A Common Misconception

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“A common misconception is that on Simchas Torah we celebrate the completion of the Torah.  No!  In truth, we celebrate beginning all over again!” ~ R’ Shmuel Zvi of Alexander zt”l a/k/a Tiferes Shmuel from Torah Tavlin

Chag Sameach!

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Pray for Good Health

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Gemara states, “L’olam yivakesh adam rachamim she’lo yechele–Always a man should be praying to Hashem that he should not become sick.”

In the best of health, one should pray to Hashem to remain well. I really should charge you, because if I ever told you anything that was worthwhile, this is it: pray to Hashem for good health while you have it. ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l

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Higher and Higher

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Rebbe’s most common response to someone who had done something positive:

It is our nature, all of us, that we never attain half our goal. If we earn $100, we want to make $200. And when we reach $200, we strive for $400.

If so, our acts of kindness must grow by the same rules. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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The First Day for an Accounting of Sins

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Emuna Daily

This is great encouragement for anyone who has experienced a setback since Yom Kippur.

Chazal call the first day of Sukkos, “Rishon l’Cheshbon Ha’avonos – the first day for an accounting of sins”.  What do Chazal mean by that?

The Shelah HaKadosh explains that sins that were committed in the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos are forgiven (if a person does teshuva) to the same extent as if they had been done before Yom Kippur.  Meaning, even though Yom Kippur has already passed, we get an extension of atonement until Sukkos starts. 

So, for those who have slipped, fallen, or had other setbacks, do not despair!  By doing teshuva today, you can reset the clock to the moments after Ne’ilah!

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Come Back to Life

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“If I had already died and the Almighty told me I could come back to life again, imagine how happy I would be.  Now that I am still alive, shouldn’t I still feel that same joy?” ~ R’ Nochum of Horodna zt”l

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Go Beyond

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“We all have limitations — after all, are we not of flesh and blood? There comes a time, however, when you have to break out beyond those limits.  You’ve got to do more than you can possibly do. The truth is, you not only have an animal soul, but a G-dly soul as well — and G-dliness knows no limits.”  ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Personal Prayers on Yom Kippur

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The following was compiled by Rabbi Sinai Yakobian.  I highly recommend that you print this out and bring it to shul with you to glance at and have in mind while you daven on Yom Kippur.  By the way, for those of you wondering, even though it is normally forbidden to ask for personal needs on Shabbos, if Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur fall out on Shabbos as it does this year, doing so is permitted. The reason is because it is the Day of Judgment, and if one will not ask for personal needs now, he will not have another opportunity to do so.  “Im lo achshav aimatay.”

This list is meant to help you keep focused on what to pray for, however it is meant to open up your heart, not to just copy what’s written, but to be an eye opener. We have split it up into different prayers, however you can split it up however you would like.

These prayers should be said after the second יהיו לרצון אמרי פי before taking 3 steps back. When you finish your prayers, say the passuk of יהיו לרצון again.

Arvit

Prayer for health

  1. Staying healthy

  2. I should be saved from sicknesses

  3. I should be saved from bad occurrences

  4. My parents and grandparents and all family and siblings should all be healthy and stay healthy

  5. I should lose weight/gain weight (where applicable).

  6. I should be careful to take all my medicines during the year

  7. I should watch what I eat

Prayer for growth in Torah

  1. Please help me that the Torah should be sweet and enjoyable

  2. Help me to want to learn

  3. Help me to want to keep the Torah

  4. Please help me to love every word of the Torah

  5. Please help me to understand it and remember what I learn and not to feel lost

  6. Please help me to have good friends who will inspire me and affect me for the good

  7. Please help me to have good chavrutot during the year

  8. Please help me to have a good shiur and to understand the shiur and not to give up on understanding it

  9. Please help me to learn all the halachot that I need to know

  10. During the summers or when I am on vacation, please help me to be around kosher surroundings and not to be affected for the bad

Shacharit

Prayer for healthy eyes

  1. Please help me not to fall into bad things

  2. Please help me not to fall into bad pictures/internet

  3. Help me overcome my yetzer harah and wrong temptations

  4. Help me watch my eyes when I walk in the street

  5. Please help me from past girl friends

  6. Help me at nights when I am going to sleep to sleep comfortably without bad thoughts

  7. Help me to find at the right time a good wife that i should build a bayit neeman with her

  8. Help me to have good children

Mornings

  1. Please help me to get up in the morning on time

  2. Please help me to go to sleep at night on time

  3. Please help me to get out of the bed

  4. Please help me to be nice in the mornings and not to be grouchy and mean

  5. Please help me to be happy and joyous and look forward to my day

  6. Please help me to always have a positive attitude on every day and life

Mussaf

Middot and proper infuences

  1. Please protect me during the year and especially the summer from all wrong influences

  2. Please help me to be in a surrounding of good friends

  3. Help me to be able to keep connection to Torah and Judaisim even when i am back home

  4. Please help my nights to be easy and healthy

  5. Please help me to have good midot

  6. please help me not to get angry and to know that all is from you out of you’re unfathomable love and all is for my best

  7. please help me to be patient  when people speak to me

  8. please help me not to speak or hear loshon hara

  9. please help me to enjoy helping and to be excited over chesed

  10. please help me not to be lazy rather active and happy

Prayer for the entire Jewish people

  1. Please Hashem help that there should be peace in the world

  2. Please help that there should be no wars in any countries, and specifically for the Jews

  3. Please let us find favor in the eyes of the people and rulers of any country we live in

  4. Please help that there should be peace in the land of Israel and our enemies should not be able to harm us in any way

  5. Please send a refuah shelema for all the Jews in the world

  6. Please help that there should be no nuclear, chemical, or any bad occurrences in the world

  7. Please help us to see the coming of Mashiach very soon

  8. Please help all those who need to get marry to find their match

  9. Please help all the ones who don’t have children to merit children very soon

  10. Please bring yeshuvot to everyone who needs one

  11. Please bring long life and happiness to all of Am Yisrael

Mincha

Prayer for Chochma (wisdom)

  1. I should be able to focus during my studies

  2. I should have understanding in what I learn

  3. I should be able to remember and have a good memory

  4. I should be smart in Torah

  5. I should be able to understand other people and how to help them

  6. I should be able to understand myself and how to help myself

  7. I should be able to know what decision to make in big or small things in life

  8. I should be able to know how to deal with the plusses and minuses of everyone around me

Prayer for Parnassah

  1. Please help my father and mother and whole family to have a good year of parnassah

  2. We should not have any problems with other people

  3. Please help our business be successful

  4. We should not have an ayin harah on our parnassah

  5. Help me in the future to have a good job

  6. Help me to have a job that is spiritually healthy for me and it should be a kosher job

  7. Help me to know how to deal with people in the business

  8. Help me to give my maser and tzedaka

  9. If it is meant for me to lose any money during the year, please help me give that money to good organizations and not to go for bad things (eg. Medical and other side expenses)

Neila

Utilize for your own heartfelt prayer, or some people like to ask for everything all over again.

May all our prayers be answered. Amen.

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New Trial

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“No civil court of law would change its verdict and, after finishing the trial, decide to give a convicted criminal another chance! Imagine hearing, “You’re convicted, but we’re giving you another ten days to repair the damage you’ve done. At the end of those ten days, you’ll have a new trial. Good luck!”  What a golden opportunity!   

But that’s exactly what happens on Yom Kippur. Hashem judges us on Rosh Hashana, ~passes a verdict, and then gives us another opportunity, a new trial, ten days later!” – R” Shalom Arush

G’mar Chasima Tovah!

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Convert Sins into Merits

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“When I see a man of many sins, I think, ‘How I envy him!  When he will do teshuvah and convert his sins, he will have many more merits than I do!” ~ R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zt”l

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Fate

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Az es bashert ainem dertrunken tsu verren, vert er dertrunken in a leffel vasser. –

If one is fated to drown, he will drown in a spoonful of water.

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