Dr. Emuna: You are Not Powerless!

Utter Helplessness 

If I spent the time right now reviewing all of the myriads of ways that we have been stripped of our personal power and opportunities to improve the future – I would fill up the entire space for this article and then some. Let’s suffice to mention that suicide rates are skyrocketing around the world, including in Israel, and tens of thousands more are suffering from acute depression as a result of the Corona plague and all its many tentacles that have changed the world as we knew it in basically every way possible, forever.  

The point is that all of these changes are happening around us – political upheavals, personal freedoms and liberties being taken away or at risk, economic pressures, children home from school and so much more – and we are utterly powerless to stop them. 

We cannot stop this virus. We cannot stop the government mandates made in response like masks and lockdowns. We cannot get our old jobs back, or increase our hours – and finding new work is virtually impossible. We cannot force the schools to re-open. If we’re in quarantine or have Corona, we can’t change that reality either. We are totally powerless – both on a communal level, and an individual level. 

Couple this with fear and anxiety over a very uncertain future – and it’s no wonder that we’re all struggling emotionally – and many of us are breaking. 

Everyone is struggling, without exception. As long as I have been with Rabbi Arush, Baruch Hashem, and as strong as my own emuna is – my emuna is being sorely tested minute to minute. I spoke to someone in the community who is even closer to Rabbi Arush and has been learning about emuna far longer than me about my struggles holding onto my emuna. She said, “It’s hard for everyone right now.” 

The Only Cure 

Obviously, the situation begs the question: So what do we do? Just wallow in our helplessness? How do we hold onto our emuna? How do we hold onto our sanity??? Do we have any power at all? 

We do have power, in fact. A lot of power. To make real changes in our own lives, and even the world at large. READ ON. 

Rebbe Nachman teaches that the nefesh – the emotional self and lowest part of the soul which connects directly into the body, which is also directly related to the health of the body – and emuna, are one aspect. That means that the stronger your emuna, the stronger your nefesh.  

The flip side is also true. Rabbi Arush says that emuna is the ability to cope. Emuna is also like a muscle, in the sense that it can be weakened or strengthened. Hence, as we are becoming weakened in our emotional strength and ability to cope, and as our emuna “muscles” can’t hold up to the weight of what is being thrust upon us, our nefesh is also breaking in the form of depression, mental instability and even suicide, Hashem should have mercy. 

Therefore, the solution is to strengthen our emuna!  

Real Self-Empowerment 

And this is something that we CAN DO, because no one can take your emuna away from you. No power on earth can disconnect you from Hashem if you choose to hold on tight. Even if external service of G-d was to be outright banned G-d forbid, no one can stop you from praying and turning to Hashem in your heart. 

Maybe it sounds trite to you. But it’s not. 

One of the most basic beliefs we must have about G-d, is that He is all powerful. Did you hear that? More powerful than Corona, more powerful than any government or oligarch. Even if He generally chooses to hide that power, it doesn’t mean that He cannot quietly do whatever He wants. In fact, Hashem does this on a regular basis – just look at all the Say Thank You and See Miracles stories. 

Therefore, when we tap into the power of emuna, and we tap into the power of prayer and thanking Hashem – we tap into the power of Hashem Himself, so to speak. Because now Hashem is calling the shots, and He overrules everyone and everything, including nature!  

Therefore, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE! There is always hope!  

Because there is always Hashem. G-d, who loves us like a father loves an only child. G-d, who is only love and mercy and does everything for our best, even if we often don’t understand. G-d will never let anything truly bad or evil happen to us, which isn’t for our ultimate best and part of our purpose in this world – if we trust in Him only.  

So now, you do have power to change your life and your situation! Because you can tap into the power of the Almighty G-d Himself. 

This is real self-empowerment! 

This is the only way I’ve been surviving, personally. And it’s a constant battle. As Rabbi Arush quoted a hidden tzaddik who came to him a few weeks ago: “Right now, we need to eat, sleep, drink and breathe The Garden of Emuna.” Every time I hear something that makes me scared, that makes me feel powerless to stop some evil, or whatever brings me down – I have to fight my way back into emuna. 

The most important way to do that is with daily personal prayer. Basically, my whole hour right now is spent reviewing all the times I fell into fear, anxiety, or sadness and lost my emuna, and praying for Hashem to give me emuna to not be scared or overwhelmed, and to not lose my belief in the power of prayer and His ultimate goodness. 

I also fight back by constantly learning emuna, via reading Rabbi Arush’s books and watching his videos. I also try to speak about  emuna  whenever  I can – in talking about emuna with other people, I also strengthen myself, too. 

While I have days and even weeks where I feel that I am drowning and the next wave is about to do me in altogether, overall – I am treading water. I am managing, I am smiling, and I am seeing lots of miracles! 

Global Change 

Remember – about this time in history, our holy books said, “Hashem will shake the world like a mat, and those who hold on – will be redeemed.” I recently thought to myself, “Rabbi Arush says that emuna is called ‘standing.’ Note that we are not expected to stand on the mat – only to hold on…”  

So hold on tight to your emuna! It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, as long as you don’t let go. As long as you keep trying, you keep learning, and you keep wanting to pass these most difficult tests in emuna – then you’re considered as if you succeeded! 

Make sure to tell your friends and family about real emuna self-empowerment. More than ever, you can literally Save a Life! 

Don’t forget – the more each and every one of us holds onto our emuna, and helps others strengthen their emuna muscles too – the closer we bring the Redemption. The closer we come to really effecting global change!  

It’s literally in our hands to bring the Redemption with mercy! Now that’s real power. 

Never forget that this entire crazy Corona situation was brought by Hashem in order to pave the way for Moshiach. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is planning to do with the situation – just like we saw in the story of Purim, they have no independent power. Hashem is just using them – and ultimately, the evil will destroy itself, just as Haman was hung on his own gallows. 

*** 

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 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.