Sudden and Extreme Changes

BS”D 

Parashat Vayeishev 5785
by HaRav Nachman Kahana

It has been reported, that following the fall of the Asad regime in Syria, the head of IDF military intelligence and the head of Shabak (internal security) met in Jordan with their counterparts to discuss the real possibility that Iran would attempt to undermine the government of Jordan and send in Iranian troops to the border with Israel.

Let’s discuss this.

The changes in our region are so sudden and extreme that political analysts, commentators, as well as rabbis who have to prepare Shabbat drashot cannot keep up with events. And the only way to be relevant is to begin by appraising events beyond the present and then waiting for reality to set in.

I suggest that just as the Asad regime of Syria was overthrown, so too, by the will of HaShem in His plan for Am Yisrael, there will be a revolt and civil war in Jordan, with King Abdulla begging for refuge in Israel. This will necessitate our army seizing large areas within Jordan, if not all of that country.

Behind and energizing all that is happening in and around Eretz Yisrael are the tectonic changes in HaShem’s relations with Am Yisrael. They could be headlined “End of galut and beginning of the advent of the Mashiach”, meaning:We have troops along the width and length of the Gaza strip, which is part of the two biblical tribes of Yehuda and Shimon.

We have troops in Lebanon, which is situated on the soil of the two tribes of Asher and Naftali.
We have troops in Syria which is in the tribe of Menashe.

In total, there are Israelis today in the areas of ten of the twelve Biblical tribes that constitute Am Yisrael. Excluded are the tribes of Reuven and Gad, which are in the central and southern regions of Jordan.

Ten is nice but it’s not 12; and just like water, history seeks its natural level.

The last time Jews were in control in the areas of all the 12 tribes was in 722 BCE when Hoshea ben Ella, last king of the northern 10 tribes, was exiled by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser. That is 2746 years that Jews have not been present and in control in the areas of all 12 tribes at the same time!

The involvement of Iran in Jordan will necessitate our seizing large parts of Jordan, including the areas of Reuven and Gad, thereby closing the historical circle of 2746 years when Am Yisrael is again in control of all the land areas of all the 12 tribes.

This does necessarily mean that the Mashiach is about to arrive. In fact, it is quite possible that the era of pre-Mashiach struggle could continue with ups – and downs – for many more years; but the direction is the increasing admiration for the Jewish nation among the rational family of nations.

Megillat Ta’anit, or “Scroll of (not) Fasting,” is a compendium of miraculous events which occurred during the 420 years of the second temple period. It lists the days the rabbis prohibited fasting and eulogizing in order to commemorate with joy those days of miracles when HaShem intervened to save the Jewish nation. After the Temple’s destruction by the Romans, the Megillah was rescinded and those days of thanks were no longer relevant as holidays, except for two which retained their special status – Chanuka and Purim to this day. Why these two?

Chanukah
I suggest: Our rabbis knew that Chanuka and Purim would be relevant in future Jewish history, specifically to the events of our time, as follows:

Chanuka, which we will be celebrating during the next two weeks, commemorates the military achievements of the Maccabim who defeated the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV. His capital was Antioch in what is today’s southern Syria, and then we reconsecrated the defiled Temple of Jerusalem.

It took the Maccabees 33 years to achieve victory (167 BC to 134), but today our soldiers are walking freely in southern Syria without having fired even one shot. And if our government desired, we could capture all of the strategic areas of Syria.

It is now Chanuka plus.

Baruch… Shehechiyanu

Purim
Purim and the Megillah teach us important lessons:

1- The Megillah relates that when Haman told his wife Zeresh of the demeaning manner in which he had been treated by having to lead Mordechai on a horse through the city, his wife replied (Megillah 613):


… אם מזרע היהודים מרדכי אשר החלות לנפל לפניו לא תוכל לו כי נפול תפול לפניו

If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him. You will surely come to ruin!

And the reverse is true regarding the Jewish nation. “If your enemies before whom your greatness has begun to show are of Yishmael origin, you will rise from victory to victory without end.

2) After the astonishing turn of events in the 127 regions in the Persian empire when the citizens were preparing to murder all the Jews in one day on the 13th of Adar, and the Jews defended themselves, killing 75,000 across the land and another 800 in the city of Shushan, the reaction of the Persians was:


וּבְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּבְכָל עִיר וָעִיר מְקוֹם אֲשֶר דְבַר הַמֶלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִיעַ שִמְחָה וְשָשׂוֹן לַיְהוּדִים מִשְתֶה וְיוֹם טוֹב וְרַבִים מֵעַמֵי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִי נָפַל פַחַד הַיְהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם.

In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

If the chain of miraculous current events continues, we could be seeing great numbers of gentiles the world over leaving their religious beliefs in order to become Jews, as stated by Yirmiyahu the prophet (16,19):

…אליך גוים יבאו מאפסי ארץ ויאמרו אך שקר נחלו אבותינו הבל ואין בם מועיל:

…the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, our ancestors bequeathed us false gods, worthless idols that bring no benefit.


Conclusion
Something big is happening now in our world; changes which are on a Biblical scale.

As it appears, the destiny of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael is to achieve inter-national and religious recognition of which we have been deprived of for 2000 years.

All mankind will be affected. Some by wars, others by natural calamities, while others will undergo spiritual transitions. Our destiny is to return home and restore that which was lost to us by our not fulfilling the functions of HaShem’s chosen people.

We might soon prove to be the greatest generation in Jewish history!!!!

Shabbat Shalom,
Nachman Kahana
Copyright © 5785/2024 Nachman Kahana