Rabbi Arush on CORONAVIRUS
Rabbi Arush speaks about coronavirus, and how to truly protect ourselves and not be afraid though all the upheaval.
On Thursday night March 12, 2020 (17 Adar 5780) Rabbi Shalom Arush’s regular Thursday night class in Holon, which has run every week without ever being cancelled for more than 20 years, was cancelled due to Coronavirus. In place of the regular lesson, Rabbi Arush gave a special lecture by live video broadcast, about the situation with Coronavirus. I present it to you here, adapted from the Hamevarech et Amo Yisrael Bashalom weekly transcription from the Thursday night class.
We all want to get chizuk – to be strengthened, and know what Hashem really wants from us. What is going on in the world, what is going on with the Jewish people, and get up to date with the latest news. The emuna news. 🙂
So, the first thing we need to know is – that we need to strengthen our emuna. That’s always the first thing, right?
Let’s look at Psalm 121. Just pay attention to what this Psalm says! “Behold, the guardian of Israel neither slumbers, nor sleeps.” God is shielding us! “God will shield you from all evil, will shield your soul. Hashem will guard your coming and going, from now and forever”!
This is it! You just need to say this Psalm and pay attention to what you are saying! This is exactly what we need – emuna! Strengthen your emuna! We have a loving Father in Heaven! A father loves his children and does only good for them. So too Hashem! Our Father guards His children! Live with emuna! Remember how much Hashem guards you!
All of the Torah is within nature. But emuna – is above nature! Someone who is holding onto emuna – nature has no power over him! Emuna brings a person above all of the laws of nature!
Even more – someone who is holding onto emuna – is holding onto Hashem! He is holding onto God Himself! Emuna means to connect to Hashem! It literally means to be WITH Hashem! [Translator’s Note: While Rabbi Arush was saying this, he held his fists in front of his face and shook them, as if to grab something, to insinuate that we are literally grabbing God by the lapel, so to speak).
Someone who is with Hashem – nature has no power over him! This is the protection we have, and only this! Be strong in your emuna! Throw out your mind and reason! We don’t understand!
You have to live with emuna! Know that we are in good hands – the best hands there are in the world! We are in the hands of our Father in Heaven, who loves us! Hands that are loving, that take care of us, strengthen us, warm us, and guard us. We are in truly good hands!
Remember the stages of emuna: 1. Kacha Hashem Rotzeh – God wants it exactly like this! Hashem wants us to strengthen our emuna! 2. Thank you Hashem, that you brought Coronavirus into the world! Everything You do, is for the best! 3. Repeat after me: “I do not understand, I only believe, that this is for the best! I don’t understand how it is for the best, but I believe that it is indeed for the best!” 4. Thank you Hashem, that I have fear and anxiety over Coronavirus! Thank you Hashem, that all the schools are closed! The government didn’t decide that – You decided that Hashem – thank you!
Now, use the Law of Thank You! 15 minutes thank you for the suffering and 8 times Psalm 100 Mizmor L’Todah. The law says that when you say thank you, the suffering is cancelled. Use the law! Be strong in emuna!
The Power of Likutei Moharan
Don’t forget that I took upon myself to distribute 1 million copies of Likutei Moharan. All the time they are threatening to send missiles and bombs on Eretz Yisrael, scud missiles, atomic bombs – all the time they are threatening. Rebbe Nachman said that Likutei Moharan protects the house! Even if you don’t learn from it – for sure, everyone can and should learn from it – but even if you don’t, just sitting in the house, it protects the house. In particular, it protects the house from fire.
This is the real Iron Dome – that actually works! Make sure you have one in your house, in your car, in the office, in the classroom! I want one on every bus and on every train, in every shul and Beis Midrash! Use Rebbe Nachman’s helmet! I have one student – he gave it to his parents, and when a missile landed on their building, it didn’t blow up! Another student – a bus blew up in front of his store. I saw it myself – store after store destroyed by the explosion, and his store – not a cup was broken! Because they had Likutei Moharan!
Rebbe Nachman said that when most of the Jewish people will have this book, Moshiach will come. So you’re strengthening the spiritual helmet of Eretz Yisrael, and you are bringing the Redemption closer. Don’t just buy for yourself – buy 10, buy 20, and work to put them in every place that you can! Take a part in bringing the Redemption sooner, with mercy!
Likutei Moharan will also guard you from Coronavirus! Rebbe Nachman says that it also guards from all forms of damage – anything that would harm you.
For more information about the Likutei Moharan-One Million Edition campaign, click here. To buy a Likutei Mohoran, click here.
The Potion for Fear
Someone who does one hour of personal prayer (hitbodedut) every day – has no fear! Because really, ein od milvado – there is only Hashem! Even more, everything is from Hashem – can you run from Hashem?! Make sure you are strong to come to your meeting with the King every day, for at least one hour! The King will be with you, and you are with the King!
You can do it anywhere, anytime, as long as you’re alone. A lot of people are going into solitary confinement for two weeks. Sit down and speak to Hashem! Someone can leave such confinement practically crazy with fear and worry – or he can leave it alive! Just speak to God, in your own words, without any book. Thank Hashem for every single thing in your life. Ask Hashem to bring you close to Him. Is anyone greater than King David? And how much did he pray in simple words: “God, bring me close to you! Return me in teshuva!” Say these words too, with simplicity! Also, do a spiritual accounting of what you did from yesterday until today.
And if you’re still afraid even after your hour of personal prayer – say Psalm 121 again! If you have anxiety, learn The Garden of Emuna – it is tried and tested.
Make sure to read Rabbi Arush's previous article: Daddy – Save Me from Coronavirus! for more information on what Coronavirus comes to teach us.
Click Next below to continue through the rest of the series, updated regularly!
11/29/2020
Emuna starts where the seichel, the mind, our sense of reason – stops.
No one says you can walk across the street without looking twice or jump off a cliff and say "I trust Hashem." Nor can you break quarantine if you've got a fever and a cough, saying "Someone only gets sick if it's Hashem's will, so it's fine. Hashem will take care of it."
Rabbi Arush calls such a line of thinking "invalid emuna" and such a person is a fool at best, and sorely misguided, and quite possibly a danger to himself and others at worst.
Now that you've got what emuna is NOT, you need to learn The Garden of Emuna to learn what emuna IS. Emuna is believing in Hashem, who is guiding your life, who knows better than you what is ultimately good for you, and knows you and your purpose in life better even than you.
Emuna is saying "I trust this is for the best, even if I don't understand. Thank you."
Emuna is recognizing that while we must use common sense to take care of ourselves – we do NOT go crazy, we do not trust in the rules to save us, we keep everything in its place. For more on this, read the latest article in the series: Follow the Guidelines – Properly.
11/27/2020
"Be strong in your emuna! Throw out your mind and reason!" How exactly does that work? If you have perfect emunah, can you send your kids to go out and play in traffic? Can you jump off of a cliff and expect Hashem to save you? Where does seichel come in, or does it? I go around and around in my head with this, and it's making me dizzy!