You can change the World with Only One Thought

The influence of thought on our surroundings is observed in many ways. This has been established to some limited degree with machines that measure brainwaves recorded either directly or through the scalp.

According to Jewish Law, a person is not allowed to think holy thoughts of prayer or of the Bible in an unclean place. A person's thinking interacts with his outside surroundings and, it is disrespectful to the holy thoughts and a conflict with the uncleanliness of the place he is in.

A person is not allowed to think badly of an otherwise genuine person. The mere reservation of trustworthiness is considered wrong and harmful to that individual. Even worse, for both parties, is to hate in your heart and bear a grudge.

The Talmud tells us that when the Bible character, King Balak, brought sacrifices to curse the Jews, his bad intentions brought a harsh punishment years later, and his good deeds, the sacrifices to G-d, generated the reward that King David and King Solomon where his progeny!

While on the subject of sacrifices...if a person brought a sacrifice and, in his mind, he was thinking an intentional wrong thought, to eat the sacrifice outside the allotted time or place where the sacrifice must be eaten, this would invalidate the offering.

The Rambam says, a person should always see himself as half-meritorious and half-contemptible, and with even one thought, he can tip the world to the positive or to the negative.

A person's thought can influence and tip the entire Universe for the good.

The Talmud further says that in one moment a person can make an about face from where he is and think and regret his past misdeeds In that one moment, his status changes from being considered an evil person, and he can become righteous!! Saying he is sorry mechanically accomplishes nothing. It is specifically his thoughts of regret, and his sincere resolution to look in another direction from now on, that transform the person status, entirely.

One of my teachers sent to hard labor for eight years remembered how his spiritual teacher once said that all those who were in the Russian gulag for teaching Judaism should intensely connect in their thoughts, and he would reciprocate.

So, at the first possibility, he closed his eyes and envisioned himself in a private audience with the Rebbe giving him a letter regarding his situation. The Rebbe actually responded with a letter!

When his wife received this letter she first thought he successfully escaped and soon would be reunited only to discover that he was still in the hard labor camps. It was only years later seeing the date on the letter did the whole story fall into place. Think positive, think faith and transform your world. Transform the entire universe.

Thinking is not just personal, it vibrates in the world around you.

Surrounding every person there is an atmosphere of paradise and of hell. When a person generates G-dly positive thoughts they harmoniously fit into the air of paradise and strengthen this energy around this person. When a person supports ungodly negative thoughts, they fit in and strengthen the atmosphere and energy of hell around the person.

Thoughts are powerful. They maneuver the soul, impact the soul, and can be a negative or positive influence and steering force in a person’s life. Another characteristic of thought is, what you think will influence the atmosphere and vibrations outside of you.

So the choice of what you think, is not just a personal one, which will impact your own life, it will as well shape the world around you.

One of the mystics write, “when you walk into the 4 cubits of a person and good thoughts come into your mind, most likely the person around you is a G-dly person. However if you should have negative thoughts, bad and unproductive ones, this is a proof you just came in contact and encountered a not so good person”.

We all know how terrible it is to gossip and speak bad things of people. The sages say, it is equal to the worst transgressions. In the book of Zechariah he goes further and says “one should not even think badly of his friend in his heart”. The reason is because, even thinking will have a negative influence on that person.

“A good thought G-d brings to fulfillment”. The power of thought is that it alone, can and will create its realization. Because thought is higher than time and space, I.e., we can take ourselves in thought to the past or the future, which is why, through thought, a person, can influence and sway the lower territories of both time and space. This power of thought applies as well regarding someone else. When a person has positive thoughts about someone else or negative ones, from the powerful position of thought, it will have an effect on that person

Good positive invigorating thought, can reach deep inside and bring out the best light and strength from a friend who may be a little sad etc. When a person thinks of someone, a close friend etc. even though they are not close to each other physically, they will be connected and intimate, influencing each other through the power of thought.

Great Chassidic Rabbis would set aside time when they would strongly and deeply contemplate on the love they had for their students and followers. From many stories we know, that this would in middle of nowhere arouse a reciprocal love and yearning and a great spiritual strength in the hearts of their students.

When a person looks strongly and focused at someone, the other person not even knowing turns to the one looking at them. When a person thinks deeply about someone else, this energy like a laser beam radiates to that person. It’s kind of scary but that’s the power of thought.

Trust in G-d, will never let you down

The bible tells us, Moses killed an Egyptian who was striking one of his brothers. The next day he went out into the field and it tells us how Moses was thinking and speaking, “He saw (i.e. was thinking), (That Pharaoh wanted to kill him ) and said, alas the matter is known”. The Bible goes on to say, that Pharaoh actually did find out about the matter and because of this, Moses ran away from Egypt.

It would have been enough to tell us, that Pharaoh found out and wanted the life of Moses. Why does the verse need to first tell us how Moses was thinking at the time? The Bible is teaching us a fundamental lesson in trusting G-d.

Had Moses fully trusted G-d that no evil would befall him for protecting his brother, the story would have unfolded totally different. It is only because of the concern and anxiety in Moses, this inadequate trust, and even more so, the fact that he expressed it in speech, “alas the matter in known”, that the dreadful event followed, “and Pharoah found out“.

It takes an immense effort to develop and acquire trust, real absolute trust, the kind that brings tranquility, where there is no anxiousness. A person tosses his parcel of worries on G-d and it’s no more his worries anymore, it’s G-d’s worry. The person knows all his concerns are in good hands. A Person with absolute trust in G-d , doesn’t consider anymore what appears as impending hardships.

All good deeds generate it’s positive consequences. This great endeavor in trust, elicits a tremendous reaction and response from G-d . Therefore, whether the person otherwise is worthy or not, the reward for THIS act alone of faith and trust, brings the greatest response from G-d. G-d in all his glory who is being trusted, comes through, in all his glory, for the person trusting him.

In the same way that the person put all his logical considerations aside in anticipation that G-d will never let him down. G-d so to say, also deals with the person in this same way and ignores and disregards any other considerations, whether the person deserves reward or punishment or any natural phenomena, and behaves with the person with all considerations aside.

And further. Just like in the story above, what made things worse is the fact that not only did Moses fear Pharaoh he actually expressed this in speech. The same is true for the positive. When a person not only is strong in his faith internally but also shows and expresses this faith and trust verbally and in action, this creates the strongest possibility for G-d as well, to act with the person with all of G-ds' faculties, in a perfect and infinite manner for the sake of this person. In a miraculous fashion.

It goes without saying, that the person always does all that he can and all that he should according to his own abilities. Once he reaches his maximum capacity, he then turns to a higher power for the part he can’t do on his own.

When a person faces obstacles in life, absolute trust in G-d that our obstacles are only a test and we have the ability to carry out whatever G-d puts in our way, this is the answer. The higher more powerful force who he has then invited and acknowledged through his trust, will never let him down.

Your thoughts can and will, change the world, actually.

We already discussed that in the course of thought a person draws their actual life and soul in that direction. Happy thoughts will make for a happy person, not only in thought but also in actuality. The person deep down becomes a happy fellow.

In the next few articles, I will share with you another concept in mysticism. Your thoughts can actually alter world events!

The first way your thoughts modify the world, is because thoughts will get you to do what you are thinking about. You will act according to your thoughts and that will bring about what you are thinking into the world.

There is a second, more powerful way thoughts will influence the world. Thoughts are on a higher realm and not limited by space and time and because of that, this powerful energy can influence and amend the more finite and limited physicality of this world.

One reason our thoughts are so powerful is because “G-d above is our shadow,” he mimics so to say, our actions. G-d deals with us in the exact manner we put out our energy. When a person is in a state of joy and happiness, G-d deals with us in abundance with joy and happiness.

Because G-d empowered each person to be his partner in creation, he has given each one of us this tremendous ability. G-d the source of all energy, gives us great consideration and what and how G-d deals with us is activated and triggered by what and the way we do things.

When a person senses problems and troubles coming his way, the bible says, “Don’t be afraid, trust in G-d’s salvation.” Trust is the ultimate tool in dealing with challenges.

Trust isn’t only faith in G-d’s ability to do well and save you from the situation you are in. Trust is much more powerful and intense. Trust is like having money in a trust fund. You feel secure, you know you have nothing to worry about financially, because the money is there and you are not lacking of anything. In the book “Duties of the Heart,” the author writes, “The quality of trust is (known by the) tranquility of the soul in the one who trusts. His heart feels secure and confident in no doubt, in the one he is trusting, that he will do good and what’s proper for him in the matter that he is trusting.”

Once there was a pious student of a mystical teacher – a Chassid, who was told that his daughter had a very serious terminal illness. The doctors gave up on her. As is the custom amongst Chassidim, he wanted to go to his spiritual mentor for a blessing and advice. But the doctors however said there were only hours left, so why bother. A good friend reminded this student the statement of our sages, “a person should never desist from prayer,” and “to the last second a person must never give up hope,” because miracles happen.

So he decided to go with a friend and when he reached the Rabbi mystic, he started to cry thinking maybe she was already dead by this time. The mystic Rabbi said. “Don’t cry, THINK GOOD AND IT WILL BE GOOD. Don’t cry anymore, you will yet be at the bar mitzvah of her children.”

This story clearly illustrates, the way we think, will actually influence the health of ones daughter. The psalmist says, “those who trust in G-d, kindness will surround them,” even, if otherwise, they may not deserve good. How does that work? More next time.