Emuna Daily

In the beginning of the week, we asked:

“What book written in the last 30 years has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life?”

The complete answers can be found here: shorturl.at/GNV01

The Top 10 most popular answers:

1. Living Emunah by R’ David Ashear
2. The Garden of Emuna by R’ Shalom Arush
3. Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh by Anonymous
4. All for the Boss by Ruchoma Shain
5. The Garden of Peace by R’ Shalom Arush
6. The 6 Constant Mitzvos by R’ Yehuda Heimowitz
7. Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup by Sara Yoheved Rigler
8. Just Love Them by Yisroel Besser
9. The Thinking Jewish Teenager Guide to Life by R’ Akiva Tatz
10. Olam Hamiddos by R’ Moshe Don Kestenbaum

(Note that the last 6 were in no particular order.)

Someone who walks in this world without thinking whether his ways are correct or not is like a blind person walking along the riverside, whose danger is certainly very great.

The tragedy that can happen to him is greater than the chances of survival. 

~ Mesilas Yesharim (Ch.2)

A person trying to study Torah need never become discouraged because of a feeling that he lacks intellectual potential. 

Many times people who originally found it very difficult to understand and retain what they had learned were ultimately successful because of their diligence.

~ Sefer Hamidos Lehameiri

How many opportunities come our way and we don’t even realize what’s behind them?

You’re on a couch and your mother asks you to do her a favor, go to the store for her, and you feel like, “Come on, I’m so tired…I can’t.”

Your friend says, “Please come, I need someone to talk to, I’m going through a rough time and I need a listening ear,” and you feel like you just can’t.

It’s too hard. Why should I?

Because it’s hard – That’s why you should do it.

Besides the fact that it’s the right thing to do. “Olam chessed yibaneh – The world is built through kindness.”

This is an opportunity!

Hashem wants to answer our tefillos, and this is the way He sends us salvation.

~ R’ Meir Yedid

What book written in the last 30 years has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life?

Please share your answer with us using this form: https://forms.gle/Ff9j72jmV2xQvdJZ7

We plan to share the answers with everyone at the end of the week.

Every morning, when we recite the berachah of “Habocher be’amo Yisrael be’ahavah” we thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu for choosing Klal Yisrael, His nation, with love. 

It’s easy to get lost, a whole nation, a huge number. But it’s not just some vague entity: Klal Yisrael.  I try to think of a single individual every morning, one person – whoever it might be.

“Be’amo” means me, it means you, it means the person sitting next to you.

There is something so special about every single yachid (individual), a feature that makes him or her unique in the eyes of the Ribbobno shel Olam. 

He chose us. 

~ R’ Daniel Kalish

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

“What practical advice would you give someone who wants to improve their davening?” 

So many of you stepped up and shared the most incredible answers! You are all amazing!  We can literally publish a Seifer with each eitza that was given.  Below are ten that I chose to share here, but I really encourage everyone to click this link to view them all: shorturl.at/bkQ19

1. Come to shul early. Relax for a moment before you start. Take in the moment and realize that you are about to speak to Hashem. What an honor and opportunity you have. Take advantage.
2. Start with thank you.
3. Create a conceptual space in your mind where there is only you and Hashem with His undivided attention. Go to that place whenever you daven.
4. Pick a line, paragraph or section of the davening, and learn more about it. Read the English and make sure you understand the meaning of it. Focus on it for a day or a week and then do the same thing with another part of davening.
5. I sometimes imagine that this is the last time I will pray before I die, and I only have this chance to put everything into it.
6. Really believe that Someone is listening.
7. Daven for your davening
8. Slow down
9. Build a closer relationship with Hashem by talking to Him in your own words whenever you can. Thank Him for everything. Ask Him for both the small things and the big things. This will work wonders for your emuna and improve your tefillos.
10. Know that Hashem has a storehouse of treasures, Brachos, and good things to give you. You just have to daven in order to get them.

The mitzvah of giving charity will be very precious to you when you realize that sharing wealth with others is your own greatest financial need.

~ R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l

Last chance to answer the Question of the Week. Click here: https://forms.gle/cJFNg736iEuec5Nt6

Answers will be sent out tomorrow.

“One small mitzvah in our times (which was 500 years ago), is greater to Hashem than the biggest mitzvah in the times of the Tanaaim and Amoraim (who lived about 1000-1500 years earlier).”

~ The Arizal

Just imagine how great and lofty each of our mitzvos are today! 

Ahavas Yisrael is the vessel for Ahavas HaShem.

One who works on his Ahavas Yisrael will reach great heights in his Ahavas HaShem.

~ Rebbe Rayatz Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson