Who are You Faking?

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Chassidim in Lubavitch would customarily wear long jackets. One chassid, however, wore a short jacket when he was in Moscow on business, and changed into a long jacket when he returned home to Lubavitch.

Once, before entering into a private audience with the Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, the chassid deliberated: ‘Why should I wear my long jacket for my private audience with the Rebbe? The Rebbe knows who I am. Why try to fool him? I will be myself!’

Thus, the chassid entered the Rebbe’s study wearing a short jacket.

“Why are you wearing a short jacket?” the Rebbe asked.

The chassid was shocked. He explained honestly, “Rebbe, I did not want to fool you!”

“Fool me?” the Rebbe asked. “Until now I thought you were a chassid trying to fool the business world. Now I see you are a businessman trying to fool the chassidim.” ~ Heard from Rabbi Shloima Zarchi as quoted in Chicken Soup to Warm the Neshama

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Learn from our Failures

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Emuna Daily

G-d told Cain “If you improve, you will be forgiven” Genesis 4:7. Cain’s true failure was that he didn’t learn from G-d’s positive response to Abel, who had offered up the choicest of his animals. Had Cain presented a second offering, this time from the choicest of his crop, G-d would have forgiven him and accepted it. G-d here tried to teach him that if an individual learns from his errors, his slate can be wiped clean. However, Cain refused to admit his error. Convinced of the rightness of his action, he felt that if Abel were eliminated, Cain’s own view would necessarily prevail. Our challenge, as well, is to learn from our failures, rather than to stubbornly refuse to admit them and even rationalize them. By learning from our failures, we can transform every one of them into an impetus for further spiritual growth. ~ Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l

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Shelo Asani Goy

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Emuna Daily

“Baruch Atah……..Shelo Asani Goy ”

Tzadikim said that a person can be B’Simchah the entire day merely from that fact that he is a Jew and is a part of Hashem’s nation. ~ R’ Avrohom Schorr

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Cry Out

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Emuna Daily

When a person has reason to cry out, and wishes to cry out, but he cannot cry out – this is the greatest of cries. ~ The Kotzker Rebbe zt”l

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Last Chance

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Emuna Daily

The Midrash states that God said to Avraham: “I am one and you are one.  I will grant your descendants one single day on which they can atone for their sins – Hoshana Rabbah.”

Mateh Moshe explains that God told Avraham that should Rosh Hashanah be insufficient to atone for their sins, then Yom Kippur will atone.  And if Yom Kippur does not, then Hoshana Rabbah will.

Today is Hoshana Rabbah.

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Deep Breath

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Emuna Daily

There is a famous story of an impoverished tzaddik who could not afford a lulav and esrog on erev sukkos.  He realized that he could sell his prized possession, a pair of tefillin that he inherited from his father, and purchase a beautiful esrog with it, which is what he did.  However, when his wife learned what he had done, she became very angry for her husband had not given her anything with which she could prepare for the Festival.  She then became infuriated, took the esrog from him and threw it on the ground, rendering it unfit for use.

At this point, the tzaddik sighed and said “I have no tefillin, and now I have no esrog.  Should I also fall into the trap of anger?

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Simchas Torah

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Simchas Torah – the name of this festival implies that more than the Jew being happy with the Torah, the Torah must be happy with the Jew.  ~ The Bais Halevi, R’ Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l

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Rejoicing in a Mitzvah

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Emuna Daily

One should always perform mitzvos joyously, for there is no happiness greater than that of fulfilling God’s commandments.  It is said that God holds such joy in higher regard than the mitzvah itself.  One who performs a mitzvah without joy does so not out of love for God, but either out of fear of Him, or habit, or the desire to impress others.  One who rejoices in a mitzvah is surely motivated by love of God and His commandments. ~ R’ Eliyahu Kitov

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Niggun

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Emuna Daily

“One niggun can express more than a thousand words.” ~ Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir zt”l

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Always Listening

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Emuna Daily

The gossiper looks over his shoulder to make sure that his target is not listening.  But why isn’t he worried that Hashem is listening? ~ Sefer Chofetz Chaim

 

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