An unusual show of unity took place last week on the 97th birthday of the Posek HaDor, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shternbuch. In honor of the occasion, dozens of kohanim from various streams of Klal Yisrael, including yeshiva bochurim from Yeshivas Chevron and Toldos Aharon, gathered at HaRav Shternbuch’s home to be mevareich the Posek HaDor with Birchas Kohanim during Shacharis. The event was planned by HaRav Avraham Yeshayahu Stern, a mekurav of Gedolei Yisrael and a resident of Har Nof, where HaRav Shternbuch lives. Following Shacharis, HaRav Shternbuch spoke words of chizzuk in the wake of the recent calamities in Israel and the world. “We’re in a very very difficult situation,” HaRav Shternbuch said, mentioning once again the words of Zecharya HaNavi that half of Yerushalayim will be destroyed before milchamas Gog U’Magaog. “We don’t know the exact details of what will happen but it’s clear that there will be a terrible churban…and we must do teshuvah,” HaRav Shternbuch warned. “What’s happening now in this world are the blows of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who is knocking on the door and screaming: ‘What’s with you, why aren’t you making changes prior to the deep darkness of the war prior to the coming of Moshiach?'” Rav Shternbuch addressed the bochurim: “The situation is very difficult. אנא מפניך אברח. We don’t even know where to flee. We need to hold on and continue to overcome the difficult nisyonos until the coming of Moshiach. We need to be mechazeik b’emunah because it’s extremely difficult to endure so many nisyonos that are without measure or limit. The Maharil Diskin clearly said that the meaning of what is says in Hoshanos: הושענא נא שלש שעות הושענא – that there will be difficult nisyonos in emunah in the ‘three last hours’ before the coming of Moshiach.'” “Each one will be mechazeik and b’ezras Hashem we’ll see wonders -everything is dependent on us. If you only think about the future, you can worry about what will be. But it’s only possible to hold on with emunah and bitachon. And we need to know that just like an animal cannot understand what a person is, so too, we cannot in any way understand Hakadosh Baruch Hu, why He sees the blood of Yisrael spilling and is silent.” “The Satan is working hard now because he knows that at the moment that Hashem Yisbarach will see that we’re doing teshuvah, He’ll completely nullify him – at the time of Moshiach. And our avodah is to be mechazeik b’limmud – like the G’ra said that every word of limmud haTorah is a mitvah in itself. And b’ezras Hashem, we’ll see niflaos mamash, and Hashem Yisbarach will help that we’ll see the geulas Yisrael and Moshiach Tzidkeinu.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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