What do the 3rd Birthday of Guard Your Eyes, the Yartzeit of Rav Shlomo of Karlin and the 4th of July all have in common? The Zohar (in Chelek Beis, pg 78b) writes that Yakov Avinu took the months of Nissan and Iyar for himself (hence Yetziyas Mitzrayim, Kabbalas Hatorah), and Eisav took the months of Tammuz and Av for himself (and hence, the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha Be'av), but only the first 9 days of Av belong to him. The month of Tammuz belongs to Esav. Yaakov Avinu davened for Hashem to save him from "the hand of my brother, the hand of Esav". Esav's power over Yaakov stems either from "the hand of Esav" - when he tries to destroy us by force, or from the "hand of my brother" when he tries to influence Yaakov to do whatever he pleases and enjoy the pleasures of this world. Today, on July 4th, Esav celebrates the holiday of "Freedom"; the same freedom that allows for the complete lack of restrictions in today's society.
The Beis Ahron of Karlin at the end of Parshas Pinchas brings a Medrash that says that the months of Tammuz, Av and Elul have no Regalim in them. That is why Hashem gave us three Regalim in the month of Tishrei, as if to "pay us back". The Beis Ahron writes that the 3 weeks are a very high time. These 3 weeks symbolize the 3 upper worlds (Ga"r or Gimmle Rishonos; Keser, chachma and Bina), and according to Kabbala, these three worlds are above time and space. That is why, says the Beis Ahron, the 3 weeks are a time when Hashem is so "hidden". Not because it is a "dark" time, but rather because the world cannot be "Sovel" (tolerate) the great light of this period of the year. But when Moshiach comes, he writes, these three weeks will be revealed and they will become great Yomim Tovim. And the Beis Ahron ends by saying that that is why we usually read Parshas Pinchas during the three weeks, because Pinchas has all the Regalim in it.
The Yartzeit of Rav Shlomo Karliner is today, on the 22cd Tamuz. He was killed al Kiddush Hashem by a Russian Cossack, and Tzadikim said he was the bechina of Moshiach Ben Yosef. Yosef was born and died in the month of Tammuz. This is because the Koach of yosef will one day over power Esav as the Pasuk says "and the house of Yosef will be a flame and the house of Eisav will be like straw". Yosef's flame of Kedusha will devour and eradicate the power of Eisav from the world. But before Moshiach comes, Esav's Koach seems to overpower Yosef during the three weeks, and Yosef needs to "die" (be mistalek) in order to combat Esav. We all know that the death of Moshiach Ben Yosef is an integral part of the Ge'ulah. Only after Moshiach ben Yosef dies can Moshiach Ben David reveal himself.
The Guardureyes.com website was launched on the 22cd of Tamuz - exactly three years ago. Our community is part of the light of Yosef that shines forth after the holy bechina of Yosef seems to have been "killed" - kaviyachol - by Esav and all his impurities. Our network is perhaps a harbinger of the Ge'ulah, the fulfillment of what the holy Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh writes (Shemos 3: 8), that before Moshiach comes the Yidden will be subjected to the 50th level of impurity (i.e. the death of Yosef - Kaviyachol), yet they will find the strength to enter into the mouth of the Satan and remove that which he had swallowed from his very mouth. ("Le'hotzi Bo'loi Mi'piv", i.e. using the power of the internet, the Satan's very tool, to bring out the sparks of Kedusha that had fallen prey to the 50th level of Tumah). By re-inspiring Klal Yisrael with the power of Kedusha (which is the power of "restriction" - as Chazal say, "wherever you find a geder Erva, you find Kedusha"), we are fighting the power of Esav in our generation; the power of "Freedom" = lack of restrictions.
Tzadikim say, that although the 3 weeks is generally a bad time to start anything new, the day of Rav Shlomo's Yartzeit is a day when it is davka mesugal to start something new, and to make a personal RENEWAL. It seems to me that it is no coincidence that Esav's Holiday of Freedom, the Yartzeit of Rav Shlomo of Karlin (bechinas Yosef Hatzadik) and the 3rd Birthday of GuardYourEyes all fall out on the same day!
Rabbosai, just like this network was launched on this day, I ask all of those in our community of Hashem's "front-line soldiers", to take this power of renewal and the power of Kedusha - restriction, and to renew the light of Yosef, davka now when Hashem is Hidden from us the most and the power of Esav seems to be at its peak.
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(For a slightly different and more elaborate version of this d'var Torah, see Chizuk e-mail #528 on
this page, written on GYE's 2cd Birthday.)
