There is another chance. Rabbi Lazar has a meeting set up with the FSB director (and before you ask... I have no idea when it will be). So my prayers are getting more intense once again.
We spent Shavuos in Morristown with Chayale's family and had a really nice time. On the way home we stopped off in upstate New York to have a barbeque dinner with the Silbersteins, our comrades in exile from their shlichus in Vladviostok. The Silbersteins actually are the reason we moved to Russia. We called them while contemplating whether or not to move to Russia, and they convinced us to go.
At dinner, Yisroel farbrenged with me. Coincidentally, Yossi Marazov, Rabbi and fellow American Shliach in Ulyanovsk, Russia called, and we chatted with him for a little while too.
Over some beer, Yisroel told me something interesting. I may not have all the details correctly but the gyst of it is: a couple of weeks ago he learnt a Sicha, choosing one of the Rebbe's talks randomly (Likkutei Sichos Chelek Lamed Vov, Parshas Shmois, di ershtin Sicha, ois hey if I remember correctly).
He was shocked at how relevant the Rebbe's words were, particularly when he didn't choose the Sicha. We sat down in front of a computer, pulled the page from otzer770.com and learnt what the Rebbe says.
The Rebbe explained that the Chassidic saying 'tracht gut vet zein gut' (think good and it will be good) is a literal thing. And it doesn't mean that the result is already there and the 'right thing to do' is to think good, rather it's a cause and effect. In other words, if you think good, then it will be good. You have the power to change the reality, even though the work takes place from a spiritual point of view, and that is the essence of 'bitachon' and 'emunah' (trust in G-d).
The Rebbe continues and writes that even though you might think that according to the natural order of things, it is IMPOSSIBLE for there to be a change for the better, nonetheless the spiritual positive energy you create by thinking good makes G-d reply by thinking good about you and changing the physical for the better.
The Rebbe went on to stress that even if the person doesn't DESERVE to be helped, still just by 'trachting gut' it will be good.
Incidentally, I read over the Sicha, and the entire Sicha makes its point without the necessity of that Ois (those words). Perhaps we were meant to be reading it.
So my new resolution is to think good. I KNOW we will be allowed to return to Stavropol and this will all be behind us.
You hear me, Hashem?
9 comments:
Rebi the Slovak Nation from Praha supports your efforts of missionary work to Jewish in Russia! Don't give down!
Good goin' bro!!
Hryvgina, Praha is in the Czech republic my friend.
(Or at least in the Czech hockey superleague, as opposed to the Slovakian spuerliga).
Jew man not suppose make not happy slovak man, czech and slovak one nation under two terretories like palestine and israel which are one entity. we salute misionary to benefit jew of rusia we will pray and read gospels for you and your. i hear your plight from la times and i very happy you jewihs man
Which troll infiltrated your blog?
The clue is in the 'hryvna' name, Shuch ;)
I hope it works out for you.Tracht gut vet zein gut.
I am clueless about the clues. But I told you that weed does good. And since you listened to me so it worked. Keep it up. Happy Fathers Day.
Shuch, keep your weed dreams to yourself. If someone needs weed to be able to be happy (or anything else for that matter), then they are in a sad situation. Happiness should come from within. B"H I never needed such a thing.
Would you believe I never even smoked a cigarette? I'm damn proud of it!
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