BS’D

There are three basic emuna levels; the beginning point is called intellectual emuna.  Intellectual emuna stems from a deep-founded knowing there is a Creator Who is in charge over every detail of existence. Hashem was, is and always will be the Only Source of life and intimately involved in every aspect of existence; both on an individual and worldwide level.

In order to attempt to further strengthen our emuna we must solidify our belief that there is none other than Hashem; all is Him and He is all.  There cannot be two causes or doubt that there is only one origin for all happenings; all is from Hashem Yitborach.  All that occurs in life stems from His will and desire for it to be so. This is a brief and basic explanation of the basis of intellectual emuna.

How do we strengthen the foundation of intellectual emuna:

• Completely accept the Torah and all of its instructions transmitted through our ancestors from Har Sinai.

• Reach the simple recognition that nothing comes by itself. No such thing as coincidence, or ‘should have’ or ‘could have’ been.  There is a Creator who runs the world down to the minute detail.

Next stage in emuna living is reaching the stage of sensory emuna; indeed the area which most of us get stuck on.  Sensory emuna a.k.a. heartfelt emuna is feeling Hashem’s presence in our heart.  This stage is most challenging since what we know in our minds many times does not penetrate the flesh of the heart.  Therefore we find ourselves downtrodden, frustrated, angry, and saddened. Our heart is filled with negativity and lack of acceptance since we cannot feel that which we know.

An entire daily dose of emuna lesson will be dedicated to this tomorrow, B’H.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Aitan Gavriel Ben Shulamit Aviva who is 12 years old and was left severely brain damaged and paralyzed from the neck down after a doctor gave him an overdose of insulin. Also to the refuah shleimah of his sister Aliza Bracha bas Shulamit Aviva who has has diabetes and epilepsy and only 10 years old. May Hashem send them a complete healing b’riut hanefesh v’b’riut haguf among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

The Torah reading of this coming Shabbos – Parashas Beshalach – includes the chapter telling how the Jewish People in the Wilderness received manna. Many people recite the chapter daily, as a special prayer for parnassah. There is also a widespread custom to recite this chapter on theTuesday of the week of Beshalach, which this year is today, January 19th.

As a public service from Artscroll, we offer the text and interlinear translation of the chapter, from the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Siddur. Please feel free to download it.

Click on this link to download:
CLICK HERE OR  CLICK HERE

Please share your comments, thoughts and questions in the comment section.  Would love to hear from you.

BS’D

BS’D

It is important to constantly review the basic principles of emuna. The yetzer hara tries so hard to make us forget the holy task we are here to complete while we sojourn in this world. Therefore the Hebrew word for world is Olam, is derived from the root word he’alem (to hide).

Yet a clear path has been carved for us by the Navi Chavakuk ztk’l, ‘Tzadikk b’emunato yichye (A righteous person lives with his emuna).’  This is our avodah every living moment; each person on their individual level.  The foundation of Torah study, mitzvot and good deeds are for one purpose; to instill emuna in us.

Emuna is a higher spiritual sensitivity to the Divine presence within.  It is an inner knowing that is unexplained in worldly terms, but a sixth sense that cannot be denied and continuously hungers to be fed. Emuna drives us to seek out life’s true meaning; the answer to the BIG questions, ‘Why am I here’ and ‘Where did I come from and where am I going?’

Emuna was given to us as a gift; it is that Divine spark that unceasingly injects us with life force. We are eternally connected to our Creator; emuna is the pursuit of consciously recognizing and living with this bond.  Nonetheless, we do forget.  We don’t forget that we have a hand since we feel and see it.  Therefore we must go beyond our physical senses to grasp emuna; we must search deeper than the intellectual surface.   In fact this is the root cause for weakened emuna; connecting to Hashem mainly through the avenue of logic and reason. Emuna is beyond reason; it is infinite wisdom.

However, as mentioned above we live in a fragmented world; in a world of hiddenness. We are not given permission, for the sake of free will, to view the big picture of life while dwelling on planet Earth. To this end we were put into this world; to relentlessly find and develop the ‘real me’. Emuna living propels us to grow, improve and elevate beyond our ‘innate traits’ so that we may become the G-dly beings we are intended to be.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmat Devorah bat Shulamit Rut. May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance among all the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.

Please share your comments, thoughts and questions in the comment section.  Would love to hear from you.

BS’D

We gain access to Hashem’s Infinite wisdom mainly through Torah study. Chazal teach us Torah is the main mode of communication Hashem uses to speak to us (and that we communicate back to Him via Tefillah).

We may wonder how reading or studying Torah ‘stories’ can assist us to understand life and make decisions? Torah is a garment containing within it signposts to direct us on our own journey. These signposts are clothed in a language we can understand. In other words, embedded within the Torah are fundamental secrets about life that are garbed in the form of true stories.

The Zohar HaKadosh teaches that if Hashem’s Divine wisdom was not ‘hidden’ in this way, we would not be able to bear the powerful light it brings forth. The Torah is therefore written with layers of wisdom (including pshat, drash, remez and sod) to enable each of us to slowly unveil the Divine wisdom hidden within it at our own appropriate pace and level.

How does Torah enable us to grow in our Emuna? We are able to better understand the manner which Hashem wants us to live when we learn the ways of our forefathers and mothers and adapt their values and principles. In particular, sefer Bereishit is filled with stories of the Avot and Imahot, and yet only cites three direct mitzvot (peru revu, brit milah, and gid hanashe). Yet, it is precisely by studying the Avot and Imahot’s travails, experiences, mistakes, challenges and by emulating their strength and chesed, that we are able to obtain direction and clarity.

Chazal teach that the Torah has 70 faces. The Torah speaks differently to each of us since every person has their own individual path to travel. To maximize clarity about our own individual life’s purpose and the choices we face, and to avoid possible confusion caused by merely emulating our neighbors, we can strive to study, investigate and apply the Divine messages embedded within each Torah portion.

We can celebrate with wonder the fact that exact same words of the parsha provide an individual gift, uniquely wrapped, tailor-made and chosen just for us!

Please share your comments, thoughts and questions in the comment section.  

Would love to hear from you.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Yochanan ben Carmela.  May Hashem shower him with a complete healing refuat hanefesh v’refuat haguf among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and in pain b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

BS’D

Many struggle to grasp the full concept of Emuna. Emuna is da’at; intimate intuitive knowledge that directs our lives in confidence and quiet. Without emuna we are left feeling hopeless and worried what tomorrow may bring. With weakened emuna one has questions, doubts and doesn’t know where to turn. In addition he is left feeling as though the world is simply unfair.

To this end our Holy Sages have arranged that the third prayer (the first request after praise) in Shmoneh Esrei be a request for da’at. Just as vegetation is in need of water to grow, the Jew first and foremost needs emuna (known as da’at, also referred to as water and Torah) for his neshama to blossom.

Hashem instructs us to learn Torah and better understand the purpose of existence. Without Torah study we at loss for meaning. The Zohar writes, “Torah, Torah… the light of all the worlds.” As we involve ourselves in Torah learning we are fed the necessary knowledge to flourish and perfect ourselves. The upper worlds shower sustenance through the words of Torah we study as the Zohar beautifully describes, “A river flows from Eden and waters the garden” meaning the river that flows from Eden is the Torah. This river waters the garden of Jewish neshamot, the Jewish People.

Torah is knowledge that feeds our Emuna and clearly lights our way.

Please share your comments, thoughts and questions in the comment section.  

Would love to hear from you.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Yosef Mordechai ben Chava Yenta. May Hashem shower him with a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

BS’D

This week’s Torah Portion of Vaera discusses Moshe Rabbeinu’s promise to B’nai Yisrael that redemption was imminent. Yet at the same time they experienced an increase in hard work.   “And Moshe spoke these words to the children of Israel, but they did not hear  …” There are 4 possible reasons why B’nai Yisrael did not trust in their geula.

• The Rashbam ztk’l, grandson of Rashi teaches that the Jewish People could not trust in Moshe’s comforting words since they judged the situation according to what they saw. They analyzed their condition and could only focus on how much worse it appeared; it seemed impossible for it to ever change.
• Rashi ztk’l teaches that their disbelief was not intellectually based. Ahm Yisrael had reached a point of total despair and could not accept emotional comfort. They found themselves in self-pity and their spirits could not be uplifted.
• The Rambam ztk’l brings down that they were not even aware that Moshe was talking to them. They lost all patience in having to live another moment of misery; they denied themselves any possibility of redemption.
• The Sforno ztk’l, Rav Ovadia ben Yaakov of Italy teaches there was a blockage between that which they intellectually knew and that which they emotionally felt. Trust is born within. What we intellectually know needs to result in unwavering trust and deep intuition.

Many of us can find the root cause of our own lack of emuna in one of the above mentioned approaches.  It is important to honestly contemplate the reasons why we struggle in our emuna.  It is also possible that Moshe Rabbeinu whispers in our ears that our individual geula is shortly approaching and we should be comforted. Does anyone hear him?

Please share your comments, thoughts and questions in the comment section.  

Would love to hear from you.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Leah bas Perel Merel. May Hashem shower her with a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.