The War is Breaking the World of Concealment

I learned the text I’m about to share by heart decades ago, during the first Gulf War.

Back then, it felt electric. Ancient. Cryptic. Alive.

Now I’m sitting in Jerusalem under missile threat, and it doesn’t feel ancient at all.

It feels like a war briefing.

There is a passage in an ancient Jewish text called the Yalkut Shimoni, about the period just before the redemption of mankind...

what the Torah calls the time of Moshiach.

It says that at that time, Persia will provoke Arabia, Arabia will run for counsel to the world’s superpower, and Persia will return and destroy the whole world.

That sounds like a nightmare.

Until you understand the Hebrew.

Because Torah never speaks only on the surface. It’s a Divine code.

The word olam means world. But it shares its root with he’elem — which means concealment, hiddenness, that which conceals the truth of us and our world.

So what if this prophecy is not only saying that Persia will shake the geopolitical world? What if it’s saying that Persia will strike at the world of concealment itself?

What if what is being hit right now is not only nations, alliances, and military targets — but the entire operating system of shadow control that has held humanity inside fear, inversion, confusion, and exile for far too long?

That is what I believe we are watching, right now, in real time.

Not just war.

Not just another violent, dangerous chapter in an exhausted world.

We are watching the entire mechanism of concealment start to fail.

And once you see that, everything looks different.

It all starts to make sense.

The propaganda. The panic. The surreal divisive narratives.

The lies that now expose themselves faster than they can stabilize.

The feeling that the world is becoming both more dangerous and more transparent at the same time.

That is not random. The old system is quickly losing some its ability to hide what it is. What we are. What these times are for.

If you read this moment is world history only through the lens of fear, you will get swallowed by the “collapsing of reality” that has already begun.

But if you read it through the lens of Torah, through soul, through the deeper architecture that sits beneath history, then you begin to understand:

This is not only destruction. This is exposure.

Exposure can hurt - but it can also heal.

Mystical Torah teaches that the forces of darkness do not have life of their own. They feed parasitically on fear, manipulation, and lies. They draw their energy through concealment, distortion, and manipulation -

through exploiting the gap between each of us and our own souls.

That means evil doesn’t fall simply by being defeated politically or militarily.

It falls when it can no longer feed. When enough truth enters the field.

When enough of us stop bowing inwardly to confusion… when enough people reconnect to what is real… when enough soul becomes truly embodied… when enough of us refuse to serve the fear-grid any longer…

Then the machinery of darkness starts to fail.

That is what I believe is happening now.

And yes, of course it is frightening. And volatile.

The world is shaking.

In fact, the Yalkut Shimoni says that we will experience these times like labor pains.

Not a walk in the park - but also, the process of birth of something entirely, radically new.

It describes that the nations will panic. And then comes the line that matters most:

God, the text desribes, will declare: “My children, do not fear. Everything I have done, I have done only for your sake. The time of your redemption has arrived.”

Read that again.

Not: everything is fine. Nothing will change. Go back to sleep. Things will be normal now.

But: do not misread the shaking.

Do not assume that because the old world is convulsing, a new world - a Divine world - is not being born.

That’s exactly holy is happening and long-foreseen.

The real question is: are we willing to recognize it while the sky is still burning.

I’m not writing this as theory. I’m writing it from Jerusalem. From inside a reality where missiles explode, sirens sound, and ancient prophecy feels less like an old commentary and more like a live transmission for our times.

I’m writing it as someone who believes - who knows - that what looks like chaos on the surface is also the beginning of a deeper transformation.

A dismantling of concealment. A cracking of the shell. A world where what has ruled through hiding itself is beginning to lose its grip.

And when it fully lets go… the reality of a Divine world will begin to shine.

So if you feel shaken right now, you’re not crazy. You’re awake.

Stay awake. Stay anchored.

Do not let fear-based narratives or forecasts tell you what this moment means.

The story is not over. Not nearly. But the world of lies is being hit hard. And underneath the shaking, and the sirens, redemption is closer than most people know.

Shifra Hendrie

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Hashem Sees You

He sees your effort.

He sees your heart.

Your struggle.

The overwhelm.

He sees all of it.

Hashem knows what you’re going through better than anyone else in the universe.

Sometimes we tend to think the only thing Hashem notices is the result.

Did we succeed?

Did we stay calm?

Did we hold onto Bitachon perfectly?

But the Torah teaches something deeper.

Hashem also sees the effort.

The moment you paused instead of reacting.

The moment you remembered Him, even briefly.

The moment you chose trust, even if it lasted only a few seconds.

Those moments matter more than you realize.

They are not small.

That’s how a person slowly builds a life of Bitachon.

Not in dramatic leaps.

In quiet attempts.

In imperfect efforts.

In choosing, again and again, to turn toward Hashem.

You may feel like you are still struggling.

But from Heaven’s perspective, you are already moving forward.

And every sincere step you take brings you closer to the life of clarity, strength, and blessing that Hashem wants for you.

Keep going.

Does Effective Leadership Always Require Authority Over Others?

The stronger and more experienced a leader, the more decisively they suppress quarrels in the group. The fewer conflicts there are, the less aggression and hostility appear, and the more cohesive and friendly the atmosphere becomes. Sometimes this suppression of disputes must be done with harsh methods. Such is the law of any collective system.

A leader does not necessarily have to be soft. What they require is decisiveness, confidence, and a strong will. If quarrels, slander, and hostility arise in the group, the leader must stop them firmly. Otherwise, the group disintegrates.

People might say that such a leader will not be loved. That could be true. But love is not of primary importance here. What matters is that they are respected and obeyed. This respect can come through fear of their authority and firmness. When necessary, one must act according to the conditions of the environment, as it is said, “when among wolves, behave like wolves.”

At the same time, a true leader is always the first to face danger. They lead the group forward, pull it out of traps, organize the “hunt,” and confronts enemies or threats before anyone else. Being first does not mean enjoying privileges. It means taking upon oneself all the blows and all the responsibility that arise within the group.

A real leader carries the burden of the entire collective as if it were their own family. They worry about it, protect it, and stands at the front when difficulties arise.

If something goes wrong, the leader takes responsibility. If a leader refuses responsibility, they immediately cease to be a leader. Even in animal packs such a thing does not exist. A leader who avoids responsibility cannot remain in their place. True leadership means carrying the responsibility for the whole group, just as a father feels responsible for his family.

Based on KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on January 8, 2026.

Should We Strive for World Governance?

We, human beings, were actually created to govern the world. It seems paradoxical, i.e., that these lowly, egoistic creatures, were created in order to govern the world. But this is precisely so. A person is created to be the crown of creation. But what kind of domination is this meant to be? It is not to dominate others in a crude, egoistic sense, i.e., to take delight and pleasure in being greater, bigger, faster, and more powerful than other people, as we commonly understand governance in our world. On the contrary, it is to govern reality by asking, demanding, and imploring the upper governing force of love and bestowal—the Creator—to influence our world with the quality of goodness.

From the side of the Creator, the upper force is absolute good. However, from the side of humanity, this goodness must be supported, justified, and realized. People must let the qualities of love, bestowal, compassion, and mercy become revealed in the world. In this sense, they govern because through their request, they determine what kind of influence will become revealed in reality.

However, in order to reach this role, we need to pass through the recognition of our own lowliness. We need to discover what we truly are, that we are egoistic beings who are concerned only with ourselves. Such recognition is a necessary part of the process. By seeing our own nature clearly, we can begin to rise above it, and then come to feel a need for the opposite nature, that of the Creator.

This is the path.

And how does one come to realize that this is indeed the path? Through suffering. There is no other way. It is through repeated disappointments in one’s own strengths, through the recognition of the insignificance and limitation of one’s own forces, qualities, and abilities. We try, strive, build, and plan, and time and again, we discover that we are incapable of bringing true goodness into the world by ourselves.

Gradually, this realization ripens into a genuine need. Then we turn to the Creator, not in a mechanical way where we recite words from a page or that we memorized, but from a heartfelt demand within. We reach a genuine request for the quality of goodness, bestowal, and love to enter our lives, and through this request and dependence, we rise to the Creator’s level.

Based on KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” on January 15, 2026

Your Soul Is an Instrument

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BS’D

The final perek of Tehillim is not just a chapter — it is a crescendo. An orchestra of instruments rising together in one unified cry: Hallelukah. Shofar, harp, drum, flute — each sound distinct, yet all harmonizing for one purpose: to glorify Hashem.

Dovid HaMelech teaches us that praise is not uniform. Each person experiences Hashem’s greatness differently. Each heart articulates gratitude in its own language. His words of Tehillim are keys — opening our individual hearts so we can express our own song.

Hashem is the Conductor. We are the instruments.

One soul may sound like a shofar — bold and awakening. Another like a harp — gentle and steady. An orchestra is only complete when every note plays at its appointed time. If one instrument is silent, the harmony weakens.

No one can replace your avodah. I cannot sing your song. You cannot play mine.

We are a Klal — one soul expressed through many voices.

“With the entire soul, praise Hashem.”
That is true unity.

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Some time ago, watching how Israeli forces were repeatedly handcuffed by external, and, worse still, self-imposed restraints even while fighting endlessly against vicious enemies, I came upon the closing verses of the prophet Habakuk. He was appalled at the vision he saw of the destined return of the exiles of Israel to our land, only to face the armies of Gog and Magog against us.

"I heard and my bowels quaked, my lips quivered at the sound. Rot entered into my bone, I trembled where I stood. Am I to come to my place of rest for a day of sorrow? To go up only for a people to come to attack us?
"For the fig tree does not flower and there is no yield on the vine. The olive crop has failed and the fields produced no grain. Sheep have vanished from the fold and no cattle are in the pen.
"Yet I shall rejoice in HaShem, I shall exult in the G-d of my salvation" (Habakuk 3:16-18 translated according to Metzudat David).

As to the somewhat obscure image of the fig tree not being in flower and the failure of the other crops, the commentator "Metzudat David" writes:
"Israel, who are compared to the fig tree, will not as yet have acquired the might and determination to stand in war against them." (Metzudat David on Habakuk 3:17)

Yet today, as we watch the unfolding historic war against Iran and her proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and across the world, I believe that we may now indeed begin to rejoice with trepidation as we witness the rise of the nation of Israel with greater might and greater determination than ever before. For the first time in decades, the Israel Defense Forces are fighting our enemies not merely to contain an ongoing threat but to deliver them a crushing defeat.

Since the outbreak of the current war with Iran on Shabbat Zachor (Feb 28), Israelis throughout the country have been subjected to incessant barrages of Iranian and Hezbollah missile attacks, some of which have been deadly. Schools are closed, and businesses and public services are all working on emergency footing. At any hour of day or night alarms and warning sirens suddenly start, forcing old and young, parents with little children and everyone else to have to rush as quickly as possible to protected spaces and shelters.

In the prophetic perspective, it is noteworthy that in this war directed against us by Persia, a key player in the War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:5), the advice to today’s average citizen who is not on active service is precisely as prophesied:
"Go my people, come into your chambers and close your doors behind you, wait for just a moment until the indignation shall pass." (Isaiah 26 20)

Today, every Israeli Home Front alert blaring on everyone’s phone together with the wailing sirens are a prompt to fulfill that prophecy. As the commentator Rashi writes on the verse in Isaiah: "The chambers are the synagogues and study houses." (This past week throughout Israel many have used the communal shelters for prayer services and Torah study, for the reading of Megillat Esther and the Purim celebrations in spite of everything.) Rashi adds: "Think about your deeds in the chambers of your hearts." We may all surely benefit from doing this!

Explaining the same verse in Isaiah, Rabbi David Kimche ("RaDaK") writes:
"This verse was said of the War of Gog and Magog, which will be a time of trouble for Israel for a short time, and ‘going into the chambers’ is a metaphor for taking refuge in good deeds and complete Teshuvah, repentance. For the wrath shall be but for a moment and shall pass, and the good people will be saved."

Edom and Persia
In the Talmud (Yoma 10a) we find a difference of opinion as to whether at the end of days Edom shall fall at the hands of Persia, or Persia at the hands of Edom. The latter is the accepted opinion.

In my view the current war will prove to be as historic as the defeat of Germany and Japan in the Second World War. For close to half a century the regime of the Iranian mullahs called unceasingly for the annihilation of Israel, and worked tirelessly to build the military might and proxy networks that were intended to do the job, just as Haman set up the tall tree on which he planned to hang Mordechai.

For all those years Iran seemed fearsome and unstoppable, not least because they enjoyed massive covert backing from a succession of US presidents prior to Donald Trump. But as I write these lines, it is reported that Israeli and American forces have total air supremacy over Iran and are continuing with a merciless rampage of destruction against government, regime, army, missile, nuclear and other sites, key infrastructure and national resources. In the words of Donald Trump, "We demand unconditional surrender."

In desperation, the feral Iranian regime are currently striking any and every target within range including their Moslem neighbors and former allies, seemingly determined to set the entire region and the whole world ablaze. They can certainly still cause much pain, G-d forbid, including to Jews worldwide. Yet significantly, Iran’s strongest supposed allies, Russia and China, have offered little but condolences to the Mullahs over their plight, and her proxies are all significantly weakened.

We must still wait to see whether Edom (USA, Nato, UK, France, Germany, etc.) will indeed finally prevail over Paras in this war and at what cost in the short and long term. Yet according to current reports, it seems increasingly likely that within a matter of not more than a few weeks (by Pesach time?) the Iranian monster will be cut down, while Israel will have come through relatively unscathed and hopefully ready for the Final Redemption.

Edom and Paras at the End of Days
The Talmud Bavli Avodah Zarah 2b discusses G-d’s judgment of Edom, Paras and the other nations at the end of days. There the Tosafot comment that "Babylon was only compared to a lion when she ruled over the entire world, while now she is a lowly state"  [like Iraq after the 2003-2011 Iraq war] "…But Paras now too is prominent after Edom and will continue in this prominence until shortly before the coming of Mashiach. As to the statement in Sanhedrin 98b that Paras is destined to fall at the hand of Edom, that is, close to the coming of Mashiach" (Tosafot on Avodah Zarah 2b).

Note, however, that before Mashiach will actually arrive, "The wicked kingdom of Edom will spread across the entire world for nine months" (Tosafot there, Yoma 10a and Sanhedrin 98b).

The hoped-for imminent downfall of the latter-day fanatical Islamic regime of Iran is likely to impact Moslems and Islam generally, since Iran has been one of the primary promoters of chauvinistic Islamic expansion across Europe, America and elsewhere. Jihadi Moslems can be expected to intensify their terror and cyber attacks (which is a serious threat to Jews everywhere). But for the foreseeable future, the allegedly "moderate" Islamic states are likely to be less militant and more open to cooperation with Israel.

It is not implausible that among not a few in the Moslem world (many of whom actually have Jewish blood in their veins owing to the Moslem practice of capturing and enslaving Jewish women from whom they bred children), the downfall of the Islamic regime of the Mullahs at the hands of Israel will stir deep chords in the depths of their souls.

The "Nine Months of Travail"
So what about the "Nine Months Travail" of the prophesied Edomite expansion across the entire world following the fall of Paras?

Can we see a foretaste of this in Donald Trump’s overall strategy to weaken China, Russia and Europe, taking over Venezuelan oil, destroying Cuba, annexing Canada and Greenland etc.? He has made no secret of his determination to achieve total American military and economic supremacy over the entire globe with control over all its resources. His clearly stated goal is to make AMERICA, specifically America, great again, and everything else is secondary to this, including even little Israel, and is of value to him only if it serves that goal.

Trump has stated unequivocally that he will not allow Israel to annex Judea and Samaria despite their being the very heart of the Promised Land. This is because he is in no way prepared to countenance a true return to the Greater Israel (likely for fear of offending his wealthy Arab allies), which will inaugurate the return of all the exiles of Israel, including the Ten Tribes, leading to Israel’s supremacy forever.

You may or may not like Donald Trump, but undoubtedly he is mortal, and even if those pursuing his policies gain power in future elections, the political demographics of the USA are at this point quite unpredictable.

Today, some sectors are turning against the woke ideas that feminized the USA army, but the campuses are largely ideologically ruined for years to come through communist and Islamic infiltration. The cross-country disturbances in recent years in support of "Black Lives Matter", "Free Palestine", "Stop the War" and other left-wing causes shows that a sizable proportion of the present and future USA electorate might well choose as Great America’s leader a demon worse than Obama. Maybe then the real meaning of the "Nine Months of Travail" will be revealed.

As for now, in Israel and among Jewish people across the world, the events of the past years culminating in the present war have awakened increasing numbers who fully see that Israel is ultimately alone and can and must stand alone. With all the current American support, "We have none upon whom to depend except Our Father in Heaven, the Holy One blessed be He." The return to Torah and Emunah in all sectors is miraculous.

As Israel builds its military strength in future years, the work of the non-combatants is as it always has been: Study of G-d’s Torah to know what He wants of us, prayer to Him to fulfill His commands, the practice of kindness, charity and justice and good deeds…

The Hand of the Almighty
We saw in Megillat Esther that nowhere is the Name of G-d directly mentioned, yet the entire miraculous story developed only because from beginning to end He was orchestrating all the players. What He did was to raise the vilest Jew-hater ever to be Ahashverosh’s chief minister and He put into the fickle king’s heart to let him plan a one-day holocaust to annihilate all Jews across 127 provinces of the Persian empire. Yet G-d’s whole purpose was to shake the Jews out of their deep spiritual sleep and rouse them to repent and beg and beseech Him for their very lives.

It was precisely the Jew’s repentance that led G-d to disturb Ahashverosh’s night-time sleep and make him fear if he had any real friends, until the eyes of the reader of the court records "just happened" to fall upon the record of Mordechai’s having years earlier saved the king’s life. This turned everything around and directly led to Haman’s downfall.

Today we need to understand that G-d is showing this present unfolding historic war, this global tapestry, only to force us to realize that we are in His hands alone, and that it is to Him alone that we must direct our service. He planted Donald Trump where he planted him and cultivated him all the years. He planted Obama and his heavy-muscled backers and allowed them to filch billions to build Iran. He planted to Mullahs with their nuclear dreams to scare the Jews…

So now as we witness all this before our eyes, let us pray for complete victory and offer our thanks for all He has done and is doing for us. As Rabbi Nachman stated: "Once all the beginnings were from the Exodus from Egypt, but now everything begins from Purim." (Likutey Moharan II:74)

Let us not imagine that Purim is behind us, past and gone. In fact the actual Purim miracle in Shushan took place on Pesach itself! So let us hold onto the Purim faith and joy as we now prepare for Pesach, the Season of Our Redemption and our time of Song and Joy.

Shalom and blessings!

Avraham Ben Yaakov

Have you ever wondered why it's easier to dwell on worries than to embrace joy? The answer lies in FEAR—False Evidence Appearing Real. This inherited belief system convinces us that we're alone and solely responsible for navigating life's challenges.

But what if we chose love instead? By shifting our perspective from fear to love, we align ourselves with a higher truth: that we are supported and guided by the universe. This transformation isn't just about positive thinking; it's about embracing a reality where love leads the way.

As we lean into love, we shed the weight of worry and step into a life rich with purpose and connection. Remember, the journey from fear to love begins with a single, courageous step.

Never underestimate the power of a small deed done with a pure heart. Holiness is not hidden only in monumental moments or dramatic acts; it can be found everywhere – in the quiet, seemingly insignificant, choices we make throughout the day. A moment of patience, a word of kindness, a simple act of generosity. Intention elevates the moment, and when it comes from a place of sincerity, even the smallest action becomes something sacred. The tiniest spark still carries the same fire as the sun. In the end, it’s intention over intensity that shapes a life of meaning and purpose.

The same holds true when striving for personal growth and development. It doesn’t take grand gestures to create a lasting impact. The tallest trees were once the smallest seeds – patiently nurtured until they grew into something towering and strong. Progress is built through consistency – small steps create momentum, and momentum is what eventually makes big change possible.

The ocean is made of drops. Each drop seems insignificant on its own, yet together they form waves powerful enough to reshape the shore. So no matter how small your steps feel today, take them. When done with the proper intention, no effort is considered insignificant. Start small. Stay consistent. Be relentless.

Inspired by the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Reb Yisrael ben Eliezer (1698-1760)