Emuna Daily

“The Torah was not given to angels.”

~ Midrash Tanchuma, Naso 11

Hashem gave the Torah to human beings—with struggles, with flaws, with potential.

Shavuos reminds us: You don’t need to be perfect to receive the Torah.

You just need to be willing.

The mishna at the beginning of Peah states that the study of Torah outweighs them all (i.e., all of the other mitzvos).  The Vilna Gaon, in Shenos Eliyahu, explains why this is so:

It is because every word of Torah study is a fulfillment of a mitzvah on its own, and that mitzvah is equivalent to all the other mitzvos combined! 

Thus, a single page of Gemara contains the opportunity to fulfill hundreds of mitzvos, each of which is equivalent to all the other mitzvos!

~ R’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l

Only three people were graced with the distinct title of “Eved” (Servant) of Hashem:

Avraham Avinu, Kaleiv and Moshe Rabeinu.  

It is because they never referred to another human being as “my master” or themselves as “your servant” and remained solely devoted in servitude to Hashem Yisbarach.

~ Meshech Chachmah

Let’s keep our perspective.  Of course, we must meet our physical needs.  It is impossible to live without them.

Nevertheless, we do not need to keep talking about them! 

~ The Alter of Novardok

A child once asked, “How did the Chazon Ish become the Chazon Ish?

The Chazon Ish replied, “It was because I never wasted a moment of time, and I was always careful with the mitzvah of kibud av v’em.”

לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי-לֵב; וּמֵה’ מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן
“Man may prepare the thoughts of his heart, but the response of the tongue is from Hashem.”
— Mishlei 16:1

A chazan can prepare every note, but when he opens his mouth, it’s Hashem who decides how it sounds.

So too in life: We plan, we speak, but the final word is always His.

Fear is “What if?”

Emuna is “Even if.”

~ R’ Shlomo Farhi

Faith doesn’t always take you out of the problem.  

Faith takes you through the problem.

Faith doesn’t always take away the pain.

Faith gives you the ability to handle the pain.

Faith doesn’t always take you out of the storm.

Faith calms you in the midst of the storm.

~ Gedale Fenster

There are those who do mitzvos in public and sin in private.

And there are those who sin in public, but do their mitzvos in private.

I prefer the latter.

~ The Kotzker Rebbe zt”l

You don’t need to be seen to shine. Rabbi Shimon taught that even in hiding, you can change the world