The Sale will Soon be Over ***

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Vilna Gaon lived with this sense of the fleeting opportunities this world presents us.  Shortly before he died, he was seen holding his tzitzis and crying.  He explained to his followers, “Soon I will be leaving this world.  Here, for just a few pennies, I can buy tzitzis and fulfill the mitzvah every minute of the day, and day after day.  Before long, I will be in a world where I will not be able to purchase that opportunity even for millions.” ~ The Pirkei Avos Treasury 

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Compromise

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“The gains of compromise are nothing compared to its losses.” ~ Chofetz Chaim

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3 Friends

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Man has three friends on whose company he relies.  First, wealth which goes with him only while the good fortune lasts.  Second, his relatives; they go only as far as the grave, leave him there.   The third friend, his good deeds, go with him beyond the grave. ~ The Talmud

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An Insurance Policy

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Trust in Hashem is like an insurance policy.  A person can have a policy granting coverage for $1000, $10,000 or $100,000, depending on how much a person is willing to pay.  The larger the policy, the more the person is covered.  Similarly, the insurance we receive from Hashem depends upon the amount of trust we place in Him.  The pasuk in Yirmiyahu states:

ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח בה’ והיה ה’ מבטחו – “Fortunate is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his guarantor.”  This means that Hashem will be a person’s guarantor because he places his trust in Him.

Thus one who places abundant trust in Hashem is fortunate, because he receives the ultimate “coverage.” ~ based on the Baal Shem Tov zt”l

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Have Pity on the Rest of us

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Perhaps, for you, this exile is not so bad. And you feel you are doing whatever you can about it, anyway.

But it is not just you. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all their children through all the generations, as well as all the heavenly hosts, 
the entire Creation—all is unfulfilled, in exile and imprisoned.

Even the Creator, blessed be He, locks Himself into prison along with His Creation.

Until you get us out of here. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Aftermath

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Baal Shem Tov taught that a sin in itself is only the bite of the snake.  The real damage comes from the poison that spreads afterwards, saying “What a worthless thing you are.  Look what you’ve done!” With those few words, all the gates of hell open wide. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Never Satisfied

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“One who loves money will never be satisfied by money.” ~ Koheles 5:9

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Twelve Gates

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Emuna Daily

There are various different rites of prayer among the Ashkenzim, the Sefardim…  These different rites do not merely involve poems and prayers that were added on later, but involve the basic form of the service as required by law.

My master [the Arizal,] said that there are Twelve Gates in heaven, one for each of the Twelve Tribes.  The prayer of each different tribe would ascend through its own particular gate.  These are the gates mentioned at the end of the Book of Ezekiel.

Each of these gates is different, and therefore the forms of prayers are also different.  Each person should therefore keep the custom of his fathers, since…his prayers can only ascend through their own particular gate.

All the laws stated in the Talmud, however, are the same for all Twelve Tribes. ~ R’ Chaim Vital zt”l

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Silence is Golden

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“Shimon his son says: All my days I have been raised among the Sages, and I found nothing better for oneself than silence; not study, but practice is the main thing; and one who talks excessively brings on sin.” Avos 1:17

Man is given a limited number of words in this world.  When he uses up the quota, his life is over. Hence nothing is as good for man’s physical existence as silence. ~ Tiferes Tzvi

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Don’t beat yourself up

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“Be careful not to consider yourself wicked.  Such a person will not even attempt to improve himself and is likely to become worse than he already is.” ~ R’ Avraham Ben HaRambam zt”l from Torah Tavlin

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