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Protest
Test

There is a way to test demonstrations to see if they are worthy of your participation. The way is to determine whether the demonstration is against the leadership or whether it is against G-d.

That is correct. Some demonstrations should arouse the attention of the leadership and some demonstrations should be arouse Hashem's attention.

If you are about to go to a demonstration in order to show the leaders that they cannot stop you and you are going to put them in their place and you're going to make them feel bad and perhaps they will try to change the policy, then you are protesting against the leaders. Even if this is a bigger issue or a major issue, realize that you are protesting against the leaders and the leaders themselves may be helpless. They may be in a position in which they cannot do anything to improve the situation. They are themselves, after all, being controlled by G-d and doing G-d's will and by protesting against the victims, protesting against those who would like to see things done differently but who are not in a position to do it because they are no match for G-d, seems to be foolish.

On the other hand, if you have a demonstration or if you are about to attend a demonstration which is going to beg for G-d's help then you are in a wise position. A Jew who says ��� ��� �� �� ����� ��� �� ����� ������ is protesting in the right way. He is beseeching the right address and the right target for any prayers and there is certainly hope that he will be able to succeed.

On the other hand, this davening, these prayers, could be held at any location. So, even in this case it may not be necessary to go to a demonstration if you are asking for Hashem's intervention.

Indeed, the demonstration might have the influence of politicians who will seize the opportunity to speak to a large crowd and to try to sway them to their own viewpoint.

That is not what you wanted. You wanted to be able to pour out your heart to G-d, not to listen to politicians speak about earthly causes for any of the problems that may be discussed at the time.

There are therefore two possible kinds of demonstrations. One in which you are beseeching G-d and that is a good demonstration, although you can certainly join that kind of demonstration even from your home. And the other kind of demonstration, the more base and less worthy demonstration is one in which you beseech the leaders or accuse or beg of the leaders or scream at the leaders to change their policy. This is a demonstration in which perhaps you might want to think twice about whether you really want to go. This demonstration is not necessarily in your best interests. This demonstration is far less likely to succeed.

Where do you want to go now?

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