The Only Solution

Translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody
 
 
The Jewish people are in a very difficult situation today, with enemies from within and enemies from the nations of the world. There is no viable solution, neither political nor military. Whoever thinks that there is a solution to our security and demographic problems is just fooling himself and others. Any solution of “the might and the power of my hands” will not succeed. This is a decree from Above to awaken the Jewish people. The enemies are just a stick in Hashem's hand, may His Name be blessed. Therefore we need to turn to the One holding the stick, because the stick itself isn’t a reality. No violence, no exertion of power, and no army will solve the problems and all the talk of “we’ll show them”, “let’s give them a whacking”, “take revenge” and so forth, are just empty words. Any exertion of force, even a tiny one, only increases the hostility and hatred and just brings the fire of the Arabs' wild attacks to our streets. It just complicates the situation even more. The real solution is only spiritual – “Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit”!
 
Therefore,  the Jewish people must wake up! Wake up, sleepers, from your coma! In these days of the birth pangs before redemption, there is no one we can depend on except for our Father in Heaven. Hashem is intentionally bringing us into a situation in which no wisdom or advice can help, except to turn to Him. We must come close to Hashem and depend on Him, for he will fight for us as is written: “Hashem will fight your war for you and you shall remain silent.”
 
Every morning, we say in our prayers, “Hashem is King forever, He removed the nations from His land.” The practical ramifications of this passage is that once we crown Hashem as King over us and take upon ourselves the yoke of His service – then Hashem Himself will remove the nations from our land. King David also said, “If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would go in My ways, in a bit I would subdue their enemies and upon their enemies I would return My hand.”  The explanation of “in a bit” is in an instant, immediately, in a short time. That is, if we would just listen to Hashem and have faith in Him, He will immediately subdue all of the enemies without any effort on our part.
 
How can we truly crown Hashem over us? Hashem created the world to reveal His mercy and His mercy is revealed when the world is filled with mercy and love between the creations, and between the Jewish people in particular. Hashem’s Kingship will be revealed when each person is pleased to accept the kingship of his friend upon him like our sages say, that at the time a person passes away, he is asked in the heavenly court: “Did you crown your friend over yourself with pleasure?” When a person doesn’t crown his friend, he is, practically speaking, hiding the kingship of Hashem. This is the “matter of the hour” and only this will shield us from all the enemies and save us from the birth pangs of Moshiach so that we’ll make it through these days in peace and bring the redemption with great mercy.

My Rav and teacher, Rabbi Yehuda Zev Leibowitz osb"m would plead to whoever wants to be saved from the birth pangs of Moshiach: “Help, have mercy, concede, and the main thing never scream, at any Jew!” To help, simply to help others by giving of himself or of his money, giving a listening ear, smiling, taking interest and paying attention to one to another. To have mercy – this is to increase love, feeling, and mercy for others and to hold back all cruelty. To concede applies when you are deserving and are right, yet you go against your nature and give in. The main thing is never to shout at any Jew and all the more, so never to disgrace, curse, speak loshon hara. And Heaven forbid that one Jew should evershove or hit nother Jew. This also applies to the house with the wife and children.
 
Hashem sees the tears of those wronged and is close to all the broken-hearted and those attacked or chased and from this is aroused judgment and anger. This is the source of all of the troubles for the Jewish people. The suffering of any individual Jew brings serious allegations against our people as an entirety, Heaven forbid.
 
When there is an atmosphere of mercy among our people, then from Heaven there is mercy on us and the bad decrees are nullified in the merit of those that give in to others and avoid arguments even when they are in the right.
 
Now, in these tough times, every single person needs to see how he can increase merit in the area of “man with his fellow man”. One should pray with his whole being and try never to upset any Jew.  Just help, have mercy, and concede to a person who wrongs you. Doing this will remove stern judgments against the Jewish people and merit that The Holy One Blessed Be He will forgive us of our sins. Everyone should increase peace and love. This is what sweetens judgments and nullifies harsh decrees on the Jewish people more than anything else. May we see a miraculous salvation of our people speedily, soon, amen!