9) Cf. Zohar Veira p. 32a concerning a major war that will take place at the end of days with the children of Ishmael in which Basra is also mentioned (Quoted in the edited version of the Rebbe’s talk that Sabbath Sefer Hasichos 5751 p. 280).
10) The Rebbe used the famous Biblical expression Od Chazon Lemoed.
11) The Rebbe stated that they should not confuse Botzrah (Basra) with another city that has a similar name Betzer. This enigmatic comment was apparently referring to a fascinating Talmudic teaching in which the spiritual angel of Edom will at the end of days run to Bozrah thinking that it is a city of refuge. In truth he will mistake Bozrah with Betzer – Makos 12a quoted in Rashi to Isaiah 63:1. Cf. Gitin 58b for an interesting exchange between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish on the location of Bozrah.
My thanks to Shmuel Levin a writer and editor in Pittsburgh for his editorial assistance in both essays.
