Ki Sisa : The End Is Near!!!!

Well…if this is not the sign that Moshiach is coming soon, I don’t know what is. 

 

What?  No!  This has nothing to do with this virus going around.  It’s that the Israeli government has shut down all schools until after Pesach.  That’s right…we now have kids at home for the next month.  Public transportation has been cut, we don’t have a car, we work at home, and we don’t live in the most exciting part of the country (for kids).  So, I’m sure that all the davening of all the parents will surely bring him.  What makes things more interesting is that you cannot have any event where there are more than 100 people in one location.  This includes shuls, weddings, events, yeshivos, etc…  It’s interesting to see the wide-reaching effects.

 

Honestly, I’m not a fan of all this “Moshiach is coming” talk.  We’ve seen worse in our history, both long-term and short-term.  Don’t get me wrong, I HOPE he comes, but I’m not going to join this End Of the World routine.  In fact, as a friend pointed out, many people misunderstand what it means to us to want Moshiach to come.  People daven that he comes so there will be no more suffering and worry in this world.  He said that this is not the reason we daven for his arrival. We want him to come so he will eliminate suffering and worry IN ORDER that we should be able to properly serve Hashem.  The end of suffering is not the goal, it the means to the goal.  When we daven for Moshiach, we should be davening that he comes in order to serve Hashem properly without all these distractions.

 

So, aside from all this End Of the World talk, a (drunk, Russian) friend of mine came over on Purim and gave a small talk about it.  He compared this virus to the plague that hit the Jewish nation at the end of Dovid HaMelech’s life.  One hundred people a day were dying, so he instituted the halacha that a Jew should say one hundred brachos a day.  And with that the plague was brought to a halt.

 

Why one hundred brachos?  The more we bring Hashem into our life, the more He participates in our life.  The more we rely on nature, the more He allows nature to rule over us.  When a person makes a bracha (properly), he is thinking (and thanking) Hashem for a certain goodness that He gave us.  He is “bringing Hashem down” into this world and more directly into his life.  He is reminded that Hashem is watching over us constantly and is always involved in our day-to-day lives. 

 

What will stop this virus?  I have no clue.  What will keep us safe from all this economic upheaval?  No idea.  But, I do know that the more we recognize Hashem’s role in our daily lives, the more of a role He plays in it.

 

I wish you all an amazing Shabbos