Recently, I came across a section in the Kav Hayashar that describes the 10 consequences that will happen to those who oppress the Jewish people, just as these 10 consequences happened to the ancient Egyptians who oppressed Am Yisrael.
Symbolized by the 10 pieces of chametz placed around the home the night before Pesach on Bedikat Chametz (they also symbolize the 10 Plagues), the Kav Hayashar explains the following in Chapter 89:
Symbolized by the 10 pieces of chametz placed around the home the night before Pesach on Bedikat Chametz (they also symbolize the 10 Plagues), the Kav Hayashar explains the following in Chapter 89:
וְקַבָּלָה הִיא בְּיָדִי מִן רַבּוֹתַי, שֶׁהָיוּ מְצַוִּים לְהַנִּיחַ חָמֵץ בַּעֲשָׂרָה מְקוֹמוֹת, נֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה מַכּוֹת שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים, וּכְנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה דִּינִים שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָתִיד לְבַעֵר וּלְנַעֵר וְלִכְרוֹת וּלְהַמֵּם, לַהֲרֹס וְלַעֲקֹר וְלִנְתֹץ וְלִנְתשׁ וּלְכַלּוֹת וּלְקַעֲקֵעַ בֵּיצָתָם שֶׁל מְצֵרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
We have an oral tradition that our mentors used to order that leaven bread [chametz] be left in ten places. This corresponds to the ten plagues that the Holy One Blessed Be He brought upon the Egyptians as well as the ten judgments with which He will one day punish those who oppressed Israel. That is, He will 1) eradicate them, 2) shake them out, 3) cut them off, 4) confound them, 5) destroy them, 6) uproot them, 7) shatter them, 8) abandon them, 9) finish them off and 10) uproot their tessticles.
[Note: The translation for #10 is as found on Sefaria, which I believe originates with the original Metzuda text. But many thanks to an astute reader who enlightened me that this term commonly means just "to totally uproot" -- meaning, "to totally uproot their roots." The example given was Rashi on Beresheis 32:26 HERE. -- MR]
It occurred to me these judgments seem to be happening now.
True, we're not seeing them in full, but perhaps we are seeing the beginning of this process.
Our enemies, though they also attack us, mostly fight each other, eradicating each other. They're uprooting each other and shaking each other out, so to speak.
Earthquakes (a definite form of shaking) have been occurring all over, but it can't be denied they've also happened in places that contain they who oppose Israel, whether for religious reasons or political (Leftist) reasons.
And in fact, the above list strikes those who oppose the core VALUES of Yisrael, whether they politically support the State of Israel or not. And many places stricken by the above definitely reject Torah values.
Furthermore, with gender-change surgeries on the rise, we are certainly seeing a rise in the literal uprooting of the male part.
And the people who opt for these radical surgeries are people who oppose Torah values with all their might, with leaders bent on coercing the rest of society to think like them.
"Confound them" -- society is certainly becoming more and more confounded, isn't it?
Shocking things happen and no one on either side quite knows how to respond.
Just as one of many examples, President Trump's rapid ascendancy certainly confounded a great many Leftists to the point that we've seen the rise in something coined "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
And look at how many people are on psychotropic medication, especially children.
Drinking has been a problem for decades, but now there's also what's called an "opium epidemic."
People feel they can't manage life on their own.
Suicide is up among youth in America, one of the world's best places to live.
True, we're not seeing them in full, but perhaps we are seeing the beginning of this process.
Our enemies, though they also attack us, mostly fight each other, eradicating each other. They're uprooting each other and shaking each other out, so to speak.
Earthquakes (a definite form of shaking) have been occurring all over, but it can't be denied they've also happened in places that contain they who oppose Israel, whether for religious reasons or political (Leftist) reasons.
And in fact, the above list strikes those who oppose the core VALUES of Yisrael, whether they politically support the State of Israel or not. And many places stricken by the above definitely reject Torah values.
Furthermore, with gender-change surgeries on the rise, we are certainly seeing a rise in the literal uprooting of the male part.
And the people who opt for these radical surgeries are people who oppose Torah values with all their might, with leaders bent on coercing the rest of society to think like them.
"Confound them" -- society is certainly becoming more and more confounded, isn't it?
Shocking things happen and no one on either side quite knows how to respond.
Just as one of many examples, President Trump's rapid ascendancy certainly confounded a great many Leftists to the point that we've seen the rise in something coined "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
And look at how many people are on psychotropic medication, especially children.
Drinking has been a problem for decades, but now there's also what's called an "opium epidemic."
People feel they can't manage life on their own.
Suicide is up among youth in America, one of the world's best places to live.
It all fits the above, except that instead of getting hit by a storm of hail, locusts, or frogs, people are doing it to themselves. (Although yes, the wildfires and volcanoes and earthquakes aren't being caused by humans.)
While those on the political right in support of traditional values (some of whom are also Jew-haters and despise our pure monotheism) view the above as a type of persecution (as I do) and a war on traditional values, I'm starting to wonder whether maybe it's not so much an attack on us, but Heavenly Judgement being carried out against them.
True, we're affected by their meshugas, but it seems like they're actually suffering more, even if they don't realize it. Or even if they misidentify the source of their suffering.
For example, those suffering from gender confusion point to society's nonacceptance of their dysphoria as the source of their suffering, but the truth is that the source of their suffering is their own dysphoria and their unwillingness to take an honest look at what really needs to be healed.
At least we have the Torah. We have Hashem. We have emuna.
What do they have?
Nothing.
As things start shaking up, confounding, uprooting, shattering, abandoning, destroying, we have the unbreakable Cord of Emuna on which to grasp tight.
They have nothing.
And this Cord of Emuna is available to anyone who wants to grasp on to it.
Anyone. You just have to grab it.
Ashreinu! Mah tov chelkeinu!
While those on the political right in support of traditional values (some of whom are also Jew-haters and despise our pure monotheism) view the above as a type of persecution (as I do) and a war on traditional values, I'm starting to wonder whether maybe it's not so much an attack on us, but Heavenly Judgement being carried out against them.
True, we're affected by their meshugas, but it seems like they're actually suffering more, even if they don't realize it. Or even if they misidentify the source of their suffering.
For example, those suffering from gender confusion point to society's nonacceptance of their dysphoria as the source of their suffering, but the truth is that the source of their suffering is their own dysphoria and their unwillingness to take an honest look at what really needs to be healed.
At least we have the Torah. We have Hashem. We have emuna.
What do they have?
Nothing.
As things start shaking up, confounding, uprooting, shattering, abandoning, destroying, we have the unbreakable Cord of Emuna on which to grasp tight.
They have nothing.
And this Cord of Emuna is available to anyone who wants to grasp on to it.
Anyone. You just have to grab it.
Ashreinu! Mah tov chelkeinu!
May Hashem bring the Geula in a sweet way.
Note: Sorry for the inconvenience, but my filter is inconsistent and some words can get me blocked from my own blog page and I won't be able to respond to your comments. So if you could use coded language or misspelled words (as I did above), that would be best. Sorry again.
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