Do You Really Want Mashiah?
Are You Prepared for the End of Days?
http://www.koshertorah.com/endofdays.html
By Ariel Bar Tzadok
Copyright © 2003 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.

Monday, Jan. 13th, 2003: As you read this, more US troops are on their way to the Persian Gulf in preparation for a full-scale military invasion of Iraq. If and when this occurs, Iraq has promised to use its full arsenal of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons against American troops and interests. Intelligence reports suggest that Iraq might actually be able to strike targets in the US with these weapons of mass destruction should an invasion occur.

At the same time, North Korea is rattling its nuclear saber at the US, threatening a nuclear war with South Korea, which would lead to the involvement of both the United States and China. The US Secretary of Defense in a recent interview already assured the American people that the US armed forces are capable of fighting a two-theater war, similar to what was done during W.W.II.

With all this saber rattling going on, one needs to question whether we are heading towards Armageddon and the apocalypse of mankind?

If Iraq were to use weapons of mass destruction against American troops, even more so against civilian targets within the US proper, the American response would be most powerful. 

However, as everyone knows, to every action there is a reaction. If Iraq hits the US, the US will, of course, utterly destroy Iraq. Yet, would this be the end of the story or only the beginning? 

Would an American destruction of Iraq lead to an even greater conflict with even greater powers, such as Iran armed with Pakistani nuclear weapons? What about nuclear India, China, and Russia? Let us not count out the numerous terrorist organizations, of which Al Queda is only one. Some intelligence reports claim that these groups have already acquired nuclear devices and have already smuggled them into the United States.

You read these words and I hear many of you thinking, "this is all well and good, but being that there is nothing that I can do about it, I am not going to worry too much about it." I wonder if these were the same thoughts that German Jews thought back in the 1930's reading their newspapers about the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. We all know what happened to them. The question that we need ask is will history repeat itself.

Throughout the Jewish community worldwide, we hear the call; "we want Mashiah now." This is not just the call of one Hasidic group. All Torah faithful Jews believe in the coming of Mashiah. We wait daily for his coming. We pray three times every weekday for Mashiah to manifest himself and bring to our world the Kingdom of G-d. Yes, we all say, we want Mashiah, but do you have any idea of what you are asking for? Do you sincerely understand what it is you claim you want?

How do you expect Mashiah to come? Do you expect a "knight in shining armor" riding out of the clouds, waving his "magic wand" making all the world's problems disappear? If you believe that Mashiah will come in any other way than through war and horrible bloodshed, you have obviously not read the Bible. 

Indeed, not only do Torah sources speak about the pre-messianic apocalypse, but so do all the world religions, not just Christianity and Islam. Every ancient culture and religious tradition foresaw, by whatever means, that before our world is transformed into the future utopia, it must first go through a horrendous period of destruction. 

Granted, all the world's religions and spiritual traditions can be wrong. However, judging by current events and the events of the entire 20th century, I would not cast such a doubt.

Therefore, if Mashiah is coming, as all world religions agree that he is, the apocalypse is destined to come before he does. Now, one thing is certain, the entire world is not destined to be destroyed, nor is everyone destined to be killed. According to the prophet Zecharia, however, the causality rate in the WWIII apocalypse prior to Mashiah's arrival might reach two-thirds of the world's population. This could mean as many as four billion human deaths.

Given there is an opportunity for survival, the pressing question now is, what do you choose to do? Do you wish to be victim or victor? Do not ask yourself if you want to survive to see the birth of the Brightest Day. Rather, ask yourself are you prepared to survive?

Survival preparation is the key element here. Granted, not everyone who prepares for every survival contingency is guaranteed a place in the messianic world. On the other hand, not everyone who does not prepare will perish. 

G-d has His own unique way of selecting His own and taking them through the "valley of the shadow of death, fearing no evil." The key element in surviving the apocalyptic pre-messianic era will not be what you have, rather it will depend upon who you are, specifically, who you are in the eyes of G-d.

This does not mean that one should place one's proverbial head in the sand and say that one trusts in G-d for salvation. Countless thousands of righteous Orthodox Jews made this exact mistake during W.W.II. Their faith did not save them. Alongside the faithless and the wicked, the righteous perished in the fires of Auschwitz. 

The problem with the Rabbis of Europe before and during W.W.II was that they suffered from what I call the "city-ghetto Rabbi" mentality. This is the mentality that defines the observant Jew as an upper middle to upper class city dweller. The city-ghetto Jew liked life the way it was and he had no desire or will for things to change. European Jewish life, then, was OK and even romanticized. There was no room for Mashiah to come. 

Pre-Nazi European Jewry was happy with the exile and did not actively seek the redemption. They prayed the prayers, but never really wanted them to come true. I personally believe that this might have been one of the reasons why G-d allowed the Holocaust to come and wipe out all those Jews who considered Europe their home over and above Eretz Yisrael. 

When the Nazis came, those who fled the cities and hid out in the country, willing to change their life and lifestyle were the ones who mostly survived. Those who chose to stay in the cities died in the concentration camps, along with their Rabbis who advised them not to leave Europe, and not to head for the hills to join the resistance.

What did save those who escaped the Nazis was a combination of elements. Granted, faith in G-d is primary among them, but it alone is not enough. 

For centuries, mystical Torah literature has spoken about the necessary relationship between "light" and "vessel." What this means is that every good and decent religious act (the symbolic light) must be housed (clothed) within a practical and rational form of manifestation (the symbolic vessel). 

In Germany, the righteous who died shined their spiritual light, but they lacked the proper vessel of practical survival tools in which that light could shine. Therefore, their spiritual light could only help them in the world to come. As for this world, without the proper tools and will for survival, they were doomed.

I believe that we are destined to learn from the mistakes of the past, and not repeat this devastating mistake made by our holy fathers. 

IT IS NOT OUR DESTINY TO WALK SILENTLY INTO THE NIGHT. 

IT IS OUR DESTINY TO FIGHT AND TO SURVIVE, TO LIVE AND SEE THE BIRTH OF THE NEW DAY. 

Faith in G-d must be manifest in our actions of preparation. Without such preparation it is right to ask if the unprepared have any faith in G-d whatsoever.

Torah Law requires one to make all rational and necessary moves in order to survive in hard times, especially during the prophesied apocalypse. Our Rabbis have spoken for centuries about what the members of the last generation are to do to survive. 

People who do not take seriously the warning of current events to prepare themselves accordingly are violating Torah law and are setting themselves up for the kill. Those who laugh at the warning signs or do not do what needs to be done are resigning themselves to a destiny of their own choosing. G-d will not extricate them. Our Rabbis have longed warned us, we are not to rely on miracles.

Preparing ourselves for all eventualities might be the wisest investment of our time and monies. It might also be the greatest of mitzvot. For if we are physically, economically and psychologically prepared to survive a break down of our world order as we know it, we will also be in a position to help others do the same.

Intelligence reports claims that terrorist nuclear devices are already in place in major American cities waiting for the order that will destroy in an instant millions of lives, cripple the US economy and topple the US from it role as world leader.

Do not doubt or mock this. It will happen! It has been prophesied! It is destiny!

Now, what are you going to do about it?

If and when terrorists succeed in seriously damaging the US economy, the power of Jewish wealth in this country will be broken in an instant. Jewish influence will disappear. In addition, as we saw all too well after the destruction of the World Trade centers in New York on 9/11, that many Americans blamed the Jews for causing all this trouble.

What do you think the anti-Semitic aftermath of a nuclear terrorist attack on the US would be? The combined forces of all the nation's police departments will not be able to keep the Jewish communities safe from the tidal wave off anger, resentment and hatred that will be directed against us. Just like it was in Germany so is it prophesied to be again.

In order to avoid being a target one must remove oneself from the target zone. I consider it a matter of life and death that sincere men and women of faith remove themselves from the congested major urban areas and relocate in serious numbers into more rural, out-of-the-way areas. Whole communities can relocate into areas far away from the cities. This has been done on numerous occasions recently and more need to be done.

We have become all too reliant on our modern conveniences that most of us do not even know how to light a fire, chop wood, sew clothing, grow crops or otherwise provide for ones basic needs. These necessary daily skills should be learned by everyone. These skills are not hard to learn, and they mean the difference between life and death if and when the conveniences of modern life suddenly become unavailable.

Think about this, what would happen if food production were jeopardized? What would happen if truck and train transportation were interrupted? Food would not make it to store shelves. How long would you survive without a trip to your local supermarket? 

What would happen is water sources were compromised? There have already been numerous terrorist attempts to poison public water aquifers. What would happen if one succeeded? Where would you get water to drink and to bathe? Even if there are water supplies in your local supermarket (if it is still open), how long do you think they will last and how expensive do you think they will become?

What would you do for medicine and other daily needs? In times of crises, all means of production and supply can be severely affected. Indeed, in a situation of a terrorist nuclear, biological or chemical attack, our daily resources might be lost for a considerable period of time.

Natural medicines, food and water storage, clothing in all sizes, abundant resources and supplies, yes, even what you might consider to be junk, these should be stored and kept on a regular basis.

A barter economy has already started up in numerous places around the country. The junk that you have and want to throw away might be of value to someone else. They might have something that you need. Why spend precious money on store bought items, when for pennies to the dollar you can get the same exact thing, in almost just as good condition. Not ready to barter just yet? Then store all your old stuff away, it will come in handy one day, one day soon!

Getting along without modern conveniences, and getting back to nature reaps a tremendous amount of spiritual rewards. One is enriched with a more quiet and slower pace life style. This enables one to spend more time in Torah study, and most important, provides one with more time and peace of mind to practice the Torah forms of meditation. It will be these practices of Torah spirituality that will develop the minds of the practitioners to always be one step ahead of any adversity to come. While we no longer have prophecy, we still do have Ruah HaKodesh (Divine inspiration). Unfortunately, not everyone will listen to or recognize a voice spoken with Ruah HaKodesh.

The city-ghetto Rabbis of today echoes the same voices of those Rabbis of pre-Holocaust Europe. "There is nothing to fear," they say. "Everything will be alright, G-d will protect us," they say. Just like the Rabbis in Europe, the blind today are still leading the blind. 

The problems in Orthodox Jewry today are many. Most Orthodox Rabbis either ignore the problems or do the barest minimum to address real and serious issues. The attitude of isolationism has utterly failed. Torah observant Jews cannot be separated from the secular world around us. Walls of stone can never defend us from secular temptations. 

Only a heart made strong by faith in G-d can withstand the modern onslaughts. The city-ghetto Rabbis of today have weak hearts and are afraid of losing their power, their money and their respect. As such, they have already lost their Divine protection. What we see happening daily in the religious communities around the world bares evidence to this.

A number of years ago, after a spat of serious anti-Semitic incidents happened in this town, I approached a number of Rabbis with the idea that a citizens committee of local Jews be set up to patrol the neighborhoods and prevent crime. 

The Rabbis I spoke to were appalled by this suggestion. One confined in me and told me, that if the Rabbis were to condone such action, fear would spread throughout the community. The people would believe that the community was no longer safe to live in. People would then start to move out, and the financial base of many of the Synagogues and Yeshivot would be jeopardized. 

I responded and said that he was placing the value of money in front of the safety of the members of his congregation. He said, "what they do not know, will not hurt them." In shock I asked him, "so, ignorance is bliss?" He looked straight at me, cold as ice, and said, "yes." 

Such arrogant ignorance, I believe is what led to the deaths of millions in Europe who were not warned, nor prepared by their religious leaders. I saw in this one city-ghetto Rabbi that same attitude that led to the death of millions. May G-d have mercy upon his soul, those like him and more so upon all those under their influence and sway.

In order for Jews and Judaism to survive, we must adapt to the tumultuous times that are about to come upon us. We must be ready to face them head on, before they come, not once they have overtaken us. If we fail to heed the lessons of history, we will indeed have to repeat them.

I do not fear an American Holocaust along the same lines as what happened in Germany. I merely foresee the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and Rabbinic foresight. These have predicted that before Mashiah comes, Jews worldwide will suffer more than they ever have before. Not for naught is the end times before Mashiah arrives called the Hevlei Mashiah (the birthpangs of Mashiah). Just as a woman cries out in very serious pain before delivering her child, so will the whole world cry out before Mashiah comes.

One Kabbalist master, Rabbi Avraham Azulai wrote that the tumultuous times before Mashiah comes will not be so difficult for Kabbalists to pass through. The reason is this is that they already lead lives away from urban areas, already lead lives of self-efficiency, they already lead lives of modesty. They are fluid in their approach to life. They can roll with the proverbial punches that life throws from time to time. This is what Kabbalah and a life of meditation has taught them. Even those Kabbalists in Europe who followed this path many times succeeded in evading the Nazis and survived the war. As it was then, so is it now.

We can prepare for the time to come, for the End of Days, but first one must have the courage to admit that they are upon us. Then one can make appropriate plans, for oneself, one's family and if possible one's community. 

Education programs in simple, natural, non-technological living need to be implemented. Our urban communities need to leave their beloved cities before they are targeted by terrorists with weapons of mass destruction. 

We must set up numerous new Orthodox Jewish communities in rural areas far away from the cities and the poisonous lifestyle they provide. We must come back to a natural form of life, one with the land, one with nature and one with G-d. We must proclaim G-d King over all the earth, in our deeds and not just in our words.

The bad times are coming. One's belief or denial of this is of no consequence. Our beliefs are not going to affect the course of history and the fulfillment of prophecy. We can prepare and survive or we can choose to ignore and die.

I wish that I could tell all Jews to go to Eretz Yisrael and there would be our salvation. However, the edict as spoken by Zecharia the prophet applies even to our Holy Land. While it will definitely be safer for Jews in Israel than in any other place in the world, nonetheless, there will be trials there too. Prophecy states that when Mashiah comes there will be many Jews who only then will return to Eretz Israel. This means that many will make it through the Hevlei Mashiah hard times to come. Yet, those who do survive will be those who prepared to do so.

Throughout the years, numerous Rabbis and Kabbalists have warned worldwide Jewry about what is to come. Special warning was given to the Jewish community of North America. Prepare! No more can be said. No more warnings will be given.