MAKING YERUSHALAYIM GREAT AGAIN

Rabbi Reuven Wolf, shliach in Los Angeles, California, gives his perspective on President Donald Trump’s recent declaration that the United States recognizes Yerushalayim as the capital city of Israel.

Dear shluchim, my dear friends, I am unable to restrain myself and I wanted to share with you some thoughts that are going through my mind today, which might serve “as cool water for a faint soul.”

We witnessed something really spectacular this week: The 45^th President of the United States, the leader of the entire free Gentile world announced that the Holy City of Yerushalayim is the capital city of the Jewish People. This, of course, is making history. However, what people may not realize is that this happened while people in Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim were commemorating Yud-Tes Kislev, the Chag HaGeula, associated with Dovid Malka Meshicha.

Now, some might think that this was a random occurrence. Yet, if we take a look back to exactly one year ago, Yud-Tes Kislev came out on December 19^th. This was the day that the Electoral College in the United States chose Donald Trump as President. When an American citizen votes on Election Day, the person is merely making a suggestion on who he/she thinks should be president of the United States. However, the results depend upon the Electoral College. Generally, while everyone understands that they will do as you suggest, they don’t necessarily have to do so. Last year, there were several electors who threatened not to vote for him as president. Nevertheless, on Yud-Tes Kislev 5777, Donald Trump was officially elected.

What’s very interesting is that just a few days earlier, there was a ‘super moon.’ This is when the moon is at its largest visible size. It was shining on Sunday night, which was when President Trump had to decide whether to renew his delay on moving the American Embassy to Yerushalayim. Thus, even though he only made the announcement on Yud-Tes Kislev, there’s a relevance to the fact that he chose not to continue the policy of past presidents when there was a ‘super moon’ in the sky.

While it is known that the moon represents ‘Malchus Beis Dovid,’ what is most astounding is that a ‘super moon’ is when the moon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. The number fourteen is the numerical value of Dovid, and regarding the number thirty, it is stated in Pirkei Avos that ‘malchus is acquired with thirty distinctions.’ This past summer, there was also a solar eclipse in the United States, visible across the entire American mainland. We know that the sun represents the nations of the world, while the Jewish People are represented by the moon, and the Gemara says that this is not a good sign. This year, however, something much deeper is taking place. The solar eclipse represents the end of the malchus of Edom while the rise of the moon occurred specifically in Kislev, the month of Redemption, shortly before Chag HaGeula, Yud-Tes Kislev, culminating with the recent announcement on the capital city of Yerushalayim.

We say in davening that in order for Moshiach to come, G-d must first “return in mercy to Yerushalayim Your city,” and then afterwards, “the throne of Dovid Your servant” shall be speedily established. Someone might ask: Who cares if a Gentile is the one who recognizes what we already know about Yerushalayim as the capital city of the Jewish People? Yet, we clearly know that the Rebbe considers within the whole concept of Moshiach how the Gentile nations themselves will be transformed.

It’s quite interesting when we take a look at the Rebbe’s amazing sicha from Parshas VaYeishev 5752, one that everyone should learn, where the Rebbe talks about the spiritual purification of France. In the sicha the Rebbe says that the ultimate purification of France (Tzarfas), which has the numerical value of 770, is the ultimate purification of the world. Why? Because France is the lowest of the low, it is incapable of responding to such revelation due to its total lack of refinement. However, the Rebbe says that the ultimate sign of Moshiach is when something that represents such total “un-refinement” becomes synchronized with G-d’s Divine Will.

The Rebbe then adds that this can only come through the revelation of Atzmus. And where is this? In 770! The complete birur of the world is connected to the number seven, seven levels of seven spiritual purifications, and this is related to the revelation of Moshiach from 770 as it pertains to the purification of France.

This brings us to another amazing connection with recent developments and the ultimate spiritual purification of our world. Donald Trump became President of the United States in the year 5777. On the day of his inauguration, he was seventy years, seven months, and seven days old. Thus, this is indeed not a random occurrence; this is the highest level of purification. Trump is known to be a very unrefined and coarse individual – and that goes to the heart of the matter. It’s not him per se, rather the fact that someone with such a level of coarseness comes into line and makes this announcement about the capital city of Yerushalayim.

Just to add one more point from Chassidus: In the maamer Pada V’Shalom Nafshi, the last edited discourse from Yud-Tes Kislev, the Rebbe says that the innovation of the sovereignty of Moshiach in comparison to Shlomo HaMelech is that Malchus is receiving its light from ‘P’nimius Atik.’ The Rebbe explains that there are three levels: a lower level of Malchus in the time of Moshe Rabbeinu, the level of Shlomo HaMelech, and then there’s Moshiach Tzidkeinu, where Malchus is receiving from the highest place.

The Rebbe says that these three levels of the light shining in Malchus are as follows: The lowest level is called ‘Tz’daka,’ because you’re supplementing what is “sufficient for his needs, which he is lacking.” A higher level is called ‘Ashirus’ (wealth), i.e., giving more than what the person needs or lacks, representing the days of Shlomo HaMelech. Finally, the very highest level is called ‘Chesed’ – ‘sufficient for the poor, sufficient for the wealthy.’ Why are you giving even to someone who is wealthy? You can’t be giving him more money, because then he really wasn’t wealthy. Someone who is wealthy has everything; it’s not relevant to say that he’s lacking something. Yet, the Rebbe states clearly in the maamer that you’re giving the wealthy person something that doesn’t belong to him whatsoever; the fact that he was lacking what you give him does not mean that he was lacking something.

This represents the revelation of Moshiach, when ‘P’nimius Atik’ radiates within the level of Malchus. What is the sign for this? The shining forth of the level of Chesed, giving something to a wealthy person, the consequence of which is the lowest elements of the world, not merely the sparks, but its coarsest material aspects, are transformed into holiness, exactly in accordance to what G-d wants.

Never in history did we have a truly wealthy person – Trump is a billionaire, not a politician – who became president, and it officially happened on Yud-Tes Kislev 5777, representing the ultimate spiritual purification of the world. Thus, it’s very clear to me that his “malchus” has nothing to do with him – it’s the Malchus of Moshiach Tzidkeinu. As Chassidim, we have to get ready and start thinking about Moshiach in a most serious manner, as he is mamash here without any doubt. Another interesting point is that Donald Trump is the forty-fifth president of the United States, and Chassidus teaches that Ma”H (45) purifies Ba”N, the concept of Yaakov purifying Eisav. I think that when America was founded, this represented the first level of Eisav being purified and refined. Yet, it took forty-five presidents until we heard this declaration on Yud-Tes Kislev in Yerushalayim that it’s the capital city of Am Yisroel.

May we all soon merit that “the throne of Dovid Your servant shall be speedily established” in the month of Kislev, immediately, mamash, NOW!