Those of us who live in the real world and live according to the real Torah recognize that there is no such superstitious connection between life's hardships and their magical solutions. In other words, Torah is not magic or superstition, it is real living for real people facing real problems in the real world. There is no mystical connection between religious rituals, mystical prayers or ceremonies and the challenges of real circumstances that happen in real life.

Whether we like it or not, we are all subject to natural daily troubles. As Curly Howard would say, we are all, "victims of circumstance" (nyuck, nyuck). And these, by no means, are limited to the forces of nature and the elements. I also include within this the machinations and sufferings we experience daily from other human beings. No human being who has ever lived on Earth has ever been free from daily problems. This is Torah truth! Therefore, no religious person should ever say or believe that just by being religious makes one's problems to go away. Anyone who turns to religion thinking that it will somehow cure one of this or that problem is making a serious mistake.

Life in this world is now and has always been about hardships. In the words of the old country western song, "I beg your pardon; I never promised you a rose garden." We human beings were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and now we all live here on Jungle Earth. Jungle living is no paradise. It is more like Hell than Heaven. Indeed, were it not for Torah we would have all degraded to the level of the animal instead of striving to become full human beings. Yet, in order to become fully human Torah must be embraced properly and in its natural and normal form.

Real Torah is about personal human transformation. Real faith is the acceptance of life's problems as having a greater purpose and meaning in one's life. Walking with G-d is like a test or even like a game. This is the lesson we learn from every Biblical and Talmudic role-model. Each of them, without exception lived lives full of turmoil and stress. We learn from them how to we must deal with our own.

When something strange, bizarre and unusual occurs, rather than lose control and stress out over how one is to handle the unknown, one should instead turns one's inner eye to Heaven and silently says, "Ribono Shel Olam (Master of the universe), I know there is a purpose in this, I admit that I do not know it and I certainly do not understand it, nevertheless may You guide my mind, my heart and my actions that I may navigate myself through these circumstances with wisdom and correctness. Let me do the right thing and may you grant me insight, Amen."

This prayer expresses simple faith. Faith, the Gemara (Macot 24) tell us sums up the whole Torah and it is the definition of being righteous (Habakuk). One who walks this natural path of Living Torah has no need for magical ceremonies or mystical rites (Segulot). A person of true faith does not believe in the fantasy of magic, nor does such a one try to manipulate or influence Heaven to go against its natural course and in favor of one's personal desires. Such attempts violate the very spirit of Torah and contradict the very essence of faith.

Strange things and bad things happen daily. Very strange things, even tragedies happen regularly to even the most religious of the religious. Those so afflicted may try a number of spiritual remedies and seek out numerous Kabbalists and Rabbis for blessings and intervention. Sometimes these work, yet many times they do not. When the promised (and often paid for) magic does not work, people often turn on themselves believing that only if one were more worthy then somehow the Torah magic would work. They then turn to more and more strict religious observances and prayers, only to find out that still, they have not won the lotto or that someone is still dying of cancer or that still one cannot find a suitable marriage partner. Magic blessings do not work any magic. Only real hard word work brings about real and tangible results. The best blessing that one can receive is that one will be granted the wisdom to see what needs to be practically done and to do it.

When one has an issue in this real world, one must pause, compose oneself, and silently seek wisdom within how best it is to handle the situation at hand. Magic does not work, but practical, realistic steps do. G-d is the author of the natural world. He is Elohim (Gematria 86), creator of all the laws of nature (HaTeva, Gematria also 86). What is natural must be addressed naturally. This should not be a revelation to anyone. It is common sense and the foundation of our Torah.

In today's world we are bombarded with daily confusion, troubles and turmoil. There is no peace, not in the home, not in the society and not in the economy. The present world situation is enough to drive anyone insane. Daily stress levels are literally putting people in early graves.

To make matters even worse, everyday people are acting in the most despicably impersonal, inhuman and unsympathetic of ways. In the business world, customer service is a joke. It is more like customer abuse and no one seems to care at all. Our politicians are in a world of their own, apparently beholden only to those who line their pockets with election support. Our big businesses follow interests which certainly seem not to take into account the needs of the everyday worker who makes those businesses thrive. We are living in a heartless, immoral, uncaring society and everyday matters seem to get worse and worse.

Now, do not get all religious on me and start quoting to me religious teachings about optimism and the like. No, I refuse to look at the world with "rose-colored" glasses and say, "this too is for good." Our present reality is pretty bad and we only lie to ourselves when we redefine matters by turning them upside down in order interpret them for the best.

No, the world today is hopelessly corrupt. And this is because the people in it are hopelessly corrupt. Things will not get magically better. No Messiah is coming to sprinkle magic fairy-dust and to miraculously change the hearts of evil and selfish people. No, the evil and heartless are not destined to be miraculously saved. The evil and heartless are destined by Heaven to meet their rightful destinies which is none other than to reap the fruits of their own planting. They will be forced to live in the world of their own making and to die because of it. No magic will change this; no amount of religion will make this go away.

We are again in a time like the generation before the Flood and like the generation that was enslaved in Egypt. Both generations witnessed a great cleansing which materialized in the downfall and destruction of the present civilization. Why on Earth do we think we will fare any different? But yes, we do believe that we are different, that G-d will miraculous intervene and magically make all our problems go away. We run "la-de-da" around in blissful ignorance and denial about the present state of the world.

Yes, strange things are happening around us, some of them are devastating; almost all of them are bad. Our magical belief in protection by religion will not save us nor keep us safe. The only thing that can ever protect us is our shield of practical faith and our swords of wisdom, using G-d given common sense bestowed upon us by Heaven to see the coming storm clouds and to take the necessary precautions. Faith is not what you believe; it is what you do!

We must never be afraid of the future or of the many enemies that surround us. Granted they are stronger than us and committed to our harm. We cannot change this so we should not bother to try. What we should be doing instead is making ourselves to be better, more honorable human beings. We should do everything in our power not to stoop to the lows of those heartless SOBs who seek our harm. We must be better than this!

We are human beings created in the Divine Image. We therefore must act like human beings and not like wounded animals. We are human beings. We have names. We are not numbers or mere cogs in a machine. We are not mere components in the system of "Big Brother" to be used and discarded when no longer useful.

We will not change the world. We cannot control what happens to us. But we can have absolute control over how we respond to what happens to us. When daily confronted by the heartless bureaucrat who treats everyone like a number or like a thing, we can respond like human beings. This does not mean that we are always nice, smiley and turning the other cheek in perpetual forgiveness. On the contrary, such is not the Torah way.

Only when one is remorseful for wanton behavior and expresses such with true sincerity and change of behavior do we open our arms to embrace and forgive. Yet, when heartless people continue to act like animals, it is then a mitzvah to treat them like they deserve. We do no lower ourselves to act towards them as they act towards us, but we do keep our encounters with them brief, businesslike and highly impersonal. They do not like us and we in turn do not like them. They want to treat us like numbers or like fellow animals; we in turn must remember who we are and act as human beings. When our fellow human beings act like animals, we distance ourselves from them as we would from any other wild animal. Such human animals are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

I never believe in mistreating another, still I never allow them to treat me with less dignity than any human being deserves. Some might consider this to be a path towards confrontation and being non-conforming. So be it. Let people consider what they wish. They will not be around for much longer. Do you really think the world can go on as it is for another generation without fundamental radical changes that will change the very fabric of society itself?

We live in strange, uncertain, and unstable times. Things will not be getting better soon. The storm clouds are on the horizon and those who wish to survive had better start thinking about this now. My dear readers, you have no idea of what is "coming down the pike" in the short time to come. You may not see it, notice it or maybe even care about it. But it is coming nonetheless. It is time for the sleepers to awaken, while they still have the ability to be aroused. The animals will perish and only the true human beings will survive.

Torah teaches us how to be human beings in our present jungle world. We cannot escape the trials and tribulations of jungle life. Torah does not transform our world into a garden. All Torah does is to give us the opportunity to transform ourselves. Bad things will continue to happen. This is the nature of the jungle. We cannot control it. All we can do is learn to respond humanly and humanely.

Do not turn to religion for miracles; rather turn to Torah for wisdom, proper guidance and natural (Elokim=HaTeva) direction. Superstitions and misguided faith will always let you down. Real Torah and real faith on the other hand will always lift you up.

Trust in Heaven and do the right things, but do not think that one without the other is enough. Faith is what you do, not what you believe. Stop believing in make-believe religious magic. This is not Torah. Start being real. Be a man! This is a lesson equal for all males and females. Only in this is Heaven's blessing. As Benjamin Franklin said, "G-d helps those who help themselves." Do not expect Heaven to do what we are supposed to do, but do trust in G-d that He can and will do that which we cannot.

The animals are being corralled, only to be hunted down. The jungle will soon be cut down. Chose wisely if you truly wish to stand up and be human; for if you do, now is the time to start acting it.