Corruption and Greed

HH

Recently a catholic got in touch with me via one of my videos on youtube, and he told me that he is thinking of converting to Orthodox Judaism and we exchanged a few words. Then last night he wrote something that immediately brought a huge grin to my face and had me laughing at loud (I would write lol, but that word lost all of its meaning already, lol), but at the same time I realized that for most people on the outside it was in fact a very serious issue, so I responded in kind:

Our New Friend:

Thank you my friend, blessings! Is is true that Na Nachs view all other Jews as corrupted by greed of money and power? I've read so and wondered if it is true and if so why?

Response:

HH Judaism has tremendous depth, and with time and learning you will understand to take everything in context. Even though we do revel in making dramatic statements, it is only to get our points across. The reality is that every Jew even the most execrable sinner, Heaven save us, is extremely precious and full of good deeds. However at a certain stage where they are expected to surmount and rise to the task of the Jew to uphold the real truth elements of self interest hold them back. E.g. you can have a Rosh Yeshiva - a Dean of a Torah College - who managed to learn vast amounts of Torah and exemplified in tremendous self improvement, good deeds, and helping others etc., but when he was faced with choosing to dedicate more time and to focus his attention on what is most important - which is a very very big test (--this I add on here in the blog - for by doing so he greatly risks losing everything, his entire standing in the community, meaning that he can lose all chances of even earning a living or raising a family in the community etc.) - he did not rise to the challenge and shirked it clinging to the regular mediocrity which itself is no small achievement. Here the Nanach cry foul, and proclaim corruption, greed, power etc. - those are what kept him from making it all the way.

There is of course a great deal more to be said on this matter, but that will have to suffice for now.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!

Know the Enemy

HH

Imagine you are hit with an onslaught of lust which drives you to the edge, and then you discover that it is your itzy bitzy nerd neighbor who is doing voodoo and all types of black magic on you GF. You would no longer feel so helplessly overcome and inundated, you would take it in stride and you wouldn't allow yourself to be knocked out of control into the degradation of bodily desires simply because some imbecile wishes your downfall. To a certain decree many of our trials and tribulations are instigated by lowly evil spiritual forces that seek our detriment. Big tzadikim would be very aware of who and what was confronting them and would name them aloud and battle them precisely with holy incantations and so forth. This is something we can't even begin to do, even if we would get lucky here and there, that would just open us up GF to much worse GF. Even still we must bear this in mind, that lowliness of the forces seeking our downfall, seeking to slump us into depression, sin, and even self abuse GF, and to register this strong in our faculties that there is no reason why we should let such a lowly thing dominate us or issue us any inconveniences whatsoever. The prayer of the high priest Rabbi Yishmuel gives a few paragraphs of invective to put such lowly evil forces in their place. Ultimately however everything is exactly how HY wants it for us, so that we have free choice, and without Divine help and intervention we can not surmount the new attacks of the evil forces which charge us.

Amazingly two years later to the day I found myself writing again on this vein: https://naanaach.blogspot.com/2020/02/fight-back.html

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Overcoming fantasy

HH

This guy would fantasize that a certain someone would do certain forbidden things with him. Then he confronted this fantasy: How would he allow and empower this certain someone to bring him down? The object of his fantasy is in reality so puny, and he is letting it rule over him!

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!