Do As You Can

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Emuna Daily

If you can’t do as you wish, do as you can.

Az me ken nit vi me vil, tut men vi me ken.  

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R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky at Age 6

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Emuna Daily

At age six, Yaakov was sitting in shul one day when some men who were studying needed to know a certain verse in the Song of Devorah (Shoftim ch. 5) but they could not find a Sefer Shoftim or a Chumash containing that Haftorah.  The men were amazed when the young boy proceeded to recite the entire Song by heart!  He explained matter-of-factly that his class in cheder (elementary school) had already studied the entire Sefer Shoftim.  

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Live Forever

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Emuna Daily

“We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” ~ Chicken Soup for the Neshama

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The Highest Mystery

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Emuna Daily

“Human Prayer is the service of the spirit.  Although people do not realize it, it involved the highest mysteries.  For prayers split through the atmosphere, through all firmaments, open all doors, and ascend on high.” ~ Zohar as quoted by R’ Aryeh Kaplan zt”l

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The Greatest of Miracles

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Matter was created out of nothing, which is the greatest of all miracles.  It follows that every stone or clod of earth is, by its mere existence, the greatest miracle.  In addition, it possesses extreme holiness, for it is naught but G-d’s will.  It is a concretization of the Creator’s word which materialized and became apparent to our senses.  ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

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Failing to Want

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Emuna Daily

We will not be judged for what we failed to do but for what we failed to want. There are no excuses for the lack of desire. Failure to act can be excused by lack of funds or other difficulties.  But there is never any excuse not to want – it is free and no one can ever take it away. ~ R’ Menachem Azolai as translated by Dov Elias

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Responsibilities of a Family

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Emuna Daily

“The first stages of your life are to learn to be a master over yourself. But then comes a major and difficult transition in life, when you take on the responsibilities of a family. Now you must learn to put aside your own self improvement for their sake. But you surely realize that, in the long run, what is best for them will be best for you.” ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Just Do It

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Emuna Daily

Alain iz di neshomeh rain

Don’t depend on others – do it yourself.

Posted in Yiddish | 1 Comment

Cute Story about R’ Shmuel of Lubavitch

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Emuna Daily

With great remorse, a man entered the private room of Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch to ask for a formula for repentance. Since the man was ashamed to admit that he was the sinner, he explained that a friend had committed the sins and was too embarrassed to appear before the Rebbe personally. Therefore, his friend had asked him to come to the Rebbe on his behalf. Consequently, the visitor then gave the Rebbe a list of sins his “friend” had supposedly committed.

“What a fool the other man is,” the Rebbe answered with a knowing smile, “he could have come himself and said that his friend sent him.” ~ Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe and found in Chicken Soup for the Neshama

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Immediate Reward

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Emuna Daily

It says “schar mitzvah: mitzvah [the reward for a good deed is another good deed].”  The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward for joy is joy.

How does G-d pay you for being happy?  He gives you another minute of happiness.  So if this one minute of happiness is real, the next minute also will be.  But if you say “I’m so happy to be alive,” and the next minute you are walking around downcast, then there was something wrong. ~ R’ Shlomo Carlebach

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