Jewish quote source, and more

July 11, 2005

Dear friends:

In a message yesterday, I included a fascinating quote but had lost my source.  The quote was: "In recent weeks four Sephardic Rabbis in Israel, including two former Chief Rabbis, have made statements that seem to come astonishingly close to declaring that the coming of Moshiach (Messiah) and the final redemption of the Jewish people is imminent!"

Thanks to an alert Donna Dana, I now have the source.  It is http://www.yiddishkeit.org/Default_YK.asp?ItemCode=823

There are some other interesting quotes on that Web site, such as:

1.  "Rabbi Lazer Brody writes: 'Yesterday, I met with Rabbi Shlomo Tzvi Alter - one of the Gerrer Rebbe's sons who, along with his brothers, heard the Rebbe say emphatically before Kiddush, 'Moshiach will come this year, or by the end of next year.'"  (Probably referring to the Jewish calendar, where the Jewish year ends October 4, 2005 on the Gregorian calendar.)

Rabbi Shlomo Tzvi Alter is decribed as "one of the world's most prominent, respected, and influential rabbinical leaders....known as an individual of tremendous spiritual stature, who does much and says very little."

In full context, the witness's full statement read:

After news of the Melitzer Rebbe's comment last week (that this is the generation of Moshiach) spread like wildfire throughout Israel, I was approached by a leading Gerrer Chassid who told me that the Gerrer Rebbe made a similar statement at his home on Passover Seder Night, nine weeks ago. For the last five days, while checking the dependability of my source, I heard five different versions of what the Rebbe presumably said. Yesterday, I met with Rabbi Shlomo Tzvi Alter - one of the Gerrer Rebbe's sons who, along with his brothers, heard the Rebbe say emphatically before Kiddush, "Moshiach will come this year, or by the end of next year." After the Seder, the Rebbe concluded by saying in Yiddish, "We'll soon discover that the entire Golus was worth eating one little piece of meat (alluding to the korban Pesach, or Pascal lamb, which G-d willing we'll all be eating in the Holy Temple this coming Passover)," meaning that we have no idea of the value of Moshiach, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, korbonos, and the spiritual treasures that are in store for us. When one of his sons asked him to elaborate, the Rebbe refused, saying, "Ich hob schoin gezugt tzu fil," or, "I've already said too much."

2.  Another quote: "We know that Moshiach will arrive on a donkey..."

On a donkey?  That's ironic.  Surprise!  Messiah has already arrived on a donkey on his first visit!  How will He arrive on His return?  "As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24: 23-27, NKJV).  "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two" (Zechariah 14:4).

Jesus said, "Watch!"

Jim (Bramlett)

SOURCE: 5 Doves