The Spiritual Iron Dome: The Shmira Project
People from 35 countries have supported and protected Israeli soldiers. Join today.
We’re heading into a war that many predicted, from the Bible to more recent news sites devoted to Israel and politics. This showdown with Hamas in the South might bring on a showdown with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which in turn might bring on a world changing showdown with Iran. On the one hand, it almost has to happen. On the other hand, shouldn’t we do anything and everything to avoid the destruction and carnage?
According to the rules of Biblical prophecy, a prophecy that predicts evil or painful events does not have to happen, while a prophecy of good events most certainly will. What can change the evil decree from heaven? When we internalize the reason behind the prophecy before the events unfold i.e. when we understand the message of the prophecy before it takes place and change ourselves accordingly, we have no need for the evil decree to actually take place.
And what’s the process to deflect bad decrees? If “hate without reason” causes society to rupture, “love without reason” is what allows society to heal. Doing good deeds for each other, even if you don’t know the person you’re helping. It is clear that in the past few years, Israeli society has fractured like never before, and we need more of the love between people.
In the world of spirituality, one who does a good deed (in Hebrew a mitzvah) meris bringing goodness into the world. Goodness and “Godness”. And this goodness/Godness we bring into the world as merit for our deeds, goes beyond us- we can direct it onto someone else. In effect, our good deeds can create a spiritual force field.
The tools we need to make this spiritual force field are simple. We need an opportunity to do a good deed, and the name of the person to whom we wish to direct our merit toward. Opportunities are endless. Names of people are harder to come by.
The Shmira Project
The Hebrew word “shmira” (pronounced shmeerah) means “guarding”. In modern Hebrew, shmira also means guard duty. The concept of one guarding another spiritually has its roots in the Bible itself. Numbers 31:5 tells us that when the Israelites were going out to war against Midian, 1,000 men from each tribe were chosen as soldiers, and 1,000 from each tribe were tasked to study in their merit. Half fight and half pray: each guards the other.
We will continue in the ancient practice of pairing physical battle with spiritual battle. How?
The Shmira Project matches you with either an IDF soldier, or with an Israeli who is wounded, held hostage, and in danger. When you sign up on the website, you will get the individual’s first name and their mother’s first name.* Take that person’s name and carry them with you. When doing good actions throughout the day, think of your person, and your intention for the merit you would receive for doing the good deed to go to them. Give them the merit.
All people are participating: Jews and non-Jews, religious and secular, people from all walks of life.
The Shmira Project was launched in the summer of 2014, when Israel launched Tzuk Eitan, Operation ‘Protective Edge’, the incursion into Gaza. We matched people around the world with the names of IDF soldiers to create an Iron Dome-like spiritual connection. By the end of the summer, over 70,000 participants from 35 countries had taken the name of a soldier and had done some good deed on their behalf. They quite literally built a protective spiritual field. And we need you to help us do that again now.
The ShmiraProject.com is completely free. Some people choose to give charity, others choose prayer or an act of kindness that costs nothing. The activities can be simple and creative, such as prayer, helping others, visiting the sick, and helping the less fortunate among us.
So take your turn at guard duty, and get the name of an IDF soldier, wounded, hostage, or Israeli in danger. Do good in their name.
Join the Shmira Project and create a very necessary spiritual Iron Dome.
*As a security precaution, we are using only the soldier’s first name and his/her mother’s first name. Jewish prayer always uses the mother’s name of the person in danger.
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