The Lubavitcher Rebbe: Reincarnation:

Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, (Vol 5, Letter 1257):

You tell me you are giving the proper amount of Tzedakah. However, your shalom bayis (peace in the home) situation, needs great improvement.

The fact that you are having great difficulties in this area is a sign, that this Mitzvah has not been completed in your previous life.
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The holy Arizal teaches us, that most souls living in a body, have been here before. The reason they come back again, is to fulfill those Mitzvahs, that they did not do properly the first time around.

Those Mitzvahs that they did complete in their previous lifetime, do not require any more refinement, and therefore their observance is easy.

However, those Mitzvahs that one did not complete in his previous lifetime, are the ones most difficult to do. The Yetzer Hara targets these non-completed Mitzvahs, as the ones to oppose most.
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The fact that the issue of Shalom Bayis is so difficult for you proves, that it is a Mitzvah which needs fulfillment. In your past lifetime, you did not refine this Mitzvah, now is your opportunity.

The AriZal- Story of Reincarnation

(Shivchei Ha-Ari, 16th century)

It once happened in Safed, that a disciple of the Holy Ari, had to go on a long journey. Before departing, he came to his teacher for a letter of recommendation. The Ari wrote it for him, then blessed him and said, "May G-d be with you, and may you go in peace".

The disciple then asked "Master, can you tell me anything about what will happen when I get there?"

"You will marry a beautiful woman" the Ari replied. "And she is your destined soul-mate for this life. But after you have been happily married for only six months, she will suddenly die.
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And here is the reason: In another incarnation, this woman was a man, and you were also a man then. He was your dearest friend, but he also caused you some legal trouble for six months.

Finally, he brought a lawsuit against you in the civil courts, which caused you to lose 600 gold coins, even though you were innocent of his charges.

"Now" continued the Ari, "this friend from another life, is once again reincarnated - as the woman you will marry on your journey. His soul has come to make atonement for his sins against you.

For the six months of trouble that he caused in that life, you will have six months of happiness in this life.

The inheritance you will receive when she dies, is to repay you for the 600 gold pieces you lost in the past life.

But even though you know this, you should be kind and patient to this woman, and grant her forgiveness for the trouble she caused you in the previous life.

"Everything happened exactly, as the Holy Ari said it would.

The AriZal: The Advantage of this World Over the Next World

The souls of Tzadikim,” he explained, “receive greater satisfaction from being in this physical world, than by being in Gan Eden.

Here the soul can serve the Almighty on the lowest physical plane, through performing Mitzvoth and good deeds; which brings far greater benefit to this world; and is far more pleasurable to the soul, than being in Gan Eden.

(Ex. For this world contains the Essence of Hashem. Whereas Gan Eden only contains a ray of G-dliness.)

When Moshiach arrives, and G-dliness will be seen and felt, by even the most common man; we will yearn for the former days, when we were able to serve the Almighty on the lowest level, of the physical.”

The Arizal: Why suffering in this World

The ARI teaches, that various judgments (Sufferings) are not intended as punishments, so much as they are meant, to cleanse a person from sin.

Thus, Gehennom - and reincarnation (when it is imposed) - are means, by which one's sins are purged; (allowing one then to ascend to a higher level in Gan Eden).

Death, too, is an integral part of this cleansing process.

The Greatness of the AriZal (The "Father" of Kabbalah)

The Ari
1534-1572

Time-line of Chabad Chassidus: Adam Harishon, The Rasbi, The AriZal, The Baal Shem Tov, The Alter Rebbe; 7 Rebbeim, until the Rebbe.

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(Source- The AriZal, Art Scroll youth series, Mesorah Publications, 1988.)

The disciples of the Ari, who were in constant contact with him, realized, that what they saw, was only the tip of the iceberg of his greatness.

Chaim Vital, who was his close disciple, wrote about him, in his introduction to his famous work Etz Chaim, which contains his teacher’s teachings.

He wrote the following: “I would not relate something of his ways and wonders, which my eyes witnessed. Which no one has seen in the world, since the time of the Tannaim, like the Rashbi and his companions.”
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From the time of the Rashbi until the Ravid, this knowledge was transmitted only by word of mouth. Eliyahu revealed himself to only select scholars, until the time of the Ramban.

From that time, until my master the Ari, there was no one who could grasp this knowledge, properly.
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The Ari knew Mishnah, Talmud, Aggados and Midrashim; in all the various approaches of Pardas. Including the mystical one, called Maaseh Bereishis; (which is the workings of the universe); and Maaseh Merkavah (mystical speculations on the G-dly chariot).

He also knew the language of the birds, the trees and the grasses. And even of inanimate things, such as stones, flames, and also angels.

He conversed with spirits of the past, who had been reborn, both good and evil.

He knew where people’s souls had come from.

He was also able to determine secrets, just by the smell of garments.

He could see souls leaving the body in a cemetery; and going to Gan Eden every Friday afternoon.

He was able to speak to the souls of the departed Tzaddikim, residing in the next world. They confided the secrets of their world to him.

He was able to read faces and palms.

He could interpret dreams, just by looking at a person’s forehead.

He was able to know ones thoughts and dreams.

He taught the meaning of the origins of souls; and read upon a person’s forehead, all his merits and sins.

He was able to find the specific Tikkun (correction needed for ones soul) for each individual, in accordance with his nature and the origin of ones soul.

Nothing was concealed from the Ari.

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The son of Rabbi Yosef Karo (The Beis Yosef), married the daughter of the AriZal.

Rabbi Yosef Karo: Truly the Ari knows more than an angel! He must have the soul of a Navi (Prophet), for even the Tannaim (sages from the Talmud) could not have expressed what he did.

Story: Understanding the Greatness of a Tzaddik

In 1777 Rebbe Menachem Mendel, along with disciple Rebbe Avraham, and 300 followers; emigrated to the Land of Israel, settling in Tzfas.

In 1783 they left Tzfas and moved to Tiveria. Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, a student of the Baal Shem Tov, explained why he left Tzfas, and moved to nearby Tiberias:

"The air in Tzfas is very pure, and at night I could hear the angels calling out from heaven, for the world to do Teshuva.
It disturbed my sleep so much, that I had to leave."
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1. Rebbe Schneur Zalman (about Rav Menachem Mendel): "I once saw him when he was giving audience, and I realized that everything that the person seeking his council, had done in his life was known to him."

2. Rebbe Schneur Zalman continued: "I then realized, that not only could he see all his actions in this present lifetime; but he also was aware of all of the person’s previous incarnations, since the six days of Creation."

3. Finally, Rebbe Schneur Zalman said: "In the end I realized, that not only could he see his past actions, and past incarnations; but he could also see everything that this soul was destined for in the future, until the coming of the Moshiach and after..."

Torah Codes- The Future?

Disclaimer: We don't know how its going to happen, as Teshuvah and the Rebbe can always change things, but it is certain, that Hashem now wants the Jews to leave Galus (exile from Hashem).

Hashem wants Moshiach now, and he will force the world to want the Geula (the revelation of G-d in the world).

The Rebbe said, that we should open our eyes- people don't realize, that changes in the weather, are not due to el nino or the greenhouse effect.
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Torah Codes help us realize, the scale of events that can happen, in order to force us to spread the knowledge of G-d in the world and also spread the Besuras Hageula (good news of the world's transformation), before things get really out of control.

When we see world events taking place, we should automatically see the hand of G-d!

PS
When we see that these events do not take place, we should also realize, that this in and of itself is a miracle.

That due to the kindness of Hashem, even greater tragedies may have been programmed to occur but didn't.
Thank G-d!
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[Ed. Note: The Previous Rebbe says that, an entire country may be inundated, causing tremendous political changes in the world.

To paraphrase: The Previous Rebbe seems to imply, that G-d wants the world to realize, that He runs the world, and not the force called nature. But simultaneously, he wants man to have free-choice.

Just as in Egypt, G-d causes tremendous weather changes (10 plagues); that eventually become so unnatural, that everyone realized that it was the hand of G-d.]
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The Codes

As in the days of Noah, people were warned of the upcoming flood, but they laughed and turned a deaf ear, only to find out it was true; and all the inhabitants of the earth were killed; according to The Book of Genesis.

Michael Drosnin who has been an investigative reporter with The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, has wrote a book from a reporter's point of view.

In "The Bible Code", Michael Drosnin states with certainty, that there is a code in the Bible, and that in a few dramatic cases, exactly foretold the assignations of Anwar Sadat, John & Robert Kennedy, and Israeli Prime Minister Yizthak Rabin.

And other events as The Gulf War, and the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing.

Michael Drosnin used two different computer programs, both written by a Israel mathematician, who first found the code.

A large portion of his book is devoted to the possibilities, of Armageddon, and the Apocalypse.

The Bible Code, may in fact have been designed, to be found now.
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The code was discovered by Dr. Eliya Rips, one of the world's leading experts in group theory, a field of mathematics that underlies quantum physics.

Other events foretold in this code were, World War II, the Hiroshima bombing, the landing of man on the Moon, and even the meteor that collided with Jupiter in July, 1994.

Rips stated, that the first hint of the code was found 50 years earlier, by a Czechoslovakia Rabbi named Weissmanndel. H.M.D Weissmanndel noticed, that if he skipped 50 letters, then skipped another 50 letters;

The first modern scientist Sir Isaac Newton, who first discovered the mechanics of our solar system and gravity, was certain, that there was a hidden code in the Bible, that would reveal the future.

He learned Hebrew, and spent halve his life trying to find it.
Newton was still searching for the code, when he died.
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Rips stated, that there is a Bible, beneath the Bible. The Bible is not only a book, but a computer program.

"I am persuaded only, that no human could have encoded the Bible in this way, and that we do have proof, that some intelligence outside our own, does exist.
Rips stated, "The Bible must have been encoded, all at once, by one mind.

But the code does not exist simply, to announce there is a code. The Bible was encoded, to sound a warning. Drosnin said, "It's a warning, not a prediction."

There is no way to know, if the code can predict the distant future.
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Drosnin also points out, that sometimes the code predicts events accurately, but does not predict the accurate date.

Time is not predetermined. People have freedom of choice. There are simply a number of possible futures, and not one definite one. But each of them, can be found within the Bible code.

This means that the times of events, even of the apocalypse can be delayed, or changed. The code can be thought of more as a warning, than a simple prediction of what will happen.

The word “delay” is frequently encoded in the bible, with important events. Whenever "end of days" appears in the text of the Bible, the word delay is encoded.

(ED. According to Jewish law, a bad prediction even by a prophet, can always be changed, through the good deeds of people- Teshuvah in Hebrew.)
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The Vilna Gaon, a prominent 18th century Rabbi (Elijah Solomon) wrote; "All that was, is, and will be until the end of time, is included in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible."

The Ramban, Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman, stated: The whole of the history of Israel, is contained within The Song of Moses.
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Rips said: It is clear, that we are in the end times.

The plain words predict, that The Final Battle will begin, with an attack on the Holy City, Jerusalem, and finally engulf the entire world.

Based on the codes: in 1996 a plague of Biblical proportions, was almost been unleashed on Japan; and what might have happened, was encoded in the Bible.
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In every vision of the Apocalypse, the final blow is a massive earthquake.

Drosnin says that in the Bible Code it warns us, that a series of quakes around the world will occur. Three years in code are clearly encoded with "great terror": 2000, 2014, 2113.

The United States, China, Japan, and Israel, are all encoded with "great earthquake" in the near future.

L.A. Calif. is encoded with "great earthquake". The U.S. Geological Survey in 1995 stated, that there is a 80 to 90% probability of a magnitude 7+ quake within Southern California, before 2024.

Drosnin stated, it is only a probability, but the code seems to predict, that the big earthquake will hit California in 2010.

A Great earthquake, is encoded with China.

But the one country most likely in danger is Japan, according to the Bible Code.
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Jerusalem, is clearly encoded in the Bible, as the target of the predicted nuclear attack, or "World War."

"Terrorism" is also encoded with "World War."

Syria, which according to the code, will have a major role in the final world war.

Russia, China and the USA, also appear with the words World War.

The nations of Iran and Libya: The text of the bible, and the code within it, seem to work together, predicting a huge destructive battle (World War III), that will begin with a battle between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations.
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He also predicts a massive earthquake, to bring on the Apocalypse. The destruction of the world by earthquake, is frequently foretold in the plain text of the Bible.

The code seems to predict a series of "great earthquakes" in the years, 2014, and 2113.

Japan is the country most clearly encoded with a great earthquake. It and Israel, are repeatedly stated, to be in great danger.

But it is possible, that the disaster that strikes Japan, that affects the world, is actually an "economic collapse"
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Another possibility- for the way the end will play out- which is encoded in the bible, is the collision of an asteroid with the earth.

The year 2010 appears with "comet", "days of horror", "darkness", and "gloom." And the year 2012, is encoded right below "earth annihilated."

Economic collapse is encoded between exodus 20:9 and deuteronomy 11:6.

Exodus contains year of the plague.

2010 is another year encoded with comet; and days of horror cross 2010; darkness and gloom, cross comet.

The year 2012 also appears with comet, again in Deuteronomy; also: it will be crumbled, I will tear it to pieces, and earth annihilated.

The prediction of another comet due in 2012 A.D., which is expected to crumble into pieces, or “annihilate” the Earth.

In every vision of the Apocalypse, the final blow is a massive earthquake.

Two future years are clearly encoded with “the great terror”: 2014, and 2113. The latter year 2113, is the best match.