An Example

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Emuna Daily

A moshel iz nit kain rai’eh

An example is no proof.

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R’ Chayim Soloveitchik zt”l

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Two wealthy residents of Brisk came to Rabbi Chayim Soloveitchik with a sum of money enclosed in a sealed envelope.  Rabbi Soloveitchik had officiated at their children’s wedding a few days before and this was their token of appreciation.  A few minutes later, a poor man came into Rav Chayim’s house to ask for a donation.  Rav Chayim took the sealed envelope the wealthy man had given him and handed it over to the poor man.” ~ Ishim Veshitos as quoted by R’ Zellig Pliskin

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Stick Out

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Stick up for what’s right, even if you’ll stick out. ~ Chicken Soup for the Neshama

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Are Mitzvos an End or a Means?

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Emuna Daily

All the mitzvos of the Torah are really stepping stones for something higher than the Torah itself. It’s like a ladder that brings us to a new level called avodah, and that is something that is beyond the mere fulfillment of the mitzvos. Basically, serving Hashem involves serving Him with our minds. How we appreciate Hashem, love Him, and understand Him is an entirely different subject from the mitzvos that the Torah commands us.  ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

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Not Just a Written Test

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Emuna Daily

While learning about emunah is easy, applying the ideas in everyday life is far more difficult.  If there was a written test on the subject of emunah, many people would score 100.  But this does not mean they have real emunah.  Knowledge of the material is an intellectual achievement; practicing it in real life is a function of our emotions.  How can we tell if we truly have emunah?

The first way to know is to determine whether our mood changes under changing circumstances.  A person with emunah is always calm, cool and at ease, regardless of the situation, because he knows that everything that is happening is under the full control of his loving Father for his benefit.  Such a person never experiences mood swings, and never gets angry when things don’t go as he had planned. This is not an “all or nothing” enterprise.  Developing emunah is a lifelong process.  But the closer we approach complete emunah, the happier we will be in our lives. We should always ask Hashem for His help every step of the way.  Hashem’s salvation can surface in an instant; we just have to believe it! ~ Divrei Chizuk

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Permission to Speak

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, author of Chofetz Chayim, used to say that some people are mistaken about his book on loshon hora.

“It’s not a book against speaking,” the Chofetz Chayim would say.  “On the contrary.  The book gives one permission to speak.  Before you know the laws, how can you speak?  You might be violating a Torah prohibition.  Once you have studied the laws, however, you know what is permissible to say.” ~ R’ Shmuel Pliskin in Der Choftez Chayim as quoted by R’ Zelig Pliskin.

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Monsters

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Emuna Daily

“Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.”  ~ Primo Levi

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Yom HaShoah

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Yom HaShoah is a vital day in the Jewish calendar, providing us with a focal point for our remembrance. We cannot bring the dead back to life, but we can bring their memory back to life and ensure they are not forgotten. We can undertake in our lives to do what they were so cruelly prevented from doing in theirs. ~ R’ Jonathan Sacks

 

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R’ Aryeh Levine zt”l and the Thief

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Emuna Daily

A neighbor once knocked on Rabbi Aryeh Levine’s door and told him that he just saw a thief break into a nearby kiosk.  The neighbor said that he wanted to stop the thief, but he feared to do so lest the thief harm him.  Undaunted, Rav Aryeh ran to the kiosk, approached the thief, and whispered in his ear, “My son, perhaps you have forgotten that the Torah states that it is forbidden to steal.”

The robber stared at Rabbi Levine’s white-bearded face, lowered his eyes in shame, and returned the merchandise he was about to steal. ~ Ish Tzadik Haya as quoted by R’ Zelig Pliskin

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The Now

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Emuna Daily

There is no moment more vital than the one right now.

There is no space more crucial than the one in which you stand.

There is no act more powerful than the one you have been empowered to do.

For this is the moment and this is the place from which the moshiach  may come. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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