"Instead of stinging nettle, myrtle will rise" (Isaiah 55:13)
 "Instead of evil, good will rise." (The Malbim's Interpretation)
Myrtle Rising
  • Blog
  • Comments Disabled
    • Privacy Policy
  • Aliyah
    • Mini-Intro
    • General Cultural Insights
    • School Tips
  • Kli Yakar Index
  • Most Popular
  • Contact

How to Strengthen the 3 Areas Necessary to Bring Mashiach

27/9/2018

7 Comments

 
If you go to the post Mishkoltz Rebbe Shlit"a: Geula This Year - If... and also read the comments, you'll see a clarifying discussion of the Rebbe's valuable directive.

The Mishkoltz Rebbe apparently claimed that we will merit Mashiach this year if we strengthen ourselves in the following 3 ways:
  1. Emuna in the Creator of the World
  2. Torah
  3. Achdut (Unity) within Am Yisrael

I admit that I also automatically interpreted this in mind as doing teshuvah until my extrapolation (an extrapolation which another reader apparently also made & fortunately mentioned) was clarified in the comments.

And I think it's important to note that crucial difference.

The Rebbe apparently said l'hitchazek (to strengthen) ourselves in those 3 areas.

​He didn't say to do teshuvah (even though, yes, strengthening these areas is definitely an aspect of teshuvah).

He didn't say to become perfect.

He didn't say to conquer even one bad middah.

He didn't even say to perfect yourself in "just" those 3 areas (or in even 1 of them).

He said l'hitchazek.

Wherever you are, whatever level you're holding on: l'hitchazek.

Bulk it up.

In other words: Go 1 babystep beyond your current level or comfort zone.

Strengthen Emuna

Emuna means more than faith; it means knowing that Hashem Himself really is behind every single thing and He has only your best interests in mind.

L'hitchazek in emuna can mean saying "Gam zu l'tovah" or "Thank you" (even through gritted teeth or tears), or "Hashem, I understand that my suffering is seemingly very bad. I even feel tremendous pain. My tribulations seem unbearable, but I believe they're all for the best despite the fact that I don't see how..."

It can mean talking to Hashem more, going over your day (or even just the past hour) and discussing with Him what happened and what you think  or how you feel about it.

It can mean staying silent in the face of an insult and mentally requesting something you really want from Hashem instead of answering back.

Force yourself to smile (at Hashem), even when things are going wrong and even when the smile feels more like a grimace, all awkward and tight.

It can mean a whole lot of things.

​L'hitchazek means you don't need to be completely victorious, just up your game a bit.

Strengthen Torah

This can mean so much, it's hard to know where to start. 

You can learn more Torah. You can learn your same Torah, but with more enthusiasm or satisfaction. You can work on internalizing what you learned; how can you apply it practically within the next hour?

You can learn more mussar -- even one line a day from a classic sefer like Mesilat Yesharim or Chassidus or Orchot Tzaddikim or Pele Yoetz.

You can learn more halacha, even just 1 a day.

​You can look into the commentaries for a deeper understanding of your favorite Tehillim or a particularly interesting part of Tanach.

Strengthen Achdut

What strengthens unity among Jews?

Giving tzedakah. (Chabad has a lovely custom of saying, "Hareini mekabel/mekabelet alei mitzvat asei 'V'ahavta l're'echa k'mocha' -- Behold, I now accept upon myself fulfillment of the positive mitzvah 'And you shall love to your fellow as yourself'.")

Visiting the sick (can include making a meal or even just a salad).

​Babysitting.

Hospitality.

Giving the benefit of the doubt.

Davening for someone.

Finding some positive quality within even a truly repellent person (not to justify or excuse their awfulness, but just to note that the good point exists).

Forgiving someone.

Accepting an apology.

Greeting others (of your own gender).

Doing a favor.

Resisting the urge to speak any kind of lashon hara (even if it's true), imagining that the person is your twin sister or brother, or your child. How would you feel about them then?

Again, the list could go on. A lot depends on your personality, individual situation and resources, including your challenges and your areas of strength.

The above are things that even a relatively secular person could do (or be pleasantly encouraged to do) because it's about strengthening, not achieving an entire spiritual makeover (although if one could manage it, that would be really good too).

May we all merit l'hitchazek in emuna, Torah, and achdut this year.
Picture
You don't need to carry the whole box of cookies, just carry one more cookie than usual. L'hitchazek!
7 Comments
Mordechai Lewis
27/9/2018 17:45:51

Read "Birth Pangs, Seventy Years and Redemption":
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/132100?editor=1

Reply
Myrtle Rising
27/9/2018 18:37:47

Thank you for the link, Mordechai Lewis. It's a good article and I hope people read it.

Reply
Mordechai Lewis
28/9/2018 00:25:15

You’re welcome.

bracha
27/9/2018 20:21:34

Moadim L'Simcha!
Great post, clear and interesting and shouldn't be too difficult for any Jew who wishes to do teshuvah and elevate him/herself to hasten our geulah! May it be a reality!

Reply
Myrtle Rising
27/9/2018 21:19:24

Amen! Thank you so much, Bracha.

Reply
Hava link
28/9/2018 17:25:46

Hi, Myrtle, mo'adim l'simcha!

I've prepared this one to be printed out to give over tonight or tomorrow, along with R' Yaak's original article, be"H!

Reply
Myrtle Rising
30/9/2018 12:27:49

Baruch Hashem, Yeranen Yaakov's original article and further elucidation in the comments section ended up being so inspiring.

Thanks also for your comment because it helps me to know what topics readers find meaningful.

Moadim l'simcha and chag sameach, Hava. May Hashem answer all your requests l'tovah!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Privacy Policy

    Picture
    Please note this is an affiliate link. Meaning, I get a small cut but at NO extra cost to you. If you use it, I'm grateful. If not, you still get a giant mitzvah connected to Eretz Yisrael.


    Feedburner subscription no longer in operation. Sorry!

    Myrtle Rising

    I'm a middle-aged housewife and mother in Eretz Yisrael who likes to read and write a lot.


    Picture
    Sample Chapters

    Categories

    All
    Aliyah
    Anti Jewish Bigotry
    Anti-jewish-bigotry
    Astronomy
    Book Review
    Books
    Chagim/Holidays
    Chinuch
    Coronavirus
    Dictionaries
    Emuna
    Eretz Yisrael
    Erev Rav
    Gender
    Hitbodedut
    "If The Torah..."
    Jewish Astrology
    Kav Hayashar
    Kli Yakar
    Lashon Hara
    Love
    Me'am Loez
    Minchat Yehudah
    Mishlei/Proverbs
    Netivot Shalom
    Parenting
    Parsha
    Pele Yoetz
    Perek Shira
    Pesach
    Politics
    Prayer
    Purim
    Rav Avigdor Miller
    Rav Itamar Schwartz
    Rav L.Y. Bender
    Recipes
    "Regular" Jews
    Rosh Hashanah
    Society
    Sukkot
    Tammuz
    Technology
    Tehillim/Psalms
    Teshuvah
    The Lost Princess
    Tisha B'Av
    USA Scary Direction
    Women
    Yom Kippur

    Jewish Blogs

    Daf Yomi Review
    Derech Emet
    Going...Habayitah
    Halacha Q&A
    Hava haAharona
    Miriam Adahan
    My Perspective

    Shirat Devorah
    Tomer Devorah
    Toras Avigdor
    True Tzaddikim
    Tznius Blog

    Yeranen Yaakov
    Rabbi Ofer Erez (Hebrew lectures)

    Jewish Current Events

    Hamodia
    Sultan Knish
    Tomer Devorah
    Yeranen Yaakov

    Jewish Health

    People Smarts

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    RSS Feed

    Copyright Notice

    ©2015-2023 Myrtle Rising
    Excerpts and links may be used without express permission as long as a link is provided back to the appropriate Myrtle Rising page.

Home/Blog

Most Popular

Kli Yakar in English

Aliyah

Contact

Copyright © 2023
Photos used under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan, BAMCorp, Terrazzo, Abode of Chaos, Michele Dorsey Walfred, marklordphotography, M.Burak Erbaş, torbakhopper, jhritz, Rina Pitucci (Tilling 67), Svadilfari, kum111, Tim simpson1, FindYourSearch, Giorgio Galeotti, ChrisYunker, Jaykhuang, YourCastlesDecor, bluebirdsandteapots, Natalia Medd, Stefans02, Israel_photo_gallery, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, BradPerkins, zeevveez, dfarrell07, h.koppdelaney, Edgardo W. Olivera, nafrenkel88, zeevveez, mtchlra, Liz | populational, TraumaAndDissociation, thinboyfatter, garofalo.christina, skpy, Free Grunge Textures - www.freestock.ca, Nerru, Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith, trendingtopics, dolbinator1000, DonkeyHotey, zeevveez, erix!, zeevveez, h.koppdelaney, MAURO CATEB, kevin dooley, keepitsurreal, annikaleigh, bjornmeansbear, publicdomainphotography, Leonard J Matthews, Exile on Ontario St, Nicholas_T, marcoverch, planman, PhilWolff, j_lai, t.kunikuni, zeevveez, Ian W Scott, Brett Jordan, RonAlmog, Bob Linsdell, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, aaron_anderer, ** RCB **, Tony Webster, mypubliclands, AntonStetner, Zachi Evenor, MrJamesBaker, sammydavisdog, Frode Ramone, Wonder woman0731, wrachele, kennethkonica, Skall_Edit, Pleuntje, Rennett Stowe, *S A N D E E P*, symphony of love, AlexanderJonesi, Arya Ziai, ePublicist, Enokson, Tony Webster, Art4TheGlryOfGod, seaternity, Andrew Tarvin, zeevveez, Israel_photo_gallery, Iqbal Osman1, Matt From London, Tribes of the World, Eric Kilby, miracle design, RonAlmog, slgckgc, Kim Scarborough, DonkeyHotey, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, h.koppdelaney, gleonhard, Pedro Travassos, nociveglia, RonAlmog, Israel_photo_gallery, Septemia, Paulann_Egelhoff, Tatiana12, MAD Hippies Life, Neta Bartal, milesgehm, shooting brooklyn, RonAlmog, smilygrl, gospelportals, leighblackall, symensphotographie, zeevveez, Kyknoord, wotashot (taking a break), Tambako the Jaguar, bitmask, Arnie Sacknooson, mattymatt, Rob Swystun, zeevveez, Dun.can, Tim Patterson, timeflicks, garlandcannon, HRYMX, fred_v, Yair Aronshtam, zeevveez, Ron Cogswell, FindYourSearch, Israel_photo_gallery, Serendipity Diamonds, zeevveez, Steve Corey, Dominic's pics, leighklotz, Stefans02, dannyman, RonAlmog, Stephen O, RonAlmog, Tips For Travellers, Futurilla, anomalous4, Bob Linsdell, symphony of love, andydr, sara~, Gamma Man, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, robef, European Southern Observatory, Brett Jordan, Johnny Silvercloud, Israel_photo_gallery, smkybear, --Sam--, Paulann_Egelhoff, Selena Sheridan, D'oh Boy, campbelj45ca, 19melissa68, entirelysubjective, Leimenide, dheera.net, Brett Jordan, HonestReporting.com, Iqbal Osman1, One Way Stock, Jake Waage, picto:graphic, Marcelo Alves, KAZVorpal, Sparkle Motion, Brett Jordan, Ambernectar 13, Howdy, I'm H. Michael Karshis, Steven DuBois, Cristian V., tortuga767, Jake Cvnningham, D'oh Boy, Eric Kilby, quinn.anya, Lenny K Photography, One Way Stock, Bird Eye, ell brown, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Kevin M. Gill, lunar caustic, gerrybuckel, quinn.anya, Kaz Andrew, kodomut, kayugee, jintae kim's photography, Futurilla, terri_bateman, Patty Mooney, Amydeanne, Paulann_Egelhoff, Mulling it Over, Ungry Young Man, Ruth and Dave, yangouyang374, symphony of love, kennethkonica, young@art, Brett Jordan, slgckgc, Celestine Chua, rkimpeljr, Kristoffer Trolle, TooFarNorth, D'oh Boy, Grace to You, LittleStuff.me, Kevin M. Gill, philozopher, traveltipy.com, Alan Cleaver, crazyoctopus, d_vdm, tonynetone, penjelly, TheToch, JohnE777, hello-julie, DaveBleasdale, Michael Candelori Photography, andessurvivor, slgckgc, byzantiumbooks, sasha diamanti