Category Archives: Daily Dose Of Emuna

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Rabbi Eliezer Papo the Pele Yoetz ztk’l writes that when we pray Shemoneh Esrei at the place of mechayei maitim we should have the intent that Hashem bring back to teshuva all of the holy Jewish souls who have gone astray from the Torah path; since Torah living revives the soul back to life.

The Maharal ztk’l teaches in his book Netiv Hateshuvah – just as mankind was first created without illness, so too when Klal Yisrael comes back to teshuva they return to the perfected state of Adam HaRishon before the sin. He continues and adds that the Ba’al Teshuva touches the Holy Throne as written in Hoshea (14:2), “Shuva Yisrael Ad Hashem Elokecha…(Return Israel to Hashem your G-d)” – bigger is teshuva that touches the Kisei Hakavod where Adam HaRishon was brought down. Teshuva remedies the soul and brings it back as though no sin ever was.

Sin causes malady to the individual and to the world; therefore teshuva showers healing to oneself and to the world. Rav Yechezkel Levenstein ztk’l clarifies teshuva should not be seen as simply a means of erasing our wrongdoing; it is a mitzvah in its own right. Aside from the irreplaceable benefit it provides, teshuva is a mitzvah created by Hashem prior to the creation of this world. Through teshuva we can mamash cleave to Hashem Yitborach.

All mitzvot enable a degree of closeness, yet teshuva enables the soul to ‘touch’ so to speak the Holy Throne. The gematria of Kisei Hakavod and teshuva are equal = 713. Although the understanding of Hashem’s Throne of Glory is deeply complex and beyond human thought, we understand it to be a place of eternal splendor and goodness; where all life is raised and nourished.

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What does it mean to be forgiven by Hashem for our transgressions?  First let’s consider the idea that Hashem forgives, not His emissaries or angels, but ‘He, Himself’ as is written in Tehillim (130:4), “ki Eemcha hasileecha … (For forgiveness is with You…)”

Essentially forgiveness cleanses the soul from stains caused by sin.  We learn this through the passukim in Yeshayahu (4:4), “When Hashem shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Tzion…” and Yechezkel (36:25), “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities…” Hashem ‘desires’ that our soul be ‘dressed’ in white garb, free of stains which acts as barriers in our relationship with Him.

When a mitzvah is done it ascends to the highest heights.  Yet, a transgression has no entry to that place.  From here we witness Hashem’s endless compassion.  A person’s mitzvah is shown before Hashem’s holy throne, yet their sins are not.  Mitzvot are priceless and cannot be compensated for in this lowly world (aside from some mentioned in the Torah).  Additionally they cannot be ‘traded in’ to lessen the bearing of our sins.

Hashem honors each mitzvah with a reward in due time.  A person’s transgressions do not reduce the eternal treasure due to be given in return of a mitzvah.   Teshuva is the most favorable of G-dly options to get rid of our transgressions.  Hashem ‘patiently awaits’ our return.  It is near. It is here. It is readily available for the taking in Chodesh Elul.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the strength, clarity and emuna of Bat-El bat Tziona who recently was widowed by her young husband who was tragically killed in a car accident. Now left with three small children, may Hashem guide her path with special love, care and attention and may no one in Klal Yisrael know of any more sorrow, Amen.

One of Hashem’s 13 middot of Rachamim is ‘Noseh Avohn v’Pesha (Hashem is the ‘carrier’ of sins)’.  Each sin creates a prosecuting angel.  Each creation must be sustained for it to exist.  The angels created by our transgressions come before Hashem and demand sustenance.  According to the strict letter of the law the person who created the angel must nourish its needs.  Yet if that were the case he would be subject to harsh pain or death.  Hashem, in His Infinite Compassion ‘feeds’ the angel until one of three things occurs to that person: teshuva is done, difficulties arise or chas v’Shalom gehinnom comes to remedy.

The lesson here is deep and heart-stirring.  Hashem ‘accepts’ to sustain the evil creature that was created through a person’s sin all the while patiently waiting for him to do teshuva so that he may repair the damage he initiated and caused Hashem to bear.

‘Ve’Oveir al Pesha (Hashem passes over sins)’- once a transgression is committed there is no ‘natural’ means in which the consequences can be overturned.  The destructive angel that was created to destroy the transgressor is not going away. Nonetheless Hashem gives Klal Yisrael the ability to do teshuva which can put an end to the angel altogether.  By doing teshuva Hashem forgives us, we clean our soiled soul and erase the effect caused by the sin.

Thank you Hashem for the gift of teshuva.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Miriam bat Gittel (Meyer) and
Faiga Sarah bat Bracha Chaya (Meirowitz), the two girls injured in the horrific car accident in Arizona, where two of their friends were killed Reizel Morgenstern A’H and Hindy Spira A’H. May Hashem shower them with a complete healing refuat hanefesh v’refuat haguf and for the families of the niftarim that Hashem should give them strength to go through this difficult time. May we yell out ‘Di l’tzaroteinu’, no more suffering, no more tragedies… how much more can we handle? Hashem… Hashem…

Indeed, we are enduring so much pain and tragedy; a very difficult time for Klal Yisrael.  It is written in the Shema that the words of the Torah “…shall be upon your heart.”  What is the underlying message to the Jewish people?  Why must we etch them into our hearts?

Hashem foresaw that we will transgress and be lead astray.  Hashem foretold the exile and knew we would feel as though we were forsaken. Hashem foreknew that His face would be hidden from us. Yet with that promise Hashem also reassured the Jewish people that He would not let the exile begin to repair the damage of our estrangement until we were strong enough in Torah to have the means to survive the long and dark time ahead.  In the merit of Torah study and cleaving to its eternal message we would find the strength to rise above the ashes, do teshuva and carve our pathway back to the holy mission intended upon formation.

All we have is our holy Torah, a personal letter written by Hashem to the Jewish people, left to console us and give us the strength needed to survive until the complete redemption arrives.  Its message must be engraved in our minds, mouths and actions at every moment.  It is vital that we read and re-read its messages and allow the words of Infinite wisdom guide us.

It is essential that we heed the message of emuna and never forget that we live in an upside down world and nothing is as it appears, only as Hashem promises will be revealed as ultimately good.  May we merit to see it soon, b’rachamim, Amen.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmat the two beautiful neshama’s who were tragically killed in a car accident while on vacation in Arizona z’l. May their souls bask in the Divine radiance of the Shechinah HaKedosha and may we, Klal Yisrael, keep pleading and beseeching rachamei Shamayim for the geula shleimah b’rachamim, b’karov, Amen. 

“Mi Kel Kamocha… (Who is like You Hashem…)”. We the Jewish people are so privileged to have a G-d as Hashem; Patient, Loving, Forbearing, Merciful and Forgiving. Everything is known before Hashem; The Knower of mankind’s innermost thoughts and intentions, even those we are unaware of ourselves.

With that being said Hashem is ‘aware’ that we transgress and yet He continues to shower us with life in spite of our rebelling against Him. By analogy it is compared to being hosted by friends in their clean and tidy home yet messing it up while they watch; all along not stopping us. At the exact moment of wrongdoing and acting against Hashem’s will we are still pumped with G-dly oxygen to act-out. We use the gift of life against the One Who gives us life.

The ministering angels who perform the priestly functions in Hashem’s celestial court proclaim that Hashem is “The King that allows Himself to be humiliated” (Tanya, Iggeret HaTeshuvah 7). Hashem is The Ba’al HaChesed and The Giver of life and can ‘take revenge’ on any soul yet never does.

Hashem bears the humiliation and ‘yearns’ for us to do teshuva in recognition of our wrongdoing and straying from the correct path to life. “Who is like you Hashem!!”

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Tova Malka bas Rivka. She needs all the prayers she can get right now. She was diagnosed in April with stage 4 breast cancer and is only 43. She has two young girls 4 and 2.  May Hashem shower her with a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, brachamim, Amen.

As we tippy toe our way to Chodesh Elul with great trepidation of what the New Year will bring we should ponder, ‘What is being asked of us?’  ”Ubacharta ba’Chaim…(And you shall choose life …)”  We are instructed to choose life; to make a conscious decision to want to live.

Hashem Yitborach with His infinite compassion and love of the Jewish people carves both paths in full range before us.  We can clearly see the path that leads to prosperity and the roadway that heads to our own collapse, chas v’Shalom; it is our decision to make.  Hashem instructs us to ‘make the choice’ and He will ensure that we embark on the pathway of our choice.

The Heavenly ‘desire’ for us to choose correctly is so intense that our mere stirring of the heart is enough of an indication to put us on the roadway towards life.  The Nefesh Chaim, Rebbi Chaim m’Volozhin ztk’l teaches that when a Jew just contemplates doing a mitzvah, he ‘strikes’ his Heavenly rooted soul and causes Hashem to shower him immediately with strength and the ‘know how’ to go about fulfilling it.

From here we learn a great message that we need to carry with us all year long.  The only choice a Jew essentially has is to choose;”Ubacharta ba’Chaim…(And you shall choose life …)”.  This is the most important decision that each and every one of us faces at every given moment. What’s your choice?

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is sponsored and dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chaim Doniel Baruch ben Rivkah Briendel. May Hashem shower him 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.

If you wish to sponsor a daily dose of emuna lesson, please write oritriter@gmail.com.

The power of teshuva is so great, no words can describe.  The Rambam ztk’l writes that teshuva closes the gap between man and the Shechinah HaKedosha.  A person who was once distant and unprotected, under the rule of teshuva can now experience intense love and closeness to Hashem.

A Jew who involves himself in teshuva can be assured that his mitzvot find favor on high, is pumped with vitality and life force directly from Hashem’s pipeline, in short teshuva gives Hashem eternal ‘pleasure and delight’ which He then spills onto Klal Yisarel at their time of need.

Rav Yechezkel Levinstein ztk’l explains the Rambam’s words, ‘Greater is teshuva that brings man close to the Shechinah’ as is written in Hosea (14:2), “Return, O Israel, unto Hashem; for you have stumbled in your iniquity.” From here we learn that through the power of teshuva one can literally cleave to Hashem; closeness achieved at this high level is greater than can be attained through any other mitzvot.  It is compared to one who was enveloped with fog and has now moved to a place of openness and clarity.  This comes particularly as a result of the Ba’al Teshuva humbling himself. Teshuva enables him to see how great Hashem is and how much good is being poured forth onto him.

Ladies, join me and an intimate group of the Daily Dose of Emuna women in Uman in 2 weeks’ time to experience the awesome teshuva and closeness to Hashem that comes as you place your hands and head on the kevarim of such tzaddikim as Rebbe Nachman and the Holy Ba’al Shem Tov ztk’l.  Register today to secure your place. To see the flyer with details click here.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is sponsored and dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Devora bat Chava Rochel, who is suffering from an illness.  May Hashem shower 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.

If you wish to sponsor a daily dose of emuna lesson, please write oritriter@gmail.com.

It is imperative that we put into proper perspective the idea behind Hashem’s ‘desire’ to seek justice; otherwise, it maybe appear to be harsh and unfair.  The Torah teaches the genuine meaning behind Hashem’s idea of justice.  The court system in this world (somewhat ‘resembling’ the Heavenly court) was founded on the principle that it serves to deter society from breaking the law.  Therefore it needs not be viewed as a place of punishment and cruelty but as a place that encourages order and peace.

Furthermore, Hashem displays His endless love and compassion to Ahm Yisrael as He continuously gives us a ‘back door’ option before entering into a ‘court of law’ otherwise known as teshuva.  “And you, son of man, tell the house of Yisrael: ‘You say “our sins and iniquities are upon us, and because of them we are rotting away, so how can we live?”‘ Say to them, ‘As I live — the words of my Hashem/Elokim — I do not desire the death of the wicked one, but only the wicked one’s return from his way that he may live; repent, repent…'” (Yechezkel 33:10-11).

Hashem will tear up all decrees, discard of them in their entirely! And what does Hashem, the ‘Prosecutor’ ask from us that we earn such compassionate treatment? “Stretch out your hand to Me. Talk to Me, show Me that you care. Be honest and tell Me your wrongdoings. Set up an action plan outlining your intent to correct your ways. Open your heart and be willing to surrender your ‘nature’ for the purpose of spiritual elevation.  I in turn will overturn ‘nature’ for you.” Amazing, simply amazing…