In Washington We Trust?

When a raging epidemic is taking place, and leading physicians and political leaders find it difficult to rescue the populace, Jews are aroused to feel that we have no one to trust other than our Father in Heaven, as we see now during this period in history which started a year ago, that myriads of Jews are accepting upon themselves good resolutions to strengthen their commitments to mitzvah observance. 

Although Jews who are far from Torah and generally live with a feeling that they run their own lives, nevertheless, when trouble comes around, such as serious illness, then their hidden faith is aroused in their hearts, and they turn in prayer to their Father in Heaven. 

When the holy Rebbe Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt”l once visited Germany, some local Jews who were far from religion visited his Shabbos tish, and the Rebbe delivered a sermon before them. His son, the holy Rebbe Avraham Moshe zt”l, asked his father why he delivered Divrei Torah for such heretics? The Rebbe R’ Bunim answered: “these Jews cannot be called heretics, for if they find themselves in pain or danger, they cry out to Hashem in prayer to be rescued from their troubles. The only true heretic was the wicked Pharaoh, who even when Hashem smote him with difficult and supernatural plagues, he cried out ‘Who is Hashem that I should listen to His voice?’ (Exodus/Shemot, 5:2).” 

Many stories are known about Jews who returned to Hashem in time of sorrow. One prime example of such a story happened in Germany before the Holocaust, with a very wicked Jew who was famous for his pride in his heresy. He once fell ill with a difficult illness, and he was rushed to the large hospital in Konigsberg, and the doctors said that it was necessary to perform an operation in order to try to save his life, and with no choice he agreed to this. As he was lying on the operating table, he cried out with a loud voice the verse in (Psalms/Tehillim 31:6) “I place my spirit into Your hand! Redeem me, Hashem, the True God!” When this was publicized in Germany, it caused tremendous astonishment throughout the country, and everyone saw that every Jew is truly a believer. 

The hidden faith is rooted in the heart of every Jew, who are called “believers, the children of believers”, and who received this faith as their heritage from our Patriarch Abraham, who was the first father of the faithful. If any Jew claims to deny his faith, it is only skin-deep, from the side of the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) trying to confuse him with thoughts of heresy in order to bring them to violate the Creator’s mitzvot. 

The holy Slonimer Rebbe zt”l, author of “Yesod HaAvodah”, wrote in a letter, that he heard from his Rebbe, the holy Rebbe Noach of Lechovitch zt”l, who said: “a Jew needs to believe that he believes, only clouds cover it.” Along these lines, he writes that it is worthwhile for every Jew to recite daily the 13 principles of faith, which begin with the words “ani maamin” (I believe), even if he thinks he does not fully believe these words, because the truth is that in the depths of his heart he does believe. 

We therefore find in the Talmud (Kiddushin, 50a) that if a man is required to divorce his wife according to the Torah, but he refuses to do so, the law requires the courts to compel him forcefully until he says “I want to do so.” The Rambam explains (Hilchot Gerushin, 2:20) that this is considered to be a kosher get, which requires free-will, because we know that in the depths of his heart, he desires to perform the will of the Creator. 

This is what Chazal say (Eruvin, 19a) that “even Jewish sinners are filled with mitzvot like a pomegranate (which is filled with seeds)” because in the depths of their hearts, their hearts are filled with the will to perform G-d’s commandments. We only need to crack open the hard shell which covers this will, as we need to break open the rind of the pomegranate in order to reveal the edible seeds inside. 

For this reason, our Father in Heaven sometimes sends us dangers which human beings have no power to save themselves from on their own, in order to remind people that everything depends on the Kindness of the Creator, and to awaken and reveal the faith in the heart. 

Similarly, we find that Chazal say (Pesachim, 56a) that King Hezekiah removed King Solomon’s Book of Cures from publication, which contained the cure to every disease in the world. Rashi explains that the reason this book was banned was because having cures to every disease removed the humility that the existence of dangerous disease brings to the hearts of people. 

According to this, Tzaddikim explained what we see during the generations, that when medical researchers find a cure for an incurable disease, by Heavenly Design through the prayers of the pious Jews, people think that they have succeeded in defeating such diseases, but every time, right after that a new incurable disease is discovered, because the Creator’s Will is that some incurable disease should always exist, in order to remind people that not everything is in human hands, and they should feel that they need to pray to the Blessed Creator and to be careful in their deeds. 

In this vein, the Talmud tells us (Sanhedrin 97b) that when Jews sin and do not repent, Hashem brings an evil king with decrees like Haman, and this inspires the Jews to repent and to return to the proper path. 

This is something we experienced in Egypt: The Jews were influenced by their lascivious and heretical Egyptian neighbors, and then Hashem sent Pharaoh to subjugate them, which caused them to cry out to Hashem, and through this they came to reveal the faith within each and every one of them, even the lowest among them, and then they were worthy of redemption. 

This is what is written in this Torah portion: “And the ‘people’ believed” – The faith of all the Jews was revealed, even among the lowest Jews, called “the (common) people”, and in this merit they were worthy to the good news of the redemption, “and they heard that Hashem redeemed the Children of Israel”. 

This is something every Jew must remember every time a source of fear appears, that it is worthy to be strong in faith, and to speak many words of faith, and to help Jews who are far away from Torah to awaken and reveal the faith hidden in their hearts. In this merit they will be worthy to personal redemptions to be rescued from personal trouble, and bring closer the total redemption of the World.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: 

 
The Kalever Rebbe is a real tzaddik, currently going through terrible suffering for the Jewish people.  

 
I take this message, given the day Biden was confirmed as President, VERY SERIOUSLY.  

 
Everything he is saying to us is a warning. The timing is not coincidental.  

Remember Rabbi Arush's warning in the Q&A with Gislason video– "Before the Holocaust, the tzaddikim were screaming that people should move to the Land of Israel. Those that moved were saved. Those that did not listen, we can't even say what happened to them. The tzaddikim are screaming again!" He leaves the rest of the sentence, unsaid.  

And a king with decrees like Haman? Haman ordered the total annihilation of the Jews. Haman is Amalek, which is pure, unadulterated evil. The last time someone rose to power with decrees like Haman – was Hitler, may G-d erase his name and his memory. 

Don't forget the warning of Rabbi Arush's Rabbi, leader of the 36 Hidden Tzaddikim of the previous generation, Rabbi Yehuda Zev Lebovitch zt"l: "There will be a Holocaust in America, and a time will come when Jews will be lucky to get out with their pajamas. A lot of Jews will want to leave, and won't be able." 

And the Kalever Rebbe concurs with Rabbi Arush – the only thing that will protect us is emuna.  

 
Notice that at the end he only talks about emuna protecting us PERSONALLY. All we can do is protect ourselves, and in that way, influence the redemption which will certainly help everyone. 

 
Rabbi Arush does say that 5 things can protect us communally – thanking Hashem for our suffering, spreading emuna, doing kindness for others, (see Chok Todah and Most Important Thing)  being  careful not to speak evil speech or slander, and women dressing modestly. The more you can strengthen yourself in all of these things, the more protected you, and the world, will be. And as an aside for the Noahides out there reading – everything on this list fully applies to you as well!