Yearly Archives: 2015

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Today’s daily doe of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Gershon Menachem ben Hanah Malkah. May Hashem bless him with a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen

Fear is a powerful emotion.  Hashem created every feeling and emotion so that we may use it to our benefit.  With that in mind, let’s explore the positive end of feeling fearful and use it to enhance our lives.

• Fear serves as a protector since it causes us to proceed with caution. In the event that the danger is real, we can be better protected in hazardous situations.
• Fear can awaken yirat Shamayim when internalized correctly. The reality of the fear is Heavenly sent as a means to reflect on the truthful reality of life that there is only One to fear; Hashem’s stern justice when needed to bring the world to its ultimate purpose. We are awakened to grow spiritually.
• As a second step to number two, fear deepens our awareness of Hashem and causes us to reach out to Him out of intense tefillah and devotion as we better internalize that we have only Him to rely on. The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh teaches that Hashem sends fear out of love for us, to stir us with Heavenly awe so that we continuously turn to Him with yearning to become G-dly.

‘B’Yado afkid ruchi, be’et ishan ve’aera, v’im ruchi geviyati, Hashem li ve’lo ira (Into Hashem’s hands I entrust my spirit when I sleep and when I wake; and with my spirit and my body also, Hashem is with me, I will not fear.)’ An amazing segula to recite to help alleviate fear (last lines of Adon Olam).

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Lianne bat Nariah, a month old baby who fell on her head and injured her skull and has internal bleeding in the brain.  Oy, may Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

The beauty of living with Emuna is that it is contagious and promotes joy in the world!  All energy is shared in creation; E=MC2. Therefore the way we feel whether positive or negative has a ripple effect onto others.  My positive thinking is projected onto others and ‘softens’ the other. Eventually this opens the channel for better communication and perhaps even identify and be more compassionate towards them.

In practical terms when I accept the other for who she is and come closer to her by thinking positively about her I begin to understand her more clearly and may grow to empathize with her feelings.  There is no question that there is a spiritual connection between human beings and feelings are subtly transmitted from one to another.

This teaching leads us to further think about how intimately we are connected to one another.  If the other can ‘sense’ what I am feeling and thinking, is this not an additional reason to see her as an extension of myself?  Should that not encourage us, particularly as we slowly approach the three weeks, to deeply plant the idea that whatever I think and feel toward another is shared and felt between us.

In turn, my harsh view bounces’ off her and is fed right back to me.  When I have ill feelings towards anyone I am given it right back! Oy!  That certainly motivates me to work on enveloping myself with warm fuzzy feelings towards every Jew.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Miriam Bat Yetta. May Hashem bless her with a complete recovery b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

From Rosh Hashanah to Rosh Hashanah it is determined how many difficulties as well as simchas a person will experience the coming year. With every breath, Hashem injects renewed life force called ruach into our being. We are connected to Hashem with every breath we take, whether we realize it or not. Knowing this should make us realize that we cannot do anything in this world without Him, since without the oxygen we intake we could not live.

Taking this one step further we learn that Hashem essentially sustains us through every experience and never leaves our side. It is in this merit that we are able to endure the many ordeals of life and bounce back in spite of the pain. Negative feelings arise when we forget to bring Hashem into the picture; fail to recall eternity. Daily focus should be centered on the end goal of life. Asking the questions, ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What is this life all about?’ will realign our thoughts to remember why we exist in this world in the first place.

Events are painted in a negative light because we are unable to picture long term meaning to our lives. In the long run all that we undergo is for our benefit in order to enable us to become stronger vessels and grow closer to Hashem. Every person and circumstance has specifically been placed in our lives to motivate us to become more G-dly.

Focus on this thought next time you feel negativity rise in your thoughts.

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The difference between an emotion and a feeling is that an emotion is an automatic innate response to outside stimuli; whereas a feeling is a reaction that is not evoked due to any experience. Anger is a difficult emotion to deal with. When a person reacts with anger they are convinced that it is beneficial as it gets the other to respond due to the force of their response. Yet in reality it only compounds the issue. Anger triggers an ‘effective’ response by the other however it is short lasting and causes more complications in achieving a lasting solution.

Going back to Emuna 101- everything happens for a reason. As the Daily Dose of Emuna magnet clearly outlines there are four ‘buttons’ one must follow in order to live a life of Emuna and emotional well-being.

1) It’s all from Hashem ~ There is purpose
2) Hashem is my Father ~ He loves me
3) It must be good. My ultimate best!

And only after the heart is settled and the emotions are consoled can you ask yourself:

4) What is the message Hashem is sending me?

Following these 4 Emuna buttons creates a healthy space for our emotions to be soothed before responding. Everything in life occurs to awaken us to button #4. ‘Letting off steam’ is a rebellious response to this button. In effect it professes our unwillingness to accept Hashem’s ‘desire’ to see us grow spiritually.

Embedded in each hardship is a personal note from Hashem telling us, “This is a test. You are about to become greater than before. I am your personal trainer to guide you to your greatness.”

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Misery loves company.  A person is not ‘bad’, only so despondent that he cannot control making others miserable as well.  Nonetheless each time he enjoins others in his misery he sinks deeper into his own negativity.   What such a person needs most is compassion, a caring ear and loads of attention.  He should be treated no differently than a person who suffers from a physical condition, only here it is hidden in his emotions; a chronic emotional disorder. His soul correction is dependent on his ability to achieve self-love and nurturing.

It is agony when a person stores his feelings of anger and does not let them go. This mental state causes a person to become hostile not only to the one who affected the grievance but to anyone who awakens the memory of the painful experience.  This is the ‘ideal’ environment in which hatred flourishes.   Stored anger gives birth to resentment which then leads to hatred and finally causes him to blame everyone else for his problems.

By learning and applying Emuna teachings and principles to the above mentioned scenario, the entire experience is changed. Hashem is the Source of all individual and collective events that transpire.  Despite all that a person goes through in life, monumental greatness can be achieved if he lets go of his anger and resentment in a controlled constructive manner, and he takes a major step towards Emuna living.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated L’iluy nishmat Baruch Dov ben Avraham z”l.  May his neshama bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous souls who have departed from this world, Amen. 

The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh teaches that if we could only see each other through the eyes of our soul there would be complete unity in Klal Yisrael. The challenge arises when we see each other as physical beings.  All Jewish souls are ‘carved’ from the same source and all of us are equal in Hashem’s eyes.  Chazal teach that at the onset of each day  we are to profess that we accept upon ourselves the mitzvah of ‘Ve’ahavta lere’echa kamocha (Love thy neighbor)’ and love each Jew with all of our heart and soul.

We state this aloud each day in order to focus positive thoughts of love and closeness to our fellow brethren; the goal is to see each other as part of a communal holy soul.  Of course differences will arise however they sprout forth mainly from the side of our animalistic soul and not the G-dly soul within.  In fact all negative emotions ‘clog the Divine channel’ that flows with Hashem’s goodness obstructing us from moving forward.  The Zohar HaKadosh teaches that anger blocks the pathways of Hashem’s blessings.

Emuna and emotions are closely linked as nothing is coincidental; the greater ones emuna the more controlled their emotions. With a steady flow of emuna an insult or stern tone may ‘bounce’ off rather than awaken our impulsive response since we internalize that no one can do anything without Hashem’s consent.