Emuna Daily

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

The purpose of prayer is not to get us out of trouble.  The purpose of trouble is to get us into prayer. ~ R’ Yitzchok Hutner zt”l

If you think about Hashem one minute a day, you’re a great man, an exceptional person. Try it right now. Don’t postpone… All you do is daven three times a day, that’s all you’ll do. Think about Hashem for this minute. You’re sitting in front of Hashem. He’s the King of the world — “Meloh kol haaretz kevodo — the world is full of His glory,” out into space, and He’s looking straight at you this minute. ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

Imagine that every person you meet has a sign on their forehead that says, “Make me feel important.” ~ R’ Michael Rothschild

It would be worthwhile to read this quote a couple more times and then incorporate this into your lives.  You have no idea of the effect this can have on you, everyone around you and the entire world!