Parashat Mikeitz – Chanuka 5782
by HaRav Nachman Kahana
The JCPOA – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal.
This is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015, between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, plus Germany and the European Union.
Frankly, I am not insulted that I was not invited to attend, although I have an important message for all the American and European “chachamim”.
Learning from the Past
The most eloquent and articulate orator could not describe the depth of Yosef’s emotions as he was lowered into a pit swarming with snakes and scorpions, or the helplessness he felt during his years in the Egyptian dungeon, or the suffering of his father during the years he believed that Yosef was no longer among the living.
By the same token, we cannot imagine the profound despair felt by Yehuda Maccabee and his soldiers when they observed from their mountain stronghold the thousands of Greek soldiers moving forward in a “phalanx” formation, units of sixteen times sixteen soldiers each grasping a seven-meter spear.
To bring the issue a bit closer to home, how will we feel when it becomes apparent that the United States has thrown us “under the bus” when Iran achieves nuclear capability via the distorted logic of the White House?
Or when the “enlightened” nations of Europe will be apathetic when Israel will be expelled from the United Nations?
Or when China and Russia back the Arab claims that we are an occupier nation and must return to the international cease fire lines of 1947. Even more, we must permit the return of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the Arabs who following their leaders’ directions fled during the War of Independence, thereby relegating the Jews in the holy land into an endangered minority.
Or when the US restores the military draft and begins drafting nice young orthodox Jewish men and women.
Or prohibiting shechita and circumcision? And limiting the sum that an oleh may take with him out of the US to 100 dollars, virtually closing the door on aliya?
One might say that these things cannot happen. Dear friends, not only can they happen, they will happen!
Why?
If we open our history books, we will perceive that HaShem comes to our rescue only when our backs are to the wall, in order to discern between the “light” believers and “true” believers (see the 10th blessing in the middle part of the Amida prayer).
The exodus from Egypt occurred when Moshe’s desperate efforts to free the Jews resulted in Paro’s increased cruelty by denying the slaves of raw material, yet compelling them to fill their usual daily quotas, dashing the slaves’ last hope for freedom.
HaShem caused the Red Sea to split only when the waves reached the lips of Nachshon ben Aminadav who was the first to jump into the churning waters.
Learning from the Prophets
Let’s return to the Iranian nuclear effort.
I would like to state my thoughts regarding the true intentions of the ruthless, Islamic State of Iran-Persia, which will go down in history as the second greatest ruse after Pearl Harbor, based on three of our sources:
1- The Gemara (Yoma 10a) states in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:
In the future, Paras (Iran) will wage war against Rome (Europe).
And the Gemara informs us that the rabbis disagree as to who will be victorious – the Christians or Islamic Persia (let’s wish both sides great success).
2- The book of Midrashim, Yalkut Shimoni, Yishayahu chapter 498:
“The year when the Mashiach will appear, the world’s nations will taunt and provoke each other. Persia (Iran) will provoke the king of Arabia who will seek advice from Aram. Persia will destroy the world.”
The world order of nations.
“All the nations will be in a state of terror and fear and suffer the pangs like a woman in childbirth. Yisrael, too, will be panic stricken and cry out: “where shall we come? where shall we go?”
Then HaShem will say to Am Yisrael, “My children, be not afraid. All that I have done is for your benefit. The time for your redemption has arrived. But unlike the redemption from Egyptian slavery, which was followed by a long history of suffering, this redemption from the hatred of the nations will be without suffering. There will be no nation that will threaten you again.”
3- The commentary of the Malbim (Meir Laibish ben Yechiel Michal) to the prophet Yechezkel 32,17:
“It will come to pass in the end of days, after the Jewish people will return to the land of Israel, that the nations will come together in order (with the intent) to capture Yerushalayim.
The prophet names the nations who will come. Gog, the king of Meshech and Tuval from the north and west who are uncircumcised and called “Edom” living now in Europe. And Paras (Persia), Kush and the House of Turgama who are all circumcised and adhering to the belief of Yishmael, will join with the children of Edom to attempt to capture the Land of Israel from the Jews.
When they arrive, however, they will create chaos among themselves and make war on each other. In other words, Edom will make war on Yishmael because their beliefs are different.
“And there HaShem will judge them in sword and blood”, as stated by the prophet Zecharia chapter 14.
And here the prophet (Yechezkel) relates how they all will be lost; and he singles out Egypt, Ashur and Elam (Persia today) who adhere to the religion of Yishmael and are today circumcised. The first to be utterly destroyed will be the Egyptians, who are the closest to the Land of Israel and will come forward first and fall. Then the Assyrians and Persians will come to avenge their ally, and they all will be destroyed.
Learning from Current Events
The Islamic Shi’ite leaders of Iran are inherently and innately incapable of telling the truth, as are most Arab and Moslem leaders and their adherents. Lying and deceit are part of their culture when it serves their purposes. Muhammad did it often, and many people paid with their lives by believing him. So, what they say at any given moment is total fabrication, or at best a distortion of the truth.
The Iranians do not want nuclear weapons in order to attack Israel, for that they don’t need intercontinental ballistic missiles. We are simply a deceptive camouflage for their real enemies – the Christian nations of Europe and points west across the Atlantic. Moslems, Sunnis, and Shi’ite, hate Christians more than they hate the Jews, and Christians hate Moslems almost as much as Christians hate Jews.
What is in store for the world? As I understand our sources, the Christian nations of Europe and the US will wage a war to the death against the Islamic Republic of Iran. At some point, China will enter the fray on the side of Iran, while we, in Medinat Yisrael will view it all live on color TV.
What does the future hold?
The Iranians will soon achieve nuclear capability.
The West and Iran are on a collision course towards mutual destruction, as they meet to discuss ways of defusing the ticking time bomb. The representatives of the respective nations will be utterly frustrated, except in one area – their mutual hatred towards Jews in general, and specifically the Jews in Eretz Yisrael.
Here, in Eretz Yisrael, bewilderment will share the stage with dread. Many will try to leave, but there will be nowhere to go. The emergency “hotline” request to Washington will go unheeded. The President informs the Prime Minister that the US has no choice but to be neutral in this situation, since the decision was taken by the UN General Assembly where the US has no veto power.
Dear brothers and sisters:
Many among us are apprehensive at the unfolding of current events; however, it is a postulate in world events – those of our time and of times past – that they are all designed by HaShem for the ultimate redemption of the Jewish nation. There is no reason to fear, no matter what might seem to be the perils – because hakol be’ye’day shamayim – it is all in HaShem’s hands.
The ninth of the middle blessings in the Amida prayer:
“And let there be no hope for informers (or slanderers) and let all wickedness (Aisav and Yishmael to begin with) perish in a moment, and let all Your enemies be swiftly cut off and quickly uproot the dominion of arrogance, crushing, reducing, and humbling it in our day. Blessed are You, Lord, who breaks your enemies and humbles the arrogant”.
AMEN
Shabbat Shalom
Nachman Kahana
Copyright © 5782/2021 Nachman Kahana
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