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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the memory and honor of our boys Yaakov Naftali ben Rochel Devorah, Eyal ben Iris Teshurah and Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim H’YD.  May they be embraced by the Shechinah HaKedosha and invoke Rachamei Shamayim for Klal Yisrael.  May we stay united in heart and soul and continue the legacy they have carved into our hearts, Amen.  May the families know of no more sorrow.

Precisely since we have such limited understanding we need emuna. We need to access a higher realm of wisdom from which we can draw vitality to live happy meaningful lives. Likutey Moharan writes, “One whose heart is completely with Hashem and his emuna is strong and he has emuna that everything is orchestrated only by Hashem’s will – is always happy, he has no worries or fear of anything.”

When we find ourselves in a corner due to emotional struggles or intellectual confusion we should turn our eyes up toward Hashem. Hashem = it is from You, You love me, it is all for the best! It is only through our emuna that we can endure the most poverty stricken circumstances, not just financially but physically and emotionally.

By continuously implanting into one’s thoughts and eventually melting it into one’s heart that Hashem is with us and guiding us along the path out of His eternal love, is enough to strengthen us through the roughest times. No happenstance – Yes Hashem’s infinite plan for our ultimate best. The pace is preset; all to happen and be revealed in due time.

To view last nights short talk on how to cope with the loss of our boys, click on the link:

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How can we infuse light into the tragic events of what happened to our boys? Suffering; a word we never wish to explore. We are all faced with a choice particularly these days: reject Hashem c’v or search within the decree itself and find Hashem there.

Even if we cannot come up with clear answers – the fact that we are searching for Hashem amidst the suffering testifies that we believe that the suffering is from Hashem. Consequently, we can delve deeper into our souls and remember that Hashem is our Father, He loves us, and everything somehow, someway serves a higher purpose. There simply is no other way to get through such tragic events. No other way.

Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches us that all suffering comes due to our lack of da’at (knowledge of the soul – our ability to sense Hashem’s continuous presence and guidance). Our da’at went into exile together with our physical bodies. We are unable to see that every single event that happens is sent directly by Hashem and for the best.

Our task is to increase our da’at; inject light, clarity and truth where darkness, confusion and injustice appear to be. Without this keen awareness, this heartfelt feeling, we can easily be swayed into believing that Hashem is c’v unjust and faulty in His ways, G-d forbid. Unfortunately this only intensifies the suffering.

The only way to escape this trap of confusion and doubt is through prayer. Through crying out to Hashem, begging Him to reveal His love for the Jewish people, we can return to the belief that everything is from Him and rebuild our da’at, understanding. This carves the path for us to begin to accept everything that happens, even if our minds cannot logically grasp the rationale behind the events.

May we only know of good tidings and revealed good, Amen.

Please share your comments and thoughts.  This is a time to speak out, express and unite.

BS’D

Today, 26th of Nissan, is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel ztk’l and Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma ztk’l.  R’ Yonatan ben Uziel was one of the 80 students who studied in the house of Hillel Hazaken ztk’l. In the Talmud Masechet Sukkah it is written that when birds flew over his head they burned due to the presence of the angels who came to hear Yonason Ben Uziel study Torah. He is best known for his translation of the Prophets, the “Targum, into Aramaic”.  

Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma was a Jewish Tanna in the third generation.  He lived and spread Torah in Caesarea. Once he rejected great wealth, preferring instead to remain in a city of sages. Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma was well respected by the Roman Government and was one of the Sages that ruled against any Jewish rebellion. When he passed away, his funeral was attended by many leading Roman officials. May the tzaddikim serve as holy advocates for Klal Yisrael, Amen.

A Jew who is tormented by his afflictions thinks that he suffers alone as if all his personal afflictions and those of all of B’nei Yisrael do not affect Hashem,c”v. Yeshaya the prophet said, ‘In all their troubles He was troubled,’ and Chazal tell us, ‘When a person suffers, what does the Shechina say? “My head is too heavy for Me, My arm is too heavy for Me.”  When a Yid is afflicted Hashem suffers, as it were, much more than the person does. The reason being that since Hashem is not subject to any limitation, therefore His suffering from Israel’s troubles is also boundless.

Precisely because Hashem is infinite, ‘His suffering’ is infinite and beyond human conception.  The rivers of tears shed by Ahm Yisrael who are in pain are like a mere trickle compared to the ocean that is Hashem’s suffering. He stands with us at every street crossing and knows our fears. There is a reason, and the questions do have answers. Hashem, so to speak, is in His inner chambers weeping, so that one who pushes in and comes close to Him by means of living in a Torah way weeps together with Him and lives Torah with Him. Only this makes the difference, for the weeping and pain a person undergoes by himself, alone, may have the effect of breaking him and bringing him down so that he becomes incapable of doing anything.

But the weeping a person does together with Hashem strengthens him. He weeps, and is strengthened; he is broken, but finds courage to study and teach. It is hard to raise one’s self up, time and again, from the tribulations, but when one is determined, stretching his mind to connect with Hashem, then he enters the inner chambers where the blessed Holy One is to be found; he weeps and wails together with Him, as it were, and finds the strength to study and serve Him.

Today’s Daily Dose of Emuna is dedicated to Tinok ben Nechama a 10 day old baby born with cancer who is now undergoing chemo treatment.  Our hearts are tormented over the difficulties that our brethren and us are coping with.  Please Hashem shine Your revealed goodness onto us and help us come close to You without tragedies, suffering and pain. May Hashem send a complete healing to Tinok ben Nechama amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering in Klal Yisrael, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.