What can we do? Pray!

R’ Arush said in his shiur last night that we must all pray that all the Klal Yisrael begins to pray! He said prayer can make a gun not fire. He also said that when we speak to Hashem in personal prayer, Hashem stops what He is doing in the world, so to speak, and stops to listen to you. Hence, Rebbe Nachman says that personal prayer stops harsh decrees.
Rabbi Brody relates the story that just before World War II, a group of Breslevers started a round-the clock personal prayer cycle within their group, so not a moment would pass that someone wasn’t doing hitbodedut. At some point, they were rounded up and dispersed, hence stopping the constant hitbodedut cycle. That day, WWII started.
My husband also mentioned to me that Rabbi Berland once commented that during the Second Intifada, he set up a 24 hour hitbodedut cycle in similar fashion. After every single bombing, he looked into who was supposed to be doing hitbodedut during that hour, and found out that he had been side-tracked and was not davening then!!!

R' Arush also said that the Evil Inclination is directly responsible for the fact that prayer is so overlooked among many religious people. People look for all types of segulas, inyonim, etc. etc. He said "I don't have any for you! You don't need them! PRAY!" Every prayer creates a vessel. Do you know how many vessels are just in the Shemonei Esrei alone? Why rush? Say every word slowly, with intention. He actually started repeating prayers himself, displaying exactly how one is to say the words. Slowly. Refaeinu, pause. Hashem. Pause. Just like that. He said you can even repeat the words, as many times as you want - just not the blessing itself. 

We can all make a difference. The Evil Inclination has convinced us that prayer isn't effective, we must do, do, do to create vessels. No! Hashem loves us and He wants to give us! The Evil Inclination is a LIAR. Ask Hashem to help you strengthen your belief in prayer - to show you that prayer really does work. Know that Hashem hears every word.

Moshe Rebeinu went into the desert for 60 years before he came back at Hashem's behest to redeem Israel from Egypt. What did he do that whole time? Personal prayer! R' Arush explains even further: He prayed that the Jewish people would start praying. Prayer itself was in exile. Hakol Kol Yaakov - the voice is the voice of Jacob. The Jewish people's strongest middah is prayer! Moshe knew that the Jewish people needed to pray in order to be redeemed. Finally, the Torah says that the Jewish people called out to Hashem in prayer. And what happened next? Hashem went to Moshe and said "I hear their cry! Go redeem them!"

As it was with the first redemption, so it will be with the final redemption. Again, prayer is in exile. Again, we must not only start praying - we must pray that all of Israel joins us. Then, Hashem will again hear our prayers and redeem us, speedily and in our days, B'RACHAMIM, AMEN!!!