I wrote a whole long rant that I just decided to delete.

There are so many ‘false beliefs’ and ‘fake information’ circulating, it’s kind of disheartening.

But the bottom line is that people are free to believe what they want to believe, and at the end of the day, each person will have to live with the consequences of what they choose to believe.

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So instead of pointlessly ranting, I am putting up these two prayers for the health of the Rav.

That’s a much more constructive thing to do.

As mentioned previously, the Rav’s health takes a nosedive whenever the situation of Am Yisrael is approaching ‘critical’ again.

Around 2-3000 people showed up for the tefillot at the Kotel yesterday, reciting 7 Tikkun Haklalis, and at the end R Yaakov Ades added on some more prayers.

It was quite the sight from the women’s section, to see all the men’s heads bobbing over the mechitza when they were jumping and singing Tehillim 150 so loudly.

I got a lot of strength from it.

But honestly?

I’m still not feeling very optimistic about what comes next.

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BH, whatever God decides is going to happen with the Rav, may he continue until 240, it’s for the greatest good.

My job with that is just to keep following the Rav’s instructions, to keep doing the praying required, the real teshuva required, to try and get the Rav’s Torah completed, so the war can finish.

(They got to 70% on the fundraising. I’ll put a link at the bottom for where you can donate to help get it finished.)

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But when it comes to the wider Am… I  have to say, I am starting to give up.

So many people are so good, so sincere, doing their best.

But also, so misguided, so following after false prophets and fake ideas…. that I am kind of approaching the point of ‘giving up’.

At least, I’m starting to lose hope that geula can actually come the sweetened way, where people have the ‘pain’ of attending prayer rallies at the Kotel, and the ‘pain’ of having to recite 7 TKs a day, and the ‘pain’ of having to pay some money as pidyonot, and the ‘pain’ of having to lengthen their skirts and chuck out their smartphones….

Instead of having the ‘pain’ of being totally dispossessed of house and home, or God forbid, having the ‘pain’ of seeing themselves or their family members getting blown to smithereens, whether in uniform, or out of it.

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Rebbe Nachman teaches us clearly:

When people are not prepared to suffer ‘a little bit’, they end up suffering a lot.

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In the Kitzur Likutey Moharan (translated as ‘Advice’ in English), Rabbenu says this (in the chapter entitled: Tzaddik):

Draw close to the Tzaddikim and walk in the paths they guide you along.

Follow their teachings, and then the truth will be inscribed within you and you will attain true emuna and prayer, and be worthy of coming to the Land of Israel and seeing miracles.

This is how the redemption will come.

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He says a lot more besides, including this:

Before a person draws close to the Tzaddik, his heart is fat, his ears are heavy etc.

This means that his heart and his ears are shut and his eyes are blind to the truth. He is unable to come to his senses and return to God.

But when he binds himself to the Tzaddikim and follows their guidance, his heart, his eyes and his ears are opened. He sees, hears and understands the truth and becomes worthy of returning to God.”

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People don’t like to hear this stuff, I know.

But if you don’t agree with it, you are arguing with Rebbe Nachman, not with me.

Bottom line:

If you want geula the sweet way, without wars, harsh suffering, more deaths – then:

Draw close to the Tzaddikim and walk in the paths they guide you along.

But if you prefer to have missiles rain down on you 24/7, to get kicked out of your home, and for the ‘wars’ to continue in Gaza and up North…. then ignore all this, don’t say 7 TKs a day, and for sure don’t make the effort to come to prayer rallies at the Kotel, and just carry on doing exactly what you’re doing.

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Here are the prayers for the Rav’s health, the longer one is already a couple of years old, and I am not translating it into English.

The short one is fairly new, and I will translate it into English.

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NEW PRAYER FOR THE RAV’S HEALTH – TRANSLATION:

Answer, Merciful and Compassionate [One].

Create for Rav Eliezer ben Ettia a new lung and a new heart, as it’s written:

“Create a heart that is pure for me, Elokim, and renew within me a steadfast spirit.” (Tehillim 51:12)

And I will merit that by way of the lung resting upon the heart, to have holy ruach navua (a spirit of prophecy), as it’s written in Yoel (3:1):

“And it will happen after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy; your elders will dream [prophetic] dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even also upon the slaves and upon the maidservants in those days I will pour out My spirit.”

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I apologise I’m not more upbeat.

I’m having a few days off again, to go and work on my emuna that whatever God chooses to do, it’s all for the best.

Ultimately, everything is just a function of ‘free choice’.

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If you want to help get the last 30% of the Rav’s Torah completed, and the war to end:

20,000 ($5,500) pays for a section of Torah parchment – and get your names inscribed in the Rav’s personal Torah scroll.

5,000 pays for a page.

But any amount is gratefully received.

Specify it’s for the Rav’s Torah Scroll in the comment box.

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Am Yisrael is really so beautiful, so many of us are so caring, so good.

Just, the false prophets and the fake leaders and ideologies keep derailing all that ‘good’ we contain, and delivering it to the dark side.

And I don’t know what it’s going to take to really get that to stop, and to have redemption the sweet way.

May we just hear good news.