One way I get chizuk is from Rav Itamar Schwartz's Bilvavi mussar.
Recently, one of his messages that arrived in my Inbox reminded readers that we are in the midst of the War of Gog and Magog.
It is mostly a spiritual war, with physical manifestations — like terror attacks and missiles from neighboring countries into Eretz Yisrael, and as Rav Schwartz noted, World War III already started in the clash between Russia and Ukraine.
He also mentioned the Chafetz Chaim's belief that the third and final war (meaning, of Gog and Magog) would occur around 70 years after the second war. WWII ended in 1945.
But if we wish to go according to 70 years exactly, then 70 years later brings us to 2015.
I remember having massive inner struggles that year, in a way I hadn't before, despite having endured several difficult challenges prior.
And these struggles continued, although one abated around 2021, when I started reading stories of Rav Galansky in Bitachon Weekly, combined with the health food store lady introducing me to an herbal supplement, which restored my inner chemical balance.
(Here's a link with no ulterior motive or financial benefit to myself: www.edna-nature.com/en/mental-support-herbs. I took the Fix and To-Be supplements. Just Fix alone was extremely helpful.)
At the same time, this blog started in 2015.
That makes sense when you realize that the War of Gog and Magog is more of a spiritual war than a physical war (although it manifests as physical battles too):
QUESTION:
Will the Erev Rav – the Israeli government – first disappear before the war of Gog and Magog?
ANSWER:
We are already found within the war of Gog and Magog!
This is the war with the Erev Rav.
https://question.bilvavi.net/blog/2021/08/19/erev-rav-in-the-soul/
QUESTION:
Is the nisayon with media use and Internet all the “war of Gog and Magog”?
ANSWER:
Yes!
QUESTION:
And if it is, do we fight against this “Gog and Magog” through having mesirus nefesh, and is our mesirus nefesh to stay away from Internet essentially the very “light of Mashiach” that will obliterate Gog and Magog?
ANSWER:
Yes! Very good.
QUESTION:
Is it possible that those who Baruch Hashem came out of the tumah of Internet use were all meant to go through this as part of their various “journeys” that people go through in their life, in order to recognize this evil for what it is, so that they can help others come out of it, and in that way we can turn all of this darkness into light?
ANSWER:
It can very well be.
question.bilvavi.net/blog/2021/08/24/the-inner-dimension-of-giving-up-internet/
Originally, had the generation been “entirely deserving of Redemption” (see Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 98), the Redemption would have come swiftly and suddenly, before its preordained time, and the war of Gog and Magog would have taken place in the blink of an eye – it would have all taken place in the inner dimension, within Torah learning.
But now that we were not zoche to that, we are already found in a drawn out process of the final war, and we are all going through it.
This is the third world war which the Chofetz Chaim spoke about – and we are currently found in the intense part of it, and there have already been many casualties, mainly in the spiritual sense, Rachmana Litzlan.
It mainly affects people on a soul level, and very little on a physical level.
question.bilvavi.net/blog/2021/10/19/gog-and-magog/
QUESTION:
The Rav had said on the onset of the coronavirus outbreak that we are in the intensity of the war of Gog and Magog.
Is there a connection between “Google” and “Gog”, since the word “Google” has the word “Gog” in its name (גוגל, גוג-ל)? Google started as a search engine for the Internet, and today it controls all of the searches on the Internet, every page, and it is the engine that runs all smartphones…
ANSWER:
Yes!
https://question.bilvavi.net/blog/2021/08/24/the-google-gog-connection/
QUESTION:
Are the rockets now in Eretz Yisrael a sign of the “war of Gog and Magog” and that Mashiach is coming?
ANSWER:
It is not a sign – it is a part of the war of Gog and Magog, for we are already amidst it.
https://question.bilvavi.net/blog/2022/06/20/rockets-meron-tragedy-is-mashiach-coming/
QUESTION:
What is the “internal war of Gog and Magog” which “confuses everything” today? What did the Rav mean by this?
ANSWER:
Everything contains good and evil within it, which are mixed together.
A clear example of this is the device (kli) which houses media/internet, which contains good and evil mixed together in it in a very disturbing manner.
It is through it [internet devices] that the entire world is being fought against – it fights against each person with his various issues and wishes.
And there is also a revealed reality that we can see clearly like the light (ohr), in which there are wars, physical suffering and emotional suffering, troubles from every direction.
Corresponding to that [to the evil kli and ohr which is the revelation of the war of Gog and Magog] is the ohr, the revelation, of love – an internal and deep connection of the soul, the opening of the hearts, to become united together.
There is also a revelation of simplicity in contrast to complexity.
There is also a revelation of simple emunah in contrast to all of the complex chochmah.
And, in this generation, it is easier for a person to grasp the oneness of his soul, because of the above reasons.
https://question.bilvavi.net/blog/2021/11/25/inner-war-of-gog-magog/
An intensification of this occurred with the appearance of coronavirus, which catapulted the entire world into another dimension, the dimension of Keter d'Keter.
(For more clarification on that, please see here it-aint-over-yet.html and here scientists-are-documenting-the-keter-dreisha-dlo-ityada-only-they-dont-know-it.html)
This put the Geula process on steroids to shorten the time we have until Redemption:
As you can see, I'm on the Internet, despite the warnings and encouragement of Rav Schwartz.
I don't want to be on the Internet and am doing a lot to limit myself and get off completely — with the exception of email.
As usual, this blog is mostly about stuff that helped me and might help you too, plus I like for people to learn from my mistakes and transgressions, to hopefully help them avoid suffering as much as I did/do.
This might seem weird in a world where many people engage in blogging and social media to promote themselves, their methods, their lifestyle, their decisions, and to otherwise encourage others to be just like them.
But I don't want you to be like me. God forbid.
Just be the best you God intended you to be.
How the Perspective of a being Caught Up in Spiritual & Psychological Battles Helps So Much
Rather than blaming myself for "falls" or low dragging moments, I simply remind myself this is a war.
In war, there is battle fatigue, shell-shock, confusion, distraction, and loss.
In other words, I don't need to feel bad about myself or feel like I'm a failure or hypocrite or any other version of "What's wrong with me? Why can't I just get my act together?"
There's nothing wrong with me! Of course I'm having a hard time getting me act together! It's WAR!
Having said that, I certainly need to pick myself up, and not allow myself to fall as one of the many spiritual casualties of this war.
So I felt better and davened a better Shacharit that morning after the Bilvavi email.
And remember, there are actual physical wars going on too, with the constant threat of intensification (especially in my area — Eretz Yisrael).
So altogether, that's a big challenge and not something anyone needs to blame themselves for or feel bad about for not handling it perfectly at every waking moment.
How the Perspective of War Helps in Dealing with Others
Rather than judging others, it awakens compassion.
Rather than seeing this person as "pathetically lacking in emunah!" or "she needs to get her act together!" and so on, I just see the people as understandably battle weary, shell-shocked, confused, or "bleeding" from gaping wounds.
For example, if you see someone lying face-down in a battlefield while bleeding and missing a limb as the battle rages around them, would you start giving them mussar?
Would you chide them for their lack of emunah or yell at them to get their act together?
How would that be remotely helpful?
(Having said that, there's a time to talk tough and "shock" people to their senses. But tough response only applies to rare situations.)
No, if you see someone lying badly injured, shocked, and fatigued in the midst of battle, it's better to do what you can to help them. Even if you're not a professional, you can at least lay a gentle hand on them and reassure them they aren't alone and abandoned.
You can move them so their face isn't suffocating in the mud.
Of course, you can certainly help them by telling them, "I really think you'll feel better if you stop standing right in front of the cannon when the cannonball comes shooting out."
(Don't be surprised if they don't listen — or even get upset with you — because in their confusion, they firmly believe this is the best place for them to stand, they've no other place to stand, and that it's not a cannon, but a bride merely tossing bridal bouquets at their head.)
What makes this even more challenging is when we ourselves feel battle-fatigued, shell-shocked, bleeding from several wounds, and grieving over the losses we suffered during this prolonged war.
The metaphor definitely holds.
It's hard to help other people when you yourself lie flattened and wounded in the mud, mourning all the losses close to your heart, as the battle rages around you.
Sometimes, all you can say is, "I understand because I more or less feel the same way too" (and don't be surprised if they don't believe you; you might be better at masking your trauma & injuries & losses, or the other person simply cannot see they aren't the only one suffering from the war).
Nonetheless, what increases the spiritual light and sweetens the bitter judgement in This World is when you still strive to genuinely help others however you personally can — even as you yourself desperately need help just as much as them.
this-is-the-third-world-warand-we-are-currently-found-in-the-intense-part-of-it-insights-advice-from-rav-itamar-schwartz-on-surviving-the-war-of-gog-magog.html
How will I get Torah without Any Internet?
What If Using Zoom Gives Me Chizuk?
Several Q&A with Rav Itamar Schwartz regarding Erev Rav
Several Q&A with Rav Itamar Schwartz regarding the War of Gog & Magog
You can see all Myrtle Rising posts featuring the wisdom of Rav Itamar Schwartz here:
https://myrtlerising.weebly.com/blog/category/rav-itamar-schwartz