Category Archives: Daily Dose Of Emuna

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On Shabbat we sing songs of tehillot v’tishbachot (praises) to Hashem for all the goodness He showers onto Klal Yisrael.  Perek 124 in Tehillim is such a song of praise to Hashem regarding the future redemption.  We thank Hashem glorifying Him; for had He not come to our aide the nations around us, “Then they would have swallowed us raw when their anger was kindled against us”  (124:3).

These perakim of Tehillim are songs that depict the future, since Shabbat symbolizes the future, ‘a world that is entirely Shabbat’, when all will be crystal clear.  At that time we will readily see all of the dangers that Hashem saved us from, “Blessed is Hashem, Who did not give us as prey for their teeth” (124:6). 

On Shabbat we are likened to caring angels whose only concern is to exalt Hashem’s name for we realize the great gift of Shabbat that was gifted solely to us.  Hashem chose to bestow His prized possession hidden in His special treasure box to us!  This gift is a foretaste of the World to Come which awaits us, B’H. Shabbat is an intimate relationship “between Me and the Children of Israel.”

When we complete the Torah reading of the weekly parsha in shul the words ascend and are taken by the merkava (the holy chariot) before Hashem Yitborach.  The words form a crown as we proclaim Hashem to be King and the Shechinah, the bride, rises to ‘join’ Him in complete unity.  Happy is Ahm Yisrael who sings the words of tehillim, tefillot and the reciting of the parsha thus bringing harmony up above.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Shabbat!

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Daniel Reuven ben Rivka Kayla.  He is young boy, in 6^th grade, who is in the 4^th and final stage of treatment for cancer.  He then moves into a two year maintenance program. The doctors are optimistic for a full recovery, B’H.  Please daven for Daniel Reuven ben Rivka Kayla that he merit a complete recovery amongst all those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!

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Today’s daily dose is dedicated to the safe, easy and healthy birth and delivery of Elisheva Ruth bat Sarah Imeinu.  May we soon celebrate a new neshama in this world b’simcha!

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the people in the world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and small change in your pocket, you are amongst the 8% of people who are the richest in the world.

If you awoke this morning with more health than sickness, you are blessed more than those who will not feel this way.

If you have never experienced what it is like to live through war, be isolated in a prison cell, suffer through famine, you are blessed to not be amongst the 700 million people in the world who have.

If you can go anywhere without feeling a fear of threat and death, being scared of imprisonment or other distress than you are envied by 3 billion people who aren’t blessed to feel such tranquility.

If you can lift your head and smile, you are luckier than the many that cannot right now.

I am the first to send my ‘return receipt’ to the confirmation room; a huge note of thanks to Hashem for the many riches I was gifted with… many of which go unnoticed in the daily rat race of life.

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With all of his dependency and fragility a newborn baby is secure in his life.  A baby knows instinctively that he is in good hands and all of his needs are being taken care of.  This relationship is the beginning stage, the founding principle guiding every human being at the onset of life.

A baby doesn’t trust that everything will be just as he wishes for it to be, yet he is reassured that whatever may be is exactly what he needs.  Even at the time when he is stubbornly fixated on getting his way and his parents disagree, deep down he knows that it comes from their love and care and for his ultimate best.

We are Hashem’s children, “Banim atem L’Hashem Elokeichem… (You are children of Hashem…)” (Sefer Devarim 14:1).  Just as children do not readily understand their parents calculations for restricting certain things and allowing others, it is a relationship that goes beyond intellectual comprehension.  It is implanted in the core of every Jew; Hashem loves me in spite of the intense pain that I am currently going through.

Thank You Hashem for everything… for all of the times You helped and I didn’t realize that it was You.  Thank You Hashem for all of the kindnesses You do for me every moment.  Thank you Hashem for all of the things that I am lacking…. I know that they are not meant for me to have right now.  Deep inside I know this to be true, even though my heart is stubborn and doesn’t always follow what my mind already knows.  Hashem, please help me feel it, sense it and live it!

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the hatzlocha of my husband Avraham Avi ben Ruth on his 45th birthday today. May Hashem bless him with health, happiness and a long life and enable him to continuously perform mitzvot and good deeds, Amen!

Tomorrow, 24th of Tevet, is the yahrtzeit of the holy Ba’al HaTanya, the Alter Rebbe, Reb’ Shneur Zalman of Liadi ztk’l. As a Talmudist, Rabbi Shneur Zalman endeavored to place Kabbalah and Hasidism on a rational basis. In his seminal work, Tanya, he defines his approach as “מוח שולט על הלב” (“mind ruling over the heart/emotions”). He chose the name “Chabad” for this philosophy—the Hebrew acronym for the intellectual attributes (sefirot) Chochma (“wisdom”), Bina (“understanding”), and Da’at (“knowledge”). Both in his works and in his sermons he “indicated an intelligent and not a blind faith” and assumed an intellectual accessibility of the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. This intellectual basis differentiates Chabad from other forms of Hasidism. May his zechut protect us and all of Klal Yisrael, Amen!

The 24th of Tevet is also the yahrtzeit of Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, ztk’l. One well known idea of his, expounded on in Michtav m’Eliyahu, is the Nekudas Habechira (point of free will). He states that everyone has a point in his service to G-d where he has to fight his evil inclination and other points where he there will be no battle, some where he will always give in to his evil inclination and some where he will always win over his evil inclination, and that this point moves as he learns to overcome his evil inclination or as he give in to it. May he serve as an advocate for Klal Yisrael, Amen!

One of the ways to hold on to the holy light of Shabbat Kodesh is by cleaning our internal vessels. How? For the Torah-observant Jew, this can be attained by keeping Shabbat at the forefront of his consciousness all week long. For others, it may be to simply review the laws of Shabbat and familiarize themselves with the intricate nuances of the halachot.

During the long workweek, the Divine forces of revelation are separated. The Shechina (the female manifestation also called Malchut) is in exile, disconnected from HaKadosh Baruch Hu (the male expression called Zeir Anpin). She is lonely and wishes to unite with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Every erev Shabbat, we go out to greet her – the bride – by singing Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah and escort her to her groom.

When the Beit HaMikdash was standing, there was unification of these Divine aspects. However, they broke apart when it was destroyed, and since then, HaKadosh Baruch Hu has become more concealed and separated from His children. Up on high as well as here below in this world, we experience this painful disconnection.

Nonetheless, we can actively take part in reuniting the groom – HaKadosh Baruch Hu – and the bride – the Shechinah – every Shabbat. When we prepare for Shabbat, we adorn the bride and prepare for her much anticipated meeting with her groom. The Shabbat table is likened to the altar in the Beit HaMikdash. The traditional kiddush, eating of the challah and singing of Shabbat songs are part of the service in the holy temple.

This Shabbat while we rejoice at the table, let us remember that Hashem is ‘revealing’ His unified presence to the world as was felt in the days of the Beit HaMikdash. B’H with this lofty impression kept in mind, we will genuinely elevate our Shabbat experience!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Shabbat!

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Would love to hear from you…. please post your comments, thoughts and questions at the end of each emuna lesson.

We are all searching for menuchat hanefesh, an inner state of tranquility and composure; a reassuring sense that everything is alright.  Rabbeinu Bachya ztk’l author of the well-known sefer Chovot Halevavot writes in the gate of trust that in order for us to fully trust in someone else and live with such genuine trust that we are being taken care of, he would have to embrace all of the following seven qualities; otherwise  we would not be enable to be completely tranquil:

* That person must love us and have great compassion for us.

* That person must know everything there is to know about us and what we need.

* That person must be powerful enough to help us.

* That person must know how to help us; the correct and best way.

* That person must be present and available at all times.

* That person must have such power that nobody else can harm us unless they allow it.

* That person must be absolutely generous towards us and want only what is best for us.

Certainly, all of these qualities cannot be found in any human being. They are only found in Hashem. He loves us and has compassion for us. He is all-knowing of what we need.  He is all-powerful and knows just how to help.  Therefore He is the only one who can benefit us and will not cause us any harm.  He is always watching over us and there is never a time where His ‘watching eye’ is not hovering over us.  He is in complete control over the world  and therefore no one can cause us any harm.  Last but not least He is absolutely generous and wants only what is for our best.

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Today’s daily dose is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Bracha bat Faigel.  May HaKadosh Baruch Hu shower her with rachamei Shamayim, a complete healing amongst all of those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!

Our moods dramatically fluctuate from moment to moment; joyful now, anxiety stricken the next.  Sefer Tehillim offers us an outlet to deal with the ever changing emotions and teaches us the method for handling them.  We can draw from the emotional upheaval that Dovid HaMelech ztk’l lived through and seek to learn from the sacred words in Tehillim how to unlock our feelings and use them to connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

Tehillim presents words of wisdom encoded with Ruach HaKadosh, Divine inspiration, so we can be inspired to communicate with Hashem. Through the recitation of Tehillim we connect to Torah, to the infinite wisdom of Hashem, and also to our holy ancestors and their derech. We transcend time and space when we attach ourselves to the ancient words of our forefathers and bridge the past with the present – proclaiming our loyalty to the eternal message of Torah that bears no expiration date.

For example perek lamed in Tehillim is an admixture of emotions.  Initially Dovid HaMelech is thankful, then turns to being sad, changing to joyful and ending with a sense of depression. How does Dovid HaMelech cope with his inner turbulence?  He rededicates his life (his house) to Hashem.

Rededication is a process of concentrating our strengths into revamping our lives, realigning our thoughts and reorganizing our priorities.  Through the process we emerge stronger with a more optimistic outlook on life.  This empowerment leads us to broadcast words of praise to Hashem for guiding and leading the way.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to L’iluy neshmat Baila Perel bat Reb Moshe Yitzchok z’l.  May her neshama bask in the radiance of the Shechinah amongst all of the tzaddikim who have departed  from this world, Amen.

Today, 20 Tevet, is the yahrtzeit of the RamBam, Maimonides, ztk’l.  Maimonides’ magnum opus is Mishneh Torah, a comprehensive 14-volume code of Jewish law which has since been the subject of more than 300 commentaries. Maimonides’ great philosophical treatise, Guide for the Perplexed, explains Jewish theology in light of Aristotelian philosophy and science. A popular saying is that “from Moses [of the Torah] to Moses [Maimonides], there has never been one like Moses.” Maimonides is recognized today as the greatest medieval Jewish philosopher.  May he serve as an advocate on high for Klal Yisrael, Amen!

Rabbi Yoseph Soloeveitchik of the Brisker dynasty ztk’l taught that tefillah is the method in which the soul expresses itself through words and is able to release the turmoil within.    How do we pray?  Out of rote because this is what we were taught we must do or with powerful sincerity filled with emotional outburst?  For most, it varies each day.

The challenge is to allow ourselves to get in touch and let go of those emotions. Many of us though subconsciously wish not to acknowledge them.  It is only in times of great difficulty or by contrast immense joy where we can no longer contain them, that we  find Hashem and wish to speak to Him.  Then why are we ‘instructed’ to pray when the feelings are not connected to the lofty essence of tefillah?

Simply speaking, Rav Soloveitchik writes, it is because every day we must view ourselves in the midst of a crisis, c”v.  Every moment we should see ourselves and the world around us in desperate need of the redemption to take place.  If we take notice of the tefillot in the siddur we will find that at times the words express feelings of elated joy and gratitude and yet at other times we profess humbleness and shame and beseech rachamei Shamayim.

The reason is so that we can see Hashem in all our path of emotions; those we encounter in our daily routine and the stormy feelings that arise from the soul.  The spectrum of feelings all lead us to one address; it is all from Hashem and we cannot do anything without His loving care and intervention.  We are forced to acknowledge the emotions, feelings of dependency and vulnerability to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and cast them to His care.

Tefillah is an amazing method that Chazal have devised to ensure the crumbling of the ego and the humbling of the soul.

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Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Reuven Pesach ben Henya.  May he receive a good report from the doctors today giving him a clean state of health and may there be no more suffering for him or anyone in Klal Yisrael, Amen!

Shabbat is a day of joy bringing with it renewed spiritual meaning and insight into our routine lives.  Do you have a deep desire to reconnect?  The simple act of restraining oneself from creative activity on Shabbat builds space within to achieve a closer bond to Borei Olam.

To welcome the Shechina, which symbolizes perfection of unity and wholeness, our emotions within and our physical homes without must achieve a state of Shalom (peace).  Through the process of forming harmony externally and internally we draw Hashem’s sukkat Shalom to shelter and embrace us.

How do we engage in this process?  When we transform our mode of thinking from this world to the next; through expanding our consciousness from a state of constriction whereby we think in terms of this world and bring ourselves to contemplate the World to Come.  Physically by actively making Shabbat we delve further into this expanded mode of consciousness and thus build harmony between the spiritual and physical.

The inherent message embedded in the intimate song we sing every erev Shabbat Shir HaShirim is that we long for that time when HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s name will be openly revealed and glorified by all.  Our soul will not be quenched until then, the ultimate future, when Klal Yisrael will be totally attached to Hashem Yitborach.

In spite of the fact that we currently live under physical externals we still never lose our emuna that it is all an allusion and though not readily revealed to us, we are One with Hashem.  Our yearning is to perceive this Oneness in its revealed state without illusions.

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Through tefillah, we are able to bond with Hashem in an irrepressible manner.  Tefillah centers us on how dependent we are on Hashem for everything in our lives. From the seemingly miniscule to the apparently significant events, all is personally taken care of by HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

However, the messages we receive from the Western world media is precisely the opposite.  ‘Your strength and intellect has brought you success’ is what is being told to us.  Just as soon as we reinforce our minds and hearts with emuna, we walk into the ‘big world’ and our vantage point is smashed to smithereens.

At that point, we are plunged into thinking once again that we are calling the shots, and the more we do, the more we will accomplish.  (The subject of hishtadlut (amount of concerted effort) vs. emuna is beyond the scope of this emuna lesson.  However, if you wish to learn more, send me your comments.)  Therefore, for us to reach a point where we attain a level of unwavering emuna free from worry and anxiety is no simple task. Working on emuna is a lifelong mission for each and every one of us as we are told by Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe ztk’l.

Tefillah is that time of day that reminds us how much we need Hashem every step of the way.  Walking away from tefillah should be an invigorating experience filled with reconnection and realignment to the truth; that Borei Olam is intimately involved and governing the world and therefore we have nothing to worry about!

Today’s daily dose is dedication to the refuah shleimah of Feiga Hinda bat Ruchel a little girl with severe medical complications.  May HaKadosh Baruch Hu shower upon her an abundance of rachamei Shamayim and may she have a complete healing amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!