As I’m writing this article, we have no idea what will be in the next few days…hours…minutes. (Who can even think in terms of months and years anymore?) Will Iran attack, when will they attack, what will they attack, will it be alone or with all their proxies? What will happen, who will join in, who will help Israel? So many uncertainties.

As we approach Shabbos Chazon and Tisha b’Av, there’s a big question THAT has been bothering so many people. Does the current worldwide situation have any end in sight? This whole war is stretching out, with no light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. There are no good practical solutions to satisfy everyone. Anything Israel does, they get it over the head from their “friends.” People don’t want to give up, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to end this. There have been so many tragedies, so many korbanos, and hatred is everywhere. Too many troubles to count.

On the other hand, we have seen amazing miracles. The fact that Hezbollah didn’t join in on the first day is maybe the biggest of these miracles! The thousands of missiles sent our way, most landing in “open areas,” along with the amazing success rate of the Iron Dome. The amazing motzaei Shabbos miracle with the 350 missiles and drones from Iran before Pesach, with almost no damage and only one girl injured. Unprecedented in the world. Both the attack and the outcome! These are only a few from among the many miracles that have happened. 

The Chofetz Chaim, in sefer Shemiras Halashon, brings new insights on the parshios. On parshas Chukas, he brings a short but amazing insight. The Torah is describing the travels of Klal Yisrael, from which they had kotzer ruach - a shortness of spirit, a desperate feeling. Rashi explains that they had just approached and been turned away from the land of Edom, which increased their travel time to Eretz Yisrael. Klal Yisrael got nervous that they were indeed turning away from Eretz Yisrael, which had happened 38 years earlier. They were so close to Eretz Yisrael, but were now being turned away! They were finally at the end of the 40 years, and now it seemed that they were being pushed back. This caused the kotzer ruach, the desperate feeling, and it was the cause of them to speak negatively against Hashem.

The Chofetz Chaim says, that before the final geula comes, it will be the same situation. There will be a feeling that we’re so close to the geula, but things will keep pushing it further away, with no end in sight, causing the kotzer ruach.     

R’ Yisrael Altusky shlita, of Yeshiva Torah Ore, Yerushalayim, suggested two more examples showing that when the geula is near, there then comes a major setback. At the end of parshas Shemos, Moshe and Ahron had gone to Pharaoh to demand the release of Klal Yisrael. Klal Yisrael were so excited; the geula is near! But Pharaoh refused, and placed a new decree upon Klal Yisrael. They would need to continue producing the same quota of bricks, but straw (a key component) would no longer be provided. The slaves would need to find their own. That was a crazy decree! Klal Yisrael spread throughout Mitzrayim, desperately searching for straw. Now, Mitzrayim was an extremely organized society. They had exact recordings of all their dealings. It was far from a free-for-all. To find enough straw from an available “legal” source that other slaves weren’t fighting over was crazy! In parshas Va’eira, Moshe tried to encourage Klal Yisrael, but they couldn’t hear him because of their kotzer ruach - shortness of spirit, that despairing feeling. It seemed like the golus was nearing its end, and now they had the terrible decree.

Another example is seen from the end of the 70 years of golus Bavel. King Coresh allowed the Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael and to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash! Amazing - the golus is ending! Then what happened? Achashverosh arrived and he retracted that decree. Haman showed up, with his decree to wipe out Klal Yisrael. We know the end of the story, they didn’t. They were so close to the geula, and suddenly were being threatened with extermination! The same kotzer ruach was there. 

We will now detour to make another point to hopefully clarify our situation.

Rav Chaim Vital zts”l, a student of the Arizal, has taught to us about the final golus, golus Yishmael. Yishmael will rise to power at the end of days, and share/battle with Edom and cause great suffering to Klal Yisrael. (If this is your introduction to this concept, then many things may have just become clarified to you.) Yishmael has many unique traits about him. The Torah describes him is a pereh adam - a wild man. This has many meanings. R’ Moshe Shapiro zts”l, who spoke at length on this topic explained, that the entire galus Yishmael has this feature. Wildness, a lack of direction, where things don’t have any organized order and don’t make sense. This is in contrast to Eisav/Edom, where there was terrible evil, but there was a method to the madness

We find in megillas Eicha that in the first four chapters, the 22 verses begin with the letters of the aleph-beis, and follow the order of the aleph-beis. The fifth chapter has all the 22 verses beginning with the letters of the aleph-beis, but it’s not in the order of the aleph-beis. It doesn’t seem to be in any order. Why is this?

R’ Yisrael Altusky shlita suggested the following answer. The fourth chapter ends with a verse describing the punishment that will be given to Edom. The fifth chapter begins, and in pasuk 16, the Navi uses the word “Oy,” the only time it’s used in Eicha. What’s oy? It’s not really a word; it’s a sigh of pain. In the Torah, oy is used only once, by Bilam’s prophecy of the end-of-days - oy mi yichye misumo e’l. The Medrash explains it: who can live from the one who’s name is e-l. Who’s that? Yishmael. Oy from one whose name has the e’l (a name of Hashem), Yishmael.

The first four chapters end with the downfall of Edom. Then, the fifth chapter is golus Yishmael. (R’ Chaim Vital writes that the end of galus Edom will be shared with galus Yishmael.) The reason the aleph-beis isn’t in order is because Yishmael doesn’t have any order. He’s wild; things are not organized and don’t make sense. It’s difficult to see any system by his methods. Sure, he makes plans - lots of them to! But to carry them out exactly as planned is hard for him. Honesty and truthfulness are difficult for him. Yes isn’t yes, no isn’t no, truth is blurred, and imagination is reality. You can’t argue with him; his facts are blurred mirages of truth.

A friend of mine told over the following story which happened to him a few years ago. He was walking in Yerushalayim when he was stopped by a few Israeli university students. They were taking a poll and wanted to ask him for his opinion, especially because he’s a frum Jew. He agreed. The questions were all political. The last question was what he thought about the peace process with the Arabs. He responded that peace would be wonderful, but he didn’t think the Arabs had anybody on their side who was a true peace partner. Although, he added, that if the Israelis send a peace negotiator, they should only send a Sephardi, because Sephardim understand the Arabs mentality better, as they lived among the Arabs. Yes isn’t yes, no isn’t no, maybe isn’t maybe…Then one of the students began to yell at her friends, “See! I’ve always said the exact same thing! You need to try to understand them and speak their language!” 

What’s the explanation for all the current events going on in our times with Yishmael? The answer is that there is no clear explanation!

Now we will return to the Chofetz Chaim that we brought earlier. By the very end of the golus, things will seem to be heading in the right direction, towards the geula. Then suddenly, things will stop, and it will seem like we’re heading away from the geula, with utter confusion and no clear direction either, a kotzer ruach! This is our test in the current situation.

Baruch Hashem, we’ve been zoche to return to and build Eretz Yisrael, with hundreds of thousands of Bnei Torah. (I heard Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi shlita, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of the Mir, saying how there are 12,000 talmidim in the Mir alone!) However, the opposite powers are also very strong, trying to spread great impurity as well. Extremely dangerous physical and spiritual enemies. 

This is our test now: To remain loyal to Hashem, even when things seem to have no direction, no end in sight, no hope, a kotzer ruach - that feeling of desperation. Belief in Hashem that everything He is doing is the best for us! Loyalty and relying on Hashem that He does and will take care of us! Along with anticipating the arrival of Moshiach, bringing the most wonderful salvation possible!

May we merit to see Hashem’s salvation speedily with the arrival of Moshiach, and may this Tisha b’av truly be a Yom Tov!