A Soulful Journey

 The Gerer Rebbe said: "Exile contains redemption within itself as seed contains the fruit." Never give up.

Rabbi Yossi once stopped to pray in a broken building in Israel. Elijah the prophet waited for him to finish and then asked, “What did you hear in this building?” The rabbi answered, “I heard a heavenly voice which chirps like a dove and chants: “Woe to Me ! Oh, My children.  For their sins I have destroyed My house, burned My holy Sanctum and exiled Israel among the nations.” Elijah replied: “I swear that this voice speaks not once but three times each day. Furthermore, when Jews in synagogue recite,  yehay shmay rabbah …”  God nods His head and says, “Happy is the king who is exalted in His house.” Why does the Father exile His children? ”Woe to those children exiled from the fathers table.” No parent wants to punish the child. In fact, when they send them to the room without dinner it is the parent that greatly suffers.

Gershon read:   “Rabbi Yosi then discoursed on the verse: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentations and weeping, Rachel weeping for her children because they are not.’   We have learned that on the day when the Sanctuary on earth was laid waste and Israel went into captivity with millstones on their necks and their hands bound behind them, the Community of Israel was banished from the home of her Husband to follow them; and when She came down, She said: ‘I will go in front and weep for my home and my children and my Husband.’   When She came down and saw her home devastated and the blood of saints spilled in its midst and the holy shrine and the temple burnt, She lifted up her voice, and higher and lower angels trembled, and the voice ascended to the place where the King dwelt, and the King was minded to turn the world into chaos again.   Thereupon many armies and hosts went down to meet her, but She would not accept consolation.   Hence it i...