The Great Masters

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“Great masters or teachers can’t give us anything we don’t already possess; they can help in one thing only — to open our own pathway to the truth within.” R’ Simon Jacobson

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Don’t Leave it Behind

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Emuna Daily

If it is permissible, we must use it for good.   If it can be elevated, we cannot leave it behind. ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Life is a Classroom

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“Life is a classroom – throughout the course of our lives we must learn that there is nothing besides Hashem. When we are attached to Hashem, we are happy. When we are missing happiness – we must stop and consider when we disconnected. This is our compass that shows us the way.”  Rav Menachem Azolai as translated by Dov Elias

I often quote R’ Azolai from a weekly D’var Torah that Dov Elias translates and emails out.   I truly look forward to seeing it in my inbox each week.  If you would like to subscribe to his weekly email on the parsha, simply email LightOfEmuna@dovelias.com

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A Story about a Fisherman

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Emuna Daily

A simple fisherman was once fishing, sitting on a nice comfortable chair on the beach relaxing, holding a long fishing rod and doing what he loves to do.  Suddenly, a big shot millionaire comes by and says “you are fishing with just a fishing rod?”  To which the fisherman responded “Yes, I love just fishing with a fishing rod, why?”  The millionaire says “I have an idea. How about I become your partner and I will buy you a fishing net?  The fishing net will allow you to catch much more fish.”  The fisherman responded “I don’t need so much.  What would I do with so much fish?”  The millionaire responds, “Well if you have all this fish, you can open up a fish store.”  The fisherman says “And then what?”  He says, “Then you can use the money you made and open a second fish store.”  The fisherman says “A second fish store?  Then what am I going to do?”  The Millionaire says, “Then you will have so much money, you can buy a big fancy fishing boat.  Then you will be able to catch all the big fancy fish that you can’t catch on the shore.  You will be able to offer such a wide selection.”  The fisherman responds, “Alright, but then what?”  The millionaire says, “Well then you can open up a fish supermarket.”   The fisherman says “Really?  A supermarket?”  The millionaire says, “Sure, it will be great.  Then you will have so much money you can start exporting fish all over the world.  You will have so much money, it will be fantastic.”  The fisherman says, “Alright, so once I own the chain of stores, the big fishing boat, the supermarket and the factory…what will I do next?  The millionaire responds “Ahhh, then you will have time to do whatever you want.  You will be able to relax here on a nice comfortable chair on the beach with your fishing rod and do what you love to do.”  Hmmmmm….. ~  paraphrased from R’ Lazer Brody

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Nice Message for this Month of Elul

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“When the Jewish People conduct themselves with compassion and kindness, and judge one another favorably below in this world; Hashem in turn, judges His people favorably, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and bestowing his blessings of kindness and life.” ~ R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zt”l (Torah Tavlin)

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Why Are You So Sad?

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“Rebbe Nachman says…Why are you so sad?  Because everything goes wrong in your life.  But, gevalt, do you know why everything goes wrong?  Because you are so sad.” ~ R’ Shlomo Carlebach zt”l

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Growing Up

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“There is a time when He relates to us as a father relates to his infant child. We can cry and spit and make those little messes babies make—but He loves us, just because we are His child.

And then there comes a time when we have to grow up and do something.” – R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Halachos Birchas Hamozon

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Emuna Daily

The Sefer Hachinuch writes; “One who is careful with the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon will always have Parnasah in abundance and in a respectful manner.” One who want to be careful should always bentch while reading the words in a siddur (or bentcher) and not bentch by heart.  ~ Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 185:1, see also Be’er Haitaiv

The Sefer Hachasidim writes; “A person once died and appeared to a relative in a dream and told him that he is being judged every day for not having been careful to say all his berachos with proper kavannah.” Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 185:1, see also Be’er Haitaiv

I got this from “Daily Halacha,” an email which goes out daily with  2 halachas.   I highly recommend you subscribe, which you can do by clicking here.

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How We Can Fix the World

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Emuna Daily

The first thing needed to fix this world is that Jews should love each other and be united.

And this can begin even without a planning committee and without funding.

It can begin with you.

—A letter from The Lubavitcher Rebbe

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For This is All of Man

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Emuna Daily

In this past week’s daf, I learned a very holy gemara that I just kept reading over and over and would like to share with you regarding the verse “The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is all of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13):

“And Rabbi Chelbo said that Rav Huna said: Any person who has fear of Heaven, his words are heeded, as it is stated ‘The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is all of man’.  What is meant by ‘for this is all of man’?  Rabbi Elazar said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said about him: The entire world was created only for this person.  This is the ultimate person for which all of man was created.  Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said ‘for this is all of man’ teaches that this is equivalent to the entire world, all of man.  Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai, and some say Rabbi Shimon ben Zoma says: Not only is he equivalent to the entire world, but the entire world was created to serve as companions for him, so that he would have society in which to live and with which to interact.”  ~ Talmud Berachos 6b

Whether you are learning dafyomi or not, please check out this website.   http://dafhachaim.com  – It has 3 videos for each daf – a 1 minute intro, the actual shiur and a 5 minute review.    It uses visual learning techniques kind of like Khan Academy, but for the daf.

Even if you do not learn the daf, the 5 minute review is a great way to keep up to date with those who are learning it.   And if you are learning the daf, I am sure you will find this to be a great chazara tool.

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