Confusing Paths

Editor's Note: This article was written in 2011, but it is still true today!

Rather the leaving the expression of highly-sensitive, intel-related opinions and top-secret discussions for behind locked doors, Israeli officials from all across the political spectrum having been displaying their opinions, worries, and gross indecision in public. Do we bomb Iran to stop their A-bomb production or don't we? Do we take the chance of blowing up the Middle East or don't we?

In Tehran, there is no such confusion. Since they have a burning dark-side belief – the spiritual inverse of emuna and true holiness – which motivates them to move forward single-purposely in their program to develop atomic weapons aimed to annihilate us.

So why are Israel's leaders so confused?

First, they don't know what our country is all about. Hashem did not give us this holy land for the purpose of Club Med and Maccabee Tel Aviv. The sidewalk cafes on Sheinkin Street don't contribute to our mission that Hashem intends for us to fulfill. Israel is neither Vienna nor Venice, and certainly not Monte Carlo. Yet, our leaders in total disregard of what Hashem wants from us, make wrong decisions. That's no surprise – they're simply confused.

Second, they don't (and did not) listen to the spiritual giants of each generation, such as Rav Ovadia and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, both of sacred and blessed memory, who did know what our country is all about and what our purpose is on earth. By listening to Daat Torah, the advice and opinion of our generation's spiritual leadership, one only benefits.

Here’s a critically important lesson for all of us: people are confused because they’re not on the right path. What's more, they're even further confused about which path to take, and disconnected from their ultimate purpose in life. Even temporary success in whatever endeavor we’re currently pursuing won’t satisfy us in the long run unless we’re pursuing our designated path in life. With the tachlit, our ultimate purpose, we’ll only look in the mirror and end up saying, “So what?”
 
One cannot possibly be happy with his current lot in life if he’s disengaged from his true lot in life, fulfilling that purpose that the Creator created him to fulfill. Those fortunate people who live their lives while focusing on their true goal in life are always happy. But, to find one’s true goal – the very purpose that the Creator created him to fulfill – one must get to know the Creator. To get to know the Creator, we must establish an intimate personal relationship with Him by speaking to Him daily in personal prayer. The more we get to know the Creator, the quicker and closer we arrive at our designated path in life; the more we pursue our true path and purpose in life, the more we understand everything that happens to us. A person who understands what the Creator wants from him is truly happy and fulfilled, no matter what. His happiness is internal, independent of outside influences.
 
Everything that happens to us in life is a precision Divinely-originated stimulus intended to facilitate our tikkun, our soul correction and mission in life. Realizing that Hashem is doing everything for our ultimate benefit – whether we understand how or not – enables us to be sincerely happy with our lot in life.
 
The denial or lack of firm belief in Divine Providence leads to a number of negative character manifestations, particularly worry. Worry is the result of a lack of emuna, for the worrier thinks that his success or failure is the result of his own efforts. As such, he remains blind, not seeing Hashem’s hand in his life nor does he see truth. Without emuna, no matter what the worrier does, he’ll still succumb to worry.
 
All of us know about people who’ve tasted big success and are apparently “all set” in life with the big house, the three cars, and the swimming pool in the back yard. Yet, they’re full of worry and anxiety. Why? They’re afraid of losing what they have. They think that they must depend on themselves, so they’re doubly afraid that something will happen to them. Intrinsically, they realize that they lack the power to cope with a hostile world.
 
Emuna means that there is a Creator and ongoing Director of the world who controls everything. We can trust Him completely, even when facing life’s most painful hardships, for we believe that He does everything for the very best. We are able to turn to him 24/7 – to speak to Him, to ask Him to help us understand life’s tribulations, and to seek His assistance in correcting ourselves. With emuna, we life beautiful lives.
 
Worry means living without emuna, trying to place the enormous weight of the world on our own shoulders. Who is capable of handling such a load? No wonder so many people must seek psychological help.
 
Especially in matters of livelihood, a person with no emuna can’t possibly circumvent worry. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Yet, everything – livelihood included – is in Hashem’s hands, so with emuna, there’s no need to worry at all. Just as Hashem put a roof over our heads and fed us yesterday and today, He’ll continue to do so tomorrow.
 
Lack of emuna is like a person on a Detroit auto assembly line worrying about the future of diesel engines. His company doesn’t pay him to worry – his job is to assemble carburetors. In fact, the more he worries, the less proficient he’ll be in his designated task.

If a person realizes that he’s working for Hashem, he won’t worry about money and livelihood. One who is focused on his true purpose in life realizes that Hashem will provide everything he needs to fulfill that purpose. If Hashem doesn’t give us a yacht or a private jet, then we don’t need it to attain our soul correction or to perform our mission in life. Once we focus on finding and pursuing our true path in life, Hashem readily sends whatever we need whenever we need it.

In order to make the right decision about Iran, our leaders must focus on the true purpose of our presence in the Holy Land of israel. The current Israeli government's actions in attempting to financially choke Torah institutions, draft full-time Torah learners and reduce child support for large caused more pain to Rav Ovadia zatza'l than the death of his own son less than a year ago, as he testified in his own words. By trying to destroy the World of Torah, the Israeli government shows utter ignorance as to what this country is all about. In a situation like this, nothing they do or decide will succeed.

But, once the Israeli government – and each of us as individuals – does our utmost to fulfill our mission on a personal and national level, while heeding Daat Torah and listening to the directives of the generation's true selfless spiritual leadership, Hashem will give us success in whatever we decide. Hashem, with one little tremor of 7.4 on the Richter scale under each of Iran's nuclear installations, can terminate their atomic program without us having to fire a single shot.

May Hashem open our hearts and bring us home to Him, soon, amen!