Emuna Daily

Feeling for someone else is sympathy, but empathy means to be able to see things from the other person’s perspective. ~ R’ Dr. Avraham J. Twerski zt”l

If you think you can do wrong, then tell yourself that you can repair it.  If you think you can hurt, then tell yourself that you can heal. ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l

A good general would never send his soldiers out to battle without proper equipment.  If he gives you a mission, you can be sure he’s taking everything into account: your capabilities, your strengths, your skills.

The Borei Olam, Creator of all of us, didn’t make us all the same; we have different levels of intelligence, we look different, we have different skills. 

No one knows that better than He.

Clearly, the battle He’s given each of us is designed with the equipment He gave us: emunah, faith, means that you believe that whatever situation you’re in, whatever challenge you’re facing, it’s because Hashem believes in you and believes you can triumph.  ~ R’ Meir Yedid

When a neshamah comes down to the world, it comes along with a quota of pleasure. These pleasures are divided among his needs: Some degree of pleasure goes towards nachas from children, parnassah, health, honor, and so on.

But if you will take so much pleasure from honor, you are limiting yourself from attaining pleasure in the other areas.” ~ Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil zt”l

The Mishna in Peiah 1:1 lists mitzvos such as gemiulus chasadim, kind deeds, for which one is rewarded in both this world and the next world. 

The Rosh explains that this is because “Hakadosh Baruch Hu prefers the mitzvos that are also good for one’s fellow man, more than the mitzvos that are between man and Hashem.” 

“Whoever studies Torah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu fulfills his desires…. Whoever studies Torah, his assets prosper.” (Talmud – Avodah Zarah 19). 

Therefore, don’t be fooled into thinking that you are too busy with work to learn Torah as Torah study is mesugal for wealth and success.

The Chazon Ish zt”l once advised a student who had a hard time studying Torah for long periods of time to just learn a little bit from many different sefarim, because many short tasks are more manageable than one large task. 

For example, studying 10 minutes of chumash, 10 minutes of Nach, then halacha, gemara, Mishna and mussar will add up to an hour, yet without the pressure and heaviness of a long chore. 

This can be applied to tefillah as well.  Instead of putting pressure on yourself to daven with kavanah for the entire davening, start with breaking it down into sections which is more manageable.  Then work on the next section of tefillah. 

Whoever has bread in his basket and asks, “What will I eat tomorrow,” is a person of limited faith.” ~Talmud, Sotah 48b 

This is because if he had true emunah, he wouldn’t worry about tomorrow.  He should believe that just as Hashem provided me with all my needs today, He will continue to provide all my needs tomorrow. 

Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld overheard a student telling his own son to daven with kavanah.  “No” said R’ Freifeld, “Don’t preach.  Take him with you to shul, have him sit next to you.  Let him feel your davening. Let him see that you take it seriously, that it’s real to you.  Then he’ll daven.

When I’m learning Torah the deepest depths is not that I want to understand what it says.

The deepest depths is that I want to know how it relates to me, why do I need it?  Why did you tell me that G-d? ~ R’ Shlomo Carlebach