It seems that some rav in Jerusalem from Neve Yaakov has been predicting, or prophesizing, for over a month already that this Saturday night, the night of 18 Iyyar (the article says the 17th, but that is Shabbos itself, not Motzash), there will occur an apocalyptic incident that will spur on the birthpains of mashiachs arrival, and only those who cling to the Torah and mitzvos will survive it. The rav is described as a Litvishe rosh kollel. Many of his students are taking these words seriously, and are preparing for the end of days.
Kikar went to speak with the rav, whose name has not been publicized, to heardetails of what is going to happen. The rav says that he has been seeing the events already for two months, through his tefillos. This is the date it will happen because according to the Gemara, the 17th of Iyyar is the date on which the flood began (in the days of Noach). this rav says he does not know exactly what is going to happen, but he saw a number of times that it is going to be big and will clearly be the onset of the birthing pains of mashiach, and that this will be the final awakening for us, shaking us up, prior to our receiving mashiach, and this is not a punishment but the process of redemption. The way to be saved, he says, is to be very strict about humility (maybe the reason he did not want his name published..), and people who have not kept Torah and mtizvos should run to keep Shabbos, family purity and kashrus as much as they can grab right away.
with less than 3 days to go, and only 1 Shabbos, time is running out to do what needs to be done to be saved!
The rav qualifies his statements, knowing that many before have made similar predictions that did not actually come true, by saying that if it does not happen, people should not lose their faith or allow it to weaken. if it does not come true it must be because of his own mistake in understanding the date that he saw, but the process of final redemption has clearly begun.
As I said above - if you haven't made plans, don't, and if you have, maybe you should consider canceling them....
