Emuna Daily

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

Identify a line or section of tefillah that you connect with and is perhaps overlooked by others.

Once again, the answers you provided were amazing and I encourage everyone to read them here: shorturl.at/fDE59

I will just highlight a few:

1. During Shemona Esrei, in עַל־הַצַּדִּיקִים we say וְתֵן שָׂכָר טוֹב לְכָל הַבּוֹטְ֒חִים בְּשִׁמְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת וְשִׂים חֶלְקֵֽנוּ עִמָּהֶם – Grant good reward to all who truly trust in Your Name; and place our lot among them.  This could be interpreted as a prayer for Bitachon and the reward for it!

2. The entire Birkat Hamazon is so holy and really one big prayer for parnassah, but at the end, we say יְראוּ אֶת יְיָ קְדֹשָׁיו – Fear Hashem His Holy Ones, which could be interpreted as a prayer for Yiras Shomayim.

3. At the end of Shemona Esrei, we ask Hashem פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּבְמִצְוֹתֶֽיךָ תִּרְדֹּף נַפְשִׁי – Open my heart to Your Torah and let my soul pursue Your commandments.

4. How special it is on Yom Tovim when we sing in Hallel, זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ – This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad on it. 

5. On Shabbos and Yom Tovim, we say the beautiful prayer of  קַדְּשנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. שבְּעֵנוּ מִטּוּבֶךָ וְשמְּחֵנו בִּישוּעָתֶךָ. וְטַהֵר לִבֵּנוּ לְעָבְדְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת. — Santify us with Your mitzvos, and grant us a share in Your Torah, satisfy us from Your goodness and gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our heart to serve You sincerely.   

6. Each night at Maariv, in the paragraph of הַשְׁכִּיבֵֽנוּ, we say וְתַקְּ֒נֵֽנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ – we ask for good counsel.  We then say וְהָסֵר שָׂטָן מִלְּ֒פָנֵֽינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵֽינוּ to remove the satan from before us (so we shouldn’t sin) and after us (so that if we do sin, we don’t get depressed over it and lose faith).

7. On Shabbos in Pesukei D’zimra, in the paragraph of L’Dovid bshanoso, we say קרוב ה’ לנשברי לב ואת דכאי רוח יושיע. God is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those of crushed spirit. 

8. In נִשְׁמַת on Shabbos and Yom Tovim, we say אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ מַסְפִּיקִים לְהודות לְךָ ה – that no matter what we can possibly do, we still cannot thank You sufficiently! 

9. In the Yom for Thursday, we say הַרְחֶב פִּֽיךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ – Widen your mouth and I will fill it – Hashem is telling us not to limit ourselves — ask for ANYTHING because He, and only He, is capable of fulfilling our requests.

10. Each morning, we say המחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית which reminds us that no matter how challenging your life or day may be Hashem renews creation every day and anything can happen no matter how bleak things may seem. Then we immediately say אהבה רבה אהבתנו which reminds us how much Hashem loves us. These beautiful words should keep us smiling all day. 

Honorable Mentions: 

The Ribono Shel Olam prayer said on Yom Tovim when taking out the Torah, followed by Brich Shemei.  All of Birchos HaTorah, practically every line of Ashrei including קָר֣וֹב ה לְכָל־קֹֽרְאָ֑יו – Hashem is near to all who call Him, and the perfect way to start Shemona Esrei – ה’  שפתי תפתח ופי יגיד תהילתך asking Hashem to please help us daven. 

People who constantly seek wealth do not have pleasure from their lives. They are always engaged in preparing for life rather than living. Their focus is on gaining more and more money which is only a preparation for life.  

They think they are trying to obtain money for themselves, but are really amassing wealth for others who will eventually inherit it.

~ Chochmah Umussar

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Last chance to answer the question of the week

Identify a line or section of tefillah that you connect with that is perhaps overlooked by others.

Please take a moment to share your answer: https://forms.gle/8wHvkHfr8J9K2bKv7

The Ahavas Yisrael of Viznitz zt’l would say, “One must be good to everyone, but not with everyone.”

So be kind to all, but don’t spend too much time with all people.

You need to choose your friends carefully.

~ R’ Elimelech Biderman

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Reb Mendel M’Riminov said that saying Parshas Ha’Man (Shneyim Mikroh V’Echod Targum) today on Tuesday of Parshas B’Shalach, is a Segulah for Parnasah.

Click this link for the complete text of Parshas Hamon

People think that all they need to do is wait for Moshiach, but they forget that in Mitzrayim, they needed tefillah, too, and only then they were saved.

~ The Rayatz of Lubavitch zt’l

Identify a line or section of tefillah that you connect with that is perhaps overlooked by others.

Please take a moment to share your answer: https://forms.gle/8wHvkHfr8J9K2bKv7

The answers will be shared towards the end of the week.

“No person can touch that which is destined for someone else.” ~ Talmud Yoma 38b

Remember, you are not missing anything when others have it good.  ~ R’ Zelig Pliskin

In the beginning of the week, we asked, “In just a few words, what is the key to maintaining shalom bayis in a marriage?”

The complete answers can be found here: shorturl.at/gmB46

There were so many good ones, but here are the top 10 I decided to share:

1. Make your relationship with your spouse your number one priority.
2. Focus on giving because the more you give someone, the more you will love that person.   
3. Don’t criticize. Accept your spouse for who they are, knowing we can only work on ourselves.
4. Be present with your spouse and try to understand them.
5. Choose to be happy over being right.
6. Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it.
7. Each day, give your spouse quality time, appreciation, kind words, expressions of love and always be willing to compromise.
8. Respectful communication in conflict resolution – A successful relationship is not marked by the absence of conflict but rather by the successful resolution of conflict.
9. A wife should treat her husband like a king and a husband should treat his wife like a queen. They will then have a royal marriage. 
10. When dating, it’s all about making the right choice. When you’re married, it’s all about making the choice right. Marriage takes effort, but it’s so worth it. 

And of course, daven for shalom bayis!

“The days of forgetting the daf are over!”

~ R’ Avraham Goldhar

Please forward this incredibly inspiring video link to anyone you know doing daf yomi:

It will transform their learning. For more information, go to http://www.zichru.com

When you wish to become a Torah scholar and find it difficult to study, do not become discouraged and feel ready to quit. All beginnings are difficult, but there is nothing that stands in the way when you have a strong will to accomplish. The essential thing is to be sincerely resolved to be successful. ~ Chazon Ish

Today, we begin a new mesechta in Daf Yomi – Nazir.  If you are not already doing the daf, try it out!

There’s no time like the present. 

If you’re a Jew, you stick out.

You can’t eat what other people eat, can’t go where other people go. It’s not always comfortable.

But Judaism isn’t about comfort; it’s about pleasure.

When you stand tall, disciplined, and committed, living with morality and authenticity even if others laugh, if you are honest and decent and pure, even when others are not, there’s a deep pleasure within you.

You can look in the mirror and say “My life is meaningful, it’s Godly.” 

That’s the pleasure of making hard decisions and sticking with them.

~ R’ Yitzchok Breitowitz