A Wise Man

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Emuna Daily

A kluger vaist vos er zogt, a nar zogt vos er vaist – A wise man knows what he says, a fool says what he knows.

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The Concentration of R’ Yehuda Zev Segal zt”l

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Every berachah that Reb Yehuda Zev Segal zt”l recited was said with utmost concentration.  The Rosh Yeshivah kept cards in his pocket on which were written the various berachos for foods, so that he could always recite them from a text, for this would help him concentrate.  “Asher Yatzar,” too, was always said from a text. Every word of his davening was recited slowly and intensely, as if it were Nei’lah, the concluding tefillah of Yom Kippur.

It happened once that a certain visitor took the liberty of writing his name in the margin of the Rosh Yeshivah’s siddur next to the blessing of Atah Chonein so that the Rosh Yeshivah would have him in mind when beseeching Hashem for the gift of Torah wisdom.  Other talmidim took note of this and entered their names as well.  Time had passed and the visitor regretted what he had done and asked forgiveness of the Rosh Yeshivah.

The Rosh Yeshivah told him “Believe me, until this very moment, I was unaware that you had written your name in my siddur.  You see, when I daven, I do not permit my eyes to wander anywhere; I look only at the word that I am reciting.  I don’t see the margin of the page…”

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The Poetry Recital

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Emuna Daily

I heard this story from Rabbi Efrem Schwalb a few years ago and thought it was worth repeating:

Years ago in London, a poetry recital was taking place in a large auditorium. The finalists in the competition were given one last poem to recite – the twenty third Psalm.

The obvious winner was a young gentleman whose rendition of the Psalm was perfect. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… He restores my soul… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” The audience responded with thunderous applause.

Suddenly, an elderly, Eastern European Jew called out, “Judges! Would it be alright if I had a chance to say the Psalm?” The judges were amused and invited him up to the stage. In his heavy accent, the gentleman made his way through the  kapitel (chapter). A reverent hush fell over the crowd, and many people were moved to tears.

The winner received his prize but followed the old man out to the street. “Rabbi, you know that you really deserve the prize.” “Not at all,” he responded. “I wasn’t competing. You did a fine job and it belongs to you.” The young man continued: “But rabbi, perhaps you could explain to me why it is that when I concluded the Psalm the audience cheered, but when you concluded many people were crying?”

The alter Yid replied: “The difference between you and me is that…I know the Shepherd.”

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The Giving Relationship

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Emuna Daily

In a home, in a relationship, in any situation where people work together, each side has to give.

What you give is not so important. How you give is.

You have to want to give. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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What is Everyone Waiting for?

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“The soul above awaits the time it will be privileged to descend into a body for the soul senses how much it can accomplish here below in this physical world–it can attain the level of “delighting with Hashem!  So why procrastinate in attending to our Avoda, which our soul so patiently awaited–what is everyone waiting for?!” ~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe

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Work with the Right Intention

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“When he is occupied in mind and body with one of the means of earning a living, let his intent be to fulfill the commandment of the Creator, who has commanded man to engage in worldly means such as working the soil, plowing and sowing it, as it is written ‘Hashem, God, took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to work it and to keep it’ (Bereshis 2:15).” ~ Chovos Halevovos

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Huge Segula Early Tomorrow Morning!

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Emuna Daily

I just came across something fascinating at http://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/ and had to share it with you.  As you will read, we should all take these 9 minutes and daven for each other, for emuna, shalom bayis, health, happiness, parnasah for our families and all Klal Yisroel, that Hashem should protect us from all harm and that moshiach should come speedily in our days.

The Ninth of the Ninth

The Ninth of the Ninth: a most auspicious time to daven for all good things.
Rav Chaim Vital, in the introduction to his work Eitz Hachaim, writes: The sefer Bris Menuchah was written by an early-generation tzaddik to whom Eliyahu Hanavi appeared and revealed secrets, among them the following secrets:
“Once every fifty years, the ninth year of yovel arrives and in it the ninth month, and in it the ninth day, and in it the ninth hour – whereupon all the wheels in the upper worlds are agitated and ‘Your good treasure house upon us do open’ is fulfilled.
“During these fateful moments, an incredible abundance of yeshuos [salvation] is poured into this world. Hakadosh Baruch Hu opens the heavens and is mashpia salvation, joyful events, communal yeshuos and individual ones, Torah, good health, parnassah, zivugim, marital harmony, children, and nachas from the children.”
The key to the abundance of the coming fifty years can be found in these moments.
“It is auspicious for success,” our sefarim say about this hour.
“It is a time of joy and gladness,” the Ramban writes.
“It is a pipeline of abundance,” writes the author of Bris Menuchah.
Out of fifty years – out of all the years, months, days, and hours – there is one solitary hour that never repeats itself, about which it is written, “This is the choicest of all hours and auspicious for all abundance.” What is obtainable during this hour is unattainable at any other time.
Maran Hagaon Harav Wosner, shlit”a, the posek hador, said to the people of Kupat Ha’ir who went to consult with him on the topic of “the ninth of the ninth”:“In Shamayim, they agreed to this eis ratzon.”
Four years ago, Kupat Ha’ir discovered the segulah of the ninth of the ninth. That’s when it became known that “nine” was a very auspicious number in Yiddishkeit. Nine is like the key to the pipelines of abundance in Shamayim. The more “nines” that come together, the more locks to the very highest heichalos of abundance fall away. Because this is what is written in the sefer Bris Menuchah, written by the saintly Tanna’im:
Regarding the source of the segulah, we learned beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is from the mekoros that throughout the generations all the tzaddikim without exception endorsed and confirmed, and so this is indeed a rare, supernatural hour.
Kupat Ha’ir asked the rabbanim, each of whom spent many hours calculating. After Kupat Ha’ir received all the various opinions, we discovered something truly astonishing: There are nine minutes that are definitely, according to all calculations, part of the big eis ratzon described in our holy sefarim.
This year, 5774, is the first time since the “Ninth of the Ninth” segulah became known to the public, that all the factors are coming true! This is the first time, and also the last in the next fifty years. Because this year, according to many Rishonim, is the ninth year of the yovel!
Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a, writes in his peirush, Derech Emunah (siman katan 137) that the year 5756 is the 40th year of the yovel, and 5765 is yovel.
The ninth year of the yovel, so auspicious to receive G-dly shefa, is this year, 5774!
In the heart of that special hour, there will be nine minutes during which, according to all calculations, Hashem chooses to open all His treasure houses to anyone who comes prepared with vessels to contain the goodness.
Very soon, abundant bounty will flow in all the worlds. Don’t be left behind!
Daven on Tuesday, November 12, 9 Kislev from 1:44 pm – 1:53 pm Israel time, 6:44 am – 6:53 am EST.
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Passing the Test

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Schoolchildren share a common habit. As the teacher launches into a new subject, students’ hands shoot into the air to ask the question, “Is there going to be a test on this?” The prospect of a test influences how closely they will pay attention. The Chofetz Chaim lets every Jew know that in life, there are indeed going to be tests. Careful attention must be paid to the criteria for those tests, for the results go on a record that is not only permanent, it is eternal. ~ Sefer Ahavas Chesed

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Now

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Der mentsh iz vos er iz, ober nit vos er iz geven.  Man is what he is, but not what he used to be.

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Reb Moshe’s Memory

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Reb Moshe Feinstein zt”l knew virtually all of Shas, Shulchan Aruch and many of their commentaries by heart.  He also possessed a flawless command of many works of the Rishonim and Achronim, the great authors of Torah works spanning the last thousand years.  He seemed to remember everything he ever learned.

R’ Moshe used to say that it is possible for a person to remember what he learns even without having a very good memory.  We have no trouble recalling incredible sights that we see only once in a very long time.  A person who was present once in his life at Cape Canaveral to watch the lift-off of the space shuttle will not forget that sight.  Similarly, if a person appreciates the beauty and pricelessness of every word of Torah, and savors every thought and teaching, he will recall what he learns.

Posted in Stories of Tzaddikim | 1 Comment