The Arizal and the Alshich

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Emuna Daily

This week, the 5th of Av (which falls out on Tuesday), is the Arizal’s yarzheit.  So I wanted to share the following story that I heard from Rabbi Eli Mansour.

On Friday nights, the Arizal used to go to the Alshich’s parsha shiur.  One of the things the Alshich is known for is his amazing commentaries on Chumash.  That evening, the Alshich darshened from the pesukim no less than 100 different ways that Lavan tricked Yaakov Avinu.  He actually went through each way that he tricked him, and each time the Arizal laughed.  After a while, someone asked the Arizal why he was laughing.  He explained that Lavan walked in to hear the Alshich’s shiur and is sitting with us.  And each time the Alshich states how Lavan tricked Yaakov, Lavan laughs and says “That is true.  That is amazing that the Alshich knows that.”

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Creating Angels

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Emuna Daily

“Whenever a Jew does a mitzva, he creates a ‘good’ angel; whenever he transgresses, a ‘bad’ angel is formed. Commented Reb Zushe of Anipoli: “Never have I seen a complete, unblemished angel that was created by the sin of a believing Jew. These ‘bad’ angels are always missing a limb: this one its head, that one an arm. For as soon as the Jew sighs in remorse, it cripples the accusing angels and maims them…” ~ Otzar HaChasidut

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Yachad

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Emuna Daily

It states in the holy Zohar that “The Holy One, Blessed Be He, the Torah and Israel are one.” The same way one cannot pick apart G-d or his Torah by saying, “This particular verse of the Torah doesn’t appeal to me,” so too should we approach our fellow Jew, treating him with respect and acknowledging his importance to the Jewish People as a whole. ~ R’ Yitzchak of Vorka zt”l

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Ego

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Emuna Daily

If a person worships himself, it is as if he worships idolatry.  For what difference is there if a person worships another or himself? ~ The Kotzker Rebbe

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Take it to the Streets

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Emuna Daily

When someone walks the street and thinks words of Mishna or Tanya, or sits in his store with a Chumash or Tehillim – that is more valued today than it was when the streets were bright with the light of Torah. We must not go about in the street with a vacant heart. We must have some Torah memorized, to take with us into the street. ~ R’ Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn zt”l

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A Setback

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Emuna Daily

As we go higher up the ladder of personal growth, our setbacks of today are actually higher that our success of yesterday. ~ R’ Lazer Brody

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Faulty Character Traits

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Emuna Daily

You are forbidden to say about another person that he has faulty character traits…It is very likely that the person is unaware of the seriousness of lacking the particular virtue.  The proper procedure would be to explain the gravity of the negative trait and advise him on the ways of improving himself.  In this way you will fulfill the mitzvah of delivering reproof, and you will render the person a great service. ~ Guard Your Tongue

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The Complete Picture

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Difficulties cannot be assessed on a day-to-day basis – but only as part of a “complete picture.” ~ halachafortoday@gmail.com

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Eat

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Emuna Daily

It’s better to eat in order to pray than to pray in order to eat. ~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe

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A Prescription for Disaster

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Emuna Daily

Satan destroys a person by infusing him with anger. The great Ramban wrote in his classic letter to his son that when one angers, all Gehennom explodes within him. The time will come when medicine will learn that anger causes imbalance in the organic structure which then expresses itself in the worst of our diseases. ~ R’ Nachman Kahana

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