IV: How to Transition From Universe 1 to Universe 2

Universe 1 is where power is based on a country’s strength.  God plays no direct role in this universe.  In this universe, one jockeys between the powers to get security and other matters settled.  We are currently in Universe 1 and have been there since Moshe Rabeinu. Universe 2 is where we recognize that God has direct power.  Abra(ha)m believed in Hashem and lived in Universe 2.  He promoted God but he still took precautions (Pharaoh, Avimelech). 

The following two stories illustrate the lowest level scenario observed in Universe 1, and the highest level scenario observed in Universe 2. 

Currently, we live in Universe 1, and Israel faces six enemies---Gaza in the West, Hezbollah in the North, West Bankers in the East, and Houthis in the South.  In addition, Iran is behind all of them, and the World (United Nations) is also against Israel (e.g. We need a cease fire!). Thus, 4 enemies surround Israel, and Iran and the United Nations are against Israel too.  In addition, public opinion is against Israel.  This is the worse case scenario for Israel.  God did it to show that he (she) can save Israel even from the worst-case scenario.   

The second scenario in Universe 2 occurred in Abra(ha)m’s era.  Abraham believed in Hashem and promoted him.  Lot and his family moved to Sodom.  Four kings from the north defeated the five kings in the Sodom region, and they demanded a tribute.  The five kings paid tribute for 12 years, and then rebelled.  In the 14th year, the four northern kings banded together and led an army south to punish the Sodom kings.  They defeated six nations before even getting to the Sodom area (Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Horites, Enmishpat, Amalekites, and Amorites).  We know one of them quite well, the Amalekites.  Then the four kings defeated the five kings from the Sodom area, and took Lot, his family, and many other spoils back to the North.  In all, the four northern kingdoms defeated 11 nations.  Abraham was informed.  He led an army of 318 men, and two confederates against the four kings.  Why does it say 318, when it could have just said around 300 men.  18 is a special number standing for “life”, and it signifies an important issue or a miracle.  Abraham with 318 men defeated the four kings.  In addition, he chased them back to Hobath, which is close to Damascus Syria.  Abraham rescued Lot and family and returned the spoils to his confederates or to the Sodom kings.  We learn from this incredible feat that numbers and power do not mean anything to Hashem.  His will creates the outcome. 

To review God in general, God created billions upon billions of stars (Scientists state this); God created life, including a complicated man; God created nature; and God created the laws of nature.  Can any country do any one of these tasks.  No!

In addition, God interferes with the laws of nature to help Jews.  He gave a boy to Sarah, a 90-year-old, post menopause woman.  He selectively gave curses to the Egyptians and not the Jews.  He selectively gave the curse of death to the Egyptian firstborns and their animals but not to the Jews.  And he drowned the Egyptian army while allowing the Jews to walk across the water on dry land. 

This is why we need to trust in Hashem and not in any country, including the United States.  Can the United States make a difference?  Yes, they could, but they didn’t.  Their interests are different from Jewish interests.  To illustrate, before and during World War II, the United States did not save any significant number of Jews; they did not persuade the Germans to not kill Jews; and they did not take any mitigation steps to prevent Jewish deaths.  These were all conscious decisions.  The United States was complicit to the crime.  Even today, public opinion (Youth against Israel) affects politicians and influences their decisions. 

We are in exile because we don’t fully recognize the difference between Universe 1 and Universe 2, and we don’t know how to make the transition from Universe 1 to Universe 2.  There have been many suggestions on how bring Moshiach including:  study more, pray better, observe 2 shabbats, elect a false messiah, and “we need Moshiach”.  None of these have worked, including some devastating false Messiahs. 

Between October 6th and October 8th, Israel changed from divisive political civil war to “let’s help each other”.  It’s beautiful, and it needs to continue forever. 

In exile (galut), we have the new enhanced concept of “friendship” through synagogues. Synagogues should promote friendship to the same degree or even more than prayer. Friendship has many benefits.  Friendship makes us more compassionate, empathetic, tolerant, charitable and helpful.  Friendship allows us to explore new areas.  And friendship increases cohesiveness and unity in the community. Families who are friendly to others and look out for others have a “good name”, and it exceeds other attributes (rich, natural ability, good profession or good business, etc.) 

We should promote events and have clubs based on members’ interests.  This should exceed what we are currently doing in our synagogues. This is particularly important for members over age 55 years, as they may be retired or empty nesters, and looking for more social life and involvement.  In contrast, younger members work and interact through school and their kids, so they have less need and less time to interact.  We should also interact well with new members and reach out to non-members. 

My new website is Organization for Jewish Friendship (OJF18), and it is available at OJF18.org.  It supports friendship for every Synagogue, orthodox or not.  It is also a device for Synagogues to communicate and to help each other.  “Friendship” is unique in that it applies to all Jewish sects, not just the orthodox, and it requires a person to actively pursue friendship.    

When Synagogues get on board, our world, as we currently know it, is going to change.  God will lead us from our miseries and establish a new ballgame for us.  We will be productive, charitable, compassionate, interactive, and not suffer from antisemitism.  We will be respectful and helpful to other nations but not let them determine our fate.  We will be united and recognize our God, and God will help us and be kind to us.  He has that capacity, and it is time to recognize it.      

BN 12-24-23; Rev. 1-22-24

III: HAMAs’ Invasion

The HAMAs’ invasion on October 7, 2023 (10-7-23) was a surprise, and it was a sad event in terms of the Israeli lives lost.  But the HAMAs’ invasion also changed the mentality of Israel.  On October 6, 2023, the country was locked in a political battle that was divisive and led to a political civil war.  People were forced to choose sides.  On October 8, 2023, Israel put aside the political civil war and ALL people were accepted to help in every way possible. Volunteers managed all needed affairs including aid for the internal refugees, for the excess reserve soldiers, for the return of soldiers’ cars to their families, to harvest the crops, and for many other needs.  Soldiers who were not called to service still went to army bases. The transition was from political civil war to let’s help each other in every way possible. Interestingly, when one adds 10 + 7 +23, it equals 40.  Forty is associated with transition, as you can see in the examples below. Let’s make this transition stick!!

Forty                                     Transition

1.    40 days for the flood                  From non-civilized world to civilized world

2.    Marriage at 40 years                 From being single to being married

(Isaac, Esav)

3.    40 days on Mt. Sinai                  From no Torah to getting the Torah

4.    40 more days on Mt. Sinai        Due to Golden Calf, repentance days were needed so

God would directly lead the Children of Israel                                                                                               

5.    40 days for the spies              Time to confirm the land was fruitful (“milk and honey”)

6.    40 years of exile                      Much better than destruction. Time to repent and mature.

7.    40 days between Elul 1           Time period that repentance is more accepted

and Yom Kippur

8.    40 weeks for pregnancy           From no child to mature child

9.    40 lashes (really 39)                  To repent for one’s crime; from guilty to acceptable

BN 12-18-23; Rev. 1-22-24

Men’s Adult Learning Trip:

The Men’s Adult Learning Trip (MALT) to Israel for one week, arranged by Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein, from Stamford Connecticut, occurs once every two years since 1998 and uses Ohr Torah Stone in Efrat Israel to help plan the trip.  The trip was planned in summer of 2023 summer, and it had a theme, but the theme was cancelled after the onset of the HAMAs-Israel War.  Instead, it was switched to lectures about the War, and the group observed volunteer activities in Israel in the afternoon.  The trip began at midnight two days after Thanksgiving and ended one week later.  The 20 participating men visited the following:  1. The Jerusalem Civil Coordination Center; 2. Internal refugees at the Orient Hotel in Jerusalem; 3. Shur IDF Base (Burial Identification Center) in Ramla Israel; 4. The Center to promote hostage release in Tel Aviv; 5. The battle site at Kfar Azza near Gaza; and 6. A wounded soldier at Hadassah Hospital. 

BN 12-11-23

Does the Enemy’s Power and Numbers Matter?

Four kings defeated 5 kings in the Sodom area and established a tribute for them to be paid to one of the four kings, Chedorlaomer.  After 12 years, the 5 Sodom kings rebelled and refused to pay a tribute in the 13th year.  The 4 northern kings banded together and came down from the Damascus area and defeated 7 nations (Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Horites, Enmishpat, Amalekites, and Amorites) prior to getting to the 5 Sodom kings.  The 4 kings then defeated the 5 Sodom kings and took Lot and his family and others as their spoils.  Abraham was informed, and he led 318 men (and two confederate leaders), and he attacked them at night in the Dan area, which is northern Canaan.  He “smote them and pursued them to Hobath, which is on the left-hand side of Damascus”.  He returned with Lot and all of the spoils. 

We see Abraham attacked with just 318 men against 4 powerful kings that had already destroyed 12 nations.  And yet, Abraham destroyed them and returned all of the spoils back to the Sodom kings.  Why does it state 318 and not 300?  Eighteen tells us that God caused this defeat to happen, and to God, the power and the enemy’s numbers did not matter. 

We need to remember that numbers and power do not mean anything to Hashem.  Trust in Hashem is the right pathway. 

BN 12-18-23