Emuna Daily

When a father brings his son to cheder for the first time, the father is very happy because his son is starting to learn Torah. The Tzemech Tzedek of Lubavitz zt’l said that this helps us understand the great joy in heaven on Shabbos Bereishis. It is a new beginning, and Hashem rejoices that His children will be studying the parashah each week. ~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

Studying Torah after a holiday creates a vessel to retain all the bounty that one acquired during the holidays.

~ R’ Mendel of Riminov zt’l

Sometimes the yetzer hara allows us to win a battle or two. But then, when an essential and important battle comes around, we are weak and don’t have strength to fight. We assume that since we won so many wars until then, it doesn’t matter so much if we fail a round. We don’t realize that everything depends on this final battle, and if we lose it we lose everything. 

That essential and important battle is today – Hoshanah Rabbah. We may have won battles of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succos and did whatever we could to improve our ways.  But don’t get lazy!  Hoshanah Rabbah is the day that determines the outcome of the year. We must remain vigilant! 

The Chidushei HaRim taught that when one sits in the succah he can merit attaining clear emunah. Because it states, “Live in succos for seven days… so you will know…”

Therefore, when we sit in the succah, it’s an ideal time to think about emunah, to talk about emunah, and to strengthen our awareness of Hashem. ~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

When one sits in the succah, and he learns and davens there, he is mamash in the upper worlds. ~ The Yesod Yosef (ch.77)

It is proper to give a lot of tzedakah on erev Succos. Reb Chaim Vital would distribute the entire tzedakah pushke to the poor on this day.” ~ Shaarei Teshuvah (625)

Rebbe Chaim of Tzanz zt’l said that there isn’t a nicer succah decoration than the tzedakah one gives on erev Succos.

A person who lives with the Torah perspective realizes the Almighty has provided him with exactly what he needs to fulfill his unique goals in life. Hence there is never a reason to envy what others have. ~ Bais Shlomo

When we cry about all our sins on Yom Kippur, we’re really saying, “Hashem, look at all these sins, look at this pile of garbage, of refuse, the distractions I enjoy… I enjoy them because I have this gaping hole in my life…”

“Hashem,” we’re saying, “if I had You, if You and I were closer, I wouldn’t need any of this, but because of our distance, I’m stuck.”

With that understanding, we can understand what we’re doing. We’re coming close, begging for a deeper relationship, saying, “Hashem, I don’t really want any of these things. The distance between me and You is the only problem. I just want to be closer to You.”

That’s Yom Kippur.

~ R’ Yossi Bensoussan

I wish you all a g’mar chasima tova!

We can be real with ourselves. With Hashem.

On Yom Kippur, a day when we’re being real, we’re able to say, “We are Your beloved and You are ours.”

That’s the one truth.  It’s because we’re being real that we can talk that way, to be open.

The imperfections don’t get in the way. Be ready to admit to yourself, “No, you’re not a perfect human being. Yes, you’ve got a lot to work on.  It’s okay.”

We’re all just a bunch of broken vessels hopping around the world trying to make ourselves whole. On Yom Kippur, we admit it to Hashem.

He’s there listening, all-knowing, and all-accepting.

Be real with Him.

~ R’ Leiby Burnham

When a person feels remorse for having committed a sin, he is forgiven for ALL his sins.

~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l