#34 - End of the GOLDEN Age

As I promised as the end of my last post, today I will be writing about blood. It doesn't have to be all negative - donating blood for others needing it is a most noble act. In Judaism, the Dam Brit - the blood that comes out as a result of the ritual circumcision signifies that one more Jewish boy has entered the covenant of Judaism - and is given his ID - his Jewish name - on the spot.

Today - Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17 Tamuz on which we fast during the daytime, begins the period known as Bein HaMetzarim - which ends with Tisha B'Av which is three weeks later, marking the most tragic time of the Jewish people. This consists of exactly 22 days, corresponding to which are the sets of 22 verses in Eicha/Lamentations in which the verses begin with the consecutive 22 letters of the Alef Beit.

With this being said, there is an intrinsic connection between the months of Tamuz & Av. Tikunei Zohar (Tikun 21, page 59a) mentions that the 12 months of the year correspond to the letters of Hashem's name A-do-noy when their letters are spelled out. That is - Alef: Alef, Lamed, Pei; Dalet: Dalet, Lamed, Tav/Sav; Noon: Noon, Vav, Noon; Yud: Yud, Vav, Dalet. As we count the Jewish months from Nissan - Tamuz corresponds to the letter Dalet, and Av corresponds to the letter Lamed. Indeed, these two letters spell the word DAL, which means poor. Indeed, a most poor time in the Jewish calendar.

As this is my 34th post, there are a couple things that I want to say in relationship to this. The word Dal/poor indeed is the Gematria of 34. And there is another very significant thing about this number. As pointed at on http://redemption5768.blogspot.com/, the longest verse in the entire Chumash - Five Books of Moses - is Exodus 32:1, consisting of 34 words. It is this verse that introduces what led to the sin of the GOLDEN Calf when Jews asked Aharon - when they didn't see Moshe come back when they thought he said he would return - to make a god for them. This began the first POOR time of the Jewish people (this part actually took place on the day - on 16 Tamuz - but the idol worshipping didn't begin until the morning of 17 Tamuz).

As today is a fast day, there is a special Torah reading for this day - in fact, it is read twice today. This is also read on the other four public fasts besides Yom Kippur. The difference is that is was on this very date of 17 Tamuz that Moshe's prayer to Hashem to spare the Jewish nation from death as a result of the sin of the Golden Calf that today's Torah reading for fast days consists of which is read on this very day. Thus, this particular fast day takes on a special significance.

Among Moshe's prayers, he asked Hashem, "Why should the Egyptians say: "Oh, it was with evil (intent) that Hashem took the Jews out of our country to kill them...?"" (Exodus 32:12). Consequently, "Hashem recanted the evil - Ra'ah" that he said that he was going to do to the Jews when he said originally that he was going to destroy the entire Jewish nation. Now, a couple of questions can be asked here. Would it be just the Egyptians who would be saying this, or would there be other nations upon hearing about what could have happened to the Jews who would also be asking this? Also, does Hashem do "evil"? Certainly, there are plenty of unpleasant events to say the least that Hashem wills and allows to happen, including the Holocaust. Yes, killing people without just and legal cause is nothing short of murder. But is this how Hashem can be described as doing as the Creator and Boss of the world?

As Rashi brings from the Yalkut Shimoni, Moshe was referring to a conversation that Pharoh had with him while yet in Egypt. "See that evil is facing you" (Exodus 10:10) - Pharoh, familiar with astrology, was warning Moshe that there is this star called Ra'ah - which literally means evil - that would be facing the Jews in the desert - signifying blood and killing. And so when the Jews sinned with the Golden Calf, it was to this that Moshe was referring to when he asked "Why should the Egyptians say: Oh, it was with evil..." It was in response to this that Hashem recanted the destruction of the Jewish people that was signified by this star called Ra'ah, and turned this blood into the Dam Brit of the circumcision that the uncircumcised Jews of the desert had upon the entry to Israel which was performed by Joshua the day after the mass Aliyah. This is what Joshua meant when he said "Today, I have removed the shame of the Egyptians from you" (Joshua 5:9).

Nice story about astrology, but we learn a very crucial lesson here. Indeed, there is truth to astrology, but the Talmud tells us "Ein Mazal L'Yisrael". There is no fortune telling for Jews because what happens or doesn't happen to us depends on our actions, and Hashem's mercies. If it would have been left entirely up to astrology, Abraham would never have had children. But it has to be remembered that it is Hashem Who is the Creator of astrology, and arranged it as such that things can be fortold about the future with it. This may be good for non-Jews, and while there are stories of astrologists telling rabbis of bad things that were supposed to happen to them or someone they knew, it didn't happen at the end as a result of the person in question giving Tzedaka/charity. It is interesting to note that one of the names for money in Hebrew is called Damim - which is also plural for the word Dam/Blood. Yes, it is blood money to save one's life through the merit of giving Tzedaka. (NOTE: It is forbidden by Jewish Law to rely on these astrology books or articles in the paper about the "daily astrology" based on one's birth sign. There are books within the realm of authentic Judaism based on this subject. An Orthodox rabbi who decides Jewish law should be consulted on this subject, as one's faith should be only in Hashem, and not in some other force within nature).

It was exactly 233 years that the Declaration of Indepence took place. Question? Today is July 9 - not July 4. That's right - but note the Jewish date of when this took place - 17 Tamuz! Yes my friends, the foundation of the United States took place on one of the most tragic dates of Jewish history. And just like today, both the sin of the idolatry of the Golden Calf and the Declaration of Independence took place on a Thursday!

Yes, we have had our freedom of religion - or freedom of not keeping religion - as guaranteed, or at least is supposed to be guaranteed - by the Constitution, the "most important document of the United States" (quote from Phillip Berg, Esq. from http://www.obamacrimes.com/). Indeed, this country served as a refuge for Jews escaping the Holocaust when President Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't interfere or right after the Holocaust around which time President Harry Truman took over the reins and allowed these immigrant Jews to bounce back in life, some who made some of the biggest fortunes and contributed significantly to American society. Many Jews have returned to the Jewish fold thanks to varioius outreach programs in the States.
But right from the start, the Avoda Zara - idolatry of the "good life" unfortunately had a big say in the spiritual decline & deterioration of Jews in this country. There was a time that this country was called a "Treifa Medina" - nonkosher country. Young Jews coming by boat from the good ol' Jewish life in Europe, upon reaching the shores of the "free" land, threw their Tefillin from the ship even before disembarking now that they reached AMERICA (I know of someone who put Tefillin on his grandfather who threw out his Tefillin in these circumstances some 75 years earlier!). In fact, the very word America can be spelled in Hebrew as Am Reika - "baseless/empty nation". And for how Judaism was doing at the time - most Jews were following what was known as Enlightment or Reform "Judaism", who mocked what real, authentic Judaism is supposed to be. And even among Orthodox Jews, most who were living in New York, the typical scenario was the Jewish father going to synagogue while the children went to public school, and the rest is history. Without Jewish education, Jews growing up will most likely follow their peers, not their "old fashioned" parents.

As I wrote a little earlier, today is exactly 233 years from 17 Tamuz - more known as July 4, 1776. The number 233 is the Gematria of Regel/foot. Yes, my friends, we are at the FOOT, the end of American history of 233 years of a safe haven for peoples of all faiths, including Jews, to practice their religion, which begin with a declaration of independence, signifying that a new nation would be free to do as it so choose without Britian. Some one dozen year later, details of this was written out as the Constitution. The same Constitution that is supposed to guarantee religious rights and freedom also dictates that only a NATURAL-BORN citizen is allowed to take the oath as president of the United States.

Barak Hussein Obama DOES NOT meet this qualification. His so called birth certificate showing him to be born in Hawaii is a forgery, and has been proven as such by someone undercover for fear of retribution. His birth country of Kenya declared his birth place a country monument. Yet, the liberal Democrats (besides Phillip Berg, Esq. who has sued Obama in a few ways), the media, the justice system - including the Supreme Court -have ignored any and every negative fact about Obama. It was in the 233rd year from the Declaration of Independence that a rule in the Constitution has been blatantly ignored and violated in this Triefe Medina. Indeed, the first two letters of the word Medina/country are Mem & Dalet, which is the total of the number 44.

Yes, the 44th president Obama has shattered any and every legality of the law & order in the United States. And as Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers tells us "Aveira Goreret Aveira" - one sin leads to another sin. Today is the violation of who can be president of the country, and tomorrow - G-d spare us - will be the violation of religious rights & freedom - once marshall law gets into effect. And the same two letters - Mem & Dalet spell backwords as Dam/blood or bloodshed-killing as America's present and near future is described on http://www.shuva.net/.

Obama has put a temporary bandage on the failing economy of the States. But as today's kabbalists and autistic children are telling us, that unlike previous times that the economy got out of the recession, this time - IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. Things will get worse and worse, and you know who gets blamed when the economy fails in any given country. Indeed, on this very day that I am writing my 34th post, as 34 is the numerical value of the word DAL/poor, I see among the Yahoo headlines for today - "565K new jobless claims, lowest level since Jan.". So much for the "experts" of the economy predicting a start of leaving the recession during this summer!

Time is running out! We are at the foot, the end of the GOLDEN age - today's GOLDEN calf - of American history of 233 years. The foot has stopped running out of money that is of long term value, and is now at the real POOR stage of its history. Obama being elected and becoming president in its 233rd year shows that the FOOT or END of legal law of the United States is over. And now that this has happened, the economy will no longer have a solid basis to stand upon. This government may be followers of the "Democratic Party", but is no longer following the rules of a Democratic country. Slowly but maturely, it is becoming a Communist bloody force, and will only be a matter of time before it implements martial law. And in case anyone needs a little memory jog in world history - both Russia & Germany had their respective constitutions guaranteeing religious rights and freedom. Well, we know what happened at the end.

G-d willing, will be posting again next week.

Shiva Asar (17) B'Tamuz, 5769