Transforming Galut into Geulah 1

BSD

Transforming Galut (Exile) into Geulah (Redemption)

We are living in a very special time, an EndTime. Many prophecies have already come true, and
the fulfillment of many more may just be around the corner. We have returned to our land after
two thousand years:

Thus says Hashem: Now I will restore the captivity of Yaacov, and have compassion on the
entire House of Israel... When I have brought them back from among the nations and
gathered them out of their enemies lands; when I am sanctified among them in the sight of
many nations. Then they will know that I am the Eternal One, Hashem their God. I am the
One who caused them to be exiled among the nations, and I am the One who will gather
them back to their own land, leaving not one of them there any more. Then, I shall no longer
hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit [of prophecy] on the House of Israel,
says Hashem (Ezekiel 39:25-29).
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But what about the negative prophecies? What are we to do when almost the entire world gangs
up against us? Hashem promised us that He will save us, but isnt so simple. We dare not just sit
back and think that we will be saved. We must search deeply within our souls for the answers,
for our connection to our Creator.

For instance, we have one little prophecy from the Zohar: The prophet Zechariah wrote: Behold
[O Jerusalem], the day of the Lord comes when your spoils shall be divided in your midst. For I
will gather the nations against Jerusalem for battle (14:1).

The Zohar comments (1:119a):
All the nations shall unite together against the daughter of Yaacov in order to annihilate her
from the face of the earth. Concerning that time it is written, It will be a time of crisis for
Yaacov, but he shall be saved from it (Jeremiah 30:7)... At that time, the children of Yishmael
will rouse all the peoples of the world to come up to war against Jerusalem, as it is written,
For I will gather the nations against Jerusalem for battle... (Zechariah 14:2). Also, The kings of

1
The Midrash teaches that Hashem gathered the dust of Adams body together from all corners of the earth. He then blew a
nishmat chayim (soul-breath of life) into him to bring him to life. This Divine act occurred on the first Friday, the 6th day of
creation. It is for this reason that Jewish women to this day make challah on Friday in preparation for Sabbath. Adam was the
challah, the choice dough of the earth, created on the 6th day of creation, in honor of the Sabbath.
That first Friday also corresponds to the present 6th millennium. During the 6th millennium, we are told, Hashem will
gather the dust of Israels body from all corners of the earth to the land of Israel. He will then blow a nishmat chayim into Israel,
to resuscitate the Jewish people and give it the spiritual power needed to fulfill its prophetic mission at the end of history. This is
the meaning of Joels prophecy concerning the Messianic Era, Afterwards, I [Hashem] will pour My spirit out on all flesh. Your
sons and daughters will prophesy; your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions (Joel 3:1). All
mankind will be lifted up to experience prophecy, but it will begin with Israel.
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) the prophet saw a prophetic vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones. According to the Gaon of Vilna
and Malbim, this parallels the resurrection of the Jewish body that will take place as part of the Messianic drama. Like Adam in
the Garden of Eden, this resurrection will take place in two stages. First, the bones of the body will come together. Only then will
the neshamah-soul enter the bodies to revive them completely. In both instances, the physical precedes the spiritual. So too the
physical restoration of the Jewish people precedes the restoration of the soul. We are now witnessing the resurrection of the body
of Israel. When the soul returns, Israel can then fulfill its mission as the heart and soul, i.e., the true leaders and teachers, of
humanity. It is for this reason that Hashem is returning the children of Israel to Himself now.
Transforming Galut into Geulah 2
the earth stand up and the rulers take counsel together against Hashem and against His
anointed... He who sits in the heavens will laugh. God will mock them (Psalm 2:2, 4).

In another place the Zohar reveals the true identity of the leaders of these nations who will gather
against Israel (Zohar 2:58b):

In the future, the Holy One will bring back to life [i.e., reincarnate] all the kings who harmed
Israel, destroying the Temple and Jerusalem. [These include Roman emperors] Hadrian and
Lipinus, [as well as Babylonian kings] Nevuchadnezzar and Sancheriv, and all other rulers of
peoples who brought about the destruction of His Temple. He will bring them all back together
[at the same time] and give them power [over their respective peoples]. The remaining nations
will also gather with them [against Israel]. The Holy One will then punish them publicly [in the
eyes of all mankind]. [This entire scenario will be brought to its climax] in the environs
surrounding Jerusalem. This is the meaning of the verse, This is the plague with which God
will smite all the peoples who tzavu [waged war] against Jerusalem... It is not written yitzveu
[who will wage war in the future] but tzavu [who waged war in the past indicating that all
these peoples and their leaders will be reincarnated and together attempt to do in the future
what they individually succeeded in doing in the past].

In Ezekiel 38 we read about Gog:
Hashem says to Gog, I am against you, Gog I will put hooks in your cheeks (meaning, I will
put a desire in you that is so strong that you will not be able to resist it), and I will lead you and
your entire army and many nations with you Get ready Gog, prepare yourself, you and all
your troops In the distant future you will march against a land restored from the sword, whose
people have been gathered from many peoples You will march against the long desolate
mountains of Israel You will come up, approaching like a storm, like a cloud covering the
earth. You and all your divisions and many peoples with you. In the distant future you will
march against My people, Israel, like a cloud covering Gods land, Gog, I will bring you to My
land so the nations will know Me, when I become sanctified through you as they watch.

And in Chapter 39:
I am against you, Gog I will destroy you. I will bring you up from the more distant parts of
the north, to the mountains of Israel You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your
divisions, and all the peoples with you.

No question that its all true. The danger is extremely real. But we must know one very
important fact: Hashem loves us so much. And He wants to help us.

He wouldnt be putting us in this situation time and again if He didnt love us so much. He just
wants us to call to Him. To really call, from the depths of our hearts, with all the awareness of
the physical danger to ourselves, our loved ones, to all mankind. To pray with all the awareness
of imminent danger, but with one difference: that Hashem loves us and wants to save us. He just
wants us to open up our hearts and to really know that He is here.
This is what Hashem asked of us at the Red Sea:

n u o . o x ' u u o o . u u o 5
u : u u : ' o n u n u u : :
Transforming Galut into Geulah 3
Moshe said to the people: Do not fear! Stand steady and behold the salvation that Hashem is
about to bring you today! For you are now seeing Mitzrayim for the last time today. You will
never see them again, forever. Hashem will fight for you; you must just remain still (Ex. 14:13-14).

In Jeremiah 29 we read:
u u o o o n n 5 ' . u : u o o
: u n o u n : o u n u : a o 5 u u n o p
u :
For I know the thoughts that I have towards you, says Hashem. They are thoughts of peace; not
for evil; [it is all in order] to give you acharit vetikvah [an end filled with hope]. But you must
call to Me. You will then find Me, for you will have searched with all your hearts (29:11-13).

When we connect to that deepest place of knowing that Hashem is here with usthat He is the
ONE who is running the showthen all of a sudden, those people and their bombs and their evil
machinations, theyre not so big. Theyve shrunk to the level of ants.

Each one of usand all of us togetherconnecting to the Infinite Source. Thats what its all
about. Connecting the finite to the Infinite, and bringing more of the Infinite into the finite.

With this we now have the proper perspective to understand the time we are living in. We are
living just before the dawn of the Messianic Age. This is why we have been born now. In
addition to fixing whatever has to be fixed from previous lifetimes, we have come to participate
in the great collective awakening. We are part of the GREAT COLLECTIVE DRAMA OF THE
SOULS.

Prophecy is just about to be restored. Spiritual sight and understanding. The deeper reasons
behind things, including the spiritual powers that operate behind the scenes. And most
importantly of all, the Spiritual Power behind all. See how the Torah speaks:

u u : u o o o ' :
As Pharaoh drew close, bnei Yisrael lifted up their eyes, and behold, Mitzrayim nosea [Rashi:
i.e., the angel-prince of Egypt was following (singular)] behind them; they were terrified; and
bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem (Exodus 14:10, according to Rashi, based on Devarim Rabbah 1:22).

Barukh Hashem, immediately after this, we saw:
Mitzrayim met al sfat hayam[the angel-prince of] Egypt dead (singular) on the shore of the
sea (Exodus 14:30).

Lets look at Daniel. The entire seventh chapter of Daniel is devoted to Daniels vision of the
four empires that would rule the world. He envisioned these empires in the form of four
immense, terrifying beasts, followed by the eternal kingdom of the Mashiach:

In my vision at night I was watching when, behold, the four winds of heaven began stirring
up the great sea. Four immense beasts then rose up from the sea, each one different from the
other. The first was like a lion with eagles wings. I was watching until [I saw] its wings were
plucked and it was removed from the earth And behold, another beast, a second one,
Transforming Galut into Geulah 4
similar to a bear After this, I was watching, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four
birds wings on its back. The beast had four heads, and it was given dominion.

After this, I was watching in night visions, and behold, a fourth beast exceedingly terrifying,
awesome, and strong. With immense iron teeth, it was consuming and crumbling, and
trampling the rest [i.e., the other beasts] with its feet. It was distinct from all the beasts that
preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was contemplating the horns, and behold, another horn, a
small one, rose up among them, uprooting three of the first horns. And behold, eyes like
human eyes were in this horn, and a mouth speaking haughty words.

I watched until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat. His garment was as white as
snow, and the hair of His head was like clean wool. His throne was of fiery flames; its wheels
blazing fire. A stream of fire flowed forth from before Him; a thousand thousands [i.e., one
million angels] were serving Him, and myriad myriads [one-hundred million lesser angels]
stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened.

I watched: Because of the voice of the haughty words which the horn had spoken, I watched
until the beast was slain and its body destroyed, and consigned to a consuming fire. As for
the other beasts, their dominion was taken away, yet their life was prolonged until a season
and time.

I was watching in night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a man came.
He approached the Ancient of Days, and they brought him before Him. He gave him
dominion, glory, and kingship. Peoples, nations, and languages will serve him. His dominion
is an everlasting dominion. It will not pass away. His kingship will never be destroyed.

As for me, Daniel, my spirit was uneasy in its sheath [body], and the visions of my mind
bewildered me. I approached one of the standing ones [angels], and I asked him the truth
concerning all this. He spoke to me and made the meaning of these things known to me:
These immense beasts, all four of them, are four empires that will rise up (Daniel 7:3-17).

In chapter eight, Daniel sees yet another terrifying vision:

I saw in the vision that I was at the Ulai River.
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I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram
is standing before the river, and it has horns; and the horns are high, but one is higher than
the other; and the higher one is coming up last. I saw the ram goring westward and northward
and southward, and no beasts could stand before it, nor could anyone rescue [anyone else]
from it. It did as it wished, and it grew.

I was contemplating, and behold, the he-goat comes from the west, across the face of the
whole earth, not touching the ground. And the he-goat had a conspicuous horn between its
eyes. It came up to the horned ram I had seen standing before the river, and ran at it with the
fury of its might. I saw it reach the ram. It fought bitterly with it, and smote the ram and

2
The word ulai in Hebrew means maybe. In my humble opinion, this fits exactly with the idea that none of these negative
prophecies have to happen. They will happenthe lower plan will continue to unfoldas long as Israel and Mankind have not
woken up. But if we do wake upat any momenteverything can change.
Transforming Galut into Geulah 5
broke its two horns. The ram did not have the strength to stand before it. It [the he-goat]
threw it to the ground and trampled it, and there was no one to rescue the ram from it
(Daniel 8:2-7).

The arch-angel Gavriel appears to Daniel and reveals to him, The [horns of the] horned ram that
you saw are the kings of Madai/Media and Paras/Persia. And the he-goat is the kingdom of
Yavan/Greece (ibid. 8:20-21).

Following this, Gavriel reveals details of the distant future to Daniel. As a result of this angelic
revelation Daniel is so upset that he mourns and prays for three weeks: In those days, I, Daniel,
was mourning for three weeks. I ate no tasty bread, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did
I anoint myself, until the conclusion of three weeks (ibid. 10:2-3).
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Finally, at the conclusion of the tenth chapter of Daniel, we are told how Gavriel, together with
Michael, the heavenly spiritual advocate of Yisrael, stood up against the angel-prince of
Paras/Persia:

He [Gavriel] said to me, Daniel, do not fear! For from the first day that you set your heart to
understand and to fast before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come now
in the merit of your words [or: in the merit of your prayers I have now been allowed to enter
before the divine throne to plead on Israels behalf (Yoma 77a)]. The heavenly prince of the
kingdom of Paras/Persia stood opposed to me for twenty-one days, when, behold, Michael,
one of the foremost heavenly princes, came to help me, and I remained there beside the kings
of Paras/Persia [to block them] (Daniel 10:12-13).

Now I will return to battle with the heavenly prince of Paras/Persia; then I will depart. But
behold, the heavenly prince of Yavan/Greece approaches. All I will tell you now is inscribed
in truthful [i.e., unalterable] writing [i.e., though I cannot be of help against the Greeks as I
was with the Persians, I will at least forewarn you about what is about to befall your nation].
And no one reinforces me against these [decreed events] except your heavenly prince,
Michael (ibid. 10:20-21).

Right after Gavriel and Michael succeed in overcoming the angel of Paras (thus spelling the end
of the Persian empire), the angel of Yavan/Greece appears to take its place. All Gavriel is able to
do now is to tell Daniel what will happen. Verses 1-39 of chapter eleven contain Gavriels
detailed prophecy about Israels oppression under Greek rule. The remaining five verses at the
end of chapter eleven, plus all thirteen verses of the twelfth and final chapter of Daniel take us
into the future again, to the end of the fourth empire, the empire of Rome.

The principle here is: Every nation/empire (except Yisrael, whose spiritual power is Hashem) has
an angelic-prince in heaven through which it rises to the status of a world power. In order to
neutralize the power of that nation/empire, it is only necessary to neutralize its spiritual power
source; that nation/empire will then automatically fall.


3
According to Abarbanel, Daniels consternation was caused by his realization that the complete redemption was still far off
(Artscroll Daniel, p. 260).
Transforming Galut into Geulah 6
By revealing to Daniel what transpired in heaven with these angel-princes, Gavriel was
informing him what would eventually transpire on earth:

The time allotted for the Persian empire to rule the world would come to an end; it would then be
followed by the rise of the Greek empire, which would be followed by the Roman empire, which
would be followed by the Messianic Kingdom.

According to our Torah, this is how history works. Each of the four empires that would rule the
world (Babylon followed by Persia, followed by Greece, followed by Rome) received its power
to rule from Hashem via its heavenly angel-prince. In each case except the last empire, another
angel-prince replaced its predecessor.

The last empire, Rome, will not be replaced by another angel. Its end (demise) will rather
coincide with the end of the physical world as we know itwhich will signal the beginning of
the Messianic Era (see below).

How do we deal with our enemiesphysical and spiritual? On Rosh Hashanah we take different
foods (dates, pomegranates, leeks, and other symbolic foods)and playing on the double
meaning implied in eachsay a special prayer:

On tamarim (dates):
| : ' : : , o n n o :
May it be Your will, Hashem our God and God of our ancestors, shyitamu (to put an end to) our
foes and our enemies and all who seek to harm us.

On karti (leeks):
| : ' : : , o 5 o :
May it be Your will, Hashem our God and God of our ancestors, shyikaretu (to cut off) our foes
and our enemies and all who seek to harm us.

On silka (swiss chard):
| : ' : : , o : n o :
May it be Your will, Hashem our God and God of our ancestors, shyistalku (to remove) our foes
and our enemies and all who seek to harm us.

According to the Ben Ish Chai, our foes refers to our outer, physical enemies; our enemies
refers to our inner, psychological enemies created by our sins; and all who seek to harm us
refers to our spiritual enemies (Ben Ish Chai, Parashat Nitzavim 4).

Isnt it obvious that all these enemies are different faces of the same thing?
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When we become
disconnected within, the corresponding spiritual forces of evil are empowered, which in turn give
our physical enemies the ability to harm us, God forbid.

4
This is reminiscent of the Talmuds three-in-one description of the yetzer hara (evil inclination): The yetzer hara [in a mans
heart] is none other than the Prosecutor [on high]. And the Prosecutor [on high] is none other than the Angel of Death. [As the
evil inclination,] he comes down [into a persons thoughts] and tempts him to sin. He then [dresses up as the Prosecutor,] goes up
to heaven, and accuses. [Finally, taking off all his disguises,] he comes down as the Angel of Death and takes a mans soul
Transforming Galut into Geulah 7

Conversely, when we fix ourselves, return in teshuvah, and thereby re-align ourselves with
Hashem, we automatically remove (and even sweeten) any accusations or judgments that
may be hanging over us in heaven, which then neutralizes (and even transforms) any outer,
physical enemy who might have wanted to harm us.

As we saw above, the last empire, Rome, will not be replaced by another angel. Its end (demise)
will rather coincide with the end of the physical world as we know itwhich will signal the
beginning of the Messianic Era. This, according to the Maharal, is one of the messages we get
from Yaacovs vision of the ladder. First we read in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 29:2; Pirkey dRebbi
Eliezer 35):

Rabbi Nachman began his discourse: And you, O Yaacov My faithful servant, do not be
afraid! (Jeremiah 30:10, 46:27-28, Isaiah 44:2). This verse refers to Yaacov Avinu, as per, He
dreamt, and behold, a ladder was set to the earth, and its summit reached to heaven. Behold,
Gods angels ascended and descended upon it (Genesis 28:12). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman
said: These angels are the angelic-princes of the nations. We learn here that the Holy One
showed Yaacov Avinu the angel-prince of Babylon climbing up seventy rungs of the ladder
[corresponding to the seventy years that Babylon would rule the world] and descending; the
angel-prince of Persia climbing up and descending fifty-two rungs; the angel-prince of
Greece climbing up and descending one hundred and eighty rungs; the angel-prince of Edom
climbing up higher and higher and higher [and not descending]. At that moment, Yaacov was
gripped with dread, and said, Is it possible that he will not descend? The Holy One replied,
Do not fear, My servant Yaacov! Even if he ascends to sit right next to Me, from here I will
cast him down. This is the meaning of Though you make your nest as high as the eagle,
and set it among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says Hashem (Ovadiah 1:4).

Commenting on this Midrash, Maharal wrote (Netzach Yisrael 17):

Yaacov was shown the rise and fall of the first three empires. He also saw the rise of the
fourth empire, but not its fall. The reason for this is that Hashem arranged history such that
each of the first three would come to their end within the parameters of [the physical laws of]
this world Not so the fourth empire. Its fall will only come about from above [i.e., in a
miraculous way, as a revealed act of Heaven]... through the Mashiach who himself represents
the revelation of Heaven [that operates far above the physical laws of this world].

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler quotes the above passages. In order to appreciate the full power of his
words, we return to the essential verses of Hashems prophecy through Ovadiah regarding the
end of Edom/Rome:

The pride of your heart has deceived you; you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose
habitation is on high, who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground?
Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, and set it among the stars, I will bring you
down from there, says Hashem Will I not, in that day, says Hashem, destroy those with

(Baba Batra 16a). In very simple terms, we learn from this that the sin, the accusation of guilt, and the punishment are so
inextricably intertwined as to be different aspects of the same thing.
Transforming Galut into Geulah 8
wisdom out of Edom, and [those with] discernment out of the Mount of Esav? For
Hashems day is near upon all the nations. As you have done, so shall be done to you; your
deeds will rebound upon your own head But upon Mount Zion a remnant will gather, and
it will be holy; and the house of Yaacov will inherit its heritage Redeemers (Mashiach ben
David and Mashiach ben Yoseph) will ascend Mount Zion to judge Mount Esav. [At that
time] it will be revealed that sovereignty has always belonged solely to Hashem (Ovadiah 1:3-21).

Rabbi Dessler cites the Midrash on this concluding verse (Mikhtav MiEliyahu, Volume III, pp. 204-205):

The end (demise) of the fourth empire will not be like those of its predecessors. This is stated
explicitly in the Midrash on the verses in the Torah that describe the four unclean animals.
First lets look at the verses themselves:

Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, telling them to speak to the bnei Yisrael and convey
the following to them: Of all the animals in the world, these are the ones you may eat:
Among mammals, you may eat [any one] that has true hooves that are cloven and that brings
up its cud. However, among the cud-chewing, hoofed animals, these are the ones that you
may not eat: The gamal (camel) shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it
does not have a true hoof. The shafan (hyrax) shall be unclean to you although it brings up its
cud, since it does not have a true hoof. The arnevet (hare) shall be unclean to you although it
brings up its cud, since it does not have a true hoof. The chazir (pig) shall be unclean to you
although it has a true hoof which is cloven, since it does not chew its cud (Leviticus 11:1-7).

The Midrash reveals another level of information embedded here. These four animals parallel
and embody four kingdoms (Vayikra Rabbah 13:5):

The camelmaaleh gerah-brings up its cud, this refers to Babylon which garar
drew/brought in its wake another empire to follow it. The hyraxmaaleh gerah-brings up
its cud, this refers to Persia/Media which garardrew/brought in its wake another empire
to follow it. The haremaaleh gerah-brings up its cud, this refers to Greece which
garardrew/brought in its wake another empire to follow it. The chazir-piggerah lo
yigorchew, it does not chew its cud, this alludes to Rome, sheina goreretwhich will
not draw/bring any other empire in its wake. Why is it called chazir? It will be the one that
mechazeretreturns/restores the crown to its rightful Master. This is the meaning of,
Redeemers will ascend Mount Zion to judge Mount Esav; vehaita laHashem
hamelukhah[at that time] it will be revealed that sovereignty has always belonged solely
to Hashem.

Rabbi Dessler now writes:

The empire of Edom/Rome will not be followed by another empirefor the termination of
its rule coincides exactly with the end of this world as we know it, which is none other than
the beginning of the Messianic Age. It will therefore be the one to return and restore the
crown to its rightful Masterfor the kingdom of the Mashiach will actually sprout forth
from the midst of the Roman empire; out of the ashes of Edom the kingdom of Heaven will
arise and become revealed. It will be revealed that sovereignty has always belonged solely
Transforming Galut into Geulah 9
to Hashem [i.e., it will become clear retroactively that Hashem was guiding history from the
behind the scenes of these external empires; in the kabbalah this is known as Shekhinta
beGaluta, the Divine Presence in exile, i.e., operating incognito behind the scenes].

This will signal the end of this world as we know it, when the foundations of civilization will
totter and crumble. [During the transition period] there will be no peace; the lives of
countless individuals will become filled with anxiety, dread, and hardship. The entire world
will shudder under the dread of annihilation and extinction. Then it will be revealed to all
that mans brazenness and his pride in his conquering the world lead only to extinction. All
will recognize the emptiness of this world [when it is divorced from Godliness] But the
revelation of this emptiness of Edom is exactly what is needed to bring the world to the
revelation of the Mashiach. Only by recognizing the absolute meaninglessness of this world
[when it is devoid of God] will mankind be elevated to true spiritual vision. [This is what we
mean when we declare that] with the demise of Edom will come the revelation of the light of
Mashiach.

This is what we saw above [in the Midrash and the Maharal], namely, that the fall of Edom
will of necessity come from a level that transcends the laws of this world. This is the level of
the Beit HaMikdash, the level of true spiritual vision to which humanity will ascend only
after Hashem reveals the unreality of the material world [when it is divorced from
Godliness] (Mikhtav MiEliyahu, Volume III, p. 205).

* * *

Remember: Every nation/empire has a spiritual angelic power in Heaven through which it
receives its power and rises to the pinnacle of success. In order to neutralize the power of that
nation/empire, it is only necessary to neutralize its spiritual power source. We now understand
that something is required of ussome inner work that we have to dowhich can make the
difference. It is through this inner work that we can align ourselves with Heaven. In this way, we
can neutralize any nation or power in the world that attempts to stand in Heavens way

There are many more examples of this idea. In the Torah, Yaacov fights with an angel. The fight
took place on every level of reality simultaneously. The fact that it took place on the physical
plane is evidenced by the physical injury Yaacov sustained in his thigh. More importantly,
however, this was a spiritual and a psychological battle. Psychologically, Yaacov was being
attacked within his own mind. Spiritually he was being attacked in his soul. More, the entire
existence of Clal Yisrael was at stake.

It was only by connecting to his spiritual root that Yaacov was able to overcome this assault on
his very existence. Finally, at the end of the long night (which represents the night-exile until
Mashiach comes) the angel blesses Yaacov, Your name will no longer be called Yaacov (heel,
supplanter), but Yisrael, ki sarita im Elokim veim anashim vatukhal (for you have contended
with God and man and you have prevailed) (Genesis 32:29). Yisrael means sar-El: he who has
struggled with God or he who is great before God; it also means yashar-El: he who goes
straight to God and he who is upright with God; yashir-El: he who sings to God; ish-raah-
El: he who has seen God.
Transforming Galut into Geulah 10

The concept of Yisrael existed even before creation, but it was only after this struggle that
Yaacov became worthy of carrying both the name and the concept associated with it.

King David taught us how to deal with the evil machinations of our enemiesspiritual and
physical. Speaking for all of Israel, he proclaimed:

u o a u x 5 ' u 5 : u o a u a ' u 5 : u o 5 + u a
u o a ' u 5 :
All the [surrounding] nations encircled me, yet with [one mention of] Hashems Name, I cut
them down. They encircled me, they continue to encircle me, yet with [one mention of]
Hashems Name, I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were
consumed like a fire [consumes] thorns, for with [one mention of] Hashems Name I cut
them down (Psalm 118:10-12).

This is exactly how David faced Goliath:

u o a | a a n n o o + ' :
n o o :
But David said to the Philistine, You come against me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin,
but I come against you with the Name YKVK, the Lord of Hosts, God of the armies of Israel,
whom you have blasphemed (I Samuel 17:45).

How are we to overcome our enemies? With the Name of Hashem: YOD, KEH, VAV, KEH, the
most powerful word in human language. For it is much more than a word; it is a formula, the
formula behind all existence; the formula that the Creator of the world used to bring the world
into existence; the formula that He uses to bring the world to its ultimate perfection. We
neutralize and overcome our enemies with the Name of Hashem because this Name spells the
END OF ALL WAR. It makes all war obsolete, for it lifts man up out of his egocentricity, and
allows him to see and admit (if he is courageous enough) how blind he has been.

This is exactly how Mashiach ben David will face his enemies:

And a shoot will spring forth from the stock of Yishai, and a branch will sprout from his roots.
Hashems Spirit will rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel
and might, the spirit of knowledge and the awe of Hashem. He shall smell with the awe of
Hashem, rather than judging with the sight of his eyes or chastising with the hearing of his ears.
With righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He
shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips.
Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist and faith the girdle of his loins (Isaiah 11:1-6).


Copyright 2012 Avraham Sutton
Site: www.AvrahamSutton.com
Email: avraham.sutton@icloud.com