Redemption IS the News

Rabbi Arush recently gave some words to strengthen the community as everyone comes to grips with the terrible atrocities committed on Shabbat Simchat Torah by Hamas, and with the ongoing reality of the war. The following is a summary of his words, along with some comments by the Editor. Updated

What happened on Shabbat was a Holocaust. Such a thing has never occurred in our lifetimes. It is forbidden to forget for one second what they did! It is forbidden to forget their terrible cruelty! 

We must be very careful to not be like the Jews in the desert, who said, “Hashem did all this in order to kill us in the desert.” Hashem gave us the land to build it! Hashem is building the Holy Land, it is constantly being built more beautiful all the time, spiritually and physically. Hashem did not gather us from the four corners of the world to kill us! You must not let yourself think this way!

I always say that it’s the biggest joke that there ever was. Hashem killed the Egyptians, and split the Red Sea, and gave the Jews wealth and honor, and gave them Mann (bread from Heaven) and quail, and miracles everywhere, and they are saying that Hashem took them into the desert to kill them?! 

Editor’s Comment: I personally have been struggling a bit with this feeling. I’m a little California girl, being in the midst of such a war is quite a bit more than I bargained for. Here, I immigrated to Eretz Yisrael with such mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice), and this is what I get?! What am I doing here exactly? How could this be?! I am so grateful for Rabbi Arush’s words to set these feelings straight! 

What happened on Simchat Torah was the worst atrocity, nothing like it has happened since the Holocaust – literally a Holocaust in itself. But Hashem does only good, and everything is only going to be good! Hashem did this to us in order to shorten the time of the exile. Now the exile has been shortened by a few hundred years and Hashem wants to redeem us now! And through this war masses of Jews will repent. 

Editor’s Comment:

1. The concept that intense suffering shortens the time of exile is similar to Egypt, when the atrocities of the Egyptians shortened the length of the exile by a few hundred years. 
2. Remember that Rabbi Arush says: “Emuna means that Hashem always loves me, and everything will always be good, and it will only get better and better.” As Rabbi Arush explains in the article Who Doesn’t Like to Pay?, the worst judgements come from our inability to believe this, and on the contrary, it is our belief that it is only getting better and better that makes Hashem make it true! Remember, What You Believe In, You Get!  

And through this war masses of Jews will repent. Many, many have already started to repent, and many more will continue. One of my students approached me last week, begging me to pray that he should merit to help Jews repent, because in the south everyone has already started wearing tzitzit, he can’t find anyone else to help… 

Know that those who were killed are Kodesh Hakodeshim, holy of holies! Our soldiers are in great danger, they are all tzaddikim, all of them are righteous! They are putting their lives on the line to defend us! 

What Now? 

Emuna. Everything always begins with emuna! Read and distribute my booklet True Happiness. Be very careful not to be afraid! My Rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Zev Lebovich zt”l was in the Holocaust. He would go around telling people: “If you won’t be afraid, you won’t die.” Because someone who is afraid doesn’t have emuna. The essence of emuna is in this booklet True Happiness.  

Shabbat. I want everyone to strengthen themselves and everyone around them in keeping Shabbat. The two communities in the Gaza Envelope that keep Shabbat – they were both saved! I myself saw the fence around one of them – any of us could jump it easily. What guarded them? Shabbat! “One who guards Shabbat, God guards him.” 

Likutei Moharan. Rebbe Nachman’s book is a special protection for many things, but in particular, fire. One of my students convinced a friend in Ashkelon who is far away from Torah and mitzvot to take a Likutei Moharan to have in his house. A missile fell and completely destroyed the house next to him – and in his house, a cup didn’t even break! Everyone needs a Likutei Moharan in their house, and even better – in every room. Recommended – Rabbi Arush’s Likutei Moharan-One Million Edition, or for the car, stroller and more, the pocket-sized edition. 

Outreach! We need your help! I have many students who served in the IDF and they have clearance to go to the bases and gathering places! They are distributing pocket Likutei Moharan, and putting one in every tank. In addition, they are distributing Tzitzit, kippas, Tikkun Klali, sandwiches baked by the women of the community, notes from the children, and much more. We need your help! Support Spiritual Iron Swords for Soldiers.

No Pictures. We have to cry a river of tears. Every Jew is a walking Torah scroll, and how they were killed and maimed! The Ari writes it is physically and spiritually dangerous to look at the murdered. Be very careful not to look at pictures of those who were killed, it’s very dangerous! It’s enough what we’re hearing, what do we need to see? Such atrocities we’re hearing about… we need to also look? 

Editor’s Note: There is such an addiction and need to know all the news about the war and the situation and checking in every moment, but it’s a terrible trick of the Evil Inclination. This is especially so because stories of the atrocities that were committed abound. This news only adds to our fear and despair, making it impossible to pray since we have no time and no voice left. Read more about the great need to stay away from the media in my new article: Overcoming the Terror.

Trust in Hashem ALONE. One of the conditions to receive Mashiach and the full redemption is that we put our complete trust ONLY in Hashem. Our complete trust and reliance must not be in anyone or anything else! We pray for our soldiers and we value the help that America is currently giving, but our complete trust is only in Hashem.

Prayer. I want you to understand that the only judgement on the Jewish people right now, is that we won’t be able to pray.  

This is the only thing that I’m afraid of – that the Jewish people won’t stand in prayer and pray for the Full Redemption now! 

Everyone must be very strong in praying 30 minutes for the Jewish people plus 15 minutes asking for the Redemption, MINIMUM, every day.

There are several important prayers right now: 

• Stand and ask for the Redemption! Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says we must specifically request these 3 things: the Kingdom of Hashem (that Hashem should rule us), Mashiach ben David, and rebuilding the Holy Temple. 
  Pray for the Redemption with great mercy, without wars, without terror attacks, without atom bombs, without earthquakes or tsunamis, without any suffering, very soon amen! 
• Pray for all the soldiers to be protected, and they should have success, and every last one should come home alive, healthy, and whole. Pray for the soldiers to have perfect emuna and trust, because then they will be perfectly guarded.
• Pray that the Angel Rafael should come to heal all the wounded.
  
• Pray that the Angels Michael and Gavriel come to redeem all captives. Pray that they are all returned home alive, healthy, and whole.
• Pray that Hashem should send an angel to kill all our enemies overnight, just as in the time of King Hezekiah. Editor: Sennacherib’s forces were about to mount a final, fatal assault to destroy the Davidic kingdom and the last holdout of Jews in the Holy Land. Hashem killed Sennacherib’s entire massive army that night.  

Do not just accept the situation! Go and pray, go to holy sites and pray! Master of the World, after the Holocaust we just endured, we don’t want anything! No vengeance! We only want the full redemption with mercy, now, we want Mashiach!