Emuna Beams

If you've ever heard of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, you've likely heard of hitbodedut, or secluded personal prayer. It sounds like a wonderful idea, but where does one begin? This lesson shows how you can have a private audience with the Almighty and pour your heart out to Him, anywhere, anytime.

Nothing in Hollywood can match the suspense in Chapter 3 of the Book of Ruth. In case you've just joined our 4-part lesson, don't worry. We begin with a review of Chapters One and Two. This eye-opening lesson elaborates on a number of significant topics, such as Moshiach, shidduchim, the Laws of Conversion, levirate marriage, charity and the laws pertaining to the Land of Israel.

The Zohar teaches that where there is a lack of compassion, stern judgment takes over and spills the blood of Moshiach. When the Israelites entered the Land of Israel after 210 years of slavery in Egypt and another forty years of wandering in the desert, they were preoccupied with establishing their own estates. They forgot about compassion, one of Torah's principal requirements of them. Ruth's mission on earth was to bring Chesed, or compassion, back to Israel, and with it to bring Moshiach. Therefore, Ruth is not only the great-grandmother of Moshiach but the key to the rectification of the entire world.

The holy elder and his family settled in a spiritual battleground, where forces of holiness and evil clash. He draws a circle around them to protect them. The demon king accuses them of trespassing and arrives with his demon army to harm them. The wise man remains fearless, unafraid of this terrifying confrontation…

A person with strong emuna can virtually override natural laws through prayer. This is the language of emuna that equals prophecy and can even shape reality. The Torah is full of examples, as we are about to see.

Learning the Book of Ruth is a superb preparation for the imminent coming of Moshiach. The monumental example of Ruth and her lineage show us the extreme efforts that the Almighty makes in order bring Moshiach. The forces of evil do everything in their power to prevent Moshiach's arrival. Today's lesson introduces us to the Book of Ruth and its background and covers Chapter One.

The crippled son, now healed, goes to the Land of the Two Thousand Mountains and discovers a demon trapped inside a cloud. This demon reveals the secret of watering the trees, which all the demons are trying to prevent.

The more we believe in the Almighty, the easier it becomes to develop a personal relationship with Him. As that relationship grows, our emuna also strengthens. It's a beautiful upward cycle…

Why have so many good and upright people died recently, both as a result of the Iran war and from tragedies like drowning and road accidents that weren’t at all related to the war? 

Once the cripple can walk again, he returns to the domain of evil and recovers the treasure that the robbers stole from him. Rebbe Nachman's amazing tale alludes to the way Moshiach will fight and subdue evil at the end of days...