Question:
How should we view the recent wave of terror attacks (since Tishrei 5775)?
Answer:
There is a spiritual dimension of reality, and a physical dimension of reality. The spiritual reality is currently mixed up and confused and lacking clarity because it is so mixed up. There is almost no beacon of light visible, except for a few rays of light here and there. When this almost total confusion carries over into our physical dimension, it manifests in our physical world as the confusion and chaos that we see. As long as everything looks fine in this physical world, the spiritual world cannot be revealed. But, when the physical world becomes overwhelmingly chaotic, mirroring the chaos in the spiritual dimension, then the confusion increases until the physical dimension finally explodes.
When the physical dimension in front of us finally explodes, Moshiach will be revealed.
An additional reason for [the chaos now] involves the concept of hisbodedus. Throughout the generations, most of the wars fought were between nation and nation. But in the last few years, we can see in Israel, as well as outside of Israel, that there all kinds of wars. The people fighting in Syria are a gathering of many people; they are not the nation of Syria alone, rather, they are a combination of many different nations who are fighting each other. The depth of this is that we are living in a generation of “the individual” in which each person fights alone.
Yaakov Avinu fought alone with the angel, and this reflects the holy kind of being alone, which is hisbodedus. This is the generation of hisbodedus and, therefore, we have a unique ability to tap into this innate power of hisbodedus. But the evil kind of “alone” is the evil kind of individualism which we see rampant in today’s time, in which each person acts individually, for evil purposes [doing their “own thing”].
A person in this generation must separate from their surroundings and live internally, alone with Hashem. The light that is created by the individual can of course shine onto the rest of the world and raise his surroundings in holiness. Practically speaking, a person needs to live internally, alone, just him and Hashem.
So, when should a person do hisbodedus? Will he wait until the grave to be alone…? Chazal explain that Gog and Magog will merit burial. In order to survive the war of Gog and Magog (the final war), one must be “alone” (to live internally with Hashem), in order to merit the meaning of “And Yaakov fought alone, until the dawn of the morning.” Before the final redemption will be the war of “Yaakov fought alone …” [Each individual needs to persevere until the dawn of the morning.] One can be involved with his environment, of course, and help people, but he must build his internal world, so that he will be able to survive the war of Gog and Magog. The war which we are in today, in the world and especially in Israel, is a war reflecting our struggle of the hisbodedus we do.
May we merit the coming of the dawn, in which the recognition of Hashem will shine completely, may it come speedily in our days, Amen.
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