Emuna Daily

“Don’t make change too complicated. Just begin.” ~ Rabbi Noach Weinberg zt”l

The Torah is meant to make a person happy in this world. Don’t make any mistake about it. When a person learns Torah it helps him to be happy in this world… And if it doesn’t then you’re missing something from your Torah. ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

One should pit his yetzer tov against his yetzer hara.  If that does not work, he should study Torah.  If that fails, he should read Krias Shema.  And if that also fails, he should remind himself about the day of death. ~ Talmud Berachos 5a

This quote is just one of many great lines from the gemara we are learning doing Daf Yomi.  I have to say, last week was a great week, and the 7 highlights of the week were learning the daf each day.   It is not too late to join the fun!  It’s a 7.5 year journey.  Making up one week is not a big deal.  Just do it! 

Attach yourself to a successful person and you will succeed. ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l

Good practical advice from Rebbe Nachman

The donkey doesn’t look back to see how hard he has worked.  He is happy that now, unburdened, he is free.  ~ The Kotzker Rebbe

Let’s just focus on the present.

Over the past couple of years, I have subscribed to several different WhatsApp groups which I find very inspirational and wanted to share some of my favorites with you in no particular order.  If you subscribe to others that you recommend, please comment below with the information and how to subscribe.

Torah Anytime – Short daily inspirational clip from various speakers – Save +1.929.355.4268 on your phone as Torah Anytime.  Then on WhatsApp, click on Torah Anytime and Message “Add me”

Meaningful Minute – One minute inspirational clip daily from various speakers – Save +1.516.668.3725 on your phone as Meaningful Minute.  Then on WhatsApp, click on Meaningful Minute and Message “Add me”

Guart Your Eyes (GYE) – Short video or audio clip daily for men from various speakers to help you grow in kedusha with regard to guarding your eyes – http://gyeboost.org/

Rav Elimelech Biderman – Short clip from R’ Eliemelech Biderman shlita in Yiddish with English subtitles – Save +1.845.293.2166 on your phone as Rav Biderman WhatsApp.  Then on WhatsApp, click on Rav Biderman WhatsApp and message  “Add me for videos only with English subtitles”

Rabbi Alon Anava – Short clip from R’ Alon Anava on various topics including chasidus and the weekly parsha – Save +972.55.965.6836 on your phone as Alon Anava WhatsApp. Then on WhatsApp, click on Alon Anava WhatsApp and Message “Add me”

Rabbi Shmuel Braun – Heavenward Gaze – 6-8 minute audio clip daily from Shmuel Braun on Chasidus  – https://chat.whatsapp.com/FrIxdydj4o768gf8POHKwq

Money Halacha –Short video clip on practical money halacha sent out daily – https://chat.whatsapp.com/HUlt6btNk4qIaGE1dCUoAW

Chazaq on the Parsha – One powerful short message per week on the parsha from a different speaker each week –  https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dv6nlz2gIEhKq21G3EB09S

Rabbi YY Jacobson – Short inspirational daily clips from Rabbi Jacobson – https://chat.whatsapp.com/88ZldRdGsFAA9U3wvbdHWy

Rabbi Shalom Axelrod – Short one minute daily dose of Torah from Rabbi Axelrod – https://chat.whatsapp.com/GOiEpeYvxUw4dxFIARDGAR

Rabbi Shay Schachter – also known as “Rav Shay Links” – Links to several shiurim given by Rabbi Schachter each week – https://chat.whatsapp.com/GM1fNdLz7XBGozHNr7smRA

A man’s happiness and his true success in life depend on his knowing clearly what he seeks:

1) The knowledge that he is fully utilizing his life affords him intense satisfaction;

​2) and the pursuit of the genuine objectives is intrinsically suited to his spiritual and physical nature, and therefore gives him a foretaste of the ecstasy of the Afterlife.

~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

“It’s not so much the Daf as it is the Yomi.”

The most important thing is to learn Torah daily.  If you are not learning Daf Yomi, maybe find something else to learn daily.

Every morning, we say Eilu Devarim “These are the precepts whose fruits a person enjoys in This World but whose principal remains intact for him in the World to Come.” We then go on to list these very important mitzvos such as Honoring our parents, inviting guests to our home, visiting the sick, etc.  We then conclude with “and the study of Torah is equivalent to them all.” 

In other words, if you put all of these great mitzvos on one side the scale and Torah learning on the other, Torah learning would outweigh all of them combined!

Now ask yourself these questions – Am I learning enough Torah?  Am I capable of learning more?  Am I being the best “me” that I can be? Why can’t I make a siyum on Shas in 7.5 years?

The answer is that you could!  Think about how old you will be be’ezrat Hashem in 7.5 years.  Imagine the smile on your face and sense of accomplishment you will have when you can say that you have completed all of Shas.

You can do this!  There are more people doing the Daf than ever before and there are more resources to help you along the way than ever before.  Some include:

All Daf – The OU’s newest Day Yomi platform which gives multiple options of shiurim and commentaries.  I am personally very excited about this app.  www.Alldaf.com or download the app on your phone.

Daf Hachaim – full length video shiur with sleek charts and illustrations.  It also has a short intro to each daf and a review. www. Dafhachaim.org or download the app on your phone.

The Daf Yomi Advancement Forum – Tons of resources including point by point outlines, review questions and answers, quizzes and more.  http://www.Dafyomi.co.il

Daf Notes and Daf Yomi Digest – Newsletters on each daf including summaries, insights and inspirational stories.  www.Dafnotes.com and www.dafdigest.org

Torah Anytime – The largest library of recorded Torah videos in the world with a large selection of daf yomi shiurim including R’ Moshe Meir Weiss.  www.torahanytime.com or download the app on your phone.

Start today with Berachos, my favorite gemara, and let’s all celebrate this awesome accomplishment in 7.5 years together, Be’ezrat Hashem!

On Shabbos, the soul receive a message from Above – the neshama yeseirah.  Our soul wants to rejoice, but it is inhibited by the body which does not understand spiritual joy.  Therefore, the Torah decreed that on Shabbos and Yom Tov the body should be treated to delicious food and drink.  This way, the body can revel in physical pleasure, while the soul rejoices with its companion, the neshama yeseirah that came down from Heaven. ~ Toldos Yaakov Yosef

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I want to take this opportunity to wish a mazel tov to all those who will be making a siyum on shas tomorrow!  It is hard to believe that 7.5 years has passed since the start of this cycle.  May you be an inspiration to family, friends and all of Klal Yisroel and and go from strength to strength and continue to do great things!