It’s Not My Problem

There exists a very disturbing disease among certain Torah-observant Jews.  I don’t know why it manifests, but I do know that it’s very contagious.
 
We suffer from a collective disease known as “Secularitis.” It’s a type of allergic reaction that a Torah-observant Jew may experience when coming in close contact with a non-observant Jew. The frum (religious) Jew might recoil with horror from the secular Jew’s touch. He might develop hives as a result of sitting next to the secular on the bus. In extreme cases, the fragile frummie might go into convulsions if he gets dragged into a religious or philosophical debate with the cootie-infested secular.
 
Hopefully what I’m saying doesn’t make anyone laugh and say, “Yup, that’s me!”
 
The barriers between the religious world and the secular world are much more pronounced in Israel, but they exist everywhere to some degree. Yes, there is validity to it – parents want to raise their children in environments where they are not exposed to a secular lifestyle if possible, and other similar reasons.
 
This is not the issue that I am referring to. The real problem that contributes to the split between Jews is what I call, “Noah’s Ark Syndrome.”
 
Noah spent 120(?!) years building the ark, during which time he warned others of the impending flood that was to destroy the world any century now, if the wicked people did not repent. However, his warnings were limited to the times that he worked on building the ark. This means that if someone happened to pass by and ask Noah why he was going for the Guinness Book of Records by building the world’s largest boat single-handedly, he would give them the full rundown. He did not go out of his way like Avraham Avinu, who made it his life’s mission to bring people closer to G-d.
 
In a previous article entitled, “The Premature Birth,” I relayed Rav Shalom Arush’s message regarding people wanting Mashiach to appear now. Rav Arush explains that if Mashiach were to come now, most of the world would not be able to handle the tremendous light, and would suffer immensely as a result. And which demographic will likely suffer the most? The secular crowd, as they are the farthest from the Torah way of life.
 
Here’s the issue: it seems that some religious Jews are saying, “Well, it’s not my problem that these people didn’t want to make teshuva! Why should I have to suffer because they don’t want to live like a Jew is supposed to? Let Mashiach come anyways! I’ve had enough of this crazy world!”
 
You know what Rebbe Nachman says?
 
It is your problem.
 
The Jewish People are one body split up into millions of pieces. But don’t think for a moment that just because we’re not all Siamese Twins that we’re not really connected. Every single action that each one of us does affects the collective whole, for better and for worse.
 
As such, Rebbe Nachman says it is the responsibility of the Jews who are already Torah-observant to bring back the ones who are not.
 
Rebbe Natan elaborates on this lesson in Likutey Halachot, “Laws of Converts,” which is based on Likutey Moharan #59, “Building a Holy Palace”: “Because the sole reason why every person comes to this world is in order to rescue the lost sparks of holiness that fell as a result of Adam’s sin or our sins from previous lifetimes. Each person has an obligation to extract these sparks from the realm of impurity through speaking to others about Hashem and emuna, thereby creating baalei teshuva and converts…”
 
Practically, what are these lost sparks of holiness? They are the people who still haven’t made teshuva yet!
 
In a recent article by Howard Morton, entitled, “A Turkey-Prince Generation,” incredibly shocking statistics revealed just how far Jews have been removed from Judaism. He writes that a recent Pew Poll discovered that, “¾ of non-Orthodox Jews are intermarried, 22% of American Jews described themselves as having ‘no religion,’ 2/3 don’t belong to a synagogue, ¼ don’t believe in G-d, and 1/3 had an X-mas tree in their home last year.”
 
As religious Jews, we must be painfully aware that we are in the minuscule minority.
 
This has to change now.
 
Not one of us should be sitting pretty, saying to ourselves that we’re already on the safe side because we’re religious. Did anyone out there get a personal guarantee from G-d Himself that they’ll survive the coming of Mashiach? I sure didn’t! Hopefully it will show up in my inbox any day now.
 
Being religious is not enough. I am terrified to think of a person standing in front of the Heavenly Court, having to figure out some kind of lame excuse as to why he didn’t help bring more Jews back to Judaism: “Uummm…. I was really…uh…busy with…ummm….Facebook…,” as he quickly ducks to avoid the giant frying pan they’ve just thrown at his head.
 
Now that I have depressed you, let me cheer you up. There are things that all of us can do to help those lost souls find their way home. Join Rav Arush and Breslev Israel’s mission to save the world. Share a link to any of our amazing videos and articles with friends and family. Host a weekly emuna group in your home. Donate to Emuna Outreach.
 
If you’re feeling more adventurous and would really like to make big changes in people’s lives, order the “Foundational Five” CD set. Order lots of them! Have them in your car or purse and hand them out like free money! If you want to know what an amazing mitzvah you’re doing by handing out these CD’s, get “Saving Lives” for yourself.
 
If you’re a part of the Breslev Israel family, you know how much Rav Arush’s books and CD’s have changed your life. Don’t deny others the same chance at a happy life that you received.
 
Hashem should bless you with every blessing, and may we all merit to be a part of the Redemption and witness with our own eyes the coming of Mashiach and rebuilding of our Holy Temple, Amen!