Based on the Holy Teachings of HaAdmor Rabbi Yoshiahu Pinto Shlita
We are living in times that are unlike anything we have ever known. As we look around us, it is clear that we have entered a generation of profound difficulty and confusion. We are standing at the threshold of a new era, a “new world” that operates by rules we do not yet understand.
In a recent shiur, HaAdmor Rabbi Yoshiahu Pinto Shlita addressed the deep uncertainty of our times. “We have never been in a generation like this one,” the Rav explained. “We don’t know how to behave with this generation.”
Even the fundamental foundations of life, such as how to educate our children, have become clouded. Parents raise children with love, yet no one truly possesses a systematic understanding of how to guide the youth of today. Why? Because the generations are changing. The world that was is not the world that will be.
The Dangers of the Transition
We are currently in a transition period. It is a shift that affects everything: relationships between partners, friendships, family ties, the way we speak, and the way we conduct business.
The Rav warns that times of transition are historically dangerous. “Always in times of change, there are many people who fall,” the Admor Shlita teaches. Some fall in spirit, some in livelihood, and some lose their way entirely. When the world shakes, only those with a firm foundation can stand.
So, how do we survive this transition? How do we enter this new world safely?
The Parable of the Apple: The Secret of Shlemut (Wholeness)
The Admor offers a powerful parable to explain the spiritual physics of survival:
Imagine two apples on a table. One apple is whole and perfect. The other apple has had a small piece cut from it; it has an opening. The apple with the cut will quickly deteriorate, turn brown, and spoil. However, the whole apple will remain intact for a long time.
“What is imperfect deteriorates quickly,” the Rav explains.
If a person enters this difficult time with “cracks” in their spiritual armor—if they are not at peace with themselves, or if their relationships and thoughts are fragmented—they will not hold up against the pressure of the times. Imperfection allows the rot to set in.
Be Like Rabbi Akiva: Do Everything Perfectly
To pass through this storm, we must embrace Perfection in our deeds. This does not necessarily mean doing more, but rather doing whatever we do with absolute wholeness.
The Rav brings the example of the Tanna Rabbi Akiva. His wife, Rachel, saw something special in him even when he was a simple shepherd. She saw that he was humble and distinctive. Whatever Rabbi Akiva did, he did it perfectly. He did not do things by halves or thirds.
This is the advice for our generation:
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If you are a friend: Be a perfect friend. don’t be a friend halfway.
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If you pray: Pour out your heart completely.
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If you laugh: Laugh with all your heart.
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If you do a Mitzvah: Do it with exactness and beauty.
“A person who does many things in halves… is not perfect,” the Rav cautions. “Whatever you do, you must do with perfection.”
Organizing Life for the New Era
As we flounder through these years of change, moving closer to a reality we cannot yet predict, our only protection is Order and Integrity. A person withstands times of transition most strongly when they organize their life in an orderly manner.
We must strive to be perfect in soul, perfect in deeds, and perfect in the commandments. We must offer prayers and supplications to Hashem, for only He knows what this new generation holds.
Let us take the words of the Admor Shlita to heart: “If we want to enter and pass through this period… we need to be perfect.”
May Hashem grant us the strength to mend our cracks, to act with whole hearts, and to enter this new world with safety, blessing, and spiritual integrity.
