Podcasts about Emunah

There are moments in a person's life when Hashem is calling upon him to elevate himself to true greatness. At times, Hashem will give a person an extremely difficult test, one that requires him to summon every ounce of inner strength to withstand it. Some people fail the test and never realize the tremendous potential that lay within them. Others seize the moment, rise to the challenge, and are catapulted to heights they could never have reached otherwise. The sefer Even Sapir brings a powerful story that illustrates this idea. There was a young man, seventeen years old, named Shalom, from Teiman. He was already a budding Torah scholar and was exceptionally handsome. To earn a living, he worked as a spice merchant, going door to door selling his goods. One day, a non-Jewish woman called out to him and asked him to bring in some spices so she could look at them. Shalom stepped just slightly inside, making sure to leave the door wide open. Suddenly, the woman shut the door and told him that her husband was the head of the city. She threatened him that if he did not sin with her immediately, she would have him put to death. In that moment, Shalom was faced with a test similar to that of Yosef HaTzaddik. He asked the woman if he could use the restroom, and she showed him where it was. The apartment was on the third floor of the building. Inside the bathroom, Shalom noticed an open window. He turned to Hashem and said that he would rather jump out of the window than commit the aveirah. He vowed that if he survived, he would make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. He jumped. Miraculously, he landed on his feet, unharmed, and immediately began running. From there, his journey took him through India, Baghdad, and Damascus, until he finally arrived in Yerushalayim. Once there, he went to Rav Gedaliah Chayon, the head of Yeshivat Beit El, the great yeshivah for Kabbalah, and asked if he could serve as the caretaker. He asked for nothing in return other than a roof over his head and food to eat. His thirst for Torah was so great that he wanted nothing more than to hear the holy words of Torah spoken by the great chachamim of the yeshivah. As he cleaned the bet midrash and served the rabbis, he listened carefully to the shiurim and absorbed every word. One day, the rosh yeshivah posed an exceptionally difficult question. None of the rabbis in the beit midrash could answer it. There were scholars there in their sixties and seventies who had devoted their lives to Torah, yet no one could offer a satisfactory response. That night, before the rabbis returned to learn at chatzot, Shalom, the caretaker, took out a pen and began writing a detailed teshuvah to answer the rosh yeshivah's question. He quoted numerous sources and wrote a masterful explanation. He quietly placed the paper inside the rosh yeshivah's sefer and returned to his work. When the rosh yeshivah opened his sefer to begin his shiur, he was astonished. After reading the teshuvah, he asked who among them had written it. No one answered. He said that such writing could only have come from a sage of earlier generations—perhaps even from Eliyahu HaNavi. A week later, the same thing happened again. Another brilliant teshuvah appeared. Again, no one claimed authorship. The entire yeshivah buzzed with speculation about the mysterious Torah giant in their midst. The rosh yeshivah lived across from the yeshivah, and his daughter, aware of her father's deep curiosity, began watching the bet midrash late at night. One evening, she saw Shalom, the caretaker, writing a teshuvah. She told her father what she had seen. Rav Gedaliah approached Shalom and demanded the truth. Shalom admitted that he was the one writing the teshuvot. The rosh yeshivah was stunned that someone so young possessed such mastery, especially in the hidden wisdom of Torah. Although Shalom tried to conceal his greatness, it was now revealed. He eventually married the rosh yeshivah's daughter, and when Rav Gedaliah passed away, he appointed Shalom as the new rosh yeshivah—at the age of twenty-seven. This Shalom was none other than Rav Shalom Sharabi, known as the Rashash, one of the greatest mekubalim who ever lived. Rav Chaim Palachi wrote that the Rashash possessed the neshamah of the Arizal. Rav Yitzchak Kaduri said that one who has not learned the writings of the Rashash has not yet entered the true realm of Kabbalah. When Rav Shalom Sharabi was later asked about the source of his extraordinary greatness in Torah, he attributed it to that moment of test with the woman. After overcoming it, he said, his mind opened, and Torah began to flow from him like a wellspring. When Hashem sends a person an especially difficult test, it may very well be His way of calling that person to greatness. The test may feel overwhelming, but if a person perseveres and follows Hashem, he will reap rewards that last for all eternity.

Shlucha Mrs. Shternie Althaus shared with us her experience surviving the Bondi Beach Chanukah Massacre and her experience in finding strength and Emunah in hard times.

When a person has been waiting for a shidduch, or for parnassah, or for refu'ah shelema, the hardest part is not the difficulty itself, but the fear that maybe it will never come. Years have passed, doors seem to be closed, and the person begins to think: if nothing has happened yet, who says it ever will? That way of thinking might make sense if Hashem needed time to gradually bring a salvation. But we know that Hashem brings the yeshu'ah כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן , in the blink of an eye. An older single may think, I am doing everything right. I am praying, working on myself, improving in so many areas, yet it feels like nothing is moving, like I am never going to get married. But every single thing that this person has done has made a real impact. When everything comes together and the moment of salvation arrives, it will come so quickly that the person will not believe how fast it happened. Many people who waited ten, fifteen, twenty years, or even longer, will tell you the same thing. For years, nothing was happening. It felt like things would never change. And then suddenly, a name was mentioned casually, a phone call came from an unexpected source, something nobody could have predicted—and the yeshu'ah arrived. A man called me, overflowing with gratitude to Hashem. He told me that shidduchim had been so painful for his daughter over the past five years that he honestly thought she would never get married. The pain and agony they endured were indescribable. And then, literally כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן , a new name surfaced. A boy younger than her, someone they never would have thought of on their own. Today, they are preparing for her wedding. It is the perfect shidduch—the kind of boy she had always hoped for, from the type of family she had always wanted. In one moment, they went from the depths of despair to the greatest heights of joy. The same pattern exists with parnassah. People can struggle for years to earn a living, and then suddenly one opportunity opens. One deal, one connection, one idea. The same mouth that once said, "I don't see how I will ever manage," now says, "I can't believe this didn't happen earlier." Someone told me about his friend who had to borrow money from his in-laws just to cover basic expenses, and less than a year later, he became a multimillionaire. It didn't make sense—but it didn't have to. The moment Hashem decides to give, it happens in the way He chooses. A man told me that for many years he dreamed of opening a store selling a certain type of merchandise. He had customers and demand, but he could never afford the rent. Renting a store required first month's rent, a security deposit, and key money—tens of thousands of dollars he simply didn't have. So for years, he sold everything from his home. Recently, he attended an event, and someone casually asked him if he knew anyone looking to rent a store. He asked for details. It turned out to be on the exact block he had always wanted. The owner was desperate to rent the space and said he was willing to waive the security deposit and the key money. Just like that, the man finally got the store he had dreamed of for years. For so long, it seemed like it would never happen. But the moment Hashem said it was time, He sent the right person directly to him with the opportunity. Yeshuat Hashem is always כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן . Our job is to continue praying, to continue growing, and to never give up hope—even when nothing seems to be moving. Because when the moment arrives, everything changes at once.

In this shiur, delivered in Midreshet HaRova, Rav Burg explains how the story of Klal Yisrael in Mitzrayim is the story of rectifying the sin of Adam and Chava. The staff of Moshe Rabbeinu holds the secret of Emunah and defeating Pharaoh.

This week's parashah, Vayechi, is known as a parashah setumah —a closed parashah—because there is no space in the Torah between the end of Vayigash and the beginning of Vayechi. Rashi explains that one reason for this is that the eyes and hearts of the Jewish people became "closed" when Yaakov Avinu passed away, from the pain and pressure of the bondage. The mefarshim ask a powerful question. Rashi himself writes elsewhere that the actual slavery in Mitzrayim did not begin until after the last of the Shevatim passed away. If so, how can Rashi say that immediately after Yaakov's passing their hearts became closed because of the slavery? The Be'er HaParashah, citing the Ma'agalei Tzedek, explains this beautifully. We know from other pesukim that the Shevatim originally came down to Mitzrayim only because of the famine. Once Yaakov passed away, and they went back to Eretz Yisrael to bury him in the Me'arat HaMachpelah, the famine was already long over. Logically, they should have stayed in Eretz Yisrael. Yaakov himself had been commanded to go down to Mitzrayim, but his children had not been given such a command. So why did they return to Mitzrayim? The answer must be that Hashem closed their eyes and hearts from even considering the possibility of staying in Eretz Yisrael. Hashem wanted the decree of slavery to unfold, and therefore He guided them back to Mitzrayim in a way that felt natural and unquestioned. It didn't have to make sense to them, because it was Hashem leading them where they needed to be. This, explains the Ma'agalei Tzedek, is what Rashi means when he says that their eyes and hearts became closed. Not that they were already enslaved, but that Hashem closed off certain lines of thought so that the process He willed could move forward. This is a lesson that repeats itself constantly in our lives. Many times, years later, a person looks back and asks himself: Why did I choose that path? From where I stand now, I never would have made that decision. The answer is often that Hashem wanted him led in that direction. Hashem guides us not only through clear signs, but through closed doors, missed opportunities, delays, and distractions. What looks like nature is pure hashgacha. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman shared a remarkable story that illustrates this idea in a very tangible way. In Brooklyn, there is a man named Rabbi Yosef who learns regularly with another Jew who, until about a year ago, was very far from Judaism. They learn together by phone several times a week, and slowly, with siyata d'Shmaya, this man has been growing in his observance. A few weeks ago, on Erev Chanukah, Rabbi Yosef discovered that his learning partner had put on tefillin only once in his entire life. Rabbi Yosef spoke to him about the importance of the mitzvah and encouraged him to start wearing tefillin daily. The man replied that he didn't own his own tefillin. He only had an inherited pair—small tefillin of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam, as was his family custom to wear both together. But the straps had faded from black to white. Rabbi Yosef immediately understood that the tefillin were almost certainly pasul. At the same time, he knew that this man was not yet ready to hear that he needed to spend a large sum of money on new tefillin. So Rabbi Yosef decided, quietly, that he would try to raise the money himself and buy him proper tefillin according to his custom. The very next day, Rabbi Yosef woke up early, as usual, and learned with a different chavruta by phone at six in the morning. After that, however, a series of unusual delays began. One thing after another went wrong, and he missed his regular minyan. He went to a different shul on the same block, but again encountered obstacles and could not pray with that minyan either. Finally, he walked to another shul a block away, where the minyan was much later than the time he normally prays. As soon as he entered the shul, his eyes were drawn to a small tefillin bag. Attached to it was a sign that read: "Anyone who needs this may take it." He opened the bag and could hardly believe what he saw. Inside were two small pairs of tefillin—Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam. He sent them to a sofer to be checked, and they were found to be completely kosher. At that moment, everything became clear. All the delays, all the missed minyanim, all the frustrations of that morning were not accidents. They were Hashem closing one door after another in order to lead Rabbi Yosef precisely to the place where those tefillin were waiting. Finding tefillin left for the taking is rare enough. Finding two small, kosher pairs of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam was nothing short of astonishing. It was as if Hashem had prepared them in advance, custom-made for this man, and simply needed Rabbi Yosef to arrive at the right place at the right time. This is the message of the parashah. Hashem is constantly leading us—sometimes by opening our eyes, and sometimes by closing them. Our job is not always to understand in the moment, but to trust that every delay, every detour, and every missed plan is part of a precise Divine guidance. Shabbat Shalom.

One of the ways we bring down all the segulot that come from Birkat HaMazon is by saying it with true feelings of hakarat tov. When a person feels genuine appreciation, the power of his words becomes infinitely greater. When Rabbi Aharon of Belz was younger, he used to stay by a certain butcher. The butcher took such good care of the Rabbi, fulfilling his every request with great joy. Years later, the butcher's daughter suddenly became gravely ill, and the doctors were losing hope. Messages were sent to Gedolim to pray for her, and the butcher specifically asked that a message be sent to Rabbi Aharon of Belz. The messenger arrived by Rabbi Aharon on Erev Yom Tov, when there was already a long line of people waiting to see him. Because the matter was urgent, the messenger was allowed to enter immediately. When the Rabbi heard the news, he was just about to place a cube of sugar into his tea. He stopped, paused what he was doing, and began repeating over and over how much that butcher had taken care of him. He spoke at length about the kindness, the warmth, and the generosity he had experienced. Only when he felt a deep, intense sense of hakarat tov did he give the girl a beracha and pray for her refuah shelema. After Yom Tov, the messenger returned with extraordinary news. The girl had made a complete recovery. He added that they later discovered that at the exact moment the Rabbi had given his beracha, the girl appeared to be in her final moments. But then she related that she had seen, in what seemed like a dream, the Rabbi giving her a piece of sugar to eat while blessing her with the most heartfelt beracha. At that moment, everything changed. Baruch Hashem, she recovered fully. Words said with real hakarat tov are unbelievably powerful. In the first beracha of Birkat HaMazon, we acknowledge that Hashem is the One who gives us our parnasah. We need to understand what that truly means. The Gemara speaks about a Hallel called Hallel HaGadol, the Great Hallel. This is the chapter of Tehillim in which we say "Ki l'olam chasdo" twenty-six times. The Gemara asks why it is called Hallel HaGadol. Rabbi Yochanan answers that it is because it includes the words that Hashem gives food to all of His creations. Hashem, who is exalted beyond all comprehension, who resides in the highest heights, personally comes down and takes care of every single one of His creations, ensuring that they always have what to eat. Hashem does not delegate this responsibility to a messenger. He does it Himself, because He loves us so much. The question is asked: this Hallel mentions so many miracles—creating heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, taking us out of Mitzrayim, splitting the sea, leading us through the desert, defeating Sichon and Og. How can it be that of all these miracles, Hashem giving us food is considered the greatest? The sefer Birkat HaMazon BeKavanah explains that all the other miracles were one-time events. But the miracle of feeding every person and every animal is something Hashem performs every second of every day, from the beginning of time until today and beyond. Hashem is "concerned" that all of His billions and trillions of creations have what they need to live. It is a constant miracle that never stops. They say in the name of the Chafetz Chaim that if a person forgot Al HaNissim in the Amidah, the tefillah still counts. But if he did not say in Modim ועל ניסך שבכל יום…שבכל עת , the Amidah does not count. Missing a miracle that happened once can be excused, but failing to recognize the miracles that occur every single day cannot. Hashem is personally taking care of us at every moment. That is why we emphasize in Birkat HaMazon that Hashem has never made us lacking and will never make us lacking. Once we truly recognize this, only then are we ready to say נודה לך -thank You. Only then can our words of gratitude come from the heart. And the more sincerely we feel that thank You, the more powerful it becomes—and the more blessing it draws down into our lives.

If a person is going through difficulties, the natural reaction is to ask, "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" He then feels bad about the situation and remains in that state until it goes away. However, if he reacts that way, he is losing out on a golden opportunity. The purpose of this world is to utilize every circumstance that Hashem places a person into to its fullest, and thereby gain eternal life. The Chafetz Chaim writes that the main goodness a person will receive in the future depends on how he reacts to the ways Hashem dealt with him here. If he internalizes that Hashem is always doing the absolute best for him, even though it does not appear that way, he will rise to the greatest levels, and his table in the future will be overflowing with good. The Orchot Tzaddikim writes that if a person performs a mitzvah with joy, his reward is a thousand times greater than if he were to do it as a chore. That joy will give him the merit to have success in his endeavors and to rise in levels of spirituality, to the point that Hashem will reveal secrets to him from above. The joy a person experiences while doing a mitzvah is itself a mitzvah. If a person is experiencing difficulty, he has a mitzvah to accept that Hashem is doing this for his benefit, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch. If he fulfills that mitzvah with joy, it will earn him a thousand times more reward and elevate him tremendously. The Baal Shem Tov writes that when a person is in a state of joy and happiness, he can bring about great salvations. Being depressed and complaining accomplishes nothing, whereas being accepting and joyful can give a person everything. Rabbeinu Yonah writes in Mishlei (perek gimel, pasuk yud alef) that if a person gives much charity and is exceedingly careful in the performance of all the mitzvot, yet is unsuccessful in business and has great difficulty earning parnassah, or experiences other forms of suffering despite being so good, he must strengthen himself in bitachon and accept the way Hashem is dealing with him with love. He must understand that what is happening to him is truly for the best. He says, what the person is experiencing in his life is better than all the wealth, tranquility, and success this world has to offer, because all of that passes in a fleeting moment. This world is so temporary in comparison to the next world, and one moment of pleasure there is better than all the pleasure that can ever be experienced in this world combined. A person does not know what is truly good for him; only Hashem does. Sometimes tranquility is good, and sometimes difficulty is good. Therefore, a person should never be upset with Hashem. Rabbeinu Yonah adds that this attitude is a wondrous level to reach in bitachon, and the reward for it is incomprehensible. I once read a story of a man who was diagnosed with a serious illness. He went through years of treatments, hospital visits, pain, and uncertainty. His livelihood was affected and all of his plans were dissolved, yet no one could believe the attitude he maintained throughout the experience. When people visited him, they expected frustration and anger, but instead they were met with a smile and words of emunah. One day a friend could not hold back any longer and asked him directly, "How do you keep saying Baruch Hashem? You are in so much pain, you have lost so much—don't you feel broken?" He answered, "Yes, it hurts. But pain does not mean Hashem does not love me. It means He trusts me." The doctors and nurses were in awe of his demeanor, and he made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. Baruch Hashem, he recovered and continues to live his life with joy and emunah. The levels he reached through his acceptance during those few years are levels people often do not reach in decades when everything is going smoothly. We do not ask for difficulties, but if they ever come, we do not want to waste the opportunity. The greatest thing we can do is accept them with love and emunah.

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-370-don-t-miss-your-chance Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:09:05 +0000 7202 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

On Asarah B'Tevet Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Yerushalayim, the beginning of the process that eventually led to the destruction of the First Beit HaMikdash. On this fast day, part of our avodah is introspection—looking inward and correcting the very issues that caused that destruction in the first place. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma teaches that the First Beit HaMikdash was destroyed because the people were steeped in the three cardinal aveirot. Yet the Gemara in Masechet Nedarim tells us something deeper. The Nevi'im and the Chachamim could not understand the root cause of the churban until Hashem Himself revealed it: the people had "left His Torah." And the Gemara explains that this means they did not say the berachot on the Torah before learning it. The mefarshim explain that this was not a technical oversight. If they had viewed Torah learning the way it is meant to be viewed, as something that truly warrants a berachah, then the Torah itself would have elevated them. It would have refined them spiritually and protected them from sinking to the point of committing those terrible aveirot. The Bach, in siman מז in Orach Chaim, explains the matter with great depth. Hashem's intention in commanding us to delve into Torah study is that our neshamot should become one with Him in this world. The Torah contains within it the kedushah of the One who created it. When we learn Torah with the proper intention, we become a place where Hashem can rest His Shechinah. Hashem desires to be down here with us, as close as possible. It is up to us to make ourselves into a vessel that can receive His Presence. That vessel is formed specifically through deep, sincere engagement with the holy words of Torah. But in the generation of the First Beit HaMikdash, Torah was being learned for other reasons. Some learned because it was enjoyable. Some learned only to know the halachot they needed. Some learned to demonstrate their intellectual ability. But they were not learning in order to absorb the kedushah of Hashem, to become a מקום להשראת השכינה , a place where the Shechinah could rest. Without that inner מקום , the connection to HaKadosh Baruch Hu weakened. And if there is no inner dwelling place for Hashem within the people, there is no reason for a physical dwelling place to remain standing either. The Bach concludes that when a person prepares to learn Torah and recites Birkat HaTorah, he should have in mind deep gratitude: that Hashem chose us to share His holy Torah with , and that through it He enables us to attach ourselves to Him. How fortunate we are that Hashem wants to be close to us. Because we are physical beings, it is difficult to attach ourselves to the spiritual. So Hashem gave us the Torah, which is spiritual, and through it we ourselves become elevated and spiritual, capable of clinging to Him. The deeper we immerse ourselves in Torah, the more kedushah it brings into us. But only if it is learned with the right intentions. When a person is truly connected to Hashem, he gains tremendous strength. He can overcome the tests that the yetzer hara places before him. The spiritual light of Torah provides the energy, motivation, and excitement to live a life of Torah and mitzvot. On Asarah B'Tevet, we are fasting not only for a siege that took place long ago, but for the loss of that inner connection. We are reminded that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed not because Torah was absent, but because Torah was no longer serving its true purpose. Let us appreciate the gift of Torah and learn it as much as we can, with the intention of drawing closer to Hashem through it, and making ourselves worthy vessels for His Presence once again.

If a man is betrayed by someone he trusted, the pain can be overwhelming. Imagine he is told about a great business opportunity, and with complete trust he invests most of his life savings. Later, he discovers that it was all a lie. He was cheated. The money is gone, with no way to recover it. Beyond the financial loss, the deeper pain sets in. How could such injustice take place? It seems as if the thieves live happily ever after, while the innocent, unassuming person is left to suffer for nothing. But we know this is never the full story. Hashem is always in charge. No one can take a single dollar from a person unless it was meant for him to lose it, and no one can keep a dollar unless it was meant for him to have it. Hashem is the perfect Judge. No one ever gets away with anything in this world. It may look like evil prospers, but that appearance itself is part of the test. Every single action a person does is accounted for. Nothing slips through the cracks. When Titus HaRasha stabbed the parochet at the time of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and blood appeared to flow from it, he believed he had overpowered Hashem. It looked like evil had triumphed. But in the end, Hashem sent the smallest creature—a gnat—to eat away at Titus's brain until he died. Justice was exact, measured, and unavoidable. The Mitzrim seemed to have their way with the Jewish people in Mitzrayim for generations. It appeared as if cruelty and oppression ruled unchecked. Yet when the time for retribution came, every Mitzri received exactly what he deserved. Even those who drowned in the Yam Suf did not all die the same way. Some sank like lead, some like stone, and some like straw. Each death was calibrated precisely according to what that person deserved. Hashem's justice is exact down to the smallest detail. Every single thing that happens to a person, every minute of the day, is calculated with perfect precision based on his deeds. It is almost never obvious that something is happening because of what a person did. We label events as "natural," but those who understand know there is nothing natural about life. Everything is Hashem. The Yerushalmi relates that one Leil Shabbat, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was eating his Shabbat seudah when suddenly his table collapsed. He did not ask if a screw was loose or if the wood had weakened. Instead, he asked his Rebbetzin what might have caused this spiritually. She then remembered that she had borrowed spices from a neighbor and forgot to take off ma'aser. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa immediately did what was necessary according to halacha to rectify it, and the table fixed itself on the spot. He knew that even if there was a physical reason, that was never the true cause. The cause was always Hashem. When Yosef's brothers were treated harshly by the viceroy of Mitzrayim, they did not say, "Look at this antisemitism." They said, "We are guilty because of what we did to Yosef." They understood that a viceroy has no power of his own. It was Hashem giving them kaparah. And notice how exact that kaparah was. Shimon, who wanted Yosef killed, was the only brother taken to prison. Levi, who was next in suggesting harm, was the one who found his money in his sack and had to endure additional agony. Yehudah, who suggested selling Yosef, suffered the torment of thinking Binyamin would not return and that he would be held responsible. Every detail was measured. Hashem is exacting. It may take days, months, or even years, but everyone always gets exactly what he deserves. Sometimes events happen to correct something from a previous lifetime. We don't know the calculations, but we know they are perfect. Hashem arranges everything so we can fulfill our mission in this world and live eternally with true bliss. The Shomer Emunim teaches that when something happens that appears to be a kaparah, a person should tell Hashem that he accepts it fully and knows he deserves it. That avodah elevates a person tremendously and can spare him from additional yesurim. We never need to worry about what others do or whether they are getting away with anything. That is Hashem's department—and He is the most righteous and perfect Judge.

A baal emunah is able to stay calm and composed no matter what type of adversity he is facing. The reason is because he knows for a fact that Hashem was the cause of it, and it is for his best. This attitude is much harder to have when it appears that he is in the difficult position due to other people. There, the yetzer hara tries to convince him that if it wasn't for that other person, he would not be in the position that he is in now. Yosef HaTzaddik, who was a master ma'amin, exemplified the great mida of this type of emunah, when he finally revealed himself to his brothers in this week's parasha, Vayigash . His brothers had planned to kill him, then sold him as a slave, taking him away from his father for years. He had been through so much hardship. And then he told his brothers not to feel bad about any of it because it was Hashem who used them as His messenger to bring him to the place He wanted him to be in. Yosef then hugged and kissed every one of his brothers. This is a tremendous level to reach. There are people who are able to accept the difficulties caused to them by others, but only after they see the benefits that came about as a result of them. The greatest rewards are reserved for those who are able to be calm and accepting even during the darkness when there are no benefits apparent. Rabbi Zilberstein told a story that he witnessed first-hand when he took his father to a clinic for a small procedure. There was a lot of commotion going on in one particular area and everyone realized it. When Rabbi Zilberstein inquired about it, he was told what happened. A man was there to get a couple of his teeth pulled. During the procedure, the doctor accidentally knocked one of his teeth and it went to the back of the man's throat. It was a sharp tooth which could have caused considerable damage to his lungs. The man's children, who accompanied him there, were horrified at what was happening. Specialists were called in and, eventually, they got the tooth out. Afterward, they did an x-ray on that area to make sure there was no damage and they found in the x-ray a very small, cancerous growth which was in its infant stages. They immediately took it out. The doctor said that type of growth is extremely dangerous and doesn't take too long to start doing damage. The fact that they caught it then saved this man's life. After we see the good in that doctor's "mistake" it's very easy to have emunah that it was Hashem who caused that tooth to be knocked out. But who would be able to stay calm and have full emunah that Hashem was the one behind it during the dark time, before they found the growth, when it looked like the patient was going to be negatively affected to no fault of his own? It's not good enough to believe it was Hashem only after the fact. We have to work on ourselves to believe it's Hashem the entire time. In the future, Hashem is going to show us why every single event that happened to every single individual was only because of Him for the best reasons possible. But then it will be too late to have emunah. Then it will be called ידיעה – not faith but knowledge. Now is our time to shine. We are never in any particular circumstance because of what somebody else did. We are only there because of Hashem. The more we are able to internalize this, the more peace of mind we'll have and the greater heights we'll reach. Shabbat Shalom.

There was a man who prided himself on being extremely careful with a particular stringency in halachah. One morning, he realized that in order to keep that stringency exactly the way he wanted, he would have to compromise in another area of halachah. At first, he hesitated. Something didn't sit right. But then he reassured himself that what he was doing was correct and well-intentioned. Later that day, he related what he had done to a rabbi. The rabbi listened carefully and then asked him a simple question: "Who were you trying to please by doing that stringency?" The man was taken aback. He paused and then answered, "Hashem, of course." The rabbi then asked him, "Do you really believe that the same Hashem who commanded you not to compromise that halachah is happier with you because you were extra careful somewhere else? Do you think Hashem says, 'I'm glad you ignored Me here because you were stricter there'?" The man immediately understood. He thanked the rabbi for setting him straight. The rabbi then continued, "Hashem does not want us to choose which parts of the Torah to protect and which parts to bend. If a stringency requires a person to trample another halachah, it is no longer a stringency. It may make the person feel more religious, but he is no longer serving Hashem. He is serving his own sense of what feels right." Sometimes a person becomes so focused on what he is accustomed to doing that he forgets who he is doing it for. This mistake often comes from good intentions. A person wants to grow. He wants to feel more connected. But somewhere along the way, the focus subtly shifts from What does Hashem want? to What do I feel is more meaningful? And once that happens, a person may feel very spiritual while actually drifting away from the true ratzon Hashem. A person may feel that it is so important to give large amounts of tzedakah that he justifies not paying back people he owes money to so that he can fulfill his tzedakah goals. Another person may feel that it is so important to keep a certain chumrah that he compromises on patience, derech eretz, or sensitivity along the way. Others may feel that mitzvot between man and Hashem are more important than mitzvot between man and man—forgetting that all 613 mitzvot were given by the same Hashem, who wants them all fulfilled properly. When a person compromises one halachah to enhance another, he may unknowingly be serving his ego rather than Hashem. The stringency may make him feel elevated, disciplined, or distinct, while the compromised halachah feels less visible or less emotionally rewarding. But Hashem is not impressed by how we feel about a mitzvah. Hashem is pleased when we submit ourselves to His will—even when it doesn't feel dramatic or special. Growth in Torah and mitzvot does not come from choosing which mitzvah shines brighter in our eyes, but from humbly accepting that every single halachah matters, because each one is an expression of Hashem's will. When we remember who we are serving, everything changes. The question we must constantly ask ourselves is: What does Hashem want from me? And very often, that question is not simple to answer. That is why it is so important to have a rabbi to ask. If we truly want to serve Hashem, we will never hesitate to ask questions—even if we are afraid the answer may not align with what we were hoping to do. We always want to do what the Boss wants us to do. When that mindset guides us, and we sincerely seek da'at Torah, we can be confident that we are truly serving Hashem—and that is real success.

When a person is in need of a yeshuah, whether big or small, he must remember one simple truth: Hashem can bring it in an instant, and He has unlimited ways of doing so. Our job is not to pressure the messengers, argue with the intermediaries, or become consumed with how it will happen. Our job is to speak to the Sender. Very often, it is our spiritual hishtadlut that opens doors that once seemed firmly locked. A man related that he was part of a kollel with several learning tracks. Each track had a different style and focus. Once someone committed to a particular track, it was extremely difficult to switch before a certain amount of time passed. This individual chose a track that he soon realized was not right for him. When he discovered another track that felt perfectly suited to his abilities and learning style, he strongly wanted to transfer. He approached the person in charge, but was denied and reminded of the rules. So he continued learning every day, accepting that Hashem had placed him in this situation. He understood that the test was to continue learning Torah even when it was difficult, even when it wasn't in the style that fulfilled his heart's desire. One day, he shared his struggle with a friend. The friend asked him a simple question: "Did you pray to switch?" He realized that he hadn't. Immediately, he began to pray. In addition to mentioning it in his regular tefillot, he began saying Tehillim every day, specifically asking Hashem to help him switch tracks to the one he wanted. Some time later, several people were allowed to switch into that very track. Encouraged, he went back to the person in charge and asked again. Once more, he was denied. This time, instead of becoming frustrated or pleading with the administrator, he made a quiet decision: I'm not going to argue with messengers. I'm going to keep speaking to the One truly in charge. Not long after, one morning on his way to kollel, a man pulled up beside him and offered him a ride. During the conversation, the topic of kollel came up, and he mentioned his desire to switch tracks. When he said the name of the person in charge, the driver replied that he knew him very well and would try to help. Within a few days, the switch was approved. This man didn't waste his energy fighting the messengers. He spoke directly to the Boss, and Hashem sent him exactly the messenger he needed. Another man, an electrician, related that he sat at home for two full days with no work at all. He and his wife sat together, trying to strengthen their emunah, when he received an email from someone asking for help with hachnasat kallah. They spoke it over and decided that tzedakah would be their hishtadlut. They donated $250, in addition to the $118 they had given someone else just an hour earlier. They said that the $368 they had just given would count as the ma'aser for the parnassah that Hashem would send them. The very next day, he received several job calls and earned a total of $3,675—almost exactly the amount that would require the ma'aser they had already given the day before. Hashem can bring the right messengers in a moment. A rabbi told me that a student flew him in from Eretz Yisrael to serve as the mesader kiddushin at his wedding. When the rabbi arrived at the airport, he briefly left his belongings to use the restroom. When he returned, he noticed his hat was gone. He searched everywhere, but it had vanished. The wedding was only hours away, and the city he was in had no stores that sold hats. On the way to the wedding hall, he called a relative who lived in that city and asked what he should do. The relative told him to come to his house immediately. When he arrived, the relative handed him a brand-new hat, still in its box. It was almost identical to the one he had lost and fit him perfectly. The relative explained that seven months earlier, his son had bought a hat in New York and gone straight to the airport afterward. When he got home, he realized the wrong hat had been placed in the box. It didn't fit him, and they had no idea what to do with it. The hat sat unused in their home for months. Now, at the exact moment this rabbi needed a hat, it was waiting for him. Hashem uses His messengers at all times, in all places, often long before we even realize we'll need them. Our main hishtadlut is always with Him.

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-369-emunah-before-davening Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:47:33 +0000 7195 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

Rabbi Menashe Reizman shared a beautiful idea from the Or HaChaim that we can take with us as the days of Chanukah come to an end. One of the central components of lighting the Nerot Chanukah is pirsumei nisa—publicizing the miracle. But this raises a question. The miracle that the oil lasted for eight days is common knowledge among Jews. Why, then, is there such an emphasis on publicizing it? Usually, the need to publicize something is when the message is not yet well known. The Ramban, at the end of Parashat Bo, explains that when Hashem performs open miracles, the purpose is not only the miracle itself, but what we are meant to learn from it. We are meant to internalize that just as Hashem performs revealed miracles, He is equally behind all the hidden miracles that take place every second of our lives. That is the true message we are meant to publicize. Not merely that oil burned for eight days, but that Hashem is behind everything that happens in this world, at every moment. In this week's Parashah, Vayigash, when Yaakov Avinu hears that Yosef is still alive, the pasuk says וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִין - that his heart did not believe them. Rashi explains that although Yaakov physically heard the words, his heart was not yet ready to internalize the reality. This happens to us very often. With our mouths, we say that we believe Hashem is in charge of everything that happens in the world. But when we look honestly at the way we live, it becomes clear that our hearts have not fully internalized that belief. If we truly believed that only Hashem runs everything, why do we get so angry when things don't go our way? Why do we become upset at people when they hurt us? Why don't we invest more effort into tefillah? Why are we late to tefillah? If Hashem is the only One in control, then He is the only One we need to impress. If HaKadosh Baruch Hu alone decides our parnassah, then why do we feel pressured to run out of davening for a business meeting? The Nerot Chanukah are there to remind us that Hashem's presence fills every detail of life. Hashem decided that a small amount of oil would burn for eight days. Oil does not burn on its own—it burns only because Hashem wills it to burn. He also made a small group of Jews defeat the mighty Greek army. The Greeks wanted us to believe that the world runs on autopilot, that everything happens naturally. Unfortunately, this belief still exists today. People see weather patterns and global warming, but they don't see Hashem behind every raindrop, every gust of wind, and every change in temperature. When someone loses a business deal, he sees the person who took it away, not Hashem. When someone gains a good opportunity, he credits the person who gave it, not Hashem. We must know with absolute clarity that no human being has any power to help or harm us. No one can use their free will to affect our lives unless Hashem decrees it. But because we are constantly involved in hishtadlut—searching for the best doctor, the best shadchan, the best deal—we easily become absorbed in the effort itself. We begin to believe that success comes from our actions or from the people we rely on, and we forget Who is truly running everything. The message of the Nerot Chanukah is that Hashem alone is behind it all. Someone who has not yet married off his children may still believe that shidduchim depend on shadchanim and networking. But someone who has already married off his children knows with absolute clarity and without the slightest doubt that HaKadosh Baruch Hu alone does everything. There are people who send their children to one yeshivah instead of another out of fear that it might, quote-unquote, "damage shidduchim." But what does that really mean? Hashem brings the shidduch, and He would never want us to do something that is not truly beneficial for our child. One of the clearest indicators of whether we truly believe in Hashem's control is the way we engage in hishtadlut. May we be zocheh to take the light of the Nerot Chanukah with us throughout the year—to move our emunah from our lips into our hearts—and to live with a deep, internalized belief in Hashem's absolute control over everything that happens.

Living Emunah 2867 The Perfect Measure of Hishtadlut The Midrash at the beginning of this week's parashah says: אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׂם ה' מִבְטַחוֹ "Fortunate is the man who places his trust in Hashem." This refers to Yosef, who wholeheartedly trusted in Hashem. The Midrash continues: וְלֹא פָנָה אֶל רְהָבִים — "and he did not turn to the arrogant," which also refers to Yosef, who did not rely on the Sar HaMashkim for help when he was in jail. Yet it also says that because Yosef told the Sar HaMashkim, זְכַרְתַּנִי — "remember me," נִתוֹסַף לוֹ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים — two more years were added to his sentence. The mefarshim ask: the Midrash seems to contradict itself. On one hand, it praises Yosef for relying only on Hashem and not on the Sar HaMashkim; on the other hand, it says he was punished for asking the Sar HaMashkim to remember him. Furthermore, the word נִתוֹסַף sounds positive — like תּוֹסֶפֶת כְּתֻבָּה — as if staying longer in prison was somehow beneficial. Rav Leib Diskin explained the following. There is a pasuk in Mishlei: בְּטַח אֶל ה' בְּכָל לִבֶּךָ וְאֶל בִּינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵן "Trust in Hashem with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding." (Mishlei 3:5) The Gaon explains that this pasuk refers to the highest form of bitachon — when a person needs no hishtadlut at all, like Chizkiyahu HaMelekh, when Hashem wiped out 185,000 soldiers while Chizkiyahu slept in his bed. But there is another pasuk: וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה "I will bless you in all that you do." (Devarim 15:18) From here we learn that we must act , and then Hashem will bless our efforts. This sounds like full hishtadlut is always required, contradicting the pasuk in Mishlei. Then there is a third pasuk in Tehillim that reconciles the two: גּוֹל אֶל־ה' דַּרְכֶּךָ וּבְטַח עָלָיו וְהוּא יַעֲשֶׂה "Roll your way upon Hashem, and trust in Him, and He will do." (Tehillim 37:5) The word גּוֹל — roll — is the key.: משל למה הדבר דומה ? If someone wants to roll a barrel down a hill, all he must do is give it the initial push — and then it rolls on its own. This is how our hishtadlut must be viewed. We give the minimal beginning effort, showing that we know Hashem is the One accomplishing everything afterward. But if a person keeps checking every second to ensure the barrel rolls exactly as he wants, then he believes that his push is what makes everything happen, and he thinks he must constantly control the outcome. Proper hishtadlut means giving an effort that demonstrates that we recognize that Hashem is the One accomplishing.. That was Yosef's level. It was clear hashgachah that the Sar HaMashkim was placed with Yosef in jail, that Hashem gave him a dream, and that Yosef could interpret it. Yosef did not feel on the level of Chizkiyahu to do nothing, but he also did not want to engage in full hishtadlut. Therefore, he did not plead with the Sar HaMashkim. Instead, he minimally said כי אם זְכַרְתַּנִי — "If you happen to remember this episode, then mention me to Par'oh." He remained calm, composed, and made the smallest gesture that showed he believed his role was merely to begin the process — and Hashem would handle the rest. The Maharil Diskin says: Had Yosef done too much hishtadlut — pushing, begging, strategizing — he might have been released immediately. And perhaps he would have returned to his family. But then Ya'akov and the Shevatim would have had to come to Mitzrayim in chains. Because Yosef made the correct hishtadlut, Hashem allowed him to remain the extra two years — until Par'oh would have the dream that would elevate Yosef to become the viceroy of Egypt. Thus, the Midrash fully praises Yosef for the quality of his hishtadlut. The lesson for us is clear. We must be careful never to overdo our hishtadlut in ways that make us believe we control outcomes. If someone pleads for help in a desperate, panicked tone, he is showing that he thinks the results depend on him. If someone constantly emails a buyer until he gets a response, he thinks it is his pressure that will determine the sale. He may indeed get the response — but had he simply begun the process in the right way, he would have gotten the same outcome without the excess hishtadlut that is against Hashem's will. May Hashem help us realize always that He is the One who accomplishes everything, enabling us to make only the hishtadlut that He desires from us. Shabbat Shalom.

In Parashat Vayera, the angels told Lot, מַשְׁחִיתִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה — "We are going to destroy this city." And then in the very same pasuk they said, וַיְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ ה' לְשַׁחֲתָהּ — "Hashem sent us to destroy it." At first glance it sounds repetitive. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the angels initially made a serious mistake. They were supposed to say that Hashem was destroying the city, but instead they said they were going to do it. They were taking credit for something that was not theirs. Immediately afterward, they corrected themselves and said that Hashem was doing it, not them. Rabbeinu Bachya adds that these angels were punished for this error. They did not receive another assignment from Hashem for 138 years, until they descended on the ladder in Yaakov's dream to escort him. Rabbeinu Bachya concludes: from here we see how severe it is for a person to take the honor that rightfully belongs to Hashem and use it for himself. The world was created to bring glory to Hashem, and it is incumbent upon us to do whatever we can to increase His honor. Whenever we accomplish something and later tell people about it, that moment becomes a tremendous opportunity to bring kavod to Hashem. We can tell them the truth — that it was Hashem who accomplished it. But if instead we say that we did it, not only are we saying something false, we are stealing Hashem's honor and using it for ourselves. How many times do people make this mistake without even realizing it? When someone says, "I negotiated a great deal," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "My dieting and discipline improved my health," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "I recovered because of the treatment that I chose," he is stealing Hashem's honor. When someone says, "The project succeeded because of my strategies," he is stealing Hashem's honor. Even with Torah knowledge, we are not allowed to attribute success to ourselves. When Moshe Rabbeinu told the people about the new judicial system, he said that the difficult cases could be brought to him and he would give the rulings. Because he said that, and implied that the answers came from him, Hashem took away his knowledge when he was asked the question of the daughters of Tzelofhad regarding their father's inheritance. Moshe was meant to say, "Bring me the difficult cases and Hashem will answer them." This is something we must keep in mind always. Our purpose in this world is to bring glory to our King. Every time it appears that we accomplished something and then speak about it afterward, we are standing at a crossroads. We can give credit where credit is truly due and elevate Hashem's name in people's eyes, or we can elevate our own name and diminish His glory. In this week's Parashat Miketz, Pharaoh was disturbed by his dreams, and none of his advisors were able to help him. Finally, the Sar HaMashkim remembered Yosef and told Pharaoh about him. Suddenly, Yosef was rushed out of prison and found himself standing before the king of the most powerful nation in the world. This was his chance to impress the king, his chance for honor and glory, and his opportunity to finally escape prison. Pharaoh said to him, "I heard that you know how to interpret dreams." Yosef, at that very moment, seized the golden opportunity to bring glory to Hashem instead of himself. He replied, בִּלְעָדָי, אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה — "It is not from me; Hashem will answer the welfare of Pharaoh." "It is not I. Hashem interprets dreams." With complete heroism, Yosef refused to take any credit for himself and gave it all to Hashem. And in the end, Hashem rewarded him with an honor greater than anything he could have imagined, elevating him to become the viceroy of Egypt. Our mission in this world is to bring glory and honor to our King. And we are given opportunities to do so all day long.

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-368-seeing-the-extraordinary-in-the-ordinary Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:03:54 +0000 7189 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

When the Chashmonaim entered the Beit HaMikdash, they had every reason to despair. It was in shambles, and it seemed like all of the oil had already been defiled. And then, one moment of extra effort changed history. They discovered one jug of pure oil. That single moment of discovery brought about eight days of light, which in turn produced thousands of years of spiritual illumination for Am Yisrael. Furthermore, they knew they had only enough oil for one day. They could have easily said, what is the point? Anyway, they were going to be without oil for another seven days until they produced more pure oil. However, they understood the value of every effort when it comes to mitzvot. We never say, why bother? Every bit of effort is precious to Hashem. When a person acts l'shem shamayim, Hashem generally blesses his efforts, allowing them to reach far beyond anything he could have imagined. A man whom we will call Joe told me that six years ago, when he was about sixty, his job forced him to relocate to a new city. He had lived his entire life completely devoid of Torah and mitzvot. But with hashgachah pratit, the new city he moved to had a large population of religious Jews. One morning, everything seemed to be going wrong, and he felt he needed to clear his head, so he went out for a bike ride. After riding four miles, a large, magnificent building caught his eye — a recently built shul. He felt it might make him feel better to go inside, so he walked in and decided to sit for a while. When he entered, he saw a minyan in progress and sat quietly in the back, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, simply observing the tefillah. His attire and the fact that he was an out-of-towner drew some attention, but most people continued naturally with their tefillah. Afterward, one man approached him with a warm smile and said hello. He then asked Joe if he would like to put on tefillin. At first, Joe resisted, but then he accepted. It was the first time he had put on tefillin since his bar mitzvah nearly fifty years earlier. He described feeling something incredibly powerful — indescribable — and he began to cry. The man then asked him if he would return the next day to put on tefillin again, and Joe agreed. Without telling him, the man went and purchased a pair of tefillin for Joe. Joe came back the next day, put them on, and once again felt uplifted. The man then introduced him to a website, itorah.com , where thousands of shiurim are available for people on all levels. Joe thanked him and said he would listen. A few weeks later, that same man saw Joe riding his bicycle, this time wearing a kippah and listening to a Torah class. It was an astonishing sight — someone who had never lived a religious life was now proudly wearing a kippah in public. Since then, Joe has learned and completed five masechtot of Gemara, and today he learns every morning for about three hours in a local yeshivah. His wife also became religious, and he says he has never been happier. He now recognizes how much his neshamah was starving for Torah and mitzvot. He sees clearly how the hashgachah of Hashem guided every step: the forced relocation to a religious city, the difficult morning that led him to ride his bike, the inexplicable pull to enter a shul despite his attire, and finally, the one individual who made a small extra effort to say hello and invite him to put on tefillin. He often wonders how different his life would have been without that moment. A little extra effort goes a very long way, especially when we are acting l'shem shamayim.

As we mourn the tragic loss of sixteen pure neshamot who were killed in Sydney, Australia, we are reminded once again that in every generation they rise up against us. We are reminded that we are still in galut, yearning for the coming of the Mashiach, when we will no longer experience terror or sadness. Those who were murdered al kidush Hashem are now in the highest realms of Gan Eden, basking in the radiance of the Shechinah. Their friends and families, however, are left reeling from the tragedy, struggling to understand how their loved ones could be taken in such a horrific way. As we begin the holiday of Chanukah, we must internalize that although it is impossible for us to comprehend the ways of Hashem in this world, we know this is yet another part of His master plan. Hashem is the One who takes lives, and He is the One who will restore them. He has always protected us throughout the generations, though at times we needed to experience forms of affliction beforehand. He is the One who obliterated the Egyptians after they enslaved us for centuries. He saved us from Amalek when we were caught off guard. He saved us from Balak and Bil'am whcen we did not even know how much danger we were in. He saved us from Sanheriv's army, killing 185,000 soldiers in a single night without us lifting a finger. He saved us from the hands of Haman and Ahashverosh. The mighty Greeks issued decrees to tear us away from our Torah. They, like all the other nations, were jealous of our connection to Hashem and sought to destroy it. And once again, Hashem sent heavenly assistance to His people to defeat the strongest empire in the world. The celebration of Chanukah was not that we were physically saved. The celebration was that the light of our Torah and mitzvot was going to continue shining brightly. To make it clear that it is our Torah and mitzvot that are the most precious things we have in this world, Hashem made an additional miracle and kept the flames of the menorah burning for eight days and nights. Our nation is eternal. Our adherence to Torah and mitzvot are the keys to our success. Our response to tragedy must be to redouble our efforts in the performance of mitzvot. A small amount of light can push away a large amount of darkness. Right now, a thick cloud of darkness hovers over us. We ache for our brothers and sisters who are deeply affected by this devastating event. A time of joy has turned into one of grief. We must empathize with those in pain, pray for the injured, and beseech Hashem to console the mourners. We must also use this moment as a personal calling to come closer to Hashem. It will be our collective efforts that bring about the greatest day in history—the day of Bila HaMavet LaNetsach, Umachah Hashem Dima Me'al Kol Panim. The day when there will be no more death, and Hashem Himself will wipe away the tears of all who have suffered. For now, we are still in the dark. But the candles we light on Chanukah will pierce that darkness. Every mitzvah we perform and every word of Torah we learn adds more light to the world. Let us linger a bit longer by the nerot Chanukah, praying for those who are suffering. Let us devote more time to our families, offering chizuk and inspiration to help them grow in the ways of Hashem. Our Torah and mitzvot are our greatest tools. May we be zocheh to witness the greatest light of all—the Or of the Mashiah. Then all the nations of the world will recognize the glory of Hashem and understand that we are His treasured children.

In this episode, we explore a big idea at the intersection of Torah and modern physics: Torah is the blueprint of creation, and as science advances, it often ends up catching up to truths Torah has pointed to all along. Joined by physicist Dr. Berel Epstein, we work through listener-submitted questions from the Shema Podcast WhatsApp community on the universe having a beginning, fine-tuning, the limits of what physics can explain, and what concepts like quantum entanglement and observation suggest about interconnectedness, perception, and responsibility. We also discuss artificial intelligence and why it pushes the conversation toward the deeper question of what a human being actually is, beyond information, productivity, and even intellect.By the end, you'll walk away with a clear framework for how Torah and science relate: where they genuinely align, where science reaches its limits, and how to use scientific language as a tool without confusing it for the source of truth.Order the book, “Emunah and Physics”, on Amazon by click hereWhat happens when a theoretical physicist takes on the deepest questions challenging Jewish belief? Emunah and Physics is a bold, brilliant response to centuries of skepticism and a framework for reclaiming faith.  Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

Mikess: Hishtadlut & Emunah by Rabbi Avi Harari

Mikess: Hishtadlut & Emunah by Rabbi Avi Harari

There are times when Hashem wants to bestow a blessing upon a person, but in order to do so, the person first needs to acquire extra merits. Therefore, Hashem sends him a test in the very area in which He wants to bless him. By overcoming that test, the person earns far more than anything he would gain by failing it and taking the immediate, fleeting benefit. A rabbi told me that one of his congregants recently received a paycheck that was two thousand dollars more than it was supposed to be. At first, he hoped it was a bonus or a raise, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that if it were something extra, his boss would have told him beforehand. Then came an internal struggle: Should he mention it or quietly deposit it? After a sincere inner battle, he did the right thing and asked the woman who writes the checks about the extra amount. She told him she had made a mistake and had accidentally added the next person's pay to his check. She was so grateful that he came forward, sparing her from serious trouble. She issued a corrected check, and the man walked away having forfeited a potential extra $2,000. Just an hour later, he received a call from a wealthy man asking him to stop by his home on his way home from work. When he arrived, the man thanked him for helping his son and handed him an envelope. Inside was a check for $10,000—five times the amount he had just returned. He had helped that man's son long before, but Hashem placed it in the father's mind to contact him precisely at that moment, right after he passed his test with honesty. Rabbi Ayal Amrami from Israel told another remarkable story. A man, struggling terribly with parnassah, was supposed to receive 600,000 shekel from an inheritance after his father-in-law passed away. His brothers-in-law maneuvered him out of it, and he received nothing. Devastated and furious, he vowed never to speak to them again. Sometime later, he attended one of Rabbi Amrami's classes, where the topic was being mevater—forgiving others even when we are right—and how powerful that is in Shamayim. The man received tremendous chizuk. He decided to forgive his brothers-in-law completely and restore peace in the family. A few weeks later, he went to thank the rabbi for the chizuk and to share the incredible yeshuah that followed. He had just earned three times the inheritance he lost—1.8 million shekels. The rabbi, knowing he learned full-time, asked how he could have possibly made such a sum. The man explained that someone approached him asking to buy the rights above the roof of his apartment in Beit Shemesh. He had never even known he owned such rights. The buyer said he would make a generous, nonnegotiable offer. The man expected a few thousand shekels—until the offer came: 1.8 million shekels. Overcoming nisyanot brings endless reward in the next world, but very often Hashem gifts people with blessings even in this world—using their heroic efforts as the very channel through which those blessings flow.

As we know, shidduchim are from Hashem. Even what appear to be mistakes are all part of the Master Plan. Someone told me that their friend, who is six foot two, became engaged to a girl who is four feet eleven. When the question of her height came up, the initial response was, "almost five feet." Somehow, on the other side, this was heard as five foot three. And based on that, they said yes. Clearly, this was Hashem setting things up so that the meeting would take place and the proper match could come to be. It reminds us that even when details seem unclear or inaccurate, Hashem is orchestrating the outcome. It is important to remember that even when things don't work out, even when the process feels slow, confusing, or painful, it is also from Hashem—and it is for our benefit. A man told me that just before Shavuot, a boy was suggested for his daughter. However, she was scheduled to be out of town until after Shavuot. Then the boy went away. After that, she was leaving for Eretz Yisrael for the summer. The other side initially sounded willing to wait. But when the girl returned in September, they discovered that the boy had already begun dating someone else. A few weeks later, they found out that he was getting engaged to a family friend. The girl's mother was crushed. She felt sure that this boy was perfect for her daughter, and it didn't seem that there were any other options. The father asked their rav to speak to his wife and give her chizuk. The rav told her that in Shamayim, not only is each person's match decided, but there are also several suggestions that a person must hear along the way. Before meeting the right one, a person often has to pass by others who are not meant to be. This process itself brings a person closer to their true zivug. The woman felt comforted and they moved forward. Baruch Hashem, a few months later, another boy was suggested, and this time the shidduch moved quickly to an engagement. The mother later said, "Now that I see the boy she actually got engaged to compared to the previous one, it's so clear that this match is far more compatible for her." We don't know what's truly good for us. Only Hashem does. And therefore, the only logical response is to accept His decisions with trust and happiness. Rabbi Reuven Elbaz shared a powerful story about a young man who had been offered an outstanding shidduch. The girl had wonderful qualities and came from an aristocratic family. After three meetings, however, the girl ended it. The young man was deeply hurt, and because his middot were not refined, he decided to take revenge. He approached a friend he didn't like and suggested this girl to him. The friend took it seriously, looked into her, and reported back that he was interested. The young man then told him that he arranged a meeting for the next night at seven o'clock and gave him the girl's address—without ever asking the girl or her family. The next night, the friend knocked on the door asking for the girl, and the father had no idea what he was talking about. The young man was mortified. The father, realizing something wasn't right, asked who had sent him. When the boy mentioned the young man's name, the father understood immediately what had happened. Rather than sending him away, the father invited the boy to sit for a few minutes to ease his embarrassment. In the course of that short conversation, the father was extremely impressed with him. After looking into him properly, he decided that this young man was suitable for his daughter. Baruch Hashem, they eventually got married. There are no mistakes. Everything is biyad Hashem. And everything He does is for our very best.

Actor Tim Blake Nelson, known for roles in “O Brother Where Art Thou” and most recently “The Lowdown,” is coming back to Tulsa with his new book, Superhero.He will be at Congregation B'nai Emunah in Tulsa on Thursday for a book talk presented by Magic City Books and will also host a screening of his new film “On the End” at Circle Cinema on Friday.He talks about his upbringing in Tulsa and filming in Oklahoma and why superhero movies reflect American society.

The greatest segulot are found in the 613 mitzvot that Hashem gave us. Of course, the true reward for mitzvot is paid in the next world, but they also come with side benefits in this world as well. One man told me that from the time he started saying Birkat HaMazon properly, with understanding and focus, he was able to break through with four new customers in his business. Another man told me that he suddenly received two unexpected payments totaling $25,000. Another man shared something even more striking. He had a fever for nine straight days—the longest he had ever been sick in his life. Just a few days after the fever finally broke, he became ill again, this time with another high fever. He went to the doctor, who ran a series of blood tests. The results were very troubling. His numbers were completely out of range, and his white blood cell count was extremely high, indicating a serious infection. The doctor told him further testing would be needed and that he would have to return for a chest X-ray, as pneumonia was a real concern. Meanwhile, over the previous six weeks, many unusual things had been happening to this man's children. He felt that something wasn't right and decided it was time to have his mezuzot checked. The very same day the doctor gave him the alarming news about his blood work, a sofer arrived at his home to check his mezuzot. After examining them, the sofer told him that thirteen mezuzot were invalid. The man was stunned. He begged the sofer to replace them immediately. The sofer said he would return the next day with new mezuzot. The following day, the man went to the imaging center for his chest X-ray, only to be told that he couldn't have it done without a prescription. Since his doctor's office was located in the same building, he went upstairs to get one. The doctor looked at him and said that he appeared a bit better than before and asked if he could recheck his bloodwork. Just minutes before entering the doctor's office, the sofer had called to inform him that all thirteen mezuzot had been replaced with beautiful, high-quality, kosher mezuzot. When the new blood test results came back, the doctor was astonished. Every number had returned to normal. He told the man, "Everything looks completely fine. I've never seen anything like this in my life." The very next day, the man felt one hundred percent better and resumed his normal routine. Hashem gives us mitzvot for our benefit. He doesn't need anything from us. He only wants to give to us. And the way He gives us is through the performance of mitzvot—but they must be done properly. Birkat HaMazon has extraordinary segulot, but it needs to be said with true appreciation and understanding of the words. Mezuzot protect us, but only when they are written and affixed according to halachah. It was a tremendous act of kindness from Hashem to alert this man that his mezuzot were invalid. Because the primary reason we keep mitzvot is not for the segulot. It is because they are the will of Hashem and a fulfillment of His Torah. When mitzvot are deficient, a person is missing part of his tikkun in this world. Our mission in life is to become complete in the fulfillment of mitzvot. In Hashem's great love for us, along the way, He gives us encouragement, bonuses, and gentle reminders—so that we can succeed in the purpose for which we were created.

#Israel Trip 2025(b) 06:34 Recollections of Rav Jay Marcus 07:53 Challenges of the present and past 12:19 How much of our Emunah is because of parents and how much is because of our own discoveries 21:11 Fundamentals of Emunah 26:21 Depths of belief 32:18 Uncertainty in Emunah 34:03 Bitachon and Hishtadlus 39:50 Science and Torah 47:43 Practical advise to strengthen Emunah 50:44 The future of Jewry in the diaspora 55:20 Values of the general society 59:17 When parents have different values 1:01:58 Challenges and Opportunities of the modern world

In the beginning of this week's Parashat Vayishlach, Ya'akov Avinu is preparing to confront Esav, who wanted to kill him. Rashi tells us that Ya'akov prepared himself in three ways: sending gifts, praying, and strategizing for a potential battle. Why did Rashi list them in this order—placing tefillah second, between sending gifts and preparing for war? The Be'era Parashah explains that Rashi is teaching a fundamental principle about tefillah. Hashem built into the nature of the world that prayer works. And just as giving gifts and preparing for war are normal hishtadlut that people do, so too tefillah operates within the natural order. It is not considered miraculous to have prayers answered. For this reason, the Maharsha writes that although the Gemara teaches that a miracle performed for a person can deduct from his merits, anything attained through tefillah—even the greatest salvations—does not take away any merits, because tefillah is never considered a miracle. This understanding should give us tremendous chizuk. The answering of tefillah is part of how the world was created to function. Tefillot are so powerful that they can change decrees no matter how impossible the odds may appear. Chazal tell us that in Shamayim it had been decreed that Esav would marry Le'ah and Ya'akov would marry Rachel—"the older for the older, and the younger for the younger." The Alshich adds that Le'ah had four overwhelming hurdles preventing her from marrying Ya'akov. First, the heavenly decree had designated her for Esav. Second, the Pasuk testifies to Rachel's beauty. Third, the Pasuk tells us that Ya'akov loved Rachel. And fourth, Ya'akov worked for seven years for Rachel and took great precautions not to be deceived by Lavan. Yet Le'ah prayed so intensely, so persistently, with so many tears that her eyes became tender. And through those tefillot, she overturned the decree and all the natural odds. Chazal say that the greatness of tefillah is such that not only did Le'ah avoid marrying Esav, she even preceded Rachel to marry Ya'akov. And because of those same tefillot, she gave birth to six of the twelve Shevatim—the Bechor, the Kehunah, the Levi'im, the Meluchah, and the lineage of Mashiah—all emerging from her prayers. The Pasuk in Parashat Vayera says that the angels were sent to destroy Sedom while Avraham was still standing before Hashem. The next Pasuk tells us that Avraham prayed for Sedom to be spared. The Seforno explains: even though the decree had already been issued and the angels had already arrived in Sedom, Avraham still prayed, because he understood the ways of Hashem. As Chazal tell us Even if a sharp sword is already touching a person's neck, he should still pray, because tefillah can work no matter how desperate the situation seems. This past year, a woman received the difficult news that she had a tumor, lo 'alenu. At that time, she strengthened herself in guarding her speech and devoted herself to encouraging others to do the same. She was told that she would need the strongest form of chemotherapy. The doctors warned her of every side effect—especially that it was absolutely guaranteed she would lose all her hair. She asked them if there was anything at all she could do to avoid this. Their answer was clear: with the dosage she required, there was a one-hundred-percent certainty she would lose every strand. But she strengthened herself with the knowledge that with Hashem, nothing is fixed. She poured her heart into tefillah—not only for a full recovery, but also that she should not lose any of her hair. Today, Baruch Hashem the tumor has been completely removed. And amazingly, she did not lose even one strand of hair throughout the entire process. The doctors had no explanation. But the explanation is clear. She prayed to the Creator of the world—the One Who decides whether hair falls out or remains. Tefillah is wondrous, and Hashem created it to work as part of the natural order of the world. The more a person recognizes Hashem's power and involvement in every aspect of his life, the deeper, stronger, and more effective his tefillah becomes. Shabbat shalom.

It is not uncommon for a person to feel down about himself when he looks around and notices other people's strengths and talents. He sees that his friends give more charity than he does. He sees that they pray with more concentration. They understand the learning more quickly, and everything seems to come easier for them. And he begins to wonder, "What is my life worth? I have nothing that I excel in." A young man once wrote a painful letter to Rav Shlomo Wolbe about his struggle in yeshivah. He felt everyone else understood the Gemara and shiurim right away, while he worked so hard just to grasp the basics. Others remembered what they learned, while he forgot. He felt he was accomplishing nothing, and it was breaking him. Rav Wolbe wrote back that he was suffering from a bad case of jealousy and explained- Seeing other people's strengths can make a person feel like he has nothing. But if he would only realize what priceless gifts Hashem has given him, his whole outlook would change. A person must know that when it comes to our avodat Hashem, if we use the strengths and weaknesses we were given to serve Hashem, we can reach the highest levels of kedushah. A person's strengths were not given randomly. And his weaknesses were not an accident. They are the exact tools he is meant to have to serve Hashem with. If a person truly knew that Hashem gave him a very specific job and that this is all Hashem wants from him, he would never care what anyone else has. He has a mission that nobody else could ever fulfill. No one else could do his job in this world. We are never measured against what other people do. In fact, if a person was blessed with outstanding talents, that only means he carries greater responsibility. And if he does not use those gifts properly, he will be held more accountable for them. Sometimes the very people we envy are the ones who will face harsher judgment if they fail to live up to their potential. A person should be happy learning the way he knows best. He should be happy praying the way he can. He should be happy giving the amount of tzedakah he is capable of giving. If he fulfills his maximum potential with his own tools, he can reach the same greatness as the greatest people of his generation. But if someone constantly thinks, "Why can't I understand like him?" or "Why can't I remember like him?" he can destroy his entire mission in this world. Shelomo Hamelech taught us that jealousy causes rotting of the bones. It decays a person from the inside. It takes all the beautiful gifts Hashem gave him and makes them rot, because he feels worthless compared to others and stops using them. Instead of building, jealousy paralyzes. Instead of growing, it shrivels. We are in this world for one reason: to serve Hashem. Everything else is secondary. Hashem did not ask us to be someone else. He only asked us to be who He created us to be. And what He gave us is exactly what we need to succeed. If we had what others had, we would be wasting our life. This applies to middot as well. If a person is naturally anxious, it is because that is the area he must refine. If someone is short-tempered, it is because that is the battlefield Hashem gave his neshamah. If someone struggles with motivation or patience or trust, that is not a flaw in the system — it is the system. Hashem is the only One who knows our mission. And He built each of us perfectly to accomplish it. There never was and never will be another person with your exact combination of talents, fears, urges, childhood experiences, temperament, and circumstances. Every detail was planned by our loving Creator who wants us to succeed in the mission that we were sent here to fulfill. Instead of focusing on what everyone else has, we should be thanking Hashem for who we are-because that is the only way we can be successful in this world

Sometimes we hear stories of shidduchim that sound unbelievable — a match suggested by mistake, a name mentioned in passing, a resume being sent after being told "no" again and again, two people from completely different worlds coming together in ways no one could have ever predicted. These stories remind us that Hashem is actively involved in every shidduch that takes place. Not only are the meetings from Hashem — even the responses are from Hashem. Who says yes and who says no. Who returns a call and who doesn't. Who suddenly becomes interested and who loses interest. Who delays and who decides quickly. It is all guided by Hashem. If a shidduch fails, it is not because of something that was said or done. It is because it was not meant to be. And if a shidduch is meant to be, Hashem has millions of ways of making it happen. We never have to worry about how we will meet the one Hashem intended for us. He already arranged it. Rabbi Reuven Elbaz told of a baal teshuvah who joined his yeshivah. The man was already older and still had not married. The rabbi gently encouraged him to begin dating, and after much hesitation, he finally agreed. Some time later, a match was proposed and a meeting was arranged at a hotel. The young man arrived on time — but the girl never showed. He waited. And waited. While sitting in the lobby, he noticed another young woman who also seemed to be waiting for someone. Curious, he gently asked her who she was waiting for. She replied that she was supposed to meet a man, but he apparently had not shown up. The man then told her what had happened to him and asked if perhaps they would agree to meet and see if there might be compatibility between them. She hesitated — but then agreed. That "chance" meeting turned out to be the right one. After making all the proper inquiries, they discovered they were perfect for each other. Baruch Hashem, he eventually became a serious talmid chacham, and to this day he thanks Hashem for sending him the best wife possible in the most unexpected way. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Friedman, author of the popular Gilyon Noam Siach , related another remarkable story. Last summer, he attended the engagement party of one of the members of his kehillah. When he arrived, the father of the chatan hurried over and said, "Rabbi, I want to tell you how this shidduch happened." A few weeks earlier, the man had attended the engagement party of the rabbi's daughter. When he arrived at the hall, there was a line of people waiting to give their wishes. When it was his turn, the rabbi warmly greeted him and then, unexpectedly, said, "Please sit for a little while — over there, near my sons and sons-in-law." The man was puzzled. No one else had been asked to sit. He had never planned on sitting. But because the rabbi asked, he went and sat. Just before that evening, a shidduch had been suggested for his son Pinchas, but this father had not felt drawn to it. Now, while sitting among the rabbi's family, he began speaking with one of the rabbi's sons-in-law. When the son-in-law mentioned where he lived, the father realized he lived in the same neighborhood as the girl's family. So he asked him about them. The son-in-law spoke glowingly about the family. By the end of that one conversation, the father's heart had changed. And now — Baruch Hashem — they were celebrating the engagement. Hashem knows how to place people in the right location, at the right time, with the right words and the right mood — in ways none of us could ever design. A person should never fall into despair wondering, "Maybe I ruined it. Maybe I said something wrong." If a shidduch is meant to be, nothing in the world can stop it. And if it is not meant to be, then it was never truly yours — no matter how promising it looked. When the Steipler Rebbe went to meet the sister of the Chazon Ish, he knew the trip involved a four-hour train ride. Planning to sleep during the ride, he learned intensely for nearly two days straight without rest. But upon boarding, he worried that the seats might contain sha'atnez — so he stood the entire trip. By the time he arrived, he was utterly exhausted. During the meeting, he fell asleep multiple times. He also had a hearing problem and struggled to hear much of what was said. And still — she said yes. Because when Hashem wants the shidduch, nothing can stop it. Hashem is the Master Shadchan. He brings people together in ways that defy logic, timelines, and expectations. And when we truly absorb this, shidduchim become less frightening, less pressured — and far more peaceful. We learn to trust. We learn to wait. We learn that when it is time — it will happen.

Send us a textEighteen years ago, God cornered me in prayer and said, “Your excuse doesn't excuse you. Preach the full gospel.”  Days later I did it: no filters, no apologies, Holy Spirit front and center.  I walked out feeling like I'd finally obeyed.  Three weeks later, half the room was gone.This is the raw story of the day obedience cost me the crowd, launched three brutal years of wilderness, and showed me the difference between a congregation and a remnant.If you just did the hard thing and the bottom immediately fell out, this one's for you.  Real faithfulness isn't counted in seats filled; it's counted in scars kept.Emunah in the bleed.  Grace Ops.Connect with Grace Ops:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graceops212Podcast: https://graceops.buzzsprout.comWebsite: https://www.graceops.netThis video was create to help you with spiritual growth. As followers of Christ spiritual growth is a high priority.#Forged #Graceops #Spiritualgrowth #Discipleship

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-367-how-much-would-you-pay-for-menuchas-nefesh Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:57:27 +0000 7183 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

Sometimes there is strife in the home due to a difficult relationship between a father-in-law and a son-in-law. When a son-in-law feels he is being treated unfairly, controlled, or that no matter what he does it is never enough, it can cause great damage to the home and deeply disturb a person's inner peace. We must internalize a fundamental truth: Hashem places every person into our lives. It is not by chance and it is not by mistake. Every relationship is carefully planned by the Master Orchestrator to help each person fulfill his mission in this world. The Torah tells us about one of the most difficult fathers-in-law in all of history. People sometimes complain, "It's not fair, my father-in-law doesn't give me money." Yaakov Avinu's father-in-law not only didn't give him money — he stole from him on a daily basis. The Midrash tells us that Lavan justified his thievery by claiming that Yaakov still owed him fourteen more years of work for Bilhah and Zilpah. He was manipulative and dishonest, changing Yaakov's wages again and again. Chazal tell us it was done a hundred times. He took advantage of Yaakov's devotion and honesty. Yaakov worked seven long years to marry Rachel, and Lavan had no problem switching her for Leah. He felt no guilt whatsoever. Even worse, afterward he justified himself, making it seem as though Yaakov was the one who acted improperly by marrying the younger sister before the older one. Yaakov was forced to endure deception, manipulation, and emotional torture from his father-in-law for twenty years. Yet the Torah testifies about him that his integrity remained perfect. Yaakov understood that this suffering was not random. He knew this was part of his avodat Hashem and an essential piece of his mission in life. For twenty years he lived in Lavan's home, yet remained attached to Hashem with unwavering emunah. Every test, every humiliation, every disappointment, he accepted with one thought in mind: this is me'et Hashem. Of course, Yaakov did his hishtadlut. He took reasonable steps to protect himself. He confronted Lavan respectfully. He negotiated. He acted wisely. But once something happened, he always returned it to Hashem and reminded himself that nothing occurs outside of His will. It is not forbidden to question a person who harms you, but it must be done with dignity, not with rage and not with cruelty. A Jew is not judged only by what he endures, but by how he endures it. The Torah is teaching us something fundamental. When Hashem places difficult people into our lives, it is not to break us, but to build us. Not to humiliate us, but to refine us. Not to weaken us, but to strengthen us. A difficult father-in-law can feel suffocating. He may be critical, controlling, dismissive, or impossible to satisfy. Nothing seems good enough. You may feel constantly judged, unheard, and trapped in a role you never volunteered for. And it hurts precisely because it comes from a place that was meant to be safe. This is where emunah must rise to the surface. Hashem sees every tear. He hears every painful word. He counts every insult that was swallowed in silence. And when a person restrains himself for the sake of shalom in his home, that sacrifice shines brightly in shamayim. Yaakov did not leave Lavan's house defeated. He emerged spiritually powerful. Though Lavan tried to harm him emotionally and physically, Yaakov walked away with a beautiful family, great wealth, and an inner greatness that shaped the future of Klal Yisrael. It is not that Lavan became a better person. It is that Yaakov became a greater one. So many people beg Hashem to change others. But sometimes Hashem is working on changing us instead. And that is far more powerful. The more a person works on his middot and his emunah, the more blessing Hashem pours into his life in ways he could never imagine.

When Rivka told Yaakov to go to the house of Lavan and find a wife, she said, " וְיָשַׁבְתָּ עִמּוֹ יָמִים אֲחָדִים ," that he should stay there for yamim achadim, which is generally translated as "a short time," until his brother's anger would subside, and then she would call for him to come back. When Yaakov later told Lavan that he would work for seven years to marry Rachel, Rashi says that these are the yamim achadim that Rivka was referring to. The question is, why would Rivka want Yaakov to be in such a bad spiritual environment with Lavan for such a long time? Furthermore, when Yaakov was working during those seven years, the Torah says they felt like yamim achadim, a short time, because of his love for her. Seemingly, if someone is so eager to get married, every day should feel like an eternity, not yamim achadim. Rabbi Menashe Reisman brought a beautiful explanation in the name of Rabbi Michal Forshlager to answer these questions. Rivka wanted to give Yaakov the greatest tool that would ensure that he would always be happy in any circumstance that he might find himself in. When a person is suffering from a problem in life, it is usually because the problem has lasted for a long time. Problems that only last a short amount of time are much easier to deal with. If someone is older and not married and speaks about his difficulty, he will usually say, "I have been trying for so many years and nothing works out." But if a person would live one day at a time, his quality of life would improve tremendously. Every day is a new day, with endless possibilities of what could happen. If a person wakes up in the morning believing that today could easily be the day of his salvation, it gives him strength and courage. What was yesterday has nothing to do with today. The difficulty begins when a person connects today with all the past days and looks at everything as one long, unbearable stretch. The same is true with worry. Most worry is about the future, not the present. Right now, a person is still alive, still taken care of, and still standing. His suffering comes from thinking about what might be tomorrow. If he would only focus on today, on what he already has and on what might happen to bring salvation, he would be far happier. This is what Rivka was telling Yaakov about the house of Lavan. He should be there for yamim achadim, literally, one day at a time. She knew it would be hard for him, and she gave him the secret of how to survive it. Even when Yaakov agreed to work for seven years, that did not mean he accepted that it must be seven full years. It meant seven years worth of work. If Yaakov would somehow get money, he could pay Lavan and leave immediately. Just as an eved ivri who is supposed to work six years can be freed early if his master releases him, so too Yaakov could get out at any time if Hashem willed it. A person can also pray that Hashem put it into someone's heart to help him, or that he find a way out sooner than expected. When a person knows that he can be helped today, it gives him great strength. If someone is told he must undergo treatment for a certain amount of time or remain in the hospital for a certain amount of time, he can ease so much of his pain by remembering that with Hashem, nothing has to be the way people say. The first treatment can go so well that no further treatment is needed. What was supposed to be two weeks can become two days. Even though Yosef was in prison for twelve years, he remained in good spirits, knowing that any day he could be released. And although Yaakov seemed to have such a difficult time in Lavan's house, being cheated and taken advantage of again and again, the Torah testifies - וַיָּבוֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם -that he left whole, in every way, physically, financially, and spiritually. Lavan was never able to truly harm him. Everything happened exactly as Hashem wanted, and it was all for Yaakov's benefit. A person's bitachon gives him strength every single day of his life. And when it says that the seven years Yaakov worked for Rachel were yamim achadim because of his love for her, Rav Michal explained that it means that even though Yaakov loved Rachel deeply and wanted to marry her, because he looked at each day by itself and thought, "Maybe today will be the day," the time passed quickly. In the same way, Yaakov was able to survive his long stay with Lavan because Rivka told him she would send for him when it was time to come home. Each day, Yaakov could tell himself, "Maybe today is my last day here." Yeshuat Hashem is keheref ayin. A person can be saved today. If a person learns to live today properly, with real bitachon, he will always have the strength and courage to be happy and productive in life.

In the beginning of this week's parashah, Vayetzei, Yaakov dreamed of angels going up and down a ladder. The Ramban explains that Hashem was teaching Yaakov about His absolute involvement in everything that takes place in this world. Even when Hashem sends His messengers, the angels, to act in this world, they first go up to Him after seeing their mission and ask exactly what He wants done. Only afterward do they come back down and carry out His will. Nothing happens on its own. Even what people do to us is never truly in their hands. It is only what Hashem wants that can come to pass. A man complained to me that someone had stolen his customer in business, and he could not stop thinking about it. I told him that no human being has the power to take away a customer from another person. If it happened, it was only because Hashem willed it. Even though people have free will, they cannot use that free will to harm another person unless it is decreed by Hashem. When Lavan chased Yaakov and caught up with him, he said, "I have the power to harm you, but the G-d of your father came to me last night and warned me not to touch you." His words contradict themselves. On the one hand, he claims he has the power to harm Yaakov. In the same breath, he admits that Hashem is the One who controls what he can and cannot do. The Be'er HaParashah brings an explanation from Rav Shalom Schwadron on this pasuk, based on a story told by the Alter of Novardok about his own youth. As a young boy, he was learning in an out-of-town yeshivah when his parents sent word that he must come home urgently. He did not have enough money to buy a train ticket. Still, he believed with complete bitachon that Hashem would help him. He traveled for several days until he reached the train station. There, he sat down on a bench, opened his Gemara, and waited for Hashem's salvation. There were still a few hours before the train was scheduled to depart. At one point, a religious Jew arrived and saw the boy sitting and learning. He was thrilled to find another Jew immersed in Torah. He struck up a conversation and invited the boy to sit next to him on the train so they could learn together during the journey. The boy replied that he would love to, but he did not have a ticket. The man told him he had better buy one quickly, because the train would be leaving in a short time. The boy calmly explained that he had no money, but he had complete trust that Hashem would help him. The man was stunned. "You traveled all this way without money for a ticket?" he said. "That's not bitachon, that's foolishness. You can't buy a ticket with faith. You need money." With that, the man shook his head and boarded the train. Time passed. The train was now only minutes from departure. A final boarding call was announced. The boy continued sitting and learning, calm and unshaken. Then, just moments before the train was about to leave, another Jew came running into the station, out of breath and afraid he had missed it. He noticed the yeshivah boy still sitting on the bench and asked him why he was not boarding. When he heard that the boy had no money for a ticket, the man immediately said, "If you need a ticket, I'll gladly buy you one." He rushed to the counter, purchased the ticket, and handed it to the boy. Together, they boarded the train just as the doors closed. The boy thanked the kind Jew for the ticket, and he thanked Hashem for sending him at the final moment. As he looked for a seat, he suddenly saw that first religious man staring at him in disbelief. "How did you get a ticket?" the man asked. The boy told him what had happened and quoted the Midrash that says, "Whoever trusts in Hashem, Hashem will save him." The man shook his head. "If that fellow hadn't come at the last second, you'd still be sitting there. Don't tell me your bitachon helped you. It was that man who saved you." But the truth was the opposite. It was precisely because of the boy's bitachon that Hashem sent that man at the final moment to help him. So too with Lavan. He told Yaakov, "I could have harmed you, but there was just one small problem. At the last second, Hashem told me not to." That means he never had any control. No human being in this world has any power on his own. No one can hurt us, and no one can help us, unless Hashem decrees it. The more clearly we internalize this truth, the more peaceful and tranquil our lives will become. Shabbat Shalom

The Zohar HaKadosh writes that it is worth it for a person to seek out all of the delicacies that the world has to offer, just to be able to say Birkat Hamazon with joy, because Birkat Hamazon, when said properly, brings upon a person the greatest berachot from the Upper Worlds. The more joy and appreciation a person feels during Birkat Hamazon, the greater the blessings that are drawn down to him. The Zohar writes further that when a person says Birkat Hamazon properly, he brings joy to Heaven and to the earth. We should feel tremendous happiness that Hashem gave us the zechut to have the opportunity to say Birkat Hamazon. The Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah would make a tefillah before Birkat Hamazon, asking Hashem to give him the zechut to say every word with kavanah. And when he succeeded in saying it with kavanah, he would recite a special tefillah afterward, thanking Hashem for granting him such a precious gift. Once, a talmid chacham came to see Rav Shach. When he entered, the Rav had just begun Birkat Hamazon. The visitor watched as Rav Shach said every word slowly from a siddur, as if he were counting precious jewels. It took about fifteen minutes to complete. When he finished, his face was glowing with joy. The talmid chacham asked why he looked so happy, and Rav Shach replied that he had just merited to say Birkat Hamazon properly, and that meant success in all areas of life and long life as well. The sefer Amud Esh relates that a woman once came to the Maharil Diskin, weeping that she had been married many years without meriting to have children. He advised her to accept upon herself to say Birkat Hamazon from a siddur, with kavanah. In time, she had a baby. When people would go to the Stipler for a berachah to have children, he would give them the same counsel, to say Birkat Hamazon from a siddur with kavanah. The Stipler would also say that Birkat Hamazon said properly is a segulah to merit children who are tzaddikim. The Midrash teaches that Hashem said, "Eat, be satisfied, and then bless My Name with Birkat Hamazon, and I will remove sickness from your midst." Rav Mendel of Rimanov found this hinted to in the pasuk that says וּבֵרַך אֶת לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּךָ-when we bless Hashem for our bread and our water, He will remove disease from among us. The Maor VaShemesh taught that when a Jew recites Birkat Hamazon with kavanah, the food he ate is transformed into medicine and heals him from illness. The Kotzker Rebbe said that through Birkat Hamazon, a person can become close to Hashem and acquire deeper yirat shamayim. The Zohar writes that one who recites Birkat Hamazon properly in this world will merit a special place in Gan Eden. Not only that, but the berachot themselves will accompany him and protect him on his way to that place. The Kav HaYashar writes that one who recites Birkat Hamazon with kavanah will be invited to the special seudah that Hashem will prepare for the tzaddikim in the future. The Magen Avraham writes that one who is careful with Birkat Hamazon brings the geulah closer. After the fourth berachah, we have the long series of requests in the HaRachamans. The Chafetz Chaim said that one cannot compare tefillah made before a mitzvah to tefillah made after completing a mitzvah. When a mitzvah is just performed, it becomes an eit ratzon, a special time of Heavenly favor, when prayers are accepted with far greater power. After Birkat Hamazon, the gates of Shamayim are wide open, and Chazal gave us beautiful requests to say so we should not lose that precious opportunity. The Gedolim of last generation have urged us to strengthen ourselves in this wondrous mitzvah. Doing it properly requires more time and attention, but we know that whatever we invest with Hashem returns to us many times over. The Gemara in Berachot tells us that the tzaddikim of earlier generations would spend three hours on each tefillah, which means nine hours a day in prayer. The Gemara asks how they had time to learn Torah and earn a livelihood. It answers that Hashem blessed their learning and their parnasah, enabling them to accomplish in a short time what would normally take many hours. Hashem can stretch a person's day, and He can also extend a person's years. We never lose from spending time on Birkat Hamazon. On the contrary, we gain everything from it. Let us strengthen ourselves to rejoice in the zechut of thanking and praising Hashem for His endless kindness, and to feel deep hakarat hatov as we recite the holy words of Birkat Hamazon.

Everyone wants to feel secure and protected from the troubles and difficulties of life. Everyone wants success, heavenly assistance, abundant livelihood, good health, shalom bayit , nachat from their children, and a peaceful, happy life. People search far and wide for segulot that will bring them these blessings. But if we understood how many treasures lie within our mitzvot, we would never need to look elsewhere. Take, for example, the wondrous mitzvah of Birkat HaMazon. Chazal say that if a person accustoms himself to recite Birkat HaMazon properly, all the blessings and goodness in the world will come upon him. There was a man in Yerushalayim named Rabbi Shimon, who would say Birkat HaMazon with such feeling, passion, and kavanah that on Sukkot, neighbors would come to his sukkah just to watch him say it. When people asked him how he became so enthusiastic about this mitzvah, he shared the following story: When he was eleven years old, Rav Meir Shapiro—the founder of Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin and creator of Daf Yomi—came to his school to test the boys. After being impressed with their learning, Rav Meir Shapiro told them that he wanted to give them a gift that would help them throughout their entire lives. He opened the Shulchan Aruch to Siman 185 and read the words of the Ba'er Heitev. The Ba'er Heitev asks: Why is there no "Phe Sofit" anywhere in Birkat HaMazon? He answers: because anyone who recites Birkat HaMazon with kavanah will never experience what appears to be the " af "—the anger of Hashem—and his livelihood will always be given to him with honor and abundance. He then added: those who are very careful in this mitzvah should always say Birkat HaMazon from a siddur. The young Shimon accepted upon himself that moment to recite every word of Birkat HaMazon with deep kavanah . When the other children ran out to recess after lunch, he stayed behind, saying it word by word. Eventually he became known as "the Birkat HaMazon boy." When the Holocaust broke out, he was miraculously protected. Not one day passed in which he didn't have enough food—he worked in the kitchen, where he had access to anything he needed. In those very difficult times, he maintained his love and devotion to Birkat HaMazon. Birkat HaMazon was truly his key to success in life. The Maharsha writes that when a person says Birkat HaMazon the right way, the blessings ascend to Shamayim and advocate before Hashem to send him abundance in parnassah . The Zohar HaKadosh writes that there are prosecuting angels created from a person's sins, arguing against giving him easy livelihood. But the merit of Birkat HaMazon with kavanah overpowers them and brings the person parnassah . A man struggling with livelihood once went to Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld for advice. The Rav told him to recite Birkat HaMazon from a siddur, slowly and with intention. The man said, "I've already started doing that, but I haven't seen any change." Rav Sonnenfeld replied, "Continue doing it. The blessing will come." Not long afterward, the man experienced a dramatic salvation and received abundant parnassah . The Seder HaYom writes that when a person truly takes to heart the words he is saying when reciting berachot , those words pierce through all the heavens until they reach the Kisei HaKavod . Hashem takes those sincere praises, crowns Himself with them, and derives tremendous joy from them. In return, He opens His hands and satiates the person with abundant blessings. The Aruch HaShulchan writes that the proper way to recite Birkat HaMazon is slowly, word by word, like counting the most precious jewels. Just as a person eats with enthusiasm, he should say Birkst HaMazon with equal enthusiasm and gratitude. He should recite the words out loud, with joy. A man told me that when he learned about the power of Birkat HaMazon, he deliberately decided to eat bread at lunch just so he could say it. The first day, he opened a Hebrew–English siddur and took almost twenty minutes to say Birkat HaMazon. He refused to go on to the next word until he fully understood what he was saying. He did the same the next day. One hour later, two people who owed him money for a long time both called—one after the other—to say they were finally going to pay him. Birkat HaMazon has many more incredible segulot . With Hashem's help, we will continue discussing them tomorrow.

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-366-you-are-already-wealthy Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:18:46 +0000 7175 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

A life without emunah and bitachon often leads a person into unnecessary stress, worry, and exertion. A man related that for his entire business career, he opened his store every day at eight in the morning and didn't close until eight at night. He was constantly worried that if he closed even a little earlier, a potential customer would go to his competitor, discover that their product was just as good, and he would lose the customer permanently. That fear, combined with the belief that more hours meant more income, drove him to work grueling twelve-hour days. As he grew older, that schedule became too demanding. But he was terrified to cut back his hours. Then someone introduced him to Sha'ar HaBitachon . After learning it, he discovered that he could safely ease his worries and reduce his hours. But hearing the ideas once wasn't enough for him to actually change. He learned each section again and again, going through the entire chapter five times, until the message sank deeply into his heart. Only then did he calmly begin closing his store at 6 p.m. instead of 8. Since that day, his financial situation has only improved. He said that he doesn't understand how, but he earns more money now than he did with twelve-hour days. The explanation is simple: Hashem is in charge of parnassah , and when we genuinely internalize that belief and live according to it, Hashem rewards that trust. It is not our job to figure out how Hashem will send us our livelihood. It is only our job to make a regular hishtadlut , believe and pray. A woman told that she is an only child and her father passed away many years ago. Baruch Hashem, she married and built a beautiful family. A few days before Sukkot this year, a FedEx envelope was delivered to their home. She assumed it was for her husband, so she gave it to him. He opened it and found a check for a very large amount of money — at a moment when they desperately needed it. They had no idea who would be sending such a sum. They investigated and discovered the remarkable chain of events behind it. Forty years earlier, her grandfather had loaned a friend $50,000. The friend never repaid it, and over time, everyone forgot about it — except for the One who forgets nothing. The grandfather passed away, and so did her father. On his own deathbed, the old friend remembered the debt and wanted to leave this world with a clean slate. He instructed his family to repay all of his outstanding debts, including the one owed to her grandfather. Since her grandfather was no longer alive, they divided the money among his children. And because her father had passed away and she was an only child, she received her father's full share. A forgotten debt from decades earlier, crossing generations, arrived at their doorstep precisely when they needed it most. While they were trying to figure out how to pay their bills, Hashem was preparing their salvation decades in advance. Hashem is the One who provides parnassah. Those who recognize this live with far greater peace of mind, knowing that their livelihood is already in Hashem's hands — and always has been.

6th shiur - R' Jonathan Rietti Likutei Moharan Torah 7 Tinyana.Subscribe to our WhatsApp status for exclusive updates, short clips and more. We are also available on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts. Download our english and hebrew pamphlets here

The precision with which Hashem runs this world is absolutely mind-blowing. Everything happens at the exact time and place that it is meant to happen. Even events that seem to be the work of man are, in truth, the guiding hand of Hashem. A man related that on the 28th of Tishrei this year, he was in shul waiting for the reading of theTorah to begin. He waited and waited, wondering why it was taking so long. Someone finally told him that the person who was chosen to open the Aron Kodesh had accidentally taken out the wrong Sefer Torah. The one removed was rolled to somewhere in Parashat Pinchas, but the reading for that day was Parashat Noach. This meant they would have to spend quite some time rolling it to the correct place. The man couldn't understand how such a careless mistake could have happened. The gabbai always sets up the Sifrei Torah in a way that makes it obvious which one should be taken out. He was in a rush and now was going to be late. Meanwhile, the gabbai began rolling the Sefer, and everyone in shul worked on their middot and emunah, reminding themselves that this too was min haShamayim. Suddenly someone called out, "Look what it says here!" He pointed to the letters woven into the Torah's cover, where it read: Dedicated to the memory of a boy who passed away at seventeen years old on this very day—the 28th of Tishrei. What an incredible "mistake"! The man who opened the Aron had been guided by Hashem Himself, so that the Torah dedicated in memory of that young boy would be read on his yahrzeit. Suddenly, nobody cared about the delay. They were all in awe, having witnessed such a clear revelation of the Yad Hashem. After the tefillah, they discovered something astonishing. The 28th of Tishrei can never fall on Shabbat or Thursday; the only time a Torah can be read on that date is when it falls on a Monday. Since the boy's passing, that date had fallen on a Monday only five times, and it was not scheduled to do so again for another twenty years. That very day, Hashem orchestrated events so that his Torah would be read for him—guiding the man's hand to take out that exact Sefer. A woman related that for two years her husband refused to give her a get. Many rabbanim got involved, but nothing seemed to help. Her family encouraged her to publicize the situation and rally support, noting that he was ignoring the Beit Din summons. Before acting, she sought da'at Torah from her rav. He advised her to wait patiently and not to publicize anything yet. He explained that since she had just given birth, she would have to wait until her baby was two years old before she could remarry anyway. Listening to that advice was extremely difficult for her, because it was not in her nature to sit back and watch what seemed like injustice unfold. But she strengthened her emunah, saying, "No one has any power other than Hashem. The moment He wants me to have my get—I will have it." And finally, that day came. Her husband gave her the get. It was nothing short of a miracle. Afterward, the rav from the Beit Din told her, "With this get, you will be permitted to remarry in exactly ninety-two days." She looked at the calendar—and couldn't believe what she saw. The ninety-second day was the exact day of her son's second birthday. She felt as though Hashem was whispering to her, "You were in My hands the entire time. You were never delayed—not even by one second. The exact day that you would be halachically permitted to marry again is the day your get would fully take effect." The precision of Hashem in every person's life is truly beyond comprehension. We occasionally hear some stories, but these wonders are happening to millions of people every single day—all orchestrated perfectly by the One who directs every detail of creation. There is nothing random; every delay, every detour, every detail is part of Hashem's perfect plan.

At the beginning of Parashat Chayei Sarah, the Torah goes into great detail regarding Avraham Avinu's purchase of the Me'arat HaMachpelah. The Ramban writes that this story is told at length because it represents one of the greatest tests of Avraham's life. Chazal tell us that when Moshe Rabbeinu questioned Hashem about making the work harder for Benei Yisrael in Miẓrayim, Hashem replied that He missed Avraham and gave an example of Avraham's steadfast emunah. Hashem had promised Avraham the entire land of Eretz Yisrael, yet when he needed a place to bury Sarah Imeinu, he could not find one until he was forced to pay an exorbitant sum — and still, he did not question Hashem. The Mefarshim are bothered, because from the pesukim it seems Avraham easily found a burial site, and the Benei Chet offered it to him free of charge. The Alshich HaKadosh explains that Avraham requested an "Achuzat Kever", a permanent burial place — one in which Sarah would rest until Tichiat HaMetim. However, the Benei Chet were only willing to offer a temporary plot; they did not want Avraham to hold a permanent stake in the land. Avraham then asked to speak directly with Efron Hachiti, offering to purchase the entire property where the Me'arah stood. Efron hinted that it would cost an enormous amount, and Avraham paid it in full, without the slightest complaint or question of Hashem's promise. Think about what Avraham was experiencing at that moment. He had just passed what may have been the greatest test in history — the Akeidat Yitzchak — and upon returning, he learned that his beloved Sarah had suddenly passed away. Wanting only to perform the mitzvah of k'vurah as quickly as possible, he found himself dealing with the most difficult, dishonest people imaginable. He was denied a place to bury his wife in a land that the Creator Himself had promised him as an eternal inheritance. When a person suffers loss and grief, it is natural to be emotionally fragile; to then face new frustration can easily cause one to lose patience or become angry. Yet Avraham Avinu maintained the same calm, pleasant demeanor throughout. He treated the Benei Chet and Efron with the utmost respect and paid an outrageous price — all while knowing that Hashem had already granted him this very land as a gift. This unwavering composure and acceptance were what impressed Hashem so deeply. Hashem was showing Moshe Rabbeinu the greatness of Avraham: that no matter how far Hashem pushed him, he never lost himself; he never let the test diminish his emunah. Whenever a person faces a situation in which he could easily lose control or complain, he must remember: Hashem put him there. Hashem is watching to see if he will rise above it. Avraham accepted everything that came his way with joy, knowing it was the Ratzon Hashem — the will of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. That was what Hashem "bragged" about to Moshe Rabbeinu. A man told me about his daughter who lives in Lakewood. Her brother-in-law asked to borrow her car for a night. She gladly agreed, but he unfortunately totaled it. Just a few days later, her brother asked if he could borrow her other car for the night. After what had just happened, she easily could have refused, saying she needed a break from lending her car. But Hashem was testing the depth of her middat hachesed. She smiled and handed him the keys. That night, he too got into an accident and caused major damage to the second car. She could have become upset, blaming them for carelessness — yet she accepted everything from Hashem with understanding and calmness. A few days later, their name was drawn in a local yeshivah raffle, and they won a brand-new Toyota Sienna worth $40,000. If a person worries about damage to his car, he must remember that Hashem can give him ten cars if He wishes. Our concern should not be about possessions — but about our character, our response to challenges, and how we accept Hashem's will. The harder the test, the greater the potential for growth.

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/living-with-emunah-part-365-no-warrantee-on-your-parts Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:10:07 +0000 7166 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Living with Emunah - podcast no

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH ON THE PARASHAH 2 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422645581.html We find that some people merit extraordinary heavenly help in their physical lives, while others receive extraordinary help in their spiritual lives. The true purpose of life, however, is not physical comfort or material success—it is spiritual growth . The physical blessings we receive are only given to help us achieve higher levels of spirituality. Our main focus in our tefillot should therefore be for heavenly help in our spiritual lives, and for the spiritual success of our children. No matter how hopeless a situation may appear, Hashem can lift a person from the lowest depths to the highest heights. Rivkah Imenu is the perfect example of this truth. She grew up in a home of spiritual darkness. Her father, Betuel, was a deceitful and corrupt man. Her brother, Lavan, was a greedy trickster. The city of Charan was filled with idolatry, dishonesty, and moral decay. The Midrash tells us that Rivkah's home was filled with the stench of idol worship. Her father was among the leaders of that idolatrous society, and her brother was his enthusiastic disciple. Rivkah was surrounded by tum'ah , but all she wanted was kedushah . How could she possibly lead a life of Torah and mitzvot in such a place? How would she ever find a husband who would lift her toward holiness? And then, one morning, while living the same ordinary life in the same spiritually harmful atmosphere, everything changed. In an instant, she was chosen to marry the son of Avraham Avinu , the Gadol HaDor . She went from the darkest home in Charan to the holiest home in the world. Her tefillot had brought her the greatest yeshuah imaginable. Rivkah became one of the mothers of Klal Yisrael . Hashem lifted her from spiritual darkness to eternal greatness. This lesson remains true for all of us. Hashem can take a person from any environment—no matter how far from holiness—and raise him to the greatest levels of kedushah . Nothing is beyond His power. A man related that his son had moved to another city, far from their family. All his other children lived nearby, and all were shomrei Torah u'mitzvot . This son's new city, however, had a much lower level of Torah observance. The father and mother were heartbroken. Their greatest joy in life was knowing that their children were growing spiritually and learning Torah every day, and now they feared this son would lose that connection. They prayed daily for their son's ruchaniyut . Time passed, and their son remained in that city for many years. One day, they attended a local yeshivah auction and noticed one of the prizes was a Judaica package that included the entire ArtScroll Shas in English. They dreamed of their son learning from those very Gemarot , so they placed a ticket in the raffle—and they won. They now had an entire Shas in boxes in their home. They used it as a reminder and motivation to continue praying for their son's spiritual growth. A few months later, their son called to tell them he was making a siyum . They were stunned. They had no idea he had been learning. Overjoyed, they told him about the Shas they had won and offered it to him as a gift. He was delighted and said he would love to have it. Not long after, their son and his wife found a new home—right next door to a kollel . He arranged to learn there daily and quickly became part of the community. The parents decided to bring the Shas to him personally. They packed the heavy volumes into four large boxes and went to the airport. Each box weighed over eighty pounds. The total excess baggage should have cost them hundreds of dollars. When they arrived at the counter, the agent smiled and said, "Today, we're giving you four extra suitcases free of charge." Without further explanation, he checked in all the boxes. They were able to bring the entire Shas free of charge to their son's new home, where it would be used daily for Torah study. Our tefillot for ourselves and for our children can move mountains. We often pray for livelihood or comfort—but the greatest blessings of all are in the spiritual realm. When we pray for ruchaniyut , Hashem appreciates it so much, because that is the true purpose of life: to grow closer to Him and to help our children do the same. Shabbat Shalom.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH ON THE PARASHAH 2 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422645581.html Living Emunah 2848 Hashem Decides the Parnassah Regarding a person's hishtadlut to earn a livelihood, the Chovot HaLevavot writes that one is only obligated to work to earn the bare minimum that he needs to get by. If Hashem wants him to have extra, He will send it without any additional effort on his part. And if Hashem does not want him to have extra, then no matter how hard he tries, no matter how many hours he works, he will not be able to get beyond what Hashem has destined for him. There is no such thing as one amount of hishtadlut to earn a regular livelihood and a different amount to become wealthy. It is all the same. Wealth is not achieved through extra work; it is decreed by Hashem and comes to those He chooses. A man told me that he automatically purchases a certain product every year at a specific time. A year ago, he realized that one of those products had lost him around half a million dollars the year before, and he wanted to cancel the order. But by the time he remembered, the order had already been placed. He called the company repeatedly, asking to cancel, but after going back and forth for two weeks, they told him it was impossible. He was frustrated but accepted that this was Hashem's doing and said kapparah . In the middle of that year, something unexpected happened. That very product suddenly became extremely popular, and its price skyrocketed. By the year's end, instead of losing a half a million dollars, he earned a five million dollar profit—on that same product he had tried so hard to cancel. Hashem wanted him to have that extra money, and He made sure he would not succeed in canceling the order. Someone once asked me, "If I don't have a job that can make me wealthy, does that mean I'll never become wealthy?" I told him, Hashem has infinite ways to bring blessing to a person. It is never our job to figure out how. A man who teaches in a school, earning just enough to get by, shared that one day he received a phone call from a businessman. The businessman had heard that he might know someone in a certain industry that he was trying to enter. The teacher indeed knew someone prominent in that field. The businessman told him, "If you introduce me to him and he helps me get into the industry, I'll give you generous commissions on every sale I make." The teacher said afterward, "I don't know if anything will come of it, but it showed me that if Hashem wants to send me extra money, He can easily do so—even for a schoolteacher with a simple salary." Another man said his mortgage company called out of nowhere, offering a much lower interest rate. They handled all the paperwork quickly, and just like that, he was saving over a thousand dollars a month—without lifting a finger. A woman told me that she went hiking with some friends. Along the way, she suddenly noticed that her large, expensive diamond had fallen out of her engagement ring. They were walking on a steep mountain road with a cliff on one side, slippery steps, and leaves everywhere. People were passing by from both directions. The diamond could have fallen off the cliff or been kicked away, and she had no idea where or when she had lost it. She stopped and reminded herself: if Hashem wants, He can easily return it. She recited the tefillah for finding lost items, pledged a generous donation to tzedakah , and thanked Hashem for putting her in that situation. Within three minutes, one of her friends called out—she had found the diamond under a pile of leaves. It was like an open miracle. Parnassah is completely in the hands of Hashem. The best hishtadlut for success is not working overtime or worrying more—it is tefillah and ma'asim tovim . When we do our reasonable part and place our trust in Him, Hashem takes care of the rest.

The Gemara says that tefillah is something that stands at the height of the world—meaning it reaches the highest places in Shamayim—yet people treat it lightly and do not give it the proper respect that it deserves. It is not uncommon to hear people say, "I tried tefillah and it didn't work, so I stopped," or, "It doesn't seem like Hashem is answering my tefillot anyway, so why should I invest so much time and effort into them?" While that might sound like a logical deduction, it belittles the true value of what tefillah really is. The source of tefillah in the Torah comes from the words ״וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם״ —"to serve Hashem with all of one's heart." First and foremost, tefillah is called an avodah , a service to Hashem. We must understand that through the act of tefillah, we are fulfilling a great mitzvah. How does one serve Hashem with his heart? We come and stand before the Melech with all of our wants and needs and desires, fully understanding that everything we have—and everything we want and need—comes from Him and only Him. No human being has any power whatsoever to give us anything unless it is Hashem's will. Our complete nullification before Hashem, and our recognition of His absolute control to the point where we feel it in our hearts, is considered a great avodah to Hashem. Tefillah is not merely a means to get things from Hashem; it is a wondrous avodah that raises us to the highest spiritual levels. Rav Chaim HaLevi writes that one of the main and most basic kavanot a person must have when he gets up to pray is to know with clarity that he is standing right in front of the Melech Malchei HaMelachim HaKadosh Baruch Hu. He must imagine that he is literally being elevated to the highest places in Shamayim and being brought into a private room with just him and Hashem. And for as long as he is in the Amidah, that is how long that private meeting lasts. Hashem is right there, listening to every single word. The Alei Shur writes that if someone is able to perform the mitzvah of tefillah properly each time—truly imagining that private meeting with Hashem—he will never need any proofs about Hashem. He will never have questions in emunah. The more he practices recognizing that he is actually standing before Hashem, the more he will genuinely feel that he is standing before Hashem. A private meeting with the Creator of the world—telling Him what we want and need, with the recognition that only He can give it—is a very holy endeavor. And that is besides what we accomplish spiritually by just saying the holy words of the Amidah. Rav Chaim Volozhiner writes that our understanding of the words of the Amidah, written by the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah, is not even a drop in the ocean compared to the true depth of their meaning. Every time a person says the words of the Amidah—even with just their basic meaning—he is making tikkunim in all of the worlds, both the upper and the lower. And every time we pray, we create brand new tikkunim. From the time people began saying the Amidah until Mashiach comes, there has never been—and never will be—two identical tefillot. Each person accomplishes different spiritual rectifications in his own way with every single tefillah. We have no idea how much we accomplish with even one sincere tefillah. The greatest thing we can do for ourselves is to invest more time, more energy, and more thought into our tefillot—so that they become the avodah they are meant to be. Yes, it is true that Hashem also gives us our needs through tefillah—that is a bonus—but the main part of tefillah is the part that comes from us. It is a mitzvah like no other, and the more kavod we treat it with, the greater the avodah will be.

Every time we see the hand of Hashem in our daily lives, it strengthens us to internalize that He is constantly orchestrating every event that takes place. A woman told me her family lives in an out-of-town community. Last year, during winter break, a few boys went away for Shabbat to their neighborhood. They originally planned to stay on a different side of town, but at the last moment, those plans fell through, so they ended up coming to her side of town for Shabbat. The problem was, they had nowhere to eat. Her father was asked if he could host two of the boys for Shabbat lunch. Normally, he does not like having boys over when his teenage daughters are home. But that Shabbat, something extremely uncommon happened — all his daughters were away. So he happily invited the boys in. They immediately took a strong liking to one of them, a thoughtful and refined boy whose family lives in Switzerland and who was learning in Lakewood. After Shabbat, they learned more about him, and this year, baruch Hashem, he married their daughter. How were they going to find the right match for her? Hashem brought the boy from across the world, directly into their home. The yad Hashem was unmistakable. A man told me another remarkable story. He received a phone call from an acquaintance in Israel asking for help. This acquaintance explained that his young son had a rare illness called PKU, where the body cannot break down protein. To get the necessary nutrition, the child needs a special formula called phenyl-free. But recently, the manufacturer had stopped producing it in Israel, leaving the three hundred people who rely on it scrambling to find it elsewhere. The father said he didn't know anyone in the United States. This man was the only person he could think of. He told him that he and his wife had been trying to figure out who to call, but nothing came to mind. Then the mother went to pray on Rachel Imenu's yohrzeit at Kever Rachel in Beit Lechem, pouring out her heart for her child's needs. That night, suddenly, this man's name came to mind. He told him, don't worry, I'll help you. He searched online and found the formula on a website. It was expensive, and there were sixteen cases available. He immediately asked friends if they wanted to participate in the mitzvah of helping these families. Baruch Hashem, together they bought all sixteen cases. The order was set to arrive at his home, and he knew someone flying to Israel that week. At first, the delivery date said it would take several days, which meant the traveler would miss it. But later that night, the shipping estimate suddenly changed, and the delivery was scheduled for the very next day. When this man saw where the formula was being shipped from, he nearly fell off his chair. The cases were coming from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The mother had gone to pray in Beit Lechem by Kever Rachel, begging for Hashem's help with this exact formula. And the very next day, the formula was shipped from Bethlehem. Hashem showed that He was listening in the most precise, unmistakable way. They received so many cases that they were able to distribute them to other families in Israel who desperately needed them. The yad Hashem was so clear. Every detail, every timing, every connection — all orchestrated with exact precision. And when we pay attention, we realize He is sending us messages like these all the time.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH ON THE PARASHAH 2 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422645581.html After one of the angels, appearing in the form of a person, told Avraham that Sarah would have a baby, the pasuk says that Sarah laughed, wondering how she could possibly have a child at such an advanced age. The Chizkuni writes that Sarah did not laugh at the moment she heard the news. The angel had said she would have a baby the following year at the same time they were currently in, which was Pesach. Initially, Sarah believed this would happen. She was filled with emunah that the words of the malach would come true. But when Tishre came around six months later and she was still not pregnant, that is when she began to lose hope. Only six months remained until Pesach, and nothing at all had changed in all that time. She looked at her situation, at her age, at the natural limitations, and it suddenly seemed impossible. It was then that Hashem asked Avraham, "Why did Sarah laugh?" and said, hayi paleh meHashem davar — is anything beyond Hashem? Even though she was so old, and even though only a six-month window remained for pregnancy and childbirth, Hashem still wanted her to believe it could happen. She believed for so long, but the moment it seemed too unlikely, she despaired. Of course, the rebuke was only on her exalted level, but the lesson is deeply applicable to all of us. There are times when we get our hopes up and truly believe in Hashem's salvation. We hold on tightly, convinced that what we want can happen. But as the months and years go by, keeping up that hope becomes harder. Sometimes the situation looks so bleak, so unlikely, that even imagining salvation feels unrealistic. It is precisely for those moments that we must remind ourselves, hayi paleh meHashem davar? Is anything beyond Hashem? It doesn't matter how long it has been. It doesn't matter how unlikely the outcome appears. Hashem can do anything, at any moment, and He wants us to believe that with all our hearts. I once read a story from the days of the Gold Rush. A man bought a plot of land and dug for months. He invested enormous time, money, and energy, but he found nothing. Exhausted and discouraged, he finally gave up and sold the land for pennies. The very next morning, the new owner dug just three feet deeper and struck one of the richest diamond pockets ever discovered. Three feet was the difference between despair and fortune. It is often the final moments before the yeshuah that feel the darkest. Hashem is ready to give; He just wants us to hold on a little longer. I once heard a mashal of a man trapped in a room that was completely dark, with no windows. He tried to chisel his way out through thick cinder blocks. Day after day he worked, but the room remained just as dark as when he started. He saw no progress at all. But what he didn't know was that he had almost reached the outside. A few more chisels would have broken through the wall and flooded the room with brilliant daylight. We can be the same. We pray so much, we put in effort, we do everything we can, and yet nothing appears to change. We don't realize that our tefillot and efforts may already have brought us to the very edge of breakthrough. We must never stop. The hope itself is a tremendous mitzvah. We are in this world to fulfill a spiritual mission, and every bit of hope, every tefillah, every moment we strengthen ourselves, brings us success in Hashem's eyes. The harder it is to keep hoping, the greater the avodah becomes. And if salvation comes, it will be because of those very tefillot and efforts we invested during the struggle. Hashem asks only that we continue hoping, continue believing, even when it seems bleak. If we do that, we have done our part, and we will be considered successful by Hashem.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH ON THE PARASHAH 2 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422645581.html Although Sara Imenu was nearly ninety years old and physically incapable of having children, Hashem still expected her to believe with full conviction that she could. The words Hashem used to describe His boundless abilities were, הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵיְ־הוָה דָּבָר — is there anything beyond Hashem? These are words that we must live by. It is true that the Gemara teaches that a person should not pray for something that requires Hashem to overturn nature. But our rabbis tell us that there are many exceptions to this principle. Rav Sadok Hakohen explained that having children is considered part of the natural order, and therefore no matter what any doctor says, a person is always encouraged to pray for children. Furthermore, if a person is facing a fatal illness, lo aleinu, the Orchot Rabbeinu writes that we must continue praying for refuah shelemah, and this is not what Chazal meant when they said not to pray for miracles. Even if doctors insist the illness is incurable, Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt"l said that there may be a medication in the world that we simply have not discovered yet. That is not a miracle; that is part of the natural world which Hashem controls completely. It is not our job to tell Hashem how to save us. It is our job to pray. Hashem can do anything—and it can all happen within the natural order. A woman — we will call her Sarah — told me the following story. She went to the doctor for a routine check. After the initial tests, she returned to the waiting room. A short time later, they called her name and told her the doctor wanted more imaging. She knew these weren't scheduled, and her heart dropped. She went in for the additional scans. As the technicians studied the images, she overheard them speaking in alarming tones: "Oh no… what are we going to tell the doctor?" "Let's try again…" Each time they repeated the scan, the tone got worse. Sarah panicked. Should she call her husband? Should she spare him the worry until she knew more? A flood of thoughts raced through her mind. She truly felt that her time in this world might be very short. But then she realized: at this moment, she didn't know anything for sure. This was the best time to pray. She wondered what words to use. Should she ask Hashem to remove whatever mass they were seeing — would that be asking for an open miracle? Should she ask that it be harmless — when the technicians' reactions indicated otherwise? Should she pray that surgery would be quick and successful? Each option seemed like she was dictating to Hashem how the salvation should come. So she said: it is not my job to tell Hashem how to help me. My job is simply to pray. With that clarity, she poured out her heart: "Hashem, please grant me many more healthy years of life so I can continue doing Your avodah." When the scans were finished, she returned to the waiting area and continued praying intensely. Finally her name was called. She braced herself. But the doctor smiled and said, "Everything looks great. You're good to go." She was stunned. She had heard the technicians' panic. She knew they had seen something. So she asked, "What about the retesting?" The doctor replied, "Oh, that wasn't for you. There's another Sarah. She has a known mass and we wanted updated imaging." The technicians were confused because they couldn't find the mass anymore and thought they were making mistakes. Her heart skipped a beat. While she was praying for life, convinced they had seen something terrible on her brain, she had no idea they were scanning the wrong Sarah. Never in her wildest imagination could she have predicted this scenario. But Hashem doesn't need us to figure out how salvation will come. He only asks us to trust and to pray. הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵיְ־הוָה דָּבָר — is anything ever beyond Hashem? Shabbat Shalom.