Your Spiritual Career

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“If you’re serious about something, it has a fixed time. If you’re earnest about getting something done and the phone rings, you ignore it. The spiritual side of your life is not a hobby nor a luxury — it is your purpose of existence. When you are learning Torah, or meditating or in prayer, nothing else exists. Your spiritual career should have at least equal priority to your worldly career.” ~ Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment

Seek it like Silver

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Emuna Daily

The Midrash says that for each moment in which a person refrains from speaking the forbidden, he merits a hidden light that no angel can fathom.

“Scripture states: ‘If you will seek it like silver and hunt for it like hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of Hashem, and knowledge of God you will find‘ (Mishlei 2:4-5).

One must strive to attain spiritual goals in the way that he would seek the greatest valuables that this world has to offer. This is the intent of the statement, ‘Do not distance yourself from a quality that is without limit.’  (R’ Yochanan ben Dehavai)   Avoiding forbidden speech brings infinite merit; if we will only pursue this quality, and not tell ourselves that it is out of our reach, then we will have achieved that which no angel can fathom.” ~ The Chofetz Chaim

Posted in Shmiras Haloshon, Spirituality | Leave a comment

The Instructions Came First

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“People think that G-d first made a world and then gave us instructions to follow, so we don’t mess it up. The truth is, the instructions came first, and the world was designed as the venue to carry them out.  Therefore, to say that anything in the world could be an opposition to carrying out its Creator’s will is an absurdity. There can be no opponents to the purpose of creation — only meaningful challenges.” ~ Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman

Posted in Spirituality | Leave a comment

Each of us are Unique

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“Just as people’s faces don’t resemble each other, so too their thought processes don’t resemble each other.” (Bamidbar Rabbah 21:2)

“The Beis Yisrael, Rabbi Yisrael Alter of Ger, commented on the above Aggadic teaching, saying that one should accept differences in thought as readily as he accepts differences in appearance.”  (Chofetz Chaim – A Lesson a Day)

Posted in Shmiras Haloshon | Leave a comment

Trusting Anyone other than Hashem

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“How unfortunate are those who turn to flesh and blood for relief!  When someone trusts anything or anyone other than Hashem, Hashem turns away from that person, leaving him or her at the mercy of the futile object of their trust; then, they’re really in trouble.” ~ The Garden of Emuna

Posted in Emuna | Leave a comment

Joy

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“When a person is feeling joy, he will be able to gain more from one hour of Torah study than from many hours of study while he is sad.” R’ Chaim Volozhiner zt”l as quoted in Torah Tavlin

Posted in Spirituality | Leave a comment

The Cause

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Emuna Daily

Whenever a person incurs a loss, he should examine his own dealings in his search for the cause. ~ From the teachings of the Chofetz Chaim

Posted in Mussar | 1 Comment

Excuses

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“One who really cares is not placated by the fact that he has a good excuse.  If the goal was not achieved, it was not achieved — regardless of the excuse.” ~ Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment

May I never fall into the hands of others!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“King David, when faced with a choice between falling into the hands of a human with free choice and falling at the mercy of Hashem, said (Samuel II 24:14) ‘Let us fall into the hand of Hashem, for His mercies are abundant; but let me not fall into human hands.’ King David wanted no dependence whatsoever on people; he placed his entire life in Hashem’s loving hands.

No matter how dismal a particular predicament may seem, when we gird ourselves with complete emuna, lean on Hashem only, and cry out to Him from the inner depths of our soul, Hashem uplifts us far beyond the limitations of nature.” ~ The Garden of Emuna

Posted in Emuna | Leave a comment

Teshuva

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Emuna Daily

“Do teshuva one day before you die” ~ R’ Eliezer in Mishnah Avos and Gemara Shabbos

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment