The Gemora (Megilla 17b) regarding the order of our tefillot in שמונה עשרה, asks:
ומה ראו לומר קיבוץ גליות לאחר ברכת השנים ־ דכתיב (יחזקאל ל״ו) ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל כי קרבו לבוא. וכיון שנתקבצו גליות ־ נעשה דין ברשעים, שנאמר: (ישעיהו א׳) ואשיבה ידי עליך ואצרף כבר סיגיך
What was their reason for mentioning the gathering of the exiles after the blessing of the years? Because it is written, But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to your people Israel, for they are ready to come. And when the exiles are assembled, judgment will be visited on the wicked, as it says, And I will turn my hand upon thee and purge away your dross as with lye.
And elsewhere (Tehillim 95:1):
א קאֵל-נְקָמוֹת ה’ א קאֵל נְקָמוֹת הוֹפִיַע: ב הִנָּשֵֹא שֹׁפֵט הָאָרֶץ הָשֵׁב גְּמוּל עַל-גֵּאִים: ג עַד-מָתַי רְשָׁעִים ה’ עַד-מָתַי רְשָׁעִים יַעֲלֹזוּ: ד יַבִּיעוּ יְדַבְּרוּ עָתָק יִתְאַמְּרוּ כָּל-פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן: ה עַמְּךָ ה’ יְדַכְּאוּ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ יְעַנּוּ: ו אַלְמָנָה וְגֵר יַהֲרֹגוּ וִיתוֹמִים יְרַצֵּחוּ: ז וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא יִרְאֶה-קאל וְלֹא-יָבִין אֱלֹקי יַעֲקֹב:
- Gd of vengeance; O Gd, of vengeance shine forth.
- Rise up Judge of all Mankind; render retribution on the arrogant.
- How long shall the wicked [exist], how long shall the wicked rejoice?
- How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the evil doers boast?
- They crush your people, O Gd, and afflict your heritage.
- They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the orphan.
- Yet they say, Gd shall not see, nor shall the Gd of Jacob regard it.
But the Gemara (Baba Kama 50a) tells us otherwise. It’s only a matter of time, since Gd does not waiver in Judgment, nor abandons His decree upon the perpetrators. As it says:
אמר ר׳ חנינא: כל האומר הקב״ה ותרן הוא ־(רש”י – לעבור על כל פשעם), יותרו חייו, שנאמר: (דברים ל״ב)
הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט. בבא קמא נ א
As I watched the endless pitiful lines of refugees of the Russian-Ukraine War streaming across Europe and elsewhere, I saw another piece of the Geula program marching on as well, that of וכיון שנתקבצו גליות ־ נעשה דין ברשעים.
As I now watch almost daily reports of massive global fires, flooding, hurricanes earthquakes and “stormy winds” throughout the world fulfilling His word, I see vengeance upon the Nations. As David Hamelech said אֵשׁ וּבָרָד שֶׁלֶג וְקִיטוֹר רוּחַ סְעָרָה עֹשָֹה דְבָרוֹ
Also we recite daily: לַעֲשֹוֹת נְקָמָה בַּגּוֹיִם תּוֹכֵחֹת בַּל-אֻמִּים: ח לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּזִקִּים וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּכַבְלֵי בַרְזֶל: To execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishment upon the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
Now that the majority ingathering of Jewish remnants dispersed throughout the world since the Churban has been recognized de facto, the time has come for retribution and a reckoning with the world for its persecution of Gd’s People over the centuries. How much blood has been spilled on the European arena over the two thousand years of our dispersion and exile? From coast to coast literally the blood drenched soil cries out for vengeance and there was none.
I see the Gemora before me. Even as Israel will absorb the Jewish refugees, more than 10 million goyim are now the wanderers over the face of the earth with no place to call home. Heretofore, it was the Jewish lot and now Gd is exacting justice for the Jewish blood spilled over centuries and there will be no respite until the Goyim return to the 7 Mitzvot Bnei Noach and acknowledge the Gd of Israel.
Now is the time to see things in perspective and within the program set forth by our Sages so many yours ago, and filter world events today through the prism and clarity of prophecy. There is no escape. Gd indeed is the Gd of vengeance and the sooner the world recognizes this the sooner will they also appreciate the Kingdom of Gd, give praise and reap rewards in its acknowledgment.
The Gemara in Baba Kama ends with the following story.
Our Rabbis taught: It happened that the daughter of Nehonia the well-digger once fell into a deep pit. When people came and informed R. Hanina b. Dosa [about it], during the first hour he said to them, she is well, during the second he said to them, she is still well, but in the third hour he said to them, she has by now come out [of the pit].
They then asked her, Who brought you up? Her answer was: A ram (of Isaac) providentially] came to my help with an old man (Avraham) leading it.
They then asked R. Hanina b. Dosa, Are you a prophet? He said to them, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. I only exclaimed: Shall the thing to which that pious man has devoted his labor (Rashi: מצטער בו־ לחפור בורות ומערות לעולי רגלים – He would dig ditches and wells for the Oleh Regel) become a stumbling-block to his seed? R. Aha, however, said; Nevertheless, his (Nehonia’s) son died of thirst, [thus bearing out what the Scripture] says, And it shall be very tempestuous round about Him, which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is particular with those pious around about Him even for matters as light as a single hair.
- Nehonia derived the same lesson from the verse, ונורא על כל סביביו־ מטיל אימת משפטיו עליהם. Gd is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.
- Hanina said: If a man says that the Holy One, blessed be He, הותרן־ לעבור על כל פשעם is lax in the execution of justice, his life shall be forfeited, יותרו חייו־ יופקרו חייו for it is stated, He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are just.
אשרי המאמינים – Blessed are the believers in Torah, Nevua and the process of the ימות המשיח.
לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם לכל עם ישראל באשר הם שם.
