Emuna Daily

The Rebbe of Ruzhin zt”l once heard his daughter complaining about something and said to her, “One groan brings on more tzaros, whereas one praise brings on more goodness.” 

The gemara (Sotah 48b) tells us that if a person has enough bread to eat today, he is lacking emuna if he worries about what he will eat tomorrow. 

But this only applies to one’s self. 

When it comes to other people, be concerned about what they will eat tomorrow and for many days to come.  

~ R’ Yechezkal Levenstein zt”l  

If I could do what you can do, and you could do what I can do, then the Ribbono shel Olam would not have created us both.  We each have our own talents and skills and mission.

You look around, and you see people torn by indecision and insecurity: “That one’s stronger, that one’s richer, that one’s smarter, that one’s more attractive.”

People are too busy looking.

Forget it.  Ignore it. 

Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken. 

~ R’ Avraham Willig

A bride and groom’s parents each came to the Chazon Ish zt”l arguing that the other one should pay for the lion’s share of the wedding.  

When they left, the Chazon Ish said, “Do you know what they were arguing about? They were debating who should get Hashem’s brachos.  Each one said the other one should receive Hashem’s brachos,” because Hashem helps those obligated to pay.  

The gemara (Taanis 29a) states that upon hearing the report of the spies concerning Eretz Yisroel, the Jewish people cried.  That night was Tisha B’av.  Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “You cried for no reason, I will give you a reason to cry for all generations.”  Every year, we cry on Tisha b’Av for the two Batei Mikdash that were destroyed on this day.  

If the Churban came about because we cried for no reason, we could derive from this that the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt when we recognize that there is no reason to cry.  When something disappointing happens, yet we believe that it is from Hashem, for the good, this awareness will rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. 

~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

If our only sin was that we aren’t mourning sufficiently for Yerushalayim, that would be reason enough to cause the galus to continue. 

~ The Yaavatz zt”l

HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells Bnei Yisrael, “My beloved children…what do I ask from you?  Only that you should love one another and honor one another.

 ~ Tana d’Bei Eliyahu (Rabba 28)

When the Beis HaMikdash stood, many brachos came to Klal Yisrael even before they asked for it. 

But after the destruction, nothing good comes to the world without tefillah. 

~ The Rokeach

Hashem told Moshe, “I have a good gift in My treasury, Shabbos is its name; I want

to give it to the Jewish nation. Go and inform them” (Shabbos 10).

The Chidushei HaRim says that this wasn’t a one-time event. Every week, before Shabbos arrives, Moshe speaks to every Yid’s neshamah and says, “Hashem told me to tell you that He is giving you the great gift of Shabbos.”

Even a person alone in a room will experience the holiness of Shabbos as it arrives because that is when we receive Moshe Rabbainu’s encouraging message about the beautiful gift Hashem is giving us.  

There isn’t any connection between hishtadlus and parnassah.

Hishtadlus is a tax we all must pay, and Hashem sends the parnassah.

~ R’ Elimelech Biderman