Satan: An Autobiography - Yehuda Berg 2010
Test Number Three Can You Learn to Wait (For The Right Moment)?
The Tests
When you plant a seed in the ground, does it instantaneously bear fruit? Of course not. You wouldn’t expect it to, either. All things that bear fruit stay hidden for a time. This is a Universal Truth in both the physical and spiritual worlds. It’s called Concealment, and who better to tell you about all things hidden than yours truly?
You see, if you allow time for the process of Concealment, you ensure that great things will be unleashed into the world. Hurry the process along, on the other hand, and you’ll have nothing but a dormant seed with no sprout in sight. Does that sound anything like death to you? It sure does to me.
So, what does my little seed metaphor mean to you? It means that before your greatness can be revealed, your patience will be tested. And not just your patience, either. I’ll test your ego—that need to be out there and important right now. Here’s a tip, by way of preparation. When the moment of decision comes, you’ll hear a voice inside you saying, “Why wait when you can have it all now?”
Any guesses as to whose voice that would be?
DIVINE INCUBATION
There is a period in every person’s life when she knows that she is capable of so much more than she’s doing, and her desire to burst into action is practically palpable. But remember this: All great work—no matter if it is a spiritual, business, or intellectual endeavor—requires an incubation period.
In other words, you can’t just want it; you’ve got to wait for it. Take the company Microsoft, for instance. It didn’t become a multinational company in a day. Bill Gates operated in relative obscurity for years before his company gained the success it enjoys today. It’s the smart folks—the ones who I haven’t gotten a firm grip on yet—who recognize that they could offer even more to the world if they stepped out of its line of sight for a time to reflect and mature. It is only with a consciousness of humility and openness that a person can understand the nature of Concealment. That’s because if you lack the desire to wait and see what the Light really has in store, then I’ve still got you. In fact, I’m at my absolute best when I work with people who have an addiction to the spotlight, a lack of patience, and a need for recognition.
The greatest example of concealment I can give you involves a Kabbalist by the name of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. This was a man untouchable by me, a man fully plugged in to the Light.
RAV SHIMON BAR YOCHAI
Rav Shimon lived in Israel in the second century, a very turbulent time of Roman rule. Rav Shimon took up residence in a secluded cave in the mountains. Many believed that he was trying to escape persecution from the Romans, but this doesn’t make much sense because Rav Shimon was the most powerful man who ever walked this Earth. He was one of only a handful of men to call me out, to challenge me, and win. His presence in this world created so much Light that there could be no free will; when you were in his presence, you couldn’t possibly make a negative choice!
Rav Shimon put himself in a state of Concealment so that he could do the best possible work on your behalf. Truth be told, he did not want to repeat Moses’ mistake of leaving part of the work to other people who might mess up. It was during Rav Shimon’s time in the cave that he revealed the Zohar, the greatest weapon ever to be used in the fight against me. The Zohar contains all the wisdom of the universe, along with the Hidden Light that can ultimately remove me from this dimension.
You can imagine how I tried to stop it. All the while, this man exhibited extraordinary patience. He understood the process completely. Here he had the most powerful gift humanity had ever seen, but he kept it under wraps, not only in his own lifetime but for the generations that followed. It took 1200 years before his great work became known to humanity.
What is the truth behind Concealment? When you are concealed and not boasting about your greatness, when you are hidden away from the outside world, what you are really hidden from is me. This is the only way your seed can grow and blossom without my influence.
For 13 years, Rav Shimon lived with his son, Rav Elazar, in a cave in complete isolation while the greatest wisdom of the universe was being revealed to him. His willingness to go into hiding and to suppress his body’s needs and comforts is what earned him the permission to receive this knowledge, and to serve as the channel for bringing it to the world.
MY TACTICS
In order to dissuade you from the benefits of Concealment, I’ll plant the following thoughts in your mind:
• Patience will get me nowhere.
• I have to make things happen now.
• Why is it that no one recognizes all that I’m doing, and how great I am?
To pass the test of Concealment, you must learn to override these thoughts and become content with not being known, as well as not knowing when the right time will come. You have to tune out my voice, which says, “It’s now or never!”
Consider the birth of a child. Surely, there is no other time in your life when you are more like the Creator. And yet, it takes nine months, from concealment to revelation, before the miracle of life is complete.
Bottom line: There is a time and a place for everything, and only God can determine it. But I will do everything I can to convince you that it’s up to you (me) to make the call. And if you’re out there listening to me, I will either make you come out before it’s time or I will make you stay in hiding, which is very different from Concealment. When you hide, I have full reign.