3 Nisan 5778
Perhaps the hardest thing about life in Olam Hazeh is the confusion that can result from the ability to believe both the truth and the lie. It's what enables human beings to have free will, but it means that a lie can be equally believable with the truth, especially if one is not well-grounded in the truth.
Any lie can be rationalized by the human mind. Take those who believe in miracle-workers because of the wonders they can perform. If one did not already know from the Torah HaKadosh that HKB"H warned us in advance that He enables false prophets to perform wonders in order to test us, we might readily fall into this trap.
It is interesting that prophecy can be a source of such confusion and that prophecy is the point of connection between so many errant Jews and Christians today. For example, Jews and Christians look at the same prophecy and one sees Yeshu in it and the other doesn't. Errant Jews are choosing to believe that Christians coming to study "Bible" (a word itself which is used because it can be interpreted by each hearer as including or excluding the New Testament, depending on who is using it) are fulfilling ancient Hebrew prophecies. They should really know better.
Anyone who knows our Torah also knows that the whole idea behind the prophesied masses coming to learn Torah at the End of Days carries with it the idea of them having rejected and renounced their former false beliefs and practices. And such is simply not the case here as they even continue to call themselves "Christians" (proudly, I might add) and make mention of the man-idol-god at the center of their worship.
Free will allows them to deceive themselves and others. And that is the unfortunate consequence of free will. People who forsake the truth and embrace the lie always believe in their heart of hearts that they are doing the right thing. And none of us are immune. Our only recourse is to ensure 100% compliance with Torah and halachah. We must follow HKB"H's instructions to the letter with no additions or subtractions of our own invention, no matter how well-meant we imagine them to be.
