The Real War

This is a direct translation of a class given by Rabbi Shalom Arush on the 24th of Sivan, 5785 (June 19, Thursday night, 2025). 

The truth is that we need to thank Hashem because we’ve had so many miracles every day, every second. You don’t understand what kind of miracles! We must sing the song: To Him who does great wonders alone, for His kindness is eternal.¹  That’s just like we say in Hallel: Praise Hashem,  all nations; praise Him, all the states!  For His kindness has overwhelmed us.² 

Praise Hashem, G-d, all other nations (the non-Jews) and praise Him all the nations because His mercy has overcome them. We don’t know what kind of miracles Hashem is doing for us, but our non-Jewish enemies do know. Their own missiles are falling on them. They see how many miracles Hashem is doing for us. And therefore, we say, “Praise Hashem, all nations”, that all the non-Jews should praise Hashem. 

Precision-guided Missiles 

Hashem is guiding all of the wars. But in all of the other wars we thought it was the army, the cannons, or the tanks; but here we can see that it’s really only Hashem. From thousands of kilometers away they’re shooting missiles at us — not on soldiers, but on civilians. Hashem, May His Name be blessed, is guiding every single missile to exactly where it should fall. Everything is exact.  

• Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva had just emptied its Surgical ward on the third floor the night before. The next morning, a ballistic missile hit … an empty floor! 
• A missile hit the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange … but the building was empty. 
• A building was slated to be demolished by a contractor. Instead, a missile landed in the building, and Hashem demolished the building for free! 
• During an air raid alert, a group of people fled to a particular public bomb shelter, but it was locked. So, they went to find a different place to hide. A missile hit the locked (empty) shelter, and everyone who went elsewhere was saved. 

Hashem decides where everyone is going to be and where every missile is going to fall. Therefore, this war is only about emunah – not logic, rational thinking, or reasoning. Only emunah!  

Our  Secret Weapon 

We need to bring merit to the Jewish people. In Eretz Yisrael, go building by building and apartment by apartment to put in a Likutei Moharan to protect the residents from missiles.  [Note: Outside of Israel, it is also a segula to have Likutei Moharan in your home, office, and car.] Rabbi Nachman says that the moment that Likutei Moharan is in most Jewish homes, Mashiach comes. Every book that you put into a house helps to bring Mashiach. We need to distribute the Likutei Moharan – it is a secret weapon of protection. 

Sirens and Songs 

What do we need to do when there’s an air raid siren? In Torah portion Beshalach, Moshe Rabbeinu is praying to Hashem at the Yam Suf while the Egyptian army races toward them. “And Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu, ‘Why are you crying out to Me?’ ”³

The Tanna Yossi HaGalili says that Hashem replied, “Moshe, My children are suffering. The sea is in front of them. The enemy is chasing after them. And you’re standing here and praying?” Moshe said, “I’m standing here and praying. And you’re telling me not to pray? What am I supposed to do?” The Tanna tells us: You need to raise up and give songs and praises and thanks to the One Whose wars are His, meaning Hashem.  

Hashem Fights the War 

It’s written “The Lord will fight for you.”³ The Midrash says, not only at this hour will God fight for you, but forever. God is always fighting for you against your enemies. Even more so if you praise God, meaning He’ll fight for you even more. 

At that moment, Am Israel opened their mouths and started singing Shir shel Yam (Song of the Sea)⁴,  “I shall sing to Hashem for He is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse with its rider into the sea”. 

We need to sing songs and especially to say lots and lots of Mizmor L’Todah, which is Psalm100 – Song of Thanksgiving. 

And through this, we give a garment to the splendor of God.  And now, Hashem will get up and He will have vengeance against the enemies of Israel. And He will do all sorts of miracles and wonders for us. That’s what it’s written – to sing and thank Hashem. 

We must strengthen ourselves so that we trust only in Hashem and we believe that we are only in God’s hands. 

We must understand that this is a war in emuna. The most important thing to do is to say “Thank You”.  Say “Give thanks to Hashem for He is good, because His kindness endures forever“⁵. Say it again with a tune. Sing! Praise Hashem! If you know Hallel by heart, say Hallel. 

Always remember – THIS IS A WAR OF EMUNA. Be strong in emuna and give Likutei Moharan to as many people as possible. 

In the Torah portion, Baha’alotcha, it’s written that the day they erected the Mishkan, the Cloud of Glory came and covered it. The Cloud provided shade. At night, there was the Cloud of Fire until the morning.  So, during the day the entire area was covered with shade, but at night the area was lit by fire.⁶ 

Every time the Cloud moved forward, the Kohanim would disassemble the Mishkan  and pack up the various pieces. Only then would the camp move forward. The Jews would come to a nice place where it’s comfortable. “What a great place!”, they’d say. But in the morning, the Cloud would start moving to indicate that the Jews were not to stay in that wonderful spot. So, the Jews moved on with the Cloud. Eventually, the Cloud stops at a terrible-looking, burnt-out, and destroyed place. The Jews stopped there and remained at the spot for as long as Hashem wanted. 

The Ramban, the Sforno, and the Ohr HaChaim expound on this. Not once did the Jews complain about this [staying in terrible locations]. Think about that! The Cloud stops at some place. Everyone starts to assemble things to set up the camp. In the morning, the Cloud moves on, and everyone needs to disassemble what they assembled only the night before.   

What suffering! Yet, we never hear – not once – that the Jewish people complained. Why not?!  My son, Natan Arush, brought me an idea from the Midrashim of the Chumash. Everyone said that this lack of complaining shows the greatness of the Jewish people because they saw Hashem. The moment that we see Hashem—this is what He wants? Hashem wants us to move onward? OK, we’ll move on. He wants us to camp here in this “not good” place? OK, we’ll camp here. The Jews saw Hashem. The Cloud is Hashem. The Cloud parks, then the camp stays. The Cloud moves forward, then the camp moves forward. 

When did the Jews cry and complain? When they didn’t see Hashem! They blamed Moshe Rabbeinu, “You took us out of Egypt!”. When we don’t see Hashem, that’s when we complain. This is an important lesson for all of us. When we see Hashem, then we’re singing and thanking Him even for the difficulties. We sing and say, “Thank You”. But when we don’t see Hashem, we start complaining and crying.  

I want you to be very strong on this idea: WE ARE ONLY IN HASHEM’S HANDS – ONLY IN HIS HANDS. He will fight for us. 

Some non-Jew said to a Jew, “What a fool! You don’t see that Hashem is fighting for you? You don’t see? You should be happy!”  A non-Jew said this to a Jew! 

We remember to sing often to Hashem; we sing a lot to Hashem. Do you want to help Am Yisrael, the Jewish people? We’re not better than Moshe Rabbeinu, so what are we doing? We’re singing, we’re praising Hashem, we’re thanking Him.  Gd willing, Hashem will make us victorious in all of the wars. 

Ashreinu (Happy are we)! How fortunate we are! Always remember – THIS IS A WAR OF EMUNA. Be strong in emuna and give Likutei Moharan to as many people as possible. 

Editor’s Notes:

¹ Tehillim (Psalms) 136:4

² Tehillim 117

³ Shemot (Exodus)14:14-15

⁴ Shemot 14:30-15:19

⁵ Tehillim 118:1

⁶ Bamidbar (Numbers) 9:15-23