Hi Dr. Gotfryd.
 
Are we closer to the Geula or further?

When we look at the darkness in the world, it may well darken our perspective and it may appear that we are farther away from Geula than we were before, a few years ago, a decade, before 3 Tammuz 5764, 27 Adar, etc. Chassidus enjoins us that if we think good, it will be good. The Rebbe instructed us all to see the positive things that reflect the advent of the Era of Moshiach, signs that reflect that the world has begun a dramatic transformation for the good.

If we so much as change our perspective – and how much more so if this actually inspires us to action – surely this will tip the scales in our favour and bring the true and complete Redemption in the blink of an eye!

To illustrate, study the first picture, read the caption, then study the second picture. You won't believe your eyes. But that's the point, isn't it?

- Boruch Merkur

The Same Color Illusion
Credit: Edward H. Adelson, Wikipedia

Explanation: Are square A and B the same color? They are. Are too. To verify this, see below to see them connected. The above illusion, called the same color illusion, illustrates that purely human observations in science may be ambiguous or inaccurate. Even such a seemingly direct perception as relative color. Similar illusions exist on the sky, such as the size of the Moon near the horizon, or the apparent shapes of astronomical objects. The advent of automated, reproducible, measuring devices such as CCDs have made science in general and astronomy in particular less prone to, but not free of, human-biased illusions.

Dear Boruch,

Thanks for this. I studied it over and over and still can't figure out one thing. Even after we know that it's an illusion, our eyes still deceive us! I guess your point is that we had plenty good reason, even the best of reasons, to believe in the Rebbe's assurances that "We are the last generation of exile and the first of Redemption", "immediate Redemption", and "Behold Moshiach coming."

The problem comes when we wake up in the morning and see the same lousy world, but worse. The Rebbe told us to "open up our eyes" and see the Redemption unfolding. He wants to alert us to our "optical illusion" of a self-perpetuating, apparently endless exile.

My lesson from this is: When the context changes, it looks like the truth has changed, but that's not the reality of the situation. Truth is truth regardless of how things look and when the world shifts, we need to be aware of its "bluffing" influence and hold firmly to what we know is right.

It reminds me of a remarkable fighter jet training exercise explained to me a few years back. This particular jet, when rising, feels like its going down. The problem is that the sinking feeling causes the pilot to pull back on the stick and increase the climb which at high speeds can quickly lead to a flip and a nose dive crash. Apparently to avoid this from happening they have to send up jet escorts with radio communication, reassuring the pilot at critical moments with messages like "Don't pull on the stick! You are going up, not down! Trust your instruments! Don't go up, it's suicide!"

What's going on here? Didn't they train this guy on the ground? The problem is that it's hard to argue with gut feelings because no matter what you know, it's all in your head. Perceived "reality" has its own logic, in this case, literally a "gut" feeling.

We have our own flight escort in the mission of Jewish life. We just have to tune in to the right frequency to pick up the message that will save our mission and win the "war".

The "war" to bring Moshiach, is not a jihad-culture-clash-convert-or-die-i'll-get-you-you-%^&*# type of thing. It's a battle over our own petty natures to maintain clarity and assert Jewish values in every aspect of our private and public lives. Here's an example.

One Shabbos morning, years ago, my wife and I were chatting in our room about a little comment I'd heard the night before from a friend. "Everything is a test", he'd said. Simple but true, the words rang so real. While sharing my thoughts with Leah, one of our children, then all of two years old, burst into our room, grabbed my Shabbos hat (which was my only hat, the one I was about to wear to synogogue that morning) and dashed out the door and down the hall. I took off after him to find he was already in the bathroom furiously plunging the toilet with it. Shocked I quickly surmised what was bothering him. My wife, for the first time, had bought those sanitizing tablets that go in a holder inside the toilet tank, and turn the water bright blue.

Our clever, darling kid had decided that the blue water was evil and desperately wanted to make it go away. Zipping through his inventory of mental images stored in his two-year-old brain, he could find nothing better than Tatty's Shabbos hat to do the dirty work. I gently told him, "No, no, no, that's Tatty's Shabbos hat. Feh." I pulled the hapless garment from its ignominious dunk, set it aside to dry or die or whatever, and proceeded to explain to him that the water is blue for a reason, that it wasn't bad, that Mommy did it to clean the water, and showed him the tablet inside the tank.  

I came back to Leah laughing, told her the story, and added: "Do you realize what just happened here? Normally I'd go ballistic, yelling and screaming, maybe punishing the poor kid. Here I'm calm and happy. And what made the difference. Preparing my head with the thought that 'everything is a test.' That thought saved the day for me and for him.

By Divine Providence, just as I was typing up this story, I received a phone call from a business associate with whom I was scheduled to cut a deal this morning that would have made big money and saved big losses. In my current situation, this was a very critical deal both professionally and personally. He told me after thinking it over long and hard, it's not for him. Again, instead of feeling crushed and depressed, I was cheerful and calm.

Also, by Divine Providence, this week's Torah portion is Ki Tavo, in which Moses relates the 98 hidden blessings, superficially referred to as curses, that the Jews would suffer if they do not serve G-d with joy. [1] The key to transforming hidden blessings to revealed blessings is attitude. The Rebbe showered us with revealed blessings and even more. He taught us how to see through the fog with Torah eyes and recognize that "Think good, it will be good" is not just wishful thinking. It's a fact of life.

May you be written and sealed for a good and sweet year materially and spiritually. Good in potential, sweet in actuality. And we hold the keys.

Moshiach Now.
Aryeh.

[1] "Since you did not serve the L-ord your G-d with joy and goodheartedness in total affluence." (Deut. 28:47). Says Rashi, "While you had every benefit." The Ari Zal emphasizes there that it is not so much appreciation of the material bounty that the Torah is asking for here but rather the joy of divine service itself.

Do you have questions or comments on the interplay of science and faith? Email me now.

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