Talk to Hashem

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Personal prayer is not greater than the set prayers each day – but, the yetzer hora knows about those and works harder to disturb them. ~ Rav Menachem Azolai as translated by Dov Elias

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Dig Deeper

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Every person you meet has a wellspring deep inside.

If you can’t find it, your own wellspring needs clearing.
Remove the rust from your shovel, sharpen its blade, and dig harder and deeper. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Nuts on Rosh Hashanah

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Kotzker Rebbe said “people don’t eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah because Chate (sin) is the gematria of Egoz (nuts). But people forget that Chate is also the gematria of Chate”

May you and your families and gans Klal Yisrael have a gut gebentsh yor, a shana tov u’metuka and ksiva v’chasima tova!   Daven Shtark and let’s crown our King!

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Hashem, Fulfill Our Requests for the Good

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Rabbi Avraham Pam related the following:

There was a Jew who, in spite of having lived his entire life in dire poverty, remained steadfast in his faith, and prayed with intense concentration.  Someone once overheard this man reciting the morning blessing, “Blessed are You… Who has provided me my every need,” with great joy.

Asked the passerby, “Can you really say that your every need has been provided for? You are among the poorest of the poor!”

The man replied, “Can one really know, on his own, what his particular needs are? If God has made me poor, then obviously this condition is necessary for me to fulfill my purpose in life. Poverty is what my soul needs, and I have been granted this in full measure!”

We ask for “a life in which God fulfills our requests for the good,” in the special blessing in advance of every new month. It would seem that the phrase “for the good” is superfluous; certainly a person would not request that which is bad for him! This, explained R’ Pam, is precisely the point.  We can never be sure that what we desire is ultimately to our benefit; this is known only to Hashem, Who “keeps watch and sees to the end of all generations” (Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah). We therefore ask that our requests be fulfilled, but only in a manner that will truly be for our good.

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Measure for Measure

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The way in which one acts towards others determines the way in which Heaven will act towards him. For example, if one strives to overlook the hurt caused him, and if he acts towards others with kindness and compassion, then he awakens the Attribute of Compassion in Heaven.  Hashem will judge him with mercy and he will be shown kindness from Above.  As our Sages state: “Whoever has compassion towards others will be shown compassion from Above” (Shabbos 151b); and “Whoever refrains from exacting his measure [of retribution from others for the wrong they caused him] will have all his sins forgiven” (Rosh Hashanah 17a).  Moreover, in his merit, Divine compassion will manifest itself upon the Jewish nation as a whole.

However, if it is one’s way to be absolutely unrelenting towards others and to treat them without compassion, then he lends strength to the Attribute of Justice —toward himself specifically, and to the entire Jewish nation as well.  Heaven will be unrelenting regarding that person’s sins, for “With the measure that a person measures do they [i.e. Heaven] measure him” (Megillah 12b). ~ Chofetz Chaim

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Brilliant Ignoramus

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“One can possess broad Talmudic knowledge and be a fountain of deep penetrating analysis and yet he does not deserve to be considered a true talmid chacham (Torah scholar). If he has not allowed his Torah knowledge to refine his character and restructure his personality, he is an am haaretz (boorish ignoramus) who happens to know how to learn.” ~ R’ Yisrael Salanter zt”l

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Like an Operation

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Emuna Daily

The Sage, Nachum Ish Gamzu (the teacher of Rabbi Akiva) is famous in the Talmud as the leading exponent of this insight.  His invariable reaction to whatever befell him, even to seeming disaster, was: gam zu le-tovah – “this too is for the best.”  Even what appears to us to as the worst is not really bad at all; it is in reality good, for its purpose is good.  A person suffering from a mortal disease is glad if he can undergo an operation which may save him, however much it may hurt.  This is how we must understand God’s ways.  But in this case the good is incomparably greater – unimaginably more sublime.  ~ R’ Eliyahu Dessler zt”L

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A Good Daughter

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Emuna Daily

A guteh tochter iz a guteh shnur – A good daughter makes a good daughter-in-law.

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Amazing Opportunity

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Emuna Daily

Please read to the end!

There is a basic flaw in believing that by giving, one loses. The Chofetz Chaim cites the promise in Tanna D’Vei Eliyahu Zuta (Perek 4): “If you gave charity, you will merit money. If you merited money, then give charity with it.” When one has money to give, one has the opportunity to create a permanent asset. Hashem is giving the person a chance to make an investment that earns principal and dividends in this world and the World to Come. By giving the money, one cannot lose. “You shall surely give him, and let your heart not feel bad when you give him, for in return for this matter, Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all your deeds and in your every undertaking,” says Devarim (15:10).

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I am very excited about the Keren Hashana Fund.   Everyday, there is a mitzva to give tzedaka.  That is why the Lubavitcher Rebbe established Keren Hashana;  a fund that will disburse your tzedaka to worthy causes, daily, giving you and the Jewish people the benefit of this great mitzvah every day of the year!

You and each member of your family could give as little as 5 cents a day for each day of the year.   Just go to https://lubavitch.com/donate.html?o=2026760&src=Lubavitch.com or email  hq@lubavitch.com and give the names of each of your family members so that this one-time donation ensures you and them the daily mitzvah of tzedaka for every day of the year.  It begins next week, so sign up now.

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Bitter People

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Emuna Daily

“Bitter people are never grateful; grateful people are never bitter.” ~ R’ Lazer Brody

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