Tag: Israel

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Waking Up From Exile and Finding Unity

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The exile is insidious. It penetrates us, disconnects us – twisting the world and everything within it. However there is hope. After all, exile is analogous to sleep and although when one wakes up they are groggy and disoriented, they still have awoken. We too yearn to be awake; to see the the world in a clarity unquestioned. Yet, we haven’t achieved this because we have not let go of the blockages within. It is to awaken and find the unity that has always existed within the Creation.

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Returning to Ourselves

In the cosmic struggle between our authentic divine expressions and our limited physical wrappings we allow this inner confrontation to disconnect us from our purpose and path in this universe. The trauma that each one of us feels to a certain degree stems from this disconnection, which has become the best means to sidestepping the tremendous pain our divine element feels while being “trapped” in this world.

Despite the reasons for this disconnection, it has ultimately resulted in a lack of memory for who we really are and what we are meant to be doing here – both as individuals and as a national collective.

Most of us disregard the feeling of yearning our soul has for where it came from. We stare at those who have made the leap to live a life of expanded consciousness and connection, looking at them as special. In return, we view ourselves as simply “not on their level.”

Yet, we must know that as far as the Creator is concerned, there are no differences between the myriads of people within the Jewish national collective and those who have risen above known as the tzaddikim. All yidden descend from lofty levels – from the world of emunah, simple faith.

The difference between the tzaddikim and those who have yet to unlock their eternal memories and their internal God wisdom, is the toil and effort the tzaddikim undertook to achieve great heights.

The “common” yid must know and believe that the disconnection he feels within, can be overcome when a decision is made to embark on repairing his inner memory and working on following the path of the true tzaddikim.

The Land of Israel is about memory. It is gateway both nationally and individually to our inner Godly awareness and wisdom, yet this gateway cannot be fully traversed unless one follows the light of the tzaddik, whose mission it is to unlock God awareness within each yid – no matter how far away he is.

The first step is realizing that each one of us is a child of the Creator – a prince or princess to the king. Only then we can begin to return to who we truly are.

(Based on Likutey Halachot Birchat HaShachar, Halacha 3.6)

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Igniting Our Souls Together

The Land of Israel holds within it, the divine potential waiting to be unlocked by the Jewish Nation. The key is not to allow our emunah, simple faith to be boxed in by our intellect, but rather harness it within our subconscious construct where our divine soul rests, waiting to be expressed into this world.

What is it that prevents us from actualizing our inner hislavus, enthusiasm? Why is it that both on an individual level and on a national level we feel lethargic so close to finishing process of redemption?

The soul of a Yid is so precious, so infinite it cannot be contained and yet in this world our soul, which is often compared to a flame – Ner HaShem Nishmat Adam – the candle of God is the Soul of Man – is nearly smothered. We yearn for more and we know we want more. We are home, but we feel estranged, lost within the hills and valleys of our own Land.

The “Princess is lost” within the fields and dry river beds, the mountains and ancient streets – waiting to be rescued and uplifted. The flame is kindled – never extinguished, but now it needs to be ignited.

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The Tzaddik’s “breath” is blowing and our flames are growing, being pulled together. He calls us to awaken and it is time to leave behind the small mindedness of exile, the confusions and false constructs we dragged back to the Land of Israel. The soul is made of letters and the Lost Princess within the Land is yearning for our souls to expand and encompass one another – to ignite and strengthen the collective flame.

Yet, our yearnings are in conflict with those that sense a threat to their empty rule, their false kingship built on lies and darkness. We are tempted to retreat and to fall back, to wallow in the dust of our failings and short comings and yet the Tzaddik’s light keeps shining on us, his breath keeps expanding our flames giving us the drive to breakthrough, to release the letters held within our souls onto the Land and rescue the Princess once and for all.

(Based on Likutey Moharan Tinyana Lesson 9; Lost Princess; Maor Einayim Parshat Tetzaveh; Orot Eretz Yisrael 7)

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Will Iran Attack Israel After the Saudi Move Against Qatar?

The Saudi led move against Qatar has caught everyone in the region by surprise, especially Iran.  The Mullahs in Tehran have always regarded the Saudis as a paper tiger.  The move against Qatar, seemingly backed by the Trump administration changes that assumption.  Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s call to freeze out Hamas is a serious about face for the Kingdom.  The Iranians know Trump means business.  The growing Sunni alliance along with faster than assumed growth in ties between this alliance and Israel spells trouble for Iran.

With Qatar being isolated (before the Iranian regime could make a move to co-opt it), a reaction is now needed to push back on the American backed Sunni alliance.  Given the US firepower in the Persian Gulf, the likely target for retaliation to create instability is Israel. Iran and their Shiite proxy Hezbollah have a far stronger foothold and vantage point on the Israeli border than the Iranians do in the Gulf.  This, along with Russian firepower and air superiority over Northern Israel, make a strike on Israel that much more probable.

Any military attack on Israel by the Iranians would see Israel fend for itself due to the proximity of Russian troops.  The Trump administration would not risk a direct conflict with Russia over Iran at least at this point.

Although the Saudis felt Qatar’s isolation was necessary to halt an advancing Iran, the next play is in Tehran’s court and the fallout could very well be Israel’s alone. With Turkey, Iran, and Russia solidifying their alliance against the West’s Sunni proxies, the summer of 2017 could very promise to be the breakout of the ultimate Middle Eastern war the world has been trying to avoid.

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The UN Votes to Disconnect Jerusalem from the Jewish People…Again

Today the UN voted to disconnect the Jewish people from their ancient capital and hand it to a people that never existed.  This was not the whim of a thin majority of countries, but rather a vast overhwhelming number of UN member states voted for the resolution. Out of the UN’s 193 member states, 147 voted in favor, seven voted against and eight abstained. Those who voted against were Canada, USA, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Naura and Palu.  Those who abstained were Australia, Guatemala, Panama, Papa New Guiea, Paraguay and Vanuatu.

The resolution states the following: “Any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to immediately cease all such illegal and unilateral measures.”  It then continues and pushes Israel to “respect for the historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem” and “urges all sides to work immediately and cooperatively to defuse tensions and halt all provocations, incitement and violence at the holy sites in the City.”

Daniel Luria, the Executive Director of Ateret Cohanim, an organization dedicated to returning property in Jerusalem stolen by Arabs back to Jewish hands dismissed the resolutions as anti-semitic. “Whoever doesn’t recognize such a clear, obvious and eternal connection and unbreakable bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the ‘Kotels’  (Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Walls of Temple Mount) is blinded by hate, a denier of both current day realities (a plethora of archeological finds) and Jewish history, and is an anti-semitic, arrogant fool. Such a person or body is destined the dung-heap of history and will be shunned or forgotten in due course.”

The UN General Assemply decision comes on the back the UNESCO vote, which disregarded the Jewish narritive to the Land of Israel.  While the UN vote is non-binding it still gives added energy to a potential UN Security Council collision course before Obama leaves office. If it gets to the security council all bets are off.  After all, if it was Jimmy Carter Palestine would have been a reality a long time ago.

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