Mevakesh Lev: The Plan

From my email:

“All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”

― Robert Kennedy

You ain't joking, Bob!!

SHALOOOMMM SWEEETEST FRIENDS!!!!

How has the year gone for you so far?? I hope well. Sweet. Like honey. And fish heads….

But enough with the formalities. Let’s get down to business [for those of us who still have a job…]. "Cut to the Chase" as they say [which can also mean “go to a bank”].

This TOTALLY doesn’t make sense!! WHAT is going on here??!! This country is on lockdown. My children are home from school. Everyone’s children are home from school. I am hiding up here in my study while my wife tries to entertain the kids. [Although I was just called downstairs to dispose of a lizard who invited himself over. That was entertaining for all]. People are getting sick left and right רחמנא לצלן. The hospitals in Israel are filled beyond capacity. On Rosh Hashana I davened in a socially distanced outdoor minyan on my block [I started out davening on my roof but was cajoled out by one of my neighbors who assured me that it would be alright] and spent davening alternating between pouring out my heart to Hashem and making sure that everyone's mask was covering their nose and being really nervous that I shouldn't catch anything ח"ו.

HAAASSHHHEEEMMM, give us some clarity!!!

In today’s Haftorah [for the fast that must have something to do with someone named “Gedalia” about who many wonder “who was he and why are we fasting his fast?” but don’t complain too much b/c after all that food on Rosh Hashana we could use a break from eating!! Thanks R’ Gedalia whomever you are!!! My alimentary canal really appreciates the break!!!], we have a DIRECT message from Hashem Himself, as communicated by one of his prized Prophets [atheists are members of a non-prophet organization] – Yeshayahu!

ודִּרְשׁ֥וּ יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּהִמָּצְא֑וֹ קְרָאֻ֖הוּ בִּֽהְיוֹת֥וֹ קָרֽוֹב:

זיַֽעֲזֹ֚ב רָשָׁע֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אָ֖וֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֑יו וְיָשֹׁ֚ב אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ וִירַֽחֲמֵ֔הוּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ כִּֽי־יַרְבֶּ֥ה לִסְלֽוֹחַ:

חכִּ֣י לֹ֚א מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי֙ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם דְּרָכָ֑י נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה:

טכִּי־גָֽבְה֥וּ שָׁמַ֖יִם מֵאָ֑רֶץ כֵּ֣ן גָּֽבְה֚וּ דְרָכַי֙ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֔ם וּמַחְשְׁבֹתַ֖י מִמַּחְשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם:

יכִּ֡י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵרֵד֩ הַגֶּ֨שֶׁם וְהַשֶּׁ֜לֶג מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א יָשׁ֔וּב כִּי אִם־הִרְוָ֣ה אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהֽוֹלִידָ֖הּ וְהִצְמִיחָ֑הּ וְנָ֚תַן זֶ֙רַע֙ לַזֹּרֵ֔עַ וְלֶ֖חֶם לָֽאֹכֵֽל:

יאכֵּ֣ן יִֽהְיֶ֚ה דְבָרִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִפִּ֔י לֹֽא־יָשׁ֥וּב אֵלַ֖י רֵיקָ֑ם כִּ֚י אִם־עָשָׂה֙ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָפַ֔צְתִּי וְהִצְלִ֖יחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שְׁלַחְתִּֽיו:

יבכִּֽי־בְשִׂמְחָ֣ה תֵצֵ֔אוּ וּבְשָׁל֖וֹם תּֽוּבָל֑וּן הֶֽהָרִ֣ים וְהַגְּבָע֗וֹת יִפְצְח֚וּ לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ רִנָּ֔ה וְכָל־עֲצֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִמְחֲאוּ־כָֽף:

יגתַּ֚חַת הַֽנַּֽעֲצוּץ֙ יַֽעֲלֶ֣ה בְר֔וֹשׁ וְתַ֥חַת (כתיב תַ֥חַת) הַסִּרְפָּ֖ד יַֽעֲלֶ֣ה הֲדַ֑ס וְהָיָ֚ה לַֽיהֹוָה֙ לְשֵׁ֔ם לְא֥וֹת עוֹלָ֖ם לֹ֥א יִכָּרֵֽת:

6Seek Hashem when He is found, call Him when He is near.

7The wicked shall give up his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and he shall return to Hashem, Who shall have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," says Hashem.

9"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts.

10For, just as the rain and the snow fall from the heavens, and it does not return there, unless it has satiated the earth and fructified it and furthered its growth, and has given seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11so shall be My word that emanates from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, unless it has done what I desire and has made prosperous the one to whom I sent it.

12For with joy shall you go forth, and with peace shall you be brought; the mountains and the hills shall burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.

13Instead of the briar, a cypress shall rise, and instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise, and it shall be for the Lord as a name, as an everlasting sign, which shall not be discontinued."

When is Hashem “found” ? Our Rabbis tell us – during the 10 days of Teshuva. Like – “ahora mismo” [Spanish for right now]. He is WAITING. He sent this NIGHTMARE b/c He wants to talk to us. He has a PLAN. A HUUUUGE plan. What is this plan??

I could tell you but then I’d have to ….. But NO DOUBT part of the idea is to get us to return to Him. To discard our faith in EVERYTHING and know that "אין לנו להשען אלא על אבינו שבשמים” [see Sotah 49b!!] - Only He can help. Not the orange haired guy in Washington DC with the Jewish grandchildren who likes building מגדלים וראשם בשמים - "towers till the heavens" in his honor. Not the gentleman named Yossi from Delaware who wants to replace him [whose children all married Jews… Is this a Zionist plot to take over the White House??]. Not the doctors [led by Dr. Anthony F., Italian Goy but honorary Jew, as befitting a big doctor]. Not all the money we have. When the world economy crumbles, we aren’t left with much, G-d forbid.

COME BACK!!!

“The wicked shall give up his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and he shall return to Hashem, Who shall have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”

So why is this happening? What is the plan? How do I know that there is a plan??

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," says Hashem.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts.”

Ahhhhhh – We CAN’T understand. His thoughts are FFFAAAARRRRRR beyond human conception and comprehension.

But will GOOD things come out of this or the opposite?

Ne!!!! [“Neither” in Italian]. GREAT THINGS!! Super duper things!!!

“For, just as the rain and the snow fall from the heavens, and it does not return there, unless it has satiated the earth and fructified it and furthered its growth, and has given seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall be My word that emanates from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, unless it has done what I desire and has made prosperous the one to whom I sent it.

For with joy shall you go forth, and with peace shall you be brought; the mountains and the hills shall burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.”

We will PROSPER!!! We will go forth with JOY!! Nature will CELEBRATE with us!

Now it is HARRRDDDD!! It is thorny and painful. But it will all be transformed for the BEST. Forever!!!

“Instead of the briar, a cypress shall rise, and instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise, [metaphors for foreign powers] and it shall be for Hashem as a name, as an everlasting sign, which shall not be discontinued."

Through us - Hashem’s Great Name will be revealed. As we kept saying the last two days:

וידע כל פעול כי אתה פעלתו – From Wuhan to North Korea to Iran, all will know "כי השם א-להי ישראל מלך” and the world with turn into a beautiful place.

WHEN?

I will go out on a limb and say “the MOMENT it is supposed to happen according to Hashem’s plan”. Our job is to HOLD ON TIGHT in the meantime and never lose the faith.

Bi-ahava