Confrontation Week: A New Message from Rav Shalom Arush

Rav Shalom speaks, yours truly translates:

Those of you who know me are well aware that I'm not an alarmist. For years, when others have been making doomsday projections, all I've cared about is helping people get closer to Hashem. A wasted life is a life without having developed one's own intimate personal connection to our beloved Father in Heaven who loves each one of us. The fact that He loves us so much is exactly why He's now going to such lengths to wake us up.
 
This week, millions of Arabs are expected to "peacefully" march on our borders. Although I always pray for peace – for that's my name – we cannot sit back as observers. Our activism is manifest in prayer and teshuva. Despite the fact that earlier this week, I said that the harsh decree of imminent conflict has been delayed, that doesn't mean that we can put down our guard or our spiritual weapons. The delay is to enable more people  to have the opportunity to do teshuva and to save themselves and their families. But who knows how long the gates of teshuva will remain open.

But meanwhile, few are doing teshuva. Rather than waking up, our people have fallen captive to the most sadistic and vicious enemy of all – the Yetzer Hara, the Evil Inclination.
 
The Evil Inclination has never been more powerful, more dangerous, and more sophisticated since the dawn of creation. The Evil Inclination – like chocolate-covered poison – gives his victim a fatal false sense of enjoyment and then destroys the victim's soul by severing him from Hashem, Heaven forbid. And people continue to extend their necks willingly toward the Evil Inclination's sword, begging to be slaughtered. Hashem wants to stop this spiritual holocaust, but successive previous wakeup calls have gone unheeded. After the recent earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and terror attacks, people have again fallen into a "business as usual" spiritual slumber.
 
Now – this week – the Palestinians are going to the UN to declare their statehood, while millions threaten to storm our borders. This wake-up call is likely to be the spark that ignites the explosion…
 
Will people listen?

Continue reading Fight Back! in this week's exciting issue of Breslev Israel web magazine.

"Frummie Rebelette" is a rebellious young lady in university from a religious background who has strayed far away from the upright path; yet, she still wants no-nonsense answers to some sticky questions. See the answers she got from me - you may be able tyo use them with a young person you know in a similar situation.

Also this week:

Rav Kook: Two Levels of Teshuva

Rivka Levy: The Blessing of Financial Problems

Racheli Reckles: Welcome to Israel

Yael Karni: The Russian Doll

Tikvah Motley: An Evangelist Comes Home

Zev Ballen: God or Bad

Dovber Halevi: The Real Builder

Chaya Ovadia: Through the Wringer

Pidyon Nefesh

According to Jewish custom, before Rosh Hashana, we send our names and a wish-list together with charity money to a pious individual, whose blessing and prayers are added insurance for a favorable New Year judgment. The charity money we give has a cogent power of atonement, for "pidyon" means "redemption" - we redeem ourselves from severe judgments by giving the Pidyon before Rosh Hashana. I personally give my Pidyon Nefesh to my beloved Rabbi and spiritual guide, Rav Shalom Arush, may Hashem bless him always, during our stay in Uman on the day before Rosh Hashana. You can too.

Anyone who sends a Pidyon Nefesh online this week will be included in the list of names (and their requests) that Rav Shalom Arush will personally pray for on the the holy gravesite of Rebbe Nachman next week in Uman. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity.