“Sweeting the Birth Pangs of Mashiach” – Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto shlit”a

THE HOLY WORDS WHICH WERE GIVEN OVER RECENTLY BY THE ADMOR RABBI YOSHIYAHU PINTO SHLIT”A:

WE ARE IN THE TIME PERIOD THAT THE SON OF DAVID COMES, CLOSER THAN ANY PERIOD OR TIME TO THE COMING OF THE MASHIACH.  AND ANYONE WHOSE SPIRITUAL SENSES ARE SHARP MAMASH FEELS AND SMELLS THE REDEMPTION THAT IS CLOSER THAN ANY PERIOD OR TIME.

It’s known that before the redemption, it’s necessary that there should be once again an aspect of the opening of the womb, to give birth to the soul of Mashiach.  Apparently, simply, this needs to be through the bite of the serpent, which causes bloodshed, God forbid, before the redemption.  This is the matter of danger of the birth-pangs of Mashiach – bloodshed before the redemption.

However, through Tzaddikim who learn Torah, primarily at night, and who are involved in serving Hashem and holy unifications – all of this is a preparation to arouse the unification of the morning dawn, which is the unification of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, which will happen again in the future.  Everything that was in Egypt, in the exodus from Egypt and in the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, will give strength to the redemption – that it will be greater and more awesome than the exodus from Egypt.

Through learning at night and serving Hashem at night, the birth pangs of Mashiach, of war are sweetened before the redemption.  This is the mystery of what is brought in the holy Zohar, Parshas Pinchas (Bamidbar 249b), that there is a certain deer in the desert, after she becomes pregnant…when the time of delivery arrives, the Kadosh Baruch Hu sends to her a certain serpent and it bites her womb.  In this way, the womb widens and she gives birth easily.

It’s known the incident with Rabbeinu HaAri HaKadosh ztz”l, when he learned with his students and the students of Rabbeinu Chaim Vital ztz”l, and they reached this [point in] the Zohar.  Rabbeinu HaArizal z”l said to them: Here, I can’t reveal mysteries, because there is a great danger in this.

Rabbi Chaim Vital pressed him to reveal to them this mystery.  Rabbeinu HaAri couldn’t refuse Rabbeinu Chaim Vital and revealed to them the mystery of the deer with the serpent.  When Rabbeinu HaAri z”l finished teaching them the mystery, people came and informed him that his son was ill with a high fever.  Rabbeinu HaAri and R’ Chaim Vital went and found the child with a high fever, and so after seven days the son of Rabbeinu HaAri passed away.

The students were aggrieved, but Rabbeinu HaAri continued teaching the mysteries of the Torah.  Time passed, and once again they arrived at a mystery of the Torah, and once again Rabbeinu HaAri didn’t want to reveal it to them, and once again Rabbeinu Chaim Vital pressed him, and Rabbeinu HaAri acceded and revealed to them the mystery.  When he concluded, the students saw that the face of the holy Ari was in worry.

He said to them that a decree was passed on him because he revealed to them the mystery.  After they did rectifications, he requested to go outside the city and learn Torah there.  And if, God forbid, there should be a conflict or argument between the students, Rabbeinu HaAri wouldn’t finish his year.  And so every week the students were with Rabbeinu HaAri and on Shabbos the women and children would join in.

After five months, the women argued between them.  They told their husbands and there was an argument between the students.  That Shabbos, Rabbeinu HaAri said that a decree was passed on him, and that week he passed away from this world – the great light, Rabbeinu HaAri HaKadosh ztz”l.

Behold, the matter of “as the deer longs for brooks of water” is a great mystery.  If [we] sweeten the delivery and prevent the bite of the serpent through Torah, Mitzvos, and devotion to the Kadosh Baruch Hu at night – Tikkun Chatzos, Tikkun Kares – we merit to be redeemed eternally, not through the birth-pangs of Mashiach, and not through wars and bloodshed.

This power is in our hands, to awaken the morning with the light of Torah.  Therefore, a person should know that the Torah which one learns at night (that) its power is awesome and it sweetens the exile and brings the redemption of our souls.

--Yoshiyahu Yosef