Several months ago, four men from the city of Atlit entered my bet knesset and began talking about the sanctity of Medinat Yisrael and Yerushalayim. They dressed and spoke like the average Israeli and were enthusiastic about their visit to the Old City and the fact that they were part of the kedusha of the Holy City, sitting no more than 100 meters from the place where the Bet Hamikdash once stood and will again stand. For some unexplainable reason, I told them the following…
Why did Lot choose the area where such wickedness reigned? Why did Avraham embark on what would appear to have been a military suicide mission? Where was Lot at the time of Avraham’s meeting with the King of Sodom? Why did Avraham say that his next in line was Eliezer of Damascus when Lot was a living flesh and blood relative? Who was Amrafel King of Shinar? Why did Yishmael quietly accept Avraham’s instruction to remain with the donkey and not express a desire to ascend the Mountain with his father and brother?
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.”
What saved us then will do so now. The call to arms sounded by Mordechai and the other members of the 120 Anshei Knesset Hagedola (The Great Assembly), in preparation for war with the 127 lands under Persian control, and the battles which were waged on the 13th and 14 of Adar by the Jews who were faithful to HaShem, brought them victory and brought to us the holiday of Purim.
In whose merit and from where will Hashem bring salvation in our times?
On Simchat Torah we will read of the passing away of Moshe Rabbeinu. His death and subsequent burial by HaShem in a remote place east of the Jordan, an area which although within the designated borders of Eretz Yisrael is in a secondary level of sanctity compared to the western side.
We don’t know why HaShem did not permit Moshe to be buried in the preferential part of the holy land, but perhaps we can draw a practical conclusion for our times.
At the onset of this new year 5774, my personal prayer is that Hashem should bless us to see the realization of what He revealed to His prophets regarding the future.
Read the following carefully, and you will realize that the newspapers are, in fact, merely elaborating on the prophecies.
