The Baal Hasulam Foresaw the Holocaust

Rav Yehuda Leib Ashlag, The Baal Hasulam

The great and holy Tzaddik and Mekubal, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag of blessed memory foresaw the coming of World War II 20 years in advance. He was then only in his 30's, and he began an effort to alert all the leading Rabbis and Roshei Yeshivot in Poland of the impending decree. He warned them that there was a very severe decree already signed in the Heavens against the Jewish people, and that a huge portion of the Jewish people were going to be erased from the world, G-d forbid. He told them that just like the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto zt"l) had averted terrible decrees in his time by setting up all day long Zohar learning, so too the same had to be done in order to avert this terrible decree that was on the horizon.
He called for every Rav and Rosh Yeshiva in Poland to begin telling their congregations to start learning the Holy Zohar, however, they did not pay attention to his words. As we know, soon after this World War II began, and 6-7 million Jews were eventually killed.
As the war was being fought, there was a fear that it would spread to the Holy Land and that the evil Hitler, may his name be erased, would also succeed in anihilating all the Jews living there. Rav Ashlag was then busily involved in translating the Zohar into Lashon Hakodesh (Hebrew) so that every Jew would be able to learn and understand it. He believed firmly in the promise of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai, that with this book of the Zohar, we will be redeemed from our exile. He said that on the same day that the first volume was printed (of his translation and commentary to the Zohar known as 'The Sulam'), that wicked man had a big downfall and the war was on it's way to being over. This prevented him from succeeding in reaching the Holy Land.
Dear Rabbis and Roshei Yeshivot, we are now calling out to you!
We are begging you to arouse yourselves and your communities to begin learning the Holy Zohar. You are the leaders of Am Yisrael, and the responsibility of the nation rests upon you.

We have started a new plan to try and complete 1000 siyumim of the Holy Zohar every single Rosh Chodesh (The first one to be held on Rosh Chodesh Adar, G-d willing). Anyone who would like to register and take part in this effort should email thelightofthezohar@gmail.com to sign up. We have now printed the entire Zohar in 70 pocket sized volumes, so that 70 people can each take one of the volumes and with only about 4 minutes of reading a day, complete along with thousands of others, the entire Zohar Hakadosh. It is well known, that when a sefer is broken up into smaller parts and learned in a group (such as is done with Tehillim, Mishna, and Shas) each member actually receives the reward as if he had learned the entire thing. Here in this instance, since we have a goal to reach 1000 siyumim, each member will receive the reward of 70,000 siyumim of the Zohar (since each siyum will require 70 participants). With a few short minutes a day, one can gain unfathomable reward and with G-d's help, we will succeed in preventing all the terrible decrees, wars, and other tragedies that are looming on the Jewish people. May we merit the fulfillment of the promise of Rebbe Shimon, that with my sefer, the Holy Zohar, we will be redeemed from this exile with mercy.

Note: The Admor, Rav Shalom Yehuda Gross and Rav Benayahu Shmueli have both said that the Zohar can and should be read by men, women and children. To get one of the 70 volumes mailed out to you, please send your name, adress, and phone number to thelightofthezohar@gmail.com each booklet costs $5 or if you would like to get the entire 70 volume set for yourself or to start your own chain of 70 people, it will cost $120 (plus shipping). Email me for more details on how to send in your payment. This edition comes with a Lashon Hakodesh (Hebrew) translation running alongside the Aramaic, and one can also read the Zohar only in the Lashon Hakodesh if they prefer.

Don't Get Shot!

Have you ever played the game called "Don't get Shot?"

Here's how it works. Before going out into the street, say a small prayer asking Hashem to help you guard your eyes, so that you should not see any improper images that will filthy up and destroy your mind and heart. Then once you step outside, the game begins. You are walking through heavily guarded enemy territory where there are soldiers and snipers out to get you at every corner. You have to accomplish your mission of... (here you can insert whatever it is you need to do, go to yeshiva, go shopping, drop off the kids, etc.). Now the rules are, if you don't see the enemy, then the enemy cannot see you. But if you do look up and see the enemy, then you get shot. If it's a quick look then it is just a flesh wound, but if it is a long look with desire, you just got shot and it's game over.

Bonus level: Perfume is really poison gas that the enemy puts out to trap you. If you quickly exhale it out and cover your nose you will probably live, but if you inhale it and enjoy the smell... that's right, you just got shot!

The best part of this game is that it is just like any other game; as soon as it ends, you can just start over. Do not despair, just hit the reset button, say your prayer, restate your mission, and you are back in the game. The score is kept by how long you can go without getting shot.

I once read a story that the Baba Meir zt"l said to his attendant, that he has not seen a woman in over 40 years; he was 47 years old when he said this. I challenge anyone to try to beat that score.

Rav Yitzchak Kaduri zt"l

Rav Kaduri meeting the Lubavicher Rebbe in New York

Rav Yitzchak Kaduri zt"l was given a blessing at his bar mitzvah by the Ben Ish Chai that he would merit wearing the same coat he had on at his bar mitzvah a hundred years later. It is famously known that he in fact lived to 113 years old and he would still wear the same coat that he had on at his bar mitzvah... 100 years later. See the power of the words spoken by Tzaddikim.

It is known that Rav Kaduri was a tremendous Torah scholar both in the revealed Torah and also in the Kabbalah. In addition, he was able to read very small printed text from sefarim even in his old age. When he was asked how he merited all of these blessings, he answered, "It is all in the merit of guarding my eyes. When I would go out into the street, I would not pick my eyes up from looking down to the bottom of my coat."