Birthpangs of Moshiach

Lo dejaron bien amarrado en 1957 pic.twitter.com/ytl9yZSE51

— Alexis Milo Caraza (@alexismilo) September 8, 2017

The most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the nation’s Pacific Coast late Thursday  September 7th.

Friday, 08 September 2017

Birthpangs of Moshiach and Spiritual Epidural

Things are happening with lightning speed. We have now entered the era of what our sages called, "The birthpangs of Moshiach".

An entire month ago, in A Shout from Above, a whole two weeks before the solar eclipse, we wrote here that America was about to see big calamities if it doesn't get its act together. Need more proof that Hashem is calling to us all louder and louder? Do the swivel-hipped ladies in the tight skirts, the Cleopatra makeup and the hip-length Irma La Douce wigs from Miami and Boro Park think that they are exempt from teshuva? The "Irma La Douce" look? No wonder Hurricane Irma has that name! Rampant, politically-correct public-sanctioned licentiousness that scoffs at Hashem and His Torah brought her on. Don't you realize, world, that Irma is Hashem's response to all filth and immorality that has become the norm, even penetrated Orthodox communities? You still don't believe me?

Maybe you'll believe Isaiah the Prophet. He reprimands those who reject the word of G-d and says, "...it will happen with quick suddenness; Hashem, the Master of Legions, will frequent you with thunder, and with earthquake, and loud sound, storm and tempest, and consuming flame of fire" (Isaiah 29:5-6). In one passage, Isaiah summarizes today's news, including the fires all over West-coast USA, the aftermath of Harvey, Irma, and this morning's colossal 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico, with two more hurricanes brewing out at sea. "Quick suddenness" like the prophet says, events are happening faster than we can write about them.

If that's not enough, maybe you'll believe the holy Ariza'l, the father of Kabbalah. The Ariza'l lists the four elements of creation as: 

English	עברית
fire	אש
air	רוח
water	מים
earth	אדמה

The kabbalists explain that when man becomes corrupt, the elements of the earth follow suit. This is Hashem's way of showing man that he must change his ways. The first Hebrew initials of the four elements are aleph, resh, mem and aleph - guess what they spell - "Irma". Who else is speaking if not Hashem? Will the so-called intellectuals still say "random" and "nature"? The Gemara says there is no pity for the spiritually ignorant.

Don't forget that all this is happening in Elul, the month of teshuva.

The holy Ohr Hachaim and the Chatam Sofer, osb"m, say that when Moshiach is about to come, calamities will happen one after the other in rapid succession, in order to stimulate people to repent and come back to G-d. The Gemara calls this period the "birthpangs of Moshiach"; why? The closer we get to Moshiach, the more the messianic labor pains became frequent, stronger and painful. They don't have to be that way, though. Teshuva - penitence -  is spiritual Epidural. Have a lovely Shabbat and may we hear good tidings.  Source

Jeremiah 29:14 "'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather ISRAEL from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'"

 Isaiah 30:19 "O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you."

 Isaiah 54:8 ""In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you, ISRAEL," Says the LORD your Redeemer."

  Jeremiah 32:44 "'Men shall buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore ISRAEL'S fortunes,' declares the LORD.""

 Ezekiel 36:35-36 ""And they will say, 'This desolate land of ISRAEL has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' 36 "Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it."

 Jeremiah 32:42 ""For thus says the LORD, 'Just as I brought all this great disaster on THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them."

A significant step was recently taken towards reinstating the Temple service when the nascent Sanhedrin selected Rabbi Baruch Kahane as the next Kohen Gadol (high priest). The selection was made as a precaution for Yom Kippur. If the political conditions should change, allowing the Jews access to the Temple Mount, they will be required by Torah law to bring the sacrifices. Rabbi Kahane is confident that if that should happen, Temple service could begin in less than one week.

Rabbi Kahane is a prominent scholar, knowledgeable in the complicated laws pertaining to the subject of the Temple Service. He is part of the Halacha Berurah Institute, established by Rabbi Avraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, which deals with the elucidation of Jewish law from its Talmudic sources (Oral Law) and commentaries. He has played a prominent role in all the reenactments of the Temple services performed to date.

This year has already seen much Temple-oriented activity: the Temple Institute has created a registry of kohanim; established a school for educating men of the priestly class in the details of the Temple service; and performed reenactments on all the holidays, including the especially significant Passover sacrifice.
Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the nascent Sanhedrin, explained to Breaking Israel News the necessity for choosing a High Priest, even in the absence of a Temple.
“We do not need a miraculous occurrence like the sudden appearance of a Temple descending from heaven onto the Temple Mount to make this decision relevant,” explained Rabbi Weiss. “The only obstacle preventing the Temple service today is the political issue. If that should suddenly change, as it very well could, we would be required to begin the Temple service immediately. It is therefore necessary that we have a candidate prepared to fill the role of the High Priest, especially now that we have kohanim prepared to serve in the Temple.”
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder and and head of the Temple Institute, is a member of the Sanhedrin but did not rule in this decision. He told Breaking Israel News that it was necessary for the Sanhedrin to choose a Kohen Gadol.

“This is certainly something we should do now as religious Jews. Choosing a high priest and all of the preparations for the Temple Service  are mitzvot (commandments) that are incumbent upon us according to the Torah,” said Rabbi Ariel.

“It is not a matter of opinion. It is written explicitly in the Torah and, just like any of the other mitzvot written in the Torah, we have to choose a Kohen Gadol, and make all the preparations, regardless of whether there is a Temple standing right now.”

Rabbi Kahane was reluctant to discuss the Sanhedrin’s decision. “This may not be the time to choose a Kohen Gadol. There are no sacrifices required,” he said to Breaking Israel News. However, he added, “That could change overnight. In any case, it is clear that we need to be prepared, to prepare the priests, to have everything ready.”

When asked how long it would take to begin sacrifices if it suddenly became permissible, he considered carefully before answering. “If the government decided to permit it, it would only take a few weeks to make preparations, even to do the Yom Kippur service,” he said.

“The structures can be temporary and prepared almost overnight. The biggest obstacle is educating the kohanim, which we are taking care of already. Once the priests are thoroughly educated, choosing a Kohen Gadol and teaching him what he needs to know for the Yom Kippur service is relatively simple and will take one week. The Temple Service performed by the Kohen Gadol is very demanding, but for an educated kohen, it is not overly difficult to learn to serve as the Kohen Gadol.”

Rabbi Weiss explained the importance of advancing Temple initiatives even when it seems that reinstituting the Temple service is not a matter of urgency.

“There are many Torah laws that are not sacrifices or Temple service but are nonetheless dependant on the Temple and the kohanim. We recently reenacted the Omer Wave Offering, which has ramifications for when Israel can eat the current wheat harvest. In addition, we also reenacted the giving of the shoulder, two cheeks, and stomach of an ox to the priests.”

And this shall be the Kohanim’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the Kohen the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. Deuteronomy 18:3 

“This is not only part of a sacrifice, but is also an issue of kashrut (kosher laws), which we should be doing today,” explained Rabbi Weiss. “Instead, it is treated in a rather shabby, symbolic manner.”

While it seems unlikely that the political climate could shift within a few weeks to the extent necessary for Jews to establish an altar and begin preparing sacrifices on the Mount in time for Yom Kippur, the world can rest assured that as the moment those changes should occur, the Jewish people are prepared.

Reported by: Breaking Israel News