Holiness and Modesty

First off, this is a video that everyone must watch. Don’t tell me it’s too long – it is an edge of your seat, can’t turn it off video. I don’t have enough words to talk about this video. I admit it is rare that I share something not emuna oriented, but as far as I am concerned this is essentially also emuna oriented, since it speaks about the truth, and all truth is connected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpflBfazqUc - "My Life After Death Experience" with Alon Anava.

 

He also has an INCREDIBLE video set about modesty http://www.atzmut.com/the-power-of-modesty/ - and for those guys, I want you to know that this shiur is a fundamental shiur for EVERYONE. In order to explain this concept in detail like I have never heard of it explained before, he goes through a whole tour of the Torah, of Zohar, of truth, including many concepts fundamental to Judaism. He also explains many concepts which apply equally to men and women (which in case you didn’t know, modesty in dress also applies to men even, although he doesn’t state it here). You’ll learn more about the concept of modesty than you could imagine, and you’ll also learn a lot of incredible Torah in the process which can be applied to many other areas of life.

 

For other news:
This is TERRIFYING. But it's from Hashem. Which means it is somehow for the best! We can't change anything with Iran really. What we need to do is change ourselves. Especially we need to work on holiness!!! Modesty for women in dress, speech and thought, and guarding the eyes for men.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/obamadeal-us-to-protect-iranian-nuke-sites-from-israeli-attack/2015/07/20/
http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/07/15/it-gets-better-america-will-now-train-iran-on-how-to-protect-their-nuke-facilities-from-israeli-attacks/

Here is the text:
Here's the text:

Nuclear Security
E3/EU+3 parties, and possibly other states, as appropriate, are prepared to cooperate with Iran on the implementation of nuclear security guidelines and best practices. Cooperation in the following areas can be envisaged:

10. Co-operation in the form of training courses and workshops to strengthen Iran's ability to prevent, protect and respond to nuclear security threats to nuclear facilities and systems as well as to enable effective and sustainable nuclear security and physical
protection systems;

10. Co-operation through training and workshops to strengthen Iran’s ability to protect against, and respond to nuclear security threats, including sabotage, as well as to enable effective and sustainable nuclear security and physical protection systems.

 

OK Now onto the emuna news! Honestly so much is going on here that it’s hard to know what to talk about first or have time to write it all up for you guys. I am trying. I am hoping actually to be spending a bit more time with updates more frequently because everything is happening so fast.

I think the most important thing right now is discussing kedusha – holiness. Rabbi Arush was a lion last Wed evening – like my husband and I don’t remember ever seeing him before. Usually he speaks softly, and laughs and jokes, and even as he tells you deep truth he is soft about it. Sometimes he gets a bit harsh, and says something like “Usually I am all smiles, just strengthen emuna, but sometimes we need to wake up a little…” And that’s as harsh as it gets.
Not this last week. Rabbi Arush was on fire, incredibly strong and intense, like a lion roaring the entire lesson. First off, he did not mince words in stating that a woman, and especially an unmarried one, should NEVER go to a Rabbi directly. You think he is such a tzaddik? The bigger the man the bigger the Evil Inclination. And all the real tzaddikim that are checking themselves, do not accept women alone!!! For sure, we want to help women – send us a note, something short – no long stories, you get more help with something short and to the point, a sentence. Your name, your request, your question, whatever – we want to help. But to meet with a woman directly? No way. In fact, he went so far as to absolutely ban such meetings with an unusual proclamation of such in his name. (Note, I BELIEVE this aspect to be in response to a number of recent scandals where “rabbis” have been charged with all sorts of sexual misconduct with women, usually revolving around personal meetings with them).

In fact, he reminded, a man and a woman should have no connection whatsoever, not under any circumstances. A man’s Torah, his soul rectification, his everything is dependent on guarding his eyes which is guarding his mind and his brit. So much so, that for the first time we’ve ever heard, he said that a person should not spread emuna if he is going to have even the slightest chance of falling because of it! No hafatzah! Or only do it in a place where there is enough kedusha that you’re not going to be p’gam habrit, not the slightest chance.

Then he discussed a wedding he had been to the night before. As he was leaving, he saw out of the sliver of his eye off to the side something of the women’s side – and he was well, speechless, shocked, mortified, hard to describe the words. He said that he already doesn’t remember what he saw at all, but this tiny glimpse was enough for him to get the picture. He spent that entire morning of the shiur after this happened to him the night before in long hitbodedut with Hashem. And he said, this was a chareidi wedding! Don’t think this is just about the non-religious. No, this was unfortunately people who believe themselves to be religious already.

For the future, he said – don’t invite me! (Rabbi Arush NEVER says anything like this. Never). And it is completely forbidden to go to a wedding, an event, a brit, whatever where there is not “separation and holiness.” You cannot go! He said – “Me – I don’t see anything. But if there is not holiness and separation and a man could G-d forbid see an immodest woman, you cannot go! Ussur!” He reminded us: “You invite your relatives to a wedding. Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aaron, David, other tzaddikim all go to a wedding, but they will not be there if it is not holy! What do you want a chuppah for if they will not be there?!” Even more, he said that Eliyahu Hanavi will not go to a brit if there is not separation and holiness – “What do you want a brit if the zachor latov will not be there?”
For women he said little, besides a general focus on tzniut (this is normal, he does not give specific guidelines, just “be very modest!”) but he did outright say, which I know is how he holds but I have never heard him say it publicly: “And cover your hair properly with a head covering! Not hair! A head covering!” (BTW I have just learned some very serious, very incredible daat about wearing sheitls. If you have the ability to hear it, contact me. This is a very, very serious reality about wigs. Don’t think just the Sefardim ban them. The Ashkenazim ban them too. What Rabbi Elyashiv zt”l said against them will make your hair stand on end. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l rattles off an incredible list of the greatest Ashkenazic poskim who forbid them).

 

One of the foundational mitzvot is “Be holy for I Hashem am Holy” – “kedoshim t’hiyu.” In everything we do – in dress, in speech, in thought we have to check ourselves – is this holy? Is this like the non-Jews around me, or is this from the Torah? What does Hashem tell me to do in this situation? For a woman to wear anything that catches the eye G-d forbid…this isn’t just about elbows and knees. That is just the very beginning. The Rabbis leave much up to the woman because we are supposed to have an inner sense of tzniut, we’re not supposed to be cookie-cutters like the men. What is very tzniut on one woman could be (even appropriately sized) not modest on another woman. We have different body types. Each woman must see for herself that she is dressing like a Bat Melech – a princess, a daughter of the King of Kings – and not like a non-Jewish woman trying to attract a mate – not even the same styles just with a shell underneath to make it “frum”!

 

As Rabbi Brody quoted Harav Arush: “You think you’re dressing like Little House on the Prarie? You might just be saving the Jewish people!” Rabbi Arush says we cannot understand the importance of holiness and modesty. If you hear sirens in the streets, if there is suffering in Klal Yisrael, it is because there is immodesty in the streets. Just the Jewish women dressing truly modestly – just this alone can bring the Geula! In fact more than one tzaddik has said that the reason why Moshiach has not yet come is just because of women wearing wigs…This is the real deal. Why is it so hard? Because it is our essential mission! The Midrash says that in every limb of Chava that Hashem formed he said “Be modest! Be modest!” So of course the Evil Inclination fights us so hard on every tiny detail of tzniut – because it is everything for a woman. Most of a woman’s judgment after 120 – is on tzniut!

 

There is much more to say but this must suffice for now. The greatest thing that each person can do is to take on some additional thing in holiness, man or woman these 9 Days of Mourning. However small, do something, change something, for the sake of the entire Jewish people!

 

I would love if you will tell me what you are taking on, and I will publish it separately, anonymously. I myself have taken on something small, in the merit of Shimon Machluf ben Miriam Varda for a refuah shleima. Share with me what you are doing and I hope to post a list which will inspire everyone!