<p>There are dark jewels in this world that can be salvaged, purified and taken as precious bounty for the good. And there is darkness itself, the essential absence of light, that must only wait its time to expire. How can we tell between them?</p>
<p>If the darkness fights back, there is hope.</p>
<p>It means there is something there worth fighting for.</p>
We are not waiting for some great revelation from above to save us from our incompetence as guardians of this world and put everything in order. Rather, we are waiting to see the sun rise over everything we have done, to see the fruits of our labors blossom in an eternal spring. A New Age comes upon the world as a spring rain upon a plowed and seeded field. Plow and sow now, while there is still time. —The Rebbe
One unique thing about Chanukah is that even the most non-observant of Jews observe it.
The
rest of the year they don't believe in commandments, blessings,
miracles or holiness, but on Chanukah they light the Chanukah candles,
say the blessings, know about the eight-day miracle, and even know that
it happened in the Holy Temple.
How long will the messianic epoch last? Will people live forever? Will there be a radical transformation in nature? Will the Messiah die? What will life be like? This essay offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of Moshiach according to Maimonides.
It may cause dismay and serve as somewhat of a disappointment that, in the opinion of Maimonides, the messianic era will not be all that miraculous. This does not in any way lessen the magnitude of change that will embrace the world at that time. On the contrary, the Maimonidean theory provides a highly probable scenario in which the messianic era can easily follow the extraordinary changes that are already part of modern-day society.
In our prayers, we ask for the coming of Mashiach and the
advent of the Redemption more than 100 times every day. But what are we asking
for? When Jews were persecuted, oppressed, and slaughtered, it was
understandable why they prayed for the Redemption. But today, why do we seek the Redemption? What will change?
The theme, in this week’s Torah portion,
the destruction of the wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah,
is simple enough: These two cities were destroyed due to
the exceptional cruelty of their citizens. The classical
story of corruption and its consequences.
But is this the entire
story?
Upon reading the elaborate
details of the narrative – the way G-d debates whether to reveal His plans
to Abraham; the Divine “descent” to confirm the wickedness of Sodom; dispatching
an angel to destroy the city; the extensive efforts exerted to save Lot, in
the merit of his uncle Abraham; Abraham’s intervention, pleading to save Sodom
– it is quite apparent that there is much more going on than just the demise
of another corrupt city.
And what exactly was Sodom’s terrible crime, causing an “outcry…so
great, and their sin so very grave,” that led to them being
singled out for such unprecedented destruction? Was there
no other corrupt city in history that deserved punishment?
There is an inexplicable
Midrash that only accentuates the mystery of Sodom: “It is written I found
my servant David. Where did God find him? In Sodom”!! (Bereishit Rabbah
41:4; 50:10).
Last week I read an article rated highly on digg.com. The article
contained a long list of important inventions that were scorned by
esteemed individuals, only for the product to become a raging success
within decades.
University of Chicago astronomer Dr. F. R.
Moulton said in 1932, “There is no hope for the fanciful idea of
reaching the Moon because of insurmountable barriers to escaping the
earth’s gravity.” A British mathematician
and physicist Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) declared “Heavier-than-air flying
machines are And here’s an internal memo from Western Union in 1878,
“This `telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered
as a practical form of communication. The device is inherently of no
value to us.” And here's one more jem from Pierre Pachet, rofessor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872, "Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction."
Amusing, no?
I anticipate that
when Moshiach comes similar articles will float around the World Wide
Web of G-dly knowledge updated with quotes of individuals who thought
Moshiach is impossible. Moshiach may sound more than a little bizarre
today, but we’ve already witnessed how drastically things can change.
In this age of egalitarian and liberal thinking, how can Jews still promote what is to many intellectuals a shameful and vainglorious sentiment of being the chosen nation? How can Jews preach to the world that they are better than everyone else?
We know from Biblical prophecies and from the Talmud that there are two possible scenarios for the Final Redemption. The difference between them lies in a fundamental question: will it be a revolutionary event, or an evolutionary one? The first redemption, the Exodus from Egypt, was a whirlwind of supernatural events, a total revolution. How will the final redemption unfold?
What Will Change When Moshiach Comes? this is the most heartwarming and beautiful thing i've ever seen! you learn so mutch from this just by reading one paragragh!...
Lyrics of Moshiach Songs @Ilana - Those lyrics are from the song "On Giants' Shoulders" sung by Avraham Fried on the album Shtar Hatna'im (1993).
Overview to determine who is descended from the lost tribes...we now have the ability to do so by DNA markers. This is being done as w...
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One unique thing about Chanukah is that even the most non-observant of Jews observe it.
In this age of egalitarian and liberal thinking, how can Jews still promote what is to many intellectuals a shameful and vainglorious sentiment of being the chosen nation? How can Jews preach to the world that they are better than everyone else?