Look to the Light

In my previous article Don’t Let Yourself Drown, I explained the great need to not let ourselves wallow and drown in the tsunami of pain and antisemitism washing over the Jewish people right now.  

Kind David says in Psalms, “turn away from bad, and do good.” You could consider my previous article as the “turn away from bad” – and now I will focus on the positive, what we can and should do to “do good,” to bring light into the world and, to be more exact, see the light already shining. 

The painful truth is that there is A LOT of darkness in the world. You have the “run of the mill” vile antisemites and other haters. Sadly, it’s come to light that some of these people hold positions of power, especially at “humanitarian” agencies like the UN, ICRC, Amnesty International, top feminist organizations, and more. Then you have the “Hamans.”  

Rabbi Arush recently explained that the “Hamans” are by far the most dangerous. Every year, Rabbi Arush would remind us that Haman said, “and all this is worthless to me as long as I see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the gate.” He explains that Haman and Amalek represent kifui tova – negating the good. Here is the richest and most powerful man, with the most children and possessions – not only second in the world at the time, but easily one of the most “rich and famous” of all time. And he has not one drop of gratitude! All of it is worthless to Haman! 

This year, Rabbi Arush took it one step further and explained that it’s not just about the lack of gratitude – it is WHY. What made Haman so incensed? THE JEW. 

The most dangerous person is anyone who feels like Haman – NOTHING in the world is worth anything! The only thing that matters is dead Jews! 

How many have lamented what Gaza could have been if they took all those billions in aid dollars and used it towards the greater good?! I just saw a statistic from COGAT, the Israeli organization that oversees aid going into Gaza, that before the war 50% of the humanitarian aid was in the form of construction materials! All of it went to constructing tunnels, not sewer systems, and not apartments to get people out of refugee camps! 

I recently considered that even if we say that the Hamas top brass took a 30% cut off all the aid that came in, OK we’ll imagine them as lusting for money and power. Fine. How much could have been done with the remaining 70%?! Instead, Hamas leaders specifically and intentionally left their people to suffer so that the leaders could not only stuff their own pockets, but continually need more and more aid to plan more attacks against Jews! 

They could have had everything. Money, and power, and a beautiful and prosperous land. But none of that meant anything to them. You can’t bribe them with anything, because the only thing they want – is dead Jews. 

Those are the Hamans of the world. And there are “more than just a few,” laments Rabbi Arush. They are our most dangerous enemies, because nothing will stop them. You can’t change their minds, and you can’t pacify them, and you can’t make them care. They don’t care about anything except Jewish blood! 

It’s literally them – or us. 

So, what do we do? What can we do? 

We must do what the Jewish people did in the time of Haman – turn to the tzaddik to tell us what to do! We have to strengthen our emunat chachamim – belief in the tzaddik. 

In fact, I would like to posit that this might just be another reason why the Megillah is called “Megillat Esther.” Because at a time when the Jews did not listen to the tzaddik – for instance, they went to King Achashverosh’s feast against Mordechai’s ruling (which created the judgement in Heaven to kill all the Jews, I might add) – “Esther did everything exactly as Mordechai commanded her.” The Megillah itself testifies! Even when it was difficult, like when King Achashverosh threatened her if she wouldn’t reveal from what people she came from, she didn’t budge from what Mordechai the Jew, the tzaddik of the generation, told her. 

One of the most quoted verses of the Megillah, which is both a popular Purim song and repeated in many places including Havdalah, both for Ashkenazim and Sephardim, is “and the Jews had light, happiness, joy, and honor.” Rabbi Arush asked one year, “What’s the ‘light’ referring to?” Personally, I always thought of it as an allegory, of the feeling of elation the Jews at the time must have felt at being saved from their enemies.  

Rabbi Arush explains that no – the light is the light of the tzaddik that was revealed in the world! The Megillah says, “And the man Mordechai grew greater and greater.” Everyone realized that Mordechai was wise, kind, just, and more. Everyone saw the truth of Judaism, and the righteousness of the tzaddik. Everyone was thrilled that he became the new viceroy, second to King Achashverosh. And everyone listened to the tzaddik! 

And this is what we must do now, today.  

Rebbe Nachman said in his last address to his students, known as his Will, that the most important thing is to pray and search to find the true tzaddik.  

Rabbi Arush went even further. He said that Mashiach is coming very soon, amen. And when he is revealed, Mashiach WILL NOT be revealed to everyone at first. Eliyahu Hanavi will reveal him. And no, not everyone will see Eliyahu Hanavi either! 

Rather, Eliyahu Hanavi will come to the true tzaddikim who merit to see him and tell them who is Mashiach! And the tzaddikim will tell the people. 

Therefore, anyone connected to a true tzaddik will listen to the tzaddik when they announce Mashiach. You believe in the tzaddikim? You’re good! 

And what will happen to those not connected to a tzaddik? Those who don’t have emunat chachamim, who think they can rely on themselves to figure out who is Mashiach, who is a tzaddik, who is a real Rav??? Rabbi Arush brought the Gemara, which states that they will fight against Mashiach. 

This might just be the biggest Purim of our lives! “Hamans” abound, and it’s up to us to look to the tzaddikim, and connect to their light, to their teachings, to their emuna, to their connection to Hashem. It’s up to us to be like Esther, who recognized that Mordechai was the tzaddik, and listened whether it made sense to her or not, no matter what the difficulty! 

And in her merit – in the merit of her emunat chachamim – the Jewish people were saved! 

May it be Hashem’s will that all of the Jewish people should connect to the true tzaddikim, and may all the hostages be returned immediately with miracles and wonders, may no more IDF soldiers be injured or killed r”l, and may the Jewish people witness a “v’nahapoch hu” – a total turnaround, just like in the times of Purim, to reveal the light of the tzaddik, and of Mashiach, and subdue all the “Hamans” and all our enemies, amen! 

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Rachel Avrahami grew up in Los Angeles, CA, USA in a far-off valley where she was one of only a handful of Jews in a public high school of thousands. She found Hashem in the urban jungle of the university. Rachel was privileged to read one of the first copies of The Garden of Emuna in English, and the rest, as they say, is history. She made Aliyah and immediately began working at Breslev Israel.   
   
Rachel is now the Editor of Breslev Israel’s English website. She welcomes questions, comments, articles, and personal stories to her email: rachel.avrahami@breslev.co.il.