Yearly Archives: 2016

BS’D

Rabbi Chaim Vital ztk’l explains the works of the AriZal HaKadosh. Existence is founded on four base elements: fire, air, water and earth. It is important to understand these fundamental features which are found in our soul. Although each soul includes all of these components, each of us has one element which is most dominant.

• Fire
Positive aspects: intellect, desire to elevate and grow, passion, brought out by lighting candles in the name of tzaddikim and/or Shabbat candle lighting. It’s our G-dly spark, our soul’s root on high. It is represented by our korbanot. The world of Atzilut – the highest heavenly realm.
Negative aspects: anger, stubbornness, demand of honor, rebels authority

• Air
Positive aspects: modesty, humility, happiness, articulate speech, our intellect, brought out by tefillah. It’s our neshama, the study of Torah. The world of Briah.
Negative aspects: idle chatter, lies and slander, lashon hara

• Water
Positive aspects: openness, seeing the big picture, indulgence in pleasure, brought out through our emotions. Disgust for unnecessary physical pleasures. It’s our ruach. The world of Yetzirah.
Negative aspects: draw towards physical delights as a means to an end, lust, jealousy

• Earth
Positive aspects: driven to act via our Divine force, feeling grounded, a drive to do, feeling satisfied with life, serving Hashem with simcha, brought out by hafrashat challah. It’s our nefesh. The world of Asiyah – our world.

Negative aspects: sluggishness, sadness, grief, hopelessness, inability to move and grow

By exploring these elements and matching them with our character traits, we enable ourselves to perfect our vessel, our desires, to hold on to the Divine light that continuously pours into this world. Torah observance, involvement in mitzvot and tefillah are the only way to tame and discipline our animalistic tendencies and acquire the tools we need to fulfill our unique task in this world.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chaya Raizel bat Rachel. An additional name has been added for her. Please continue to pray for a complete healing for Chaya Raizel bat Rachel among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

BS’D

‘Ein k’Ahmcha Yisrael’ – Ahm Yisrael is kadosh. On the tip of most Jewish tongues, regardless of their Torah observance, or how difficult one’s situation is, the words ‘Baruch Hashem’ is found, words that profess gratitude and emuna. In this zechut, Ahm Yisrael experiences bitachon and happiness and are able to cope with life’s challenges.

Emuna refers to trusting in Hashem’s ability to help and guide us through every circumstance; it does not mean that Hashem will deliver what we desire. It is important to understand this well; emuna is belief in Hashem’s intimate interaction in our lives however not that Hashem will fulfill our wants.

Based on the above understanding we can deduce that life’s disappointments and a weakness in one’s emuna are related what we perceive is lacking in our lives and requests gone unanswered. When a person is left with an unsatisfied desire they naturally fall into a state of worry, frustration and protest. But what is really causing this negativity to creep into one’s life? A sense of lacking; ‘There’s something missing.’ The outcome of experiencing a void is the erroneous belief that things are not going as they should.

An important thing to remember is that Hashem fulfills all of our desires, all of our true desires, to the degree that is perfectly fit for us. Hashem knows our size and our fit and gives us what we need according to the ‘size’ of our neshama. A person’s real ratzon is directly linked to that which he really needs; what his neshama needs. Everything else is not a genuine need but only an invention handed to us by our yetzer hara.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Gila bat Sara Amalia. May Hashem grant her a complete healing from postpartum psychosis and grant her husband Chaim Leib ben Masha Sara koach to cope with this difficulty. May no one from Klal Yisrael know of any sorrow and be showered with yeshuot and nechamot, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.