How to Create a Spiritual Iron Dome

The Jewish People are experiencing difficult times and we need to accumulate as many merits as possible to stand in our favor. What are the most powerful reinforcements we can take upon ourselves to awaken heavenly mercy? Here are some suggestions:

1. Keep the upcoming Shabbat. Shabbat is the heart of Judaism, and it connects the Jew to Hashem and makes him Hashem's partner in creation. Keeping Shabbat is essentially our testimony that we believe Hashem created the world and everything in it.

The Torah states: "The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever, that in six days Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested" (Shemot 31:16-17).

Hashem defined Shabbat as a sign of the covenant between Him and the Jewish People. Keeping the Shabbat covenant is a sign of a Jew's loyalty to Hashem.

During Shabbat, a special holiness descends from heaven upon this world. Not everyone merits to experience this holiness -- only those in covenant with the Creator who keep the sign of loyalty: Shabbat.

Just as a man standing under the chuppah (wedding canopy) says to his bride "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring," and places it on her finger to symbolize her sanctity to him, so too has Hashem sanctified us through Shabbat. Shabbat is our sign, like a wedding ring, signifying our loyalty. Hashem tells us in the Torah, "Keep My Sabbath, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you shall know that I, Hashem, sanctify you" (Shemot 31:13).

On Shabbat, a higher spiritual dimension called a "neshamah yeterah" (additional soul) is granted to the soul of the Jew who observes Shabbat. Our Sages explain that this additional soul has several effects on a person: it brings peace of mind and inner joy; provides additional wisdom and enhanced ability for depth and understanding; and confers extra holiness upon the person. The Zohar adds that this additional soul is superior and more holy to the "everyday" soul, giving the person who observes Shabbat a taste of the world to come.

2. Throw away the least modest garment in your closet. Following the horrific terrorist attacks of Simchat Torah--October 7, many Jewish-Israeli women started a phenomenon where they resolve to improve their level of modest dress, Many women filmed themselves cutting up immodest clothes while praying to Hashem that just as they cut their immodest clothes, so too will He cut away harsh judgments from the Jewish People.

The Midrash (Midrash Tanchuma, Parshat Vayeshev) reveals to us that Hashem decided to create the first woman, Chava (Eve), specifically from Adam's rib because the body part from which she was created would influence her essence, as well as the essence of all women in creation, since their souls are included in Chava's soul. So why did Hashem choose to create woman from the rib? Because it is a concealed and covered part of the body, and therefore, modesty is part of the essence of all Jewish women.

The Midrash continues and reveals that with every limb that Hashem created in Chava, He said, "Be modest." This was Hashem's only request of woman when He created her – to be modest. Hashem could have stressed so many commandments that need to be kept, but the one and only thing that He chose to tell woman at her creation was – be modest, as this is the fundamental Divine wish for all Jewish girls and women.

3. Make a commitment to put on tefillin daily. Putting on tefillin is a positive commandment from the Torah, as it is written: "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and for a memorial between your eyes, that the law of Hashem may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Hashem brought you out of Egypt" (Shemot 13:9), and also "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes; for by strength of hand Hashem brought us forth out of Egypt" (Shemot 13:16). Tefillin is a sign of the covenant between us and Hashem. When a Jew puts on tefillin, he is essentially testifying to his faith in Hashem, thereby binding himself to Hashem.

Tefillin absorbs the divine light and channels it into the soul residing in the brain -- the place of thoughts -- and into the spirit residing in the heart -- the place of feelings -- and so by putting on tefillin, the Jew merits to receive an inner light into his soul.

Start putting on tefillin, and while wearing the tefillin, recite the Shema. In just five minutes you'll merit to fulfill an enormous mitzvah.

4. Torah study –the ultimate commandment for Jewish men. Torah study is not just another mitzvah among the rest of the commandments. The mitzvah of Torah study takes prime place in a Jewish man's service of Hashem. The Gemara notes that the reward for Torah study is equal to the rewards of many other mitzvot combined: "These are the things that a person does and eats their fruits in this world, while the principal remains for him in the world to come, and they are: honoring one's father and mother, acts of kindness, bringing peace between a person and his fellow ... and Torah study is equal to them all combined."

The obligation to study Torah is repeated in many places in the Torah, such as: "And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Devarim 6:7); "And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Devarim 11:19) and more.

The Rambam rules, "Every Jewish man is obligated in Torah study, whether poor or rich, whether physically whole or afflicted with suffering, whether young or very old with diminished strength, even if he is poor and supported by charity and goes begging from door to door, and even if he has a wife and children – he is obligated to set aside time for Torah study by day and by night, as it is said, 'And you shall meditate on it day and night'" (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Torah Study, Chapter 1, Law 8).

Torah study has maintained the Jewish People for thousands of years; may we continue to study Torah and fulfill the mitzvot and earn Hashem's protection, Amen!