Constantly focus on the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (2:12) “All of your actions should be for the sake of the Almighty.”
When you meditate on this Mishnah, you will experience the elevated state of cleaving to and being connected to Hashem with each and every movement you make. ~ R’ Yeruchem Levovitz zt”l
If a person is lazy when it comes to spiritual pursuits and acts as if he were forced to do them, but engages in material pursuits with enthusiasm, it shows that he considers material matters to be more important.
When a person has mastered the proper attitude, he will take care of his material needs only because he has to. When he is engaged in spiritual matters, however, he will pursue them with great joy and enthusiasm because he realizes that they give him eternal life. ~ R’ Simcha Zissel Ziv zt”l
Noach’s son, Cham told others about his father’s drunkenness and was cursed, whereas Noach himself was not. Thus, speaking ill of one who has sinned is worse than he who committed the sin. ~ R’ Moshe Amiel zt”l
Bitter people are never grateful; grateful people are never bitter. ~ R’ Lazer Brody
Not only is there no deity or power other than God, but in fact, there is no true existence at all besides God.
The fact that we see a physical world is only due to our inability to see the Godly energy which enlivens it.
In truth however, we are totally absorbed within the absolute oneness of God. ~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe
God is playful. He conceals and reveals Himself – and waits for you to find Him. ~ The Kotzker Rebbe
There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and we’re given that time, every single day, as a gift. And you can’t carry it over, can’t say, “Today, I’m tired, I’ll save this hour for tomorrow.” There is no rollover plan.
It doesn’t work that way.
Every moment is precious, so be there for it. It’s never coming back. The only way to use it right is to be completely present, and that will give you true simchah, the joy that comes with using what you’re given correctly.
Other people might be having more fun, but you’re having more meaning, because you’re present; it goes by fast. Make every second count. ~ R’ Tzvi Sytner
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!
