Emuna Daily

It is not upon you to complete the work. On the other hand, you are not free to refrain from trying. ~ Pirkei Avos 2:21

A person who worked on self-improvement came to the Baal Shem Tov and complained “I have tried for quite some time to become a better person. But I am still very plain and simple.”

“To be aware that you are plain and simple is an accomplishment in itself, replied the Baal Shem Tov.  “Take pleasure in that.” ~ Midrash Rivash Tov

Just yesterday, as I was leaving shul, my friend came over to me and said he had to share the following R’ Nachman quote, which he took a picture of from one of R’ Noson’s sefarim in original Hebrew.   I thought it was an amazing quote and had him send it to me.

I then drove home and sat down to prepare the quotes for this week’s Emuna Daily.  Sitting in front of me was the book “Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom” which I read many years ago, and at the time, placed some tabs next to the quotes that I liked and figured I would one day share here.   I then opened up to a random page (371) and couldn’t believe what I was looking at.  It was the exact quote in English that my friend just shared with me less than 20 minutes before!  This of course made my day.  Here it is:

“True devotion consists mainly of simplicity and sincerity.  Pray much, study much Torah, do many good deeds.  Do not worry yourself with unnecessary restrictions.  Just follow the way of our forefathers.  ‘The Torah was not given to the ministering angels.’  ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l

See Screenshot Below

Upon being asked for a brachah to enjoy Shabbos, R’ Chaim Chernovitzer zt”l was surprised that he needed such a brachah.  He said “Shabbos shines brightly, like the sun.  Whoever doesn’t experience it, it must be his eyes are closed.”

“…You should know, my son, that the day will come when the pillars of European Jewry will topple, when the yeshivos will be destroyed and uprooted. However, they will be reborn in the exile of America, the final stop of the Jewish people before the arrival of Moshiach. The American exile will be the tenth and final exile of Torah, following those of Babylon, North Africa, Egypt, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and Lithuania” ~ R’ Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821)

If you want your tefillos to be accepted by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, be cautious with your mouth, which is your utensil for prayer.  Be cautious that you shouldn’t speak profane language, curses, swears, lashon hara, and the like, because prayer is meant to give a gift to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and the mouth is the vessel that holds that gift, and it shouldn’t be dirty… Otherwise, it is a disgrace for the King, and a disgrace for the gift.

If a person wasn’t careful with his mouth, he should correct that, and stop speaking in such a manner. He should speak Torah and tefillah and permitted speech, and nothing else. ~ The Kitzur Shlah

We satisfy all our material needs only to discover that we have material wants!  ~ R’ Sharaga Silverstein zt”l

Everyone carries their own peckel (their baggage of problems).  Tzaddikim said that if everyone would place their peckel on a table, and then be given the option to choose any package they desired, everyone would pick up their own bag.

We should focus on the good we have, count our blessings, and be happy with our fate. ~ R’ Elimelech Biderman Shlita

When I was young, there were many sections of Torah that I wanted to learn, and I pushed it off for a later time.  But now I can tell you that whatever one doesn’t grab, one isn’t able to grab later.  ~ The Imrei Emes zt”l