Gog
Chayei Sarah – Laying Claim to Israel
Why do the children of Ishmael and Canaan lay claim to Israel specifically in front of Alexander the Great? Why do the responses come from Gevia the hunchback? Why does Alexander feel drawn toward Jerusalem? Why does he want to enter the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount? What does it mean that Abraham…
Read MoreTzav and Purim – North and South
Why is the korban olah (fully burnt sacrifice) related to the north, while the shelamim (partly burned, partly eaten) is related to the south? Why are the concepts of exile, Gog and Moshiach related to the north, while redemption, Gog’s fall, and the rebuilding of the Temple related to the south? Why can’t a northerly…
Read MoreGog Umagog and Moshiach ben Dovid
I am happy to share another episode in my Moshiach podcast series, episode number six. Here is the itunes description: We explore the concepts of the war of Gog Umagog (armageddon), as well as the job and purpose of Moshiach ben Dovid. We also look deeply into a gemara in Sotah that hints to what…
Read MoreWhy Jerusalem?
I was shocked by Tomer Devorah’s post about the EU’s planned announcement that Jerusalem should officially be the capital of a ‘Palestinian’ state. It is on one hand extremely upsetting, and on the other hand extremely exciting, as we watch the drama unfold right in front of our eyes. We all know that the Neviim…
Read MoreGog and Magog kuntres
Here is a download of a very nice piece by R’ Daniel Krentzman on the topic of the war of Gog and Magog: http://www.arigoldwag.com/krentzman/Gog%20and%20MaGog.pdf
Read MoreMoshiach, now? part II
You know, I don’t think there is anyone who will say that we aren’t in a very significant moment in history. As I have said in the past, I do not like to make predictions, and the main reason is because predictions for the near future look rather silly when they do not come true.…
Read MoreGog and Magog – part 3
Continuing from the previous post on Gog Umagog, we were quoting Rav Kaplan’s explanation on pp. 38-39 on the children of Yefes, whose nations will come with Gog and Magog to wage war in Jerusalem in the end of days. Tuval. A northern country, see Ezekiel 38:2, 27:13. This is usually identified with Bithynia (Targum…
Read MoreGog and Magog – part 2
I began this post a few months ago, meaning to complete it pretty soon afterwards, but just had not gotten to it. There is a lot to say about Gog and Magog, and I wanted to give a little idea of what this place is and where it might be, based on some solid sources.…
Read MoreShalosh Seudos and Gog Umagog
Guest post by Daniel Shulchan Aruch 291:1 Din Shalosh Seudos A person should be very cautious to fulfill [the mitzvah of eating] the Third Meal [on Shabbos]. Mishnah BerurahAs is brought in the gemara: A person is obligated to eat three meals on Shabbos, and this is in parallel to the verse that says אכלהו…
Read MoreGog and Magog – part 1
A while ago I posted about the idea that Gog – גוג – is the opposite of Dovid – דוד. What this means is that whereas Dovid represents complete התבטלות (self-nullification) – דלות ודלות, Gog represents complete and absolute pride – גאווה וגאווה. The more we associate ourselves with the attribute of humility, the more…
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