Tag Archives: Shabbat

Iran, Mossad, and Mashiach

This week’s parasha, Shlach, begins with the infamous episode of the Spies. Moses sends a dozen spies to scout the Holy Land in preparation for the Israelite conquest. Of the twelve, ten return frightened and pessimistic, convincing their fellow Israelites to abandon any hopes of settling in God’s Promised Land. The result is a delay in the Redemption, and forty years in the Wilderness. After this failure in espionage, one would think we wouldn’t hear of spies in the Torah anymore. Yet, there are at least five more cases of Israelite espionage in Tanakh including, amazingly, one just a few chapters later:

Amidst a series of Israelite conquests on the east side of the Jordan River, we read how Moses himself sends another set of spies in preparation for the capture of Ya’azer (Numbers 21:32). Here, the spies not only do their job properly, but engage in battle behind enemy lines, conquering the city all on their own! Rashi comments here that they did this deliberately to not falter like the previous spies. The Maskil LeDavid (Rabbi David Pardo of Venice, 1719-1792) adds that the spies here did a genuine tikkun, a spiritual rectification, for the sin of the previous spies.

I believe that tradition has continued into the present day, with the incredible work of Israel’s secret service, the Mossad. The operations they have been able to accomplish in recent years in particular have been mind-blowing, whether the Hezbollah pagers last year or the current set of events in the war with Iran. Over the past three years, Mossad agents covertly smuggled into Iran a variety of drones and precision weapons, secretly stationing them near key Iranian military sites and air defense systems. Last week, they were finally activated, knocking out Iran’s ability to defend itself from the air, and laying the stage for Israel’s complete air superiority over the country. Like the spies in Ya’azer, one might similarly see the work of Mossad today as something of a rectification for the old Sin of the Spies. While the first spies in parashat Shlach failed to do what it took to inspire, settle, and protect the people of Israel in their own land, today’s Mossad spies are doing just that. It is therefore quite fitting that the founder of Mossad and its first spy chief was Reuven Shiloach (שילוח‎) whose name shares a root with this week’s parasha (שלח) of spies!

Reuben Shiloach

Reuven Shiloach (1909-1959) was born Reuven Zaslansky in Jerusalem, the son of a Haredi rabbi from Lithuania. In his teenage years, he was drawn to secular Zionism, learned Arabic, and went to teacher’s college. He joined the Haganah and soon started to work for its nascent intelligence service. He was given the code name “Shiloach” and was sent on his first mission in 1932 to Iraq, where he enrolled as a student at the University of Baghdad. After several Iraq missions, he was stationed in Lebanon and Syria, and later assisted British Intelligence and the CIA’s precursor, the OSS, during World War II.

Soon after the State of Israel was established, David Ben-Gurion sought to create an official intelligence agency, and tasked Shiloach with the job. Shiloach put together a plan for a “Coordination Bureau” to work together with Shin Bet and Aman (the IDF’s intelligence unit). It soon evolved into its own distinct institution, one that reports only to the Prime Minister of Israel. The Mossad’s original motto was drawn from King Solomon’s wise words in Proverbs 24:6, “For by stratagems you wage war.” It was later changed to Proverbs 11:14, “Without stratagems, an army falls; but victory comes with much planning.” Indeed, the Mossad’s work has been absolutely instrumental in Israel’s many victories.

Mossad’s logo, with motto from Proverbs.

Remembering Amalek

It’s not only the beginning of this week’s parasha that informs present-day events, but the last passage, too. Here we read of the mitzvah of tzitzit, and the necessity of including a blue thread of tekhelet. The Torah says “and you shall see it, and remember all of God’s commandments” (Numbers 15:39). The Zohar (III, 175b) points out that the same language is used in another place, when the Torah tell us to “remember what Amalek did to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). What’s the connection?

The Zohar teaches that it is when we do not observe God’s commandments, and break His “fences”, that retribution comes by way of Amalek. Indeed, we read in this week’s parasha that in the immediate aftermath of the Sin of the Spies, “Amalekites and Canaanites, who were dwelling on the mountain, came down and smote them and crushed them, pursuing them until Chormah.” (Numbers 14:45) Failing to heed Hashem led directly to being attacked by Amalek!

Amalek appears several more times in Tanakh, the last and most famous of which is the Purim account. Here, the villain is Haman the Agagite, a direct descendant of Amalek, who takes control of the Persian Empire and seeks to destroy the Jews. We find ourselves in the same situation today, where it is a corrupt, totalitarian Persian government once again seeking the destruction of Israel. Haman, Khameini—even the names haven’t changed much. In the Purim story, everything turned on its head quite suddenly, v’nahafokh hu. And we are on the cusp of the same now. In the Megillah (8:9), we read that it was on the 23rd of Sivan that Mordechai wrote new directives to all the Persian provinces, calling for everyone to rise up against the wicked followers of Haman. In our case, the 23rd of Sivan begins tonight, with reports of Khameini having already fled and in hiding.

Persia in Prophecy

It is worth remembering a couple of ancient prophecies about the Final Redemption: One is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s statement that “when you see Persian horses tied to graves in Israel, expect the footsteps of Mashiach.” (Shir haShirim Rabbah 8:9) In other words, when Persian weaponry is causing deaths in Israel, God forbid, one should know the Geulah is near. And another, more specific and detailed Midrash (explored in a number of shiurim in the past, such as this one), which says that “in the year that the King Mashiach will come” there will be conflict between Persia and Arabia, and then Persia will unleash its forces in an attempt to destroy Israel (Yalkut Shimoni II, 499). The Midrash describes that things will unfortunately get quite terrible, and Israel will cry out to God: “where do we go from here?” But then God will comfort us and remind us that all that happens is part of His master plan, and He did it all for us. The Geulah is indeed right around the corner.

In light of these prophecies being realized right before our eyes, what is there left for us to do, besides strengthening our faith and resolve? First, let us not fail like they did with the Spies in this week’s parasha; let us remain united as a people and take care of each other, with a clear and singular vision. Let us reinforce settlement of our Promised Land, and fully support our brave soldiers, spies, and air force pilots who guarantee it. There is nothing to fear, and things will shift very quickly for the better, as they did with Persia over two millennia ago.

We can draw a few more pieces of advice from this week’s parasha: First is the significance of Shabbat, as we read about the grave consequences of violating God’s holy day.  Second is the mitzvah of challah, introduced in this week’s parasha. While in ancient times, challah was specifically a gift to the kohanim who served in the Temple, today we associate “challah” bread with Shabbat, too. Our Sages famously tell us (Shabbat 118b) that if the entire Jewish people kept just one Shabbat collectively, all of Israel’s oppressors would be gone; and if we kept two consecutive Shabbats together, the Final Redemption would come immediately. In fact, the Talmud here echoes the Zohar in pointing out that as soon as Shabbat was first breached in Exodus 16:27, the very next thing is “And Amalek came and fought with Israel…” in Exodus 17:8. We mustn’t forget that our covenant with God is tied directly to Shabbat, so now is the best time to reinforce our commitment to observing Hashem’s holy day. Just one proper Shabbat and Amalek will be defeated for good.

Finally, for those who have not yet taken on wearing tzitzit with tekhelet, now is the opportune time to do so, and to remember daily not only God’s mitzvot but also, as the Zohar says, the tekhelet of God’s sapphire throne, and of King David’s throne, and the throne of Mashiach whom we will hopefully greet very soon.

Seven Judgements of Death

The ‘Pillars of Creation’ in the Eagle Nebula (Courtesy: NASA)

This week’s parasha, Vayak’hel, begins with the command to observe Shabbat. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, thus commanding us to organize our lives around the same seven-day week schedule. Observing Shabbat is testifying that Hashem is the Creator of this cosmos, and it is possibly the greatest display of our faith in the Creator. And so, the Torah warns that violating the Sabbath detaches one from their Maker, and ultimately brings about death (Exodus 35:2). The Zohar (II, 199a) comments on this week’s parasha that there are “seven judgements of death”. The soul goes through seven stages in the afterlife, each carrying the possibility of a very unpleasant experience.

The first “judgement” is the actual death itself, when the soul leaves the body. The Talmud (Berakhot 8a) states that there are 903 different ways it might occur. This is based on Psalms 68:21, which says “God is for us a God of deliverance; Hashem Adonai provides escapes from death.” The term “escapes from death” (לַמָּוֶת תֹּצָאוֹת) can also be read to refer to the soul escaping the body at death. The Talmud notes that the gematria of “escapes” (תֹּצָאֽוֹת) is 903, secretly alluding to the 903 ways that the soul might escape the body. It goes on to say that the worst form of death is the mysterious askara, often translated as “croup”, sometimes identified as diphtheria, or perhaps another terrible respiratory illness or asphyxiation. And the best and most pleasant way to die is through a neshikah, a kiss—the “kiss of death”—where the soul comes out of the body gently like “a hair drawn from milk”. Only the most righteous are said to merit dying by a divine kiss. (It is interesting to note that, elsewhere, the Talmud [Yevamot 62b] describes that Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students died by the terrible askara.)

The next “judgement” following death is when one’s “actions and words go before him and proclaim about him”. This may be referring to one’s life flashing before their eyes. If one had a good and righteous life, then a replay of their “actions and words” would probably be a pleasant experience. However, if one led a sinful life, a replay would be horrendously shameful. There are those who suggest this is the real torment of hell. It is partly based on Daniel 12:2, which says “Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to everlasting shame.” Similarly, Psalm 6:11 says “All my enemies will be shamed and stricken with terror; they will return in an instant and be shamed.” Why does it repeat “shame” twice? Rashi explains here that the wicked will be sentenced to Gehinnom, and when they protest, God will replay their sinful lives again (unraveling their “scrolls”), and they will be doubly shamed.

The Zohar continues to teach that the third “judgement” is the actual burial of the body. If a person lives a solely material existence and is very attached to their body, then the experience of burial will be an unpleasant one. For a spiritual person who is not so attached to their body and is easily able to shed their outer garment, it won’t be distressing at all.

Then comes dina d’kavra, or din hakever, judgement “at the grave” itself. This is likely the same as the hibbut hakever described in other places. In Sefer Chokhmat HaNefesh, Rabbi Elazar of Worms (c. 1176 – 1238) cites a Midrash that when a person is buried, the Angel of Death appears at the grave and asks the soul’s name. The wicked do not remember their names following death (being so disoriented and confused), so the Angel of Death takes them immediately up for judgement. (Later versions have a much worse description, with a beating involving a frightening chain of metal and fire!) Thankfully, the righteous do remember their names, and are spared. Based on this, there is a widespread custom to recite a verse from Tanakh that starts and ends with the first and last letters of one’s name at the conclusion of the Amidah (this is found in most siddurim today). Doing so is supposed to help a person recall their name after death, and avoid hibbut hakever.

Next comes dina d’tolaata, the “judgement of the worms”, referring to the decomposition of the body. For the wicked, who have a hard time detaching their souls from their bodies in the grave, this is particularly painful. For the righteous who can shed their bodies easily, they don’t feel the decomposition. Some uniquely righteous individuals don’t decompose at all (see, for instance, Bava Batra 17a), and avoid the “judgement of worms” entirely.

The sixth judgement is the suffering in Gehinnom. This is not for eternal damnation, but to rectify the soul. As the Mishnah (Eduyot 2:10) says clearly, it carries a maximum sentence of 12 months—which is why it is customary to recite Kaddish for the dead for no more than a year. Now, the “flames” of Gehinnom are said to subside on every Shabbat, giving the souls a reprieve. This is one of the deeper reasons for why lighting fires is forbidden on Shabbat, as commanded at the start of this week’s parasha. God doesn’t “light any fires” in Gehinnom either! The Zohar (II, 150b) adds that the fire subsides on holidays and Rosh Chodesh, too. Those who kept Shabbat while alive get to leave Gehinnom and enjoy a Heavenly Sabbath, but those who desecrated Shabbat stay in Gehinnom (without the flames).

Finally, the seventh judgement is when “the soul wanders around the world, without rest until it fulfills its deeds.” This is referring to reincarnation, where the soul needs to return into this world if it has not yet completed its mission. One who has fulfilled all mitzvot and rectified all aspects of their soul has no need to reincarnate. That said, sometimes righteous people do reincarnate to help others in this world. (For lots more on reincarnation, see the three-part series of videos here.) Before briefly sharing King David’s thoughts on these seven judgements, the Zohar concludes by reminding us how important it is for each person to be very careful with their deeds, and to make sure to do genuine teshuva and return to Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom!

The 30 Noahide Laws, Part 3: Redemption

In the concluding installment of the series, we address some final big questions like: Can Noahides pray from a siddur? Put on tefillin? Recite berakhot? Are Noahides obligated in honouring parents? Giving charity? And how can the Noahide Laws help to usher in the Final Redemption? Plus: the spiritual origins of Noahides according to the Arizal, transgenics and GMOs, and the greatest sign that we are already in the End of Days.

For the complete chart of 30 Noahide Laws with sources, see here.

See also: ‘Will There Be Sacrifices in the Third Temple?’
and ‘What’s the Ideal Number of Children to Have?‘