From where does a tzaddik have the power to fall and get up and fall and get up again?

A regular person, if he falls once or twice, says to himself, “I fell and tried to get up but couldn’t do it, so the next time I will fall, I will not be able to get up either.”

If he fell twice and couldn’t get up, on the third time he will feel that now he has a chazakah, and for sure will not be able to get up.

But a tzaddik believes that Hashem gives him koach to fix himself.

With the power that Hashem gives, one can succeed in anything.

​If it was my own power, it is limited and I can’t succeed, but if I receive every day a new power, the question is Who gave me the power?

On this Chazal say:

“Hashem li b’ozrai — Hashem is my helper.”

Therefore even if in the past you failed, a person knows that Hashem helps him.

Therefore there is never a place of despair because he knows that Hashem will help him even if he fell many times.

Roses in bloom in Eretz Yisrael

INTRUDING INTO ANOTHER’S PRIVACY THROUGH ESP [#18926]

QUESTION:
I want to know if it’s “permitted” for a person who has “spiritual powers” [of ESP, extrasensory perception] to penetrate into another’s privacy [i.e. reading his thoughts and feelings and seeing into his spiritual level].

Assuming that we are talking about a person who has indeed been gifted with a spiritual ability to “see” certain things in others, is such a person allowed to make use of his ability to “see into” others, without asking their permission first?

There are some people who are able to leave their physical body, which is called “teleporting” – are such people able to have some kind of control over others or harm others?

Does G-d approve of such behavior, and will such a person be punished by Heaven for doing such a thing?

Are these people “allowed” to do this because they possess a high soul level?

​And, how can a person protect his privacy from being invaded by such people (since he can’t see them)?

ANSWER:
In our world of action, we are obligated in the 613 mitzvos of the Torah and in the 7 primary Rabbinical mitzvos, and in all of the commandments which we have received through tradition, as well as in all of the decrees and prohibitions that the Sages have enacted.

The more a person grows spiritually, the more “obligations” he will discover, which are on a more spiritual level, in addition to all that he is obligated in from the perspective of this lower world, the realm of action.

In the lower world, the world of action, it is forbidden for us to enter into another person’s property without permission – it is forbidden because it is stealing.

It is the same in the more spiritual dimensions:

Whenever a person enters into another’s “privacy,” this is called stealing, on a spiritual level.

As an example, a person gains spiritual merits as a result of doing mitzvos and positive deeds on this world.

These become his spiritual acquisitions.

Therefore, if a person is genuinely spiritual and he is truthful, he will not enter into another’s private “world,” and he will only do so within the context of halachah, integrity, and kindness to another.

However, there are some people who are found in the spiritual dimension, but they are only in the lower realm of the spiritual dimension, where there is a mixture of good and evil.

In the language of the Sages, this is referred to as “the world of exchanges.”

In such people, the “animal” layer of their souls (their nefesh habehaimis) is mixed into their spiritual powers [which causes their spirituality to be unrefined and lacking in truthfulness].

They have two problems:
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They are found in a spiritual dimension which is unrefined, because they are at a dimension where there is a mixture of good and evil.

In addition, their very souls are unrefined: the “animal” layer of their soul has not yet been refined, so it is mixed into their spiritual world, and this causes them to be misled, according to their various interests.

Just as it is possible in the physical world to steal from another person, so is it possible to “steal” on a spiritual level from another person, by intruding into his privacy [i.e. entering into another’s thoughts and feelings without permission], when one is living at an unrefined spiritual place of existence.

And just as in the physical world each person has his own boundaries and capabilities, according to his own level, so does a person have emotional boundaries and limitations, physical boundaries and limitations, and financial boundaries and limitations.

And just as a person in the physical world can be harmed by another, so can a person be harmed by another, in the unrefined spiritual plane of existence.

However, the more that a person becomes attached to the Creator and believes in His total Divine Providence, to that extent, no created being can harm him on his own accord.

A person can only be harmed if G-d wills it.

The power of free choice that is given to a person is essentially if he will choose to connect or not to the lowly and unrefined forces in Creation, entering into a world where the “Destroyer” [the destroying angel, Satan] is given permission to destroy as it wishes.

For this reason, it is possible for a person to be harmed by one who has unrefined spiritual powers.

The other choice that a person has is the choice to connect himself to the Creator, and to have the pure belief in Him that “only He can do, has done, and will do, all actions.” 

https://question.bilvavi.net/blog/2022/06/20/intruding-into-anothers-privacy-through-esp/

​One also has to reveal, repair, and balance, any of the abilities of the soul that haven’t yet been revealed, repaired, or balanced.

But this should not be done with a perspective of a war against the evil within oneself.

Rather, it must be done with a positive perspective, from the understanding that every part of ourselves, every ability of our soul, is a gift from Hashem and a part of us.

After we have revealed, balanced, and repaired the abilities we aren’t making use of, we need to become connected with them and utilize them properly, and we will get vitality and joy from these abilities no less than how we can get vitality and joy from our strong and good abilities.

​This is the inner perspective to have on all self-recognition and self-actualization, and to the extent that we view our soul and its abilities in an inner, positive way like this, our ability to recognize our soul and work with our abilities will be refined, and we will be much closer to repairing our souls and reaching self-perfection in this world.

ROCKETS & MERON TRAGEDY: IS MASHIACH COMING?

QUESTION
Are the rockets now in Eretz Yisrael a sign of the “war of Gog and Magog” and that Mashiach is coming?

ANSWER
It is not a sign – it is a part of the war of Gog and Magog, for we are already
amidst it.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE MERON TRAGEDY

QUESTION
When more people told me about it, I said Hashem wants us to do teshuva.

To my surprise, people had strong negative reactions to that!

One wanted to be in the moment of grief feeling for the families of the victims and absorbing the shock, basically calling me unsensitive to the pain of others.

Another did not want to be blamed and told me I was burning up the world.

And both felt very strongly that telling people to do teshuva was too harsh on people who cannot take it, who have gone off the derech hearing those crushing messages about Hashem’s anger at us and becoming hardened and cold to Him.

A third person told me that she is so numb from everything that the tragedy simply has not registered in any way.

I realize that the galus has been long and we are storm tossed and we need Hashem to be gentle with us. Is the message that Hashem wants the Yidden to do teshuva applicable here?

ANSWER
Speak to each person on their own level and in their "language."

Any one lesson that can be learned from something will not be understood by everyone equally.

QUESTION
Is the [negative] reactivity to that all a kelipah in which the very light Hashem wants to come into the world being concealed?

ANSWER
Yes, but before giving over the message to others, first see if the message will be taken positively or negatively by the other.

QUESTION
If it is indeed a message to do teshuvah, what is a way to respond so that those experiencing a push back to doing teshuva can recognize Hashem and “do the work” of opening their hearts?

ANSWER
...You need to figure out what the individual in question needs to hear, based on his on her personal soul and what you think they need to hear.

Hebrew-English

The Rav attended the Pachad Yitzhak Yeshiva of Rav Yonasan David, Shlit"a and graduated from the Ponovitch Yeshiva of Rav Gershon Edelstein, Shlit"a.

The earliest of more than 50 sefarim of the Rav where enthusiastically endorsed by Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch, Shlit"a, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Shlit"a, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlit"a, the Tolna Rebbe, Shlit"a, Rav Moshe Mordechai Karp, Shlit"a, amongst others.

Using an eclectic approach, the Rav's teachings speak to the hearts of Jews from all walks of life.

There are a lot of aspects to Purim. The halachah of intoxication applies only to men, and the parameters of this halachah is explained by the Poskim.

But there are many other aspects of Purim as well which apply to both men and women.

Here are some of those points to think about, and each person should try to do them on his or her own level, according to his or her personal capabilities – and not based on any reasons influenced by factors that are either social, or emotional, or family-based, because there are many times where people act based solely on “what’s normal”, and this uproots any serenity and joy that they could have on Purim.

1) Consider the aspect of reading the Megillah on Purim.

Both men and women are obligated to hear the Megillah on Purim.

And on a more inner level, both men and women can reflect on the events in the Megillah and see how there was Divine Providence laced throughout this story, because the word “Megillas Esther” means to “reveal” the “hidden”, to turn the concealment (hester) into giluy (revelation of Hashem’s Divine Providence).

A person can go through all of the details in the Purim story, from beginning until end, and he can see how it was all an unfolding process of Hashem’s Divine Providence - as opposed to a bunch of random details that have no connection to each other.

On an even deeper level, each person, whether man or woman, on his or her own level, can see Hashem’s inner mode of conduct hidden in the Creation, as explained in sefer Daas Tevunos, and how every event in the world can be seen through the lens of Hashem’s carefully planned Divine Providence, His goodness, and the revelation of His Oneness.

2) Consider the mitzvah of sending Mishloach Manos on Purim.

The purpose of this mitzvah is to increase love and friendship.

On the obligatory level, everyone is obligated to send two portions of food to someone. On an inner level, one should also think about whom he will make happy by giving Mishloach Manos to.

Then one should think, “What can I put into this Mishloach Manos package which will make the other person happy? What would that person really enjoy?”

One should put thought into how much Mishloach Manos to send, what the quality of it should be like, how nice it should look, and what kind of nice messages he can send with it.

Everyone should do this only according to her personal capabilities, and not to over-do it.

Even more so, when giving the Mishloach Manos, it should not just be an act of giving motivated by logic alone, but it should be given from the depth of one’s heart, with love and joy, to make the other person happy.

Included in this aspect (gladdening other people on Purim) is to make the children happy, with costumes and the like.

But again, one should do this only within her actual capabilities, and only if she can do it with joy.

3) Consider also the mitzvah to give Matanos L’Evyonim (gifts to the poor) on Purim.

One should look for a person who needs it the most, and who would be the happiest to receive it – and one should strive to give Matanos L’Evyonim specifically to this kind of person.

A woman usually needs to ask her husband about whom she may give Matanos L’Evyonim to, mainly so that her husband should agree with her decision.
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4) Regarding the seudah of Purim, try to serve good food to each person who is dining by you, fitted to each person’s particular tastes.

The main point of the seudah on Purim is to think about and discuss Purim-related matters and what Purim is all about, and to stay away from words that disparage people, which only awaken the most impure forces in one’s soul.

5) The purpose of the day of Purim is to reach a deep place in one’s soul that is above one’s daas (logical reasoning and understanding).

For men, whose main mitzvah is to learn Torah, their main work on this world is to develop the power of their logic throughout the year, by studying Torah.

That is why men need the intoxicating effects of wine (or the dulling effect of sleep) in order to “nullify” their logical understanding and reach a place that goes beyond logical understanding.

However, women, who are exempt from Torah study, are therefore closer to the concept of nullifying their understanding and to more easily reach a place that goes beyond logical understanding. This is the point known as temimus (non-intellectual simplicity or earnestness).

Thus the main avodah of the day of Purim is, “Be wholesome with Hashem your G-d”, to walk with Him in temimus (simplicity), without any intellectual thinking.

It is about sensing His unlimited love for us, just as the people in the time of Achashveirosh re-accepted the Torah out of their great love of Hashem that they saw through the miracles of Purim.

It is about feeling how He always give to us, out of His great love for us, by saving us from trouble, and by bestowing good upon us.

From this understanding, we can come to feel the sweetness and pleasantness of being close to Him.

This is the root of true simchah on Purim, because by feeling close to Hashem a person feels physically lighter, in the body in general and specifically in the feet, and that is why one can easily sing and dance on Purim – just as by the song of Miriam.

And that is why the miracles on Purim happened precisely through women [Esther].

It is because women are closer to this temimus (simplicity and earnestness).

Men need to drink as a means to reach this place of temimus, whereas women are closer to reaching it, without the means of drinking.

​It only requires a little bit of reflecting and calm silence, and to enter into the deepest place of one’s soul – each person on her own level.

Erev Rav Sincerity

In fact, those people [who are pushing for the draft] might not even be aware that the ‘Sitra Achara’ is controlling them, and they might even be earnest in their intentions.

Some of them actually are earnest, and they aren’t trying to be wicked.

​They simply don’t understand what they are doing to us.

But this is only concerning a certain amount of them.

The rest of them simply have wicked intentions.

And even those in the government who have earnest intentions to help us are accomplishing the same purpose as the totally wicked members, in spite of the fact that they don’t realize what they are doing: they are coming to uproot all of the Torah!!

Erev Rav Lack the Ability to Understand. Understand This Well!

They do not understand, and they can never understand, what Torah is.

They cannot understand what mitzvos are.

​They cannot understand the nature of the true bond that is between the Jewish people and Hashem.

The Erev Rav Leaders of Today

The Vilna Gaon writes that in the final generations, the Erev Rav are the “heads of the Jewish people, who are the ‘leaders’, and they have control over the “sons of Leah and Rachel.”

They are also called ‘sapachas’ by Chazal – a kind of leprosy that forms over the skin, embedded into the skin and atop it, but not a part of it.

They came with us when we left Egypt and added themselves onto our nation, but they are not a part of our nation; thus they are called a sapachas\leprosy - a layer added onto the skin, which is not an actual part of the skin.

In the later generations, and especially in our current generation, the Erev Rav are wicked souls who lead the Jewish people towards evil.

Their agenda is to lead the Jewish people astray from Torah, from all holiness, from emunah, and from mitzvos.

It doesn’t matter if he [a member of Erev Rav] wears a kippah or if he doesn’t have a kippah; whether he has a beard or whether he doesn’t have a beard.

This is the exile we are in.

The exile we are currently in is the exile of the Erev Rav - who exercise ‘control’ over the Jewish people.

The ‘heads of the Erev Rav’ are the souls of Amalek; Chazal say that the Erev Rav is made up of five kinds of people, and at the head of all of them is Amalek.

This has been true about our current exile ever since it has begun, but it has particular relevance to today’s times.

We must understand the situation that we are found in.

​The exile we are in today is being headed by people who look like Jews - and they look like they are a part of the Jewish people.

Focus on 2 Aspects

English translation from https://www.sefaria.org.il/Sanhedrin.97a?lang=bi

1) If you are told a certain interpretation in Torah that is more truthful than your current understanding, would you admit to it and say that the other way of understanding is truer than yours?

Or would you feel bad that you have to give up your previous way of understanding what you learned?

2) If you were told that there is a certain beis midrash in which they learn Torah in a more truthful way, would you leave your current beis midrash and go there?
​
3) If you discover that there is a group of Jews in the world who live more truthfully than you do, would you give up your current lifestyle and change over to that way of life?

Would you be prepared to leave your way of life in Yiddishkeit if you would find out that it’s not as truthful as a different way of Yiddishkeit?

If you agree that they are closer to the truth than you are, would you be prepared to actually uproot yourself from your community and move to the community where there is a more truthful lifestyle?

Or would you say, “I don’t know. If I move, it won’t work out for my wife and children…” In other words, “I don’t really want to!” (On a deeper note, both the husband and wife both don’t want!)

If someone lives a truthful life, a really truthful life, that means he is not dependent on anything on this world. He is prepared to leave anything for the truth.

He is prepared to let go of this generation, to let go of this world, to let go of this time that we are in, and to exchange it for a more truthful level of existence.
​
4) If a person is offered the chance to leave behind his current life and instead enter into a different time, in which there will be a Beis HaMikdash and Moshiach, would he do it?

​Or would he wish he could stay in his current time?

If he leads a yeshivah for 1000 bochurim and then Mashiach comes, is he ready to give up his position…?