Golus America is worst of All!

Hello Sir! Do you know or have you forgotten that we are in the midst of a terrible bitter golus?

Some people seem to think that because we have more mehudar tefilin than we did a thousand years ago, we are smarter too.

The last couple of years, come Chanuka time, there are poster hung from various rabbis that we should light our menoras outside. In essence bringing minhag Eretz Yisroel to America.

For some reason which is not too hard to figure out. Reb Aaron, Reb Moshe and Reb Yaakov never thought of lighting their Menoras outside. Nor did they ever tell anyone else to. Not only that, Reb Yaakov was even known to be uncomfortable with people wearing their Talleisim outside on Shabbos! Not to attract the ire of sonei yisroel!

Yet here in this golus called Lakewood, not only do the great pikchim light their menoras outside, today I saw this chap walking to shul adorned in his tallis and tefilin!

A story is told of a disciple of the Holy Baal Shem, who while traveling to Eretz Yisroel stopped on an island and was greeted by an alte yid who asked him how Klal Yisroel is doing in golus. He didn't express much complaints. When he was back by the Baal Shem Tov, the Baal Shem Tov told him, that that was Avrohom Avinu! Had you told him how hard and bitter this golus is we would now be getting out! But you told him "nishkashe" its not so bad, so we are still here!

Are we cognizant of the fact that we are in golus or are we strolling along, building our monstrous houses, walking to shul in tefilin and and lighting our menoras outside, ish tachas gafno...!? What a wonderful world we live in.