of the present situation that the wicked are subjugating the righteous – it will be our turn]

22. Keep in remembrance the teaching of Moses, My servant-the laws and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. [we are being told not to waver from the commandments]

23. Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, [the Messiah will be introduced by Elijah the prophet before the “too late date”]

24. that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers-lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction. [all will be corrected and great for the righteous but there will be (or should we say that there is now) great upheaval on the Earth that will be dangerous to the evil ones]

 

A fascinating yet not so obvious phenomenon that is happening these days is that the sun is with much higher activity that is causing increased radiation levels on Earth.  It says in scriptures that in the end of days Hashem will unsheathe the sun to cause such a phenomenon.  But, the effect to the people on Earth is that some people will suffer from this while others will receive benefit and increased energy levels (that is already happening today).  The attention that is being paid to the Mayan prophecy comes to mind.  The Mayans said that at the end of their calendar, 21 December 2012, the Earth will be in direct alignment with the center of the Milky Way galaxy causing maximum energy levels to be experienced on Earth.  The Mayans mention that this will have an effect on the people on Earth (in the same way that scriptures predict).  Measure-for-measure the wicked will suffer greatly and be destroyed and the righteous will survive and even thrive.  Concepts to be gleaned from scriptures are that at the end of history as we know it:  the testing will be finished, war and suffering will end, sickness will be no more and even death will be no more.  The energy level increase will have the effect of healing the sick and actually changing our ability to avoid death.  We have already seen an example of this on Earth.  Before the great flood that happened in the year 1656 (2104 BCE), we are told that the Earth was not on the axis we experience today but was perpendicular to the direction of the sun.  This means there were no seasons since the sun was always over the equator.  Seasons came about after the flood.  Since all the people of the Earth lived in the central region not too far off of the equator, the sun’s high energy level was experienced by everyone.  That is why they lived 8 and 9 hundred years and never got sick.  People died when a sneeze would occur (which is why to this day we say “bless you” since we sneeze and live to talk about it).  There was no aging process until Abraham requested it about 350 years later.  Abraham complained to Hashem that he and his son Isaac looked the same age.  People couldn’t tell who the father was and who the son was.  Hashem obliged.  And, gray hair and wrinkles (and some other things) came to be.  Adam who lived 930 years probably looked like a man of 20 or 30.  After we have the redemption and the Messiah is introduced, these things will return along with the resurrection of the dead.  We don’t know how immediately this will occur, but it will occur.  We are told that the miracles in the end of days will be greater than when we left Egypt.  When we see scientific phenomenon that could bring it about, we get a very confident feeling about the prophecies in scriptures.  More so, we should feel that Hashem’s instructions of our obligations to ourselves and loved ones should not be taken lightly.  I have been saying all along it is our future and our eternal happiness that is at issue here.  Don’t gamble – the evidence is so overwhelming.  At one time I used to present the idea of an observant life style to individuals or audiences and tell them to check it out and decide if this is for you.  Now I tell people we have no choice.  It is “do or die” (and die means with much suffering forever and ever).  I don’t see the idea of following the ways of Hashem as a choice anymore but as a staunch requirement for survival.  

 

I have many more subjects to talk about which will provide very substantial proof of the absolute truth and what it means to us.  I hope with the help of Hashem to continue until the “too late date” that I keep advertising.  After that my message is done – it’s too late.

 

I am very, very pleased with the comments and Emails that I am receiving.  I am obviously talking to very intelligent people (the ignorant ones would stay away for the same reason they are behaving improperly).  It’s ironic that the people who would need this information the most are the ones who wish to ignore the truth.  May Hashem help them!  My love is for everyone, the guided and the misguided.

Good Shabbos

Now what?

OK.  You convinced me that there are tough times ahead (we ain’t seen nothing yet – what bad English).  We are at the end of history as we know it and it is time for action.  You convinced me that we live in a system of measure-for-measure and that I must do things voluntarily to help myself and family or face involuntary hardship and suffering that will still be for the purpose of helping me.  I just prefer the easy and much more pleasurable method of help.  I’m not sure I believe everything you say; but, I don’t want to find out the hard way what the absolute truth is.  I never was much of a gambler and, as you are saying, this is a sure thing, I like the odds.

 

I apologize for putting words in your mouth but I am trying to read your mind and I truly want to help.  The question that you must have is “what do I do?”  You told me why but you didn’t tell me how.

 

Obviously, we are talking about turning to Hashem for help.  We see that world leaders are horribly inefficient (a better word is evil) and seem to be on their own greedy agenda not looking out for the good of the people they claim to serve.  It seems overwhelming to jump in full force when I don’t know how to swim in the vast sea of Hashem’s will.  Lets us take it one step at a time.  I wish to give you an easy plan that will allow you to make very positive changes in your life without you even noticing.  We are creatures of habit.  If you decide you want to jump in full force and do everything immediately, you will fail and be disappointed.  If on the other hand you and, hopefully, family take your time, you will see great progress and very satisfying results.  I’ve mentioned several times Hashem does not judge us by what we know, He judges us by how we grow.  Hashem knows exactly where you are going, what you are trying to accomplish and how sincere your intensions are towards serving Him and doing His will.  He knows us much better than we know ourselves.

 

Even though I have believed in Hashem all my life, I tell people that I was raised Conformodox (I’m getting a spell check suggestion on that one).  The first 14 years of my life I live near three Orthodox synagogues.  My Jewish education started at about age 3 (at a Jewish folkshul) and continued at a Hebrew school after regular public school, six days a week.  At age 14 we moved and I found myself attending a Conservative synagogue but I still continued my Jewish education and even continued to pray 3 times a day.  When I started college, it all went downhill but I still had a yearning for Jewish education.  I belonged to a Hillel organization at college which opened up new areas of Jewish education that I didn’t experience before.  When I was in the military (drafted in 1966 for Viet Nam) I found that wherever I was there was something available and I took advantage of it.  A little side note is that twice I actually had orders to go to war, Viet Nam and the Gulf War, but both times something came up and I was redirected to other duty.  I realized in later years Who was watching out for me (thank you Hashem, I don’t like war).  There is no such thing as coincidence.  I even spent 6 years attending Reform Temples since that was all that was available at two of my duty stations.  It was still part of my learning curve.  When I finally settled down in an observant community, about 20 years ago, me and family became Torah Jews and started to do outreach work helping non-observant Jews.  At this point in my life, I had a very good appreciation for all Jews and all lifestyles.  I am no longer Conformodox; but, I can relate to most people since I’ve been there and done that (so to speak).

 

Enough about me.  Let’s get you started on the road to happiness and success.

 

I obviously am talking to all levels of readers from totally non-observant to very observant people – Jews and non-Jews.  I have three different sets of suggestions that I believe will cover all. 

 

1.  For Jews that are totally new to all this and even those who are further along the way (adjust this information to your level and needs):

 

Start talking to Hashem everyday.  I like to tell Him when I wake up and when I go to sleep that I love Him.  He likes to hear that, but it is important to work on believing it.  The important thing is to know that He is there to help us and that we want confidently to have complete faith and trust in Him.  Also, don’t forget to thank Him for all He does.  Being human, I guarantee when you start to see results, it becomes easier and even a very good feeling.  You won’t even feel like you are making great changes in your life if you take it slowly.  That allows you and family to comfortably succeed.

 

Don’t start to pray everything in the prayer book.  Get yourself a good kosher prayer book, siddur (in Hebrew), and start to pray a couple of minutes a day (or more depending upon your level).  I highly recommend a prayer book from Artscroll, http://www.artscroll.com Artscroll give commentary and instructions on praying that is invaluable to the newbie.  Pray in whatever language you understand; but, if you read Hebrew, go for it.  Artscroll has thousands of books on many subjects.  Also, there are many, many other excellent publishers that have a world of knowledge waiting for you – there is no shortage of learning material.  Even the web has great possibilities but beware since the web can also bring you very evil deception.

 

Start learning.  Education is the key.  The most important part of learning is enjoying it.  If you are not enjoying what you are doing, you are doing it incorrectly.  Hashem wants this to be a very joyous experience.  The key to picking out books to read is for you to ask “what is my interest?”  Whatever subjects you enjoy, make time for those subjects, it helps avoid boredom.  However, the absolute best way to learn is from someone else.  An orthodox Rabbi, for men or a Rebbitzin (the Rabbi’s wife) for women is usually the best.  If you live in an area that is totally secular or even non-Jewish, there is a wonderful program called partners in Torah (in the United States) that you sign up for and spend about one hour a week, by phone with a learning partner.  The program is free and totally flexible – you decide with your partner when and how long. 

http://www.partnersintorah.org/

I am a user of Skype and have used Yahoo messenger.  These systems and others allow you to learn with someone anywhere in the world.  This means if you contact someone in the country that you live, an arrangement can be made for learning on the web.  It is important that you deal with another human being.  Learning on your own is not as enjoyable and makes asking questions difficult.  Of course, there are many books that you will enjoy reading during your personal leisure time and should still be part of your learning program.  Welcome to the 21^st century.  Geographical location is not an excuse anymore.  An organization that is all over the world is Chabad.  http://www.chabad.org   I have personally learned with Chabad instructors and enjoyed the experience.  You may find that no matter where you are, there is a Chabad organization nearby or even close enough by electronic media.  Whatever you do, the important thing is start learning.  Since I recommend individual or even group learning with real people, it makes is easy to learn at whatever level you are.  Tailoring your learning to your needs makes it much more enjoyable and productive.

 

Learn the commandments, especially the most pertinent ones that you need immediately.  This education should include learning about the laws of Kosher and even paying attention to labels when you do your normal shopping.  There are plenty of products on the market that have some type of kosher symbol which makes it easy to find.  A little side story to emphasize taking your time is that my wife and I were Kosher one full year before we were Kosher.  We took our regular dishes and split them into dairy and meat (pretend) and started to buy only kosher products.  We continued to eat in non-Kosher restaurants but only ordered things that were in accordance with the laws of Kosher (no dairy with meat as an example).  In other words, we became very comfortably informed and we practiced before we brought a Rabbi into our home to officially kosher the kitchen.  Of course, my wife was happy she got new sets of dishes out of this.  Items of glass and metal (such as pots, pans and silverware) can be made kosher even though it was used for years on non-kosher products).  Once again education is the key and should be done enjoyably.  Include the children.  My son and daughter were more involved than we ever expected.  Once again, I know Who helped us with that.

 

2.  That is more than enough to help the non-informed and partially informed to have something to work on.  What do I suggest for the totally observant individual who already is in an education program and knows the importance of improvement?  Reach out and help your fellow Jew.  If you work with a non-observant or even partially observant Jew, offer to study with that individual and further his or her Jewish education.  Invite individuals and families to your home for Shabbos.  It says in scriptures the best way to teach is over food.  It works.

 

3.  What do I have to offer to the non-Jew who sees the merit in all this and wants to do more?  First of all, know that scriptures say very emphatically that all religions will disappear once the real Messiah comes and the time of redemption is here.  Judaism is not a religion!  Religion by its very nature is a belief system that was created by people.  Judaism is completely from the King of Kings, the owner of the universe and follows the instructions from the One and Only G-d.  In Judaism, there is none else, only Him.  We do not pray to someone else or through someone.  Our scriptures are from Him and not man-made.  Deviating from His instructions is foolhardy and very dangerous.

  

I have talked about the love of Hashem but there is also the concept of the fear of Hashem.  That does not mean that I am afraid of Him.  It means that I am totally in awe of His infinite power and control and that I fear the mistakes that I may make in serving Him.  After all, we are under a system of reward and punishment, measure-for-measure for what we do.  The system is very much to our advantage if we live it correctly and something to fear if we violate its instructions.  So what am I suggesting?  There is a belief system from Hashem that comes from the book of Noah in the Torah.  It is called the Children of Noah or B’Nai Noach (in Hebrew).  It is the way for a righteous gentile to follow Hashem and honor Him and only consists of 7 commandments.  There are websites that give good information about it. One possibility is http://www.noachide.org.uk   However, beware of websites that will give you misinformation with Jew hatred tactics to deceive you.  Once again, it is your eternity and that of your loved ones that is my concern.  You owe it to yourself to investigate.  You will notice that I never mentioned conversion to Judaism.  Jews by the word of Torah are tolerant of other faith systems but have never advocated conversion to Judaism.  If a gentile ever talked to a good Rabbi about converting, he would try to talk the individual out of it.  To me, it is a truly personal thing.  If a non-Jew has a tremendous love for Hashem and has a burning desire to serve Him in a much more spiritual way, I welcome that individual.  If a man is in love with a woman who will only marry him is he is Jewish, that is the wrong reason.  I have worked with 18 converts including helping certain non-Jews make the change.  Each one had such a strong desire to serve Hashem and learn Torah, that I was greatly inspired by their effort.  We are told in scriptures that the person who was secular and became observant is at a very high level for making such a wonderful change in his or her life.  But, the convert is even at a higher level since the change is even more drastic.  One last word on the subject.  We are seeing another sign that we are getting close to the time of the Messiah since the number of converts to Judaism is at an all time high.  There were thousands of new Jews in Israel just last year.  Something is happening.

 

I have a request to all my readers.  Since a very important part of serving Hashem is helping others, please tell family members, friends, neighbors and even your enemies about my blog and the blogs that I recommend on the panel to the right.  I feel that what we have to offer could benefit about 7.008 billion people on Earth (the rest are on their own).  It is an important part of serving Hashem – helping others.

Reincarnation

Now that we have talked about the soul, an interesting aspect of what the soul experiences in the course of time is reincarnation, known in Hebrew as gilgul.  We had mentioned that a soul that does not accomplish a completed repair or rectification in a previous life is given the opportunity to return and try again.

 

Wikipedia has a concise definition: 

Gilgul/Gilgul neshamot/Gilgulei Ha Neshamot (Heb. גלגול הנשמות, Plural: גלגולים Gilgulim) describes a Kabbalistic concept of reincarnation. In Hebrew, the word gilgul means "cycle" and neshamot is the plural for "souls." Souls are seen to "cycle" through "lives" or "incarnations", being attached to different human bodies over time. Which body they associate with depends on their particular task in the physical world, spiritual levels of the bodies of predecessors and so on. The concept relates to the wider processes of history in Kabbalah, involving Cosmic Tikkun (Messianic rectification), and the historical dynamic of ascending Lights and descending Vessels from generation to generation. The esoteric explanations of gilgul were articulated in Jewish mysticism by Rabbi Isaac Luria, know as the Arizal, in the 16th century, as part of the metaphysical purpose of Creation.  The Arizal was so mystical an individual, it was said that he could look at a person and tell him who he was in a previous life. 

 

Although reincarnation is generally into a new human body, Hashem already knows in advance how successful that soul will be.  If it is known that the individual is not going to voluntarily do what is needed for rectification, Hashem will use the involuntary way of helping the soul (see my post The Key to Happiness, 4 April 2012).  This may mean giving rectification by placing the soul into a non-human entity.  Yes, that means that one could come back as the family pet or a plant or a rock.  This is in no way favorable since the reincarnated soul is totally aware of its situation and lives a very shameful and embarrassed reincarnation.  Hashem, however, knows what is best for each of us and designs our time on Earth as needed.  

 

I have an interesting story that happened to me when visiting a cousin in the states.  This cousin did not live in a Jewish neighborhood so when it came time for my afternoon prayers I had no choice but to just go into a quiet room in her house and pray.  As I began, her two dogs entered the room, sat down beside me – one on each side of me, and faced East as I was doing.  When it came time to stand the two dogs stood when I sat down, they likewise sat.  I knew exactly what they were and what they needed.  When I told my cousin that she had two Jewish dogs that had returned from a previous life, she was hysterical and probably could never look at them in the same way again.  I, of course, mentioned to the dogs after praying how happy I was that they could join me. 

 

One more note about animals that is not so obvious.  We come back to finish our correction.  Sometimes this can consist of a single act of high merit that will complete the job.  Hashem uses kosher animals to help us.  If one were to come back, as an example, as a chicken that was bred and killed with proper Kosher procedures and wound up on an observant family’s Sabbath table, one would receive with high merit his or her final correction.  In other words, when people complain about sacrificing animals because that is a barbaric practice, they have no idea how beneficent an act it may be.  The sacrifice of animals and birds in the Temples was always benefiting humans, either alive or dead.  The most interesting thing is that the soul of the animal itself (not just the reincarnated soul of the human involved) received high merit and was very happy with the sacrifice (that is another long story).  Hashem’s system is rarely what it seems but always is for the good.  Death itself is the ultimate atonement for our sins (that does not include suicide which has very horrible consequences for our eternity – don’t do it).  Hopefully, it will be enough to reach our rectification and avoid time in hell (yes, there is such a place and I plan to provide the proof in an upcoming blog post).  Hell is another method of correction along with reincarnation.  Hell could also be pure punishment if the soul was not correctable because of tremendous wickedness (I know, another blog post is needed).   Both methods are avoidable and should be.  All we need to do is the voluntary method while on Earth.

 

We are all, in the end of days, reincarnated individuals.  Since this is the end of the line for world history as we know it, we are getting our last chance to succeed.  I guess this is why I have been so adamant about taking all this seriously and wanting to reach as many people as possible.  Time is just about up but our correction is achievable without the suffering and pain that will accompany the final correction on an individual basis.  I believe that once the Messiah is announced and the time of redemption is obvious to all, we will have a limited time after that until our actual judgment day.  I, in no way, am saying that you can put off doing the right thing for now, since we will have a limited amount of time before that “too late date.”  I just believe that Hashem in His infinite mercy will help us greatly.

 

How many times is it possible to reincarnate?  Good question.  The answer is: I don’t know.  I knew a brilliant, highly scholastic Rabbi who claims that we could only have three lives to get it straight.  I have known others who say “as many times as it is needed.”  I personally think that this is my fourth life.  I have used a method (not hypnosis even though I believe it works) to talk to my soul and I believe I know who I was in my last incarnation.  A few years ago I even had a flashback and saw very clearly, while awake, my previous life (but that would be another blog post that I don’t intend to do).

 

Instead, let us talk about reliable information from reliable sources.  The many individuals that have used Facilitated Communications (FC), such as the autistics and severely retarded, have all known who they were in their previous incarnation.  Since they are in touch with Heaven, they know why they had to come back in that condition.  They also knew what they had to accomplish to complete their rectification and, in some cases (possibly all cases) they knew when this would happen, giving them the actual date of departure from Earth.  Since they were in an unbearable situation, they were happy to complete their work and leave.  They were totally aware of the wonderful life that follows for those who do well here.  There are books on the subject such as Galia.  Galia was a FC miracle.  The story of her messages from Heaven, her reincarnation, the correction that she needed to accomplish and her leaving this world are told by her mother on this video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkUZcPmIxoM

 

The English version, 2003, book with this amazing story is called “Galia, Messages from Heaven.”  I highly recommend this book and “Secrets of the Soul,” (2000 for the English version) the miraculous stories of many FC participants.  The essential Kabbalistic text that discusses the idea of "gilgul" is called Sha'ar Ha'Gilgulim ("The Gate of Reincarnations"), based on the work of Rabbi Isaac Luria (and compiled by his disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital). It describes the deep, complex laws of reincarnation. 

 

There are many famous people in history that we know who they were before.  There are books on the subject but I thought I would give you some examples:

 

·        Moses as the gilgul of Abel, and Rabbi Akiva as the gilgul of Cain.  Cain also came back as the Egyptian that Moses killed.  Cain killed Abel and Abel came back to kill Cain.  How’s that for justice.

·        The Hasidic Rebbe, Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel (1759–1841), who was one of the founders of Hasidism in Hungary, told his followers that he had been reincarnated three times, which he recalled.  His first gilgul was as a sheep in the flock of the Biblical Patriach Jacob.  He sang to his followers the song, he said, that Jacob sang in the pastures.  His second gilgul was in the time of Moses, and his third gilgul, which he did not disclose out of humility, was in the time of the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.  His followers asked another Hasidic Rebbe, who identified the third gilgul as the Biblical Prophet Jeremiah.  In Hasidic history, his daily life especially reflected a yearning for the building of the Third Temple with the arrival of the Messiah.  In his later days he wore his Shabbat clothing the entire week, anticipating the Messiah's arrival.

·        The contemporary scholar of Kabbalah and Hasidut, Yitzchak Ginsburgh, identifies Isaac Newton as the modern reincarnation of Noah.

This is not meant to be offensive, only to tell you the absolute truth.  The Torah tells the story of Jacob and his wicked twin brother Esau.  Esau hated his brother and wanted to kill him (it is mentioned many times throughout scriptures).  We are told that as long a Jacob studied Torah, Esau was powerless to kill his brother.  When Esau knew he would not succeed, he married the daughter of Ishmael and told Ishmael to kill Jacob.  This is all prophecy since the Jews are descended from Jacob, the Romans and eventually the Christians were descended from Esau and the Muslims are descended from Ishmael.  For two thousand years the Christians have tried to kill the Jews (the Inquisition, the Crusades, programs, the Holocaust, Jew hatred, etc).  In every country that the Jews lived they started out by staying to themselves and studying Torah.  But, after a while the Jews started to assimilate into the gentile society and found themselves hated and even killed.  Hashem has sent a strong message to the Jews throughout history not to assimilate.  The worst assimilation in history was the Jews of Europe before the Holocaust (get the picture, they didn't).  The Jew hatred of today is commensurate with the vast amount of assimilation.  Fortunately, we also have the greatest amount of Torah study today that we have had in history.  

Back to the story of the Christians.  When they saw they couldn’t kill the Jews, they turned the job over to the Muslims, which is what we see today (intifadas, terrorist activity, Jew hatred).  Be aware that the terrorists have been successful only with the help of all the gentile nations.  They buy their oil, support many of their programs and even negotiate on their behalf, always to the detriment of the Jews.  There is no coincidence that the President of the United States today happens to be a Muslim pretending to be part Christian.  That is the prophecy fulfilled of Esau marrying the daughter of Ishmael.  Obama is absolutely the worst enemy to come along for the Jews.  Obama, by the way, is the gilgul of the Pharaoh of Egypt.  Also, Nimrod and Sancherev, King of Assyria.  Both were very detrimental to the Jews.  

 

There is extensive proof of how the prophecies of scriptures became the story of history.  But, keeping with our topic, the Arizal said 500 years ago that Esau came back as Yeshu, the Christian deity.  Watch this short video from Rabbi Glazerson showing where this is found in the Torah:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGKwTQHmv94

 

The last video that I invite you to watch is from a Rabbi Eliyahu Kin of Torah Ohr in California.  Rabbi Kin is a fascinating speaker with many videos on a variety of Jewish subjects.  This one happens to be reincarnation:

 

http://www.torahtube.com/video/180/Rabbi-Kin-on-Reincarnation