End of the World?… Not Yet Apparently.
You will remember a little while back I posted about a certain individual who regaled us with tales of Rav Kaduri’s supposed predictions that the world would end and Mashiah would come by Tisha B’Av this year. Well Tisha B’Av fell on Shabbat, and so it was techinically pushed off a day due to that, so I figured I would give it till the end of the day(the 10th of Av). To really say, “Told you so.”
Now it is truly and fully over, and still no Mashiah, still no war between Gog and Magog. Still no earth shattering world ending crisis. And still no apology from the nutter who posted all of this nonsense in the first place. The latter is what I am really waiting for.
Let me explain. When these sorts of wild predictions are made (fraudulently) in the name of some big Mekubal(especially a niftar one who cannot defend himself), it denigrates that Tzadik, in this case Rav Kaduri who my father and I were close with. It also gives Kabbalists, the real Mekubalim, a bad name. A very bad name. We are made out to look like a bunch of nutters standing on soap boxes shouting “Repent for the end is nigh.”
Honestly I don’t know which is worse, the Kabbalah cults, or the guys who make end of the world predictions and proclaim them(again often fraudulently) in the name of true Kabbalists. On one side we are made to look like a greedy new age cult, on the other we are made to look like a crazy Armageddon cult, neither is all that appealing in truth.
So here we sit, still waiting and longing for Mashiah. With all of our funky predictions once again shown to be not only wrong, but a distraction from what will truly bring Mashiah. The Gemarra tells us that the first Beit HaMikdash was destroyed for the sins of murder, incest and idolatry. Yet we merited to see it rebuilt after only seventy years. The second Beit Hamikdash was destroyed for the sin of Sinat Chinam(baseless hatred), yet after 1942 years we still wait for redemption. Why? Because we have never sought to put an end to that sin. Don’t believe me? Read some of the stuff that gets posted on Pashkveilim. We have Tzniut movements, and Tzniut police and all sorts of other craziness. I would like to see a Yachdut(unity) movement and Yachdut police… That would be refreshing. It may even bring Mashiah, and even if it doesn’t, it will make the wait a lot better.
My favourite was in 1994 when the Rebbe died and some nutbars claimed that he would rise from the dead on Tisha B’Av to redeem the world. And I said “You know, I think another religion already has the patent on that idea…”
Yachdut police? Somehow that doesn’t sound very, um, unifying…
Depends on how they go about their jobs. It could be unifying. You see two dudes arguing in the street, you go up mediate their dispute and have them give each other a hug before they go about their merry way.
“I would like to see a Yachdut(unity) movement and Yachdut police…”
Me too. Every time I see some news about conflict in or between the Jewish communities, I think to myself that, as you call it, “a Yachdut movement” would be a terrific idea.
i think the word you are looking for is achdut
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Thought you might appreciate another view on this: