Here are some links you might really enjoy:
Rav Avigdor Miller on Losing Your Bashert
Rav Miller describes how you can miss out on marrying your Divinely-ordained spouse, both before and even AFTER marriage.
This ties in with Rav Kanievsky's 5 tips for finding your soulmate because the idea of not criticizing nor being makpid with people helps you find what you really need in a spouse prior to marriage & is essential for a successful marriage after the wedding is over.
Rav Itamar Schwartz on Erev Rav: Amalek Exposed
Amalek seems a totally separate nation from the Erev Rav, who came from Mitzrayim and are now part of the Jewish people – at least in body.
So why is it that the Vilna Gaon typifies one of the Erev Rav types as "Amalek"?
There's a real connection, which is described in the above article.
Also, Rav Schwartz explains the connection between Erev Rav, Amalek, and the twin Exiles of Esav & Yishmael.
Just to give you a taste: Rav Schwartz explains that Amalek cannot stand Hashem's Oneness.
Amalek's all-consuming goal is to prevent Hashem's Oneness from being revealed.
This might explain why there is such a resistance to pure monotheism throughout the world, including self-proclaimed monotheists who are actually polytheists in belief & practice.
So Amalek strives to destroy Am Yisrael's oneness so that Hashem's Oneness cannot be revealed in This World.
Pretty nasty stuff, Amalek.
In line with that idea, please note that the Nazis were either nature-worshipers or atheists (both of which deny Hashem's Oneness), the Jew-persecuting Communists were atheists, and the Catholic Church, which instigated terrible persecution against the Jewish people over the centuries, has been polytheistic or pagan, depending on who you follow.
Why did they care so much about Jews secretly keeping Shabbat during the Inquisition?
Why did the Church feel the need to so horrifically torture Jews for keeping Shabbat?
Shabbat is a massive revelation of Hashem's Oneness in the world, if you read all that Chazal has to say about it.
(Note: I am not talking about the praiseworthy individual Catholics who risked torture & death to save Jews, but the powers-that-be behind the Catholic Church.)
Likewise, the holy & pure tzaddik Rav Levi Yitzchak Bender was one of the Ministry of State Security's most wanted "criminals" in the Ukraine in his time.
Why? Because he was so committed to Torah.
(Russia's Ministry of State Security was the forerunner to the KGB. Didn't they have bigger fish to fry than a couple of gentle, kind, saintly chassidim? I mean, it's the Ukraine after all...a matter of "state security," eh?)
Rav Bender & his fellow tzaddikim were forced to convert gerim in secret for fear of the Ministry of State Security. He was nearly executed for davening at the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
Yes, saying Tikkun Haklali by the grave of a tzaddik is DANGEROUS to your nation's survival...if you're Amalek.
However, we can overcome Amalek by connecting to the point that came before Creation.
Why?
Because Am Yisrael came before Creation; we were b'machshavah techilah - we already existed in Hashem's Thoughts before Creation.
Only Am Yisrael possesses the power to connect to that pre-Creation point.
How to do that?
It's in the article, but just as a hint:
The Torah was the blueprint for Creation. It also preceded Creation.
Anyway, the whole post is really fascinating.
Rav Avigdor Miller on Losing Your Bashert
Rav Miller describes how you can miss out on marrying your Divinely-ordained spouse, both before and even AFTER marriage.
This ties in with Rav Kanievsky's 5 tips for finding your soulmate because the idea of not criticizing nor being makpid with people helps you find what you really need in a spouse prior to marriage & is essential for a successful marriage after the wedding is over.
Rav Itamar Schwartz on Erev Rav: Amalek Exposed
Amalek seems a totally separate nation from the Erev Rav, who came from Mitzrayim and are now part of the Jewish people – at least in body.
So why is it that the Vilna Gaon typifies one of the Erev Rav types as "Amalek"?
There's a real connection, which is described in the above article.
Also, Rav Schwartz explains the connection between Erev Rav, Amalek, and the twin Exiles of Esav & Yishmael.
Just to give you a taste: Rav Schwartz explains that Amalek cannot stand Hashem's Oneness.
Amalek's all-consuming goal is to prevent Hashem's Oneness from being revealed.
This might explain why there is such a resistance to pure monotheism throughout the world, including self-proclaimed monotheists who are actually polytheists in belief & practice.
So Amalek strives to destroy Am Yisrael's oneness so that Hashem's Oneness cannot be revealed in This World.
Pretty nasty stuff, Amalek.
In line with that idea, please note that the Nazis were either nature-worshipers or atheists (both of which deny Hashem's Oneness), the Jew-persecuting Communists were atheists, and the Catholic Church, which instigated terrible persecution against the Jewish people over the centuries, has been polytheistic or pagan, depending on who you follow.
Why did they care so much about Jews secretly keeping Shabbat during the Inquisition?
Why did the Church feel the need to so horrifically torture Jews for keeping Shabbat?
Shabbat is a massive revelation of Hashem's Oneness in the world, if you read all that Chazal has to say about it.
(Note: I am not talking about the praiseworthy individual Catholics who risked torture & death to save Jews, but the powers-that-be behind the Catholic Church.)
Likewise, the holy & pure tzaddik Rav Levi Yitzchak Bender was one of the Ministry of State Security's most wanted "criminals" in the Ukraine in his time.
Why? Because he was so committed to Torah.
(Russia's Ministry of State Security was the forerunner to the KGB. Didn't they have bigger fish to fry than a couple of gentle, kind, saintly chassidim? I mean, it's the Ukraine after all...a matter of "state security," eh?)
Rav Bender & his fellow tzaddikim were forced to convert gerim in secret for fear of the Ministry of State Security. He was nearly executed for davening at the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
Yes, saying Tikkun Haklali by the grave of a tzaddik is DANGEROUS to your nation's survival...if you're Amalek.
However, we can overcome Amalek by connecting to the point that came before Creation.
Why?
Because Am Yisrael came before Creation; we were b'machshavah techilah - we already existed in Hashem's Thoughts before Creation.
Only Am Yisrael possesses the power to connect to that pre-Creation point.
How to do that?
It's in the article, but just as a hint:
The Torah was the blueprint for Creation. It also preceded Creation.
Anyway, the whole post is really fascinating.
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