Thankful People

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Emuna Daily

It is not happy people who are thankful; it is thankful people who are happy!

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Capacity

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Emuna Daily

According to the camel’s capacity, so is the load”(Talmud Ketubot 67a). It is the duty of those who are richer in material wealth, and those who are richer spiritually–learned Jews, Torah scholars and yeshiva students–to give generously of their greater wealth and knowledge to rescue, heal and fortify the bodies and souls of their brothers and sisters. ~ Lubavitcher Rebbe

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Thief

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Emuna Daily

Gratitude is not just a nice gesture or a worthy personal quality. It is a real obligation like any other in the code of law. If you withhold it, you are a thief. ~ R’ Yerucham Levovitz zt”l

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Right Now

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Emuna Daily

A disciple of Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt”l related:

I was in Synagogue praying the afternoon service, swaying in prayer religiously.  All of a sudden, I remembered that I hadn’t prayed the morning service or put on Tefillin that morning.  I couldn’t stand myself.  I’m the biggest fake, the biggest hypocrite.  All the people in the Synagogue give me so many honors, and I’m phony.  When I’m done, I’m leaving the Synagogue and I’m not coming back until I’m real.

Just as I was finishing, Reb Shlomo passed me, and, sensing something, he stopped and asked, “Moishele, what’s going on?” I told him the story. I told him I felt like a hypocrite and that I couldn’t stand myself.

Reb Shlomo, in his own way, got angry with me.  He said, “What are you talking about! Who cares what you did five minutes ago? What are you doing right now! Right now!”

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Bad Start

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Emuna Daily

We must sometimes permit ourselves to begin things badly, just so that we begin them.  Those who spend too much time preparing graceful entrances often never get to make them. ~ R’ Shraga Silverstein zt”l

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So Deep!

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Emuna Daily

According to the holy Zohar, when God wants to show us compassion, He first sends us a gift – a person who needs our help. When we show compassion on him, God then shows compassion on us. This is as the Talmud says, “Whoever has compassion on God’s creatures, receives compassion from Heaven.” Because our actions on Earth initiate a corresponding flow from Heaven, by developing and displaying our own compassion, we earn God’s compassion from above.

This applies to more situations than just helping the poor. Whenever God wants to bless us, He sends us a corresponding act that can initiate the flow from Above. For instance, if God is angry with us, He may send us someone to upset us. When we restrain our anger, God does likewise. Encountering situations of anger, desire, or selfishness is never accidental. These are opportunities sent to us by the Creator to fix both our souls and the upper worlds.  These are moments in which we must show our commitment to God. Whether it comes to removing bad thoughts, or strengthening our positive character traits, we must not miss the opportunity. ~ R’ Yaakov Meir Schechter

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Ashrei Ha’ish – New Song!

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Emuna Daily

Happy is the man who doesn’t live according to the advice of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. But who finds delight in God’s Torah and reflects on His Torah day and night. ~ Tehillim 1:1-2

These first two verses of Tehillim are a translation of the lyrics from my good friend, Rabbi Noam Weinberg’s first single, Ashrei Ha’ish, which could be purchased on iTunes for just 99 cents.  It is such a beautiful song and I wish him so much hatzlocha with his music and all the good work that he does.

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Fear

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Emuna Daily

The fear of God brings a person more than his mazal would dictate; whereas [a lack of fear will diminish his fortune]. ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l

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Our Mistaken Belief

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Emuna Daily

Man suffers from sorrow because he mistakenly thinks that “silver and gold are the handiwork of man” (Tehillim 115:4), so he torments himself to make money and is despondent at its loss, not realizing that a person’s income is determined by the will of God. ~ Kotzker Rebbe

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Why it is So Forbidden

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Emuna Daily

The Torah so strictly forbids lashon hara because it awakens the Satan to raise accusations against the Jewish people.  These accusations can even lead to untimely death. ~ Chofetz Chaim zt”l

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