Daily Emunah Podcast - Daily Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The story is told that on one Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rav Bunim of Peshischa came to his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, to receive a berachah. However, he noticed that the Chozeh was hesitant. At the time, Rav Bunim had a successful business, but the Chozeh revealed to him that he had seen a decree in Heaven that during the coming year, Rav Bunim would lose all of his parnassah. On Yom Kippur, Rav Bunim poured out his heart in tefillah, with sincere tears and deep emotion. Though his business later faced serious challenges and was nearly shut down, not only was it saved — his parnassah actually doubled. When Rav Bunim returned to the Chozeh on Erev Pesach, the Rebbe greeted him warmly and told him he knew with certainty that Rav Bunim's tefillah on Yom Kippur had shaken the heavens and changed the decree from hardship to great blessing. This story reminds us that our tefillot can do wonders, but only if we truly believe in their power. The Nefesh Shimshon explains that when Avraham Avinu established the tefillah of Shacharit, he didn't merely create a morning prayer; he infused it with his own spiritual energy and power. Every time we pray Shacharit, we do so with the merit and spiritual momentum of Avraham Avinu behind us. The same is true for Yitzchak Avinu, who established Minchah, and Yaakov Avinu, who established Arbit. These tefillot were not only composed — they were charged with the deepest essence of the Avot, and that strength continues to support our prayers today. Similarly, every time a person opens a Tehillim, they are not just reading words on a page — they are connecting to the neshama of David HaMelech. Each word of Tehillim is imbued with his spiritual strength, his longing, his struggles, and his closeness to Hashem. Hashem is already close to us, waiting to hear our every word. But now we understand that our tefillot are not coming from us alone — they are carried by the koach of those who established them. Chazal teach us that there is special power in a tefillah that comes with kavanah and tears. When we realize just how valuable our prayers are and how much they can accomplish, we gain new strength and motivation to pray with deeper emotion and sincerity. One woman shared her personal experience: she had been struggling with shidduchim for years. The suggestions that came her way were few and far between, and none of them seemed right. Still, she prayed daily to Hashem to send her the right zivug. What kept her emotionally afloat was the fact that she had good friends that she was close to, and then one day out of nowhere, one of her closest friends who had gotten married told her she would no longer be able to continue their relationship. This news was devastating to her. She spoke to this friend every day. She was her lifeline of support. Shortly afterward, she traveled to Eretz Yisrael. Before returning home, she went to the Kotel to pray. Instead of complaining and bemoaning her fate, she decided to channel all of her pain and emotion into the most heartfelt tefillah. She cried to Hashem for her zivug and in her words, it was the most powerful tefillah she had ever made. The very next day, upon returning home, she received a call from a shadchan with a new suggestion — the man she would soon marry. These stories illustrate that tefillah has the power to change everything. It is up to us to believe that Hashem is listening, and that every word we say matters. We are never alone. When we pray with heart and connect genuinely to Hashem, we can draw down brachot that are far beyond anything we could expect. As the pasuk says: קָרוֹב ה' לְכָל־קֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת (Tehillim 145:18) Let us strengthen ourselves to approach tefillah not as a routine, but as a living bridge to the Ribbono Shel Olam — a moment to pour out our soul, to draw from the merit of the Avot and tzaddikim, and to unlock the gates of blessing with every sincere word we say.

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches us how deeply beloved we are to Hashem — not only did He give us His precious Torah, but He also expressed His immense love by telling us just how valuable that gift is. Shavuot is a time to appreciate the Torah as our guiding light and to reflect on the responsibility that comes with such a gift. The pasuk in Tehillim states: " טוֹב לִי תוֹרַת פִּיךָ מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף " — "The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Tehillim 119:72). The mefarshim are puzzled: how can something eternal like the Torah be compared to something as finite and physical as gold and silver? One explanation is that, as physical beings, we naturally place high value on material wealth. The pasuk is providing a relatable point of comparison. To us, there is no greater earthly treasure than vast amounts of gold and silver — and yet, the Torah tells us its value pales in comparison to the Torah's worth. Hashem instilled within us an affinity for wealth specifically so we could begin to grasp, on our own terms, just a fraction of the Torah's true value. Yet, there lies a danger. Sometimes we become so enamored by the mashal that we lose sight of the nimshal — the deeper truth it's meant to teach. The Magen David explains this with a parable: A king wanted his subjects to appreciate his glory, so he adorned his officers in every province with the finest clothing, using wealth from the royal treasury. He hoped people would say, "If the officers are dressed like this, how much greater must the king be!" But instead, people fixated on the officers and forgot the king entirely. This is what happens when we glorify physical wealth and forget that it's merely a tool to help us appreciate the infinitely greater glory of Torah. Another pitfall comes when people view mitzvot as mere tools to achieve physical rewards. For example, someone may take on a 40-day acceptance to refrain from lashon hara in hopes of achieving a personal salvation. In such cases, the mitzvah becomes a means to an end — the salvation is the focus, not the growth. But this perspective is flawed. Physical rewards are minor side effects of the real reward — the mitzvah itself. No worldly pleasure could ever equal the spiritual elevation one receives from performing even the smallest mitzvah. If someone doesn't receive the outcome they were hoping for, they should still rejoice in the merit of having fulfilled a mitzvah. And if the desired outcome is granted, it should not diminish the value of the mitzvah, nor should one think it was only worthwhile because it "worked." The mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, elevates the neshama , and yields eternal benefit. The Chatam Sofer writes, to truly benefit from a mitzvah, one must first value it. Chazal tell us that tzitzit protect a person from sin — yet some wonder why they don't feel that protection. One reason might be a lack of appreciation for the mitzvah itself. If we don't value our mitzvot, we don't engage with them fully — and we miss out on their spiritual power. The same is true for all mitzvot. If a teacher of Torah to children understood that the world stands in the merit of what he is doing, he would never interrupt his class to check a message. If he truly internalized what the Kav HaYashar teaches — that 18,000 angels gather the words spoken by children learning Torah — he would not trade his role for anything in the world. Every word of Torah we learn is more precious than any material success this world can offer. Let us take the time to appreciate what we are privileged to do each day and thank Hashem for the indescribable zechut of sharing in His most precious gift — the Torah.

When a person recognizes Hashem's involvement in his life, he has a mitzvah not only to thank Hashem, but to also sing His praises. The pasuk says: " שִׁירוּ לוֹ זַמְּרוּ לוֹ שִׂיחוּ בְּכָל נִפְלְאוֹתָיו " — "Sing to Him, make music to Him, speak of all His wonders." (Divrei HaYamim I 16:9) We are meant to speak joyfully about the wondrous things Hashem does for us. Baruch Hashem, I have the zechut to hear so many stories of how people felt Hashem's hand in their lives. There's an email address where people send in their stories( livingemunah123@gmail.com ). I would like to share just a few that I recently received. What's so beautiful about some of these stories is how Hashem is involved even in the most mundane of tasks — something as simple as pressing a button. A woman who is an English teacher related that she had been working for years on developing an app to help students drill their English vocabulary. It was a long and exhausting process, and she hoped to secure a government tender that would allow her to sell the app to schools across Israel, helping her cover the high costs. But she hit a roadblock — the Ministry of Education wouldn't provide vendors with a list of schools and contact information. How could she sell her product without spending all her time manually searching for schools? Recently, while trying to look up a phone number on her computer — for the purpose of suggesting a shidduch — she accidentally pressed the wrong button. A file suddenly downloaded onto her computer. Curious, she opened it. To her shock, it was an Excel sheet with over 1,500 religious schools in Israel, complete with all their contact information. She had never even heard of such a list. But she didn't need to — Hashem had guided her fingers to press the exact button she needed. Another woman shared a story from a recent trip to Spain in late April. A nationwide power outage struck in the early afternoon, right as she and her husband were getting ready to catch a train to their next destination. The night before, she had purchased what she thought were train tickets via the railway app. But when she opened the app to confirm the departure time, she realized she had mistakenly bought bus tickets instead. She didn't even know that buses could be booked through the app! As it turned out, the train system had completely shut down due to the power outage, leaving passengers stuck for hours in the heat. Meanwhile, she and her husband boarded a comfortable, air-conditioned bus and arrived on time with no difficulties. Once again, Hashem had guided someone to press exactly the right button. A man submitted a powerful story about a fire that broke out a few weeks ago in fields near Beit Shemesh. He sent in a picture showing completely blackened, burnt fields surrounding a single patch of lush green. That green patch belonged to Moshav Matityahu — a religious moshav who keep Shemitah. The field manager was there as the flames approached. The trees — etrogim and rimonim — were in serious danger. But then, miraculously, the flames veered, forming a half-circle around this field, and moved on to burn the next one. Not a single tree of theirs was singed. It was clearly a bracha earned in the merit of keeping Shemitah. Tragically, the surrounding fields — which were not observing Shemitah — were all burned. Hashem can and does bless us in countless ways, sometimes in very visible miracles. One final story. A man had a specialist appointment last year. The waiting room had televisions playing on all sides, the volume blasting, and the content was extremely inappropriate. He tried his best not to look, but some of the images caught his eye and became lodged in his mind. He prayed deeply for Hashem to remove those images from his thoughts. A week later, he had a follow-up appointment at the same office. This time, before going, he poured out his heart to Hashem, asking not to be exposed to those same sights again. Miraculously, when he arrived, every screen was malfunctioning. The same clean advertisement played on a loop for the entire thirty minutes he was there. Other patients were complaining, but the staff could not fix it. Only he knew that it was an answer to his tefillah. Hashem is helping us constantly. It's our job to recognize His involvement, thank Him, and tell others about it. The more we speak of His wonders, the more aware we become of His presence in our lives — and the more reasons we find to sing His praises.

The Chovot HaLevavot teaches us that when it comes to avodat Hashem , we are rewarded for our desire to do a mitzvah —even if we're unable to carry it out. This means that even a poor man is rewarded for wanting to give tzedakah , even if he doesn't physically have the means to do so. Our choices and our will to perform mitzvot are the very reasons we were created. This is the one area in which a person is not allowed to say, "I'll trust that Hashem will put the desire in my heart to do His will." Hashem created us to make that decision on our own and to develop that desire ourselves—He will not do it for us. However, a person may—and should—pray that Hashem help him maintain his desire to do good and provide him with the right environment and conditions to carry it out. In fact, Hashem loves when we ask Him for help to fulfill His will. First, it is up to us to decide that we want to do His will; only then can we ask for His assistance in following through. Sometimes we face extremely difficult circumstances, and it seems we may have to compromise on the spiritual standards we've set for ourselves. But we must know: Hashem yearns for us to do His will. If we truly desire it and sincerely ask Him for help, He will move heaven and earth to make it possible. Rabbi Elimelech Biederman once received a letter from a man who had such an experience. A few years earlier, this man had been inspired to improve his shemirat einayim —guarding his eyes. He took on many personal stringencies to protect himself even from potential challenges. About a year ago, he began experiencing intense pain in a certain part of his body. After an initial exam, his doctor told him he needed to see a specialist. He strongly recommended a specific expert whose clinic was located in the outdoor plaza of a very popular mall. The area, and especially that particular mall, was known for attracting crowds dressed immodestly. The man had committed never to enter such places, but now it seemed he had no choice. His doctor insisted that seeing this specialist could be a matter of life and death. The next available appointment was in a few weeks, at a time when the weather would normally be beautiful and the mall would likely be packed. The man spent the following three weeks praying daily to Hashem for help in maintaining his shemirat einayim . On the day of his appointment, something remarkable happened. The skies opened and it began pouring rain—torrents of it. This was after the rainy season had already ended. Rain during this time was extremely rare. Nobody could believe the weather. The rain was so heavy that almost no one wanted to be outside. The man arrived for his appointment to find the mall practically empty. He was able to visit the specialist and—amazingly—he didn't encounter any immodesty, even inside the office. Even more incredible: as soon as he got home, the rain stopped and the sun came out as it typically did during that season. It was clear that Hashem had changed the weather to help him maintain his commitment to shemirat einayim . This man had already made the decision to guard his eyes, and he asked Hashem to help him succeed. Hashem responded in a wondrous way. Everyone can be helped in their spiritual pursuits. But first, we must develop a sincere and powerful desire to do Hashem's will. Once we take that step, we can ask Hashem for help—and He will always be there to guide us through.

Part of the gift of emunah is knowing that there is always purpose and meaning behind everything that happens in our lives. A wrong turn was meant to be, a bad purchase was meant to be — and the list goes on. When a person understands that there's purpose behind his so-called mistakes, he'll be able to feel calm even in situations that would naturally bring stress. A man was recently teaching emunah to a group of teenagers on a bus. He told them that nothing is a mistake, and that everything happens for a reason. Just then, the driver made a wrong turn. The speaker smiled and told the boys not to worry — it was Me'et Hashem . Amazingly, down that very road, there were nine Jews trying to complete a minyan for Mincha so someone could say Kaddish before sunset. The driver stopped the bus, they all got off, and they made the minyan. Another story: a woman received a message that a couple from her community had been hospitalized. She decided to visit them. Although the hospital was far and her day was full, she baked fresh challot that morning and brought some along to give them. When she arrived, someone at the hospital commented how much he loves challah. She apologized, explaining that she had brought the bread for the couple she came to visit. A short while later, she discovered that the couple had actually been discharged earlier that day. In the past, this woman would have been frustrated over going so far for "nothing." But now, with emunah, she just smiled and said, "I'm so happy that I work for You, Hashem. If I'm here, that means You wanted me to be here." She went back, gave the challot to the man who had admired them, and made his day. She doesn't know why Hashem arranged for her to receive that message and believe the couple was still there. But she knows there was a reason — and she was grateful to be part of His plan. אין עוד מלבדו — we are always where we are meant to be. A man shared that one morning, his chavruta wanted to learn and pray earlier than usual. Because of this, he got home earlier. Just as he arrived, he saw his wife about to enter her car — and a man was sitting inside, trying to steal it. He was able to detain the thief until the police arrived. His chavruta had his own reasons for starting earlier, but clearly, it was all part of Hashem's orchestration, ensuring this man would be home at the exact moment his wife was in danger. Another story: a woman received two precious rings from her grandmother. Each night, she removed them and wore them again the next day. One day, she couldn't find them. She searched the house thoroughly. Days passed. She prayed, did segulot , but it seemed the rings were lost. Then, at 2:30 a.m., she woke up with a sudden thought — maybe she had put them in the pocket of a shirt. That very shirt was in the laundry bag, which her husband was going to take to the cleaners in the morning. She rushed downstairs — and there were the rings, right in the pocket. They were very expensive and most likely would not have come back once they went to the cleaners. Hashem woke her up with that thought just a few hours before her husband was going to take them. Every moment of our lives is calculated. Hashem governs every second with precise purpose and meaning. Wherever we find ourselves, and whatever we're doing — we are working for Hashem. He has a unique job for each of us at all times!

In Parashat Behar, we are introduced to the mitzvah of Shemitah — the command for a landowner to let his land rest for an entire year. The Gemara in Sanhedrin teaches that one of the reasons behind this mitzvah is to remind the landowner that the land ultimately belongs to Hashem. It is Hashem who determines how much produce the land will yield and when it will be given. The farmer's efforts do not add to or subtract from that decision. This lesson applies to all forms of livelihood. The mitzvah of Shemitah teaches us that parnasah comes only from Hashem, and it is He who decides when and how much a person will receive. In the case of Shemitah, Hashem even provides extra produce before the seventh year begins — showing that He already knows who will follow the mitzvah and provides accordingly. More broadly, the Chovot HaLevavot gives guidance on how to approach our work with the proper mindset. In Sha'ar HaBitachon, perek dalet, he writes that Hashem does not instruct a person which job to take or what merchandise to sell. Therefore,it is only logical to conclude that a person's responsibility is to pray to Hashem for guidance and trust that He will guide him to the business that he wants him to be in. If the options in front of a person are equal in spiritual terms, he can be confident that whichever one he chooses is the one Hashem wants for him. Even if, in hindsight, another option appears to have been more successful or profitable, it does not mean the person made a mistake. Similarly, a person must know that he is never stuck — he can leave a job that no longer suits him — but he also must know that wherever he was until now was part of Hashem's plan. When it comes to Torah and mitzvot, however, Hashem has given us clear instructions. That is where our choices matter most. In the physical realm, though, where no clear command exists, Hashem takes responsibility to guide us where we need to be. For example, if a girl is offered a potential shidduch and chooses to date a certain boy who seems to be the best match, but ultimately it doesn't work out — and later she finds that another suggestion proves to be the right one — it does not mean she made the wrong choice. It also does not mean that had she chosen differently from the start, things would have been smoother. Hashem had reasons for wanting her to go through the earlier process. Every experience, even unsuccessful ones, shapes a person and contributes to his or her growth. The key is to avoid regret when it comes to decisions in the physical world. We must believe that Hashem is constantly guiding us. Even if new information comes to light that would have changed a decision, it still doesn't mean the decision was wrong. If Hashem had wanted us to act differently, He would have arranged for us to have that information sooner. Whenever we feel regret — thinking we would have been more successful or happier had we chosen differently — we must see that as an opportunity to strengthen our emunah. It is Hashem who decides our financial success, and what has occurred until now was never dependent on our choices. Success is not about choosing the right job, field, or investment. It's about placing our trust in the One who controls all outcomes. It is not the business or merchandise that brings parnasah — only Hashem does. To Him, it doesn't matter which field we choose. We are always led to choose what we are meant to choose, and our parnasah is exactly what Hashem has decreed for us. Our decisions never change that. Shabbat Shalom

There are times when Hashem wants to give a person a great blessing, but in that person's current spiritual state, he is not yet worthy of receiving it. So Hashem sends him a challenge, a test. If he overcomes it, he becomes deserving of the blessing Hashem already wants to give. Sometimes a person prays day and night for something, yet it doesn't come. It may be that Hashem is placing tests in his path—tests that would make him worthy of receiving what he's asking for—but he isn't passing them. We must learn to view every test as a precious opportunity, a key that might unlock the blessing we've been yearning for. A young man told me that he's naturally stingy. This past year, he made a conscious decision to avoid going to the large shul he usually attends on Purim because of the many collectors he'd encounter. He had learned that on Purim, כל הפושט יד נותנים לו , whoever asks must be given, and he felt very uneasy about it. That year, Purim fell on a Friday. That afternoon, his wife asked him to pick something up from the butcher. While he was waiting in line, a poor woman with a small cart approached him and asked if he could help her buy food for Shabbat. With no choice, he agreed. Then she asked, "Would it be okay if I go pick up a couple more things?" He wanted to say no. But then he paused and recognized that this was clearly a test from Hashem. He told her she could get whatever she needed. She walked to the freezer section and began piling item after item into her cart. When she returned, the cart was full. The young man was sweating with discomfort. But he turned to Hashem and said, "I won't fail this test." With a big smile, he swiped his card and paid. The woman was overwhelmed with gratitude and showered him with heartfelt blessings. He answered "Amen" to each one and went home. There were many things he needed in life, and he was hoping this test would open the gates to those blessings. We can never know for certain what causes what—but that Sunday, just two days later, his parents, who had bought a house many years earlier for him to use in the future, called to tell him that their current tenants were leaving. They decided to give him the house right away. This was an incredible yeshua for him and his family, who had been living in a very cramped apartment. Not long after that, he had to take a very difficult licensing exam for a specific job. The pass rate was just 15%. He took the test and felt sure he hadn't passed. But when the results came back— ברוך ה׳ , he had not only passed but scored very well. The two major blessings he had been hoping for came true. Was it all because he passed that test in the supermarket? We'll never know for sure—but in his eyes, that was clearly the turning point. Hashem cherishes every effort we make, and sometimes He shows us how much. Another man told me that after selling a property he had owned, several friends and acquaintances heard about the sale. One approached him asking for a loan. Knowing what it's like to need help, he happily gave it. A few days later, another person asked—and again, he gave. A week after that, a third person requested a large loan. Now he began to hesitate. But he said to himself, ברוך ה׳ , I have the means right now. What better way to use it than to help another Jew in need? So he gave the third loan too. Soon after, he started thinking about past loans that had never been repaid. One significant loan came to mind. He decided to send a gentle reminder via text. The borrower responded immediately, saying he was ready to repay. Then he called to explain what had just happened: About an hour earlier, he received a payment from an employer who had owed him money for a long time. It came unexpectedly. When the money came in, he thought to himself that he should use it to repay someone he had borrowed from. He had forgotten all about this specific loan—until the text arrived. Now he knew exactly where the money should go. I told the lender, "Look what Hashem just did for you. You extended yourself to help others, and Hashem showed you that He noticed and appreciated it. T his man who owed you didn't have the money to pay. So Hashem caused his employer from years before to pay him out of the blue, so he would have the money to pay you back when you asked him. " Everything we do is so precious in Hashem's eyes. Every challenge, every act of giving, every moment of restraint is seen, and none of it goes unnoticed. Let us view each test as the opportunity it truly is. " ה׳ צדיק יבחן " — Hashem tests the righteous. And when they pass, the blessings follow.

We know that the essence of a person is his Neshama . The body is merely a casing, and death simply means that the person comes out of that casing and continues to live — just in a better place. There isn't even one split second when a person is not fully alive. The moment of death is only the moment when the casing is removed. Sometimes, we are privileged to see clearly — even in this world — the eternity of the Neshama. A rabbi once related that many years ago, he was hired by a shul to give a series of classes, for which he was promised $2,000 upon completion. He gave the shiurim, but the payment never arrived. The president of the shul told him that the check would come in the mail, but apparently, it slipped his mind — because it never did. About a year later, the rabbi happened to meet the shul's treasurer. They made small talk, and during the conversation, it came to light that the rabbi had never been paid. The treasurer was horrified and told the rabbi that he would personally take care of it and get reimbursed by the shul. He then took $1,000 out of his own pocket and handed it to the rabbi. Before parting, he said, "I personally guarantee you will get the second $1,000 as well." Just a few days later, the treasurer became very sick. He was hospitalized and, tragically, passed away within two weeks. Some time afterward, the rabbi of that same shul called the original rabbi to his office. As soon as he arrived, the rabbi handed him an envelope with $1,000. "This," he said, "is from the treasurer who recently passed away." Puzzled, the rabbi asked, "How did you know about the treasurer's promise? No one else knew — only he and I." The rabbi replied, "My wife had a dream. The treasurer appeared to her and told her he wasn't allowed into Gan Eden because of an unpaid promise. He asked that the money be given right away to fulfill his word." There was no way anyone could have known about that promise — except if the treasurer had truly come back from the next world to make things right. When a person passes away, his life does not end. He simply relocates — to a far better place. A man shared the following story that he heard firsthand from someone named Reuven. Reuven said that in Poland, during the Holocaust, a man lost his wife and was left raising their only son alone. At one point, they were separated, and the father was forced to flee for his life. He was almost certain that his three-year-old son had not survived. Four years later, one night, the man's wife appeared to him in a dream. She told him that their son was still alive and he must go find him. At first, he dismissed it as just a dream. But then it happened again. The father returned to his hometown and discovered that a righteous gentile had rescued several Jewish children during the war. He tracked this man down, entered his home — and there he saw his seven-year-old son. He recognized him immediately. ברוך ה׳ , he was able to raise his son in Torah and mitzvot, and eventually, the boy grew into a man who built a beautiful Torah family. Reuven concluded, "I know this story is true — because I was that seven-year-old boy. It was my mother who came to my father in a dream and told him I was still alive." The next world is very real. As it says in קהלת : וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל הָאֱלֹקים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ — "And the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." If a person fulfills his mission in this world, he will experience the greatest bliss — for all eternity

A man said he has done a certain segula in the hope that he would be married within a year. However, the year has passed, and he is still in the same position. He feels let down and is in need of chizuk . This sentiment is shared by many others who have had the same types of letdowns. A woman once told me she took upon herself to be careful in the area of modesty in the hope that she would have righteous children. However, when she did not see her children acting in the way she hoped, in her words, she became disenchanted with tziniut . What chizuk can we give people in situations where they have followed the advice of our Rabbis and grown spiritually in the hope of being granted something they need, but have not gotten what they have expected? The Mishnah says in Pirkeh Avot , שכר מצוה מצוה – the reward for doing a mitzvah is that Hashem will give the person an opportunity to do another mitzvah. Although we love to see immediate benefits from our actions, Hashem wants us to have the ultimate benefit, eternal bliss. There is nothing in this world that could compare to the pleasure we will receive in the Next World for our mitzvot. The greatest gift that Hashem could give a person is something that is going to make him happy for eternity, not just for the moment. Being that in many instances, we do see side benefits in this world for our performance of mitzvot, when those side benefits do not come about, it presents us with a wondrous opportunity to earn infinite rewards for our avodat Hashem. This is because it is then that we can display our emunah and tell Hashem, we know You are appreciating what we are doing, we know You are trustworthy to reward us the way You know is best, so we are going to continue growing and continue to serve You to the best of our ability. If someone has taken something upon himself as a zechut and he didn't see the side benefit he was expecting, if he would continue doing that avodat Hashem, every moment of it would become infinitely greater. That itself may very well be the immediate reward that Hashem is giving him, the opportunity to soar to the greatest heights. Yosef HaTzaddik was presented with one of the most difficult tests in all of history. With superhuman strength, he overcame that test. We can only imagine Yosef's tefilot every day, stuck in Mitzrayim as a slave to Potifar, he must have been begging Hashem to go back home and be reunited with his father, where he could once again be surrounded by kedusha . He must have thought that in the zechut of overcoming that enormous test, Hashem would bring him out of Egypt. But instead, he was thrown into a prison for 12 years. Yosef could have easily said, "That's what I get for being a tzaddik ? Why should I continue?" Yet, the Toldot Adam in parashat Vayeshev writes that the pasuk testified, Yosef maintained all of his levels of righteousness throughout the entire time he was in prison, as it says, ויהי שם בבית הסוהר – and the word שם means the same as he was before. This opportunity for Yosef to remain righteous despite that letdown, is precisely what made him into the great tzaddik that he became. That episode of being thrown into prison was part of the reward that Yosef received for his tzidkut , being given the chance to become Yosef HaTzaddik that we are still learning from today. A man told that he went to the Kotel for 40 consecutive days to pray for a shidduch . When the 40 days were up, he waited with anticipation of his long-awaited salvation, but nothing came. However, rather than turn the other way, he decided to double his efforts. He went to pray by the Kotel for the next 80 consecutive days. Some time after that, he did get engaged. But that was not his ultimate reward. The fact that he got that opportunity to show his emunah in Hashem(when the salvation didn't come) and used it to pray even harder for a longer period of time was his greatest gain, and it is going to last him for all eternity. We love to see the benefits in this world as well, and we hope that we will see them, but in the meantime, if the efforts we have been putting forth did not yet produce the results we were hoping for, we should utilize the time to earn the ultimate reward, serving Hashem with steadfast emunah.

David HaMelech tells us in Tehillim, וצדקתך ירננו , which the Sha'arei Chaim explains to mean that even when we face difficulties, we are meant to respond by singing to Hashem. How is that possible? The pesukim before reveal the secret: דור לדור ישבח מעשיך —each generation should relate to the next the chesed they have seen from Hashem in their lives. ודברי נפלאותיך אשיחה —David HaMelech would constantly speak, even in everyday conversation, about the wonders of Hashem. וגדולתך אספרנה —he would speak of the endless greatness and kindness Hashem bestows upon the world. זכר רב טובך יביעו —our mouths should overflow with praise for Hashem's goodness like a spring that never runs dry. If a person constantly talks about Hashem's kindness, then when something happens that appears negative, it won't shake him. He'll already be fortified with the understanding that Hashem only does good. The Midrash says that from the day Hashem created the world, no one sang shirah until Bnei Yisrael sang אז ישיר at Keri'at Yam Suf. The Sfat Emet asks: we know Adam HaRishon sang shirah— מזמור שיר ליום השבת —as did others. What does it mean that no one sang until Az Yashir? He explains that until that moment, people only sang about the salvation after it came. But at Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael reached a higher level—they sang about the difficulties too, because they saw that even the hardships were part of Hashem's goodness. אמר אויב ארדף אשיג —they sang about Pharaoh chasing them. מי כמוך באלים ה׳ —they declared; Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem? Chazal explain on this phrase: מי כמוך באלמים ה׳ —Who is like You, Hashem, who remains silent when the worst seems to be happening? How could Hashem be silent when the enemy entered the Beit HaMikdash to destroy it? When Titus HaRasha stabbed the parochet and blood came pouring out? When the resha'im tormented His beloved people in Mitzrayim and, centuries later, in Nazi Germany? At Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael understood the greatness of Hashem: that He could remain silent because only He saw the ultimate good in every moment. Even the most painful events, seemingly caused by human actions, were all orchestrated by Hashem for our benefit. In the Haggadah, we say: לבן ביקש לעקור את הכל -וירד מצרימה . The mefarshim ask, what's the connection between Lavan wanting to destroy Yaakov and the descent to Mitzrayim? They explain that Lavan's switching of Rachel for Leah led to the shevatim being born from different mothers. Rachel, being the more beloved wife, caused the brothers to feel resentment toward her son, Yosef. That led to Yosef being sold—and eventually to the entire family descending to Egypt. This wasn't really Lavan's doing. Hashem had planned it from the time He told Avraham Avinu that his children would be strangers in a land not their own. Nothing is random. People are not in control—only Hashem is. And He does everything for our good. The more we speak about His hashgachah, His chesed, and His love for us, the more these truths will sink into our hearts. Then, when difficulties arise, we'll have the strength to sing even through the pain. In the future, Hashem will reveal to us all the good behind every event. But if we can trust Him now—before the light shines through—and sing in the darkness, we will reach the highest spiritual levels.

The pasuk in this week's parasha , Emor , says: מִמּוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תָּבִיאוּ לֶחֶם תְּנוּפָה "From your dwelling places, you shall bring bread that shall be waved." ( Vayikra 23:17) This refers to the shtei ha-lechem offering brought on Shavuot . The Sefer Zara D'Yosef brings a beautiful homiletical interpretation from the author of Melo HaRo'im al HaShas . Some people believe that the reason they have a good parnasah is because their business is in a great location—throngs of people pass by, and many of them stop in to make purchases. To such thinking, the Torah responds with astonishment: מִמּוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תָּבִיאוּ לֶחֶם Do you really think it's from your moshavot —your location—that you bring in bread? The Torah then says: תְּנוּפָה This word, tenufah , which usually refers to the waving of the offering, can be understood here as: tenu peh —"give your mouth," meaning tefillah . The true source of parnasah is Hashem , and we must turn to Him in prayer. That is the real source of blessing. One reason Hashem made it that we need parnasah is so that we would be constantly drawn to ask Him for it. There is nothing more beneficial than having a close connection with Hashem , speaking to Him at all times. We should never take anything for granted. Rav Elimelech miLezhensk once had a student who received a weekly stipend and had all his meals provided for. Thinking he no longer needed to pray for parnasah , he stopped doing so. That same day, when meals were distributed, this student was the only one not given a fork. It took so long to receive one that by the time he got it, his food was cold. Rav Elimelech told him, "Even for a fork, you must pray to Hashem ." Rav Shmuel Tefilinsky wrote in a kuntres that if someone is struggling with parnasah or being pressured by a creditor, he should not think that a poor decision or particular event caused his situation. Hashem orchestrates all circumstances. He alone decides how much a person will earn or lose, and He has infinite ways to provide for someone. Sometimes, Hashem doesn't even need to send money—He fulfills our needs in other, unexpected ways. One man shared that he lived in what he called a "little hole"—a tiny attic apartment, barely big enough for a table, bed, and lamp, far above the other floors in a building. When people asked about his future plans, he always said, "I want an apartment in Yerushalayim." Everyone thought he was unrealistic—he couldn't even afford a regular apartment in a cheaper area, and yet he was dreaming of Yerushalayim, where apartments were well over two million shekels. His wife urged him to be more practical. But he would say, "No matter what apartment we get, we'll need money we don't have. Since Hashem is the source of that money, and He owns all the gold and silver in the world, there's no difference to Him whether He gives us 800,000 shekels or 2.2 million. It's all the same to Him." Every day, he prayed from the depths of his heart for an apartment in Yerushalayim, where he hoped to live a more spiritual life. One day, walking through a Jerusalem street, a man approached him and asked if he knew anyone looking for an apartment in Yerushalayim. "I am," he said immediately. The man pointed to a nearby building and explained that the apartment there had been on the market for years. Every deal had fallen through at the last minute. Now, the owner was desperate and willing to sell it for nearly half the original price. The man visited the apartment—it was spacious and just what he wanted. The price: under one million shekels. If someone had told him that people would eventually be begging him to buy an apartment in Yerushalayim at an affordable price, he would have said it sounds impossible. But with Hashem , nothing is impossible. He bought it and moved into his dream apartment. All because of tefillah and emunah . Parnasah comes only from Hashem , and He can provide everything a person needs—whether through money or without it. Shabbat Shalom

Tonight is Lag BaOmer. There is a minhag to hold a festive meal in honor of the holy Tanna, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The Maharil writes in a teshuvah that a seudah made in honor of a talmid chacham has the status of a seudat mitzvah, because it is like eating in the radiance of the Shechinah. Therefore, a meal in honor of Rabbi Shimon carries has status of a seudat mitzvah(for certain halachot). It is also a minhag to light bonfires on Lag BaOmer, and the Bnei Yissaschar explains the reason based on the teachings of the Zohar. On the day Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away—Lag BaOmer—he would not allow the sun to set before he finished revealing the deep secrets of the Torah to his students. Hashem had already decreed that Rashbi would pass away on that very day, but the Torah he wished to transmit was too vast to finish in time. Miraculously, he was able to stop the sun until he had completed his teachings. The special light that radiated from the Torah he was teaching outshone even the light of the sun. It was in the merit of this spiritual light—drawn from the hidden light, the Or HaGanuz—that the day was miraculously lengthened. This is the deeper reason why we light bonfires on this holy day. The Siddur of the Yaavetz notes that Lag BaOmer is considered a holiday instituted by the Chachamim. In the Sefirat HaOmer, Lag BaOmer corresponds to Hod shebeHod, which represents the strictest form of judgment. Yet, it is known that if a Sanhedrin unanimously rules someone guilty, he is actually exonerated. So too, on this day, harsh judgments are sweetened, and Hashem showers His chesed upon us. The Chatam Sofer writes in his derashot on the Omer that Lag BaOmer has the power of Yom Kippur within it. Throughout the generations, many people have experienced yeshuot on this day in the merit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Sincere tefillah is always powerful—but on a holy day like this, it is even more so. A man named Yosef shared a story. One night, after finishing his learning in the beit midrash as usual, a man approached him and urged him to come to his car. The man explained that every Monday night, a local bakery gives him all of the day's leftovers, which he distributes to others. He had noticed Yosef's dedication to learning and wanted to offer some baked goods to him. Though the offer seemed unusual, Yosef went along with it. The bakery indeed had many delicious leftovers, and Yosef happily brought them home to his family. He hoped to surprise his children, but to his surprise, they asked him, "Did you bring home any baguettes?" Yosef, amazed, asked how they knew. They told him they had prayed to Hashem for it. Eagerly interrupting one another, the children shared the full story. Yosef's daughter, who was learning photography, had a project in which she wanted to photograph a baby holding a baguette. Normally, Yosef would never buy a baguette just for a photo. So instead, his daughter gathered all her siblings and asked them to pray to Hashem to send them a baguette—without having to buy it. It was a genuine tefillah, full of emunah that Hashem listens to every prayer. A few hours later, their father walked through the door with exactly what they had asked for—and even more. This story is a reminder that tefillah is powerful, even the simplest prayers for the simplest things. Let us tap into the koach of tefillah on this great day of Lag BaOmer. With the help of Hashem, may we all see blessings and yeshuot.

A man once informed the Chazon Ish that a plane with 70 passengers had crashed and there were no survivors, לא עלינו . He proceeded to tell the rabbi the cause of the crash. The people who were there were eager to hear what the Chazon Ish would say about the incident—to hear the Torah perspective and gain the proper outlook on such a terrible tragedy. The Chazon Ish responded that this is not the way the story should be told. The correct way to describe it is like this: The Creator of the world decreed that 70 individuals were to end their lives on that day. And so, He gathered them all onto one plane. There was one man who was not included in that decree, and so Hashem made him miss the flight. There was someone else who hadn't planned to fly that day, but when he heard that there was a free seat, he joined the flight—not because of bad luck, but because it had been decreed for him to pass away that day. Whether an event happens or does not happen depends solely on the word of Hashem. Human actions are merely the vehicles that bring about the plan that Hashem has already set in motion. This is pure אמונה . A person must internalize that causes are not what determine events. First comes the decree of Hashem, and only afterward come the apparent causes. If someone is meant to have a certain amount of money, it is not his actions that produce the result—it is the decree of Hashem that brings it about. That being said, a person should know he never has to do anything shady to receive what is meant for him. Hashem has infinite ways of giving a person פרנסה , and when someone is presented with an opportunity to earn it through lying or cheating, it is a test for him to overcome. He will never lose by doing what is right, and although he may not see immediate benefit, that's all part of the test. Those who act with falsehood may see immediate gains from their actions, but if the money they earned was truly meant for them, they would have received it in a Kosher way. And if it wasn't meant for them, they will ultimately lose it. A man told me he asked his sons if they wanted to contribute money to a betting pool on a certain sporting event. Most of them said yes, but one of them—who is a rabbi—said he didn't feel comfortable betting on a sporting event and declined. The next day, the four who participated won a total of $12,000 and divided it equally, giving each person $3,000. One of the siblings said to the rabbi that he felt bad the rabbi didn't join, because he could have won a lot of money. The very next day, the rabbi's name was called in an auction at his children's Yeshiva, and he won a gift certificate worth $3,500. He saw clearly that if he is meant to earn money, Hashem has infinite ways of giving it to him. The more Emunah a person has, the more confident he becomes that Hashem is involved in every moment of his life. Sometimes it feels like Hashem is not there—but that is exactly when we need to use our Emunah the most, and understand that He is with us, listening to every word we say and watching every action we take. A woman told me she was going through a difficult time and decided to open her Tehillim and start reading from the beginning. When she reached near the end of פרק ס״ו (chapter 66), she lifted her eyes and wondered if Hashem was really listening to herTehillim. She then looked back down into the book and, astonishingly, the next words were: אכן שמע אלוקים, הקשיב בקול תפלתי In truth, Hashem has heard; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Exactly what she had been wondering was answered in the very next line she was about to read. She felt so comforted, sensing the closeness of Hashem. And although she was in a difficult time, that moment gave her the strength to persevere. Hashem is in control of every last thing that happens at every moment of every day. It is up to us to recognize that and act accordingly.

There is nothing a person can accomplish without Hashem's help—and with Hashem's help, anything is possible. Even the smallest tasks require siyata dishmaya . A man shared an experience at an airport with his family. They were waiting for their last piece of luggage to appear on the carousel. His daughter asked if she could be the one to retrieve it, and he agreed. As the suitcase came around, she prepared to grab it—but in that moment, a single strand of her hair got caught on another piece of their luggage. This slight delay caused her to miss the suitcase, and due to the crowd, they couldn't retrieve it until it came around again. The man took a powerful lesson from that experience. His daughter had been ready, nothing seemingly stood in her way—yet, clearly, it was Hashem's will for them to wait a few more minutes. Hashem orchestrated it through something as small as a hair. We often have no idea how much He is helping us, even in delays or setbacks. Rabbi David Ammon, Rosh Yeshiva of Noam HaTorah in Israel, recounted a remarkable story. While in Los Angeles on Yom Tov, he was walking to deliver a shiur when he realized a few blocks from his home that he had worn the wrong suit jacket. He turned back to change. Upon his return, a man approached him and asked how he had known to turn around at that moment. Confused, the rabbi asked what he meant. The man explained that moments after the rabbi had turned back, a massive piece of a tree—thirty feet tall—crashed down on the exact path he had been walking. Because of the noise of traffic, the rabbi hadn't even heard it. He was completely unaware that Hashem had just saved his life by prompting him to wear the wrong jacket. On another occasion, Rabbi Ammon shared a story from a yeshiva trip to Europe. While visiting holy sites, someone recommended a sacred shul where three great tzaddikim had once served as rabbis. Entry was by appointment only, which they didn't have, but since they were nearby, they decided to stop by. Miraculously, someone with a key happened to be there at that exact moment to open the doors. Minutes later, a small group arrived—the ones who actually had the appointment. They had come hoping to hold a kumzitz , singing praises to Hashem in the holy site. Seeing the 30 yeshiva boys, they invited them to join, and together they shared what became the most uplifting experience of their trip. Appointments to that shul are rare, often just one or two per day. Hashem had clearly orchestrated the perfect timing for both groups to be there. Another man shared a story involving his son's bar mitzvah. He desperately needed a pair of tefillin but couldn't afford them. He contacted an organization that helps low-income families acquire tefillin , and they added his son to the waiting list. Days later, the organization called with news: a man named Shimon wanted to donate a pair and was given the boy's information. When they spoke to Shimon, he explained how it all unfolded. He had met a man in Williamsburg with a rare talent: the ability to instantly convert any secular date to its corresponding Hebrew date, even decades into the past or future. Shimon gave his secular birthday, and the man replied: "28th of Av." Shimon disagreed, saying it was the 29th. The man insisted. Upon investigation, Shimon discovered that his father had mistakenly told him the wrong date. His birthday occurred during a Yom Kippur Katan tefillah, typically held on the 29th of Av—the day before Rosh Chodesh . But that year, Rosh Chodesh fell on Shabbat, so the tefillah had been pushed up to Thursday, the 28th. Following his family's tradition, Shimon had not begun wearing tefillin until his exact bar mitzvah date—meaning he had missed his first day due to the error. This realization devastated him. He prayed for guidance and atonement. Weeks later, while attending a class, he heard the rabbi mention that if someone accidentally misses a day of tefillin , one way to atone is by donating a pair to someone in need. Overjoyed by the clarity and opportunity, Shimon contacted the organization immediately—and was connected with the bar mitzvah boy in need. Hashem guided each detail of this story—from revealing the mistaken date, to teaching Shimon how to atone, to connecting him with someone whose need matched perfectly with his desire to give. These stories remind us that Hashem is present in every moment and every detail of our lives. From a missed suitcase to a falling tree, from a sacred visit to a humble act of giving—He orchestrates everything with purpose. The more we ask Hashem for help, the more we see His hand in our lives.

There are times when a person has a need, but in order to fulfill it, it seems he must go through a long and difficult process first. He wishes he had realized earlier that he would need it, so he could have started working on it months in advance. We must understand that when we come to Hashem to ask for His help, He already knows what we are going to request. Very often, Hashem prepares what we need even before we realize we're going to need it, and He waits for us to come and pray so He can give it to us. As we say, " טרם יקראו ואני אענה " – "Before they call, I will answer." Sometimes He gives to us even before we ask, and sometimes He prepares everything in advance so that our salvation is ready the moment we do ask. I recently heard a story that beautifully illustrates how Hashem works behind the scenes, long before a request is ever made. A man from Israel, whom we'll call Yaakov, was going through some old papers that belonged to his father, who had passed away years earlier. Among them were many beautifully written דברי תורה that he wanted to publish as a pamphlet. When he needed to travel to New York, he brought all the papers with him on the plane to review. While reading through them, he found a letter written to his father by a man named Pfefferkorn. It was a beautifully written letter, but it wasn't a דבר תורה , so he did not plan to include it in the booklet. While in New York, Yaakov went to pray at a Vizhnitz shul. There, he noticed a tallit bag with the name Pfefferkorn on it. Curious, he took out the letter and asked the man there if he recognized the name. The man said he did—it was actually his own brother, who had since passed away. Yaakov gave him the letter to keep, and the man placed it in his wallet. The next day, this man(Pfefferkorn) met his nephew—the son of his deceased brother—who was getting married the following day. As a meaningful gesture, he handed him the letter his father had written years earlier. The chatan began to read the letter and suddenly burst into tears. He explained that just a few days before, he had gone to pray at his father's grave. While there, he mentioned a teaching from the Zohar that says the souls of departed loved ones can attend the weddings of their descendants to share in their simcha . He had asked Hashem to let him feel his father's presence at his wedding. Now, just a day before his wedding, he was holding a letter his father had written long ago. It began with the words " מזל טוב לרגל נישואיך " – "Mazal tov on the occasion of your wedding." The letter went on to offer heartfelt blessings and ended with the words " שתזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל " – "May you merit to build a faithful home in Israel." It was as if his father was speaking directly to him. Even more incredibly, the letter was dated with the exact date of his upcoming wedding—just years earlier. This young groom prayed to Hashem to feel his father's presence only a few days before the wedding. But Hashem knew he would make that request and had already set everything in motion: He inspired Yaakov to compile his father's דברי תורה , brought him to New York with that specific letter, led him to that particular Vishnitz shul, and guided him to meet the one man who would recognize the name—his uncle. The odds of that old letter, forgotten in a drawer in Israel, ending up in the groom's hands the day before his wedding in New York are astronomical. But with Hashem, odds don't matter. He sets everything in place ahead of time. And when we pray, Hashem brings us what He has already prepared. We never have to worry about how we'll receive what we ask for. Hashem knows exactly how and when to fulfill our needs and desires. All we must do is offer sincere, heartfelt תפילה .

In Loving Memory of Zechariah Ben Sarah A'H and to Commemorate Sam and Zach's shared Birthday Sponsored by their Families Friends and Loved Ones Parashat Kedoshim commands us: " לא תקם ולא תטור " —do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge. The Sefer HaChinuch explains that the root of this mitzvah is to help a person internalize that whatever happens to him, even through the actions of other people, is ultimately a manifestation of Hashem's will. Similarly, the Chovot HaLevavot teaches that if someone harms us, we should not attribute it to that individual, but rather recognize it as part of Hashem's plan. Our proper response should be to give the person the benefit of the doubt, accept the hardship as atonement for our sins, and continue treating the person with kindness as if nothing happened. Although this is emotionally difficult and the desire for revenge can be powerful, trusting Hashem's commandments brings far more long-term joy than the fleeting satisfaction of retaliation. While it may take time to see, the righteous response always proves fruitful. A real estate agent named Reuven shared a personal story that illustrates this concept powerfully. He had closed a deal for an old friend, Jack, who then "forgot" to pay the agreed-upon commission. When reminded, Jack delayed, then disputed the fee, eventually avoiding Reuven entirely. Though the amount owed was significant, Reuven decided not to pursue it aggressively. Months later, Reuven prayed Mincha in a shul he didn't usually attend and unexpectedly encountered Jack. Reuven greeted him warmly and gently reminded him about the money. Jack exploded with rage, shouting and accusing Reuven of harassment in front of the entire shul. He hurled insults, and Reuven—devastated and humiliated—left in silence. Though tempted to defend himself, Reuven remained quiet. He later cried from the pain but reminded himself that he was serving Hashem by staying silent in the face of insult. That night, he took a walk and tried to follow the teachings of Chovot HaLevavot . He told Hashem he accepted the experience as a kapara for his sins, gave Jack the benefit of the doubt, and even decided to forgive him fully. Reuven even sent word to Jack that the debt was forgiven. A few months later, on Erev Yom Kippur , Jack called to apologize and offered to pay half the debt. Reuven reminded him it had already been forgiven, but Jack insisted on making partial payment to clear his conscience. Later, Jack struggled to sell his house for over a year. Because of their history, Reuven kept his distance. But when they met again, Jack confided his frustration and desperation. Reuven offered to help sell the house—and Jack, understanding full well what that entailed, agreed. With siyata dishmaya , Reuven sold the house within two weeks and earned a commission forty times greater than the original debt. Had he acted differently—harbored resentment or retaliated—he likely would have received nothing and lost the future opportunity altogether. By responding as Hashem commands, Reuven earned not only immense spiritual merit but also blessing in this world. The lesson is clear: we always win by following Hashem. No matter how difficult the test, if we trust in Him, He will guide us to reward and peace. Shabbat Shalom

Parashat Acharei Mot begins by telling us that Hashem spoke to Moshe after the tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu, who died while attempting to draw closer to Hashem. Though their death was a colossal tragedy, the Torah teaches us how to view it—and more broadly, how to understand when tragedy befalls righteous individuals especially when they are engaged in holy pursuits. At that time, the Jewish people were yearning for the Shechina to dwell in the Mishkan they had built. After the sin of the Egel , they were unsure whether Hashem would rest His presence among them. On the day of the inauguration, Aharon offered multiple korbanot as instructed, but still, the Shechina did not descend. Only after Moshe and Aharon entered the Ohel Mo'ed to pray did a heavenly fire come down and consume the offerings. The people rejoiced—Hashem had forgiven them and chosen to dwell among them. In their deep yearning and love for Hashem, Nadav and Avihu brought the Ketoret on their own initiative. Then, the unimaginable happened: another fire came down and consumed them. Everyone was in shock. Was this a sign of Hashem's anger? Did it mean the forgiveness was rescinded? Moshe then told Aharon that Hashem had previously said He would be sanctified through the deaths of great people—and Nadav and Avihu were those chosen Tzaddikim. The Torah testifies that when Aharon heard this, " וידם אהרן "—he remained silent , accepting Hashem's will without protest. As a reward for his profound emunah and submission, Hashem then spoke directly to him. What appeared to be divine punishment was, in fact, a great Kiddush Hashem . The Or HaChayim explains that Nadav and Avihu became so spiritually elevated that their souls desired only closeness to Hashem and no longer wished to remain in the physical world. Today, we lack prophets to explain tragedies, but we have the Torah—eternal and unchanging—to guide us in how to view them. Our greatest strength lies in trusting Hashem and using pain as a catalyst for growth. We are reminded that this world is temporary, and every moment here is an opportunity to serve and connect with our Creator. The Rashbam writes that the greatest Kiddush Hashem on that day was not the death of the tzadikim , but Aharon's silent acceptance. Seeing his beloved sons die before him, he continued to serve Hashem with unwavering devotion. That act sanctified the Mishkan more than any offering brought that day. When a person accepts Hashem's judgment with love, he elevates not only himself but also the space around him. Such acceptance carries a powerful spiritual energy, capable of invoking blessing and even salvation. The sanctity of Har HaBayit , where the Beit HaMikdash would one day stand, was similarly established through Avraham Avinu's loving acceptance of Hashem's will. When commanded to offer Yitzchak as a korban, despite the contradiction to Hashem's earlier promise that his future offspring would come through Yitzchak, Avraham did not question. The Targum Yonatan on the passuk יראה ויקרא שם המקום ה ' explains that Avraham prayed not to harbor any complaints, fully submitting himself to Hashem's will. His wholehearted obedience imbued the mountain with eternal holiness. Just as the Mishkan was sanctified through Aharon's faith, and the Beit HaMikdash through Avraham's, so too can we infuse holiness into our lives and surroundings by accepting Hashem's decrees with love and trust. Whenever a person accepts the will of Hashem with love, although it's difficult, he elevates himself and the place around him. Our job is to trust Hashem and always continue growing in our Avodah no matter what happens.

One of the reasons that people may lose energy and excitement in their avodat Hashem is that they misunderstand the way Hashem deals with them. It makes logical sense that when a person is doing what Hashem wants, he should feel a certain spiritual elevation and receive some type of reciprocation which shows that Hashem is appreciating what he is doing. And so, when those things don't happen, people may begin to lose the enthusiasm that they once had. If they only knew how much Hashem appreciates what they are doing, and how much they are gaining every second of it, they would happily increase their enthusiasm. Let us analyze the way that Hashem dealt with Avraham Avinu. Hashem promised him a baby boy when he was 70 years old, but he did not see the fulfillment of that promise for another 30 years. Then, when Yitzchak was 37, Hashem commanded Avraham to offer him up as a korban . One would think, being that this was arguably the greatest mitzvah ever performed, that Avraham should have felt a connection to Hashem like no other on his way to do the Akeda . He should have felt an incredible spiritual feeling beyond imagination. Yet, it says וירא את המקום מרחוק – and he saw the place from afar. Chazal tell us that means he saw the מקומו של עולם - HaKadosh Baruch Hu – very distant from him. He did not feel any spiritual elevation, nor did he feel any connection to Hashem. It was actually just the opposite, a feeling of being distanced from Hashem. And one would think, after Avraham passed this monumental nisayon , Hashem should have showered him with blessing and showed him how great he became as a result. Yet that is not what happened. Rather, Avraham discovered that his wife had passed away, and he had to go deal with finding her a burial plot. This is precisely what made Avraham's deed as great as it was. The entire Jewish Nation is still benefiting from that one deed until today. Avraham knew that what he was doing was what Hashem wanted and that's all he needed to know. Going there without the spiritual feelings made the avodah even more precious. Not seeing Hashem patting him on the back, kavayachol , afterward made the avodah even more valuable. This world is the world of work. We need to toil in our avodat Hashem and the rewards come later. If someone has been praying for something for years without seeing results, he may feel that Hashem is not listening to him. Yet our Chazal teach us otherwise. Our Imahot prayed for years without seeing any results and that is precisely what made them as great as they became, continuing to push themselves without seeing the reciprocation. We know what Hashem wants from us. He told us in the Torah. And we know He appreciates every little move we make. When we continue growing and serving Him to the best of our ability, without the spiritual feelings and without the immediate rewards, it makes our service infinitely greater. If someone starts learning more or going to shul more, his natural expectations are that he will see more open blessing in his life from it. That may happen and it may not, depending on what Hashem knows is good for him. But if it doesn't happen and he continues learning and continues going to shul more, it makes those efforts so much more valuable and it raises him to such a higher level. He will most probably not feel any more spiritual from what he is doing, but that will just add to the potential levels he could reach. Akedat Yitzchak was done without any special feeling and without any immediate reciprocation. And we know that Hashem appreciated that act more than we could imagine. It made Avraham so great and the rewards of it are still being paid until today. This should be a model for us to understand that the greatness of our avodah does not depend on how spiritual we feel or how quickly Hashem gives us what we want afterwards. It's actually just the opposite. The more we persevere without the feeling and without the reciprocation, the greater the avodah becomes.

Rabbi Chananiah ben Akashia teaches us that Hashem desires to bestow abundant merit upon the Jewish people. For this reason, He gave us many mitzvot—each one an opportunity to earn immense spiritual reward. While the ultimate reward for mitzvot is reserved for the World to Come, Chazal teach that mitzvot also bring tremendous benefits in this world. Our sages explain that the Jewish people were not originally deserving of redemption from Egypt. It was only through the merit of two mitzvot that they were finally freed. The sea itself split in the merit of Yosef HaTzaddik, whose steadfast resistance to Eshet Potiphar became a merit for all of Klal Yisrael. The Midrash at the beginning of Parashat Ki Tavo tells us that Hashem gave the mitzvah of bikkurim (bringing the first fruits) to the Jewish people as a merit to help them enter the Land of Israel. The Torah also teaches that honoring one's parents brings the reward of long life. And in the merit of emunah , Chazal say, we will be redeemed from our current exile. There are countless examples of how mitzvot serve as a source of zechuyot . Every test and opportunity Hashem gives us is a chance to accumulate spiritual wealth that benefits not only us but our children and grandchildren for generations. We may not always see the full reward of a mitzvah, but we can be certain that every one of them helps us in unimaginable ways. A powerful modern example was shared by A.J. Gindi, the head of Renewal—an organization that helps kidney patients find life-saving matches. A woman with an extremely high PRA level came to the organization, desperately in need of a kidney. Due to her rare profile, the chance of finding a match was extraordinarily slim. Even Renewal's vast international database turned up nothing. They held a special donor event in the hopes of a miracle—and miraculously, a match was found. Before the transplant, the woman was asked what merit she believed had brought about such an unlikely success. She replied that she personally wasn't aware of any special merit, but she shared a story from her grandmother's experience during the Holocaust. While imprisoned in a concentration camp, her grandmother was shown rare kindness by an SS officer, who gave her a pass allowing her to move freely without being questioned. She thanked him and pleaded for passes for her parents as well, which he granted. Overjoyed to help her family, she returned with the passes—but was then approached by someone who begged her to obtain one more. At first, she refused, fearing that pushing further might result in the officer rescinding everything. But then the person explained: the pass wasn't for himself—it was for the Bobover Rebbe , who was in their barracks. "We must save his life," he said. The woman, a professional artist, decided to try to replicate an identical pass. She spent the entire night replicating it with precision. The pass was delivered to the Rebbe, and baruch Hashem , it saved his life. The kidney recipient concluded: "Perhaps in the merit of my grandmother saving a life, Hashem is now saving mine." After the successful transplant, the donor was asked what merit she thought enabled her to be the match. She replied, "I'm not sure, but I come from a family of rabbis. In fact, my grandfather was the Bobover Rebbe." Everyone present was stunned. Eighty years after a brave woman risked her life to save the Rebbe, Hashem repaid the kindness in kind—his granddaughter was now saving her granddaughter's life. This is just one example of how a single mitzvah can echo across generations. Every mitzvah carries infinite merit, benefiting us both in this world and the next. It is our responsibility and privilege to embrace each opportunity with joy, knowing that every act of goodness creates a ripple of blessing beyond what we can ever imagine.

When our plans are suddenly canceled or unexpected mistakes arise, they often appear to be nothing more than unfortunate coincidences. In such moments, it's natural to feel disappointment or confusion about why things didn't go as expected. However, someone with emunah —faith in Hashem—understands that there is no such thing as a mistake. Everything unfolds precisely as it is meant to, even if the reasons are hidden from us. Most of the time, we're not privileged to see the full picture. We don't always understand why certain events deviate from our carefully laid plans. Yet sometimes, Hashem offers a glimpse behind the scenes, revealing how what seemed like a disruption was actually a necessary step in a greater design. A woman shared her experience from this past Simchat Torah . She had been eagerly preparing for a joyous Yom Tov, anticipating a full house with all her children and grandchildren. She cooked in advance, excited to host the entire family. But on Chol HaMoed , her three teenage sons expressed a strong desire to return to their out-of-town yeshivot for Simchat Torah . Though disappointed, she graciously agreed, recognizing how meaningful it would be for them. Then, on Hoshana Rabbah night, her married son informed her that he had missed his flight home from his in-laws. As a result, he, his wife, and their three children would be spending Yom Tov elsewhere. The vibrant family gathering she had envisioned quickly diminished, leaving her and her husband with unexpected quiet. On a whim, they decided to go to her husband's former yeshiva—where two of their sons would be spending the holiday. A room near the yeshiva became available that night, and they took it. They packed up the food she had lovingly prepared and made the spontaneous trip. Though out of character for them, the experience turned out to be profoundly uplifting. During the Yom Tov, two different people independently suggested a shidduch for their daughter—an alumnus of the very yeshiva they were visiting who was also there for Yom Tov . They followed up on the recommendation, and Baruch Hashem , their daughter is now engaged to that young man. A missed flight, a change of plans, and a last-minute decision to travel—all seemingly minor and natural occurrences—were, in truth, Hashem's orchestration to bring this family to the exact place where their daughter would find her zivug . In another touching story, a man shared how his 10-year-old daughter asked for a special siddur with her name engraved on it. He told her that was a gift he had planned for her bat mitzvah, over a year away. Not wanting to wait, she asked again. He gently explained that it was an expensive item and not something he could give her "just because," but he encouraged her to ask Hashem for it instead. He used the moment to teach her the power of heartfelt tefillah . Inspired, the young girl began praying earnestly each day for that personalized siddur . One day a few months later, her principal called her to her office. While she was there, the principal pulled out a beautiful sidur with her name engraved on it. She explained she bought it for her granddaughter but it was the wrong nusach. Being that the store wouldn't exchange it because the name was already engraved upon it, she was stuck with it. Then she thought of this girl in her school with the exact same name as her granddaughter and offered the sidur to her. And just like that, this 10-year-old girl received the sidur she wanted so badly. It looked like a mistake but we know there are no mistakes. Hashem wanted this girl to have that sidur and this is how He accomplished it. Her sincerity was moving—and a powerful reminder that no prayer is too small or insignificant in Hashem's eyes. Everything that happens is me'et Hashem and if we're able to internalize that, we'll have a much easier time dealing with the unexpected.

In Parashat Tazria , the Midrash relates a poignant story about a Kohen who served his community by diagnosing tzara'at . After losing all his wealth, he faced the painful dilemma of how to support his wife and children. With no viable options in his hometown, he resolved to leave Israel in search of livelihood. As he prepared to depart, he trained his wife—his only possible successor—in the laws of tzara'at . He taught her: "Every hair has its root, and the condition of the hair reveals the state of that root. If a hair becomes dry and colorless, it indicates that the affliction at its root is severe. But if the hair remains healthy, then the affliction is healing." His wife asked, "What if there are two hairs growing from one root?" He replied, "Each hair has its own root and is sustained individually." With profound insight, his wife responded, "If Hashem created a source of sustenance for every single hair, then surely He created sustenance for each one of your hairs—and for each of our children's hairs. And if Hashem is so meticulous in sustaining even a single hair, how much more so will He provide for you and our family." Her words, full of Emunah and clarity, convinced him to remain in Israel. Struggling with Parnassah is an intense and painful challenge. Chazal teach that if all other forms of suffering were placed on one side of a scale and poverty on the other, poverty would outweigh them all. Yet because the test is so great, the spiritual opportunity it offers is equally immense. The Chovot HaLevavot writes in the Shad HaBitachon that if a person's Parnassah is delayed in coming, he should think in his heart of how Hashem brought his Nishama down from the Kisei HaKavod into this world to do a job specifically at this time in history. The world has a 6,000 year plan and for reasons that only Hashem knows, He placed this person's Nishama specifically at this time. The same Hashem is the One in charge of giving him his Parnassah and he is the One who is holding it back now. And He knows that this is what is going to enable him to succeed in his mission. There is nothing better for a person than to go through the current period with his Parnassah delayed in coming. If he can internalize this and trust that Hashem is doing what's best for him, it would make him so great. It is very possible that the whole test is just to see how the person will respond and perhaps in the Zichut of the proper response, his future Parnassah will come in abundance. A man shared his experience: he had launched a promising business venture with two investors ready to commit both capital and valuable ideas. At the final moment, both investors inexplicably withdrew. Undeterred, he pivoted to another opportunity, this time drawing serious interest from a large institutional investor. The deal appeared certain—so much so that plans were being made for post-investment operations. He prayed fervently. But again, without clear explanation, the investor backed out. One by one, other prospective clients also disappeared.He was left bewildered, caught in a whirlwind of hope and disappointment. He has been praying and improving in Torah and mitzvot but is seeing no success in Parnassah. Of course, he should continue praying and improving but the greatest thing he could do is to accept with love that Hashem was behind everything that happened and it was all for his best, for him to fulfill his purpose in this world. We hope Hashem will shower him with Parnassah but in the meantime, he can rise to great levels by trusting Hashem and understanding that he was acting in his best interests. He can feel calm and composed knowing that he is in Hashem's hands and he could radiate that emunah to his family. The spiritual elevation he will get from that avodah will be worth more than any Parnassah that anyone could ever have. The tests in Parnassah are very difficult but that just means that the rewards for overcoming them are that much greater. Shabbat Shalom.

There are times in life when a person feels that not receiving what they desperately want would be the worst possible outcome. In such moments, they may cry out and beg Hashem for help, day and night, with their entire being. During this time, they find it difficult to enjoy anything. Their thoughts are consumed by the issue, and they can't imagine life without a resolution. Naturally, we are encouraged to pray for what we believe is best and to place our hopes in Hashem's kindness. However, it's important to recognize that sometimes, a person's mission in this world may specifically depend on enduring that very challenge. What may appear to be an obstacle could, in truth, be the catalyst for personal growth and transformation. By resenting or resisting it, a person may miss the opportunity to fulfill their unique purpose. On the other hand, if one can sincerely accept Hashem's will, even while continuing to pray for relief, they open the door to spiritual elevation. Acceptance does not mean surrendering hope. It means that as long as the challenge remains, one embraces it and strives to grow through it. A simple shift in perspective can often save a person from months—or even years—of stress and anxiety. A man recently told me that he was out of town for Pesach. On the last day of Chol HaMoed, he attended a shiur after shul, where the rabbi spoke about the seventh day of Pesach and how the splitting of the sea is compared to the miracle of bringing couples together. Chazal teach us that not only does Hashem orchestrate marriages, but He arranges all human encounters. Later that morning, as he walked down the street, an Israeli woman approached him and began speaking in Hebrew. He couldn't fully understand her, so he turned to another man passing by—someone he recognized—who was fluent and could interpret. The woman had noticed that this man was missing fingers on one hand. She explained that her infant daughter was born with the same condition, and she was overwhelmed with fear and sorrow for her child's future. Without hesitation, the man called over his wife and children and told her, "I am the happiest man in the world." He shared how he lives a fulfilling life—with a job, a loving family, friends, and a deep sense of contentment. He had never felt that he was lacking anything. His sincerity and joy radiated to her. She was overcome with emotion, nearly brought to tears by the chizuk he gave her. Until that moment, she had envisioned only difficulty and despair for her daughter. But now, she saw hope. She never imagined that her daughter could possibly live a normal life let alone get married and raise a family. She was in such misery over the past six months but now everything changed. She thanked the man from the bottom of her heart for his words of encouragement and her life is now changed. Nothing else changed from that meeting other than her perspective and that made all the difference. Hashem gave her the exact chizuk that she needed by meeting this man while he was away in her hometown. Yes, Hashem was once again Mizaveg Zivugim. We always hope to get what we want but we must remember there's a much bigger plan for us and the worst thing we could do is fight against the circumstances that Hashem puts us in. Everything we go through is to make us the people we're meant to become. This man said he sees so clearly the fact that he was born with a hand without fingers has made his life more meaningful and better in countless ways. We are always encouraged to pray for what we want but if we didn't get it yet we should happily accept the circumstances that Hashem has put us in.

When people face hardship, their instinctive response is often to seek extra mercy from Hashem. They might take on new halachic stringencies, elevate their level of kavanah during tefillah , and pray with greater emotion, sincerity, and even tears. They do their best to act with heightened spiritual awareness, all in the hope that these efforts will bring about a salvation. But when time passes and the situation doesn't improve—or even worsens—it becomes increasingly difficult to keep that spiritual momentum going. Some begin to feel that their prayers and efforts are going unnoticed. "If Hashem isn't responding," they wonder, "why should I keep trying?" For some, this disillusionment may evolve into frustration or anger, leading them to distance themselves from mitzvot or religious observance altogether. They may begin to question whether Hashem truly cares. But we must hold on to a critical truth: Hashem cares more than we can possibly understand . The fact that we haven't received what we've asked for is not a sign of divine indifference. Rather, it is a reflection of Hashem's infinite wisdom. He sees the complete picture—past, present, and future. He knows our mission in this world, and what is best for us at every stage, even when we cannot comprehend it. And when the struggle to stay spiritually committed intensifies, our avodah becomes all the more meaningful. Hashem cherishes every sincere effort we make—especially when it is difficult. A man in the real estate business shared his story. His industry had been facing a downturn, and one failed deal after another left him with no leads and growing discouragement. He reached a low point and, for the first time in his life, contemplated skipping shul on Shabbat. In frustration, he told himself he wouldn't go. That Friday afternoon, he had his usual call with a business associate—a non-Jewish Irish gentleman with whom he regularly discussed the market, business trends, and more. Every week, their call ended with the man wishing him, "Shabbat Shalom." But this week was different. As they were about to hang up, instead of the usual farewell, the man simply said, "Okay, go to shul now," and then ended the call. The timing was uncanny. For the first time in decades, this man had planned not to go to shul , and here was Hashem sending him a message—through the mouth of a gentile associate—urging him not to break his lifelong habit. It was a moment of clarity. Hashem had been watching and cherishing each one of this man's tefillot for over fifty years. He didn't want him to miss even one. The man went to shul that night, full of gratitude. He thanked Hashem for the unexpected chizuk , and for reminding him how deeply valued his efforts are. Yes, business may be tough. Life may feel overwhelming. But that should never diminish our trust in Hashem or our commitment to His mitzvot. In fact, when maintaining emunah is hardest, that's when it shines brightest.

We love to see salvations from Hashem. Sometimes, we witness immediate responses to our tefillot , and when that happens, it is an incredible experience. Rabbi Aholiav Chiyun once related that he met Rabbi Shlomo Musayof, founder of the Musayof shul in Yerushalayim, on Purim . Rabbi Musayof looked noticeably sad, and when Rabbi Chiyun asked him what was wrong, he explained that he had a son who had escaped from Russia to America 12 years earlier, and he had not heard from him since. In those days, making an international call was extremely expensive, and even letters were uncertain to reach their destination. Rabbi Chiyun told him to pray right then and there for his son's return, as it was an et ratzon , an auspicious time for tefilla . He also blessed him that Hashem should answer his request. Exactly a week later, there was a knock at Rabbi Musayof's door. When he opened it, the man standing there said, "Abba." Rabbi Musayof could hardly recognize his son, especially with his big beard. He embraced him, thanking Hashem for bringing him home. The son explained that he had been struggling to even afford rent and food and traveling to Israel was impossible. However, a week earlier, an elderly man overheard him speaking Hebrew and approached him. The man mentioned that he had an extra plane ticket to Israel and offered it to him. Later, they realized that this conversation took place at the exact same time that Rabbi Musayof had been praying the week before. It was an extraordinary yeshuah , showing the power of tefilla and Hashem's perfect timing. However, not all prayers are answered so quickly. A man once shared that he had been begging Hashem day and night for salvation from an enormous challenge in his life. But instead of seeing relief, everything collapsed, and he lost everything. He felt abandoned and struggled to continue praying. For six months, he could not even open a siddur . Finally, one day, he mustered the strength to begin praying again. As he recited the words ה' שפתי תפתח —"Hashem, open my lips"—he broke down crying uncontrollably for half an hour. This was a man with deep emunah , and he felt the painful void of Hashem's absence in his life. Now, he is working hard to see the good and rebuild the connection he once had. Sometimes, we do not receive the answers we hope for, but feeling Hashem's presence through our struggles can make all the difference. Rabbi Benyamin Pruzansky shared another story that highlights Hashem's hidden hand in our lives. A man was speaking with his business partner, Meyer, at their sporting goods store when he mentioned a tragedy that had recently occurred in their community. A man had passed away, leaving behind a young family. Meyer, who had also lost his father at a young age, was asked to give chizuk to the mourners. Although Meyer did not know the family, he understood their pain and agreed to go. When he arrived, he tried his best to offer words of comfort from his heart. Before he left, he approached the 11-year-old boy in the family, Shlomo, and made him an offer. "I own a sporting goods store," Meyer said. "I sell all the latest brand-name sneakers. I want you to come to my store after the Shiva and pick out any sneakers you want—for free." Shlomo's teary eyes suddenly widened. "You don't know what this means to me," he said. "I was getting ready to go to camp for the summer, and the day before my father passed away, he told me he was going to take me to get brand-new sneakers." "The last few days, I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to go without my father. I prayed to Hashem to help me, and now you came and offered me new sneakers, just like my father promised. Hashem always takes care of me." This young boy was going through an unimaginable loss, but recognizing Hashem's hand in the process gave him so much chizuk . We may not always receive exactly what we ask for, but knowing that Hashem is guiding and helping us—even when we cannot see it—can strengthen us tremendously.

The Yismach Yisrael writes that if someone is humble regarding parnasa and truly believes that his income does not come from his efforts but rather from Hashem's chesed , he opens the pipelines for more shefa to pour down. The mann that the Jews received in the Midbar came in the merit of Moshe Rabbenu, who was the most humble of all. His humility opened the pipeline for blessing. When Moshe told the Jews about the mann , he said, הוא הלחם אשר נתן לכם ה' לאכלה – "This is the bread that Hashem has given you." He was revealing to them the secret of parnassah —knowing that it is Hashem who provides. A man once shared that he had been doing very well in business. He was extremely busy—constantly in meetings, dealing with contracts, producers, and buyers. Then, his business started to decline. He made a costly mistake, overpaying for an item and losing a significant sum. Orders began to dwindle. People realized they didn't necessarily need him to procure their products. Over time, the orders decreased further until his company seemed to disappear completely. At first, he was only concerned about losing luxuries, but soon, he feared he would have to ask for handouts. Sleepless nights followed as he agonized over his financial situation. He wondered if this downturn was a result of his own pride—believing that his success came from his own efforts, connections, and business acumen. Realizing he needed a change in perspective, he began studying Sha'ar HaBitachon and Chovot Halevavot . Slowly, he internalized that he was not the one bringing in his income—only Hashem was providing for him and his family. It was purely Hashem's abundant chesed that allowed them to have everything they needed and more. The customers weren't responsible for his livelihood, nor was his product; it was only Hashem. Day after day, he immersed himself in sefarim on emunah , seeking chizuk from every possible source. Eventually, he reached a point of complete inner peace. He truly felt that his Father in Shamayim was taking care of everything. At that moment, he experienced genuine trust in Hashem. That same day, an old client, someone who had not been in touch for a long time—called him. This client placed an exceptionally large order, the biggest he had ever received. The profit from that single transaction was equivalent to three months of earnings. He thanked Hashem for the invaluable lesson in emunah and appreciated the opportunity to acquire the proper perspective on earning a livelihood. It is easy to say that Hashem does everything, but truly believing it is much harder. When asked about parnasa , we may instinctively say, "It's all from Hashem." But do we truly feel it in our hearts? Only Hashem knows the depths of a person's Emunah . Our task is to internalize this truth—that everything we have comes from Hashem. And when we truly believe it, we open the pipelines for blessing.

Our Sages teach us that the world stands on three pillars: Torah , Avodah , and Gemilut Chasadim . Rabbi David Najjar found a fascinating allusion to this concept in a Passuk from this week's Parashah, Shemini . The Passuk states: " ואת העולה המציאו אליו לנתחיה ואת הראש ויקטר על המזבח " — referring to the korban olah . Rabbi Najjar notes that the initial letters of the phrase " ואת העולה המציאו אליו " spell out the divine name with which Hashem created the world — suggesting a connection to the creation of the universe itself. Since the Passuk discusses the korban olah , it clearly alludes to Avodah , one of the world's foundational pillars. Furthermore, the first letters of " לנתחיה ואת הראש " form the word " לוה " — meaning "lent," a reference to Gemilut Chasadim . The final letters of the words " אליו לנתחיה ואת הראש " spell out תושיה" " , a term associated with Torah , as seen in the Passuk from Mishlei: " נצור תושיה ומזימה " ("Guard sound wisdom and discretion"). Hence, this single Passuk subtly contains allusions to the three pillars upon which the world stands. Additionally, another Passuk in the Parashah — " וירא כבוד ה' " ("The glory of Hashem appeared") — has the same gematria (numerical value) as " בצדקה וחסד " ("through charity and kindness"), reinforcing the idea that performing acts of kindness and giving charity is a form of honoring Hashem. Hashem often presents us with opportunities to give tzedakah or perform chesed as a test of our faith and character. Parting with our time or money can be difficult, but we must remember: we never lose by honoring Hashem. He is fully capable of repaying us many times over. One individual shared that a rabbi he knew reached out, requesting help with the final $12,000 needed for a down payment on a home. The rabbi promised to repay $1,000 monthly over the next year. Although it was a significant sum, the man agreed to help. Shortly after, an unexpected announcement regarding the tariffs put all of his orders on hold, causing him to reconsider. However, he reminded himself that he had already committed — and more importantly, that the rabbi needed the funds. He overcame his hesitation and sent the full $12,000. A few days later, he unexpectedly received a check from the IRS for nearly $15,000. Neither he nor his accountant could explain it — until it became clear to him: this was all a test from Hashem. He was never meant to have to give up that money, Hashem just wanted to see if he would be able to part with it in the performance of this great Mitzvah of lending money. Another man shared a similar story. A friend urgently needed $315, and without hesitation, he handed over his credit card. Due to a minor credit card fee, he ended up paying $324. Less than an hour later, he returned home to find that the fencing work he'd commissioned had just been completed. The invoice totaled $3,324 — but the contractor offered to reduce the charge to an even $3,000. The amount waived? Exactly $324. These stories beautifully illustrate the divine providence and care Hashem shows those who give generously. Acts of tzedakah and chesed not only honor Hashem — they bring His blessings into our lives. Shabbat Shalom.

In the Haggadah, the Pasuk V'nitz'ak el Hashem Elokei Avoteinu refers to the Jewish people crying out to Hashem in prayer, a moment that occurred following the death of the King of Egypt. Immediately after this, the Pasuk states, Vayishma Hashem Et Kolenu —"And Hashem heard their voices," leading to their redemption. What is the connection between the king's death and the Jewish people's cries to Hashem? The Rashbatz offers an explanation: for many years, the Jewish people had anticipated that the death of the harsh king would ease their suffering. However, when a new king arose and the oppression became even more severe, they recognized that their only hope lay in Hashem's salvation. It was at that moment of realizing that only Hashem could help them, that their prayers became earnest, and they were answered. This serves as a valuable lesson. Often, when people face challenges, they devise multiple plans in their minds to address the situation. Even as they pray, they may subconsciously rely on these plans, leading to less sincere prayers. It is crucial to recognize that no matter how many potential solutions seem available, without Hashem's intervention, none are truly meaningful. It's easy to beg Hashem for help when there are no other apparent options, but the true test comes when multiple avenues appear open to us. If, in such moments, we can pray with the same sincerity as though no alternatives exist, our prayers hold greater value. This reflects true emunah — the realization that Hashem alone controls our fate. The effort lies in the mind; we must internalize the belief that Hashem, and only Hashem, has ultimate authority over all things. A man named Jack shared an interesting story that illustrates this concept. Just before Rosh Hashanah, he received an unexpected request from his mother. She asked him to arrange for his father to be a sandak (the person who holds the baby during a Berit Milah) for a third time that year, as she had heard that performing certain actions in pairs could be a bad omen. (Note: although the Gemara suggests that performing actions in pairs might expose one to negative influences, contemporary halachic authorities no longer consider this a concern.) Jack found himself at a loss. Being chosen as a sandak is an extraordinary honor, one that is rarely given. Great Torah sages would travel great distances for the privilege of this mitzvah. Halachic authorities even rule that the sandak holds greater honor than the mohel or the father of the newborn, granting him precedence for an aliyah on the day of the Berit Milah. The Zohar HaKadosh compares the act of performing a Berit Milah to bringing a korban to Hashem, with the sandak's lap serving as the altar upon which the korban is offered. The Maharil draws a comparison between the sandak and the kohen offering the ketoret in the Beit HaMikdash, while the Migdal Oz advises striving to perform the mitzvah of being a sandak, even at great personal expense. Some even suggest that being a sandak can be a segulah for wealth. Understanding the rarity and importance of this honor, Jack realized that finding an opportunity for his father to serve as a sandak, especially on such short notice, would be incredibly difficult. After hanging up with his mother, Jack turned to Hashem in prayer, saying, "I don't know how to make this happen, but I know that only You can help me. Please grant me success." That evening, Jack attended a simcha where he was unexpectedly approached by an old acquaintance. This man asked Jack if he knew anyone who would be willing to serve as a sandak at a Berit Milah the next day for a Baal Teshuvah. Jack, astonished, immediately responded that his father would be honored to take the role. The next day, Jack drove his father to the Berit Milah, fulfilling his mother's request. This story illustrates the power of sincere prayer. While prayer is always effective, it is especially potent when we approach it with the understanding that only Hashem can grant our requests. Such prayer carries immense spiritual value. May we all strive to pray with full emunah, trusting completely in Hashem's control over our lives.

Rav Chaim Kaniyevsky Z"l asked in his Sefer Ta'amah Dikra, if Hashem wanted to punish the Egyptians measure for measure, drowning them because they drowned the Jewish babies, why do He have to bring them all the way to the Yom Suf to do it? Why couldn't He just bring a tsunami upon them right where they were in Egypt? The Rabbi answered, Hashem wanted to show us that when bringing punishment upon a sinner, Hashem doesn't need to bring the punishment to him. Rather, He can make the sinner himself go to the punishment. Rabbi Menashe Reizman explained, this was an additional lesson in Hashem's hashgacha peratit, namely, that a person is in the complete control of Hashem. Even when it looked like the Egyptians were chasing the Jews of their own free will, it was Hashem pushing them to bring them to their punishment. The Ramban writes, of all the wonders that Hashem performed in Mitzrayim, this was the greatest wonder of all. The fact that Pharaoh and the Mitzriym saw an open miracle with their own eyes of Hashem splitting the sea for the Jews, and yet they still went in to chase them. This was to show that Hashem is in charge of every footstep that man takes. It may look like that we're moving on our own, but in actuality, Hashem is leading us. A man told me that his wife Ruth is currently studying to become an eye doctor. She had an assignment in school to bring in a family member for an eye exam. Most people bring in their spouse for this, but her husband wasn't available that day. So she asked one of her nieces, Gila, if she could come instead. Gila happily agreed and made the long trip there that day. The exam was going well until the very end when Ruth found something suspicious going on in Gila's eye. Her supervisor suspected that it was a retinal hole, so they did some imaging. That would mean she would have to be seen by a specialist in the next couple of weeks. Ruth then went with Gila for lunch. The supervisor called them back, saying she just received more results from the imaging and it turned out to be much more serious. It was a retinal tear which, heaven forbid, could lead to blindness. Gila had no symptoms as she was seeing perfectly. There was no way she was going to find out about this before it may have been too late. They were able to get her an appointment for surgery the very next day and baruch Hashem, she's fine now. Gila had no idea how much danger she was in. Hashem guided her footsteps to get that eye examination and save her eyesight. A father recently made a seudat hoda'ah, thanking Hashem for saving his two-year-old daughter who had fallen into a pool. The father said it happened so quickly. In a split second, she was in the water. By the time he pulled her out, she wasn't breathing. He ran into the house in a panic, crying for someone to call hatzalah. But help had already begun to arrive in a most unexpected way. A man was driving by in a golf cart and saw what was happening and quickly sprang into action. Like Eliyahu Hanavi, he started CPR on the little girl right away and within 90 seconds, the stranger had revived her. She was stabilized and then airlifted to a nearby hospital and remarkably, she was discharged the very next day. Every second matters when it comes to life and death. Hashem guided that man's footsteps to be right there at the time he was needed. Although things may seem to happen in a natural way, Hashem is pulling the strings from behind the scenes all the time.

If we would be able to see what we accomplish by doing mitzvot, we would run after them with such excitement and everything in this world would pale in comparison to them. When the Jewish People were preparing to leave Mitzrayim, they were told to go and gather all the wealth of Egypt. At that time, Moshe Rabbenu chose to go and find the aron of Yosef instead, and for that Chazal applied the pasuk חכם לב יקח מצוות to him. While everyone was becoming billionaires, Moshe went to do one mitzvah and he was called the wisest of all of them for that endeavor. Besides for the fact that his reward was eternal while their wealth would only last here in this world, seven days later at Yam Suf, the entire nation was in jeopardy of being killed out by the Mitzrim . When the Sea saw the aron of Yosef, it split and the entire nation was saved. Moshe Rabbenu was thus credited with saving the entire Klal Yisrael because of his pursuit of that one mitzvah. Why did the Sea split for Yosef? Because years before when he was being tested with the wife of Potifar, he ran away from temptation and so now the water was running away from his aron to save the entire Klal Yisrael . Imagine if during that difficult test Yosef would have known that he was going to be the cause of millions of people to be saved, he would have ran away with ease, it wouldn't have even been a test. However, Hashem does not allow a person to see the wondrous effects of what his deeds are going to accomplish, in order for his free will to remain balanced. But we must know that if we did have the eyes to see what was happening when we do mitzvot, we would be so excited to perform every single one of them. I read a story about a man who asked the gabai in his shul to reserve Aliyat Maftir and chazan for Mussaf on one of the upcoming Shabbatot , since that was the week of his mother's yahrtzeit . This man was a very organized person and always made sure to plan things a long time in advance. He was a long time member of that shul and one of its supporters and the gabai told him both of those honors were open and he made a note to reserve them for him. When that Shabbat arrived, the man came into shul filled with anticipation, but there he noticed that a stranger had joined the minyan that day and was in deep conversation with the gabai . The man was curious to hear what the debate was about and, to his shock, he found out that this stranger had asked for Maftir and chazan for Mussaf because he also had a yahrtzeit . Here he was a long time member and supporter of the shul and he asked for these from weeks in advance and now some stranger just strolls in out of the blue and thinks he can take those honors? But then, a small voice whispered inside of him, maybe he should give in? Who knows what merits help the neshama the most. Maybe giving up what was his for someone else would accomplish even more. And so, with great strength, he went over to the gabai and told him to give those honors to the other man. He would take a different aliyah and be chazan for Shacharit on the actual yahrtzeit instead. The gabai said, " Chas v'shalom , there is a system here, these are yours." The man reassured the gabai that he was actually happy to do this. And when the gabai saw he was serious, he went over and gave them to the other man. Rabbi Aharon Toisig, a prominent Rav from Bnei Brak, was present in the shul when this episode took place and he related what happened the next day. The congregant came into shul and said his mother came to him in a dream and said to him, "My son, I was given special permission to descend to this world to thank you. The elevation that I experienced when you gave up the Maftir and Mussaf was greater than any other I had ever experienced. I remember well the elevation I merited in past years when you got Aliyat Maftir and was chazan for Mussaf , but those did not come close to what I merited this year when you mustered up the fortitude to give up the honors that were rightfully yours for the sake of peace and to help someone else." This is just one small example of the great effects of our deeds. The harder they are to perform, the greater they become. We should always run to do mitzvot with the utmost excitement.

Who Would Have Thought? Three people recentlyapproached me, each asking a similar question. "I know that Hashem onlydoes good. Yet, what could possibly be good about the pain and anguish I amgoing through now?" One of them had Shalom Bayit problems, one had Shiduchproblems and the other had health problems. It is easy to learn about Hashem'sgoodness and talk about it, giving Chizuk to others. However, when a personhimself is in a difficult situation, it is not so easy to feel that goodness. What is the answer totheir question? How could painful situations possibly be good? It is very hardfor us to understand, because we have such a narrow view of life. There is somuch more going on than meets the eye. When Rabbi Akiva was suffering at thehands of the Romans, the angels in Heaven asked Hashem how this could possiblybe good. Hashem responded, "In order for you to understand this, I wouldhave to unravel the entire world and explain everything from the beginning oftime." Everything is interconnected. There are past lives, Gilgulim andTikunim, which are beyond our comprehension. I am reminded of parabletold by the Chafetz Chaim about a man who had such a difficult life. All he didwas complain. Finally, it was revealed to him that in a previous life, he hadblemishes that did not allow him to enter the highest parts of Gan Eden. Thesoul wants nothing more than to be close to Hashem for all eternity. He beggedfor another chance to return to this world and live the life he was currentlyliving as a Kapara(atonement), in order to eternally enjoy the next world. Hesaw in advance how difficult his life would be, and he still wanted it. Itturns out that he was complaining about a life that he himself had begged for. One day everything willbe clear. When Hashem does reveal to us why He dealt with us the way He did, wewill be in a state of jubilation, thanking and praising Him for everything Hedid. For now, we must trust that what we are going through is also good. We also must know thatjust because today there is pain or difficulty, does not mean that it will bethat way tomorrow. Sometimes people are in tough situations that they feel willnever end. I know an older single that had a broken engagement. The person wasdevastated. The family was devastated. They felt like they had lost thegreatest opportunity, thinking they would never find anyone as good. After ayear, the person got married and said they could not imagine marrying anyoneelse. No matter how long aproblem continues, ישועת ה' כהרף עין -Hashem's salvation can come in the blink of an eye. The ChafetzChaim writes in his book, "Shem Olam," if someone would have seen thebitterness and toil of our ancestors in Egypt , they would never have believed that they could ever leave. No one had ever escaped Egypt . They hadtotal control over the Jews, forcing each person to produce 400 bricks a day.Who could ever have predicted that they would leave ביד רמה , obliterating theEgyptians and making a mockery of Pharaoh, who had to get up in the middle ofthe night to beg the Jews to leave? Who would have thought that 50 days laterthe Jewish people would be at Har Sinai, receiving the Torah and reachinglevels higher than any prophet we ever had? Who would have thought that YosefHaTzadik, who languished for 12 years in an ancient Egyptian jail, would, in aninstant, become the second most powerful man in the entire world? What aboutthe days of Haman? The king of the entire world signed and sealed the edictagainst the Jews. There was no place for them to flee. Who would have thoughtthat not even one Jew would die, and Haman and his family would perish. " מקימי מעפר דל מאשפות ירים אביון "-Hashemlifts us up from the dumps, " להושיביעם נדיבים "- and He elevates us to sit withthe nobles. אין כאלקינו -There is none like our G-d. יחלישראל אל ה ' -we must hope and pray to Him,because כי עם ה' החסד והרבה עמופדות -He has an abundance of salvation. While we are in theproblem, we must have emunah that even the suffering is good. At the same time,we must hope to Hashem that He brings us joy the way we want toexperience it.

There are times when a person sets out to do something and, all of a sudden, he hits a roadblock. He tries everything he can to go around it, but to no avail. The roadblock may come in the form of a person denying him or a circumstance denying him. And he is left helplessly to try to figure out what to do next. In those frustrating circumstances, a person could easily lose his cool, but then he will have failed his test. He must internalize, it is not the person or the circumstance that is stopping him, it is only Hashem. If he could react in those situations with emunah, it will elevate him so much and hopefully, one day, Hashem will reveal to him the goodness in why He had to stop him. Shmuel Herman found himself walking around, his chest tight with anxiety churning inside of him. He couldn't focus on his learning or anything else for that matter. He was being pressured in all directions because he was turning 30 and still not married. He was learning in Israel and dreading going back home to London for Pesach to face more relatives who were going to pressure him. Then came an attractive offer for him to travel to Washington to help Jews make a Seder for Pesach . The kiruv organization that invited him would provide everything, including his plane ticket, three meals a day and accommodations and even a little compensation. He happily accepted the offer and put in a great deal of effort in preparing. During the 12 hour flight, he reviewed all the classes he prepared on the Haggadah and the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim . He also prepared some talks on the topic of emunah. Finally, he landed in New York, anticipating catching his connecting flight to Washington. When it was finally his turn at the border control, the airport official looked at his passport and ordered him to go to a small side office. A stern security officer was behind a desk there and he began interrogating. The questions continued on and on and while Shmuel kept glancing at the clock, hoping to make his connecting flight, the security officer kept interrogating. When Shmuel mentioned he had a flight to catch, the security officer became angry saying, "I'm not interested in your connecting flight. Right now you are being interrogated and as far as I'm concerned, you can turn around and go back to Israel." Then Shmuel yelled out, "I didn't do anything! Why is this happening?" And the officer got even angrier. There was nothing Shmuel could do, he was stuck there and was going to miss the flight and potentially his seminar as well. When they finally let him go, he went to an airport desk asking if there was a flight he could get on to Washington. Everything was booked for the next two days, which meant he would not be able to get to his destination. Another Jew was standing there and overheard Shmuel saying he didn't know what he was going to do for Pesach . After speaking to him for a few minutes, the man invited Shmuel to come have the Seder at his house. With no choice, Shmuel accepted. He was a big hit there, as he was well prepared for the Seder and he gave that family a memorable experience. The man of the house, Mr. Braun, suggested his niece, who was 29, as a shidduch . And PS, not too long after that, Shmuel got engaged to her. When Shmuel was in that security office being interrogated, he couldn't imagine anything good from him missing the flight and inspiring Jews on Pesach . But in hindsight, he realized, everyone was just a puppet in Hashem's master plan to bring him his long awaited shidduch.

We have an easy opportunity to fulfill ten mitzvot, every single day, called the עשר זכרונות – the Ten Remembrances. They are printed in the siddur and are usually recited after Shacharit. We can actually fulfill these mitzvot multiple times a day. The Pele Yoetz writes in Erech Dibur that each one of these remembrances is a heading with many subcategories. For example, one of them is to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim-the exodus from Egypt. That could also be fulfilled be remembering other kindnesses and wonders that Hashem has done for us, whether to the Jewish People at large or even to the individual. The idea of the mitzvah is to instill in us the knowledge of Hashem's capabilities and His constant hashgacha over everything that goes on in the world at large, as well as in our own personal lives. It is also to awaken our love for Hashem by appreciating His involvement in our lives. This means, each time a person says over a hashgachat peratit story about how he saw Hashem involved in his life and that he appreciated it, he will also be fulfilling a branch of זכר ליציאת מצרים and will get credited for a mitzvah. It does not have to be an earth shattering story, whenever we notice the Yad Hashem and appreciate it, that's enough. A man told me that he and his friend drove for a half an hour to pick up a refrigerator that someone was graciously giving away. As they were bringing it to the car, they noticed a brand new refrigerator next to the garage. The woman of the house said she's hoping her husband will be able to get it into the house that night when he came home from work. The two young men said they'll be happy to do it right then and there. It was very big and very heavy. It took them a long time to finally get it to the front door, and then they saw it was too large to fit through it. They tried hard to get it in, with no success. They were sweating and huffing and puffing at this point, but they were not going to give up. And then, a Home Depot truck pulled up right in front of the house, a man came out of the door saying he left some of his tools there that morning when he dropped off the new refrigerator. He tried to come back earlier but he misplaced the address and he finally got it now. He came back eight hours later, at 5:30, the exact time that the young man and his friend were trying to get the refrigerator in. They asked him, "Could you please help us get this through the front door?" The Home Depot worker said sure, and he was able to get it in with them. The young man was so excited. He told me, "Look at what Hashem did to help us. He made this man forget his tools in the morning, and then brought him back at the exact moment we needed him." It's not a major story, but the young man felt Hashem's hashgacha in his life. He felt Hashem's kindness and spoke about it in appreciation and that fulfilled a mitzvah. A woman emailed me that her teenage daughter wanted a keyboard, but she didn't have the financial means to purchase one for her. She told her daughter, "I wish I could get it for you, I just can't now. Pray to Hashem, He could always find a way to get one to you." Her daughter thought that it was something too trivial to ask Hashem for, but her mother assured her, Hashem always loves to hear her prayers. She listened to her mother and prayed for a keyboard. That same afternoon, as the mother was about to light the Shabbat candles, their lamp broke. She asked her daughter, "Please bring the pieces to the garbage before I light." When her daughter came back, she had in her hand a beautiful keyboard. "Where did you get that from?" her mother asked. "A neighbor didn't want their keyboard anymore and they were throwing it out." There, she got exactly what she wanted. They were so excited, they felt the Yad Hashem and appreciated it so much. It's not a major story, but it's a story where they felt Hashem; and by telling over that story, they got a mitzvah for it. We could fulfill this mitzvah all of the time, whenever we feel the Yad Hashem and we appreciate it with words, and by sharing it with others we can inspire them as well.

We begin the Seder with the Ha Lachma Anya , which speaks about the matzah and ends with the words, "Now we are still in Galut. We hope to be in Eretz Yisrael with the Beit HaMikdash before next year's Seder." Rabbi Ronen Sharabani gave a beautiful explanation in his new Haggada Me'afar Kumi about why we begin with this. Chazal tell us that the final ge'ula will take place in the month of Nisan. So, when the month begins, all of Klal Yisrael is hoping to be in Yerushalayim with the Korban Pesach by the night of the Seder. However, if Lel HaSeder arrives and once again Mashiach has not come, it could cause a person to enter the Seder with feelings of despair, thinking: "We've made this request of L'shanah Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim every year of our entire lives—and it still hasn't happened. What's going to give us chizuk to think that things will ever change?" For this, the Rabbis tell us to begin the Seder speaking about the matza. The Seforno writes on the pasuk describing Yosef Hatzaddik being rushed out of prison that this is the way of all salvations that Hashem brings—they come in an instant. Even when it looks like there's no hope in sight, things can suddenly change. And this is what happened in Mitzrayim. The pasuk says they were rushed out of Egypt without enough time for their dough to rise. Matza is the symbol of an instant salvation. And so it says about the future geula : פתאום יבוא אל היכלו —Mashiach is going to come suddenly. When we internalize that the salvations of Hashem come in an instant, we will never despair, because we know everything can change in a moment's notice. What we see today has nothing to do with tomorrow—and the same applies to the difficulties people are currently experiencing. No matter how long it's been, no matter how dismal it seems, salvation can always come in an instant. A woman told me she got married about twenty years ago and was looking forward to a joyful home filled with children. After seven long years of waiting for their miracle, they were blessed with a precious daughter who indeed filled their hearts with the joy they had hoped for. For years after that, they tried every possible method to have another child, but it wasn't working. They delved deeply into learning and practicing emunah , and then, with the advice of their rabbi, they decided to take a pause from all their efforts and instead focus on enjoying the life they had. Especially since they were making so many efforts, they risked attributing success or failure to their own actions rather than to Hashem. They spent a year focusing more on spirituality, adopting a healthier lifestyle, eating better, exercising regularly, and appreciating everything Hashem had already given them. Then they went back to the doctor to try another treatment. Everything was looking good. They were awaiting results from a certain test, and when the results came back positive, they were thrilled. Even the doctor was elated. He told them they needed to repeat the test two more times. The second time, the numbers were even better. But on the third test, the results took a turn the other way. After eight long years of waiting for their second child, it appeared that once again they were going to be let down. That night, they called a hotline for emunah , and amazingly, there was a story shared about a childless couple who had been told by their doctor that they would never have children. The husband went for a drive afterward to clear his mind, and when he returned home, he found that his wife had set the table with their finest china. She told him, "We're going to celebrate all we have, despite the sorrowful news." The next morning, at 5 a.m., they received a phone call from the fertility clinic saying it had been a mistake—and that she actually was going to have a child after all. This woman and her husband took that story as a direct message from Hashem. They picked themselves up and enjoyed that Shabbat more than ever. They sang with their 8-year-old miracle girl. They expressed gratitude and celebrated all the blessings that Hashem had given them. That Motzaei Shabbat , they went for another test, and amazingly, everything changed for the better. Baruch Hashem , that year, they were blessed with their second miracle baby. The salvations of Hashem always come in an instant. This is the chizuk we give ourselves at the beginning of the Seder, and this is something we must always keep in mind. B'ezrat Hashem , we should see the Geula Shelema and celebrate this holiday in Yerushalayim with the Korban Pesach. But even if that doesn't happen— even then —it doesn't mean the geula can't come a second later. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.

The Vilna Gaon once said that the hardest mitzvah in the entire Torah to fulfill is being happy on the holiday. The reason it's so difficult is because it requires us to be in a constant state of joy for all seven days – no worry, no sadness, no aggravation. This is hard even for a person who's blessed with a family, with a house, with parnasa. But what about when it comes to people who don't have those same blessings? How could they be in a constant state of joy? For some, the holidays are the saddest part of the year. People who don't have families; people who don't have a place to be. They listen as everybody else makes their holiday plans and they feel left out. An older single woman said she wished she could just go to sleep before the Seder begins and wake up the next morning to a new day. She dreads having to sit at the table with all of her married siblings and their children. She is always asked to help with this child or to babysit that child. Everyone figures since she doesn't have her own family, she's available to be at everyone else's service. Everyone tells her, "Don't worry, this is going to be the last holiday for you without a husband. By next year you'll be married, b'ezrat Hashem." She doesn't want to hear it anymore. She wished she could just skip the whole thing. There are people who are ba'aleh teshuva and their families don't have a real Seder. They don't have anywhere to go; everyone else is busy with their own families. There are single mothers who try to play the role of the mother and father and give their children a real Seder, but it's never ideal. There are single parents who are separated from their children, who have to be lonely guests at other people's tables. "Holidays are supposed to be family time," they say, "why can't we be with our families as well?" Their pain is very great. How could they possibly fulfill this mitzvah of being happy on the holiday? It is an extremely difficult task, but if they could find it within themselves to try and accomplish, they will receive unimaginable rewards for it. Chazal tell us, doing a mitzvah with difficulty is worth a hundred times more than doing the same mitzvah without difficulty. Rabbi Dessler explains, to do any mitzvah with even the slightest amount of difficulty is worth a hundred times more than doing it without that difficulty. If there is more than a slight amount of difficulty, then the mitzvah becomes a hundred times greater than before, and so on. And if it's an extremely difficult mitzvah, it could be worth thousands and thousands of times greater. We can't fathom the reward even for an easy mitzvah, how much more so something very difficult. The Zohar HaKadosh writes, when a person sits by his table at the Seder and says over the story of Yitziat Mitzrayim, Hashem assembles the angels together and brags to them about how His People rejoice in His salvation. Imagine if someone who has every reason to want to skip the Seder but, nonetheless, strengthens himself and still says the praises of Hashem and still manages to be happy, what would Hashem tell the angels then? When a poor man brings a flour offering as a korban, the pasuk says, "ונפש כי תקריב – he's bringing his soul." The Gemara explains, because it's so hard for him to bring even that flour offering, Hashem considers it as if he brought his own soul as a korban. Now, if for a person to give up his money to serve Hashem is considered like he gave his soul, what about if a person is able to sacrifice his emotions, to say, "Hashem, You know how hard it is for me to go through another holiday like this, but I'm going to lift myself up, I'm going to do the best that I can and serve You the way that You asked, with joy. I'll sit at a table with strangers and forget about my problems and just focus on praising You. Or I'll sit at a table without a spouse, or without children, and I'll overcome my sadness to do this mitzvah the best way." That avodah would be unbelievable. And it's not all or nothing, every little effort counts. For some, just getting to the Seder and putting on a smile is already a heroic act. May Hashem give all of us the strength to rejoice this Pesach, and may we see the ultimate salvation of Mashiach Tzidkenu. Amen.

The question has been asked: Why do we call the holiday "Pesach"? It's named after the fact that Hashem "passed over" the homes of the Jews during Makkat Bechorot . But seemingly, that is just one small detail of a much bigger picture. Furthermore, why is this the only miracle described with the term יד חזקה —Hashem's "strong hand"? And why did Hashem choose to redeem us from Mitzrayim specifically in the month of Nisan? *While the Jews were enslaved in Mitzrayim, Egypt was the superpower of the world. They made it impossible—by natural means—for the Jews to ever escape. And in the words of the Zohar, they also used כישוף (sorcery) to cast a spiritual spell, so that even in the supernatural realms, they were unable to go free. The Rambam writes in his famous Iggeret Teman that when Moshe Rabbeinu began the process of extracting the nation of Israel from Egypt, all the astrologers agreed unanimously that the Jews had no chance for independence or even to alleviate their lowly state of subjugation. The Bet HaLevi adds another dimension to the slavery. He writes in Parashat Bo that there are many dimensions to the universe. Each dimension is on a different level, but they are all connected and exist parallel to one another. For example, the existence of fire as we know it in this world is entirely different in the dimension above, and the criteria for it to burn things there are different. When Avraham Avinu was thrown into the fiery furnace and was not burned, it was a great miracle. But this was a miracle only in our eyes. In the higher dimensions, there was no miracle whatsoever. A righteous individual should not be burned by fire. In that instance, the fire in the higher dimension acted as it should normally, and in the lower dimension, the fire was forced to act parallel to the higher fire. Whenever a miracle takes place for a righteous individual, the nature of the higher dimension alters the course of events in the lower dimension—even if that violates the laws of nature in the lower one. Regarding the miracles in Mitzrayim, however, it was very different. Over the two centuries that the Jews were there, they became severely corrupted by the idolatrous and immoral culture of Egypt. In their parallel existence in the higher dimensions, their fate appeared to be sealed—to remain enslaved there for all time. There, Hashem needed to violate the laws of nature in every dimension of the universe. This is why the Torah uses the term יד חזקה when referring to these miracles—a term never used for any other miracle ever performed. Hashem did not only redeem us from physical slavery; He also redeemed our souls in the spiritual dimensions as well. Through the total overthrow of the powers of Egypt, Hashem's supremacy over the world became apparent. The Aruch HaShulchan explains why Hashem chose the month of Nisan to be the month of redemption. The Egyptians worshipped the sheep, which represents the zodiac symbol Aries—the most prominent of the twelve signs. During Nisan, that constellation rises at sunset every evening. Pharaoh relied on its ascending power to protect him from Hashem. That is why he still had the confidence to throw Moshe and Aharon out of the palace even after six plagues. Later on, knowing that the month of Nisan was about to begin, his arrogance and confidence rose to unprecedented levels—so much so that he even threatened Moshe with death if he dared come back again. In response, Hashem told Moshe, " החודש הזה לכם " : This month will be for you—the head of all months. It will be ours, because it will be proven that the so-called powers of astrology are false and that Hashem is the sole power in the universe, above and below, and that we are His treasured nation. Rav Yerucham Levovitz explains that this is why we use the name Pesach to describe the holiday. Even though Hashem performed numerous miracles, the essence of the holiday is commemorating the moment the world recognized Hashem as the only One with power. That moment took place during Makkat Bechorot , which occurred at the midpoint of the month of Nisan—when the constellation Aries was at its peak influence. At that moment, Hashem demonstrated His power and His love for Klal Yisrael when He struck down the Egyptian firstborns and passed over the homes of the Jews. Whenever we pray to Hashem, we should imagine His complete power—not just over the lower world, but over the upper dimensions as well. Even a decree that is sealed in Shamayim can be broken. In the month of Nisan, Hashem showed the world that He is the only power. From then on, Nisan became the month of miracles. May we see the ultimate salvation with the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days. Amen. * taken from Yalkut Yosef Pesach edition English

" בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל "—just as our ancestors were redeemed in Nissan, so too will we be redeemed in Nissan. As we enter this glorious month, our hopes are higher than ever for the coming of Mashiach. We have been learning about the days of Mashiach in the Daf Yomi, and we see events unfolding in the world at large. It is up to us to do our part. Chazal teach us that our forefathers were redeemed from Mitzrayim in the merit of their emunah, and we, too, will be redeemed through our emunah. But what kind of emunah do we need? When the women brought their copper mirrors as donations for the Mishkan, Moshe Rabbenu initially did not want to accept them. However, Hashem told him that these mirrors were more precious to Him than anything else—more beloved than the menorah, which represents Torah, more than the mizbe'ach, which represents tefillah, and more than the shulchan, which represents tzedakah. What was so special about these mirrors? The men in Mitzrayim were suffering terribly. They had lost their will to continue, feeling that all their labor was in vain. The women used these mirrors to beautify themselves and encourage their husbands, giving them the strength to carry on. They reassured them, reminding them that there was a future—that Hashem runs the world. Their chizuk empowered their husbands to persevere and fulfill Hashem's will, even under the most trying conditions. The Tikkunei Zohar describes how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, when looking into the future, saw the generation before Mashiach and lamented, " ווי מאן דיזדמן בהאי זמנא "—Woe to those who will live in that time. Yet, he also said, " זכאה מאן דמשתכח בההוא זמנא וקיים בהימנותא "—Fortunate are those who will be in that time and hold strong in their emunah. Our Rabbis have told us that we are living in the עקבתא דמשיחא , the final generation before Mashiach. We are the very ones that the Zohar was speaking about. One might ask: throughout history, our people have endured immense suffering—the Holocaust and many other persecutions. By contrast, today, baruch Hashem , we live with religious freedom. Why, then, did the Zohar express such concern for this generation? A great rabbi once explained that while, as a nation, we may have it good, if we examine individual households, we will find so many struggling with personal challenges. The pain people carry is often hidden. Just the other week, in a single day, I was approached by eight different individuals seeking chizuk. One had just been told that his wife might lose her pregnancy. Another had suddenly and tragically lost her husband. One had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Another was at risk of going to jail. One had a sick child, another was struggling with business problems, and yet another was facing shalom bayit issues. Late that night, as I was leaving shul, a husband and wife approached me. The woman began to speak about her daughter, who was having an extremely difficult time with shidduchim. At first, I expected the conversation to be like the others I had that day. But then she surprised me. She wasn't downcast at all. She told me that, eight years ago, she started a nightly emunah conference in the zechut of her daughter finding a shidduch. Today, over 400 women participate. And through it, she has gained an unshakable emunah—like a pillar of fire. She is so grateful to Hashem for all He gives her each day. She goes to other people's weddings with complete joy, celebrating without a trace of jealousy. Her emunah is contagious. Wherever she goes, she uplifts others, infusing them with strength and faith. This is exactly what the Zohar meant: Fortunate are those who live in this time and have emunah. Today, so many struggle with personal darkness. But those who find a way to rise above it and praise Hashem, despite their hardships, shine the brightest. In previous generations, our ancestors were like burning torches, illuminating the world with their Torah and mitzvot—but they lived in broad daylight. In contrast, we may be but small flames, yet we are burning in the thickest darkness. Though we may not reach the Torah and mitzvah observance of previous generations, we have an extraordinary opportunity. We can shine with our emunah, something so precious to Hashem. May Hashem strengthen our emunah and grant us the merit to greet Mashiach in this great month of Nissan. Amen.

One of the great tests in life is in the area of parnasa . When a person doesn't know how he will earn the money he needs, and instead of panicking, he strengthens himself and places his trust in Hashem—this is a precious form of avoda . When the Jewish people left Mitzrayim, they faced this very test. They were entering a wilderness, a place with no food, and they didn't have enough provisions to feed their families. And yet, they trusted that Hashem would provide everything they needed. In response, Hashem told us through the Navi that He would always remember the kindness that the people did for Him when they left Mitzrayim by trusting in Him. The love He had for them at that moment was so intense, He compared it to the love a man has for his new bride. The Jewish people were then tested with the same challenge for 40 years in the desert. Would they try to gather extra man for the next day, or would they trust that Hashem would provide for them? And even though Hashem did provide for them, year after year, it was still considered a test all the way through the 40th year. This is because human nature is such that, no matter how good things have been until now, a person still worries about what will be tomorrow. No matter how many years everything has been taken care of, he still worries about the future. Someone who can overcome this worry and instead trust in Hashem rises to the greatest heights—and will be rewarded eternally for it. The Chovot HaLevavot , in Sha'ar HaBitachon, writes that whenever a person faces a test in parnassah and withstands it, he will be greatly rewarded. He brings as examples the Jews leaving Mitzrayim and being tested in the midbar with the man . We, too, can give Hashem the same avoda that our ancestors did—trusting in Him fully. The Chovot HaLevavot continues: Hashem has many ways of supporting a person, and therefore one should never give undue importance to any particular means. Many people today are anxious about recent tariffs placed upon imports from foreign countries. These tariffs threaten to take away the means that some people have relied upon for years to earn a livelihood. Markets are declining, and the economic outlook appears grim. But this presents a wondrous opportunity for a person to shine in the eyes of Hashem—to say, "I believe my parnasa comes from Him. He can provide no matter how many tariffs are imposed or how poor the markets look." If someone finds himself unable to sleep at night due to worry and manages to overcome it with bitachon , Hashem considers that to be an act of chesed —and it increases that person's chen in Hashem's eyes tremendously. This is the greatest response we can offer in these times. Life is a cycle: one day things are down, the next day they're up. The only things that really matter are our reactions and our emunah . Hashem can give a person parnassah in infinite ways. A rabbi recently related a story. One day, at 3:15 in the afternoon, he received a call from a man in Israel who desperately needed $2,000 to pay for the Sheva Brachot of his child. The man had tried several different avenues, but nothing had worked, so he turned to this rabbi—a friend in New York—for help. The rabbi said he would see what he could do. Less than five minutes later, the rabbi received a call from one of his congregants, who just wanted to share a quick story. As the congregant was backing out of his driveway, he noticed a little dog in his rear-view camera. When the dog didn't move, he got out of the car, and the dog ran in fear to the man's backyard. The man went about his errands, and on the way back, he saw a large sign that read "Missing Dog." It looked like the same dog he had seen earlier. He called the number on the sign and told the couple on the line that he believed their dog was in his backyard. They told him the dog had been missing since Friday—two days—and they were absolutely worried sick. They immediately drove to his house, and when they saw the dog, they were elated. They thanked the man profusely and handed him $2,000 in cash—the reward they had promised for the dog's return. The man accepted the money and then called his rabbi, saying he wanted to donate it to a worthy cause. The rabbi told him about the phone call he had just received five minutes earlier, and the congregant was happy to donate it for that purpose. The rabbi then called his friend in Israel and told him the amazing news: the money had just come in and he related the story of how it happened. The friend was overwhelmed and said, "Wow. Hashem is amazing. Look what He did for me." He added, "When I was thinking about how to get the $2,000, Hashem made someone's dog run away—across the world. Then He brought that dog to the house of a congregant of the rabbi I was going to call. And not just any congregant—a man who would want to donate the money and would immediately call his rabbi." Hashem can support us in infinite ways. Our job is to trust Him and to know that our parnasa comes from Him—and only Him.

The pasuk in this week's parsha states: " ויקרא אל משה וידבר ה' אליו מאהל מועד לאמר " - Hashem called to Moshe, and then Moshe entered to speak with Him. At the end of Parashat Pekudei, it says that Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Mo'ed because the cloud of Hashem had descended upon it. However, in Parashat Mishpatim, it states that Moshe entered the cloud of Hashem at Har Sinai, which seems to indicate that he was able to enter. The Ohr HaChaim explains that in that instance, it first says " ויקרא אל משה " , meaning Hashem called Moshe in first. A person cannot simply enter a place where the Shechina resides. However, if Hashem calls the person in, then it becomes possible. That is why Parashat Vayikra begins with Hashem calling Moshe to enter the Ohel Mo'ed. What did Moshe do to merit this calling? The Shevet Mussar explains that Moshe did not contribute any donations toward the Mishkan, even though he was in charge of its construction. Specifically because he did not contribute, Moshe was chosen for this role—so that no one could ever claim personal credit for building Hashem's house. The Midrash states that the phrase " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " appears 18 times regarding the Mishkan. It gives a parable of a king who commanded his servant to build him a palace. On each part that the servant built, he wrote the name of the king—on the walls, on the pillars, on every detail of the palace. When the king entered and saw his name everywhere, he said: "My servant has honored me so much, and yet I am inside while he remains outside." Immediately, the king called his servant to enter the palace. Similarly, when Hashem instructed Moshe to construct the Mishkan, Moshe "wrote" on everything " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " . Hashem saw that Moshe had given Him all the honor, while he himself remained outside. In response, Hashem called Moshe inside. The phrase " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " reflects Moshe's complete self-nullification. He did not take any credit for his role; rather, he attributed everything to Hashem. Even though Moshe did not physically build the Mishkan, he stood by the workers, reminding them that their strength and talent came from Hashem. He even reminded Betzalel, despite his wisdom, not to lose focus and to recognize that all his abilities were granted by Hashem. The one who did not physically labor was the one invited in—because he gave Hashem the most honor. Humility, in which a person attributes everything to Hashem, brings Hashem honor. In turn, Hashem honors that person. The letter Aleph in Vayikra is small. The Gemara explains that in Moshe's humility, he wanted it to appear as Vayikar (without the Aleph ), implying that Hashem " ויקר -happened" to appear to him, rather than explicitly calling him. He wrote the Aleph small so it would not seem as though he was exceptionally deserving. In the end, Hashem used the extra ink from the small Aleph to make Moshe's face shine. Moshe's name is absent from the Haggadah because Yetziat Mitzrayim was meant to teach for all generations that Hashem alone controls the world. One of the reasons Moshe was chosen as the leader was because he was willing to remove himself from the story and give all credit to Hashem. His humility allowed him to gain immeasurably. Each day, we have the opportunity to serve Hashem in this way. The more we attribute everything we have and do to HaKadosh Baruch Hu , the more He rests His presence upon us. If we internalize that all success comes solely from Him, we truly honor Hashem—and in that merit, may He call us closer to Him. We all desire closeness with Hashem. The path to achieving it is through humility—by recognizing that everything we have and everything we accomplish is entirely from Him. Shabbat Shalom.

A man told me he hasn't been able to sleep in four nights since the tragedy occurred this past Shabbat. He thinks about it day and night, and so many questions come to his mind. He can't fathom such a thing could have happened. First and foremost, we must use our feelings as a springboard to value life more and understand how transient and fleeting this world is and how there's nothing more important than our service to Hashem. This is the only thing we bring with us. Regarding our feelings of feeling bad for the people who left the world, we must know every person has a Neshama, and the Neshama never dies. We should not think that our Neshama is something beyond us that we don't have such a connection to. We are our Neshama, our thoughts, our emotions, everything about us comes from our Neshama. The body is not what gives us life. It is just the casing that surrounds us. When a person passes on, the only change that occurs is that the person sheds his case. The person is still alive. He still has the same thoughts. He has the same feelings. He moves on and lives in another location, a place that is far better than the world that we live in. When the soul leaves the body, that is when life truly begins. And for a person who did his job properly in this world, and all the more so pure, innocent children, their journey to Gan Eden is the most beautiful experience. From the first moment, they are privileged to see the radiance of Hashem's She c hina , and Hashem does not leave them. He escorts them to their luxurious abode in Gan Eden, and their relatives and friends who have moved on to Gan Eden come out to greet them. The Neshama has the semblance of our physical bodies. That is why when someone sees a relative in a dream, the relative appears the same way that he did down here. This world is such a small part of our existence. The next world is what lasts forever. When a baby is in the mother's womb, it can't imagine that there's life beyond the womb, but little does it know, when it comes out, there's a whole world in front of it. The same is true of the next world. We can't imagine another world out there, but there is one far better than this world in every possible way. Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Sher was already in Israel when the Holocaust began. He eventually found out that his only son was amongst those who died Al Kidush Hashem back in Europe. When he found out, he gathered all his students together to give them chiz uk for the atrocities that were going on. Most of his students also lost many of their relatives. The rabbi began in a calm and peaceful tone. He started by saying a blessing for the bad tidings the same way he would on good tidings. And then he began describing to the students the delights and beauties that are awaiting in the world of truth. He said, "Imagine I was told that my son is in the upper story of my house right now, and he is filled with all the goodness that can possibly be experienced. Anything he wants, he could have. He is in a place of bliss and tranquility. The only issue is that the door to get in is locked, so I can't get in. Wouldn't I still be so happy for my son? This is the way we should feel about all our relatives. They are in the highest places in Gan Eden, enjoying with Hashem." When someone goes to Gan Eden, we don't have to feel bad for them. They have everything. It is us back here who are going to miss them. There is so much out there that we can't see. Hashem puts every person where they need to be for exactly how long they need to be there. One of the expressions that we use to comfort the mourners is hamakom yenahem etchem . The Sefat Emmet asks, why do we use the word etchem in plural? Even if there's only one mourner, we say etchem or tena c hamu min ha shamayim . We use the plural form of the word you. He answers, the phrase is meant to comfort not only the mourner, but the soul that departed. Because when the soul sees the mourners crying, he wants to tell them, "Don't feel bad. I'm right here, I'm fine. It's so much better for me now. You don't understand." Hashem does not allow the mourners to see the neshama , however. So the neshama feels bad for the mourners. When a visitor comes to the mourner, he brings consolation to the neshama as well, because the visitor is doing what the neshama wants to do, cheer up the mourner. And that is why we say hamakom yenahem etchem . May Hashem comfort you in plural, both the mourners as well as the souls that have departed. One should never think that if someone lives for a short amount of time and accomplishes, he would have accomplished more had he been given more time. The midrash tells us, Moshe Rabbeinu lived 120 years, leading the Jewish people in the desert for 40 years, bringing down the Torah to Am Yisrae from Shamayim . Shemuel Hanavi , however, lived for just 52 years. He served the people and carried their burdens while he was the leader. And the pasuk in Tehillim in Perekh 99 equates Moshe and Shemuel. And from here, our rabbis learn, it's not about the amount of time a person has. If the person did what he was supposed to do in the amount of time that Hashem has given him, he will gain the full reward in the next world. If someone is taken at a young age, the family and friends are going to miss him, but they should never feel bad that they are missing out. The ones who left the world don't care to be missing out on anything here. They are in a much better place. May Hashem console the mourners and may all of us become inspired to improve our ways and get closer to Hashem.

If, lo alenu, a tragedy occurs and everyone who hears about it thinks "How could such a thing happen? The people affected are so righteous. How could they be suffering like this now? Isn't Hashem merciful? How could all of this suffering be considered mercy?" This is one of the most difficult questions in emunah to deal with. Emunah means to believe, even though we don't comprehend. We never change our emunah because of something that appears to contradict it. The Rambam wrote, in his Igeret Mussar, to his son, "כאשר תמצאו כתוב עמוק ומאמר נבוך – if you ever come upon something written that is very deep and obscure, whether it's something in the Torah, Nevi'im or Sifreh Chachamim – אשר לא תבינוהו – which is not understandable – ונראה כסותר פינות התורה – and it appears to be contradicting fundamental principles of Torah – אל תזוז מאמונתכם – do not budge from your emunah – עמדו בחזקתכם – hold on to what you have been accustomed to believe – והפחיתות ההוא חשבוהו בכם – and the fact that you don't understand what it's saying is just a result of your human deficiency – הניחוהו בקרן זוית – put it on the side for now and don't change your emunah because of a question." This is how we are supposed to think. If something happens in the world that doesn't seem to conform to what we know about Hashem. In the future, Hashem is going to give a big class on everything that ever took place in this world and, at that time, everything will make perfect sense, and we will see clearly how merciful and righteous Hashem always was. Now is when we have the opportunity to believe even if we can't see it. There is so much out there that we can't comprehend – Gan Eden, Olam Haba. When a tzaddik leaves the world, he has the most wonderful experience moving on to a much better place. We don't see what's going on on the other side. A Rabbi was once speaking to an audience about tragedy and he spoke about the real purpose of life and this world, namely to earn the merit to enjoy with Hashem for all of eternity. After the class, a young widow approached and said, "I believe everything you said, Rabbi, and I know my husband couldn't be happier now where he is in the Olam HaEmet. But what about me? How am I supposed to go on, raising little children by myself? The pain I'm going through is too great to bear. I can't imagine being able to live another day like this." The Rabbi felt this young woman's pain and tried to empathize. He then said he knows a man personally who experienced a similar tragedy and lost his young wife suddenly. He was left with little children to take care of all by himself. At that time he was saying the same words: He can't imagine to go on in the position he's in. How could he continue with the pain? How could he possibly raise those children without his wife? About a year later, this man got up to speak in front of hundreds of people at an Azkara for his wife. He said there, he wants to publically give hakarat hatov to Hashem for the help He has provided him with during that first difficult year. He said although he was not able to work that much because he was tending to his children, he had one of the best years financially that he ever had. He thought that the day to day life was going to be impossible, but he said Hashem gave him strength to persevere. Baruch Hashem his children are happy and well taken care of. And he has received an outpouring of love from so many friends and relatives. Even during the darkest times, when it is so hard to see Hashem, He is there holding a person's hand every step of the way, kavayachol saying, "I wish you could understand why this had to happen. One day you will, but for now, don't worry, I will be here for you. I will give you the strength that you never thought you could have." In this world, our emunah is tested, but if we hold on tight and trust in Hashem we will reap the greatest rewards.

The tragedy that has just struck our community has affected the entire Klal Yisrael. On Shabbat Kodesh, Erev Rosh Chodesh Nisan, our world was shaken. Three holy nishamot ascended to Gan Eden Ha'Elyon as korbanot olat . נסתרים דרכי ה . The ways of HaShem are beyond us. From our vantage point, we see tragedy, we see pain and suffering, and we see difficult days ahead. In shamayim , there's a completely different picture, one in which we are not privy to see. The Navi tells us, the day will come when בלע המות לנצח ומחה ה' אלקים דמעה מעל כל פנים , death will cease and HaShem will wipe away all of our tears. The Gemara says this means that HaShem , with all of His splendor and glory, will personally console every individual for all of the tragedies and hardships that they had to suffer in this world. At that time, He will explain how it was all done with love and mercy, and then we will be fully consoled. For now, we look toward the Torah for guidance. The Torah tells us that on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, at one of the happiest times in all of history, the inauguration of the Mishkan , two of the greatest tzaddikim of the time were taken. It was a year like this, in that Rosh Chodesh Nisan fell out on the first day of the week. HaShem said, בקרבי אקדש -His name becomes sanctified by taking the ones that are closest to him. We have no concept of what the death of tzaddikim accomplishes. We do know that it elevates the name of HaShem . We do know that it atones for us, and we do know that it brings us closer to the Geula, but there's so much that we don't know. As far as we are concerned, the Torah tells us, וכל בית ישראל יבכו את השרפה , we are to feel the pain of the mourners and cry along with them. We want so badly for them to have consolation. It's hard for us to go through our regular day now without thinking about this tragedy. This is one of our strengths. We share in the burden of our friend's pain. The Gemara says כל המרחם על הבריות מרחמין עליו מן השמים , simply this means whoever shows compassion to others is treated compassionately by HaShem . The Rishner Rebbe, however, explained this line a little differently. When a person deals compassionately with his friend in pain, then HaShem gives extra compassion to that person in pain. By sharing some of his burden, we are able to alleviate his pain. If the ones who left this world would be able to talk to us right now, they would say, we are fine. We have reached the place that we came down to this world to get to . And seeing this world from their vantage point, they would tell us to utilize every moment that we have wisely and to resolve to improve in our service of HaShem . If we don't feel like doing something in the physical realms now because of the tragedy, that's okay. But we should not let this cause us to refrain from doing anything spiritually. If we make any improvement whatsoever in our service of HaShem , we will be directly benefiting the three holy souls, because they will be rewarded for whatever we do, because they have caused it. They would also tell us to please strengthen yourselves, to please utilize your time in this world to do what's important. Strengthen your marriages, be a better parent, be a better friend, make Shalom. Don't let petty things bother you. If we can commit to being stronger in our service of HaShem , we will not only be benefiting the Niftarim , we'll be benefiting the family left back as well. Now is the time of year that is the most auspicious for Geula. If the Jewish people at large become awakened to improve in their service of HaShem , be'ezrat Hashem this will be the last thing that we need for the M a sia c h to come . May HaShem console the mourners and console all of us, and may the family be reunited speedily with the coming of the M a sia c h soon. Amen.

Living Emunah 2738 Parashat Pekudei: No Matter What In the beginning of parashat Pekudei, the Torah calls the Mishkan, the Mishkan of testimony. One of the things it testified to was Hashem's great love for us. The Mefarshim are bothered why the Torah repeats so much about the Mishkan in parashiyot Vayakhel and Pekudei, after they were already mentioned in Terumah Tetzaveh. Some explain the Jewish people were commanded to build a house for Hashem before they did the Chet Haegel. After they committed that grievous sin, they felt so distanced from Hashem and feared they would never be able to bring His presence down to dwell amongst them. However, after they made Teshuva, Hashem told Moshe to tell the Jewish people that He wants the exact same Mishkan built with every detail and that He was going to dwell with them. And that is why the details are repeated after the Chet Haegel. We see from here that no matter what a Jew does, Hashem always wants him back. We should never feel that because of our sins that Hashem doesn't want us. All we have to do is say that we are sorry and Hashem will be waiting with open arms, kavyachol, to bring us closer. Rabbi Snir Gueta told a story about a young woman named Shlomit. After years of waiting for a child, her parents were blessed with her birth. Tragically, a few years later, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving her father to raise her alone. He tried his best to connect to his daughter and give her all the love and attention that he could. As she grew during her teenage years, she began drifting from the religious path that he was trying so hard to keep her on. As she got older, she drifted further until she was constantly arguing with her father about religion. She told him outright she was not interested in being religious. Her father kept telling her that he promised her mother that he would raise her to be a true Bat Yisrael, but she wouldn't change. One day she told her father she was leaving home and moving to India. Her father yelled at her, saying that she was being so insensitive, ignoring his request and leaving him all alone. She apologized for leaving him, but said she was going no matter what. Her father, in a moment of desperation, said to her, "If you leave, you are not welcome back. I will never forgive you for this." Her friends were waiting outside, and she left. She was in India for three years. At that time, one of her friends from Israel traveled there, and when she saw her, she hugged her, telling her how much she missed her. And then she gave her her condolences over the death of her father. Shlomit couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea that her father passed away. She began crying uncontrollably, regretting the nonsense that she had been involved in over the past three years, completely abandoning her father and Hashem. She took the next flight back to Israel, and went straight to the cemetery, searching for her father's grave. When she finally found it, she sat there, crying, begging for him to forgive her. She said, "Please, Abba, I made the worst mistake. I will come back to Hashem now. All I want is for you to forgive me." She then went to the Kotel. She stood right by the mechitza between the men and women, and pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a note to Hashem, asking Him to please show her if her father forgave her for what she did. She put the note in the wall, and it immediately fell out. There was no room in any hole there for her note. She saw by the edge of the mechitza, in the men's section, an opening, and she put it there. When she put it down, another note fell out. She picked it up, and saw the name Shlomit bat Chana. She opened it, and began to read, and started to tremble. It said, "Borei olam, my daughter is in India, please bring her back to Teshuva. Her name is Shlomit Bat Chana. If I could talk to her right now, I would tell her that I forgive her for everything. All I want is for her to come back to You, Hashem." Shlomit broke out in tears, and thanked Hashem, and fully came back to Torah and Mitzvot. A human father is willing to take his daughter back, no matter what she does. All the more so, Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants every one of His children back, no matter what they have done. Hashem loves and wants every Jew close to Him. All we have to do is be sincere. Shabbat Shalom.

A man asked the following question: He is leaving a job that he had for many years and now has two potential job offers. One is close to his home and will earn him enough to cover his expenses, but there is no potential to earn more through commissions. The second job is an hour drive from his home, which will require more hours of work and is a more difficult job. It will give him the same salary, but has potential for more income based on commission. He wanted to take the local job, but his wife is wondering, perhaps, if he is supposed to make more money, he will now be limiting himself by accepting the job that pays less. The Chovot Halevavot in the Shaar Habitachon (chap. 4) deals with this question. He says, when it comes to parnasa, a person should work with the goal of doing enough just to cover his basic requirements in this world. If Hashem determines that a person should be wealthy, he will earn that wealth without having to invest any additional effort. And if he is not destined to be wealthy, even if everyone in the entire world, both in the heavens and the earth, all the angels and human beings would try to help him and add to what he is getting, they would not succeed. This can be understood in light of what the Chovot Halevavot teaches us in the previous chapter. There he explains the rationale of why Hashem wants us to make hishtadlut in the first place. One reason is because in the process of earning a livelihood, there are numerous tests to overcome and by a person staying faithful to Hashem throughout the process, he will earn immense reward in the Next World. The second reason is because if a person would have too much free time, it would lead to sin. The conventional thinking is that we need to work to earn money. Chovot Halevavot is teaching us Hashem doesn't need our efforts to give us money. He has a completely different set of reasons for why we go to work. This means that Hashem required us to make a certain effort to earn a livelihood and once we've done that, He will give us exactly what we are destined to earn. The effort required is just to earn the bare minimum to get by, and therefore, regarding the current question, it is obvious that the man should take the closer job. His goal is to use the extra time to learn Torah and grow spiritually. Since the job will cover his basic expenses, it's a sufficient hishtadlut. He will earn every penny that Hashem decrees for him to have. If it is more than the employer is currently offering him, it will come another way, or the employer will give him a raise. Hashem has infinite ways of giving a person parnasa. If someone is working harder than he needs to earn the bare minimum and is making a lot of money, he may feel that it is his extra hard work that is paying off. Chovot HaLevavot compares him to a man who was walking in the desert and overcome by thirst. He found a pit with murky water and drank as much as he could. When he traveled a bit further afterward, he found a spring with pure sweet water. When he discovered that spring, he felt bad that he already filled himself to capacity with the disgusting water. If he would have just waited a little longer, he would have been able to enjoy the clear water instead. It is the same with the man who works overtime and earns a lot of money. If he would have worked less and put in more time for Torah, Mitzvot and his family instead, he still would have earned the same amount. Only it would have come without all of that additional effort. Our hishtadlut is not what produces our money. We do hishtadlut because Hashem tells us to. And when we fulfill His requirement, then He will give us exactly what we're meant to have.

On the night before Yetziat Mitzrayim , when Hashem struck the Egyptian firstborns, the Jewish people were commanded to remain inside their homes until morning. Rashi explains that Chazal teach in Masechet Bava Kama : " - מאחר שניתנה רשות למשחית לחבל אינו מבחין בין צדיק לרשע - Once the destroying angel is given permission to destroy, he no longer distinguishes between a tzaddik and a rasha ." Since the angel had permission that night, the Jewish people were instructed to stay indoors and out of harm's way. At first glance, this seems troubling. Does it mean that even a tzaddik can be harmed, despite his righteousness? How do we reconcile this with Avraham Avinu's plea when he heard that Hashem planned to destroy Sedom ? He said, "Far be it from You to kill the righteous along with the wicked!"—suggesting that Hashem would never allow a tzaddik to suffer unjustly. The Emek Beracha writes further that a tzaddik even has the power to repel the destroying angel, as we see with Aharon Hakohen and Pinchas , who halted plagues through their actions. In the beginning of Parashat Vaera, the pasuk says, וידבר אלוקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני ה '. Hashem used His name of judgment and mercy in the very same pasuk. The Ohr Hachayim there explains, Hashem was telling Moshe, While I was dealing with the Egyptians with harsh judgement, simultaneously I was granting mercy to the Jews, even though they were mixed in with each other. Even though the destroying angel was given permission to destroy, Hashem still had mercy on the Jews. The Rambam teaches that as long as a tzaddik maintains a deep connection to Hashem in his thoughts, he remains untouchable. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat states, "There is no death without sin and no affliction without transgression." There is never a moment that everything is not being completely controlled by Hashem. A destroying angel is just another one of Hashem's millions of agents carrying out His will. The Alsheich strengthens this point based on the pasuk that states Hashem stands amidst the judges when they are judging a court case. A judge must be fully aware of Hashem's presence so that He does not sway the judgment by even one iota. The Gemara says a judge should feel like the gates of Gehinom are open beneath him and as if there is a sharp sword stretched out against him if he purposely judges a case wrongfully. Look how much Hashem cares about the right judgment being done. He doesn't want someone who doesn't owe money to pay. He doesn't want someone who doesn't deserve a penalty to receive it, whether it's lashes or worse. Then how could it possibly be that He would allow a Tzaddik to suffer or a destroying angel not to be מבחין בין צדיק לרשע if he doesn't deserve it? The Alsheich explains, when Chazal said the angel doesn't distinguish, refers to when Hashem sends the angel of death to take the lives of people who are committing the worst of averot. That becomes a time of Din. At that time the angel is given permission to see everyone's sins illuminated on their foreheads. If a tzaddik has a sin that is fitting to be punished in a similar manner, then the tzaddik will be taken as well. Normally, Hashem, in His infinite mercy, gives people years to make teshuva. Someone could even be given decades before he is punished for a sin in the hope that he will repent and not need to be punished. However, if there is a time of divine decree, then the sins of the tzaddik will be brought to light. However, if the tzaddik does not deserve to be punished, the destroying angel will have no power over him. And if he is a tzaddik gamur , he will even repel the angel. The bottom line is we are always under the hashgacha of Hashem. No person or angel ever has any power of its own. Therefore, we can be calm knowing that we are always only in the hands of Hashem.

We say everyday in Pesukei DeZimra , " אהללה ה' בחיי . The Ketav Sofer explains that this means we should praise Hashem simply for the gift of life itself. " אזמרה לאלוקי בעודי "—I will sing to Hashem for all the extras He gives me. When we truly recognize our blessings, we will not only praise Hashem, but we will sing to Him with joy. There are so many potential dangers in the world, and Hashem, who is the Shomer Yisrael, is constantly watching over us. We have no idea about how much Hashem protects us, but we do know that He does, and we must thank Him for that, too. A rabbi shared how his wife went for a routine checkup. Since she was over 50, the doctor recommended a colonoscopy. She delayed the appointment several times until, one day, she received a message asking if she wanted a Cologuard test kit, which allows for an at-home screening. She agreed, and days later, two kits arrived instead of one—an apparent mistake. Since they had an extra, she told her husband to take one as well. They both sent in their samples, and the doctor informed her husband that his results were positive, requiring further examination. Although he had no plans to undergo a colonoscopy, he now had no choice. During the procedure, they removed polyps and discovered additional growths requiring surgery. Everything moved quickly from that point. They were able to get appointments due to last-minute cancellations. On the day of the surgery, the doctor informed him that if the growth was too close to the rectum, they would not be able to reconnect it, and he would have to wear a bag for the rest of his life. Baruch Hashem , the surgery was a success. It took an hour and a half longer than expected, but they removed everything, and he would not need a bag. The rabbi sang the praises of Hashem. He had no idea how much danger he was in, yet Hashem sent him exactly what he needed—through the mail—to save his life. Only Hashem knows the dangers people face and He has infinite ways of protecting them. Rabbi Binyamin Pruzansky shared a powerful story that took place last year on Erev Pesach in the Geula neighborhood of Yerushalayim. Rabbi Zev, a talmid chacham , went to Shacharit after spending nearly the entire night preparing for Pesach . He was scheduled to make a siyum for the firstborns at his shul . After tefilla , everyone gathered for the siyum . He was finishing Massechet Baba Kama. He went to the sefarim shelf to pull off a Hebrew Artscroll gemara to finish the masechet with. This masechet is divided up into three volumes in the Artscroll Shas. He opened the Gemara and began reading out loud. It was then that he realized he pulled out the wrong volume. The waiting men shifted impatiently as the rabbi went back to the sefarim shelf and pulled out a different volume. When he turned to the end of that massechet, he saw again it was the wrong volume. How could I make such a fool of myself twice? He silently rebuked himself. I must be much more tired than I even realized. Finally, on the third attempt, Rabbi Zev got it right. He read the last few lines and made the siyum. As the men began eating the celebratory cake, the door of the shul suddenly burst open. A man ran inside, announcing that there had just been a terror attack. Two terrorists had driven down the street trying to ram pedestrians. When they saw no one outside, they got out of their car and began shooting. Miraculously, their gun jammed, and no one was harmed. The people in the Beit Midrash realized that had Rabbi Zev pulled out the correct Gemara on his first attempt, they would have finished earlier and been outside at the very moment of the attack. We have no idea how much Hashem protects us every single day. It is our responsibility to thank and praise Him for the life that He gives us.

When a person is going through a difficult time, or if he experienced an embarrassing situation and is feeling a great deal of pain as a result. He thinks about it day and night and can't concentrate fully on anything else he tries to accomplish. He tries again and again to put it out of his mind but to no avail. One of the ways in which he can feel better about what happened is by internalizing that it came from Hashem. Although a person may have been learning emunah for years and has learned countless times that everything comes from Hashem, when it comes time to actually apply it, it is not so simple. Being that the circumstances which brought about the difficulty usually seem so natural, it's hard for a person to feel Hashem's hand behind it, especially when it seems like other people are the cause of their problem. However, just because a person's initial reactions are not like the greats of all time, it doesn't mean they can't achieve the level of emunah they hoped they would have had. All it means is they need an extra boost to get there. Whether it is listening to a few classes on emunah or reading a book on emunah, or speaking to other people about what happened, or just internally convincing themselves of the real truth, with a little extra effort, they will be amazed at the results. It is never all or nothing. Sometimes, just a little emunah will take the edge off and that will accomplish so much for the person. The more effort we put into it, the better the results will be. Rabbi Pinchas Shafer related a story that a man told about himself. The man said, he has a friend of many years whom he trusted and with whom he shared things that he would not tell just anyone. One day, that friend took advantage of their closeness in order to insult him terribly. The pain he experienced was unimaginable. It hurt him so much, he literally did not know what to do with himself. The negative emotions overwhelmed him. He tried to think it through logically and find some points in his friend's favor, but he was so distressed he was unable to do that. He decided he needed to work on his emunah so he called a hashgacha peratit hot-line and listened to a song with the words from the first Ani Maamin – "I believe with complete faith that the Creator, yitbarach Shemo , creates and orchestrates the entire Creation and He alone makes everything happen, as He always did and always will." He listened to this song again and again, dozens of times, until he finally felt calm and it was clear as day to him that this friend was just a messenger of Hashem. Once he calmed down, he started thinking about a possible message that Hashem might be telling him. He then recalled that he once hurt someone else with a similar type of insult, thinking he was acting l'shem Shamayim by doing so. But perhaps he was wrong and he needed to get forgiveness from that man. He then thanked Hashem for giving him this thought process. The very next day, in his regular learning, he was up to page 105 in Masechet Yevamot and encountered a story about a Rabbi who mistakenly embarrassed somebody else, thinking he was l'shem Shamayim for doing it. The Gemara , however, said he was wrong and he had to suffer the consequences. This man felt like Hashem was talking directly to him and, baruch Hashem, he was able to get forgiven. Whenever someone is struggling with emotional pain and it is so hard for him to think clearly, with a little extra work in emunah, it will make the situation much easier for him to deal with.

The pasuk in Parashat Vayakhel states that Hashem filled the hearts of Betzalel and Aholiav with wisdom to carry out the intricate work of constructing the Mishkan . Rav Shach asked: Why were these two individuals chosen over anyone else in Klal Yisrael ? He explained that when the people heard Moshe announce Hashem's command to build the Mishkan , no one wanted to take responsibility for such an overwhelming task. It seemed impossible. But Betzalel and Aholiav stepped forward, not because they already possessed the necessary skills, but because they believed in the mission. They understood that "it is not the capable who do, but rather those who do become capable." They wanted to take on the responsibility, and after Moshe appointed them, Hashem filled their hearts with the wisdom they needed to succeed. Their zechut has benefitted Kelal Yisrael for all generations. After David HaMelech killed Goliat, Goliat's brother sought revenge. A man named Elchanan ben Ya'areh struck Goliath's brother down with a weaving tool before he could cause harm. Rashi explains that Elchanan was a descendant of Betzalel, and in the zechut of Betzalel's weaving of the Parochet in the Mishkan , Hashem gave Elchanan the ability to eliminate this threat with the very same type of tool. Another powerful story is told about the father of Rabbi Aholiav Chiyun. He was 90 years old when his son was born. His wife, much younger than him, desperately wanted a child. She went to pray at the kever of Aholiav ben Achisamach in Sidon, and miraculously, they had a son. They named him Aholiav, attributing his birth to the zechut of Aholiav ben Achisamach. At four years old, however, the boy still had not begun to speak. His mother returned to the kever to pray again, bringing her son with her. Before she even finished her tefilla , he opened his mouth and asked her a question. She was so shocked that she nearly fainted. That boy later grew up to become a gadol b'Yisrael and was a chavruta of Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Yeshivat Porat Yosef . Betzalel and Aholiav stepped forward to do Hashem's will, and He gave them the ability to succeed. Their zechut continues forever. When a person is moser nefesh to do what is right, Hashem grants him special siyata dishmaya to accomplish it. Rabbi Goel Elkarif told a story that he heard directly from the person it happened to. Today, this man is a talmid chacham living in Yerushalayim. When he was in shidduchim , he was introduced to a girl with outstanding middot and deep yirat shamayim . However, no one told him that she suffered from a severe stuttering problem. When they met, he immediately noticed the issue. But because of his sterling character, he wasn't going to reject her solely because of it. They continued seeing each other. She was perfect in every way except for her extreme speech difficulty. With great emunah , he decided to move forward and got engaged to her. Amazingly, the day after their engagement, her stuttering disappeared completely and never returned. She had seen doctors, therapists, and specialists, but nothing had ever helped. Yet the moment she was engaged, the problem vanished. This chatan was moser nefesh to do what he believed was Hashem's will, and in return, Hashem gave him the greatest gift. Hashem can help us with anything. Our role is to do His will, and He will take care of the rest. Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Eli Mansour's NEW Book - Maayan Eliyahu on Pesah is here!! (Derashot in English for the upcoming Sedarim) CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER YOUR COPY https://itorahbooks.com/produc ts/maayan-eliyahu-pesach- hardcover?mc_cid=08f9dc045e& mc_eid=f5807e4c64 Every Jew has a neshama that is literally a part of Hashem. No matter how distant a person may seem from religion, he will always have an inner connection to Hashem—because that is his essence. Deep down, every Jew has emunah ; sometimes, it just needs to be brought out. A man once shared that he was at a hotel for Pesach , and early one Chol HaMoed morning, he went to the breakfast room to prepare a bottle for his daughter. A waiter approached him and asked for a d'var Torah . It seemed like an unusual request, as the waiter did not look Jewish. After sharing a Torah thought, the man was shocked when the waiter revealed that his mother was Jewish—but he was about to marry a non-Jewish woman. Recognizing the significance of the moment, the man introduced him to the rabbi at the hotel, who spoke to him at length, trying to convince him to reconsider. Amazingly, four years later, this man is now fully religious and engaged to a bat Yisrael . The neshama of a Jew yearns for a relationship with Hashem, even if it may not seem that way on the surface. A rabbi from Arachim , a well-known outreach organization, shared a similar story: Many years ago, he was on a flight from New York to Israel. Sitting next to him was a man named David, who took a sleeping pill the moment the flight began. Something about David seemed familiar, but the rabbi couldn't place where he knew him from. Five hours later, David woke up, and the rabbi tried to start a conversation. David immediately shut him down. " I'm not interested in religion. I don't want to discuss it. " He mentioned that he had gone to yeshiva as a child but had since left religion entirely. It was then that the rabbi realized—David had attended the same yeshivah as he had! Curious, the rabbi asked him why he had abandoned Judaism. David explained, "At first, I felt lonely in yeshivah and realized I wasn't going to become anything special there. Slowly, I started becoming angry—first with the people, then with the religion. And now, I don't even believe in Hashem anymore." The rabbi asked if he could share just one story. David agreed. The rabbi told him about an event that had been recorded by Simcha Raz, the author of Ish Tzadik Hayah , about Rabbi Aryeh Levine. Simcha Raz was once invited to a gathering of dignitaries, where some of Israel's top military officials were present. He was the only one in the room wearing a kippah , and some people began challenging him about his belief in Hashem. He asked them, "When you go into battle, do you have a plan, or do you just wing it?" A general replied, "Of course, we have a plan! We also have a Plan B in case Plan A doesn't work. And we even have a Plan C in case Plan B fails." Simcha Raz then said, "I see that you don't believe in Hashem. But what if you're wrong? What if, after 120 years, you are banished from Olam Haba? Shouldn't you at least have a Plan B—just in case?" The general responded, " You only need a Plan B when there is a doubt about Plan A. But I have no doubt that religion is false. In fact, to prove it, I'll even write you a contract right now, signing over my Olam Haba to you." And so they did. The general wrote up a contract, signed it, and handed it over to Simcha Raz. Two days later, the general's son showed up at Simcha Raz's house, pleading for the contract back. At first, Simcha refused. He told the boy to come back in a few days. Then, he asked his rabbi what to do. His rabbi advised him to return the contract. When the son came back two days later, begging once more, Simcha gave it to him. The boy then revealed, "My father doesn't want to take the risk. He decided to follow your advice and have a Plan B." The rabbi then told David, "You see every Jew deep down feels the truth. Maybe you should second guess your decision about leaving Hashem." David remained silent, and that was the last they spoke on the plane. But recently, the rabbi attended an Arachim seminar—and saw David there, wearing a kippah . David told him, "When I saw all the hostages who weren't religious before saying that what kept them going was their tefillot, their Tehillim, and their connection to Hashem, I realized—I don't want to take the risk. Maybe it's real." Every Jew has a spark inside of him, yearning to be close to Hashem. If we ever have the opportunity to help someone who has strayed, we must remember—deep down, they want it. They just need the right words to bring it out.

During this month of Adar , we are meant to increase our happiness—a joy that stems from true emunah in Hashem. By studying the miracles of Purim and Pesach , we gain chizuk and learn to appreciate how fortunate we are to have Hashem guiding us at all times. When salvation came in both instances, it arrived כהרף עין —in the blink of an eye. ונהפוך הוא —in Purim the Jewish people went from mourning to celebration on the very same day. Yetzias Mitzrayim was done b'chipazon —they were rushed out of Mitzrayim , triumphantly marching to freedom. Both salvations were planned years in advance. In Purim , Hashem was מקדים רפואה למכה —He prepared the salvation even before the decree was issued. And in Mitzrayim , the night of Yetzias Mitzrayim is called ליל שמורים —a night Hashem had planned and anticipated for years. Whatever challenge a person finds himself in, he must recognize that salvation is already there—he is simply asking Hashem to reveal it to him. A woman shared that this past September, her husband started losing his hair due to alopecia. At first, they had no idea what was happening as patches of hair were randomly falling out. After seeing multiple doctors and doing extensive blood work, they were told that he had a severe case of alopecia—and there was little they could do to stop it. Her husband was a young man with a full head of hair—his identity, in a way. The diagnosis was devastating, and they struggled to cope. Soon after, he developed an inflammation, and the hair loss became even more extreme. There was one medicine that might have worked, but it would have compromised his immune system and made him highly susceptible to illnesses. After consulting with rabbanim, they decided it was too dangerous to take. The doctors prescribed a cream for his face, which they doubted would work, but they suggested he try growing a beard with it. "Please don't get your hopes up," they cautioned. From that day on, he and his wife grew in many areas of avodat Hashem , strengthening their commitment to Torah and mitzvot . Baruch Hashem , a few months later, he grew a full beard. Overjoyed, his wife told their rebbetzin about the miracle and asked what she could do to express her gratitude to Hashem. She suggested doing the mitzva of covering her hair. After much internal debate, she made the decision to do it. When they returned to the doctor, he was stunned. "Never in my career have I seen such improvement and recovery without any real medication," he told them. He then put her husband on a very light medication and said he expected a full regrowth within three to six months, b'ezrat Hashem . They went from hearing "there's no chance" to "we have never seen such a recovery." That is Yeshuat Hashem k'heref ayin . A rabbi shared another story: His daughter and son-in-law recently bought a home, using every last dollar they had to purchase it. It was a bargain they couldn't pass up, but it left them struggling with daily expenses. They knew they would be able to get back on their feet, but it would take at least a month until their next paychecks arrived. That Friday, their car broke down. They had no idea how they would afford the repairs. When the mechanic called, he said the car was ready and everything was fine—the total cost was just $100. As she opened the car door, she noticed an envelope on the passenger seat with the words Chag Sameach—Love, Dad written on it. She opened it and found $500 in cash. Confused, she called her father to ask about it. He replied, "There's no chag now—I didn't leave that envelope there." Then he recalled that he had given her an envelope last Pesach . She must have misplaced it in the car, where it had ended up in the glove compartment. The mechanic, while fixing the car, had emptied the glove compartment and unknowingly placed the envelope where she would find it. Hashem had set aside that money for her a year before—waiting for the moment she would need it most. When the time was right, Hashem caused the car to break down so the money would be revealed. Hashem has what we need waiting for us. We just need to pray to Him to expose it.

Usually, the way the world works is that events in the physical realm are influenced by our spiritual actions. We are all on a mission in this world, and Hashem ensures that we have the opportunity to fulfill it. Most of the time, the reasons behind what happens to us are hidden. There are endless calculations behind every event, and we can never fully comprehend them. However, sometimes Hashem sends us clear messages, guiding us toward what we need to improve. I read of two such stories, told firsthand by the people who experienced them, in a Hashgacha Pratit bulletin. The first was shared by a man we'll call Ralph. One night, about five years ago, Ralph was driving home from the grocery store, feeling good about his financial success. He had a great job, was making good money, and could buy whatever he wanted. As he was putting away the groceries, he noticed a mouse in his house. He told his wife, and they both became nervous. The next day, they set traps, but they didn't work. They tried poison, but that didn't help either. Over time, the mice multiplied, until it felt like they were everywhere. They called an exterminator, but even he couldn't solve the problem. This went on for nearly a month, and they were beside themselves. One day, Ralph bumped into his religious neighbor. They usually didn't converse, but this time, the neighbor asked how he was doing. Ralph shared his frustration about the mice problem. The neighbor suggested that he come speak with his rabbi. Ralph wasn't sure how a rabbi could help with mice, but at that point, he was willing to try anything. When they walked into the shul , the rabbi was just finishing a shiur . Amazingly, he was quoting a Gemara about a Rabbi who had once visited a city plagued by mice. The residents asked him what to do, and he told them the mice were devouring their crops because they weren't properly taking ma'aser . After the shiur , the neighbor introduced Ralph to the rabbi and told him about the mice. The rabbi asked Ralph if he was giving ma'aser from his earnings. Ralph admitted that he didn't feel the need to share his hard-earned money with anyone. The rabbi then gave him a short lesson on the importance of tzedaka and told him that, to start, he should give 20% of his next paycheck. That night, the mice problem was worse than ever. The next day, Ralph made a firm commitment to give 20% of his upcoming paycheck to tzedaka . When he came home that evening, he saw five dead mice lying on his living room floor. The infestation stopped entirely—and never returned. The second story was shared by a man we'll call Shimon. One morning, Shimon woke up and felt that his lips were swollen. When he looked in the mirror, the swelling was even worse than it felt. He went to the doctor, and as soon as the doctor saw him, his eyes widened. He said he had never seen anything like it before. The doctor prescribed a few creams, but when Shimon went to pick them up, the pharmacist told him he highly doubted they would help. Feeling desperate, Shimon called a different doctor and scheduled another appointment. When he came home, he told his wife what had happened. She looked at him and pointed out that his left hand was also swollen. When Shimon looked down, he saw that his hand had become extremely inflamed. His wife hesitated but then carefully shared her thoughts. She said, "Maybe this is connected to something that needs improvement. I'm not sure, but could it be related to how you sometimes engage in mundane conversations while wearing your tefillin ?" It wasn't easy for her to say this, but Shimon urged her to share her thoughts. Shimon accepted her words. Right then and there, he committed to no longer speaking mundane conversations while wearing tefillin . Amazingly, the next morning, when Shimon woke up, there was no trace of swelling—neither on his lips nor on his hand. Hashem's messages are rarely this obvious. We must remember that everything we do matters. Every action has an effect on our lives. Hashem, in His infinite mercy, only wants to help us accomplish our mission so that we can earn an eternity of pleasure in Olam Haba .

The sefer Ki Ata Imadi writes, a man came over to him one year a few days after Purim with a complaint. He said he had some issues with one of his children and after he learned all about the segulot of the day of Purim, he spent hours in heartfelt tefila , both on Ta'anit Esther and on Purim. He shed tears and begged Hashem to fix the problems with his child. Now, a few days later, he didn't see any change. "If Hashem answers everyone who asks Him on Purim, why wasn't I answered?" he asked. The rabbi thought about it and then told him, "You used the day of Purim properly. You prayed the way you are supposed to. You believed Hashem was going to help. There is no question that you were helped, but that doesn't mean you will necessarily see the results immediately." The rabbi gave him a mashal . When a child tells his father on the night of the Seder, "I'll give you the afikoman for a bicycle," and the father agrees, that doesn't mean the child is going to have a bicycle the next day. The father might feel that waiting a few months until the summer would be more beneficial for his child to have the bike then. The child accomplished on the night of the Seder, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's going to see the immediate results of that accomplishment. So, too, a person's tefillah on Purim for sure accomplished, but that doesn't mean that he'll necessarily see those results right away. The wheels might be in motion, things are happening behind the scenes, we're just not able to see them. There are so many things which happen that we can't see. Whenever we do a mitzvah or learn a word of Torah, so much goes on in the spiritual realms. Our souls become purified and blessings come down from Shamayim . We don't know which blessings stem from which mitzvah. We don't see when those blessings are being produced, but we know mitzvot produce goodness. We trust that Hashem knows how to apply them the way He sees fit. There are individuals with so much emunah. They know when they act l'shem Shamayim Hashem is proud of them and brings blessing to their efforts. They are so confident about it that they are even willing to act upon that emunah. Rabbi Noach Weinberg, z"l , the founder of Aish HaTorah, once met a Jew at the Kotel who was very distanced from Torah and mitzvot. He spoke to him for a while and then he invited him to his home to eat. The young man was very impressed with what the Rabbi was saying and he actually agreed to come learn in his yeshiva for some time. The boy was very smart and quickly advanced in his learning. After two solid weeks there, he told the Rabbi, "Thank you very much, butI have to leave now." The Rabbi asked why, since he was doing so well. The young man said, "I'm a master chess player and I have to go to play in the World Chess Championship that is being held in America." The Rabbi knew once this boy left he was never returning. He felt bad for him, for his neshama , not to mention that he had so much potential. At that moment, Rabbi Weinberg made a tefila to Hashem to please put the words in his mouth that could convince this boy to stay. Then the Rabbi got an idea. He told the boy, "Before you go, let me make you a deal. I will play you one game of chess. If you win the game, I'll pay for your flight to America. But if I win, then you agree to stay here and learn more." The boy happily agreed and shook the Rabbi's hand on it. They sat and played and, astonishingly, the Rabbi beat this world expert in chess. The boy had no choice but to stay and, baruch Hashem, he eventually grew to become a true ben Torah . Some months after that, the boy asked the Rabbi a question. He said, "I agreed to the chess game because I was confident I would beat you, but please tell me, what were you thinking? How could you make a deal like that, knowing how good I was?" The Rabbi replied, "I wanted more than anything for you to continue your growth in Torah and mitzvot and get closer to Hashem. I had no ulterior motives. I was pure. So I prayed to Hashem to help me and I believe that He put that thought in my brain to offer you the chess match. I knew when someone is l'shem Shamayim , Hashem gives them extraordinary help. That having been said, I relied on Hashem to move my fingers and tell me where to put the pieces so I could defeat you. And that's what happened." Hashem helps us all the time. We are not always able to see it clearly. We should never second guess our emunah. Things are happening behind the scenes. Hashem is answering our tefilot and He is leading us in the directions that we need to go in.