Learning Something New

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Emuna Daily

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ~ Torah Tavlin

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The First Teshuva Lesson

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Emuna Daily

After Cain’s dialogue with God, Cain met with Adam.

Said Adam to him: “What was the conclusion of your judgment?”

Said Cain: “I repented and was reconciled.”

Whereupon Adam slapped himself in the face, saying: Such is the power of teshuva, and I did not know it! It was then that Adam recited מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר, לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת. (Tehillim 92) ~ Midrash Rabbah

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The Blueprint

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Emuna Daily

The Torah says: I was the tool of God’s artistry.

An architect who builds a palace does not do so on his own.  He has scrolls and notebooks which he consults as to how to place the rooms, where to set the doors.  So, too, God looked into the Torah and created the world.

God looked into the Torah and created the world.  Man looks into the Torah and maintains the world. ~ Midrash Rabbah; Zohar

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A Blockage

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Emuna Daily

Another reason lashon hara is so destructive is that when a person sullies his mouth with forbidden speech, it prevents his holy words of Torah and prayer from ascending to Heaven.

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Shalom Bayis comes First

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Emuna Daily

One summer night in a Tel Aviv hotel before the evening prayer, Rabbi Noson Tzvi Finkel gave a long lecture on ethics to a number of his former students.  Before he finished, his wife interrupted him with a whisper, “They have wives.” In the midst of a most enlightening talk, he stopped and said, “We must start maariv already.”

One of those present said, “But our wives won’t mind.”

“First of all,” replied Rabbi Finkel, “I’m not sure that is so, and you have no right to cause your wives to wait.  Secondly, my wife is surely hungry and I don’t have permission to make her wait.”

He refused to finish the lecture.  Moreover, upon completion of the evening prayers, he made certain that everyone went home as soon as possible.  ~ Tnuas Hamussar as quoted by R’ Zelig Pliskin

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Prayers

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Emuna Daily

Ultimately, even if you did not receive what you asked for, Hashem cherishes your prayers and answers them with good. ~ Praying with Fire

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Control

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Emuna Daily

You don’t always have control over what happens, but you do have control over what you do with the experience.

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3 Stages of a Mitzvah

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Emuna Daily

When one approaches a mitzvah, he must feel the greatest joy at the opportunity that he is offered with this mitzvah.

When completing the mitzvah, he should feel happiness at having achieved his goal.

But while he is actually doing the mitzvah, he must feel awe that is to be experienced by a mortal man while he is standing before a king. He must recognize that any wrong word or move could result in tragedy indeed! ~ R’ Shlomo Kluger zt”l

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Standing Still

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Emuna Daily

As long as you’re holding on to where you were yesterday, you’re standing still. ~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l

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Yearning

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Emuna Daily

We may have excuses for not be able to accomplish, but there is no excuse for not wishing we could.

Hashem is with us, escorts us, feels the challenges that we face, He knows what we are going through, He never forgets us, He loves us.

Life is a long and thrilling journey, whose destination is closeness to Hashem.

Defeats are designed to eradicate our egos, so that we begin to understand that everything is Hashem.

It is not that we need Hashem in our life – it is that Hashem is our life.

A soul is a melody and melodies are not comprised of high parts alone.

The accomplishment is not the purpose – the yearning is. ~ R’ Menachem Azolai as translated by Dov Elias

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