Careful Who You Ask

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Although you are permitted to inquire about someone for a possible shidduch, do not solicit information from anyone who dislikes the subject of your inquiry, since you may cause him to speak loshon hora.  For the same reason, do not ask a tradesman for information about his competitor.

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R’ Naftali of Amsterdam zt”l and R’ Yisroel Salanter zt”l

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Emuna Daily

R’ Naftali of Amsterdam once commented to his mentor, R’ Yisroel Salanter, “Would that I could have the brain of the Shaagas Aryeh, the heart of the Yesod V’Shoresh HaAvoda, and the character traits of my mentor!  Then I could serve Hashem properly!”

R’ Yisroel answered, “Naftali, your job is to serve Hashem with your brain, your heart and your character traits.  Only with what He gave you can you truly serve Him.”

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What a Great Segula!

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Emuna Daily

On erev Shabbos it is a mitzvah to taste the dishes that are prepared for Shabbos (Magen Avraham 260:101).  We say in musaf shemona esrei of Shabbos, “Those who save it will merit long life.”  This refers to people who taste the Shabbos dishes on erev Shabbos; they will live to a ripe old age (Machzor Vitry 191).  He who tastes the Shabbos meals on erev Shabbos will merit a happy and virtuous life. ~ Shaar Harav as quoted by R’ Dovid Meisels

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Cirumstance

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Success and failure does not depend on circumstance, but on your approach to the circumstance. ~ R’ Dovid Hazdan

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Confess

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Emuna Daily

To confess one’s sins is to honor the Holy One ~ R’ Yehoshua ben Levi, Talmud Sanhedrin 43b

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The tefiliah that I quoted yesterday is found in Nishmas Kol Chai, beginning with the words, E-lu Pi-nu Malay…which we say each Shabbos.

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Identify that Prayer #3

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Were our mouth as full of song as the sea, and our tongue as full of joyous song as its multitude of waves, and our lips as full of praise as the breadth of the heavens, and our eyes as brilliant as the sun and the moon, and our hands as outspread as eagles of the sky and our feet as swift as hinds – we still could not thank You sufficiently Hashem our God and God of our forefathers, and to bless Your Name for even one of the thousand thousand, thousands of thousands and myriad myriads of favors that Your performed for our ancestors and for us.

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Renew

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Emuna Daily

A person must renew himself, and his world with him, each and every day.

But one who does not do so, and rather performs his deeds as a mechanical function, does nothing other than the actions of a monkey.

Just as a monkey has no personality of his own, but rather copies his own actions and his fellow, so too this person. ~ The Kotzker Rebbe

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More People, More Sins

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Emuna Daily

The more people who hear one speaking lashon hara, the greater the sin of the speaker, for he causes more people to transgress. ~ The Chafetz Chaim zt”l

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The Lubliner Rebbe

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Emuna Daily

The Shinover Rebbe relates that this episode occurred when the Lubliner Rebbe was still very young.  The Lubliner Rebbe was afraid that he would be unable to resist Satan’s blandishments, so he ran outside into the bitter winter cold.  He almost froze to death – but he overcame Satan’s temptation.

Having conquered the yetzer hara, the Lubliner Rebbe’s appearance reflected an aura of kedusha – so much  so that when he visited the saintly R’ Elimelech of Lizhensk, the latter rose and greeted him, “Baruch haba, welcome, Yosef Hatzaddik!” ~ Divrei Yechezkel, Likutim

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Inspection

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Emuna Daily

The Zohar says: When Shabbos arrives, the Shechinah comes down and inspects the home of a Jew.  If the Shabbos table is set, and the rooms are neat and clean, the Shechinah says, “This home is for Me.”  Otherwise, the Shechinah says, “This is not a Jewish home.” ~ Minchas Shabbos

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