Emuna Daily

When one is afraid, the fear itself makes it more likely for that which is feared to occur, r’l.

~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

Our Emuna in Hashem must be complete and absolute.

A compromised Emuna is not Emuna.

~ R’ Chaim Soleveitchik zt”l (1853-1918)

There is a great rule that I must tell you: When two people are wrestling, if one of them is lazy and moves about heavily, he will fall, even if he is the stronger one. 

The same is true with the war against the Yetzer Hara. You can’t win this war with laziness and heaviness, which are the product of sadness and a closed heart – a heart as hard as a stone. 

You only win the battle with zrizus, which comes from a pure heart that is alert, clear from all worldly worries and sadness.

~ Tanya (ch.26)

A single mitzvah performed in our decadent, immoral times is equal to many “big” mitzvos done in previous generations, when resistance of the Yetzer Hara was less fierce…”  

~ The Arizal (1534-1572)

Everyone’s got their thing [that they struggle with].  For one person it is getting up on time.  For one person it is saying all of davening.  For another person, it is having kavanah in davening. Everyone’s got their thing.

Ask yourself, what is the one thing you just don’t want to do?  Is it something you know the Ribono Shel Olam wants you to do, but you rather not deal with it?  

That’s Mesiras Nefesh!

Don’t worry! The Siyata Dishmaya will be there [to help you through it].  All you need is Mesiras Nefesh for what we know is right, for what we live for.

~ R’ Yitzchak Berkowitz

Every mitzvah one does on Shabbos is 500 times greater than a mitzvah performed on a weekday.

A daf Gemara studied on Shabbos is equivalent to studying 500 daf Gemara on a weekday. 

A chapter of Tehillim on Shabbos equals 500 chapters of Tehillim on a weekday.

~ R’ Shlomke Zvhiller zt”l

In the beginning of the week, we asked the following:

Which particular words or phrases in the davening have become more significant to you since the onset of the War in Israel, and why?

Here are the most popular answers:

1. מתיר אסורים – Release the Bound/Hostages (Brachos)

2. סומך נופלים, ורופא חולים, ומתיר אסורים – He supports those who are falling, heals the sick, releases the bound (Shemona Esrei)

3. לַעֲשׂוֹת נְקָמָה בַגּוֹיִם תּוֹכֵחוֹת בַּלְאֻמִּים: לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּזִקִּים וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּכַבְלֵי בַרְזֶל: To take revenge against the nations who attacked them and punish those who harassed them, to capture their kings and nobles with chains (4th Hallelukah).

4. ולמלשינים – Destroy our Enemies (Shemona Esrei)

5. תקע בשופר – Gather the Exiles (Shemona Esrei)

6. אֶת־צֶֽמַח דָּוִד – Bring Moshiach (Shemona Esrei)

7. שים שלום – Bring Peace(Shemona Esrei)

8. אַחֵֽינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל – For our Brothers 

9. עָלֵֽינוּ – Specifically the ending

10. אַל תִּירָא מִפַּחַד פִּתְאם – Be not afraid of sudden terror (After עָלֵֽינוּ)

Click here for the complete list of responses – https://shorturl.at/cfzCJ

Bonus Question – Can you identify at least 4 places in the davening each morning (and 5 on shabbos (not including Mussuf)) where we ask that Hashem free the אסורים – bound/hostages?  (If not, see if you can find them on your own).

When G-d loves someone, He sends a gift.  

What’s the gift? 

The gift is a poor man, to give the person merit [by giving tzedakah]. 

~ The Zohar

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Last chance to answer the Question of the Week – click here: https://forms.gle/czVHuvsfrXdTejGfA

The answers will IYH be shared tomorrow.

A man once asked R’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, how he can acquire the middah of zerizus, when by nature he was lazy and the effort to act with alacrity and learn Torah was difficult for him.

R’ Chaim answered:

A person must think that he is the only person in the world, that he has just this one day to live, and that all he has to learn is this single daf in front of him right now.  

Which particular words or phrases in the davening have become more significant to you since the onset of the War in Israel, and why?

Please share your answers by using the form below (on the website) or just clicking here: https://forms.gle/czVHuvsfrXdTejGfA

The answers will hopefully be shared on Thursday.