QUESTION:
1) The Rav explains the words of the Ohr HaChaim that the only way to be saved from the 50th level of tumah is through the Torah, which is really referring to the power of becoming connected with G-dliness (Elokus), and that this is the only thing that will enable a person to survive the final days and be worthy of the Redemption. Does this mean that a person needs to learn Torah along with a sense of Hashem, or is it enough to think about Hashem (and the concept of Elokus/G-dliness)?
ANSWER:
Thinking about Elokus (G-dliness), as explained in the teachings of Chabad (the Baal HaTanya, etc.) is totally considered to be a form of Torah learning.
QUESTION
2) The Rav mentioned in a response that one of the conditions necessary to be worthy of the Geulah is to observe the mitzvos. But every person is lax in some of the mitzvos and commits aveiros, especially common aveiros such as lashon hora and wasting time from Torah study, etc., so wouldn’t that effectively make no one deserving of the Geulah, chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
If a person falls into a sin and he tries to do teshuvah, he is included in the category of one who observes the mitzvos.
QUESTION
3) The commentary of the Rosh on the Torah (Shemos 10:22) asks that if the four-fifths of the Jewish people died in the plague of darkness because they weren’t worthy, why were Dasan and Aviram spared, since they were reshaim? He answers that it was because they didn’t despair from the Geulah, and this alone made them worthy of Geulah. Similarly, the Vilna Gaon said that the ones who hold strong in emunah and bitachon in Hashem will be those who survive the final days and make it to the Geulah. Someone brought proof from the above sources that even a rasha is worthy of the Geulah, as long as he has bitachon in Hashem’s kindness that he will make it to the Geulah. How does this fit in with what the Rav has been saying that those who remain connected to the 50th level of tumah that is the internet are the reshaim, the Erev Rav, who won’t be worthy of the Geulah?
ANSWER
The Rosh’s words that Dasan and Aviram merited the Geulah because they didn’t despair from the Geulah is because there is a secret of the kav EinSof (the “line” which descends from the Infinite Light which enters into the Creation, which connects a person with Hashem’s infinite kindness), because the kav EinSof, also called the kav, is from the word tikvah, hope, and the Ramchal teaches in Derush HaKivuy that through tikvah, through placing one’s hope on Hashem, one becomes connected to the kav EinSof of Hashem’s endless kindness. However, our main avodah is to maintain our holiness, our tzuras adam, the ideal way we are supposed to look, which is rooted in the dimension of Adam Kadmon (Supernal Man). The dimension of the kav EinSof (the line that connects one to the infinite light) is above the dimension of Adam Kadmon. But chas v’shalom (G-d forbid) can we tell people that they can become connected to this higher dimension of kav EinSof by trying to “bypass” our tzuras adam, because this is the antithesis to Torah. That is why I listed “observance of the mitzvos” as one of the conditions necessary for the Geulah, because that is what gives a person a proper tzuras adam, the observance of the mitzvos is what gives a person his very form, for the 248 limbs and 365 tendons of the body correspond to the 248 negative commandments and 365 positive commandments of the Torah.
QUESTION
4) If a person follows the media and the news by listening to the radio or by reading the frum newspapers and magazines which are getting all of their news from the media, does that also connect him to the 50th level of tumah which is the media?
ANSWER
He is not included in that category of being connected with the 50th level of tumah, but he is certainly endangering himself a lot with this.
QUESTION
5) Since we constantly find ourselves surrounded by people with smartphones and Internet devices, and the Rav is saying that those who don’t want to separate from Internet are from the Erev Rav, does that mean that we need to suspect everyone with Internet around us as possibly being from the Erev Rav (that is, if he was rebuked about having Internet and he refuses to give it up, because otherwise he is just ignorant and he shouldn’t be regarded as a rasha and he should be deemed a tinok shenishbah because he doesn’t know any better)? Do we need to try to influence everyone with Internet to give it up, or do we need to just keep or distance from them because they might be from the Erev Rav?
ANSWER
You should hate only the evil [“Erev Rav”] part that’s in them. But practically speaking you need to keep your distance from being around them, since they pose a danger to your ruchniyus.
QUESTION
2) The Rav mentioned in a response that one of the conditions necessary to be worthy of the Geulah is to observe the mitzvos. But every person is lax in some of the mitzvos and commits aveiros, especially common aveiros such as lashon hora and wasting time from Torah study, etc., so wouldn’t that effectively make no one deserving of the Geulah, chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
If a person falls into a sin and he tries to do teshuvah, he is included in the category of one who observes the mitzvos.
QUESTION
3) The commentary of the Rosh on the Torah (Shemos 10:22) asks that if the four-fifths of the Jewish people died in the plague of darkness because they weren’t worthy, why were Dasan and Aviram spared, since they were reshaim? He answers that it was because they didn’t despair from the Geulah, and this alone made them worthy of Geulah. Similarly, the Vilna Gaon said that the ones who hold strong in emunah and bitachon in Hashem will be those who survive the final days and make it to the Geulah. Someone brought proof from the above sources that even a rasha is worthy of the Geulah, as long as he has bitachon in Hashem’s kindness that he will make it to the Geulah. How does this fit in with what the Rav has been saying that those who remain connected to the 50th level of tumah that is the internet are the reshaim, the Erev Rav, who won’t be worthy of the Geulah?
ANSWER
The Rosh’s words that Dasan and Aviram merited the Geulah because they didn’t despair from the Geulah is because there is a secret of the kav EinSof (the “line” which descends from the Infinite Light which enters into the Creation, which connects a person with Hashem’s infinite kindness), because the kav EinSof, also called the kav, is from the word tikvah, hope, and the Ramchal teaches in Derush HaKivuy that through tikvah, through placing one’s hope on Hashem, one becomes connected to the kav EinSof of Hashem’s endless kindness. However, our main avodah is to maintain our holiness, our tzuras adam, the ideal way we are supposed to look, which is rooted in the dimension of Adam Kadmon (Supernal Man). The dimension of the kav EinSof (the line that connects one to the infinite light) is above the dimension of Adam Kadmon. But chas v’shalom (G-d forbid) can we tell people that they can become connected to this higher dimension of kav EinSof by trying to “bypass” our tzuras adam, because this is the antithesis to Torah. That is why I listed “observance of the mitzvos” as one of the conditions necessary for the Geulah, because that is what gives a person a proper tzuras adam, the observance of the mitzvos is what gives a person his very form, for the 248 limbs and 365 tendons of the body correspond to the 248 negative commandments and 365 positive commandments of the Torah.
QUESTION
4) If a person follows the media and the news by listening to the radio or by reading the frum newspapers and magazines which are getting all of their news from the media, does that also connect him to the 50th level of tumah which is the media?
ANSWER
He is not included in that category of being connected with the 50th level of tumah, but he is certainly endangering himself a lot with this.
QUESTION
5) Since we constantly find ourselves surrounded by people with smartphones and Internet devices, and the Rav is saying that those who don’t want to separate from Internet are from the Erev Rav, does that mean that we need to suspect everyone with Internet around us as possibly being from the Erev Rav (that is, if he was rebuked about having Internet and he refuses to give it up, because otherwise he is just ignorant and he shouldn’t be regarded as a rasha and he should be deemed a tinok shenishbah because he doesn’t know any better)? Do we need to try to influence everyone with Internet to give it up, or do we need to just keep or distance from them because they might be from the Erev Rav?
ANSWER
You should hate only the evil [“Erev Rav”] part that’s in them. But practically speaking you need to keep your distance from being around them, since they pose a danger to your ruchniyus.
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