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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R’ Chayim Ozer Grodzenski zt”l – Hachnosas Orchim on Sukos

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Emuna Daily

R’ Chayim Ozer Grodzenski entertained a guest during sukos.  At mealtime, R’ Chayim Ozer went outside to his sukah, but then said that due to his ill health and the suffering he undergoes in the cold weather, he was not obligated to eat there.  The guest told him that since cold weather did not affect him, he felt obligated to eat in the sukah.

A few minutes later, R’ Chayim Ozer joined his guest in the sukah to eat the meal. The guest was surprised to see him and asked R’ Chayim Ozer why he had changed his mind.

R’ Chayim Ozer replied “Suffering does not free one from the mitzvah of entertaining guests.” ~ R’ Zelig Pliskin

Posted in Stories of Tzaddikim | 2 Comments

He Shall Not be Foreign

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Emuna Daily

“You shall have no foreign god” (Psalm 81:10)

The intent of Scripture is not that you shall not have an alien god, rather, that the God in Whom you believe shall not be foreign and alien in you, in your mind and in your soul.  ~ The Kotzker Rebbe

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Read Before Advancing to the Next Level!

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Emuna Daily

I posted this 3 years ago, but it is worth posting again especially right after Yom Kippur:

When a person wishes to enter into the service of God…he must at all times advance and rise from level to level.  Now, every time a person is about to move from one level to the next, each in his own way, he has to encounter the full force of the kelipot, the husks, all over again.  These are the desires and fantasies and wild thoughts, the distractions and obstacles which are ranged against a person at every moment and try to prevent him from entering the gates of sanctity.

This often leads to great confusion in the minds of honest people who have truly worked hard on themselves.  Suddenly they find all these old desires, confusions and obstacles rising up against them.  They start thinking that they must have fallen from their level because before this they had had rest from all these desires and confusions.  They lay dormant.  Now that they have reappeared, these people come to think they must have fallen down.  But this is no fall.  What is happening is that the time has come for them to advance from one level to the next, each in his own way.  This is why all the desires and confusions and obstacles – all the ‘crookedness in the heart’ – are stirred up against them with fresh force.  Each time this happens you must fortify yourself and refuse to lose heart.  Strengthen yourself against these forces and break then anew.” ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov in Lekutey Moharan

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