Emuna Daily

Only a monkey mimics the behavior of his neighbor. ~ The Kotzker Rebbe zt”l

The right temperature in a home is maintained by warm hearts, not hot heads. ~ Rabbi Paysach Krohn

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)