Podcasts about hakadosh baruch hu

Welcome to Daily Bitachon Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Having completed Sha'ar Habechina , we are now going to switch to a more timely topic. We find ourselves in the month of Tammuz , which brings the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, followed by the month of Av and its respective fast. I would like to spend some time understanding the deeper dimensions of these months. Personally, seeing how perfectly planned and intricate the events of Jewish history are always provides a powerful chizuk in emunah , which naturally leads to deeper bitachon . To fully appreciate this, we need some background. We are not in a rush, so we will take our time to truly understand it. This framework is based largely on the teachings of the Ben Ish Chai (in Parashat Devarim ), where he discusses these concepts at length. The Three Dimensions of Conflict: Place, Person, and Time First, the Ben Ish Chai notes that the twelve months of the year are fundamentally broken down into four sets of three, aligned with the solar cycle—what we know as the four seasons. Secondly, we know that from the womb, there was a perpetual struggle between Yaakov and Esav . They fought over everything in existence, categorized by the classic framework of Place, Person, and Time . These are the three core dimensions of our existence: a person lives in a place and moves through time . Place: They struggled over the land of Eretz Yisrael . Person: They struggled over who would hold the status of the Bechorah (the birthright). Time: They struggled over who would control the different seasons of the year. The Summer Cycle: Grabbing the Heel Looking at the summer cycle, Yaakov claimed the spring months of Nissan, Iyar, and Sivan —the three months of Chodesh Ha'aviv . This is a beautiful, spiritually rich period: Nissan contains Pesach, Iyar holds the bulk of Sefirat Ha'omer, and Sivan brings Matan Torah. Yaakov Avinu fought for these three wonderful months and claimed them as his own. Then, the intense heat of the summer begins—a period of strict, intense judgment. This is where Esav takes over. This aligns with the fact that Esav calculates by the sun, and the sun is at its strongest during this time. Esav was originally slated to receive Tammuz, Av, and Elul . However, the Torah emphasizes that Yaakov grabbed Esav's heel at birth, earning him the name Yaakov (from Ekev , meaning heel). This teaches us that each of these three-month cycles has a "heel," or a tail end. Yaakov pulled the heel of this summer cycle—the month of Elul —back into his own domain. This converted what would have been an equal three-and-three split into an unequal four-month to two-month split in favor of Yaakov. The Winter Cycle: Venahapoch Hu We see the exact same pattern repeat during the winter months. Tishrei, Cheshvan, and Kislev belong to Yaakov. Tishrei is the month of the High Holidays. Cheshvan, though it contains no holidays, serves as the time to review and process the spiritual gains of the Chagim . Finally, Kislev brings the light of Chanukah. The next three months— Tevet, Shevat, and Adar —should have belonged to Esav. Tevet contains the fast of Asara B'Tevet . Shevat shares a root with the word Shevet , which means a whipping stick or a staff of judgment, signifying that Shevat also carries an element of strict justice. Adar was also supposed to belong to Esav, but once again, Yaakov grabbed the heel of the cycle and pulled Adar back. This is the deeper secret behind the phrase Venahapoch hu —it was completely turned around. Ultimately, this leaves Esav with only four distinct months of intense judgment throughout the year: Tammuz, Av, Tevet, and Shevat . The Spiritual Mechanics of Heat and Cold It is fascinating to see how something as everyday as the twelve months and the changing seasons trace back to the foundational conflict between Yaakov and Esav. Furthermore, the winter and summer concepts relate directly to the ideas of severe cold and severe heat. What do hot and cold have to do with our spiritual lives? It might sound intense, but our tradition teaches that while Gehenom is made of fire—which is what most people know—there is also a Gehenom of snow. There is a realm of extreme heat (like the Sahara Desert) and a realm of extreme cold (like the North Pole). Both are incredibly difficult environments for life. These two extremes correspond to the two primary ways we stumble: Intense Heat: This represents the burning pursuit of desires and lust. Intense Cold: This represents a state of freezing, spiritual paralysis, and laziness. In the winter months, our primary challenge is to overcome the "cold" of laziness and not simply stay in bed. In the summer months, our challenge is to control the "heat" and not follow our desires. The Gehenom of fire is the consequence of chasing unbridled passion, while the Gehenom of snow is for frozen apathy. Esav is constantly trying to entrap us in these two areas. As Rashi notes, when Esav walked in to receive a blessing from his father Yitzchak, Yitzchak saw Gehenom open up behind him. Esav is the one who ultimately aligns with Gehenom , while Yaakov and his children inherit Gan Eden and Olam HaBa . Historical Precision as a Source of Chizuk These spiritual dynamics repeat themselves every single year. As we overcome the specific trials of the summer and winter, we emerge clean. The calendar is not random or haphazard. Tammuz and Av are months of strict judgment because they are Esav's remaining summer months of intense, severe heat. It is no coincidence that this was the exact time of year the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed by fire. The historical convergence is remarkable. The First Beit HaMikdash , the Second Beit HaMikdash , the Spanish Inquisition, and the outbreaks of both World War I and World War II all heavily converged around this specific window of the year. Rav Eliyahu Lopian once beautifully remarked that if the enemy only realized that the Jewish people actually derive a chizuk in emunah from the fact that these tragic events repeatedly happen at the exact same calendar window, they would have intentionally chosen a different time to attack us! Recognizing that everything is so precisely designed and orchestrated by Hakadosh Baruch Hu is profoundly comforting. It serves to strengthen our emunah and bitachon , giving us the tools to navigate and elevate these challenging times of the year.

Continuing the in-depth (b'iyun) journey through Torah 4 in the first chelek of Likutey Moharan, R' Rietti returns to the opening pasuk of the Aseres Hadibros — Anochi Hashem Elokecha asher hotzeisicha me'eretz Mitzrayim — the words we heard directly from Hakadosh Baruch Hu at Har Sinai. From that revelation flows the whole lesson: a glimpse of Olam Haba is the state in which we know that nothing can go wrong, because Ein Od Milvado — there is nothing besides Him.Rebbe Nachman teaches that every kind of pain and suffering comes from a lack of da'as. When a person truly knows that everything is from Hashem and that Hashem is only good, the very experience of suffering changes. This shiur draws in Torah 250 (Reish Nun) and builds toward the closing thought: everything a person could ever acquire is worth nothing without this da'as — the knowing that Hashem is the One standing behind your spouse, your parnasa, and everything in your life.In this shiur:A glimpse of Olam Haba = knowing nothing can go wrong (ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד)Ein Od Milvado — why the nations and enemies of history, in truth, "don't exist"All yisurim and pain rooted in a lack of da'asChanging your mazel through tefillahDa'as as Hashem's own mind — and what happens when the mind is "full" (uk'shenishlam hada'as)The klalos and the exiles — Crusades, the Inquisition, the Marranos — read through this lensThe closing: what is everything a person acquires worth, without da'as?#LikuteyMoharan #RebbeNachman #Breslov #Torah4 #EinOdMilvado #Daas #Emunah #OlamHaba #JewishWisdom #Chassidus #Hisbodedus #RabbiRietti

Welcome to our Daily Bitachon series. We are at the end of Sha'ar HaBechina [The Gate of Reflection], where the author tells us a beautiful mashal [parable] to show the greatness of Hashem. He compares us to a child who was raised in a jail cell and has no concept of the king who runs an entire empire; the child thinks the whole world is just that jail cell. And that is us in this world. We only have a small glimpse of what the real picture is and what God can truly do, living here on this small little planet. The Chovos HaLevavos tells us to develop this mashal . And we will do just that, based on the Chafetz Chaim in his sefer Shemiras HaLashon (Volume 1, in the section called Sha'ar HaTvuna , Chapter 10). He gives the following mashal to explain how we can rely on Hashem even when we are living in an era where we don't clearly see Hashem's control—where it looks like the world is running wild. It's fascinating how he uses this mashal to build our Bitachon [trust], because ultimately, as we've said, our understanding of the world is what leads us to serve Him, which ultimately brings us to Bitachon . And here we go: There was a king who had total global control. He was a superpower, and he ruled his kingdom beautifully. He had more than enough food and sustenance to provide for his entire kingdom, for all of his generals, and for everyone under his rule in a highly respectable way. Yet, as can happen on a small, isolated island with a tiny group of people, a few servants decided to stage a minor rebellion out of pure arrogance. The king heard about it. Okay, his men would handle it, no problem. Right after the news reached the king, he went for a walk in his vineyard, not feeling threatened by this rebellion at all. While walking, he heard a beautiful bird chirping. It looked nice, it sounded beautiful, and he told one of his servants, "I'd like to have that bird in my palace so we can listen to its beautiful singing." And so they did; they put the bird in a cage and brought it to the king's palace, where it sang in a beautiful, sweet tone. One foolish man saw the bird and said, "You poor bird, I feel so bad for you. You know, you're going into the king's palace because you have a beautiful voice, but you're really going to suffer there because you won't have any food." The bird asked, "Why not?" The man replied, "Because I heard that there are people rebelling against the king!" Another, smarter servant overheard this and said, "What a fool! Our king rules the entire world. He has endless treasure houses. Taking care of this bird is a joke to him. And he loves the chirping of this bird! Do you really think he can't manage to find a few morsels of grain every day to sustain this bird just because there are a few rebels in some far-off little town?" That is the mashal . For the nimshal [the lesson], the Chafetz Chaim says that this analogy doesn't even compare one-in-a-million to what is really going on. God created this physical world, but He also created the upper worlds. The spiritual realm consists of many worlds. There are four basic spiritual worlds: our world is called Olam HaAsiya [the World of Action], and above it are the worlds of Yetzira , Beriah , and Atzilut . We aren't kabbalists to go into exactly what all these levels mean. But the point he is making is that when we see a "rebellion" happening down here in this tiny physical world, we are viewing everything through limited, physical eyes. We don't see what is truly going on; we have no idea of the full scope of the universe. And we are like that little bird—that tiny, teeny bird—worrying, "How is the king going to take care of me?" Who is the bird? The bird is us, the Jewish people, whose voices God loves to hear. As the verse says, " Yonati bechagvei hasela "—"My dove in the clefts of the rock." He wants to take care of us! Yet, we worry because we see rebellions going on, because there is Hamas, because there is Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Hezbollah. We worry because we see a few rebels. Do you know what our King can do? The Chafetz Chaim says we should be more shocked at our own anxious attitude than at the attitude of that foolish servant telling the bird that the king can't feed him. That is huge. He says that all we need to do, every single day, is think about this. When we think about this, it will strengthen our Bitachon . And again, this is exactly what Sha'ar HaBechina is all about—seeing God's power and understanding how He is completely unlimited, and using that clarity to reach Bitachon . I will not stop stressing this point: You cannot jump to Sha'ar HaBitachon without going through Sha'ar HaBechina . You must first appreciate who God is, and then you can rely on Him. And even then, you can't just jump straight to relying on Him; you have to first commit yourself to serving Him. Your first reaction to God's greatness isn't supposed to be, "Wow, look how strong God is, look what I can get from Him!" No. It should be, "Look how strong God is—what do I have to do to reciprocate?" And how do we reciprocate? How will we find the tools and abilities to do so? That is where Bitachon comes in: rely on Him, and He will take care of you. The absolute fundamental of Bitachon is that Hashem takes care of His servants . You need to be a servant first. This is the path of Sha'ar HaBechina . That is what the author is telling us. We have a clear track. When you get to the end of this gate, you have to realize what the next step is, but never forget the foundation. As we say, you constantly have to go over this foundation again and again, every single day. He notes that this is the deeper meaning of the verse in Yeshayahu (26:4): " Ki b'Y-H Hashem tzur olamim ." Chazal [the Sages] tell us that God created the worlds with two letters of His Name: a Yud , which created Olam HaBa [the World to Come], and a Heh , which created Olam HaZeh [this world]. What does this verse say? Once we know that Hashem created both worlds and that He is a tzur —a rock, meaning He is completely reliable, the rock in whom we find refuge ( tzur achasayu bo )—the verse commands us: " Bitchu v'Hashem adei ad "—"Trust in Hashem forever and ever." What does "always and forever" mean? The Chafetz Chaim explains that "always" means even in our times, when it looks like a massive rebellion is going on. Rely on Him always! Why? Because you know how powerful He is: " Ki b'Y-H Hashem tzur olamim "—because God is the Rock of worlds , plural. Let's repeat this verse one more time: Bitchu v'Hashem adei ad . Rely on Hashem forever and ever. Why? Because Hashem is the Rock of the worlds. He is the Rock, meaning He is reliable—the ultimate Rock of Gibraltar. He is reliable, and He is the Creator of all the worlds. Regardless of what it looks like is happening downstairs, it is only a drop in the bucket. And from this, to quote the Chafetz Chaim: " Nuchel lehavin et godel habitachon she-yesh l'adam livtoach b'Hakadosh Baruch Hu "—"Through this, we can understand the immense scale of trust that a person must place in the Holy One, blessed be He."

Here is a lightly edited version of the transcript that polishes the grammar and improves readability while keeping the original context, structure, and conversational flow completely intact: Welcome to Daily Bitachon and our Sha'ar HaBechina . We are discussing the factors that interfere with or ruin our contemplation of what God does for us. The Chovot HaLevavot starts by telling us to look back at the beginning of the book, which discusses three initial interferences: namely, that we get used to everything, we always desire more, and we allow the things in our lives that don't go right to interfere. And now for reason number four—an additional reason that applies specifically to Bechina —and that is a person's arrogance when it comes to the benefits of God. A person often thinks, "I am deserving of this and more." In the author's words: יחשוב הכסיל הפתי כי הוא ראוי להן וליותר להן ( "The foolish fool thinks that he is worthy of them and of more than them" ). Because of this, he does not contemplate what God gave him, and he doesn't feel a need to praise and thank Hashem. As it says in the pasuk in Mishlei 16:5: תועבת ה' כל גבה לב ( "Every proud heart is an abomination to the Lord" ); it's an abomination to God when anyone is arrogant. This is a very eye-opening concept. Who doesn't have a little arrogance? The text is telling us that we feel this way because we think, "Do you know who I am? I deserve so much more." I still remember an advertisement for an expensive watch, and at the bottom, it said, "You deserve it." That is the feeling of many people today. "I deserve this; I worked hard." People use that term all the time: "You deserve it." Rav Wolbe writes about this topic in his Alei Shur (Volume 2, page 278), where he gives two reasons why we lack hakarat hatov (gratitude). Number one is hamuskal harishon , which we could translate as an axiom—something that is accepted as self-evident, a premise, or prior knowledge. There is no exact English term to translate this type of basic assumption. For example, it's like saying hamuskal harishon dictates that a person who was raised in the lap of luxury is spoiled. That's a muskal rishon , even though it might not always be that way. Rav Wolbe says that our hamuskal harishon is to understand שהכל מובן מאליו בעולם —that everything in the world is self-understood. It means we believe things are simply supposed to be there. Of course there's supposed to be a sun, a moon, and mountains. What's the question? It's just obvious. And everything is deserved. This happens because a person is born without intelligence; as they grow and become intelligent, everything seems self-understood and feels like it has to be that way. A person thinks he has to be healthy, and he has to be full and complete in his bodily functions. This is similar to what we said at the beginning of the Chovot HaLevavot's Sha'ar HaBechina —that a person gets used to everything—but Rav Wolbe is adding a little nuance here. It's not just that a person is used to it, but because he is used to it, he feels entitled . Because he is raised by parents when he is young, he thinks that is just the way it's supposed to be. You're supposed to have parents to take care of everything you need and desire. So he thinks, "Why should I thank my mother? That's what she's supposed to be doing." Furthermore, a person is born with a fundamental ego to see himself as the center of the world, believing everything was made for him. Therefore, whatever people do for him is deserved. Why should he thank anybody? He is the center of the world. Now, this is an interesting concept, because in a way, it is true. The whole world is there to serve you. That is a Gemara : Bishvili Nivra HaOlam ( "For my sake the world was created" ). But what does it mean that it was made for you? It was made to be a tool for you to serve Hashem, not because you are the center of the universe. Rav Wolbe says you need a lot of hard work to wean yourself off this original axiom and to teach yourself that nothing is self-understood. You are not entitled to anything, and everything you receive is considered a chessed ve'tovah (a kindness and a favor). That is the job of hakarat hatov . It doesn't make a difference if it's benefits you receive from God or benefits you receive from people; it is our job to constantly train ourselves that everything—literally everything—is a benefit and a kindness to us. Life itself is not self-understood. As it says in Eicha : מה יתאונן אדם חי ( "Why should a living man complain?" ). The Gemara in Kiddushin 80b expounds on this: מה יתאונן על מדותיו ( "How could you complain about God's ways?" ), וכי גבר על חטאו ( "Has he overcome his sins?" ), דייו חיים שנתתי לו ( "It is enough that I gave him life" ). Rashi explains: what are you complaining about regarding what's going on with you? Everything is a chessed . The very fact that you're alive is a chessed . Rabbi Miller brings a beautiful mashal (parable) about this. Imagine a man in a concentration camp standing in a long line, and he is on the wrong line. Someone comes over to him and says, "I can save you." For argument's sake, let's say it's Schindler. Schindler is there and says, "Listen, Yankel, I can save you, but there are a few conditions." Yankel says, "Go ahead, what are they?" "Well, first of all, you're never really going to own your own house. You're going to live in an apartment." "Okay, I'll take that." "You're going to have a wife that's difficult. It's going to be a difficult marriage; she's not going to be that easy." "I'll take that." "Some of your children are going to have challenges and will not be that easy to raise." "I'll take that." "Are you sure? You might never be able to go on a trip to Florida." "I'll take that." "You might also never be able to go away for the summer." "I'll take that." Why? Because he is giving him life. But now, here we are, used to having homes, nice spouses, good children, and vacations. Therefore, we are not happy unless we get all of those things. And when we do get those things, we think, "What do you mean? Of course I should live in a house. Shouldn't I get married? Shouldn't I have children? Of course." This is what is termed in our modern world as a sense of entitlement, which means a stable, pervasive belief that one inherently deserves special treatment, unique privileges, or an exempt status from standard rules, without any obligation to earn or reciprocate those benefits. Now, everyone has a bit of that. Of course, there is a spectrum, and it can come to a point where it becomes a clinical description. But overcoming this is our job. Rav Friedlander, in his book Sifrei Sifsei Chaim - Chinuch (page 70), says: "I remember when I was in the house of my rabbi and teacher, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler. It was a hot day, and his wife, the Rebbetzin, brought him a glass of cold water. Wow, did he say thank you! With a large smile on his face, he made a big, full statement, really thanking her for that glass of water as if she had done the biggest favor in the world for him. It was not taken as self-understood." Entitlement is the source of a lot of complaints in marriages. You hear, "My wife doesn't make dinner when I come home." Well, who said she has to? "What do you mean? That's what all wives do." Not necessarily so. There is a famous Gemara about an Amora whose wife used to make his life very difficult. When he asked for oatmeal, she brought him cold cereal; when he asked for cold cereal, she brought him oatmeal. His son was watching this and said, "Dad, why don't you just ask for oatmeal when you want cold cereal, and ask for cold cereal when you want oatmeal?" The father replied, "You shouldn't teach yourself how to lie." Yet, this same rabbi was later seen at a wedding wrapping up some cookies to bring home to his wife. Someone said to him, "Your wife? She's the most difficult woman in the world!" His answer was, "It's enough that she takes care of my children and saves me from sin." Those are the two fundamentals of marriage. Does that mean it's supposed to be an automatic entitlement to have a wife? Of course you should say thank you. There is a deal when you get married—there's a ketubah —and the basic responsibilities of marriage are just that. Everything else after that is gravy. We are going to see that this is exactly how the world was built. There is a chessed of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Olam chessed yibaneh —the world is built on kindness. It wasn't that Hashem had to create a world. He wasn't forced to create a world, and He had nothing to gain from creating it. He is perfect; He doesn't need us, and He has everything already. So what was the point of creating a world? To do chessed . To do kindness. To give to us, and to give us existence. That is the shoresh —the root—of everything.

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/RJDSpotify.Life's central task is meeting the potential God gave you, in partnership with HaKadosh Baruch Hu, returning through teshuvah whenever you lose the path. Parashat Shelah reveals a deadly obstacle: crippling shame and inferiority. ..Rabbi Dweck has held rabbinic leadership roles in the US and the UK. He is the Rosh Bet Midrash of TheHabura.com and the Rabbi Levy Chair of Jewish Wisdom at the London School of Jewish Studies.For more, check out rabbijosephdweck.com.Instagram: https://instagram.com/rabbidweckTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbidweckYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RabbiJosephDweck

Welcome to our daily Bitachon. We are in Sha'ar HaBechinah , talking about the tremendous wisdom behind the running of the economy. Rabbi Dov Ber Weissmandl, the famous Rosh Yeshiva of Nitra, was deeply involved in trying to save as many Jews as he could from the Holocaust. His full story is detailed in a book called The Unheeded Cry —a heartbreaking and tragic account of how he tried, yet was not as successful as he could have been. He shares a beautiful source for this very concept that the world runs on money. In Bereishit (Chapter 2, Verses 8 to 11), the Torah describes how Hashem established Gan Eden in the center of the world, detailing its many different plants, flowers, and rivers. One of these rivers is called Pishon, and the Torah describes its location by noting: אשר שם הזהב — "where the gold is located." We are in the very middle of the creation of the universe; why are we introducing the location of gold? In his sefer Torat Chemed , on the drasha for Brit Milah, Reb Michael Ber explains that one of the vital components Hashem established during the six days of creation was אשר שם הזהב —the presence of gold. He taught that after everything God created, the world simply cannot run without currency; God designed the world so that money makes all the wheels turn. What is so poignant is that Reb Michael Ber lived this exact reality. When World War II broke out in September 1939, he was safely in England. Astonishingly, he chose to volunteer to return to Nazi-allied Slovakia to stand with his people and help orchestrate rescue efforts from the inside. Through the Bratislava Working Group, he successfully arranged to pay a $50,000 bribe to an SS official, which miraculously halted deportations from Slovakia for nearly two years, from late 1942 to the autumn of 1944. As we know, these communities were among the last to be targeted, and what pained him most were those final months when so many lives were lost that might have been saved, including the vast majority of Hungarian Jewry. He had also conceptualized the "Europa Plan"—a negotiation to halt all Nazi deportations across Europe in exchange for $2 million—but tragically, due to a lack of international funding, the plan never materialized. Yet, from his story, we see that money is capable of stopping a war. Money can accomplish fascinating things. While the Chovot HaLevavot views this entire dynamic as the direct hand of God, the secular world of economics uses a different phrase. In 1776, the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith coined a term in his book The Wealth of Nations called "the invisible hand" of the economy. This theory essentially posits that uncoordinated individual actions naturally lead to an efficient and socially beneficial outcome. This system operates on a few basic forces: The first is the price signal . Price serves as the ultimate communication system of the economy. If a severe frost destroys orange groves in Florida, oranges become scarce and the price automatically goes up. No one needs to send an email to every consumer asking them to buy fewer oranges; the price signal handles it automatically. People buy less, naturally conserving the scarce supply. Then there is the profit aspect . When a product's price rises, it signals to others that there is money to be made. If everyone suddenly wants electric scooters, scooter prices spike. Seeing those high profits, new companies rush into the market to build scooters. Once multiple companies enter a market to chase those profits, they have to compete for your business. To win you over, they are forced to do two things: lower their prices and improve their quality. Thus, the self-interested pursuit of profit accidentally results in better, cheaper products for the consumer. In their description of the wonders of the invisible hand, economists do admit to certain blind spots, which they call "market failures." This happens with "public goods" like streetlights, national defense, or lighthouses. It is difficult to charge individuals directly to use them, so because there is no clear profit motive, the free market won't build them on its own. So, who creates the streetlights and traffic lights? The answer lies in the previous concept we discussed: God implanted the instinct within us to establish governments to handle these very tasks. The secular concept of the invisible hand is simply not enough, because the truth is, the hand isn't an accident. The invisible hand is actually God's hand, quietly managing all of these blind spots as well. Another problem with this secular theory is monopolies. If one company crushes all competition, the invisible hand stops working. Without competition, they can raise prices and lower quality without penalty. But again, we have government oversight to regulate this—which is another mechanism that Hashem's hidden hand built into the social framework. Hashem did a masterful job of hiding Himself within creation and nature, allowing secular thinkers to view it as a blind "hidden hand," where millions of people freely trade based on their own needs and skills, accidentally creating a complex, highly efficient society that no single human mastermind could ever plan from the top down. But that conclusion is a mistake. There is one single Mastermind planning everything from the top down, and that is Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Secular philosophy sees the system, but they feel compelled to invent alternative names for it. Instead of acknowledging that God sustains the cosmos, they call it the force of gravity. Instead of recognizing that God runs the economy, they call it the invisible hand. It is a brilliant system: individual self-interest leads to competition, which leads to efficient resource allocation, which ultimately leads to public benefit. It sounds perfect. But Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the one entirely behind it. Our job, through the lens of the Chovot HaLevavot , is to look past the labels and see these divine attributes actively at work.

Welcome to our daily bitachon. One of the fundamentals of bitachon is to realize that you have a loving father in heaven that you could rely on. Reshit Chochma in Shaar HaAhava, seventh chapter, said that one of the ways that we know that God loves us is because he gave us the Torah. That's one of the biggest signs of his love for us and as Shavuot is coming, we have to think about that as well. And as it says in Devarim, כי שאל נא לימים ראשונים you're going to ask from the days of old, did anything ever happen like this? השמע עם קול אלוהים did anyone ever hear of a nation that God spoke to them? And he quotes the Zohar as saying that through Matan Torah, Hashem showed תוקף אהבתו יתברך לנו his tremendous powerful love for us like a father loves his dear son. And that's what it says in Pirkei Avot, chavivin Yisrael, dear are the Jewish people, שנתן להם כלי חמדה שבו נברא עולם we received the dear utensil through which the world was created. God used the Torah to create the world, that's his machinery, and he gave that to us. And he tells us that one of the ways to remember this is in your daily prayers that the Anshei Knesset Hagedolah, the men of the Great Assembly, established in our daily prayers. ahavat olam ahavtanu, an everlasting love you loved us, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem our God, chemla gedola viteira you had compassion on us. And what does that compassion referring to? It's referring to the fact that he gave us the Torah. Pay attention to that. That's the way we say how do I know that Hashem loves me? From the fact that he gave us the Torah. Look at the words that it says in that beracha. Avinu, our father, ba'avur shimcha hagadol because of your great name that is attached to us. בעבור אבותינו שבטחו בך because of our fathers that rely on you and read through line by line. Avinu av harachaman, our father, our merciful father, rachem aleinu have mercy on us. And now although we're in galut, nagila venismecha bishuatcha we rejoice and be happy in your salvation. What do you mean your salvation? That God's with us in this difficulty. So when we get saved, he gets saved. ובנו בחרת מכל עם ולשון he chose us from all the nations. He's a poel yeshuot, he's constantly creating salvations we don't know about it. וקרבתנו מלכנו לשמך הגדול you brought us close to your great name, that's after the whole long story of love. And what does that mean, says the Arizal? It means you brought us to Har Sinai to give us the Torah. The Torah is shmo hagadol, the Torah is God's great name. The source for birkat hatorah is כי שם השם אקרא when I announce the name of God, havu godel Lelokeinu, give him greatness. So when you're mentioning the name of God, when you learn Torah, give him greatness and bless him. Whenever we learn Torah, the Torah is God's names, whatever that means. That means this is the essence of what we know of God. A name is what you know of somebody. The Torah is God's names, that's what we know about him is the Torah and he gave us that knowledge. And he says we continue our prayers, this is every day, after we say Kriat Shema. goaleinu goel avoteinu your savior, our redeemer, the redeemer of our fathers, till the words ga'al Yisrael he says הכל מורה על אהבת הקדוש ברוך הוא לנו . This all shows how much Hashem loves us. The miracles that he made for us, taking out of Mitzrayim, hitting the firstborn, splitting the sea. If you read these words of our prayer, not out of rote he says, for sure your heart will be aroused to a tremendous love and desire for Hakadosh Baruch Hu and want to cleave to him and pray to him. And this is an important point as a famous story that they once asked Rav David Feinstein or Moshe, I'm sorry Rav Reuven Feinstein, Rav Moshe Feinstein's son should live a long life, how did you know that your father loved you? Your father was a great rabbi, posek hador, busy with everybody. How did you know that he loved you? And he said two things that I remember that stand out. Number one was whenever we had guests over Shabbat, the greatest of people that they could be, my seat was never moved, I always sat next to my father. Number two is my father would get up early in the morning to. So when I got up I could put on those warm pants and feel warm on a cold day. That's how I knew my father loved me. So that means a child has to sometimes look for little things. Of course it's obvious your father loves you, but you want to look for the little signs, the little indicators. And that's the same thing with God. How do I know my father loves me? Well, one of the main ways we know that he loves you is he gave you the Torah. And he doesn't just give you in the past but every single day we say noten haTorah, he's giving us the Torah. So if anybody here is listening to this class, what's really happening is they're hearing words of Torah that God gave them. Every day the Torah that we hear, whether we learn or hear from others, is a gift of God. So let us think of these important lessons as we get to Shavuot, and realize that this giving of the Torah is a fatherly love. We say every single day hashivenu avinu letoratecha, bring us back our father to your Torah, vekarevenu malkenu la'avodatecha, and bring us close our king to your service. We refer to God as our father and as our king. When it comes to Torah, hashivenu avinu letoratecha, the fact that we have a Torah is an expression of God's fatherly love to us. Our service to him, that indicates the slave-servant relationship, there God is a king. But God is our father when it comes to Torah, and one of the responsibilities a father has to a son is to teach him Torah, and that's what God does. So let's appreciate that love expression that we're getting this Shavuot, like a father loves a son and gives him.

Ikar ha-da'as hu achdus shel chasadim u'gvuros — true knowledge is the unity of kindness and restraint. Likutey Moharan, Torah Daled (Torah 4) — Shiur 2, with Rabbi Rietti. We finish the recap of paragraphs alef–gimel and walk paragraph daled be'kius, on the way toward zayin. Recorded the week of Matan Torah — the ultimate achdus. What we cover: Recap — the glimpse of Olam Haba — me'ein Olam Haba is from ayin, an eye: not a taste but a glimpse. The complete da'as that everything — the good and the "bad" — flows from one source, Hashem, who is only good, rooted in ahavah, chesed, and achdus. Vidui devarim before a talmid chacham — why this is not a Breslever chiddush: sources in Shas, Nach, and the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah, perek alef). And why vidui (from hoda'ah — to admit / to thank) is not the Catholic "confession." Seif daled — "u'kshe'yeida kol zos" — when a person knows all this, it is called yediya shleima. And ikar ha-da'as is the perfect unity of chasadim u'gvuros — chesed and gevura combined. (Why da'as is the joining of the two, not a sefira of its own.) What gevura actually means — not "power" but restraint. Mai gevuraso shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu? — Eizehu gibor? Ha'kovesh es yitzro. Hashem's gevura is erech apayim — His patience, holding back even with the reshaim. The highest demonstration of His gevura is that He withholds full puranus. Puranus and onesh — re-translated — puranus means payment, not "punishment" (Loshon Hakodesh has no word for punishment). Onesh = ayin (an eye that sees) + nash (to fall) — being shown how I have fallen. Mida k'neged mida is built to let a person see his own mistake. Examples in halacha — the eved ivri who stole and is treated with such chesed that he learns to care; the arei miklat (48 cities of the Levi'im); and the mitzvah of road signs at every junction in Eretz Yisroel. How Rebbe Nachman learns a pasuk — quoting pesukim and Gemaros "out of order" as drush; bittulah shel Torah zu hi kiyuma vs. yesoda — and why the kiyum (a building standing) depends entirely on the yesod (the foundation), per the Maharal.

Welcome to our daily Bitachon. Today is Erev Shavuot and we will begin with something we normally don't do: a brief halachic discussion. The Halachic Discussion: Meat on Shabbat vs. Yom Tov Does one have to eat meat on Shabbat? According to both Chacham Ovadia Yosef and Chacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul, it is not halachically required. If you enjoy meat, eating it is a wonderful fulfillment of Oneg Shabbat (Shabbat pleasure). However, if you simply do not like meat and it is not your cup of tea, you can certainly have a wonderful fish meal instead. Of course, the meal must still be respectful—like a wedding. You shouldn't just put tuna fish and crackers on the table. It should be elegantly set up. Just as a wedding features high-quality salmon, you can choose to serve fine dishes other than meat at your "Shabbat Queen's" wedding feast. It all depends on your personal enjoyment. If you are a meat eater who enjoys a steak on Thursday night, don't suddenly decide to go vegan on Shabbat. But if you are someone who avoids meat all week for dietary or health reasons, Shabbat is no different. When it comes to Yom Tov (the holidays), however, the rule is reversed. On Yom Tov, eating meat and drinking wine is an obligation. The Torah states, "V'samachta bechagecha" (You shall rejoice in your festival), and Chazal teach: אין שמחה אלא בבשר ויין "There is no joy without meat and wine." The Rambam writes in Sefer HaMitzvot (Aseh 54) that rejoicing with meat and wine is a positive commandment from the Torah. To fulfill this joy, women should receive clothing or gifts that make them happy, children should be given sweets, and men are meant to have meat and wine. The Shavuot Challenge This brings us to a common challenge on Shavuot: Isn't Shavuot supposed to be a dairy holiday? The tradition to eat dairy does not mean your entire meal must be dairy, nor does it mean you can forget the mitzvah of eating meat. Ideally, one should eat meat both night and day on Yom Tov. If that is too difficult, the daytime meal is the more critical time for meat. How do you balance both dairy and meat? You must eat your dairy foods first. For example, you can have a dairy Kiddush or light meal in the morning when you return from Shul, and then eat your meat meal for lunch. Alternatively, you can eat a dairy lunch and then have a meat meal later in the afternoon before Mincha. The Spiritual Essence: Two Types of Joy Now, let's transition into our usual focus on Bitachon and the spiritual essence of the day. There are sources that suggest we do have a requirement of simcha (joy) on Shabbat. The Sifrei (Bamidbar 10:10), commenting on the verse "Uveyom Simchatchem" ("On the day of your gladness"), states that this phrase directly refers to Shabbat. The Baal HaTurim even finds a gematria (numerical hint) showing that the word Simchatchem ( שמחתכם ) has the exact same numerical value as Gam Beyom Hashabbat ( גם ביום השבת - "also on the day of Shabbat"). Furthermore, the Shibbolei HaLeket (Chapter 82) notes that we recite "Yismchu Bemalchutcha" ("They shall rejoice in Your kingship") in the Shabbat prayers based on this very concept. On the other hand, Tosafot (Moed Katan 23b) states that there is actually no formal requirement of simcha on Shabbat. The proof is that if someone, Heaven forbid, is in mourning, Shabbat counts as part of the Shiva mourning period, whereas a holiday puts mourning on hold. This is because you are not halachically obligated to actively rejoice on Shabbat; you are only forbidden from being visibly sad. So, how do we reconcile this? Is Shabbat a day of simcha or not? The Acharonim (later commentators) explain that there are two distinct types of joy: Yom Tov (External Joy): This requires outward actions of joy. You must actively do things that bring happiness, namely eating meat and drinking wine. Shabbat (Internal Joy): Shabbat is called Yom Simchatchem , meaning the day itself is inherently joyful. You do not need to perform external actions to force it; rather, the happiness resides naturally in your heart. Because Shabbat is a deeply spiritual day, its joy is internal. We say in the prayers, "V'yismechu b'cha Yisrael" —we rejoice in You . Our happiness on Shabbat is a direct connection to God. Practical Takeaway Rav Wolbe used to say that Shabbat is a day of pnimiyut —an internal world. Therefore, it requires no external performance. The joy of Shabbat is found in serenity, calm, and menuchat hanefesh (peace of mind). It is the quiet happiness of connecting deeply with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The practical takeaway is that every single Shabbat, we should walk around feeling that this is our internal day of happiness. This week, we are blessed to experience Shabbat and Yom Tov coinciding. We have both of these beautiful concepts merging into one day—the outward celebration of the festival and the deep, serene intimacy of Shabbat. Have a Chag Sameach and a Shabbat Shalom!

Welcome to our daily Bitachon Shaar HaBechina series, the Chovot HaLevavot teaches us how God can bring about great outcomes through small, seemingly insignificant causes. Many years ago, I read an article based on the book Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America by Michael Beschloss , a critically acclaimed 2007 non-fiction book exploring pivotal moments when U.S. presidents took high-stakes risks for the nation's benefit. The narrative highlights leaders who defied public opinion, risked their careers, or faced threats of assassination to do what they believed was right. It reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how, on May 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a single word— "Approved"—making the United States the first nation to recognize the new State of Israel, just eleven minutes after its birth. The Roots of a Connection The story truly begins in Independence, Missouri. Long before Harry Truman was President, young Harry served as a "Shabbos goy" for his Jewish neighbors. Growing up, he was a student of the Bible and was particularly captivated by Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who ended the Babylonian captivity and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. During World War I, Truman served in the army where he met Eddie Jacobson. They became lifelong friends, and after the war, they opened a men's clothing store together in Kansas City. When the business failed during the Depression, their paths diverged—Truman entered politics and Jacobson became a traveling salesman—but their bond remained unbreakable. A Political Tug-of-War In 1947, President Truman was caught in a political tug-of-war. On one side was the State Department, led by General George Marshall, who argued that recognizing a Jewish state would jeopardize Middle Eastern oil and alienate the Arab world. Marshall warned that if the State of Israel were attacked, the U.S. would be forced to intervene with troops it didn't have. On the other side were the Zionists. Frustrated by the intense lobbying, Truman grew resentful, eventually banning Zionist leaders from the Oval Office and writing in his diary that they were selfish and lacked a sense of proportion. The Meeting that Changed History In March 1948, someone remembered Eddie Jacobson's old friendship with the President. Jacobson secured a meeting, but when he mentioned Jerusalem, Truman exploded in anger. Tears welled in Jacobson's eyes. Pointing to a statue of Andrew Jackson on Truman's desk, he said, "Harry, you have a hero. I also have a hero. My hero is Chaim Weizmann. He is a very sick man, yet he traveled thousands of miles just to see you." The room went silent. Truman turned away for a moment, then looked back and said, "You win. I will see him." "I am Cyrus" The meeting was held in secret. Truman promised Weizmann that he would support statehood, even as the State Department pushed for a "trusteeship" instead. When the State Department acted without Truman's knowledge and announced to the UN that the U.S. would not support a state, Truman was livid. He wrote in his diary, "I am now in the position of a liar and a double-crosser. How can I ever face Weizmann again?" Despite the embarrassment and the political risk, Truman fought his own administration for the next two months. On May 14, as British forces withdrew, Truman ignored the fallout and approved the recognition of Israel. Years later, when Jacobson introduced Truman to Jewish activists as "the man who helped create the State of Israel," the former President corrected him with a grin: "What do you mean 'helped create'? I am Cyrus! I am Cyrus!" The Divine Perspective It is remarkable to see how Hashem orchestrated the existence of the State of Israel—which, regardless of one's political views, serves as a major global center for Torah. This was not merely a calculated geopolitical move. It was the result of a Missouri Baptist's memory of a Persian king and a shared business failure in a Kansas City haberdashery. When Eddie Jacobson passed away in 1955, Truman wept openly, saying he had lost a brother. As a final "cherry on top," when Chaim Weizmann visited the White House, he presented Truman with a Sefer Torah. To this day, that Torah remains in the Truman Museum—a lasting testament to how Hakadosh Baruch Hu brings His will to fruition through the smallest of threads.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Today, we are continuing our exploration of the concept of seeds, specifically through the lens of the Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart). The author uses the phrase yishtabach hachacham hachonen —"Praised is the wise and gracious One"—who brought about "great events from the smallest and weakest of causes" ( ha-mesabev le-hawayot ha-devarim ha-gedolim min ha-ktana ve-hachalusha she-be-sibot ). To support this, he quotes the verse in Shmuel I (2:3), ve-lo nitkenu alilot : "And by Him, causes are set up." Defining "Alilot" The word alilot literally means "causes." We see this reflected in Rabbeinu Bachya's commentary on Shemot (10:2), where Hashem says, et asher hit'allalti —referring to the plagues in Egypt. While Rashi interprets this as "I made a laughingstock" of Egypt, Rabbeinu Bachya explains that hit'allalti stems from the word illa , meaning the primary cause behind everything. As we say in the daily proclamation based on the Zohar, God is Ilat ha-Ilot ve-Sibat ha-Sibot —the Cause of all causes and the Reason behind all reasons. This theme is echoed in the Sephardic Ne'ila prayer, El Nora Alila : "God who is awesome in His causes, provide for us forgiveness at the time of the closing of the gates." The Intermediary Causes In Shaar HaBitachon (The Gate of Trust), the Chovot HaLevavot explains that everything unfolds in two stages: The Divine Decree: The initial decision by the Creator. Intermediary Causes: These are the vehicles that carry out the decree. They may be near or far, hidden or revealed, but they all rush to fulfill the Creator's will. He gives the example of drawing water from a well. The closest cause is the pail. The pail is attached to a rope, which is attached to a pulley, which is pulled by an animal, led by a shepherd, who answers to a boss. If you were the water, you might think the pail is the one acting upon you. In reality, the pail is merely the final link in a long chain of command starting with the boss. We often focus on the "closest cause"—like pleading with a meter maid to avoid a ticket—but she is simply an intermediary for a supervisor, who answers to a department, which follows laws set by Congress. The Megaleh Amukot explains that Chana meant we shouldn't say God is "high up" and removed from the world; rather, He is the El De'ot —the God of knowledge who supervises every intricate detail. A Historical "Wrong Turn" To understand how God brings about massive shifts through tiny events, we can look at the trigger for World War I: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The "great event" was a global catastrophe: 20 million deaths and the collapse of four empires (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian). But the "small cause" was a series of improbable coincidences: Earlier that day, a bomb bounced off the Archduke's car, failing to kill him. The Archduke made an impulsive decision to visit the men injured by that bomb in the hospital. Because the regular route was closed for investigation, his chauffeur took a wrong turn . Realizing the mistake, the driver pulled to a halt directly in front of a diner where one of the original assassins happened to be standing. Without even aiming, the assassin fired two shots. Once Austria declared war on Serbia (July 28, 1914), the gears of the Great Power alliances began to turn: Russia mobilized its massive army to scare Austria into backing down. Germany saw Russian mobilization as a threat and declared war on Russia. France , being Russia's ally, was now pulled in. Germany declared war on France and launched an invasion through neutral Belgium . Britain had a treaty to protect Belgium. When German boots touched Belgian soil, Britain declared war on Germany. . The Spiritual Lesson What brought about World War I? From a human perspective, it was one wrong turn. From a Torah perspective, it was Hakadosh Baruch Hu using a minute event to fulfill a massive decree. This is the "wisdom of the seeds." Just as a massive tree is hidden within a tiny seed, the great salvations we pray for are planted in the small, seemingly insignificant events of our daily lives. This is why we pray every day, et tzemach David avdecha mehera tatzmiach —"Let the sprout of David Your servant sprout speedily." God is Zoreia Tzedakot (He plants acts of righteousness) and Matzmiach Yeshuot (He causes salvations to sprout). Everything we experience today—the small turns, the "coincidences," and the minor causes—are the seeds of a much greater Divine plan.

Eilech V'anaseh — *Let me go and try.* A new weekly Torah series on the Lost Princess of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, beginning at the Sephardic Center on Avenue P in Brooklyn. With R' Nachman Fried. This is Shiur 1 — the introduction to the story and the series. Rebbe Nachman said his Torah is *kodesh* and his stories are *kodesh kodashim*. The Lost Princess is the first and most relatable of the thirteen stories — the one that maps onto every life. What we cover: • **Why the Rebbe started telling stories** — five years before his passing, the Rebbe said: "I have told you Torah and I see it is not doing what it needs to do." Then he began the stories. *Stories don't put you to sleep — they wake you up.* • **A kabbalistic foundation** — *tzimtzum*, *ohr ein sof*, the ten Sefiros, *Kudsha Brich Hu* and *Shechinah*, the unification of back-to-back becoming *panim b'panim* — face to face. • **The three characters** — The King is HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The viceroy is the tzaddik and the part of *you* that takes responsibility. The bas melech is the neshama — the *chelek Eloka mima'al*, the part of you that came from above. • **The story begins** — six sons and one daughter, the king who loved her most, the moment of anger, and the words that flew. *V'nizraka mipiv dibbur* — and a word slipped from his mouth. The Lost Princess vanishes, and the viceroy stands up. • **"Try your best" / Eilech V'anaseh** — a personal story from my father, a*lav hashalom*, who insisted he be buried under the tree in Tveria. *Try your best.* The words that became the name of our learning group. • **Why *lo tov* and not *ra*** — the Rebbe doesn't say the *bad* should take you. He says *lo tov* — the *not-good*. Because there is no such thing as bad. There is only the absence of good. Even the place that looks beautiful — the ballroom, the music, the festivity — can be *lo tov* when there is no real good inside it. • **The "broiges"** — who got angry first, the king or the daughter? The Rebbe deliberately doesn't say. Because in every close relationship — with self, with others, with Hashem — *broiges* will come. That's part of being in relationship. • **The action plan** — the lost princess is the real you, separated from the performance you have built over decades. Start the work of meeting the inner child, the lowercase-t traumas, the buried feelings. Recognition is the first step home. —

The Torah tells us again and again that Hashem has separated us from the nations of the world to be His people. We have a different set of guidelines for how to live our lives, and we are meant to remain distinct, not influenced by foreign societies. At the end of Parashat Kedoshim, on the pasuk וָאַבְדִּל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי , Rashi brings from Chazal that Hashem says: when you separate yourselves from the nations, then you are Mine. We must recognize that we are a nation that is self-sufficient— הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכּוֹן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב . We do not need anyone's help in this world, because we have the One Who runs the world. Throughout history, we have often found ourselves surrounded by powerful nations, facing challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. Yet, time and again, we have seen that our survival, our success, and our redemption did not come from alliances or from human strength. They came only from Hashem. One of the criteria necessary to receive our final redemption is to know with clarity: אין לנו להישען אלא על אבינו שבשמים . We do not rely on any human being for help—only on Hashem. When a person feels that he needs a certain individual or a certain country to help him, he is lacking in this belief. History has shown us this lesson repeatedly. The Jewish people once lived in Egypt under the leadership of Yosef, who saved the entire country from famine and made it the wealthiest empire in the world. Pharaoh owed everything to him. And yet, the Torah tells us: ויקם מלך חדש אשר לא ידע את יוסף . A new king arose who forgot Yosef, and the slavery began. The same pattern repeated itself in Spain. Initially, the country was struggling, and the Jews helped elevate it with their wisdom and wealth, until that era became known as the Golden Age of Spain. The great Rabbi Yitchak Abarbanel served as Minister of Finance. The Jews were deeply connected and highly respected. Yet suddenly, everything turned. A new leadership arose that did not know Don Isaac Abarbanel, and on Tisha B'Av in 1492, a decree was issued: either renounce Judaism or be exiled. They expelled the Jews and confiscated their wealth. All of their connections did not help them in the slightest. Centuries later, the same thing happened in Germany. Jews were leaders in banking and deeply integrated into society. They felt secure and established—but that did not protect them when everything changed. It is true that Hashem sometimes uses messengers to help us. But we must remember that this is all they are—messengers. If a person feels that he needs a specific individual in order to succeed, then he is placing his reliance in the wrong place. When someone says, "We must accomplish as much as possible while this leader is still in power, or else we will be in trouble," that is placing trust in a human being. Hashem alone takes care of us. He can use whoever He wants as His messenger, or He can accomplish everything without any intermediary. We must never feel dependent on any person. We are a nation unto ourselves. ה׳ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה , and אֵלֶּה בָרֶכֶב וְאֵלֶּה בַסּוּסִים וַאֲנַחְנוּ בְּשֵׁם ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ נַזְכִּיר . How fortunate we are to have Hashem with us. We are on the winning side. We know the future. We know the glory that awaits us. Our task is to do our part and to feel that we already have everything we need, because we have HaKadosh Baruch Hu. He is our Savior. He is our King. He is our Father. The more we rely on Him, the closer we come to bringing the Geulah.

Daily Bitachon: The Structural Geometry of Plants Welcome back to our Sha'ar HaBechina plant series. Today, we look at what I found to be the most fascinating aspect of this research: the structural geometry of plants . The way leaves are arranged on a stem isn't random; it is mathematical. Most plants follow the Fibonacci sequence : $1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...$ and so on. In this sequence, each new number is the sum of the two before it ($5+8=13$, $8+13=21$). The Efficiency of the Spiral Why does HaKadosh Baruch Hu put this math into plants? Because it is the most efficient way to survive. Imagine a plant growing leaves. If every leaf grew directly above the one below it, the top leaf would steal all the sunlight and rain, and the bottom leaves would die. By following a spiral based on these Fibonacci numbers, the plant ensures that each leaf is tucked into a gap where it can still see the sun. ![Illustration of leaf phyllotaxis showing Fibonacci spiraling] Packing Perfection Look at a sunflower or a pinecone. The seeds are packed so tightly there is no wasted space. This happens because the seeds grow in two sets of spirals that criss-cross. If you count the spirals going left and those going right, they are almost always two neighbor numbers from the sequence, like 34 and 55 . Lilies usually have 3 petals. Buttercups have 5 . Daisies often have 34, 55, or 89 . Pineapples have scales that form spirals following these exact counts. Binyan vs. Tzmicha: The Growing Building The late Rav Wolbe used to contrast Binyan (building) with Tzmicha (growth). A building is made of dead blocks following a blueprint; a plant grows organically. But the novelty here is that there is a "building" happening inside the growth! There is an architectural design working within the plant itself. It is a "growing building"—a structure that isn't happening randomly but according to a specific mathematical stamp of wisdom. The Golden Ratio: God's Favorite Recipe While the Fibonacci sequence is a string of numbers, the Golden Ratio ($approx 1.6$) is the relationship between them. It is a way of dividing things so they are perfectly balanced. Imagine a bar of chocolate. If you break it so the big piece is $1.6$ times larger than the small piece, and the whole bar is $1.6$ times larger than the big piece, you've hit the "Golden" proportion. ![Diagram of the Golden Rectangle and the Fibonacci Spiral] Why it Matters to Us Aesthetics: Humans find this ratio naturally pleasing. Your credit card, a standard index card, and even the Mona Lisa are shaped close to this ratio because it feels "right" to our brains. Art & Music: Artists place subjects at the "Golden Line" (about 60% across) to make an image feel stable yet dynamic. Some composers even time the climax of a song to hit at the "Golden Moment"—62% of the way through. The Universal Stamp This isn't just in plants. The same ratio appears everywhere: The Human Body: The proportion between your hand and your arm, or the features of a balanced face. The Cosmos: The spiral of a massive hurricane and the structure of the Milky Way galaxy follow this exact geometry. Microscopic Life: Even DNA molecules measure in a way that reflects this sequence. In the language of Bitachon , this shows us there is One Designer . He put His stamp on everything. As the Sha'ar HaBechina teaches, even though everything in creation looks different, there is a singular, divine similarity that runs through it all. This mathematical sequence is the "identity card" of the Creator, found in every corner of the universe.

The Platypus and the Kangaroo: A Daily Bitachon Class Welcome to our daily Bitachon class in our Sha'ar HaBechina series. We are exploring the wonders of the animal world, and today we're talking about the duck-billed platypus. I'll give you a second to think back to your elementary school days—do you remember why a platypus stands out from every other mammal? I'll give you three seconds... The answer is: it's the only mammal that lays eggs! But we aren't even going to talk about that today. We're looking at its "duck bill." We've discussed machines of endurance like the camel and machines of speed like the cheetah; now, we are looking at a high-tech submarine. Hashem equipped this creature with the world's most sensitive "metal detector," allowing it to navigate a world made of electricity. 1. The Electrical "Minesweeper" Imagine trying to find a single grain of rice hidden under mud at the bottom of a lake in total darkness while wearing a blindfold and earplugs. That is exactly how a platypus hunts. When it dives, it seals its eyes, ears, and nostrils completely shut. It is effectively blind and deaf to the physical world, yet it never misses its prey. The platypus's bill isn't hard like a bird's; it's soft, flexible, and packed with over 40,000 electrical sensors. The Bio-Electric Spark: Every time a living creature moves a muscle—even a tiny shrimp flicking its tail—it creates a microscopic spark of electricity. The Scanning Motion: As the platypus swims, it wags its head side-to-side. It is literally scanning the water like a minesweeper, picking up tiny voltage changes in the mud. It doesn't "see" its prey with eyes; it sees the electricity that the prey is leaking! 2. The Master Calculator: Flash and Click But seeing the electricity isn't enough. The platypus's brain is a master calculator that uses two different sensors to find the exact "GPS coordinates" of its dinner. It has an Electrical Sensor that picks up the "flash" of the muscle movement (which travels instantly through water, like light). It also has a Vibration Sensor that picks up the physical "click" or ripple of the movement (which travels much slower). By measuring the microsecond delay between the "flash" and the "click," the platypus knows the exact distance and direction of its dinner. It's like counting the seconds between a lightning flash and a thunderclap: Imagine you're in a dark football stadium. You're blindfolded, but you have a light sensor and a sound sensor. Your friend claps their hands. The light sensor goes off the millisecond the clap happens because light is the fastest thing in the universe. The sound of the clap takes a bit longer to reach your ears. If you perceive the flash and the clap at the exact same time, your friend is right in front of you. If there's a delay— one, two, three —you know they are way across the stadium. That is exactly how the platypus works! It feels the "spark" instantly, then waits for the "ripple." If they hit at the same time, it snaps its jaw—lunch is served. If there's a delay, its brain calculates: "The ripple took 0.05 seconds to get here, so the shrimp is three inches away." It's doing high-speed math without even thinking! 3. The Kangaroo: The Perpetual Motion Machine Now for our kangaroo. We know they jump and have pouches for their young, but let's talk about how they recycle energy. In the Australian Outback, food and water are scarce. If the kangaroo had to "pay full price" for every mile it traveled, it would burn out. Instead, it uses the laws of physics to travel for "free." In almost every other animal, going faster requires more fuel. But once a kangaroo reaches a certain speed, it actually uses less energy to go faster! It's like a biological hybrid car. The Secret: The Tendon Battery The secret is in the massive Achilles tendons. Think of the kangaroo's legs as giant, high-tension rubber bands. When a 150-pound kangaroo lands, its body weight stretches that "rubber band" to the limit. Instead of that energy being wasted as a "thud" against the ground, the tendon stores it as elastic energy. When the kangaroo jumps again, the tendon "snaps" back, flinging the animal into the air. The Result: 70% of the energy from the previous jump is "refunded" into the next one. The muscles barely do any work; the physics of the snap does it for them. The "Third Leg" We usually think of a tail as a rudder, but the kangaroo's tail is essentially a third leg. It's packed with more muscle and bone than a human leg! When moving slowly, the kangaroo uses its tail like a crutch to push itself forward. This saves the "high-performance" springs in its back legs for the long-distance travel. Don't think car makers are the only ones who know how to save energy; HaKadosh Baruch Hu did it first with the kangaroo. All of these are wonders of design!

The pasuk says that Amalek attacked the Jewish People when they were in רפידים and Chazal tell us the reason Amalek was able to attack was because רפו ידיהם מן התורה – the Jewish People became weakened in Torah. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted from the Shem M'Shmuel who said in the name of his father the Avnei Nezer that Amelek attacked around the 29 th day of Iyar, just about a week before the Jewish People received the Torah on Har Sinai. At that time, they were counting Sefirat HaOmer , they knew they were rising each day out of the 49 th level of tuma they had been in and they knew they were going to reach the highest levels of kedusha , so how were they able to become weakened in Torah at a time like that? The answer is because they didn't feel any tangible change inside of them. They weren't feeling more spiritual. More than 40 days of the counting had passed and yet they still felt the same as they did before. That caused them to become weak and that was how Amalek was able to attack. The Tiferet Shlomo writes the same thing is happening during this long galut . Without a question we are at the doorstep of Mashiach and when he comes, the Navi tells us, ישפוך ה' רוחו על כל בשר ונבאו בניכם ובנותיכם – Hashem is going to bestow His spirit upon us and our children are going to be nevi'im. We would think that at this time we should feel 99% of the way there, we should feel imbued with the spirit of Hashem, ready to receive prophecy. Yet, in reality, we don't feel that way. The reason, he says, Hashem did it this way is because if we felt like the level we were actually on, it would take away our free will. The enjoyment from those feelings would make it too easy for us to choose good over evil. We are always going to have the Amalek inside of us saying, You're not accomplishing anything. See, you don't feel it. This attitude has caused so many people to become weak in their avodat Hashem. The Jewish People didn't feel the growth that they had a week before Matan Torah , but how great were they in actuality? The following week they received the ultimate level of prophecy, they reached the ultimate level a person could possibly be on, hearing the voice, kavayachol , of HaKadosh Baruch Hu . They had a misunderstanding, they really were on a high level, it's just that Hashem didn't allow them to feel that way, so He could balance their free will. The same applies to us today. A person who is learning and growing might say to himself, I don't feel any change. The Amalek inside of him is saying, you're not growing, the Torah's not affecting you. And because in reality the person doesn't have the feeling he is looking for, he believes Amalek. We must strengthen ourselves and realize, every avodah we do is making us so great. We are rising higher and higher in anticipation of greeting the Mashiach . Specifically because we live in such a depraved world, it makes our avodah that much more valuable. If we stay the course, we will see how much of an effect Torah and mitzvot really is having on us. B'ezrat Hashem, we should merit that glorious day when the Mashiach will come and Hashem will rest His spirit upon us.

Daily Dose of Bitachon: The Master's Design Welcome back to our study of Shaar HaBechina . Today, we look at three marine creatures that appear physically vulnerable but are equipped with high-tech biological systems for survival. These examples highlight how the Creator balances a creature's weaknesses with extraordinary, "custom-built" strengths. 1. The Cuttlefish: The World's Most Advanced Camouflage The cuttlefish lacks a hard shell, making it a soft target. To compensate, Hashem gifted it the most advanced active camouflage system on Earth. Unlike a soldier's static uniform, the cuttlefish uses a multi-layered biological screen made of "pixels"—tiny sacs of pigment called chromatophores. Rapid Change: By contracting or relaxing muscles around these sacs, it can change its color pattern in less than 200 milliseconds —faster than a human blink. Texture Mimicry: It doesn't just change color; it changes its physical shape. Specialized muscles can transform smooth skin into a jagged, rocky texture to match granite or seaweed. To a predator, it doesn't just look like a rock; it feels like a rock. Hypnosis: It even uses its skin to hunt, creating rhythmic, moving waves of light that daze and hypnotize prey before it strikes. 2. The Box Jellyfish: The High-Pressure Defense The box jellyfish is 95% water and extremely fragile. Because its body would be torn apart in a physical struggle with a thrashing fish, it requires a "one-hit" solution: Instant total system failure of its prey. The Mechanism: Its tentacles are lined with millions of microscopic capsules that fire venom with the acceleration of a bullet . The Potency: It carries enough venom to kill 60 adult humans. This isn't "overkill"—it is a necessary biological deterrent for a creature that cannot afford to fight back. 3. The Electric Eel: The Mobile Power Plant The electric eel is a master of electrochemical engineering. It can generate a discharge of up to 860 volts —enough to stun a horse or power forty lightbulbs. What is truly remarkable is its dual-voltage regulation : Low Voltage: Used as a biological radar to navigate murky waters. High Voltage: Used for "remote control." The eel sends out bursts that force the muscles of hidden prey to twitch. Once the prey twitches and reveals its location, the eel strikes. Modern battery packs actually follow the same engineering principles that eels have used from the beginning of time. Conclusion: The Master Artist Whether we look at the cuttlefish's "photography," the jellyfish's "chemistry," or the eel's "electrical engineering", we see the same hand at work. Hakadosh Baruch Hu —the Master Artist and Engineer—provides every vulnerable creature with exactly what it needs to flourish.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon We are currently exploring Shaar Habechina , discussing the incredible wonders of creation. Today, our journey takes us beneath the waves as we talk about the world of fish. Before we dive into specific species, let's look at the "engineering" Hashem granted to aquatic creatures in general. 1. The Challenge of Buoyancy The first challenge of underwater life is stability—maintaining a specific depth without constantly burning energy to keep from sinking or floating away. To solve this, Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a gas-filled sac called a swim bladder . By precisely adjusting the gas inside this organ, a fish achieves neutral buoyancy, effectively becoming weightless at any depth. Hashem even lined the organ to make it perfectly gas-tight and positioned it near the spine—the ideal "sweet spot" to ensure the fish remains upright automatically. It's the same principle a submarine uses with ballast tanks, but Hashem embedded this technology directly into the fish's anatomy, allowing it to remain perfectly still while resting or waiting for prey. 2. The Gills: A Masterpiece of Efficiency The next challenge is extracting oxygen from water, which is far denser and contains significantly less oxygen than the air we breathe. To overcome this, Hashem designed a counter-current exchange system . In the fish's gills, blood flows in the opposite direction of the water flowing over them. This brilliant arrangement ensures that oxygen-poor blood is always encountering oxygen-rich water along the entire length of the gill. Without this "opposite-flow" system, fish would receive only half the oxygen they need to survive. It is an unbelievable piece of Divine design. 3. Navigation Without Waze How do you know where you're going in the vast, trackless ocean? Similar to what we see in birds, fish possess tiny magnetic crystals in their brains that act as an in-born compass , sensing the Earth's magnetic field. Furthermore, they have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell. They can detect the unique chemical signature of their "home river"—a scent imprinted on them when they were tiny fry—allowing them to return exactly to where they came from after traveling thousands of miles. 4. Seeing in the Dark In the murky depths, sight isn't always enough. Hashem created a series of fluid-filled canals along the sides of the fish's body containing sensory hairs. This system allows the fish to detect minute pressure waves . They can literally "feel" the vibration of a predator or the movement of prey from a distance, even in total darkness. The Acoustic Engineer: The Blue Whale To see this wisdom in action, let's look at one fascinating creature: the Blue Whale . A Blue Whale's call is louder than a jet engine and can travel over 1,000 miles underwater. To put that in perspective, that's like someone in New York having a clear conversation with someone in Florida without a telephone. But it's not just about volume; it's about understanding the environment. Imagine the ocean as a multi-story building. Usually, sound spreads out in every direction and fades quickly. However, between 2,500 and 4,000 feet down, there is a "sweet spot" where temperature and pressure hit a perfect balance. In the warm upper layers, sound travels too fast and scatters. In the crushing bottom layers, it doesn't work either. But in that middle layer, sound creates a natural lane that traps noise. Instead of fading, the sound bounces back into the center of this layer, like shouting into a long, smooth hallway. When a Blue Whale wants to find a mate a thousand miles away, it doesn't just sing anywhere. It dives down until it hits that specific "hallway" and lets out its 188-decibel call . Because the sound is trapped in that layer, the energy stays focused, allowing another whale on the other side of the ocean to hear the "ping" as if they were standing right next to each other. The Lesson in Bitachon It is fascinating to realize two things: The Design: G-d created an "underground telephone line" within the very physics of the ocean. The Instinct: The whale has the "understanding" to find that line and use it to communicate. Everything we see in modern science is just a replica of the technology Hakadosh Baruch Hu naturally embedded into creation from the very beginning.

The pasuk says in this week's parashah Mishpatim, regarding one who injures another, וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא — verapoh yerapeh. Chazal learn from those words that a doctor was given permission to heal. The Gemara explains that one might have thought that since illness comes from Hashem, perhaps people do not have the right to intervene. The Torah therefore explicitly grants permission. The Torah uses a double expression — verapoh yerapeh. One explanation is that although the visible healer may be the doctor, we know that the true healer is HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem commands us to go to doctors because He wants the world to function through teva, through natural means. Therefore, we must take medications, we must follow treatment instructions, and we must do our hishtadlut. At the same time, we must know the entire time that healing will only come if Hashem decrees that it should. There have been times when the greatest specialists gave a grim prognosis and suddenly everything turned around and the patient recovered. There have been times when treatment options appeared limited, yet the body responded far beyond expectations. There have been times when two people received the exact same diagnosis, went to the same doctor, followed the same treatments, and yet their outcomes were completely different. Why? Because Hashem decided that this one would be healed and that one would not. Believing that Hashem is the One who brings the healing is a tremendous zechut which can hasten the process. It is not easy to maintain that clarity when we are sitting in doctors' offices, filling prescriptions, and pursuing every possible avenue to get better. And that is precisely why the zechut of seeing through all of it is so great. We have seen so many times when we thought healing would come through one channel, and in the end it came from somewhere completely different. That is a reminder that it is not the avenue that brings the healing — it is only Hashem. Rabbi Rosen from A-Time shared a story that began in 2017. Their organization had developed an innovative medical machine for couples struggling with infertility who had already exhausted every option. When the rabbi shared the news of the discovery, many childless couples felt renewed hope, especially a man named Binyamin and his wife, who had already been waiting for ten long years. After so many disappointments, this finally seemed promising. As they waited for final approval to use the machine, obstacles began to mount. There were restrictions, safety concerns, and endless regulatory requirements. Before anything could proceed, laboratory testing had to verify that the laser and special dye were safe. Then the hospital stalled. Months turned into years. With every delay, the window of opportunity for Binyamin and his wife was narrowing. In the end, they were forced to confront the painful reality that this path was no longer viable. A-Time then attempted to pursue a similar approach in Israel, where regulations were somewhat more flexible and innovation could move faster. They acquired another machine and began testing there. Hope was renewed. Then COVID struck, and everything came to a halt. When the world gradually reopened, they resumed where they had left off. They sent samples to one of the most advanced genetic teams in the world. The results that came back were devastating. The project would not succeed. Binyamin and his wife felt their hope drain away once more. It seemed that nothing else could be done, that the road had ended. Yet with Hashem running the world, there is always hope. Out of nowhere, a group of infertility specialists discovered a new technique utilizing modern technology. The Borei Refu'ot revealed yet another pathway for healing. Baruch Hashem, after nineteen long years of waiting, just a few months ago, Binyamin and his wife were blessed with their own baby. Hashem is the only Healer. We must place our bitachon in Him. With Hashem's help, He will open our eyes to see the cures He has already created for every illness in the world. Shabbat Shalom.

Shabbat is the Hanukat HaBayit Welcome to Daily Bitachon , today a Friday edition lechovad Shabbos . For those of you who've been listening, we've been talking about Sha'ar HaBechina for quite a while. There's a beautiful Midrash Tanchuma that says that Shabbos is like a chanukas habayis when somebody buys a new house and invites guests and shows them the house. Similarly, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and on the seventh day He invites everyone into the home to see the house. And that repeats itself every single week because every single week God created the world and rested on Shabbos and we go through that same cycle. And what are you supposed to do when you come to someone's new house? You're supposed to say wow, what a beautiful house. Notice all the beautiful woodwork and the furniture and the moldings and the kitchen and the living room and the dining room and the couches and the throw pillows and all the details of the house. So too Hakadosh Baruch Hu when He invites us into His house, we're supposed to ooh and aah over all the things that are going on. And with that Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac Sher explains two very interesting things about our tefillah . One of them is the mizmor in Tehillim of מזמור שיר ליום השבת where if you read through it, it's a song of Shabbos , it doesn't tell you anything about Shabbos . You think מזמור שיר ליום השבת should say the thirty-nine melachos and we go to shul and we eat. It doesn't say that. מזמור שיר ליום השבת starts tov lehodos lashem . It's a good idea to thank Hashem . כי שמחתני ה' בפעלך במעשה ידיך ארנן. I'm excited and thrilled about Your handiwork. And then I go and I say hold on, I don't understand some things, what's going on over here? The wicked are flourishing, the wicked are prospering. We have an answer for that. What does that have to do with Shabbos ? And the answer is we're going into the chanukas habayis and we're looking around saying wow, ooh, ah, wait a minute, I don't understand what that knob is doing over there, I don't understand what that bump on the ceiling is doing. Oh that happens to be a smoke alarm, you don't know about smoke alarms. Oh that's a dummy pad that we're going to use for sconces that are coming soon that aren't on order. You don't know and you have questions. But you see that the house is immaculate and there's a great wonderful architect, so you know everything's good. And that's exactly what's going on in our world. There's a great architect called God and He knows how everything's supposed to be. And if there's something that doesn't make sense, it's because I don't understand it. And that's the job of מזמור שיר ליום השבת and that's our job every Shabbos , to appreciate the house. And that's really what Sha'ar HaBechina is all about, appreciating Hashem in creation. And he said there's two things that he points out. That's one. The second beautiful thing is that all year, all week long we say יוצר אור ובורא חשך ending with yotzer hame'oros . We talked a lot about the sun. Every single day we make a bracha on the sun. Suddenly on Shabbos we have א-ל אדון על כל המעשים, we go through a whole added piece on the sun. And in the middle of the yotzer hame'oros we start talking about Shabbos . What's going on over here? Why are we talking more about the sun on Shabbos and why are we talking about Shabbos when we're talking about the sun? Where does that fit in? It's a great question. I understand you want to say the amidah of Shabbos is different, good. But we don't change Krias Shema , we don't change Baruch She'amar . What are we suddenly changing our daily yotzer or bracha and intertwining Shabbos in there and adding more about the sun? And his answer is because it's chanukas habayis day. And as we talked about one of the greatest things we have is the luminaries. לעושה אורים גדולים כי לעולם חסדו. That's the source that God is constantly renewing creation, it's all from the luminaries. It's like wow, what a chandelier God. Five thousand seven hundred and eighty-six years and it's still glowing. You didn't change the lightbulbs once. No electricity bill. It's unbelievable. So since Shabbos is the day of the chanukas habayis , we talk about Shabbos with the sun and we enhance the sun on Shabbos because that's what we're supposed to be doing on Shabbos , talking about and appreciating creation. That is the job of Shabbos , tov lehodos lashem . And it's really our responsibility. All that we've been doing. You could print out all your notes that we have from the past few weeks. You want to talk about a turtle or a snake or a crocodile, that's Shabbos talk because you're saying wow, look at that beautiful... Faucet on the sink, look at those unbelievable, beautiful flowers, look at the wondrous pictures on the wall, that's every alligator, every frog, every crocodile, every lizard. Those are the wonders that HaShem made and that's what's to be talked about at the Chanukah table.

There are people who have to face overwhelming challenges in life. A potentially fatal illness that turns their world upside down. Suddenly, the entire focus of their lives changes. What was once taken for granted is now put into question. Some people have to endure great difficulties when it comes to shidduchim. Rejection, disappointment, and loneliness are just some of the issues they have to confront. Others face the test of infertility. Their dream of raising a family is thrown into doubt, and they find it difficult to focus on anything else. To go through even one of these challenges is a daunting task that requires enormous strength and perseverance. One of the hardest parts of any challenge is the feeling that it may never end. What if the illness cannot be cured? What if I never find my zivug? What if I never have a child? Those thoughts can slowly eat away at a person. But for this, Hashem gave us a precious gift. The gift of emunah—an understanding that there is always hope. Even if the doctors do not have a cure, Hashem can create one. Even if the shadchanim have not called for years, Hashem can still send a shidduch. And even if there seems to be no natural path to having a child, Hashem can still make it happen. The length of time that has passed is irrelevant. The moment Hashem decides that salvation should come, it will come. For someone striving to live with emunah, hearing stories of others with similar challenges who were helped brings tremendous chizuk. The proper attitude is not to feel left out and wonder why others were helped while I was not. Rather, it is to say: Just as Hashem helped them, He can help me. These stories are meant to instill strength and hope, to reinforce the belief that salvation can arrive in the blink of an eye. Recently, at the ATIME Shasathon, a man named Yosef Chaim shared how he faced not just one of the challenges mentioned above, but all three: battling a potentially fatal illness, struggling with shidduchim, and confronting infertility. The odds were stacked against him on every front, yet his emunah and inner strength allowed him to grow through them. He was diagnosed with a tumor. After a ten-hour surgery to remove it, his brain had forgotten how to walk. He was left immobile. After enduring infections and additional surgeries, he relearned how to walk—but then the tumor returned. Again and again it came back. He underwent five surgeries and extensive chemotherapy. As a side effect of the multiple operations, doctors told him he would never be able to walk again. When the tumor returned once more, they decided to try something new—a medication recently developed for a different form of cancer. Miraculously, it worked. Against all odds, the Borei Refu'ot granted him a new lease on life. During that same period, his mother was diagnosed with a similar form of cancer, and lo aleinu, she passed away from it. After losing his ability to walk and then losing his mother, Yosef Chaim went to receive chizuk from Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. He asked how we can say that Hashem is malei rachamim—filled with mercy—when his life felt like the opposite of mercy. After a few minutes of silence, the Rav answered gently: Hashem being merciful is a reality. That is who He is. There is nothing but mercy when it comes to Hashem. If we do not see it, it is only because we are unable to understand Him. Those words gave Yosef Chaim tremendous chizuk. Shidduchim were naturally difficult for someone confined to a wheelchair. To make matters even harder, doctors told him that in all probability he would not be able to have children. But the Mezaveg Zivugim has already prepared a match for every person, and when Hashem wants it to happen, it will happen. Yosef Chaim was set up on a shidduch, and it progressed beautifully. His rabbi advised him to disclose the infertility concern on the fourth date. Remarkably, she agreed to continue. Baruch Hashem, they were married. Eventually, with Hashem's help—and with ATIME serving as the messenger—against all odds, they became the proud parents of a baby boy. Although Yosef Chaim endured so many struggles, he witnessed miracle after miracle, as Hashem guided him through each one. Everyone can be healed. Everyone can get married. Everyone can have children. We must always maintain hope and continue praying to HaKadosh Baruch Hu to help us through all of our challenges.

In this week's parashah, Bo, we learn about the final three makkot. Chazal tell us that a large number of Jews passed away during the makkah of Choshech. Rav Shlomo Kluger writes that the people who died in Choshech were those who did not have enough emunah to follow Hashem into the desert. They wanted the others to first go and conquer the land, and only then would they be willing to follow later. The Rav adds that all of those neshamot were destined to come back into the world in the final generation before Mashiach, and their job would be to overcome very difficult tests in the area of emunah. If they succeed, they will make their tikkun and live on for all eternity. One of the most difficult parts of emunah is when a person is harmed by another individual. The natural reaction is to think that the other person used his free will to do wrong and that it was not from Hashem, chas v'shalom. The Sefer HaChinuch, in the mitzvah of lo tikom v'lo titor, as well as other sources, teach us that even though the person who caused the harm did use his free will and is fully accountable for his actions, it was only able to happen because it was the will of Hashem for the person to be affected that way. Nothing can ever happen to a person through a baal bechirah unless Hashem wants it to happen to him first, and always for his best. The Yitev Lev writes that one of the lessons we learn from Yetziat Mitzrayim is that when a person causes harm to another, the one who received the harm must take to heart that it was Hashem who was giving life to the one who harmed him, and that person was only His messenger. The Maggid of Mezritch writes that when a person is causing harm to another and the one who is being harmed fully believes that it is only coming from Hashem and that it is for his absolute best, that belief nullifies all the judgments against him. The Passu says כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ ה', כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ. The Yitev Lev explains that when a person knows that his enemies are being sent by Hashem כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ-- ה, then הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ, those enemies will stop bothering him. All of the stress and heartache caused by other people is simply Hashem giving a person what he needs in order to fulfill his mission in this world. When a person fully believes that it is really Hashem and not the one who appears to be doing it, that itself can accomplish the tikkun that he needs. It is extremely hard to take the person out of the picture and honestly feel that he is not responsible for the harm. When Yosef HaTzaddik revealed himself to his brothers, he said to them, "I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold to Egypt." The Or HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Yosef was telling them that even while they were selling him, he still felt close to them like a brother. How could Yosef possibly have felt that way? Because when Shimon and Levi were lowering him into the pit with snakes and scorpions, all he saw was Hashem in control. As he later said, "It was not you who sent me here, but only Hashem." With the proper outlook, we too can live our lives with this emunah, seeing only Hashem in everything that happens. Rabbi Menashe Reizman said to imagine how the newspaper articles would read if the Chafetz Chaim were writing them. Of course, HaKadosh Baruch Hu would be in every headline. It would say: Hashem made it that this person was attacked. Hashem made it that this person was arrested. Hashem made it that this person won the lottery. We hope that we are living in the generation of Mashiach, and if our tikkun is to pass the test of emunah, we must take this message to heart and understand that people cannot harm us or give us anything. Everything happens only by the word of Hashem, and it is always for our best. Shabbat Shalom.

Daily Dose of Bitachon: The Treasure Houses of the Deep Welcome back to our Sha'ar HaBechinah series. We are currently in chapter four, where Rabbeinu Bachya encourages us to look into the roots and foundations of the world. He quotes a pasuk where Hashem speaks to creation and says: "Come until here and go no further" ( עד פה תבוא ולא תוסיף ). The Midrash Tanchuma discusses this, explaining that when Hashem created the oceans, the waters asked, "Should we all mix together—the sweet waters and the salty waters?" Hashem replied, "No. Each of you should remain in your own area." As it says in Tehillim : Noten b'otzarot tehomot —He places the depths into "treasure houses." This means that each type of water is its own distinct treasure house. The Miracle of the Human Face How is it possible to keep these waters from mixing? Hashem says: Look at the human face. Within just a few inches, there are several different "wellsprings," and they never mix. The water of the eyes is salty, the ears have wax, the nose has its own fluids, and the water of the mouth is sweet. If Hashem can create distinct, unmixing wellsprings in the small space of a face, He can certainly do it in the vastness of the ocean. The Science of Separation How does this work in the ocean? Even though it's one body of water, it contains different temperatures and levels of saltiness. These distinct masses don't blend—much like oil and water, but far more complex. Density: Cold water and salty water are denser, so they sink. Warmer, less salty water rises to the top. These differences in density act as barriers that slow down mixing. Silt and Rivers: Rivers carry silt, creating a cloudy, less dense layer that doesn't immediately mix with the clear, salty ocean water. This often leads to visible lines in the water where the colors don't blend. The "Layer Cake": Between currents, circulation, and different nutrients, the ocean is like a giant seven-layer cake. Each layer has its own "flavor" defined by its specific characteristics. Tailor-Made Habitats What is even more fascinating is that different fish live in different parts of the ocean. The secular scientific approach claims these fish "evolved unique adaptations" over millions of years to survive the pressure, salinity, and temperature. But that is clearly backwards. If a fish doesn't have the ability to live in salty water, it will die immediately; it doesn't have billions of years to "work it out." The truth is the opposite: HaKadosh Baruch Hu created every specific ecosystem and then created the fish perfectly suited for it. We see this everywhere in nature: Polar Bears: Created for the cold with thick fat and heavy fur. Desert Animals: Created with the specific qualities needed to thrive in the heat. Mammal Milk: As Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l, once beautifully pointed out, the milk of every mammal is perfectly formulated for the specific environment in which that animal lives. The Takeaway The ocean isn't just one uniform tank of water; it is a vast collection of diverse habitats, each supporting species uniquely suited to their conditions. Hashem created an ocean with multiple "seas" existing within it simultaneously. This is another "wonder of wonders" from our Borei Olom , showing us that every detail of our world is precisely designed for life to flourish.

As we know, the miracles that Hashem performed at Yetziat Mitzrayim were not only to take revenge on the Egyptians. They were also to teach us lessons that we would need for all generations. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, who explained one of those lessons. The Egyptians believed in numerous gods, and every one of them was connected to their source of parnassah. They worshipped the sheep that gave them parnassah. They worshipped the Nile River that gave them parnassah. They worshipped Pharaoh, who they believed gave them parnassah. And Hashem made a mockery of all those gods, including the Baal Tzafon. Baal Tzafon was the place where Yosef hid all of the treasures that he accumulated during the years of famine. As long as Baal Tzafon stood, the Egyptians felt secure. It was their insurance policy. Even if the Nile failed, even if their livestock died, even if everything else collapsed, they still had mountains of gold hidden away there. Pharaoh emptied that treasure house and gave everything to the Egyptians in order to convince them to chase the Jews into the Yam Suf. That is what caused them to ultimately drown there, and that is how all of that wealth was transferred to Am Yisrael. Hashem was showing us that all of the things the Egyptians believed in were nothing. It was only Him who controlled everything. Sometimes a person becomes so wrapped up in his parnassah that he begins to trust in it. And if there is an issue with the product, or the customer, or the boss, he begins to tremble in fear that his parnassah is in jeopardy. Believing in the cause of parnassah is very similar to believing in the Egyptian deities. The Gemara says that whoever is somech geulah l'tefillah, no harm will befall him that day. Rabbeinu Yonah explains that if a person truly absorbs the message of the geulah from Mitzrayim, he will nullify all other imagined sources of help and rely fully on HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Only then can he truly pray. So long as a person believes that his refuah is in the hands of the doctor, and his future is in the hands of a diagnosis, how can he truly mean the words כי אל רופא רחמן ונאמן אתה that he says in tefilah? The more emotional involvement a person has in his hishtadlut, the weaker his emunah becomes. When it comes to parnassah, when a person truly believes that only Hashem is giving it to him, that only Hashem is marrying off his children, and that only Hashem is giving each person the house he needs to live in, then his kavanah in prayer becomes deep and real. First a person must nullify all other sources of support in the berachah of Ga'al Yisrael, and only then can he begin the Amidah properly. The Arugat HaBosem explains that the main essence of every berachah in the amidah is in its conclusion: כי אל גואל חזק אתה כי אל טוב וסלח אתה כי אל טוב ומטיב אתה Even though we must make hishtadlut, the Chazon Ish warns that we must not have emotional attachment to it. We must not lose our composure when hearing bad news about the industry we work in. Rather, we should remain calm, with the serenity of one who trusts that the same Hashem who helped him yesterday in one way can help him today in another way. The Gemara says that someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry in the performance of a mitzvah can be exempt from Keriat Shema. Then the Gemara asks: what about someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry because his merchandise sank at sea? Should he also be exempt? The Gemara answers no. He must remove the worry from his heart, because Hashem can provide his livelihood from somewhere else instantly. In fact, sometimes it is precisely through the sinking of the ship that his livelihood will come. Like the story of Rav Huna, who had four hundred barrels of wine turn sour into vinegar. One opinion in the Gemara says that afterward the emperor's daughter became ill and needed vinegar for healing. Suddenly vinegar was in great demand, and Rav Huna sold all of his vinegar at a great profit. He did not need wine in order to succeed. Hashem gave him even greater blessing through vinegar. Part of the purpose of Yetziat Mitzrayim is to bring us to one clear conclusion: כי אין כמוני בכל הארץ-there is no one like Hashem. Everything we could ever want or need comes only from Him. And the more deeply we believe that, the greater our tefillot and our avodat Hashem will become.

Welcome to Daily ביטחון. We continue in our שער הבחינה talking about the benefits of the sun. We've also been talking about till now the vitamin D that's in your skin in a early stage that needs the sun to trigger it to be released. There's another important chemical that's in our skin naturally, but it's only a earlier stage, and that's called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps relax blood vessels, increasing blood flow and therefore lowering blood pressure. So sun is good to lower your blood pressure. That's another important fact about sun. Now, how does that work? So again, similar to the vitamin D, we have nitric oxide that's in our skin in what's called photolabile stores. That means these are early stages that's found naturally in human skin. It's stable under normal conditions but is broken down by light and this releases the nitric oxide into the skin, which then enters the bloodstream and acts as a vasodilator, which it means it causes dilation of the veins and relaxes the blood vessel. And this is something besides the vitamin D synthesis, which helps cardiovascular health, which we discussed yesterday. Now, this is again, as we said, God's gift of this nitric oxide that we need. Now, I'm sure if you've heard a little bit about pharmacology, when people have chest pain, they give them something called nitroglycerin. And what really does, this medicine rapidly is converted into nitric oxide in the body to relax the coronary arteries. So for those people that don't get enough sunlight, and that's why people that get older and sedentary and stay in the house and they don't get the sunlight, that's going to be a reason for heart attacks לא עלינו and strokes, which is caused from the high blood pressure, and that's why we have to take the artificial nitroglycerin. Another important aspect of sunlight is that the morning sunlight tells your body to stop producing melatonin. Melatonin is the sleep hormone, and we don't want to have melatonin during the day, and we want to have it at night so you'll fall asleep better and faster at night because your melatonin is working at night and not during the day. And what tells your body to turn on and turn off melatonin? The sunlight again. Now, again, although this might sound like a science class, we're trying to keep it as simple as possible. And again, a lot of my basic knowledge come from the fact that my father is dermatologist, and as remember as a kid one of the things that he installed in the office was a light box. People could go and get suntans in the office but that wasn't the reason why he had the light box. The light box was people with severe psoriasis which is a very difficult skin disease. People that have psoriasis know it's flaky, it's red, it's inflamed. And these light boxes are really doing what the sun does for psoriasis. And again, it's the sunlight that can help with psoriasis. And again, it's very complex how it works exactly, but interesting enough, it has to do with triggering the release of nitric oxide and this activates some other cells which causes the slowing down of these overactive inflammatory responses. So again, we can go on and on and on with what the sun does for us. And this is all besides what we're talking about for the physical body. Forget about what it does for plants and for the world and for heating the world and keeping us, the atmosphere going. We're not, that hasn't been our discussion at all. We've been sticking to how sunlight helps your body. Hopefully, after this short dose of science classes, we will appreciate the sun more. And there's a very important rule which we cannot overstress, which is that we believe in our religion that when you appreciate things, they work better for you. For example, דוד המלך did not respect his... his clothing, his clothing didn't work for him. Rabbi Miller says the same is true with everything. So look at all the great things the sun does for us, strengthens our immune systems, strengthens our bones, gets rid of bacteria, helps with our blood pressure, helps with our moods, helps with our sleep. But you have to appreciate the sun. So next time the sun comes up in the morning, look at that and say, Sun, I appreciate you. But not I appreciate you, I appreciate HaKadosh Baruch Hu that created you and your shemesh is the same word as shamash , the servant. It's God's great servant that he's using to bring all these wonderful benefits upon us. So print out these sheets and read it all the time and refresh your memory on the wonderful benefits that God gave us through his trusted servant.

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.

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.

Discover the profound Torah wisdom behind why spiritual growth often leads to harder times, not easier ones. In Parshas Miketz, Yosef's brothers take their first steps toward Teshuvah (repentance)—and immediately face their worst nightmare. What hidden meaning lies behind this seeming contradiction?Through the powerful insights of the Sfas Emes and Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz, this Torah podcast episode reveals how Hakadosh Baruch Hu responds when we genuinely turn toward Him. Learn why the verse "Your rod and staff comfort me" transforms our understanding of hardship and divine love.This weekly Torah portion exploration connects ancient Jewish wisdom to modern struggles with a compelling story of protection disguised as pain. For those seeking deeper Torah study, Jewish spirituality, and practical spiritual growth, discover how your difficult moments may signal spiritual upgrade rather than divine disappointment.Perfect for Orthodox Jews, Torah students, and anyone exploring Jewish philosophy and personal transformation through authentic Torah teachings.

6th shiur - R' Nachman Fried 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 Jewish response to elections – whether the shocking victory of an openly anti-Semitic mayor in New York City or any political upheaval throughout history – must be twofold: before the vote, we exercise full hishtadlut (effort) by voting, cultivating goodwill with leaders, and supporting candidates who protect Jewish safety (as our Sages sent gifts to Caesar and Rabbi Akiva petitioned Rome); after the vote, we immediately pivot to total bitachon, recognizing that the final outcome is 100 % Hashem's decree, often sent as a wake-up call that we have grown too comfortable in galut. History repeats itself: German Jews declared Berlin their Jerusalem, Polish Jews called Poland “Polin – here we shall dwell,” and today many American Jews act as if the United States is the final stop; every time we forget we are in exile, Hashem sends a jolt – sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right – to remind us that no political party, president, or democracy is our ultimate protector.The comforting truth is that these “potches” (divine smacks) are acts of love meant to push us back toward our mission: to be a light unto the nations wherever we are, and ultimately to yearn for and move toward Yerushalayim. When we respond correctly – by increasing Torah, tefillah, teshuvah, and authentic Jewish pride – the bitterness miraculously turns sweet, just as October 7th produced hundreds of thousands of newly observant Jews and countless stories of open miracles among the hostages. The message is clear: get comfortable being uncomfortable in galut, stop putting ultimate faith in any human leader or system, and remember that only the almighy (Hakadosh Baruch Hu) runs the world – and He is nudging us home.Engage with us by sharing your questions, and we look forward to addressing them in future episodes, fostering a more interactive experience for our audience by submitting your questions to unboxing@torchweb.org_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by the Nagel Family.This Episode (#25) of the Unboxing Judaism Podcast is dedicated in honor of The Nagel WeddingRecorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) on November 12, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 25, 2025_____________Unboxing Judaism Podcast is a discussion on fundamental Jewish and modern cultural topics through the lens of our Torah and heritage with Rabbi Yaakov Nagel and Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, in Houston, TexasASK! To have your questions featured in a future podcast, please submit your questions to unboxing@torchweb.orgRabbi Yaakov Nagel is the founding member of TORCH and has been active since 1998. Additionally, Rabbi Nagel serves as the Senior Rabbi at Heimish of Houston and has been delivering the Daf Yomi (Daily Folio of Talmud) for TORCH since 2003. Rabbi Nagel is the Head of the Court for Jewish Divorce and actively serves as a member of the Houston Beis Din.Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe serves as the Director of TORCH since 2005._____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Yaakov Nagel:Daf Yomi Podcast - https://linktr.ee/DafYomiPodcastUnboxing Judaism Podcast - https://linktr.ee/unboxingjudaism_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.tansistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#RabbiNagel, #RabbiWolbe, #Jews, #Politics, #Unboxing, #Perspective, #Engagement, #Integration, #Safety, #Mobility, #FreeWill, #Effort, #Exile, #Divine ★ Support this podcast ★

The Jewish response to elections – whether the shocking victory of an openly anti-Semitic mayor in New York City or any political upheaval throughout history – must be twofold: before the vote, we exercise full hishtadlut (effort) by voting, cultivating goodwill with leaders, and supporting candidates who protect Jewish safety (as our Sages sent gifts to Caesar and Rabbi Akiva petitioned Rome); after the vote, we immediately pivot to total bitachon, recognizing that the final outcome is 100 % Hashem's decree, often sent as a wake-up call that we have grown too comfortable in galut. History repeats itself: German Jews declared Berlin their Jerusalem, Polish Jews called Poland “Polin – here we shall dwell,” and today many American Jews act as if the United States is the final stop; every time we forget we are in exile, Hashem sends a jolt – sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right – to remind us that no political party, president, or democracy is our ultimate protector.The comforting truth is that these “potches” (divine smacks) are acts of love meant to push us back toward our mission: to be a light unto the nations wherever we are, and ultimately to yearn for and move toward Yerushalayim. When we respond correctly – by increasing Torah, tefillah, teshuvah, and authentic Jewish pride – the bitterness miraculously turns sweet, just as October 7th produced hundreds of thousands of newly observant Jews and countless stories of open miracles among the hostages. The message is clear: get comfortable being uncomfortable in galut, stop putting ultimate faith in any human leader or system, and remember that only the almighy (Hakadosh Baruch Hu) runs the world – and He is nudging us home.Engage with us by sharing your questions, and we look forward to addressing them in future episodes, fostering a more interactive experience for our audience by submitting your questions to unboxing@torchweb.org_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by the Nagel Family.This Episode (#25) of the Unboxing Judaism Podcast is dedicated in honor of The Nagel WeddingRecorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) on November 12, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 25, 2025_____________Unboxing Judaism Podcast is a discussion on fundamental Jewish and modern cultural topics through the lens of our Torah and heritage with Rabbi Yaakov Nagel and Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, in Houston, TexasASK! To have your questions featured in a future podcast, please submit your questions to unboxing@torchweb.orgRabbi Yaakov Nagel is the founding member of TORCH and has been active since 1998. Additionally, Rabbi Nagel serves as the Senior Rabbi at Heimish of Houston and has been delivering the Daf Yomi (Daily Folio of Talmud) for TORCH since 2003. Rabbi Nagel is the Head of the Court for Jewish Divorce and actively serves as a member of the Houston Beis Din.Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe serves as the Director of TORCH since 2005._____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Yaakov Nagel:Daf Yomi Podcast - https://linktr.ee/DafYomiPodcastUnboxing Judaism Podcast - https://linktr.ee/unboxingjudaism_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.tansistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#RabbiNagel, #RabbiWolbe, #Jews, #Politics, #Unboxing, #Perspective, #Engagement, #Integration, #Safety, #Mobility, #FreeWill, #Effort, #Exile, #Divine ★ Support this podcast ★

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.

Living Emunah 2830 Bereshit-Never Losing Out by Giving The pasuk says in this week's parashah, " זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם " (Bereshit 5:1). Chazal tell us that from this pasuk we learn that HaKadosh Baruch Hu showed Adam HaRishon all of the future generations, every single person who would eventually be born. Among the neshamot Adam saw was that of David HaMelech. Adam saw what a lofty neshamah David had, and also that it was destined to leave this world just three hours after entering it. Adam knew he himself had been granted a lifespan of one thousand years. Out of compassion, he decided to donate seventy years of his own life to David HaMelech. Hashem told him to sign on this pledge, and Adam did so. The Shelah HaKadosh writes in his siddur Sha'ar HaShamayim that when Adam was approaching the age of 930, Hashem told him that his time was near. At that moment Adam wanted to retract his pledge, but Hashem told him it was too late — he had already signed. Adam felt he still had more to accomplish in this world, but his time had come, and there was nothing he could do to extend it. On the surface it might appear that Adam lost out by giving away seventy years of his life. However, the Sefer Sas Bimratecha quotes the Zohar, which explains that Adam's main concern was to repair the damage caused by his sin, which had brought such destruction to the world. He had already fasted for 130 years to make a tikkun for it. David HaMelech, too, spent many years of his life immersed in teshuvah for the episode with Batsheva. The Gemara explains that David did not actually commit an aveirah — it only appeared as if he had. Nevertheless, he dedicated his life to teshuvah. All of David's teshuvah went towards rectifying Adam's sin, for David was only alive because of Adam's gift. Had David lived another thirty years, he would have completely rectified Adam's sin and the ge'ulah would have arrived in his time. Even so, the majority of the sin was corrected, and Adam ultimately gained far more from David than he ever could have accomplished with those seventy years himself. The lesson is clear: a person never loses out by giving. So often we use our time or money to help others, and then a thought crosses our mind that we could have done more for ourselves with those resources. But in truth, we never lose out from helping. Whatever we were meant to accomplish for ourselves is accomplished through the very act of chesed — and even more blessing comes in its place. Every neshamah is sent to this world with a mission, and Hashem knows exactly what each soul needs. He gives us the precise opportunities we require in order to fulfill our purpose. A rabbi recently shared a story. A community member called him from the hospital, where he sat at his father's bedside with his siblings. Their father's blood pressure had dropped dangerously low, and the doctor said he was expected to pass away at any moment. The rabbi explained that he had two shiurim to give back-to-back and absolutely could not miss them, but he promised to come as soon as he finished. After his first class, he called to check in. "Status quo," the man replied. After the second class, the same answer. The rabbi then drove forty minutes to the hospital, and still — unbelievably — nothing had changed. The blood pressure remained dangerously low, but the man was still alive. The rabbi told the family they should recite from the siddur the vidduyim and tefillot that are said before a person's passing. They all began reading together. They completed every last word, and the moment they finished, the machine began to beep. Their father's neshamah departed from this world at that precise instant. The rabbi later reflected: it was as if the neshamah was waiting for that final tikkun to be completed, holding on until it was done. Only then was it ready to leave. Each neshamah has its unique mission. As we begin Parashat Bereshit and embark on a new year, we must focus on utilizing every opportunity Hashem sends us to grow and become the people we are meant to be. Shabbat Shalom.

Study Guide Zevachim 3 This week's learning is sponsored by Tina Lamm in loving memory of her father, Mr. Mike Senders, A"H, Yitzchak Meir ben HaRav Tzvi Aryeh v'Esther Bayla, on his shloshim. "Reaching the age of 101 was not only a personal milestone for my father, but also a testament to the fullness of his life. He used those years well - building Torah institutions, nurturing family and living in intimacy with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Today’s daf is sponsored by Lisa Malik & Adi Wyner in loving memory of Lisa’s grandmother, Regina Post z”l. "Babi Gina was the one who insisted on her grandchildren going to the Yeshivah Flatbush and who was especially proud of her 2 granddaughters who were Hebrew valedictorians. She would also be so proud to know that one of her namesakes, Rivkah Gottlieb, made aliyah and that she now has 6 Israeli grandchildren and 3 Israeli great-grandchildren. May the memory of Rivkah bat Shmuel v’Chavah be for a blessing." From where do we know for certain that a get that is written without any specific intent for the woman is disqualified (the basis of a contradiction in Zevachim 2)? After four failed attempts, they eventually find a fifth case in the Mishna in Gittin that clearly proves this. Four contradictions are raised against statements brought in the name of Rav relating to cases in which sacrifices are/are not disqualified when offered for a similar but different intent or for a completely different intent. Comparisons are made to divorce documents, impurities in utensils (what things are considered a barrier that the impurity cannot pass through), and laws within the topic itself (various cases where wrong intentions disqualify/don't disqualify the sacrifices). Each contradiction is resolved. How do we know with certainty that a get (divorce document) written without specific intent for the woman is invalid? This question arises as part of a contradiction discussed in Zevachim 2. After four unsuccessful attempts to find the source, the Gemara ultimately finds a definitive proof in a Mishna in Gittin, which clearly establishes that a get must be written lishmah—with specific intent for the woman receiving it. The sugya presents four challenges to statements attributed to Rav regarding when sacrificial offerings are disqualified due to improper intent. These challenges explore cases where the intent is slightly off (e.g., for a different type of offering) or entirely unrelated. The contradictions are from: The laws of gittin (divorce documents) The laws of tumah in utensils (what constitutes a barrier to impurity) Internal comparisons within the sacrificial laws themselves Each contradiction is carefully analyzed and ultimately resolved, reinforcing the nuanced understanding of how intent affects the validity of offerings—and by extension, other halachic domains.

Study Guide Zevachim 3 This week's learning is sponsored by Tina Lamm in loving memory of her father, Mr. Mike Senders, A"H, Yitzchak Meir ben HaRav Tzvi Aryeh v'Esther Bayla, on his shloshim. "Reaching the age of 101 was not only a personal milestone for my father, but also a testament to the fullness of his life. He used those years well - building Torah institutions, nurturing family and living in intimacy with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Today’s daf is sponsored by Lisa Malik & Adi Wyner in loving memory of Lisa’s grandmother, Regina Post z”l. "Babi Gina was the one who insisted on her grandchildren going to the Yeshivah Flatbush and who was especially proud of her 2 granddaughters who were Hebrew valedictorians. She would also be so proud to know that one of her namesakes, Rivkah Gottlieb, made aliyah and that she now has 6 Israeli grandchildren and 3 Israeli great-grandchildren. May the memory of Rivkah bat Shmuel v’Chavah be for a blessing." From where do we know for certain that a get that is written without any specific intent for the woman is disqualified (the basis of a contradiction in Zevachim 2)? After four failed attempts, they eventually find a fifth case in the Mishna in Gittin that clearly proves this. Four contradictions are raised against statements brought in the name of Rav relating to cases in which sacrifices are/are not disqualified when offered for a similar but different intent or for a completely different intent. Comparisons are made to divorce documents, impurities in utensils (what things are considered a barrier that the impurity cannot pass through), and laws within the topic itself (various cases where wrong intentions disqualify/don't disqualify the sacrifices). Each contradiction is resolved. How do we know with certainty that a get (divorce document) written without specific intent for the woman is invalid? This question arises as part of a contradiction discussed in Zevachim 2. After four unsuccessful attempts to find the source, the Gemara ultimately finds a definitive proof in a Mishna in Gittin, which clearly establishes that a get must be written lishmah—with specific intent for the woman receiving it. The sugya presents four challenges to statements attributed to Rav regarding when sacrificial offerings are disqualified due to improper intent. These challenges explore cases where the intent is slightly off (e.g., for a different type of offering) or entirely unrelated. The contradictions are from: The laws of gittin (divorce documents) The laws of tumah in utensils (what constitutes a barrier to impurity) Internal comparisons within the sacrificial laws themselves Each contradiction is carefully analyzed and ultimately resolved, reinforcing the nuanced understanding of how intent affects the validity of offerings—and by extension, other halachic domains.

Michael Cohen, who would later go on to found the well-known organization Mitzvah Man , once set a personal goal to do at least one act of chesed every single day. But one day—years before his organization ever existed—he found himself struggling to fulfill that mission. He drove around like a salesman searching for a client, only he was looking for a mitzvah. Maybe someone needed a ride. Maybe a pauper was waiting for tzedakah. Maybe someone just needed a helping hand. But nothing came his way. Still determined, he turned to Hashem and prayed: Please send me a mitzvah. I want to do something for You. Toward the end of the day, he passed a food pantry gemach and decided to walk in. "Is there anything I could do to help?" he asked. The person behind the desk looked relieved. "Actually, yes—perfect timing. We have a huge amount of garbage piled up in the back. Would you mind helping us get rid of it?" At first, Michael was taken aback. Garbage? he thought. After sincerely wanting to do a mitzvah, this was what he got? This was his big mission? But then he caught himself. If I'm a true eved Hashem, I should be happy to do whatever job Hashem gives me. I asked for a mitzvah, and this is what He sent. That means this is exactly what I'm supposed to do. He rolled up his sleeves and did the job with a full heart—because when a person serves Hashem with emunah, no act is beneath him. If Hashem sent it, it's a privilege. שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד - The pasuk teaches that in every situation in life, even when something doesn't look glamorous or meaningful, we must remember: I'm standing before Hashem. This is the mission He's giving me right now. Real emunah means living with Hashem every moment. When we truly feel that everything in front of us was given to us by Hashem for a reason—whether it's giving a shiur or dragging garbage bags—it all becomes avodat Hashem , if done with the right mindset. Rav Yerucham Levovitz used to speak about the greatness of kavod Shamayim . He told the story of a man who cleaned the area in front of the Aron Kodesh with his own beard—just to give more honor to Hashem. What others might have seen as lowly or extreme, he saw as an exalted expression of love and reverence for the Melech Malchei HaMelachim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu . A Rosh Yeshiva once shared a story about a young boy in yeshivah who was not known for his brilliance, but was consistent, sincere, and always willing to help. One Erev Shabbat, while the rest of the boys were busy preparing for Shabbat, someone accidentally knocked over a large pot of soup in the kitchen. It spilled everywhere—steaming hot liquid all over the floor. Most of the boys quickly moved on, not wanting to get involved. But this one boy quietly got down on his hands and knees and started cleaning, without being asked. That Shabbat, the Rosh Yeshiva commented during his drashah: "Sometimes Hashem looks at how a person reacts in the quiet moments. You're not being tested on a big stage—just with a dirty floor. But your decision in that moment can lift you to greatness." We don't always know which moment or mitzvah will shape our future. Sometimes it's the most unexpected acts—the so-called small ones that we almost turn down—that open doors we never imagined. Maybe it was Michael Cohen's sincere willingness to take out garbage for the sake of kavod Shamayim that earned him the heavenly assistance to later build a world-renowned chesed organization. What matters most is that we're willing—to accept whatever mission Hashem puts in front of us, and to do it with joy. Because whether we're giving someone a ride, giving tzedakah, or just taking out the garbage—if we do it l'shem Shamayim , we become partners in Hashem's plan. May we all merit to embrace every opportunity Hashem gives us with emunah, humility, and joy. Be'ezrat Hashem , we hope to release Living Emunah on the Parashah , Volume Two, sometime next month. There are a few opportunities for dedications If anyone would like the zechut of dedicating part of the book, please email: livingemunah123@gmail.com

The Torah talks about the importance of keeping our word, and taking our commitments seriously. Chazal even say for Hakadosh Baruch Hu to annul an oath due to Teshuva involves the Heavenly Bais Din. Ideas in the importance of keeping our vows, and the power of Teshuva to save King Yehoyachin from an oath of destruction.Have a good Shabbos

What does it mean to truly partner with Hakadosh Baruch Hu?When a single act of courage earns not only priesthood but eternal life itself, something deeper is at play. What is so unique about the way Hashem designed this world?In this week's episode exploring Parshas Pinchas, we uncover why Pinchas received such extraordinary rewards for his bold and dramatic intervention. Through the inspiring story of a 70-year-old man who made "impossible cases" his life's mission, host R' Asaf Aharon Prisman reveals the hidden technology behind divine partnership.Discover how ordinary people can step into extraordinary roles - and earn eternal rewards - by doing what appears to be God's work. The secret to transforming your daily actions into true divine collaboration awaits.

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

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

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

The Kav HaYashar in siman 97 writes that the day of Ta'anit Esther is very auspicious for having our tefilot answered and therefore, he says, anyone who needs rachamei Shamayim should take time out on that day and say Mizmor 22 in Tehillim and afterward he should pour out his heart to Hashem and ask Him for whatever he needs and then he should add-in the zechut of Mordechai and Esther, Hashem should open up the gates of Shamayim and accept his tefilot with favor. The sefer Bishvili HaMinhag explains why tefila is so powerful on this day. It is clear from the words of our Chazal that the entire salvation of the Jewish People at the time of Purim was all because of tefila . The Rambam writes, one of the reasons we are commanded to read the Megillah is to make known to the generations the promise given to us in the Torah " kaHashem Elokenu bichol korenu elav" – that Hashem answers us whenever we call out to Him. Which means, we were saved at that time in the merit of our tefila . And that is what we are reminding everybody when we read the Megillah . As a side note, the pasuk stresses that Hashem answers us when we call out elav – to Him. Which means, when He is the only One we are focusing on, when we truly understand that there is no other means of salvation other than Him. Ta'anit Esther specifically was established to commemorate the fact that our people fasted and prayed in anticipation of Hashem helping them at that time. And so, this day went down in history as a day of tefila . And as we know, the same spiritual energy that was in the world at that time comes back each and every year and we can take advantage of it now as well. Regarding tefila in general, the Midrash Tanchuma in parashat Vayera says, Hashem tells us to be very careful and utilize tefila because there is nothing better than it. It's even more powerful than all of the korbanot . And Hashem said further, "Even if a person is not worthy to be saved, just because he prays and is sincere with his pleas, I will do chesed with him ." Here, HaKadosh Baruch Hu bichvodo ubi'atzmo is teaching us the greatest segula of all to be helped – heartfelt sincere tefila . Hashem loves when we ask Him for help with our spiritual needs. A Rabbi who was zoche to learn with the Chazon Ish said, when they used to get to very hard sugyot which they couldn't fully grasp, the Chazon Ish would get up and go to the corner of the beit midrash and say Tehillim . Then, he would ask Hashem to open his mind to comprehend the depth of the sugya and that is how he merited to comprise the wondrous sefer called Chazon Ish. Tefila works. A man told me he was having difficulty understanding the Gemara which he learns once a week. He attends a class which is given on a high level while he is just a beginner. I told him to use the power of tefila to help himself. The following week he told me, before the class he spoke to Hashem at length, asking him in his own words with sincerity to give him the merit to understand the class. That day, he practically took over the class. All of the other students were in awe at the clarity he had. Tefila is wondrous and on Ta'anit Esther it's even more powerful. Let us utilize this gift that Hashem has given us, let us pray for the Mashiach and for the Geula Shelemah and, b'ezrat Hashem, the same way that tefila brought salvation to the Jewish People in the days of Haman, so too it should bring salvation to us today.

When people hear of a great new segula, they're very eager to try it, in many cases, even if it would cost them a lot of money or entail traveling. We have the greatest segula of all available to us at any time, free of charge. When a person prays to Hashem with real belief in His power and control, and a true feeling that He could easily help despite the hurdles that need to be overcome, that can produce the greatest salvations. When person A approaches person B for help, it can easily be detected if A really believes person B will help, or he's just going through the motions of asking. When a person really believes that Hashem is his best and only option, his approach will be different than when he thinks he has other options. A man told that both of his parents died young from heart conditions, רחמנא ליצלן . After he himself experienced certain sensations and symptoms in his heart , h e went to a doctor who determined that something was very wrong. He had a rare defect in his heart muscle, and to fix it, he would need to undergo a complex surgery by a world-renowned specialist, the only expert known for that type of issue. All of the people he spoke to told him the same thing. "If you value your life, make sure to do the surgery." This man lived in Israel, and would need to travel to Minnesota for the operation. He would have to rent an apartment near the hospital, then go for the surgery, and after recovery, go back to stay in that apartment. He would need to periodically go for checkups for up to six months after the surgery. In his mind, this meant a half a year in exile. What would be with his children? His wife would have to come along to take care of him. What would he do about minyan, about his shi'urim in Torah? What would become of his business? And where would he get hold of the astronomical sums needed for the surgery? He tried to get advice from anyone he knew in the medical field. He was advised to consult with a senior advisor who perhaps could find an alternate solution. He made the meeting and the advisor said, there is no other choice. "You must go to Minnesota as quickly as possible. Don't waste any more time. Your life is on the line." The man left there in a state of panic. He then went to shul to pray Arbit and heard the chazan saying, ה' צבאות עמנו משגב לנו - Hashem is with us and He supports us. At that moment, he was overcome with a feeling of bitachon in Hashem. The chazan continued, אשרי אדם בוטח בך. ה' הושיע המלך יעננו ביום קראנו - Hashem, save us, the King who answers us on the day we call out to Him. What a treasure. He had been saying those words all of his life but never fully appreciated them like he did at that moment. Hashem is the King of the entire world. With all of the doctors and all of the refuot, He is the only One who saves us. That Arbit was like Ne'ila on Yom Kippur for him. In fact, it was even more intense. He understood with all of his senses and bones that he is dependent only on the Chesed Hashem and that He is the only One with any say. He begged Hashem to heal him and spare him from six months in exile. After that, he still had to prepare in case he had to go. His wife was trying to work out the finances with his insurance company as well as all the other logistics of the trip to Minnesota. Meanwhile, he was becoming weaker and weaker. His heart was giving more and more warning signs. The surgery was scheduled for three weeks later in Minnesota and he continued to pray that Hashem give him a Refua Shelema right there in Israel. About ten days before the surgery, he received a call from his local hospital telling him the most amazing news. A very wealthy man with the same condition as him paid a huge sum of money to fly in the surgeon from Minnesota. He would be in the hospital there for 24 hours and they were hoping he would do his surgery as well. The hospital itself wanted all of their surgeons present to watch and learn from this man. The day came and the surgeon operated on him as well. It took only six hours instead of the eight that was expected. The surgeon told him it went extremely well. The man only had to be in the hospital for one week. He never had to leave his children or his minyan or his learning. Now, its 25 years later, and his heart continues to beat with tremendous gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for orchestrating those events the way he did. There is no segula like believing in the power of Hashem.

Rabbeinu Bechayai discusses how Moshe experienced seeing a miraculous fire in the bush, then a Malach and then a Nevuah from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Why was the revelation done in a progression, and how did he grow from examining the fire itself? Have a wonderful Shabbos.

If someone has been making hishtadlut in a certain area for a long time but hasn't seen success, there is a segula attributed to Rav Chaim Palachi that can work wonders. Whether the hishtadlut pertains to shidduchim , parnasa , health, or any other matter, strengthening one's bitachon in the following way can bring great siyata dishmaya . The practice involves saying the first paragraph of Alenu l'Shabe'ach with intense kavana . Then, go back to the words הוא אלוקינו ואין עוד אחר —"He is our G-d, and there is none other"—and deeply internalize that no one else in the world can help besides Hakadosh Baruch Hu. With this mindset, proceed to the second paragraph, על כן נקוה לך ה' אלוקינו , and focus on the specific issue causing distress. As you recite it, think: "Hashem, I am placing all my bitachon in You." A man who learned of this segula for the first time shared it with his niece in Argentina, who was struggling with shidduchim . She asked if it was enough to perform the segula once a day when reciting Alenu , as she only prayed once daily. Her uncle assured her that this was sufficient, and he committed to having her in mind as he performed the segula three times a day. Remarkably, within a month, she found her shidduch . This segula is not new; it is simply another method to instill the principle of אין עוד מלבדו . A woman once told me about her longstanding eye condition. Her eyes were persistently watery and produced mucus, and none of the medications she tried brought relief. A few years ago, she turned to the Rebbetzin whose class she attended weekly for advice. The Rebbetzin encouraged her to work on internalizing that only Hashem could help her. Then, she suggested a practical step: "Chanuka is coming up this week. Each night, stand by the candles for 15 minutes and pray to Hashem, fully believing that only He can help." The woman followed the Rebbetzin's advice and even stopped relying on the ineffective medications. Each night of Chanuka, she stood before the candles, praying with all her heart and focusing on her emunah that only Hashem could heal her. Amazingly, her condition improved with each passing day. By the end of Chanukah, her eyes were completely healed. Baruch Hashem, it has now been two years, and the issue has not returned. There is no substitute for genuine belief in Hashem's power. It cannot be faked, as Hashem perceives the true feelings within a person's heart. When one fully believes in אין עוד מלבדו , it becomes a wondrous segula that brings an outpouring of siyata dishmaya .

Living Emunah 2685 There Is Always a Purpose Nobody wants to feel that they are toiling in vain. We want to feel accomplished and want to know that there's purpose in everything we experience. People have certain conditions that they feel are causing a big strain on their lives. They feel they could be doing so many more productive things if they didn't have this condition. Learning emunah is crucial because it teaches us that there is purpose in everything we experience. It's not just purpose; it is the best possible situation to be in and is accomplishing more than anything else we feel we could be accomplishing. Only Hashem knows what we need to accomplish in this world to be successful, and it is He who gives us the exact circumstances that we need to be in to fulfill our mission. Some circumstances may last for a month or a year or even longer. It all depends on our mission. If we can internalize the fact that there is purpose for the circumstance or situation and also internalize that serving Hashem under those conditions is the best possible thing for us, then we'll be able to do it with joy rather than stress. A woman told her rabbi that she is suffering because she takes to heart her friends' and relatives' issues as if they are her own. Someone she's very close to is going through such a difficult time and it is paining her to no end. She has tried to go to therapists to see how she can prevent herself from letting other people's problems affect her so much, but nobody has been able to help her. She has a hard time wanting to get up each morning because of all the stress she's feeling. The rabbi told her the pasuk says Moshe Rabbenu became great because he felt the pain of his brothers who were in slavery in Mitzrayim. Moshe Rabbeinu could have just taken it easy in the palace, but instead he chose to empathize with his brothers and became completely distressed over their pain to the point that he used to cry watching them and would go over to each person and tell him, "I wish I could die for you." Hakadosh Baruch Hu saw this and said, "Moshe turned away from his comforts to be in distress with his people. I am going to leave my comforts and appear to him from a thornbush." There he told Moshe that he was choosing him to become the leader to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim. It was this quality of feeling the pain of others that merited Moshe to become the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael . The rabbi then told the woman that although she looks at this quality as something negative, Hashem views it as a great mitzva. Furthermore, the Sefarim HaKedoshim teach us that when a person is נושא בעול עם חבירו , feeling the pain of others, it actually alleviates some of the pain that the person is experiencing. So this woman's pain is not only considered a mitzva, it is also helping the one she's pained over. Moreover, we know that everybody experiences yisurim in this world. If she is feeling pain over other people's problems, then she is getting her yisurim that way, which means the difficulties that she needs to go through will not have to come in her own life because she's already experiencing them in other people's lives. These are just some of the benefits she's gaining by having these feelings for others. By learning emunah, she didn't need to fight her circumstances but rather accept them with love. Of course, we are always encouraged to make any hishtadlut that we feel would improve the quality of our lives, but we don't have to feel that what we are experiencing is ever in vain. There is always a purpose, and it's always for our benefit.

Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein told a story in his Sefer בך בטחנו about a great Admor who appeared to his son in a dream a year after he passed away to give him a message. The son asked his father to tell him what it's like in the upper world. His father was not able to reveal too much, but he did tell him that the reward for every little deed that we do is tremendous, even for little things like getting a chair for someone to sit on, serving a cup of water or giving someone directions. We have no comprehension of how great the reward for these minor deeds are, all the more so for deeds that are more difficult to do. He said further, if someone sings a song of praise to Hashem, even if he's sitting at a Shabbat table all alone, it is as precious to Hashem as the Leviyim singing to Him in the Beit Hamikdash. We can't imagine how great even one Amen is. A man by the name of Mati had to deliver an envelope to someone who worked in a bank in Tel Aviv. When he arrived he was told the person he needed was in a meeting. In the meantime he sat down to eat an apple. He was accustomed to always saying all of his berachot slow and loud, so right there in the bank he made the beracha out loud. One of the bankers there went over to him and said, "What are you yelling? This is not Bnei Brak, please talk quietly." A few days later he returned to that bank with another letter to deliver and once again he had to wait. This time he said his beracha quietly. The same banker saw him and said, "Why did you say the beracha so low? I wanted to hear it." Mati told him he was only following orders. The banker then told him he used to be religious but he lost everything. Last week when he berated him for saying the beracha out loud, his mother came to him in a dream very angry saying how much suffering he was causing her in the upper world. She then said, "If you would have answered Amen to that beracha, it would have elevated my soul so much. But instead, you yelled at the person for doing it." The banker then told Mati he couldn't believe that even an amen from someone like him would be meaningful. The banker then apologized and gave Mati something else to make a beracha on so he could answer Amen. Hashem appreciates every little deed that a person does and will reward him greatly for every one of them. How much more so if the deeds are difficult to do. A rosh kollel in Lakewood recently told the following story about one of the students who learned in his kollel who we'll call Yehuda. Lo aleinu, Yehuda's wife had a miscarriage at a late stage. The rosh kollel told Yehuda to take off as much time as needed to be with his wife and give her support. This was on a Friday. On Sunday morning Yehuda was back in the kollel learning the full day. The rosh kollel asked him about it. Yehuda told him they were inspired by a statement from the Zohar: " חזו בני חביבי דמשכחין בצערא דילהון ועסקין בחדוותא דילי - Hashem says, "Look at my precious children. They forget about their own sorrows and they take delight in my Torah." They wanted to fulfill that precept and bring pleasure to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. So the man's wife encouraged him to go learn. The very next day Yehuda received a call from a cousin of his asking if he could borrow his violin. The cousin came to pick it up. Before leaving, he wanted to test it out. This cousin had no idea what was going on in Yehuda's life with the miscarriage. He then started playing a song and the words were " חזו חזו בני חביבי "- the very same words that had just inspired Yehuda and his wife to go learn. They felt Hashem was talking to them directly telling them how much He appreciated that sacrifice. Our deeds are so valuable, and therefore we should do every one of them happily and enthusiastically.

Chazal tell us that the malachim ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu why the Jewish people don't say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. The Chatam Sofer in his Derashot asked, why would the angels think that we should say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. On Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, we are celebrating the miracles that Hashem did for us when He took us out of Mitzrayim and gave us the Torah. So that is why we say Hallel on those holidays. But there were no miracles that took place on Rosh Hashanah that should warrant saying Hallel. So why would they think that we should say it? The Chatam Sofer answered, that we have been in galut for nearly 2000 years, and now a new year is coming up and there are still Jews in the world keeping Torah and mitzvot just like they did during the days of Moshe Rabbeinu. Not only that, there are people interested in knowing what time they have until to say Kriyat Shema or until what time they have to say the Amidah . The angels in heaven are amazed that after centuries of persecutions and attempts to get us away from religion, we keep coming back stronger than ever. If we would think about it logically, it doesn't make any sense that there are millions of Jews flourishing in Torah and mitzvot after what we have been through. There are people in every shul across the world learning, praying, doing gemilut chasadim and serving Hashem in the most beautiful ways. The main time to recognize this miracle would be at the beginning of a new year. Our Avot never imagined that in the year 5785, we would still be in galut, and yet still keep every halacha the best way possible. We're still educating our children with purity. We still stand in shul on Rosh Hashanah and accept the kingship of Hashem and we say Malchuyot , Zichronot and Shofarot just like they did in the days of Ravah and Abayeh. There is no miracle greater than this. And so, what did Hashem answer the angels when they asked Him why we aren't saying Hallel? He replied, how could they say Hallel when the Sifrei Chaim and Sifrei Metim are opened in front of Me? The Chatam Sofer explained, those books also refer to the amount of life we will be given when doing mitzvot. Life- meaning excitement and energy. And the Sifrei Metim refers to doing mitzvot without any excitement or any enthusiasm. How could we say Hallel for something that's being decided right at that time? Are we going to have heavenly help to enjoy the Torah and do the mitzvot with a passion? Knowing that this is at stake, it is incumbent upon us to at least try our best on the day of Rosh Hashanah to show as much excitement and enthusiasm as we could when learning and praying. All the blessings for the entire year are found inside the day of Rosh Hashanah, both physical and spiritual. Everything we do on that day matters so much. We eat sweet foods, we act on our best behavior, and we are supposed to put forth our best spiritual efforts in everything we do that day. If we want to do mitzvot with a feeling of life, we have to at least show it outwardly. Even if we may not always have kavanah throughout the year during our tefila , we should make a special effort on Rosh Hashanah to focus from the beginning of the tefila all the way to the end. Hashem is ready to shower us with the greatest year, both spiritually and physically, but first we have to do our part. To get spiritual blessings, we have to want them deep down and show it as well. B'ezrat Hashem, everybody should be inscribed in the Sefer Hachaim , both spiritually and physically. Shabbat Shalom

One of the reasons we are supposed to feel calm and composed in all situations is because we are always in the best hands, the hands of our loving Father, HaKadosh Baruch Hu . During difficult times, internalizing this fact can help a person so much. A woman related that she had to travel from Minnesota to Lakewood for a family wedding. She was going to return by herself, while her husband was going to take her son to Denver Yeshiva after the wedding. They found flights to Philadelphia, and then they would take a taxi to Lakewood. When it came time for the woman to go back on Thursday, she assumed the flight was from the same airport that she arrived in, and so she called the driver to take her from Lakewood to the Philadelphia airport. Her husband had already printed out her boarding pass and she had it with her in her pocketbook. While in transit, she was very busy catching up on missed phone calls and messages and did not pay attention to the road at all. When they arrived at the airport, the driver asked her which airline and she told her. She then got out, went through security, got to the gate, and finally boarded the plane. She needed to check her ticket to see what seat she had. When she looked at the ticket, she couldn't believe her eyes. It said that the flight was leaving out of Newark airport in New Jersey. She wondered how they let her on the flight if she was in the Philadelphia airport. She then asked the flight attendant where exactly they were to which she was told, Newark. That is when she realized the miracle that Hashem just did for her. She asked for a taxi to take her to Philadelphia airport and somehow the driver decided, on her own, to take her to Newark, the airport she was really supposed to leave from. And she really had to get back that day because she needed to cook the entire Friday for the Sheva Berachot they were making on Shabbat. She thought to herself, we may think we are supposed to be heading in a certain direction, but it doesn't always work out the way we want, because Hashem is always steering us in the direction He knows we need to go in. She is currently going through a very troubling time with one of her children. She prays for salvation every day, but now she knows even more that Hashem is always leading her to the circumstances she needs to be in to get where she has to be in this world. Sometimes a person needs help but he doesn't know where to turn to get it. But what he may not realize is that Hashem has already been planning out his salvation. A man from Bet Shemesh related, one day he overheard a conversation between two people that learn in his kollel . One of them, we'll call Shmuel, said that the electric company did not send him a bill for a few months and then they sent him a bill for 6,000 shekel in one shot. He did not have the money to pay for it and was hoping that the electric company would allow him to pay in small increments. That night everybody left the kollel at about 11pm and the only ones left were Shmuel and the one telling the story. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. It was two Americans who only spoke English. They asked if there was someone there currently learning Torah. The man telling the story told them yes. They came in and saw Shmuel learning and they went over to him and handed him a thousand dollars cash. They said they were meeting with someone who suddenly said, in the middle of the meeting, he wanted to give a thousand dollars to a man who's learning. They told him they would find someone. This was the nearest Bet Midrash so they came there and gave the money to Shmuel who was learning. While they were there, they took out a few hundred dollars more from their own pockets and gave him more money. A minute later two people came in and sat down and started learning. The hashgacha of Hashem here was so precise, He caused those Americans to come to this kollel exactly when only Shmuel was learning so that he would get all the money that he needed to pay his electric bill. Hashem knows about everything a person's going through and is always taking the best care of us. If we could always feel that we are in His hands, it will help us in so many ways.