Fear Not, Hashem IS In Control Of All (How to Respond to Slander and Gossip Against You)

(by Christopher Fredrickson) 
How amazing and awesome is our Creator?  I don't think we really realize just how amazing and awesome Hashem truly is.  Brethren, I and friends of mine have been under horrible attack the past few weeks, since Hashem has passed down more responsibility to me in areas of teaching and observance.  The enemy doesn't like it.  Every now and then the enemy creeps up with the goal of seeking and destroying.  Yet at the same time as is noted: 

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ܡܛܠ ܕܟܠ ܡܢܗ ܘܟܠ ܒܗ ܘܟܠ ܒܐܝܕܗ ܕܠܗ ܬܫܒܚܢ ܘܒܘܪܟܢ ܠܥܠܡ ܥܠܡܝܢ ܐܡܝܢ
Because, all are from Him, and all are by Him, and all are in His power, so that, unto Him are the praises and the blessings, unto everlasting eternities. Amin {Amen}.
Romans 11:36 (The Aramaic Scriptures)

The Talmud makes note that a person who has not gone 40 days and 40 nights without trial or tribulation is in danger of loosing their share in the world to come.  This is also why Rav Shaul said: 

ܘܠܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܐܠܐ ܐܦ ܒܐܘܠܨܢܝܢ ܡܫܬܒܗܪܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܕܝܕܥܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܕܐܘܠܨܢܐ ܡܣܝܒܪܢܘܬܐ ܓܡܪ ܒܢ 
 And not thus so only, but, we also boast in afflictions, which we know that afflictions perfect patience in us,
Romans 5:3 (The Aramaic Scriptures)

The words of Rav Shaul relate to the passage from the Tanach which states: 

 כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְהוָה יוֹכִיחַ; וּכְאָב  אֶת-בֵּן יִרְצֶה
For whom the L-RD loves He corrects
even as a father the son in whom he delights.
(Proverbs 3:12)

Though it seems ridiculous, to most, that we rejoice in our trials and that we actually pray for trials.  The fact is Hashem brings great blessing through our trials and He is constantly defending us if we seek in him through hitbodedut.  Hashem then reigns down the blessing.  

This year has been a major year of trial, tribulation and testing for me, that has set me up to become the individual that Hashem has called me to be.  This year, major steps were taken personally to cling tighter and closer to Hashem.  Then Hashem throws a curve ball and says, "Let's see how he reacts to this, and his reaction will determine if he gets blessing....or if he gets a curse."  Several things in my life this past year could have gone the complete and opposite way in judgement if I failed to realize "everything is from Hashem", and if I failed to respond in simcha, chesed and anavah.  If I chose to not engage in hitbodedut then I would essentially be saying "Hashem is powerless and I hold all the power."  If I questioned his ways in a way that was in saying "why are you doing this to me?" as opposed to, "what are you trying to show me for my own good?" then the outcomes of the ministries I am involved with would be much different than they have been this past week.  Several individuals, who will remain nameless, have said "I am making it my life's mission to destroy you."  Simply because they disagree with my stance on several issues.  Many want to get a reaction that is negative, in order to get validation of their self perceived superiority.  Well, they have failed, and they hopefully learned really quickly that Hashem is in control.  

I also must note, that for a few hours, I actually thought through the rumors and slander that this little group had made in order to harm me, would succeed because of how wishy washy people can be at times.  But Hashem brought me incredible shalom that very day on my way to work, the sky was lit up, there was a breeze that was absolutely perfect and I had the song Kadosh Ata playing through my speakers on the way to work.  I was reminded of the response of our Melech Mashiach: 

And having got up, the Kohen Gadol said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Do you answer nothing? For what do these men give edut (testimony) against you? But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was silent. And the Kohen Gadol said to him, I adjure you by Hashem, Elohim Chayyim, to tell us if you are the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Ben HaElohim.
Matthew 26:32-33 (The Orthodox Jewish Bible) 

Matthew 27:24-32, talks about how Yeshua was beaten, he was whipped and yet....he remained silent.  In other gospels, it notes he only said, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."  So when we are in the same situation and slandered with words, when rumors are spread, what should be our reaction if not silence.....simply this: "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."  We pray for their hearts to be changed, we forgive immediately for we mustn't ever repay evil for evil.  

ܘܠܐ ܬܦܪܥܘܢ ܠܐܢܫ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܚܠܦ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܐܠܐ ܢܬܒܛܠ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܬܥܒܕܘܢ ܛܒܬܐ ܩܕܡ ܒܢܝܢܫܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ
And don’t repay unto Men evil, in exchange for evil, but rather, be concerned for them, so that, you do good before all the sons of Men.
Romans 12:17 (The Aramaic Scriptures)

ܘܠܐܢܫ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܚܠܦ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܠܐ ܬܦܪܥܘܢ ܘܐܦ ܠܐ ܨܘܚܝܬܐ ܚܠܦ ܨܘܚܝܬܐ ܐܠܐ ܕܠܩܘܒܠܐ ܕܗܠܝܢ ܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܡܒܪܟܝܢ ܠܗܕܐ ܓܝܪ ܐܬܩܪܝܬܘܢ ܕܒܘܪܟܬܐ ܬܐܪܬܘܢ 
 And unto no Man pay back evil for their evil, and neither insult for insult, but rather, the opposite of these; be blessing, for, unto this you are called, so that, you might inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9 (The Aramaic Scriptures)

For it is also written: 

  ܘܠܒܫܘ ܟܠܗ ܙܝܢܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܬܫܟܚܘܢ ܠܡܩܡ ܠܘܩܒܠ ܨܢܥܬܗ ܕܐܟܠ ܩܪܨܐ 
And put on all the weaponry of Alaha {God}, in such a way that you are able to stand to oppose the plots of the consuming accuser.
  ܡܛܠ ܕܬܟܬܘܫܟܘܢ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܥܡ ܒܣܪܐ ܘܕܡܐ ܐܠܐ ܥܡ ܐܪܟܘܣ ܘܥܡ ܫܠܝܛܢܐ ܘܥܡ ܐܚܝܕܝ ܥܠܡܐ ܕܗܢܐ ܚܫܘܟܐ ܘܥܡ ܪܘܚܐ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܝܐ 
Because, that conflict is not to be with flesh and blood, but rather, with Powers, and with Rulers, and with the ones in charge of this world of darkness, and with evil spirits which are under the Heavens.
​Ephesians 6:11-12 (The Aramaic Scriptures)

With this, we must realize, our reactions must always be for the good of the person who accuses, we must always retain our simcha and chesed.  For if we fail to do that then we fall into the hands of the enemy.  The ultimate goal of the evil within which is known as the Yetzer Hara, according to Rabbeinu Bachya is ultimately to kill you.  To kill you spiritually then with the end goal of killing you physically.  It can start through a sense of paranoia that "everyone is bad except me, so I shall trust in myself", it can start from seeing the Scripture and knowledge as only an academic thing, thus making it flat and no longer bringing a connection to Hashem that is constant in your life at all times.  And it can also do incredible harm to one through anxiety and cause them to be cut off from other believers.  It will cause them to start doubting the oral law, then the apostle Paul, then Yeshua, and ultimately the validity of Scripture and the words of Hashem.    

The fact is, if an individual puts full trust in Hashem, and realizes He is in control of all, and nothing is outside of his control.  If we respond in silence, and in prayer with chesed.  Then the results are far beyond our wildest dreams and desires.  For our Mashiach said: 

The one oisgehalten in little, also is neeman in much, and the one who is unrighteous in little, also in much is unrighteous.
​Luke 16:10 (The Orthodox Jewish Bible) 

and 

No eved is able to serve two adonim; for either he will have sinah (hatred) toward the one and he will have ahavah (love) toward the other, or one he will be devoted to and the other he will despise. Your avodas service cannot be for both Hashem and Mammon.  And the Perushim, who were ohavei kesef (lovers of money), heard all this and they made leitzonus (fun) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
Luke 16:13-14 (The Orthodox Jewish Bible)

The judgement from Hashem, over your ministry, over your life, over your finances, etc is dependent upon your heart and your reaction to trials and tribulations.  For it is written:  

וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם לֵב אֶחָד וְרוּחַ חֲדָשָׁה אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וַהֲסִרֹתִי לֵב הָאֶבֶן מִבְּשָׂרָם וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם לֵב בָּשָׂר
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 11:19 

In order to receive that heart of flesh, it is not by a divine transformation out of the blue that you did not work towards.  For one must strive to be approved by Hashem in order for this to happen outside of head knowledge.  But, in conclusion I want to show you all, what being kind, edifying, and reacting the right way to gossip and slander how it is Hashem blesses you with much when you react correctly in your actions an heart.  It is also important to note that this is a process.  This process took me several years to learn how to trust in Hashem fully and to hear His voice through trial and tribulation.  The pictures below, were G-d's reaction to me and showing me "well done faithful servant" through the most recent of trials.  

​In this first picture, I need to make note that I am lucky to get 500 views on my Torah Portion videos every week.  Within 24 hours since the most recent trials, G-d did something miraculous with increasing (what is the normal full week views) 10 fold within 24 hours.  Never, had I had a video get 5,618 views in 24 hours.  The most previously may have been 80-100.  

Now, on this one, my previous record of podcast listens in 24 hours was 14,000, which many would say is impressive but however at the same time I have been doing this for 10 years, so there is a lot of archives there.  Now, though 18,675 is not much more than 14,000 (our previous record).  I need to make note, this is after not uploading the audio into the podcast server since August.  According to Reditt, if a podcaster doesn't do a new podcast every week they are at risk of loosing over 40% of their subscribers.  These stats show that I am still gaining 50 subscribers on average according to the numbers from November 19th.  This is an impossible fete that could only have been done by Hashem. 

And finally PaRDeS Radio.  I have been so busy with everything else I have been doing that I have not devoted any time to PaRDeS Radio and updating and promoting through the email list etc.  So I was shocked when I looked at the website this morning and saw that there are 1,411 people listening to PaRDeS Radio that that moment, when on average we are lucky to get 200.  

Thus we close out with this chochmah from the Torah: 

  וְאַתֶּם, חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה; אֱלֹהִים, חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה, לְמַעַן עֲשֹׂה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לְהַחֲיֹת עַם-רָב
And as for you, you meant evil against me; but G-d meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people.
Genesis 50:20