by Rav Yosef Serebryanski
Every generation has unique leaders. The word Torah is an expression of Hora’ah – guidance. The Iggud Horabonim is part of the current leadership that gives guidance.
The sages teach us that this world of opposing forces will last for up to 6,000 years. After that time the Oneness will be restored. The separation between the physical and spiritual will be removed which will allow all people to see the Creator life force in everything. Although we still have a few years till that date, many things are moving towards that new era. The Torah is a constant guide to teach us how to move with the flow during the ongoing and ever-changing matters in this world.
To understand what the Torah wants we need to study it in greater depth and in a more expansive manner. Through expansion we can elevate our consciousness to be acutely aware of the Creator’s desires in creation. In Job (9,11) the Torah is referred to as “wider than the sea.”
We may choose to focus on the world’s problems and be pulled into them. Alternatively, we may choose to focus on raising and expanding our awareness so that we survive whatever the world is going through. This will allow us to be open to the future. The word in Hebrew for choose is .בחר The same word read in reverse reads רחב, which means expansive. Thus, seeing everything in a more expansive way is something that each individual can choose to commit to.
The Torah teaches us that there was a tower built in Babylon. The idea of the tower was that the people wanted to unite and become a powerful force that reigned supreme in the world. (This is an early delineation of a one world order that focuses on controlling the masses in the name of unity.) They thought that they would be in full control of everything. In the end the Creator brought confusion among them, splitting them up, and letting them continue to live.
The Torah also teaches us about a negative force called Amalek that needs to be completely wiped out. They were not completely wiped out. Any remnant of it that is left to survive, always comes back and is destructive to the world and mankind. Humans allowed them to continue to exist, and we are continuing to pay the price for that allowance.
Negative forces have been developing and building themselves for over a century to create a one world order in today’s society. These forces are fully supportive of people who are completely destructive in nature. Thankfully, this has also begun to create an awakening among millions of people.
We find that many powerful forces come into the world from the opposite direction. These forces are here to support us to remain strong and committed in our service of the Creator. The sages teach (Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot 2:8) that when the Jewish people do what the Creator wants then the Creator brings powerful souls into the Jewish people through other nations.
The initial period of the Messianic era is a time when we will no longer be under control of the nations (Rambam laws of Kings ch. 12). We are not quite there yet but the stage is being set for it to eventuate. The stage is being set so that the Jews will have support from others to be free to do what the Creator wants. In the interim we must learn to balance the existing turmoil while not losing sight of our goals.
What can be done at this juncture in time in addition to saying Tehillim, studying Torah and doing kindness and charity? We need to expand our understanding of Torah and learn to see it from much broader perspectives than we have become used to. As it stated in Psalms (119:96) רחבה מצותך מאד – the connection with the Creator is very expansive. We need to reveal the Creator life force that is in everything by expanding our awareness and vision to see Hashem in everything.
In this way we will merit to see the time when (Isaiah 11:9) “the knowledge of the Creator will fill the earth as water covers the seabed.”