Emuna Daily

There’s no shame in admitting that one made a mistake.  But to stubbornly refuse to admit to a mistake is indeed shameful. ~ Pele Yoetz

When the Chasam Sofer zt”l was a child, his prayers were quite lengthy and took a lot of time.

One of his friends chided him: “Moshe, while you stood and prayed I learned several pages of Gemara!”

R’ Moshe replied: “I am not concerned. The Gemara says (Berachos 54b) that someone who lengthens his prayers will have his days and years lengthened. I will catch up with my learning during the extra days and years that I will receive due to my extended prayers…”

Worry doesn’t help at all; it only harms.

To worry about something that already happened is insanity.

The Chachamim taught us that all worries are forbidden.

The only worry permitted is to ask yourself,

“Why am I worried?”

~ Ralbag

In Pirkei Avos, we learn: “Greet each person with a friendly smile.” When you smile at someone, that person is apt to smile back at you and this will increase one’s own positive feelings. ~ R’ Yisrael Lipshitz of Danzig zt”l

Desire is the major cause of every transgression. When a person does something improper, it is because he has a specific desire that was aroused by the trait such as envy, lust, or honor seeking. ~ Toras Avraham

When you have a true ambition for something, you will not give up hope. Giving up hope is a sign that you are lacking ambition to achieve that goal. ~ R’ Eliyahu Dessler zt”l

After you master the ability to feel the pain of other people as if it were your own pain, the next step is to feel the Almighty’s pain, since the Creator has empathy for the suffering of mortals. ~ R’ Simcha Zissel Ziv zt”l

The goal of all education, preaching, and instruction is the development of mature individuals who will understand that difficulties in life are Divine-ordained challenges to overcome and opportunities for growth, and not excuses for defeat and self-ruination. ~ R’ Aaron M. Brafman zt”l

Given a choice, people would reclaim their own baggage in life over others.

~ R’ Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt”l

In other words, if everyone’s “baggage” or troubles were spread out on a table and people were given the option of exchanging their baggage with someone else’s, they would inevitably take back their own.  That is because Hashem gives each person exactly what they need to overcome their own individual challenges. 

We’re a nation of dreamers. Rav Meir Shapiro dreamt of launching the Daf Yomi.  Sarah Schenirer dreamt of establishing Bais Yaakov. Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel dreamt of expanding the Mirrer Yeshivah.

And we all have dreams.

Yaakov Avinu dreamt of a ladder, with its head in the heavens.

Our dreams are the same way: our feet might be right here on the ground, sunk in reality, but the top of that ladder goes so high.

Our dreams have to reach the heavens.

~ R’ Binyomin Pruzansky