Emuna Daily

It is not sufficient for a person to love the Almighty, rather he needs to strive to behave in a manner that will cause the Almighty to love him.  That is, he must fulfill the Almighty’s commandments and walk in His ways.  ~ R’ Chayim of Volozhin zt”l

When you do acts of kindness for others, you are really being kind to yourself. Other people will return favors and do acts of kindness for you in return.

Moreover, the Almighty will reward you for the good that you do for others.  When you behave meanly to people, you are acting against your own best interests, because others will repay you in kind. ~ Vilna Gaon

A person who has bitochon will be free from bothersome thoughts.  He will not worry about what will be tomorrow if he has enough for today.

He does not cause himself needless pain and discomfort by worrying that perhaps he will be missing something in the future…Questions of how he will make a living do not bother him since he knows with clarity that it is impossible for him to have more or less than what the Almighty has decreed for him.

Even if there is a world crisis, he will not worry about his personal situation.  He has trust that any misfortune which was not decreed upon him will not affect him.  He walks in this world completely free from worries and sadness.  He takes pleasure in what he has and feels no lack of possessions.  He is entirely free from worries about the future.  He has a strong awareness that if he has bitochon, he has everything. ~ Madraigas Haadam: Darkai Bitochon ch. 1.

Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.  But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.  ~ Meir Kay

Part of trusting Hashem is also trusting that the life He wants for us is the best life we could have!  ~ R’ David Ashear

When you have to do something, if you infuse it with gratitude and joy, it changes the whole experience.  Be thankful that you have a chance to be in the situation that you are in.  ~ Dr. David Lieberman

This is the day that the plague that decimated 24,000 of R’ Akiva’s disciples finally came to an end.  Let’s daven that that today’s pandemic should also immediately come to an end.

Today is also the day that R’ Akiva gave Semicha to his five talmidim who did not die, and through whom Torah was disseminated, (among them Reb’ Shimon Bar Yochai). The Torah we have today disseminated through them.  We need to be so thankful for this!

Today is the yartzheit of Reb’ Shimon Bar Yochai, and the day on which he revealed the deepest secrets of kabbalah in the form of the Zohar.

According to a Midrash, the mon started to come down on Lag b’Omer. Therefore, Lag b’Omer is an auspicious day to daven for parnassah.

The Sfas Emes (Emor 5652) writes, “I heard from my grandfather [the Chidushei HaRimzt’l] that on Lag b’Omer one can attain yiras Shamayim.”  It is also an auspicious day to daven for children, shidduchim, healing and salvation.

Let us therefore have much success with our prayers today and every day.

It is impossible to know when the geulah sheleimah will come, but I think it will be on Lag b’Omer, on Reb Shimon’s day, because it is a very pure day, a day of salvations. ~ The Tzvi LaTzaddik of Bluzhev zt’l

The Zohar (Rus 104) tells to story of when Reb Shimon traveled to Lud and saw several people die due to a plague and said “How can it be that I am in this city and there’s a plague? I declare that the plague should stop!” Immediately, a bas kol announced to the bad angels, “Leave this place, because Reb Shimon bar Yochai is here. Hakadosh Baruch Hu decrees in heaven, and Reb Shimon annuls the decree on earth below.”

Let’s daven, especially on Lag B’Omer [beginning tonight]that in Reb Shimon Bar Yochai’s zchus, this pandemic should also immediately come to an end and the geulah sheleimah should come!

We all have prosecuting angels in Heaven that argue why Hashem should not give us a good parnasah.  However, when we recite Birkat Hamazon with kavana, we create defense attorneys who stand up for us and protect our parnasah. ~ Maharsha on Nazir 66b

Don’t just bentch after bread because you have to; take advantage of the opportunity!

Have a wonderful shabbos!

One should not grow frustrated if, after he resolved to avoid forbidden speech, his evil inclination got the better of him and he spoke loshon hora. Even if this happens time and again, nevertheless, he should not despair. Rather, he should forever strengthen himself to avoid improper speech, and persevere. This is how one should conduct himself his entire life.

This is the intent of the Talmud’s statement, “One should forever arouse his good inclination to subdue his evil inclination” (Berachos 5a). Life is an ongoing struggle with one’s evil inclination. One must forever be poised for battle and never be discouraged by failure. With knowledge of what the Torah requires of us and proper resolve, our efforts will ultimately succeed. ~ Chofetz Chaim