Overturning the Decree

We read on the Yomim Noraim (High Holy Days) the end of the chilling Unetanetokef prayer:
Teshuva, tefillah, u'tzedakah - mavrin et ha roa gezeira
Repentance, prayer and charity - overturn the harsh decree

I thought about this a lot this morning. I've talked with so many people - each one tells me about dreams (really, nightmares) about major changes, natural disasters, G-d forbid G-d forbid won't even say the rest. Myself included. For years. People with bad feelings, sick stomachs, afraid for the coming years. One friend told me this morning she even had a dream that an angel came to her some months ago, and told her there was a harsh decree, and then quoted the above. Hence, between this conversation and Obama's re-election, I was speaking to Hashem, trying to understand this crucial verse. How do we DO this? What does this formulation mean in actual function?

I opened up the sefer (holy book) I've been learning every morning, to where I left off yesterday. Right there, it quotes Rabbi Natan, explaining Rabbi Nachman - that tzedakah primarily means holy acts [performing mitzvot], which is considered charity for the soul (Likutei Halachot, Tzedakah 1).

OK, so the tzedakah mentioned in the prayer doesn't per say have to do with money, although giving money to appropriate causes is certainly also tzedakah. I suddenly realized that indeed the entire formulation is a remez (hint) to the functional actions that exemplify each category, and what they are. Here goes:

TESHUVA. Repentance. Certainly we must evaluate our entire lives and what we could be doing better. But what did I learn just before the quote from Rebbe Natan this morning? Kitzur Likutei Moharan 19 - explaining that while every nation has a particular sin, and the language of that nation exemplifies that sin, the common sin among all non-Jews is sexual lust. Hence, sexual lust is the "general sin" and every other type of sin in the world is subsumed within it. But the Jewish people can distance themselves from it altogether, and this is the definition of holiness.
So if the general sin is the lust of sex, then the general teshuva must correspond - negating the lust for sex. For men, this is guarding the brit (circumcision) which is tied directly to guarding the eyes, from which the lust stems (Do not go after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray... - the Shema prayer in the Torah - the heart lusts after what the eye sees). For women, this is modesty. For both, it is the head of the entire concept of connecting ourselves to holiness (Kedoshim t'hiyu - the mitzvah to be holy), which means distancing ourselves from all forms of goyishe (non-Jewish) culture and all forms of unholiness (speech, food, etc.). Meaning each person must start with working on their personal holiness (shmirat habrit/tznua). This distances them from the general sin and from the unholiness of the non-Jewish nations. Then they can start working on distancing themselves from other forms of unholiness and non-Jewish culture as well, while being drawn to more and more holiness in every aspect of life.
For help with understanding these concepts in more depth, please read Rabbi Arush's incredible guides for men and women respectively: The Garden of Peace and Women's Wisdom.
From personal experience I must comment that this process happens organically. It actually amazes me. The more I have focused on modesty and connected to emuna, the more I have naturally disconnected from more and more aspects of goyishe culture, some without even really working on them. Suddenly I am sensitive to it in a way I never was before. I can't explain it in words any better than this feeble attempt.
And yes, I am making this real for me too. This morning I had this revelation, and this afternoon I took a very small, but incredibly big in its ramifications, step in modesty. Thank you Hashem for giving me a lot of seata dishmaya (Heavenly assistance) in this matter. I have been praying a lot about it as well. That brings us to:

TEFILLAH. Prayer. What is the most powerful prayer? Nay, what is the true definition of prayer? Hitbodedut - personal prayer. Because it's your own words. The intention is there by definition. Please read In Forest Fields or any number of lessons and books available about it and Rebbe Nachman's praise of personal prayer. It is the true definition of prayer, and what made our leaders - the Patriarchs, Moshe Rebbeinu, King David and more - the tzaddikim they were. Why do you think they were all Shepherds? So they could spend all day talking to Hashem. The Chofetz Chaim spent 2 hours a day in personal prayer. It's mentioned by the Ramchal in Mesillas Yesharim. There is no space to continue - I hope it's obvious and if not, please learn. Tefillah refers to hitbodedut - the highest form of prayer there is.

TZEDAKAH. Charity. As above, holy acts - mitzvot. But perhaps there is some mitzvah that is so universal and powerful that it can include everything else, that is the most powerful way to negate a harsh decree? Certainly learning Torah comes to mind: Torah k'neged kula - the Torah is equivalent to everything, because in order to act properly, you must learn what to do and not do. The problem is that Torah without prayer is a husk without an inside. Again, no space here to explain in depth - learn Rebbe Nachman's teachings to understand completely (also refer to In Forest Fields for a concise explanation), but for now take it as fact. So there must be something even more all encompassing, something that in one aspect includes everything, with no caveats. If you know anything about Rabbi Arush's teachings, the answer is obvious.
EMUNA. Emuna is the ultimate charity for the soul. Emuna encompasses everything in the Torah. Indeed, it is what the first commandment in the Torah alludes to: I am Hashem your G-d. KNOW that I am Hashem. That is emuna! And indeed, yes - emuna is the key to negating harsh decrees. The key to miracles. The key to the redemption itself (read The Garden of Emuna and The Garden of Gratitude and really, any and every book and CD by Rabbi Arush for explanation).

So: Teshuva, tefilla, tzedakah mean in functional action - Personal holiness, personal prayer and emuna!

These are the keys to the tikkun (personal rectification) for every person. These are the keys to negating harsh decrees - and these are the keys to negating the harshest decree that is the root cause of it all - the exile. With these 3 keys, every one of us helps speed the redemption along, b'rachamim - with mercy.

One little side note, something else I realized while doing hitbodedut some time back. By definition, mercy is a free gift we don't deserve. So how does one deserve something that by definition, you don't deserve?
EMUNA.
Why?
Because with emuna, we give Hashem something He doesn't deserve, if you will. We look at the world and see bad. We should think it's bad. But we give Hashem something He doesn't seem to deserve - we strengthen our emuna and say "No, this is really from Hashem, for a purpose, and for the best. Gam zu l'tova!!!" We ignore reality altogether, ani ma'amin - I believe with emuna!
So what does Hashem do? Middah k'neged middah - measure for measure - the way He always runs His world - He looks past our reality. Hashem looks past everything that seems bad in us, too! And He has mercy, even though we don't deserve it.

May we all strengthen ourselves in these 3 key areas, overturn all the harsh decrees, and may Hashem in His mercy give us a free gift and send Moshiach Tzidkeinu in His mercy, in a merciful way, bimheira v'yameinu AMEN.

Thank you Hashem for giving me this incredible inspiration. Please understand that this absolutely did not come from me, although I lack the ability to quote someone else for it. Basically I just put together why these 3 aspects are the key aspects Rabbi Nachman constantly discussed, as does Rabbi Arush now. Now it makes perfect sense why these 3 keys are so important.