Here Today and Gone Tomorrow

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Emuna Daily

“King Solomon, the wisest of all men advised (Ecclesiates 7:2):

‘It is better to frequent the house of mourning than the house of feasting, for it signifies the end of all men – and the living should take it to heart!’

…All of us must remember that we’re mere mortals, here today and gone tomorrow; if we forget, we’re liable to fall into spiritual slumber.  The fear and awe of our final day on earth and subsequent day of reckoning helps us monitor our thoughts, speech, and deeds.  When establishing our list of priorities, we should remember that fame and fortune are worthless in the grave; this world’s amenities are worthless in the next world.  Our ultimate objective is the world to come, and emuna will get us there.” ~ The Garden of Emuna

 

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My Body also has a Soul

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Emuna Daily

“Our holy master Rebbe Nachman says that not only the soul has a soul – but my body also has a soul – the inside of my body.  You know, imagine if all I used my hand for was just to take, and I never used my hand to give.  Rebbe Nachman says I can get physically sick from this.  My hand is crying, ‘Why didn’t you use me for the right purposes?’  You know, if my ears only hear terrible things, if my ears never hear something holy, then physically my ears are angry at me: ‘Why didn’t you do something with me which I really want to?’  Not only my soul is angry, the inside of my body is too.”  ~ R’ Shlomo Carlebach

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Bitter or Grateful

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Emuna Daily

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

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“Time is Money”

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Emuna Daily

“The world says that time is money, but I say that money is time. In order to earn enough money to satisfy his desires, one must sacrifice inordinate amounts of time. For me, that sacrifice is too great.” ~ Chofetz Chaim

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Peace in the Home

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Emuna Daily
“Peace in the home, shalom bayis, does not mean the absence of conflict. Shalom is opposing forces working together in harmony. It is a sense of wholeness that allows for a life filled with blessings and joy.”   ~ By R’ Shlomo Slatkin
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How to give

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Emuna Daily
“The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown.”
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“How could this happen?”

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Emuna Daily

“When a new Baal Teshuva dies a sudden, tragic death…people ask, how is this possible?…’Why did Hashem take him so suddenly?’  The most famous question of the perplexed is: ‘What about the Holocaust…?’

People forget that this world is a place of temporary significance at best, where a soul assumes a bodily form to perform a mission and achieve a needed tikkun.  But, if they’d remember that the life and health of the soul is our primary concern — and not the body — then their questions would fall by the wayside.” ~ The Garden of Emuna

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From one home to another

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Emuna Daily

“Death is merely moving from one home to another.  The wise man will spend his main efforts in trying to make his future home the more beautiful one.”

~ R’ Menachem Mendel Morgenstern of Tomashov (the Kotzker Rebbe)

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Singing

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Emuna Daily
“When someone talks, he’s using worldly tools. Singing, however, comes from the world which is beyond Creation. When someone is singing, you close your eyes, because singing is so heavenly.” ~ R’ Shlomo Carlebach
* This weekend is the yahrzeit of R” Shlomo Carlebach.  I happen to have the honor of leading the Carlebach minyan tonight at the Young Israel of Woodmere.   If you are in the area, please join us and “give me the softest an sweetest harmony in the world.”
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How can I be Happy if I am not?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Emuna Daily
“You ask, ‘How can I be happy if I am not?’ True, you can’t control the way you feel, but you do have control over your conscious thought, speech and actions. Do something simple: Think good thoughts, speak good things, behave the way a joyful person behaves — even if you don’t fully feel it inside. Eventually, the inner joy of the soul will break through.” ~ Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman
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