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Mashiach in our Time

November 10, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refulah shleimah of Malka Esther bat Tziporah.  She is critically ill and in desperate need of our tefillot. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in his book ‘The Real Messiah’ writes that whoever wishes to truly see the hand of Hashem at work can.  We are at a stage in history where civilization has developed beyond man’s wildest dreams.  Does the progressive advancement of society foretell the arrival of Mashiach?  Certainly. All has been prophesied and predicted as the Zohar HaKadosh precisely writes, “In the 600th year of the sixth millennium, the gates of wisdom on high and the wellsprings of lower wisdom will be opened.  This will prepare the world to enter the seventh millennium, just as a man prepares himself toward sunset on Friday for the Shabbat.  It is the same here…” The 600th year of the 6thmillennium was the year 5600 (1840) where there was a sudden expansion of secular knowledge; the scientific revolution.

The times we are living in as outlined by the prophets would seem impossible thousands of years ago when made. Yet today with the advancement of technology we can see how ‘grapes can be as large as hen’s egg’ or ‘grains of wheat as big as a fist.’

This era of rapid change is foretold to have a massive impact on the generation gap between parents and children, since children literally feel they are living in a different world, one in which their parents ‘simply don’t understand.’ Many of us undoubtedly experience this in our homes. Chazal describe a sort of spiritual plague, an ailing feeling of constant discontent, of always wanting something new in such a fast-paced ever-changing world.

These are but some of the  signs given to us which we can already see before our eyes.  All of the proposed dates found in the Torah for the arrival of Mashiach have already passed. We can no longer bear the spiritual hardship of the exile.  Those of us who really want to be an ‘Eved Hashem’ feels that Mashiach is very near. B’H, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

More on this subject tomorrow.

World Tragedies and Mashiach

November 9, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmat Ariella Rivka bat Avraham a’h. Her beautiful soul was elevated to the higher realms when she was just over 8 years old.  I had the zechut to know her and to remember her warm smile and contagious enthusiasm of Yiddishkeit. May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.

Many people currently question the idea of whether we are in the era of the ‘Days of Mashiach.’  They consider the fact that the world is still running regularly as proof that Yemot HaMashiach is still in the distant future.  However, those who are in ‘Geula mode’ should respond, “But haven’t you noticed the chaotic mess this world has become entangled in? Aren’t you aware of the massive changes and upheavals occurring around the world?”
 
The greatest enigma is how many of us can continue to live life ‘as usual’ despite these tumultuous changes. Particularly during this ‘media age’, we are bombarded with data, information and statistics which reveal but a small portion of the damage and chaos of the current global situation. These media snip-bits do not reveal the full magnitude of the true tragic events.  Despite this (or because of it), we are constantly taken back to ‘business as usual,’ managing to ignore the massive events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and terror that would have brought the world to a standstill in the past.
 
We are experiencing the stage immediately preceding the geula shleimah, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen. The Jewish people should see every event, whether on a personal or universal level, as a direct, Divine message announcing that the ‘Days of Mashiach’ have arrived. ‘Natural disasters’ are one of the ways Hashem forces Klal Yisrael to recognize Him, His power, His capabilities, His compassion and His protection. ‘Mother Nature’ roaring her powerful voice is meant to move us out of our comfortable state and enter to a state of awe. These disasters also arise to force us to recognize Hashem’s kindness and compassion in sheltering us from such disasters until now.

We will continue to explore more about this vast topic in the coming days, B’H.

Open Your Eyes and Remember …

November 4, 2015
Orit Esther Riter
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmat Avigayil bas Mordechai. May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance amongst all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.

Rebbe Nachman ztk’l outlines another few thoughts about forgetfulness in his Sefer Hamiddot:

  • A person who embarrasses his neighbor becomes forgetful
  • Worry leads to forgetfulness
  • Falsehood causes one to forget
  • Someone with poor memory should encourage others to return to Hashem

As outlined in Likutei Eitzot:

You must be very careful to cultivate a good memory and not to fall into forgetfulness. What is a good memory? It means constantly keeping the thought of the World to Come in the forefront of your mind and never forgetting about it. It would be a very good thing if every Jew were to make it a daily habit, as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning and before he does anything else, to bring to mind that the World to Come is the only true goal. He should do this as soon as he wakes up. This is the concept of memory in general. And it has to be followed through into every detail of the day. With every thought, word and deed which G-d sends you every day, you must broaden your understanding and perception of G-d. You must understand that every one of them is a hint which G-d sends you in order to draw you closer to Him. G-d Himself is infinite and without end. But He `contracts’ Himself, as it were, to our level, using all the experiences which He sends us each day, in order to signal to us and guide us. It is up to us to recognize this and find the messages in all the thoughts, words and deeds which are sent to us, in order that we may reach a deeper insight and come closer to G-d (54:2).

Who would have thought that Emuna can even sharpen one’s memory… another reason to keep reading your Daily Dose of Emuna!

I’ve Forgotten Already!

November 3, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmat Barbara Shenkin, Brina Mariasa Bas Gita Faiga, a’h.  May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.
 
Our memory is a powerful resource. We use our memory to store information, images and it is greatly affected by what we see and experience. Images placed in the brain may cause the muscle to expand or decrease in size. They can act for the good and for the bad. Harmful images can invade one’s mind and cloud our ability to think clearly and remember. Emotions such as jealousy, arrogance and anger can detrimentally affect people’s memory because the rational, left-side of the brain is denied oxygen while the right, emotional side of the brain is being flooded. 

Though it may seem counter-intuitive, there are many positive sides to forgetfulness. Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches that forgetfulness is a gift from Hashem. Forgetfulness allows us to live in this world without being overwhelmed by the pain of our negative experiences. Forgetfulness also enables us to clear out our minds, letting go of our cluttered thoughts and clearing a vital space in our minds necessary for receiving, absorbing and retaining Torah teachings.

It is reassuring to remember (!) that even if we fail to retain what we learn, Chazal teach us that all the Torah a person has learned will be rediscovered in the World to Come. Thus, we do not permanently lose our positive experiences and Torah study. Rather, we may just have to wait patiently for them to come back to us in the World to Come. 

A Spiritual Remedy to Remember

November 2, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Jewish Loyalty

October 28, 2015
Orit Esther Riter
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Rebbetzin Yungreis, Esther bat Miriam.  May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
 
Today, many Torah classes mention the word Emuna. But what is the concept of Emuna and how can it help us?

The definition of Emuna is faithfulness. It is commonly used to refer to an unwavering loyalty to the Divine will and the Torah knowledge transmitted to us from generation to generation. Emuna is a gift that must be nurtured and cared for at every moment to prevent it slowly fading away.

Emuna is a fundamental principle on which Jewish life is built and an all-encompassing mitzvah in the Torah. Yet it is also intertwined with each of the other mitzvot in that every individual mitzvah is an expression of our Emuna – an acknowledgment that Hashem is present at every moment, in every place, no matter what.

The Jewish people must remain loyal to living an Emuna-filled life. Despite not being able to rationalize all the events around us, we must retain faith in the truth and veracity of a Torah life. Emuna is the key to Jewish survival. Our enemies know this. They wish to break our spirit and eradicate our trust in our Hashem’s eternal protection. Yet, we are a stubborn people and we shall not be broken.

We need Emuna in the Emet of our holy Torah. Yirat Shamayim involves being mindful of the truthful reality that Hashem is with us. We dedicate our lives to living a Torah life which affects all areas of our mind and body.  Emuna allows us to move forward with strength. We must trust that Hashem is good and is leading our nation and the world to its ultimate purpose.

Emuna touches a place of supernal truth. It clears up doubt, confusion and darkness. Emuna is touching Heaven and drawing it down to Earth. Emuna is the foundation stone of the Geulah.

True Sight

October 27, 2015
Orit Esther Riter
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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Miriam bat Yocheved. May Hashem bless her with 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 opening verse of Vayeira is “and Hashem appeared before Avraham”.  Hashem ‘revealed’ His presence in a most profound and intimate way.  Appearing is seeing and therefore this parsha teaches us how we can also merit to ‘see’ Hashem.
Chazal teach that yirah and re’eiya share the same letters, thus indicating similarity.  Yirah implies true sight, a clear vision of reality, being able to see only truth.  How so?  Truly seeing things as they really are forces a person to beware of his actions; he knows he is being watched and there are consequences to all that he does.  Therefore yirah motivates a person to discipline and restrain his desires; hence the passuk “Reishis Chochmah Yirat Hashem”.  A wise person first has yirat Shamayim and knows there is an eye that sees and ear that hears and everything is recorded for the Day of Judgment.
Upon first look this may appear as a dreadful way of living, however upon closer look Heavenly fear actually leads to joy. Think of it – you know that you are constantly being watched; isn’t that a precious thought.  That is the essence of joy, knowing you are never alone and whatever you do matters to the Supreme Authority of existence.  Does that not invoke happiness?
Unfortunately many of us are oblivious of this idea. We need to strengthen our emuna and yirah, our bond to the truth.  As our yirat Shamayim is fortified so too our ability to perceive Hashem’s presence; as we will be able to see ourselves standing in front of Melech Malchei HaMelachim HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

 

 

 

Where Do We Go?

October 26, 2015
Orit Esther Riter
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BS’D

 

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy neshmat Rachel bat Sara Imeinu a’h. Oy, with a broken heart I write this. Rachel was a young mother of five who was tragically killed in a fatal car accident on Monday. Our community is devastated; we have lost a princess. Her legacy is pulsating through the endless requests to help out in any which way and form; just to do something for the five children and chesed-driven husband she leaves behind. Hashem has taught us once again, time is precious, when our time is up, it is up, and we must cherish every moment, movement and word. The Giver of life knows best when it is time to go back home. May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance together with the righteous souls on high and serve as an advocate for Klal Yisrael, Amen.

 

Where are we going? Lech Lecha the Torah instructs, Go for yourself… What, where, how? To the land that I (Hashem) will show you… But where? Don’t worry just starting going… I’ll lead the way. Is that not a lesson in Emuna?!

 

The Zohar HaKadosh teaches us ‘just prepare yourself’, do your best to improve yourself; work on your character, your middot, grow into your G-dliness. How? Ask yourself regularly, “Where am I in this journey called life. What have I done to touch that G-dly soul of mine and radiate the world with it?”

 

It is not by chance that the beautiful shining soul of Rachel Sinvani a’h left this world during this parshat hashavua, Lech Lecha. She certainly has shed her body and is living in her eternal palace made out of her incredible deeds and sweet manner.

 

Racheli was a georet tzedek. She exemplified righteousness, a real truth seeker at heart, yearning and thirsting to walk in the ways of Hashem. Whenever we sat down for personal ‘Emuna Chizuk’ sessions she spoke of her inner desire to seek constant true happiness, acceptance and emuna. She didn’t compromise her search for purpose and living life to its fullest. When you wish to live in Hashem’s midst, you do, and life is rich and embracing.

 

Hashem speaks to us through the circumstances and the people He puts in our lives. Hashem speaks to every Jewish soul telling each of us to leave our ‘aretz’, our worldly ratzon and let our souls shine. We are to connect to our soul’s essence and allow its glow to illuminate life. It’s time to leave the trappings of our intellect (“I want”, “I need” and “I know”) and embrace Hashem’s purpose for creating us.

 

Hashem has a great plan for us individually and collectively as a nation; there is no one who cares and loves us more than Him. He loves us so much that He will not let us misuse our time in this world. There is so much we need and must attend to.

 

Those who depart from this world under such tragic circumstances force those left behind to rethink about life and realign their priorities. Racheli has done that for me. I am redefining and redesigning the ‘Eshes Chayil’ in me and revamping my mind and hearts inventory. I will make space for Racheli’s priorities to carve life’s pathways. That is how she will continue to live on, in this world and the next.

 

I am embarking on the journey of a lifetime – a true Lech Lecha experience. Care to join?

 

Sincerely, Orit Esther Riter

Feeling Fearful – Part II

October 21, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated L’iluy nishmat Omri Levi HY’D, the beautiful neshama of the 19 year old soldier who was brutally killed in last nights terror attack in Be’er Sheva. May his soul bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.

There are obvious negative sides to fear which need to be discussed.

One negative repercussion of fear is that it encourages more fear and delusions, thus inhibiting us from living life to the fullest.  For instance, fear of dying may cause a person to stop traveling.  Fear of becoming sick may bring a person to such paranoia that he will be hesitant to touching surfaces for fear of germs causing him become ill.

However, on a spiritual realm, fear distances us from Hashem by convincing us that we are alone and that Hashem has chas v’Shalom abandoned us.  This thinking builds barriers in our connection to Hashem disabling us from seeing and accepting Hashem’s promise that He will keep the Jewish people safe. Indeed, the truth that Hashem will never forsake us fails to reassure us if we are tightly enclosed in fearful thoughts.

All fear emanates from weakened emuna.  Thus, internalizing the knowledge that anything that happens is only Hashem’s will is the first step to putting a person back in touch with truthful reality.  Yet, this step is not sufficient.  We must also internalize the truth that everything is from Hashem and is thus for our best.  We can use our gift of free will to uplift our fears and replace them with emuna.

Though Hashem’s presence shines brightly, it is unseen. In contrast, the tangible perception of nature is actually an illusion.  Concentrating on the thought that Hashem is always with us and is in control of everything is the antidote to fear.

 

 

Feeling Fearful – Part I

October 20, 2015
Orit Esther Riter

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated L’iluy nishmat Shlomo ben Joya a’h, my dear step father. May his soul bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.
Fear is a powerful emotion.  Every feeling and emotion we have was created deliberately by Hashem and retains some aspect of positive benefit, including the emotion of fear.  Thus, we can use any fear we experience to our advantage.

First, fear can protect us since it causes us to proceed with caution. In situations of danger, fear enables us to protect ourselves and our families, and to escape evil.  The word ‘fear’ in Hebrew ‘yirah’ which can also be translated as ‘awe’ coming from the word ‘ra’ah’ which means to ‘see.’  In this sense, seeing Hashem’s power leads us to awe of Hashem and awakens us to spiritually grow.  This ‘awe’ deepens our awareness of Hashem and causes us to reach out to Him via intense tefillah and devotion. It enables us to internalize the truth that we can only rely on Him. The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh teaches that Hashem sent fear out of love to stir us with Heavenly awe, so that we continuously turn to Him with yearning to become G-dly.

Fear can awaken yirat Shamayim when internalized correctly. Fear enables Hashem’s stern justice to bring the world to its ultimate purpose. Finally, 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.

An amazing segula to help put fear in context is to recite the last lines of Adon Olam,‘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.)” Yet, in our morning prayers we pray, “Reishit Kochman Yirat Hashem… The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Hashem.”  How can we juxtapose “I will not fear” with “wisdom is the fear of Hashem?”

Fear is equated with wisdom as long as our fear is ONLY the fear of Hashem. If we truly have fear of Hashem, and we have internalized the truth that Hashem Echad, Hashem in One (the third of the constant mitzvoth), then we will not experience fear of anyone or anything else.  The positive aspect of fear is being in awe of Hashem.  By adopting this positive aspect of fear, the negative aspect of fear – which is essentially the fear of anything else other than Hashem  – will naturally dissipate.

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