Learning to Wait
Shiva Asar B’Tamuz 7/24/2005
We are still suffering from an event that transpired 3,317 years ago. An unbelievable event; an act of rejection of the very purpose of creation. What happened, why do we continue to suffer from this event, and what has to change to eliminate this suffering?
What happened?
The people saw that Moshe “delayed”, Ki Boshaish Moshe, to come down from Har Sinai. What was this “delay”? Was it real or imaginary? BOshaish, says the Vilna Gaon, is at SHAISH, at 6, meaning at the 6th hour. We stop eating Chometz on Erev Pesach before the 6th hour of the day to weaken the power of the Eruv Rav, who instigated the Egel (golden calf) at the 6th hour. What is this 6th hour and what is the connection to the Eruv Rav?
Noon is the 6th daylight hour. After noon, things get a little darker. The Eruv Rav decided to convert when things were very bright, it was noon for the Bnei Yisrael in Egypt, the Egyptians were suffering from the plagues and dying, and the Jews were spared the plagues and were being given the wealth of Egypt. The Eruv Rav goes along for the ride at noon. Even today, the Chesed of Hashem following the destruction of European Jewry is exploited by the Eruv Rav to continue their agenda. What do they want? To tap in to the power of the Jews, which they recognize as true, yet continue their life of “freedom” from any accountablility to the Creator. Leehyot Am Chofshi B’Artzeinu.
The Eruv Rav was waiting impatiently for Moshe, along with the rest of Klal Yisrael, but they had much less patience. The Eruv Rav had not suffered thru many years of bitter slavery, and did not have the ability to wait, while the Jews had been waiting to be redeemed for centuries and had been through many disappointments, so they could deal with a slight delay much better. Yet, the Eruv Rav injected their impatience into Klal Yisrael, they wanted Moshiach (Moshe) NOW! They needed a dose of “spirituality”, normally supplied by Moshe, but he wasn’t there for them. Aharon promised them a day of celebration to Hashem “tomorrow”, and tried to pacify them. But the Eruv Rav took the dark powers of Tuma out of Egypt with them, and used them to create a spiritual substitute for Moshe’s presence. They couldn’t wait for even a second! They had not learned the fact that one needs to wait for the truth. This is what happened, an inability to wait for the complete truth to appear, being willing to take a cheap substitute instead. “This (the golden calf) is your G-d, Yisrael”, was the shout of the Eruv Rav.
However, since the absolute truth must be revealed, and since Hashem saw a lack of patience to wait for this truth, they had to learn to wait. The truth will not be revealed quickly as it would have been had they waited for Moshe; instead the Truth is leaked out slowly over many centuries so that the Eruv Rav’s impatience can be weakened. The Truth comes out in history; all types of new philosophies of life and betterment of mankind are promised and appear to be successful initially, but are slowly shown to be false. Meanwhile, the Eruv Rav is attracted to all the quick fix ideas out there and become their greatest evangelizers, but ultimately are taught the foolishness of their ways.
Why do we continue to suffer from this event?
Developing patience is not a virtue that is intuitive. It takes maturity, analysis, and time to realize the value of patience. After all, don’t we want things to improve NOW, why do we have to wait? Why stretch out the improvement process, let’s move things along and reach our goal!
But anything of permanent value takes time. It takes 9 months for a baby to be ready for birth. It takes many years of training to be skilled at a profession. Any attempt to rush things gives us…the cliché of “haste makes waste”.
Since the Jews have the advantage of many years of history behind them, they feel they already know the “truth”, and have no need to wait for it. Haven’t they suffered long enough? This experience itself drags out the process of suffering, and leads to inertia, an inability to change. But the “truth” is, they have still much more to learn. And no quick fixes, no new building or Daf Yomi shiur is going to teach them this truth. Only additional experience of history, realizing that they must reject the influence of the Eruv Rav completely will eliminate the need for fasting on Shiva Asar B’Tamuz and having to endure the Three Weeks.
What has to change?
They only had to wait for Moshe to appear with the first luchos, and all would have been well. Their spiritual nature would have returned to the state of Adam and Chava before the Chait, the Yetzer Hara would have been eliminated.
Now that we are living in the world of the second luchos, just as Moshe Rabeinu had to carve them out, much more human input is required to achieve the original intent of the Creator. Merely waiting is not enough.
Moshe taught us, Zchor Ymos Olom, “remember the days of the world”. We have to learn from history; it can teach us the error of our ways. It has to affect our thoughts so we can be inoculated from the current sicknesses spread by the Eruv Rav. We have to stop expecting quick fixes, and slowly absorb the “truth” that is now exploding in the world all around us.
For example, the belief that creating a haven from anti-semitism would stop the pogroms and holocausts. Yet this “haven” has become a magnet for terror against us. Forfeiting a strip of land in this “haven” will not stop the haters.
The world believed that supporting the haters of the state of Israel would shield them from terror. Surprise, surprise, England , and Egypt as well as the Twin Towers were attacked!
Let’s absorb the lessons of our times and turn to the truth in our Torah, instead of the idiotic preaching of the Eruv Rav, the college professors, news media leaders, misguided “religious leaders”, and governments that follow them.
Parshas Pinchas and Matos
Am Yisrael had been through 40 years in the Midbar. It was time to enter Eretz Yisrael. Yet two groups of people approached Moshe in these final days before Moshe dies – the daughters of Tzlofchad and the sons of Reuven and Gad. We read about these two groups around the time of the Three weeks to show us an important lesson.
M’or V’Shemesh writes that the daughters of Tzlofchad wanted the portion of Yosef not to be diminished because Oveinu Mais Ba Midbar (our father died in the desert), says the Zohar, not in the “desert”, but B’Midabair – because of speech. Yosef told Yaakov bad things about his brothers. M’or V’shemesh continues…The conflict between Yosef and his brothers was because Yosef knew that a Moshiach was destined to come from him, but the brothers knew that Yehuda was destined to have a Moshiach ben David. Our goal, writes M’or V’Shemesh is to strengthen Moshiach Ben Yosef in his war against the Umos HaOlom, so that he will live until the time of Moshiach Ben Dovod. The Bnos Tzlofchad wanted to strengthen to power of Yosef in Eretz Yisrael as well for the same reason.
The sons of Reuven had acquired cattle during the 40 years, and now land outside of Eretz Yisrael captured from Sichon and Og could support cattle. But what about Eretz Yisrael? Oh yeah, they promised to help fight with their brothers, but their priority was take care of their cattle. How is this possible?
Again, it is having the short term perspective of the Eruv Rav, take what you can get now, be willing to settle for a temporary substitute. This unwillingness to wait was still not corrected after 40 years in the Midbar. And even after two thousand years of Golus, we still are making the same mistake as Bnei Reuven. Yet the Torah says the women, the daughters of Tzlofchad have it right, as so many other times when the women are right. Perhaps, since Chava got humanity into our situation in the first place, it is only fair that the women lead the fight to correct her mistake.
Isn’t it funny that the women didn’t participate in the Chait Ha’Egel or die in the desert during the 40 years?
We are still suffering from an event that transpired 3,317 years ago. An unbelievable event; an act of rejection of the very purpose of creation. What happened, why do we continue to suffer from this event, and what has to change to eliminate this suffering?
What happened?
The people saw that Moshe “delayed”, Ki Boshaish Moshe, to come down from Har Sinai. What was this “delay”? Was it real or imaginary? BOshaish, says the Vilna Gaon, is at SHAISH, at 6, meaning at the 6th hour. We stop eating Chometz on Erev Pesach before the 6th hour of the day to weaken the power of the Eruv Rav, who instigated the Egel (golden calf) at the 6th hour. What is this 6th hour and what is the connection to the Eruv Rav?
Noon is the 6th daylight hour. After noon, things get a little darker. The Eruv Rav decided to convert when things were very bright, it was noon for the Bnei Yisrael in Egypt, the Egyptians were suffering from the plagues and dying, and the Jews were spared the plagues and were being given the wealth of Egypt. The Eruv Rav goes along for the ride at noon. Even today, the Chesed of Hashem following the destruction of European Jewry is exploited by the Eruv Rav to continue their agenda. What do they want? To tap in to the power of the Jews, which they recognize as true, yet continue their life of “freedom” from any accountablility to the Creator. Leehyot Am Chofshi B’Artzeinu.
The Eruv Rav was waiting impatiently for Moshe, along with the rest of Klal Yisrael, but they had much less patience. The Eruv Rav had not suffered thru many years of bitter slavery, and did not have the ability to wait, while the Jews had been waiting to be redeemed for centuries and had been through many disappointments, so they could deal with a slight delay much better. Yet, the Eruv Rav injected their impatience into Klal Yisrael, they wanted Moshiach (Moshe) NOW! They needed a dose of “spirituality”, normally supplied by Moshe, but he wasn’t there for them. Aharon promised them a day of celebration to Hashem “tomorrow”, and tried to pacify them. But the Eruv Rav took the dark powers of Tuma out of Egypt with them, and used them to create a spiritual substitute for Moshe’s presence. They couldn’t wait for even a second! They had not learned the fact that one needs to wait for the truth. This is what happened, an inability to wait for the complete truth to appear, being willing to take a cheap substitute instead. “This (the golden calf) is your G-d, Yisrael”, was the shout of the Eruv Rav.
However, since the absolute truth must be revealed, and since Hashem saw a lack of patience to wait for this truth, they had to learn to wait. The truth will not be revealed quickly as it would have been had they waited for Moshe; instead the Truth is leaked out slowly over many centuries so that the Eruv Rav’s impatience can be weakened. The Truth comes out in history; all types of new philosophies of life and betterment of mankind are promised and appear to be successful initially, but are slowly shown to be false. Meanwhile, the Eruv Rav is attracted to all the quick fix ideas out there and become their greatest evangelizers, but ultimately are taught the foolishness of their ways.
Why do we continue to suffer from this event?
Developing patience is not a virtue that is intuitive. It takes maturity, analysis, and time to realize the value of patience. After all, don’t we want things to improve NOW, why do we have to wait? Why stretch out the improvement process, let’s move things along and reach our goal!
But anything of permanent value takes time. It takes 9 months for a baby to be ready for birth. It takes many years of training to be skilled at a profession. Any attempt to rush things gives us…the cliché of “haste makes waste”.
Since the Jews have the advantage of many years of history behind them, they feel they already know the “truth”, and have no need to wait for it. Haven’t they suffered long enough? This experience itself drags out the process of suffering, and leads to inertia, an inability to change. But the “truth” is, they have still much more to learn. And no quick fixes, no new building or Daf Yomi shiur is going to teach them this truth. Only additional experience of history, realizing that they must reject the influence of the Eruv Rav completely will eliminate the need for fasting on Shiva Asar B’Tamuz and having to endure the Three Weeks.
What has to change?
They only had to wait for Moshe to appear with the first luchos, and all would have been well. Their spiritual nature would have returned to the state of Adam and Chava before the Chait, the Yetzer Hara would have been eliminated.
Now that we are living in the world of the second luchos, just as Moshe Rabeinu had to carve them out, much more human input is required to achieve the original intent of the Creator. Merely waiting is not enough.
Moshe taught us, Zchor Ymos Olom, “remember the days of the world”. We have to learn from history; it can teach us the error of our ways. It has to affect our thoughts so we can be inoculated from the current sicknesses spread by the Eruv Rav. We have to stop expecting quick fixes, and slowly absorb the “truth” that is now exploding in the world all around us.
For example, the belief that creating a haven from anti-semitism would stop the pogroms and holocausts. Yet this “haven” has become a magnet for terror against us. Forfeiting a strip of land in this “haven” will not stop the haters.
The world believed that supporting the haters of the state of Israel would shield them from terror. Surprise, surprise, England , and Egypt as well as the Twin Towers were attacked!
Let’s absorb the lessons of our times and turn to the truth in our Torah, instead of the idiotic preaching of the Eruv Rav, the college professors, news media leaders, misguided “religious leaders”, and governments that follow them.
Parshas Pinchas and Matos
Am Yisrael had been through 40 years in the Midbar. It was time to enter Eretz Yisrael. Yet two groups of people approached Moshe in these final days before Moshe dies – the daughters of Tzlofchad and the sons of Reuven and Gad. We read about these two groups around the time of the Three weeks to show us an important lesson.
M’or V’Shemesh writes that the daughters of Tzlofchad wanted the portion of Yosef not to be diminished because Oveinu Mais Ba Midbar (our father died in the desert), says the Zohar, not in the “desert”, but B’Midabair – because of speech. Yosef told Yaakov bad things about his brothers. M’or V’shemesh continues…The conflict between Yosef and his brothers was because Yosef knew that a Moshiach was destined to come from him, but the brothers knew that Yehuda was destined to have a Moshiach ben David. Our goal, writes M’or V’Shemesh is to strengthen Moshiach Ben Yosef in his war against the Umos HaOlom, so that he will live until the time of Moshiach Ben Dovod. The Bnos Tzlofchad wanted to strengthen to power of Yosef in Eretz Yisrael as well for the same reason.
The sons of Reuven had acquired cattle during the 40 years, and now land outside of Eretz Yisrael captured from Sichon and Og could support cattle. But what about Eretz Yisrael? Oh yeah, they promised to help fight with their brothers, but their priority was take care of their cattle. How is this possible?
Again, it is having the short term perspective of the Eruv Rav, take what you can get now, be willing to settle for a temporary substitute. This unwillingness to wait was still not corrected after 40 years in the Midbar. And even after two thousand years of Golus, we still are making the same mistake as Bnei Reuven. Yet the Torah says the women, the daughters of Tzlofchad have it right, as so many other times when the women are right. Perhaps, since Chava got humanity into our situation in the first place, it is only fair that the women lead the fight to correct her mistake.
Isn’t it funny that the women didn’t participate in the Chait Ha’Egel or die in the desert during the 40 years?
posted by Golusman at 7/24/2005 10:26:00 AM
2 Comments:
Yaakov:
Thanks for taking the time to comment. The issue of impatience, of being willing to accept substitutes that may achieve a temporary spiritual "high", this was the point of my posting. I feel the main illness of our instant everything generation is the desire for quick "shortcuts" to achieving spiritual growth which don't really work. I am very unfamiliar with the Lubavitch movement,wasn't zoche to meet the Rebbe, and therefore am totally unqualified to use any expression that was adopted by the Rebbe in an appropriate context. My main fear, and the point of the posting, is that in our growing impatience to achieve geula, we are willing to claim that the geula is already here despite having no Bais Hamikdosh, despite the fact that Eruv Rav is in complete control over current events in Artzeinu Hakdosha, and that the process of geula is still in very early stages.Due to impatience, many of the escapees of Churban Europe (and who can blaim them?) went for the substitute geula of medinas yisrael. We are all anxious for a true geula, don't want to patiently and wait in golus, but have to realize that the "shortcuts" are delaying the process even more. It's sad to say but old fashioned hard work, study, tefila, and chesed, and self inspiration to break down the klipos inside of us is needed. Many thousands were attracted to Lubavitch as such a path, and no question the teshuva movement was initiated by the Rebbe and his followers. We are now ready to follow through on this unbelievably successful start, and move on to the next stage of old fashioned hard work to earn the geula. The M'or V'shemesh states that that Nachamu/Nachamu is the gmatria of Yitchak (Din), the first geula was Chesed Avraham, but the future geula we have to earn by deserving it (Din - Yitzchak), and that means hard work and no chesed short cuts.
Good posts. It is important thing to know that people, wiser or not can not know when is the Moshiach 's revelation time, when is early or late for it. The fact that Moshiach can come Today means that the reve;ation that we are waiting for does not depend on Moshiach but on us. We have to understand finally thaat we are not waiting for Moshiach but he is waiting for us. We must ask ourselves what to do to see Moshiach, listen and meet him. That's it. The rest are just words.
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