Category Archives: Daily Dose Of Emuna

BS’D

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.

BS’D
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.

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

BS’D

This week’s Parsha Vayeira speaks of Avraham Avinu’s unwavering and steadfast Emuna in Hashem.  “v’he’meen b’Hashem v’yechashveha lo l’tzedaka” Rashi suggests that Avraham’s emuna was ‘as if’ an act of giving charity to Hashem.  When a person gives charity they are in essence handing out Hashem’s justice by means of distributing that which was given to them on condition to share with others.  Giving charity attests to one’s trust that everything is from Hashem and He is the Only Authority that runs the world.

Nothing belongs to us in this world.  Our possessions or talents and even our children are not ‘ours’; we are merely guardians over them.  Avraham Avinu didn’t see any contradiction between the promise that he would become a great nation and being asked to sacrifice Yitzchak.  In his mind, Hashem runs the world and His promise will come through, even if he is being told to do something that appears to ‘hinder’ the plan.

The commentators teach that Avraham’s emuna in Hashem was so great that he saw the birth of Yitzchak as an act of great kindness, of tzedakah, from Hashem; an undeserved gift.  Avraham Avinu went above human logic and reasoning by accepting the instruction to sacrifice Yitzchak without delving into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ since in his mind, what he has isn’t really his.

In current times, it is challenging to cast away our rationale and trust in the all-encompassing goodness of Hashem. Hashem promised that we would come out of this exile; never again to experience exile. He promised that Ahm Yisrael Chai and would never be wiped away.
Every time we recall this vow in spite of what we see going on around us, we testify to Hashem’s tzedek, to His truthful word, and are ‘as though’ giving charity to Him.

BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated L’iluy nishmat HaRav HaGaon Yoram Avergel ztk’l who passed away this past Shabbat Kodesh. May he serve as an advocate on high for the Jewish people and may his soul bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.
A lot of us wonder… Oy, what can I do? What can we as a community do to help protect ourselves and prevent further chaos from happening in Israel and around the world?
We have officially been shaken up ~ we were asleep in case we didn’t realize. Hashem wants His children to live their lives awake, aware and attached to their spiritual soul.
Unfortunately during tranquil times we race through life and have little time to think about our worldly purpose. That comes to a halt when terrorist attacks, horrific illnesses and unheard of suffering becomes a daily part of our reality.
Hashem wants achdut! Hashem wants us to show our love and care of one another always; not only when it comes to saving another’s physical life. Why do we need terrorists to teach us how to hug, love and cry for our nation? Have we traveled so far? Have we lost our way completely?
We were all injected with spiritual anesthesia when we exited our mother’s womb, yet Hashem gave us Torah, mitzvot and good deeds that serve as reminders why we are here in the first place. Pina Colada’s on the beach are a nice treat in life, but not what life is about.
Look around and see the faces of the Jewish souls sitting, standing and walking around you. We each carry a ‘peckel’. No one knows which one is heavier.
It might be brazen of me to suggest, but in my humble opinion if each of us dedicated 5 conscious minutes a day to thank Hashem for life, pray only for the welfare of others and asked Hashem for Emuna shleimah to help us see the ultimate good in all the craziness around us, that would help keep us awake without the need for more wake-up calls.
Please Hashem help us remember ~ for Your sake and for Your honor, b’rachamim, Amen.

BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated L’iluy nishmat Orna bat Dina a’h. May her soul bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous who have departed from this world, Amen.
The Torah teaches the only true defense against the evil inclination is Torah study.  When evil thoughts and tendencies arise from within, we need not panic.  Mingling impure thoughts that arise in one’s mind are a result of the sin of Adam Harishon; we are meant to battle against them.  Impurity and evilness are found at the core of egotistical and selfish tendencies.  How can Torah serve as a correction for such behavior?

Torah speaks to the soul and enables its voice to be heard.  Every word of Torah reveals to us something – something about Hashem.  Additionally Torah helps us better understand creation – each commandment tells us something about the creation and its goal.  Torah teaches us who we really are and what we are here to achieve while in this world.   Torah elaborates on the reason behind the existence of the world, the perspective of the soul and what Hashem wants us to know about Him, so to speak.

Being that every Jew is an emissary of Hashem essentially we are a reflection of Hashem Himself.  The source of all souls is in the Essence of Hashem.  We have descended to this world to achieve that which can only be done here, in this world of turbulent flood waters.   The soul experiences exile and finds itself in captivity while inhabiting this lowly world; its only desire is to bond with Hashem. The chaotic waters of Mei Noach (the flood waters of Noach) drown us and lead to arrogance and selfishness where we are prone to evil deeds.

Torah is our GPS that guides us back to safe shores.

BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of my dear freind Sora Nacha Shoshana bat Chaya Etta who fell on Rosh Hashanah and underwent partial hip replacement. May Hashem shower her and all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering a complete healingb’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
One Yom Kippur eve, when Chassidic master Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael of Kriminitz was granting the traditional blessing to his children, he noticed that one of his daughters, overcome by the emotion of the moment, was weeping softly. The young child in her arms was also crying.

“Why are you crying, my child,” asked the Rebbe of the tot.

“My mother is crying,” answered the child, “so I am also crying.”

In the synagogue that evening, the Rebbe ascended the podium and related what his young grandchild had said to him. Bursting into tears, he then said: “A child who sees his mother weeping, weeps as well, even if he cannot comprehend the reason for her tears. Our mother, too, is weeping. The Talmud brings down (Berachot, 3a) that the Shechinah ‘keens like a dove and cries: “Woe is to My children, that because of their sins I have destroyed My home, set fire to My sanctuary, and have exiled them among the nations.”’ “So even if we ourselves have become inured to the pain of the exile,” wept Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael, “at least we should cry because our mother is crying.”  (www.meaningfullifecenter.com)
On Yom Kippur, Hashem was pacified with joy and wholeheartedly. He said to Moshe ‘I have forgiven you like your word,” and He handed him the second set of commandments.  What was the catalyst that caused this change of heart? According to the Pirkei de’Rebbi Eliezer, it was the tears that Klal Yisroel shed. Teshuvah and tefillah without tears can bring about forgiveness. Teshuvah and tefilah with tears have the power to bring about reacceptance with joy.

May this Yom Kippur bring us forgiveness. May our souls bask in happiness and contentment.  May we fortify our connection with Hashem Yitborach and merit a strong bond to last the entire year, Amen.  Wishing everyone a meaningful fast.