A couple of weeks ago, I was pondering on how ‘quiet’ the Rav has been about Meron and also about Uman.

Usually, the Rav is prepping us for long months in advance, about the importance of being by Rashbi for L’ag B’omer, and the importance of being by Rabbenu in Uman for Rosh Hashana.

Even when the war started in Ukraine, even when there was Covid, even when the State was trying so hard to stop all the gatherings by our holiest Tzaddikim – he was encouraging people for many months in advance to start thinking about getting to Uman for Rosh Hashana, or getting to Meron.

This year….. nothing.

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Yesterday, the failed State announced that they are effectively ‘cancelling’ L’ag B’omer this year.

They are designating Meron a closed military zone for five days before L’ag B’omer, and five days afterwards.

They are blaming this on ‘the war’, but just watch and see if they are cancelling any of the big gatherings for Yom Ha’atzmaut next week, and then you’ll understand how much the real ‘war’ in our failed State is only and ever against the Torah and Judaism and religious Jews.

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In the meantime, I also have a strong feeling that Uman is going to be off the cards too this year.

According to the messages being given out by Rav Elmaliach, the ‘back door’ from the Rav at the moment, there is a big war meant to kick off Elul 25th, 5784 this year – September 28th, 2024 – that will last until Simchat Torah.

When I first heard that message, before Purim, I started wondering about what was going to be with Uman.

Now that I’ve seen this ‘closure’ at Meron, and now that I’m understanding the Rav hasn’t said a word about going to Uman for Rosh Hashana this year, I’m starting to take Rav Elmaliach’s messages much more seriously.

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The Rav, and Shuvu – and a lot of other people who go to Rabbenu for Rosh Hashana – are not scared by ‘small stuff’ like regular wars, Covid restrictions, or closed borders.

If Uman is off the table this year for Rosh Hashana, that means that it is literally impossible to get there.

And if it’s literally impossible to get there – then clearly, something quite dramatic must be happening to prevent people from travelling to Uman.

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Tov, I’m going offline now again for a few days.

Update on the Rav is that he has water on the lungs, and requires private hospitalisation for a few days that is going to cost around $20k.

If you can help defray some of this cost, go HERE to give some money – scroll down and use the payment options via stripe at the bottom of the post, don’t pay via the website, and it’s still not recovered from being ‘taken out’ literally three days before Simchat Torah, 5784….

I’ll let you know when the Rav is back at davening on Ido HaNavi for Ma’ariv.

If you haven’t already, you should really make an effort to come and pray with the Rav, at least once, before Tisha B’av.

It’ll stand you in good stead, spiritually, to weather whatever other storms are headed our way.

And may we just hear good news.