Emuna Daily

Fulfill the commandment to love your fellow man as yourself, not as an academic study, but literally and wholeheartedly.  If you sincerely love other people, when you see that they are having some good fortune, you will experience the same joy as if you yourself had that good fortune! ~ R’ Eliyahu Lopian zt”l

The holy Rizhiner zt’l told his chassidim the following story:

There was once a chassid who had many furs in his store and was having a hard time selling them. One morning, a messenger of a minister came into the store and said that he wants to buy all the furs. But the chassid hadn’t yet davened shacharis, and he didn’t want to sell them before shacharis. He didn’t want to begin explaining to the messenger that he doesn’t do business before shacharis, so he quoted an exorbitant price for the furs, assuming the messenger would leave. But when he stated the high price, the messenger was prepared to pay it. So, he raised the price even higher. The messenger said, “I see you don’t want to sell them” and left.

Generally, stories like this end with a miracle. The Rizhiner told his chassidim, “I see you are silent and waiting to hear the end of the story. But that is the end of the story. His mesirus nefesh to keep Halachah is the story that I wanted to tell you. He wasn’t thinking about what he will gain from this mesirus nefesh, and neither should you think about what you gain from your mesirus nefesh.”

The awareness that all the Almighty does is for your benefit.  This realization is a great wisdom that will help you in both this world and the next. There is no greater wealth than mastering this attitude. 

When you reach this level, you will not be broken or become sad regardless of how the Almighty sets up your life.  You will accept whatever happens with love. ~ R’ Chaim Zaitchyk zt”l

Whenever you speak to another person, know that you are speaking to someone who is created in the image of the Almighty.  Imagine the respect you would feel if you were speaking directly to the Creator. 

When you internalize this feeling of respect towards others, you will automatically be careful to fulfill all the commandments that apply to our relations with other people.  ~ R’ Yeruchem Levovitz zt”l

The concept of “cause and effect” is well known. However, tzaddikim tell us that, in truth, the “cause” and “effect” are the opposite of what people think they are.

For example, when one has a hole in his pocket and loses money, he thinks that the hole in his pocket causes the monetary loss – the effect. However, the Brisker Rav zt’l explains that the opposite is true. The cause was Hashem’s decree that he should lose money, and therefore he had a hole in his pocket so that Hashem’s command can be fulfilled. ~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

The Rabbeinu b’Chaya (end of Shemos) writes, “When the end of days will come, there will be many tzaros, one after the other. That is a sign that the Redemption is near.”

It seems that we are living in such times. One tzarah ends, and another one begins, r’l. May this be a sign that the Redemption is near. ~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

Regarding the sin of the meraglim, the Torah tells us that the entire nation cried that night. The Gemara (Taanis 29) explains that Hashem was going to bring us into Eretz Yisrael with amazing miracles; there was nothing to fear. But because we cried for no reason, Hashem gave us a reason to cry. 

R’ Biderman explains that if the Churban came about because we cried for no reason, we can derive that the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt when we recognize that there is no reason to cry.

When something disappointing happens, yet we believe that it is from Hashem, for the good, this awareness will rebuild the Beis HaMikdash!

“From the time the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn’t give goodness to Bnei Yisrael without tefillah.” ~ Siddur Rokeiach

To be a Jew is to inherit faith from those who came before us, to live it and to hand it on to those who will come after us.  To be a Jew is to be a link in the chains of the generations. ~ R’ Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l

Don’t have any doubts at all…because Hashem can bring salvation, and no one can prevent Him… Your bitachon should be like someone who is waiting for morning to come…” Sefer Ha’Ikrim (4:49)

At night, we all know that morning will come.  This is how certain we should be that Hashem will help.