Wednesday, April 22, 2015

How Do We Prepare for Geula?

Someone asked me this great question on Facebook in response to a post of mine about the possibility of the impending and inevitable WW3 beginning perhaps sooner than is comfortable. While I am skeptical of the predictions of several sages that I cited in that post, I do not disregard it as a possibility, and we all must be prepared.

I put together a list of things that will help a person prepare for the coming geula and, with HaShem's help, survive the process to greet Mashiah.

1. Spend Time Conversing With HaShem

This is the first and foremost point. You MUST have a spiritual and personal connection with HaShem. This is formed through conversing with HaShem in private, in your native language and in your own words, about anything and everything that is on your mind. We have the Creator of all the universes ready to listen to us at any time and in any place - and get this: he ENJOYS your speaking to him.

This is not some feel-good stuff or some inspirational garbage that you see on internet memes. This is an absolute must for every Jew. Without this, how can you truly serve HaShem? There are many people, talmidei hakhamim, and even Rabbis today who go through their lifetime observing mitzvot without having this necessary connection to HaShem.

You conversation with HaShem will not always flow, but keep at it daily for at least an hour. When you reach the time when the dam bursts and the conversation comes out and you hold nothing back, all the previous words you spoke to HaShem which were said without this same fluidity will rise up with them.

2. Guard Your Covenant

Sex is a very good thing in the right context. However, in the wrong context, especially the act of wasting seed, it is a horrible thing.

Semen is essentially drops of the brain, and they contain the life-force of creation. One who wastes it damages all the 22 letters of Torah which are the building blocks of creation. He also creates demonic forces through this act, since the souls he wastes essentially become demons.

Thoughts of sexual immorality are also extremely horrible and damage a lot. If you would like to commit suicide slowly, cut off your lifeline to HaShem, become depressed, and lose your life in the world to come: then I suggest you waste your seed and think bad thoughts regularly. Otherwise, if you are sane, you will eliminate spilling seed, thinking bad thoughts, and seeing forbidden images.

For those who think this is just a Breslov thing: it is actually all over the Torah, including in halakha. The Rambam, citing the Gemara, states that one who things bad thoughts is one of the people who loses his life in the world to come. He states this is so because the person thinks he did no wrong since he didn't physically do anything to the women he looked at and thought of; but he is horribly wrong and he sins constantly because he doesn't control his thoughts or his eyes.

The Zohar, also states that pure sexuality is the foundation of the whole Torah, as is stressed by Rebbe Nahman. The Parashath WaYeshev of the Zohar, it states such things about spilling seed as stated above.

To rectify any sins, past or present, in this area, you must admit what you've done to HaShem, feel ashamed, and resolve never to return to the sin again. Say 10 Tehillim that have the power to fix, cleanse, and purify the damage from this sin, as revealed by Rebbe Nahman. They are Tehillim 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150.

3. Don't Be Scared and Don't Be Depressed

Every event that transpires, every word you hear, every thought that enters your mind is all from HaShem. Not the smallest detail of your daily life is an accident. With this in mind, know that any threat that comes to you is only from HaShem and that he is fully capable of stopping just as he was to cause it in the first place.

Fear no one and nothing besides HaShem. Besides conditioning your mind for this, when you speak to HaShem before you sleep about all the things you did wrong that day and judge yourself and ask for forgiveness, this elevates the fallen fear from among the people and things you naturally fear and elevates it back to becoming fear of HaShem only.

Depression, like fear, is also a lack of ascribing power to forces other than HaShem. Depression is not like a broken heart. A broken heart is good, and that must be taken to HaShem in conversation. As a result, it will change to happiness instead of degrading into depression if you just let it sit.

There is always hope, and when someone knows that HaShem sends every detail of every occurrence their way for a reason, they are able to never become depressed and remain in a state of happiness constantly. Please note that the things HaShem sends are never for a person's detriment: all things HaShem does are good, even the tragedies which occur to us. They are also all to send us messages to encourage us to draw closer to him and to fix problems we need to fix. If you were to see why HaShem did everything, you would see how it is all a huge favor to us all. But we can't usually see the reasons why. That is where emuna comes into play.

4. Take the Above Advice While Outputting Physical Effort

Do not fall into the misunderstanding that you must only trust in HaShem for everything and not do anything. When a person wants to make money, even though the money he will make was already allotted to him by HaShem, he still must do his part on the ground. Since HaShem's active involvement is [intentionally] hidden in this world and we cannot often see his hand at work directly, we must work within that concealment. This means that when you need money, you should first cry out to HaShem for help and then go out and make an effort to find a job or some source of income.

Hishtadlut, effort, is an essential part of serving HaShem in this world. We cannot annul all responsibility for our actions via a twisted idea about faith. However, to ascribe the achievement of accomplishing something to yourself because "you" went out and found a job and worked hard is a big mistake. HaShem is responsible for all. We must do our part knowing that everything we accomplish is only as a result of HaShem allowing us to, and allowing us to merit such things. Without that, if he showed no interest, we would have nothing.

These are paradoxes that our human minds cannot fully understand. How can someone have free will yet everything is pre-ordained? The purpose for this paradox is so we will have free will. When a person has free will to do whatever he pleases, yet he chooses to go against his natural inclinations and serve HaShem and have the above-stated emuna that HaShem runs it all, he takes immense pleasure from this.

5. Learn How to Fight

It is all over Tanakh and Midrashim: our fathers were warriors greater than any among the nations. This was lost to us over our exile, however, our forefathers' ancient method can be learned today in Jerusalem. It is called Abir-Qesheth and it is more effective and practical than anything else out there - by far. It is not an art, it is a necessity and a way of life, intertwined with Torah; since it is itself a part of Torah.

Abir is so in-depth and so intricate, and provides such a huge advantage over any opponent just by learning its entry-level concepts which offer a whole different way at fighting than the linear systems known throughout foreign systems of warfare, that any one of the fools who think that this is something made up are essentially saying that the Grandmaster is the biggest genius to ever walk to earth for having designed such a mindbogglingly effective and in-depth system.

There are a lot of sources within our Torah and from personal accounts, that attest to the authenticity and effectiveness of Abir.

With all the Jews getting stabbed and attacked here and there - even butchered in a synagogue in Jerusalem - you'd think people would get it. But no, many tend to listen to leaders who do not live in reality and teach them a mentality of the battered galut Jew. All I am saying here is that you should know how to defend yourself and that every Jew should strive to walk in the ways of their forefathers by learning an aspect of our Torah, Torath Lehima.

6. Learn How to Live Without Electricity and Running Water

If, God forbid, something happened like, say, an EMP blast which would render much of our technology useless and basically send us back straight to the dark ages, this advice is a must. Even if something else happened, it may be likely that you will have to travel long distances on foot for your survival.

To get anywhere to find a natural water source, some source of food, you'll need to know point 4, above. Not only will people be rioting and panicking, but if you live anywhere around Arab neighborhoods, you will likely be in serious danger if you know nothing about fighting off multiple attackers.

These points are where I lose a lot of backing from some of my own crowd who tend to be completely ignorant about these things. Some, thank God, are not ignorant, but it seems to be the majority who are. I'm 'sorry' to tell you, but you cannot just rely on a miracle to save you. You have to put in effort and try. If you did your job and learned the re-revealed aspect of Torah, Abir, then you'll have made yourself a vessel for HaShem's protection in a much greater way.

7. Learn Torah Daily

Learn Tanakh, halakha, and the Zohar and/or Breslov books every single day. Go to this link for free downloadable Breslov books, and start learning. You have no idea, and neither do I, of just how immensely important studying Torah is. This gives you much more favor in HaShem eyes when you put point 1 to use. It helps your words of prayer be received and it helps draw upon yourself HaShem's providence.

When you begin to force yourself to sit and learn daily, you will begin to crave it and look forward to it and feel naked without it. It is especially important to study halakha daily, in order to know HOW to do all of HaShem's commands and to clarify your mind.

8. Repeat Point One

Cry out to HaShem, ask him to save you from any difficulties that will come. Ask him to save all of his people Israel from what is to come, from any harsh decrees. Ask him to save the lives of Jews he has already allotted not to make it. Ask him to save all of us from our enemies and spare us all to be able to make it through the process of our redemption.

Don't hold back your thoughts, emotions, angst. Let it all out. This is the most important advice, because the Torah and all the other points here, and more, will become apparent to you as a result of conversing with and crying out to HaShem on a regular basis.

The level of hitbodedut, secluded prayer/meditation, is so high, it is beyond anything else. You will find that when you want to take that hour, your natural inclination will even try to get you to learn Torah instead. That's how much the spiritual side of death does not want you to sit down and talk to HaShem, even when it doesn't flow well.

If you're having trouble getting your words out, try Rebbe Nathan's Liquttei Tefilloth. I often begin with this and then continue on various topics on my own words. It is extremely good to say even just one tefilla from this book a day. On days you find it hard to converse with HaShem, try to put your whole heart and soul into the words of the prayers in this book.

2 comments:

  1. Also how come other then Yehoshua Sofer no other person or group retained even a minor tradition regarding Abir? Take Kabala for example which was hidden and limited to secret societies for many generation and was guarded with great care. Yet practically every single Jewish group from around the world has traditions related to Kabala that were handed down from generation to generation.

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    1. Other sources did, you just don't know about it.

      Rashi talks about the circular strike of Abir in his commentary on Tanakh, even he had knowledge of this tactic. Qesheth, the bow, another name for Abir which includes all forms of warfare, because of our bow/loop strikes is mentioned in Shmuel as having been taught to "the sons of Yehuda, as it is written in Sefer HaYashar".

      Jews in the Caucus mountains had a warfare system. Rambam mentions it in a letter to a Jewish community and says that the ceasing of learning combat resulted in much demise of the Jewish people. I cite it in one of my blogs ("Jewish Warriors and Pesah"). I also cite there that Habbani Jews were renowned by other Yemenite Jews for their combat abilities, and there is a story relayed by non-Habbani Rabbi Yosef Maghori Kohen:

      "The Habbanis were mighty heroes. I heard a lot from elders in my youth about the Habbanis, about their wars, how they would fight ‘according to names’. What does it mean ‘according to names’? –the letters: They would make the shape of the [Hebrew] letters with their hands, and by this they would be victorious. Also the Shar`abim–from the city of Shar`ab–were strong, but not to the same degree as the Habbanis. Once in Yemen there was a wild tribe of murderous Arab warriors that conquered town after town, slaughtering whomever they found. Thus they moved forward from settlement to settlement: killing, destroying–may their names by blotted out–until they approached a city of Jews, 13,000 Jews roughly. Everyone felt hopeless-even the Arabs among them put up their hands, searching for a place to escape. Suddenly ten [Jewish] Habbanis arrived and waged war with them–ten against a thousand–and vanquished all of them. Not even one of those warriors was left alive, and not one of the ten fell."

      If you read the midrash Sefer HaYashar about the combat abilities of our fathers and the amazing things they did on the battle field, this above story is also very believable.

      You would have to be a moron, or just possessed by the Satan, not to put two and two together and realize that obviously the Jewish people had a fighting system like all other nations. When HaShem was with us, his help and the methods of Abir-Qesheth enabled us to defeat nations of much greater size.

      You must be opposed to Abir for the reason that the Satan sets up people to oppose true Sadiqim and advancement of the geula. There is no other explanation for someone wanting to deny that Jews ever knew how to fight or that Jews shouldn't have to fight. It is a qlipa, something is severely wrong if someone thinks that. You see? It is not sane, not logical.

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