The Silver Lining

It never ends.

Leaving our first exile, Balak wanted to destroy us. He knew that Hashem was on our side so he hired Bilaam to curse us. Bilaam had one strategy: to get us to sin. If we would anger Hashem, He would not protect us and we would be exposed. Balak could retain control of the Land of Israel just a little bit longer. He could push back the inevitable for another day.

The plan worked.

Bilaam used Midianite women as harlots to bring us to physical immorality. As a result, 24,000 Jews died in a plague. More Jews died in this plague than in all of Israel’s wars over the last 100 years.

When we began our next Exodus from exile, King Achashverosh became very nervous. He knew that we would return home to rebuild our Temple after 70 years. The Land of Israel was a part of his empire so he didn’t want that to happen.

He turned to his trusted adviser Haman, and Haman recommended the same strategy as Bilaam. Get us to sin in the area of personal holiness. This sin, which angers Hashem, would remove His protection from us. They could retain the fullness of the Persian Empire. They could push back the inevitable for another day.

The plan worked.

We were invited to a feast at the king's palace. It was all supposed to be so stately. The feast had kosher food. It had kosher wine. All of the standards of modesty were kept. King Achashverosh even planned a special surprise for the Jews who would attended.

Almost 20,000 of us came to the majestic gala. The wine began to flow…

We became drunk, very drunk. What started out as a royal banquet quickly spiraled out of control. It was only once we became fully intoxicated did Achashverosh bring out his "surprise"…

More harlots.

He got us to sin. As a punishment for our lewdness, a decree came down that we would all die. The Persian Empire housed every Jew on earth. The sin of physical morality brought down a judgment of total annihilation.

It took a massive repentance, and a miracle of Mercy by Hashem to redeem us.

Thousands of year later has anything changed?

Are the leaders of mankind trying to prevent the Next Redemption by employing the same tactics?

Once Moshiach comes the western way of life will end. Civilization as we know it will be utterly obliterated, and rebuilt even better.

That’s not what the world sees. They only see the impending destruction, and are fighting for their lives to prevent it from happening.

Could this be why there is so much lewdness today?

Beyond the regal claims of “free speech,” and “free expression,” might there lurk beneath the shadows descendants of Amalek, Haman, and Bilaam who are doing everything they can to get us to sin once again? Is there an unconscious effort to bring us to invoke G-d’s anger to protect their world and postpone the inevitable for another day?

Are the cultural leaders of the western world acting on some sort of “survival instinct” where they know they must flood the world with licentiousness, but they don’t understand why?

The fact that the volume of all the nonsense we see on TV, over the internet, and even inside our mobile phones is intensifying may be the biggest sign that we are getting closer and closer to that great day of personal, national, and worldwide Redemption.

As we are pushed deeper and deeper into the clouds of darkness, the silver lining suddenly becomes brighter. The Jewish People are learning all about emuna and personal holiness, thanks to Rabbi Shalom Arush and his life-changing books and CDs. Soon, very soon, the growing light of emuna will massively burst forth and dispel those dark clouds. Happy are those who help spread that light in the world, for it's the light of Redemption. May we all witness it with our own eyes, amen!