How to Endure the Difficult Trials of Our Time? Rav Ofer Erez with the Sure

The trials that visit us in our generation are only intensifying from day to day. The righteous Rav Ofer Erez shlit"a, in his lesson on Torah 33 in Likutey Moharan, reveals the "strongest advice" to strengthen oneself and safely navigate all the spiritual and physical trials that attack each and every person. These are his holy words.

"In our generations, which are called 'the footsteps of Mashiach,' our Sages, the Tannaim and Amoraim, said explicitly: 'Let him come, but let me not see him'—let Mashiach come, but I do not want to be in the trials of these generations. Our Sages saw through the Holy Spirit what difficult trials were going to be in our generation—trials such as have never been before."

"On one hand, the Gemara says that the smallest of the Tannaim could resurrect the dead; on the other hand, the Tanna says: 'No problem, I am ready to resurrect the dead, but to come in this generation, I am not ready'—'Let him come, but let me not see him,' that Mashiach should come but I should not see him, due to the sheer fear that the Tannaim felt regarding the trials of this generation."

"Because there is an intensification of the days of evil in the footsteps of Mashiach, an intensification of trials that, according to the words of our Sages and the tzaddikim of the generations—we do not know this, but in our generation, it is harder than in all other generations. There has never been such a generation with such difficulties; therefore, we cannot withstand these trials alone."

"The war in this world is too difficult; we cannot withstand it. The strongest way to cope, especially in our generation, is through connection with the tzaddikim."

"Even in previous generations, there was the point of connection with the tzaddikim, but not with the revelation, scope, and necessity as it is in our generation, because a person cannot stand alone today in the war against the evil inclination."

"I heard from Rav Berland who said: 'A person also does not know what a day will bring forth.' This means that every day we awaken, we say this in prayer: 'He renews in His goodness each day, continually, the work of creation,' and the clarification of this is that every morning we receive a note in which it is written what evil inclination we are going to have on this day. And a person does not know tomorrow morning what note he is going to receive. And every time new trials arise, and a person does not know what a day will bring forth; therefore, 'Happy is the man who fears always,' because a person does not know what evil inclination he will receive in the morning."

"And this matter in the footsteps of Mashiach is very difficult and powerful. The Baal Shem Tov began to reveal this in the world, and all his students followed this path—especially Rebbe Nachman. They revealed the necessary and fundamental point—'the connection with the tzaddikim.' What power we receive through this."

"Therefore, Rebbe Nachman says that through Torah and connection with the tzaddikim, one receives the strength to reveal the good that is within the days of evil."