Podcasts about Hashem

Session 4: Life Brings Humility In previous classes, we learned how the cornerstone to all middos is humility. In Life Brings Humility, Rabbi Shafier builds upon this fundamental principle by exploring the devastating influence of arrogance. We all agree that arrogance is ugly, but our mesorah goes further: arrogance will inevitably lead a person to forget Hashem. Afterall, when we're so sure of our own competence and independence, we don't need a Master. We are in this world to serve Hashem, but when we are consumed by gaaveh, our avoda is ruined, because our intentions define every action. Arrogance will make us hated in this world and empty in the World to Come. It's the essential work of a lifetime to rid our hearts of it completely, but where do we start? In Life Brings Humility Rabbi Shafier gives us practical tools that are guaranteed to cut through our illusions of grandeur, maintain our sense of self and reconnect to our ultimate Master and Benefactor.

Help support the teaching of Rabbi Felman: https://thechesedfund.com/nevehzion/rabbifelman Would love to hear feedback from you - rsdf@012.net.il

During the Amida prayer and Birkat Hamazon on Rosh Hodesh, one must add the paragraph of "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo." One who forgot to add "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" in the Amida of Shaharit or Minha on Rosh Hodesh must repeat the Amida. At Arbit of Rosh Hodesh, however, one who forgets to recite "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" does not repeat the Amida. This applies even on the second night of a two-day Rosh Hodesh.Must one repeat Birkat Hamazon on Rosh Hodesh if he forgot to add "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo"?The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 188:7) rules that if the person realized his mistake immediately after completing the Beracha of "Boneh Yerushalayim," then he should recite the phrase, "Baruch She'natan Rosheh Hodashim Le'amo Yisrael Le'zikaron." This phrase is recited without the words "Hashem Elokenu Melech Ha'olam," and the text appears in many editions of the Siddur.If a person did not realize his mistake until after he recited Hashem's Name in the next Beracha (the Beracha of "Ha'Kel Abinu Ro'enu"), then he simply continues Birkat Ha'mazon without reciting Ya'aleh Ve'yabo. One cannot add Ya'aleh Ve'yabo in the "Harahaman" section of Birkat Hamazon. If one realized his mistake after he began the phrase, "Ve'tibne yerushalayim," before reciting Hashem's Name in the Beracha, then he recites "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" and then proceeds as usual with "Ve'tibne yerushalayim." If he realized his mistake after he recited Hashem's Name in the Beracha, but before he recited the words "Boneh Yerushalayim," then he should recite the words, "Lamedeni Hukecha" so that he will have recited a complete verse ("Baruch Ata Hashem Lamedeni Hukecha" – Tehillim 119:12), and will thus not have recited Hashem's Name in vain. He should then recite "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" and proceed as usual with "Ve'tibne yerushalayim." These Halachot apply throughout Rosh Hodesh, both by day and by night.Summary: One who forgets to add "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" in the Amida on Rosh Hodesh during Arbit does not repeat the Amida; if this occurred during Shaharit or Minha, he must repeat the Amida. If one forgot to recite "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" on Rosh Hodesh in Birkat Hamazon, and did not realize his mistake until after he recited Hashem's Name in the Beracha of "Ha'Kel Abinu," he continues as usual and does not recite "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo." If he remembered after the Beracha of "Boneh Yerushalayim," but before the Beracha of "Ha'Kel Abinu," then he should recite the phrase, "Baruch She'natan Rosheh Hodashim Le'amo Yisrael Le'zikaron." If he realized his mistake before he recited Hashem's Name in the Beracha of "Boneh Yerushalayim," then he recites "Ya'aleh Ve'yabo" and then proceeds as usual with "Ve'tibne yerushalayim."

Every single person has stories of how they have seen so clearly Hashem taking care of their needs in a very personal way. These stories happen to millions of people, all at the same time, every moment of the day. Each person is able to feel that Hashem is personally looking after him, although Hashem is doing the same for everyone else in the world as well. How fortunate are we to have HaKadosh Baruch Hu worrying, kavayachol , about every last detail of every moment of our lives. A man, who we'll call Moshe, said he was driving with his family in Israel and someone opened the window in the backseat and his hat flew right out onto the road. They were traveling at a high speed and unable to turn around. Moshe said, “It's kapara ,” and they kept going. The next day, Moshe got a phone call from someone who said he found the hat with his name and phone number attached to it. This man said he lives in Acco and was desperately trying to find someone to say Kaddish for his father who passed away. He didn't know any religious people and he didn't know who he was going to ask. Then, he found the hat of a religious man right under his feet with a number on it and hoped this man may be able to do it. He then offered him 200 shekel a month to say Kaddish for the year. Moshe told the man it would be his pleasure. He goes to shul anyway for minyan and it wouldn't be any trouble at all. Moshe then thought to himself, he lives in Haifa, this man lives in Acco, they most probably would never have crossed paths in life. How was Hashem going to get that man help through him? Very simple. His hat was going to fly out of the window right where that other man will find it. Dr. Meir Wikler told a story that he heard from a man named Uri who came to a seminar looking to be inspired. The seminar leader was discussing how Hashem sometimes makes miracles to save people when they are in trouble and he asked the group if anyone wanted to share a personal experience. Uri raised his hand and proceeded to tell the following story. He said he was an outdoor enthusiast who loved to go hiking with his friends. One day, he was on a hike in the desert in the Negev, somewhere outside of Beer Sheva. Apparently he didn't drink enough during the course of that day and, after a few hours, he began feeling faint and ill. One of his companions, a medic, recognized the symptoms of dehydration and began to worry. He knew that Uri was in danger and regretted not bringing along the First Aid Kit which he always took with him when he accompanied organized groups. It contained a special saline solution infusion for such circumstances. As Uri began to feel worse and worse, his friends decided to fan out in a desperate effort to find help. As they frantically ran in all directions, one of Uri's friends spotted something shining lying on the floor. He stopped out of curiosity and bent down to see what it was. There, in the sand, lay an unopened saline infusion kit. Apparently, an organized group of hikers, accompanied by a medic, must have lost it there. The friend rushed back, handed the kit to the medic, who administered the first aid and saved Uri's life. Uri said, “I believe the chances of finding a saline solution kit in the middle of the desert, right where I was, are less than one in a million. It was surely a miracle.” Hashem, kavayachol , worries about every single person and is actively involved in every moment of our lives.

We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu   Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series?   https://podcasts.ohr.edu/   00:00 Why is there zero tolerance for pictures of women in the yeshiva world when there are such explicit depictions in Chazal?   06:05 What is the difference between a kofer and an apikores?   07:46 How do we understand the concept of kollel (work combined with learning)?   25:44 Is the Rambam's standard of hours  learning and working good for everyone?   29:21 Why does the Torah “hype up” Torah—in that it self promotes?   31:05 Could the Rav expound on the hidden tzadikim of the dor?   36:30 What is the meaning of Lshem Yichud?   42:14 What is the ko'ach of the month of Tammuz/What should we tap into?   45:22 Will we be able to commit sins after mashiach comes?   52:24 What is the meaning of the phrase “UMIKAYEM EMUNASO LISHAYNAY AFAR” mean in amida?    54:54 If Hashem is perfect, why does it appear that He changes his mind over certain decisions and improvise as he goes?   1:01:04 Why didn't G-d create an “ideal world”?   1:02:50 Is there a transactional aspect of Judaism?   1:06:30 Isn't the status of Halachot leMoshe Misinai hard to believe? Why would HAShem choose about 60 halachot that are seemingly random and unrelated to each other to not include in the Torah?   1:13:58 Is Rav Anan related to the amora of a similar name?   1:20:16 What does it mean that Moshe took the stick before Hashem in Parshas CHUKAS?   1:23:03 What is the takana of Ezra regarding immersing?   1:30:38 Is living together a mitzvah?    1:31:37 According to R Elyashiv, how do we understand Divrei Torah and hirhorim?   1:35:28 What's the difference between chas v chalila and chas v shalom?   1:37:56 If there's an expert on Torah but his personal life is poor, can we still learn from him?   Visit us @ ohr.edu !   Produced by Cedar Media Studios

https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_parsha/004_bamidbar/004_shelach/023

The Shulhan Aruch writes that one should put on his clothing in the morning under the covers, before getting out of bed (listen to audio recording for precise citation). In the olden days, people did not wear pajamas, and would cover themselves only with their sheet. Therefore, the Shulhan Aruch rules that one should ensure not to come out of bed before putting on his clothing, in order not to expose himself.The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) explains this Halacha by noting that one must conduct himself with Seniut (modesty) even in the privacy of his home, and even in the dark. Hashem's presence is everywhere, and of course there is no "darkness" as far as He is concerned. Therefore, since we are always in the Almighty's presence, we must always ensure to cover the parts of the body that are normally covered. The Mishna Berura writes that one may leave his arms exposed until the elbow, and the neck until the chest, because these parts of the body are commonly exposed. However, he writes, since people do not normally expose their feet, one should ensure to put on his socks under his covers, before getting out of bed. The Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953) writes that the practice nowadays is to allow exposing one's feet, since in contemporary society it is accepted to go about without socks in one's home, even in the presence of visitors.These Halachot demonstrate the importance of Seniut even in the privacy of one's home. Even at home, one should be dressed properly out of an awareness of, and respect for, Hashem's presence which is everywhere at all times.

O Rebe é o Pastor fiel = sustenta e alimenta a FÉ de cada indivíduo, ajudando e orientando como fazer sua chama Judaica brilhar. Todo judeu quer e precisa ligação com Hashem, e única coisa que pode satisfazer o desejo e prazer na vida = ligação com D'us!! Não só na hora de aperto e perseguição! Como seria no século 21? Vivo no Brasil liberdade religiosa, financeira sem perseguições, porém NADA deixará vc feliz fora D'us!

Today is Rosh Hodesh Tamuz, so we will share a thought on Hallel from Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, from the sefer Gadol Yisrael. He was once asked why we say the words Ana Hashem Hoshea Na Please Hashem save us Ana Hashem Hatzlicha Na Please Hashem let us see success in the middle of Hallel? Seemingly , H allel is all about th anking Hashem and praising Ha shem , so where does Ana Hashem fit in? Rabbi Shlomo Zalman says that when we are th a nking Hashem for all the kindness that He d id for us, we get the strength to ask that He should continue to save us and give us success, in order that we can continue to prais e H im and thank Him forever and ever. So the requests for salvation and success are, as we just said, because we want to be able to have the ability to continue to praise Him . This is a beautiful thought. It is similar to a certain Kabbalah brought down by the Kaf HaHaim in the name of Yehuda HaHasid, t hat when a person is in a difficult situation , he promises that when he gets out of the situation , he will say Nishmat/Thank you. It is almost like every month, at the end of H allel , we say, “ Hashem next month I will say H allel again.” It's important to realize that we are going month to month, to be able to say Hallel. Rabbi Miller said that we say Hallel for the previous month. We should back at the month , see what happen ed , and say Thank You. And then we say, “Si nce I said thank Y ou , Hashem please give me another month to once again thank Y ou. ” On the topic of Nishmat , Rabbi Shlomo Zalman would say over with much emotion something that he heard from Rabbi Haskel Abramsky. Rabbi Abramsky was on ce sleeping in a motel , in a room next to the Chafetz Chaim . The w alls were not that thick , and he was able to hear that Chafetz Chaim saying Nishmat in the middle of the night . He translated every word into Yiddish with tremendous feeling and sweetness , t hanking Hashem for what He ha d done for him. On a similar note, he said that he once met someone who was about to go through a difficult medical procedure, and he told him , “T he yesod/ main thing is Hodot U'LHitpalel, th ank Hashem and pray . As we say in Hallel, Hodu l'Hashem Thank You Hashem , and then Ana Hashem' Hoshea Na, please save me Hashem. Before the operation , the first thing that you should do is praise Hashem , And after you pra ise Hashem, then you can ask Him to save you, Because you will further praise Him for that. The major way that we praise Hashem is through our Berachot, especiall y Birkat Hamazon, which is form the Torah. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was o nce saying B irkat Hamazon and the people around the table noticed that he repeated Nodeh Lecha , a Thank You blessing, a second time. A family member asked him why, and he explained that he felt that the first time that he said it, he wasn't really focusing. He was a little bit detached. He said, “ To say thank you with out Kavana / intention, i s not called saying thank you. A Thank you without a feeling is not a thank you . T herefore, I repeated it.“ And the child that witnessed this said that he then realized th at it meant that obviously, all the years that hi s father had said Node Lecha he really was paying attention ! Imagine if we really paid attention when we said Nodeh Lecha or Modim ? It is the opinion of some Rish onim that in the Amida, just like we have to have kavana on the words that we say in the first beracha , we h ave to have kavana in Modim, because that is also essential. Saying thank you without thinking is not really saying thank you. And there's another thought about saying thank you that hopefully we will remember for Hanuk ah . In the Al Ha Nissim of Hanukah, we say, “ We made these eight days of Hanukah to say p raise and thanks to Y our great name ..” but Rabbi Shlomo Zalman asks why, when it comes to Purim we say, “ and he hung him in the tree. .” but we don't say, “ We made these days to read the Megillah and send Mishkoah Manot.” He answers that when we say, “ and we made eight days of praise ,” those aren't instructions from the rabbis for what we should be doing, it was part of the downfall of the Greeks, no different than the hanging of Ha man on Purim . The greatest blow to the Greeks was th at the Jewish people walked out with another reason to praise and thank Hashem . Their whole goal was to uproot our religion , and it ended up backfiring on them, because we added more thanks and more praise. That is the biggest dagger in the heart of the Greeks, or in the heart of any of those that don't believe . The Ramban said that the Greeks only believed what they saw, that was the whole approach of Greek philosophy. This is also the scientific approach, where if you don't see it , it is not there. But we fight back and our biggest blow to them is to L' Hodot ULHallel- praise and thank Ha shem. That is what our religion is built on. A Yehudi is Modeh / He says Thank you. The first words of our day are Modeh Ani- Thank you, thank you Thankyou, And when we do that we have the power to ask for more, to once again say thank you, thank you .

Hashem governs our lives down to every last detail. In His infinite wisdom, He is able to be so involved yet hide Himself so well. He hides behind the guise of nature. What appears to be natural occurrences are in actuality very carefully planned actions of Hashem. The Gemara says even something as small as stubbing one's toe does not take place until Hashem first decrees it. How much more so everything else that happens to a person. The thinking Jew sees Hashem in everything he experiences. He knows there is no such thing as coincidence and he lives his life accordingly. Hashem communicates with us from behind the scenes all the time and if we are in tune with it, it will give up so much chizuk . People who have been through the most difficult times have gotten so much strength from seeing Hashem in His hidden ways. A man told me his premature infant was diagnosed with an intestinal disease called NEC. When the doctors saw the baby only had 3 centimeters of bowel intestines, he told the parents, “There is no hope. The baby only has a few days to live. After shedding many tears, the parents said they would not accept without a fight. They made phone calls and found one doctor in the entire country whose opinion is that this type of ailment can be treated and they managed to get the baby transferred to him. The man and his wife wanted to strengthen their emunah so each day they read an emunah lesson from a certain book. On the day they arrived at the doctor's office, they opened the book to the day they were up to while waiting for the doctor to come in. The chapter they read was all about Hashem creating new refuot and how He could use any one messenger in the entire world to bring about the healing. Right when they said those words, the doctor walked into the room. They were so inspired, they showed this gentile doctor the words they had just read. Many weeks later, the baby was going for a scan and, in a moment of weakness, the mother told the husband, “It seems highly unlikely that our child is going to make it. Should we be putting in as much effort into our prayers as we are?” Her husband told her, “We have already seen miracles and, honestly, we have no idea what is going on exactly inside of the baby. It is hidden from our eyes and it is hidden from the doctors'. And as long as things are hidden from the eye, it is much simpler for Hashem to do hidden miracles.” That evening, they opened the emunah book that they learned daily. They have missed many nights, but they try their best to stick with it. The chapter they were up to spoke about how Hashem brings blessing in things that are hidden from the eye. They were both so emotional from reading those words. Hashem was talking directly to them. Baruch Hashem, the results of that scan showed that the baby now has 50 centimeters of bowel intestines. He still has a long way to go, but they are so hopeful and appreciative from seeing Hashem's clear involvement in their lives. Another man told me, he also felt Hashem speaking to him through the sefer he was learning. Last week he discovered there were two rabbits stuck in a window well in one of his basement windows. He was not able to get them out by himself so he called 311 and they said they would send down wildlife experts to do it. It was 5:30 pm on Friday afternoon so he sat down to learn for a few minutes before getting ready for Shabbat. He learns the Ohr HacHaim daily. In the back of his mind he was thinking, it is hot out and the rabbits are probably hungry and thirsty, so I should probably put some food out for them . Then he countered with another thought, the city representatives will probably arrive any minute, so they will be okay . With that, he opened the Ohr HacHaim. He was up to parashat Vayetzeh when Yaakov was rebuking the shepherds for sitting around while their sheep were thirsty. The line he read was, צער בעלי חיים דאורייתא – it's a mitzvah from the Torah to relieve animals from their pain. Immediately he said, “I got it, Hashem.” And he went to put food and water out for the rabbits. The city did not end up coming for another few hours. Hashem speaks to us all the time in many ways. The more we are in tune with it, the more we will see it and the more chizuk we will get.

While it may seems that your husband could have been of greater stature, but considering that, Hashem decoded this match long ago. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/009/010/2732

While it may seems that your husband could have been of greater stature, but considering that, Hashem decoded this match long ago. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/009/010/2732

We continue with beautiful lessons from the sefer Gaon Yisrael bout Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Rabbi Shloml Zalman once went through a very difficult medical procedure and the doctor asked him how he was feeling. His response was, “Yesh Li Yissurim/ I have suffering.” The doctor told him that it would be more correct to say, ”Yesh Li K'Evim/I have pain,” But Rabbi Shlomo Zalman rejected this. He said he chose the word yissurim purposely in order to remind himself of the pasuk in Devarim (8,5) כִּ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יְיַסֵּ֥ר אִישׁ֙ אֶת־בְּנ֔וֹ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מְיַסְּרֶֽךָּ Like a man gives rebuke to his sin, God gives you Yissurim.” He wanted to use the word yissurim in order to remind himself of where it was coming from- his Loving Father. This would cause the suffering to be easier.. He chose the word suffering instead of pain, in order to remind himself of this pasuk, that refers to God as the One who is training and rebuking His son out of love. He added that in Tehilim there is a word (118, 27) אִסְרוּ־חַ֥ג בַּעֲבֹתִ֑ים עַד־קַ֝רְנ֗וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ Tie the holiday down, with ropes And the word for tie is similar to word Yissurim/ suffering. When a person has yissurim, he actually feels a stronger connection to Hashem, because he is hoping for his salvation, and therefore he feels more connected. On another occasion, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was dealing with somebody who had a difficult challenge in life, then something changed in his life. The Rabbi went to the man and grabbed his arm. Afterwards, he pointed out to the man, “Why is it that when I grabbed your arm just now you felt it, but you don't feel it when you're wearing your watch.“ The answer is, because you are used to your watch, you don't pay attention to it. But when I grabbed your hand, that was something extra ordinary. He said that when a person has suffering, it's like God is grabbing his hand. This is why there is more of a connection to Hashem- because you are more aware of God in your life. That is why the Rabbi use the word yissurim when speaking to the doctor. We may not like this word, which means suffering, but Rabbi Shlomo Zalman said that it should remind us of the lessons of yissurim. Another story in the book was one that I actually heard from Hacham Yehuda Ades. Hacham Yehuda Ades' father Rabbi Yaakov Ades was one of the Roshei Yeshivot of Porat Yosef. At the end of his life, he had a stroke, and he had to either be in a bed or a wheelchair. He couldn't do very much. Hacham Yehuda Ades asked his Rebbi , Rav Shlomo Zalman, “What does Hashem want from my father in this situation?” Rabbi Shloml Zalman answered, “When a person in this situation has pure thoughts, he is connected to God in a very, very powerful way. This will lift up his whole life, even if he was already a great man (before he reached this level of connection). The suffering that he's undergoing is the only way to bring him to the highest level of connection.” Hacham Ades added a line that wasn't in the book, “Who knows if one groan that he has now can retroactively purify his entire life.” Nobody wants to suffer, but when a person is suffering we have to understand that the yissurim is something that connects a person to Hashem in a way that we can't understand. Therefore, although we say we don't want it, as the Gemara says, “ I don't want them, and I don't want the reward, “but if Has'V'Shalom a person does have challenges and suffering in their life, they have to remember these important lessons. In our final story, Rav Shlomo Zalman told a recently orphaned child, “We have to always remember that Hashem is a God full of mercy. He is the source of all the mercy in the world. Sometimes it takes time until we understand that. But what is clear, he says, is that there is nothing that is inherently evil in the world. Everything that Hashem does is for our own good and coming from his tremendous mercy.” These are the thoughts that a person has to have during these difficult times. And Rav Shlomo Zalman didn't just speak it, he lived it. He chose the word Yissurim, and said he was in a situation of suffering, rather than use the word pain, because the word yissurim reminded him that like a father rebukes his son, Hashem is chastising us. We should all be zoche not to come to yissurim, but if, has v'shalom, we do, we should be able to learn how to grow and gain from them. Have a wonderful day.

If a person is given news that is difficult to deal with, initially he may have feelings of depression and despair, but he must know, there have been others who have gone through similar situations and persevered. With the right attitude, he could use the experience to discover Hashem in ways he never could have otherwise. Of course, he would never have chosen to be in that situation, but now that he is there, he should use it as a catalyst to will make him the person he is truly capable of becoming. A woman emailed that at the 20 week scan of her fetus, her doctor noticed an anomaly in its brain. She was sent for a very traumatizing MRI and the specialist told her he couldn't detect anything further and they would just have to wait and see what developed. She decided she was going to improve herself in many ways as a zechut for Hashem to give her the results she was hoping for. She began saying Birkot HaShachar every day as well as saying at least one Amida . She said Tehillim and Nishmat daily and separated challah every Friday. She committed to eating seuda shelishit on Shabbat. She committed to being stricter in the laws of modesty by adhering to every halacha , including having her elbows and hair covered at all times. She tried to listen to at least one class a day, even if it would just be a short lesson. And what she thought was going to be the smallest and easiest acceptance turned out to be the most life changing one. That was to learn and teach her friends two lessons a day from Purity of Speech as well as stop speaking lashon hara. After learning the laws, she was honestly in awe at how much she spoke previously and how rarely she judged people favorably and how much of her speech was negative talk. She now looks at lashon hara with such disgust and she feels that this change has affected her the most. She learned that Hashem doesn't answer the tefilot of people who are ba'aleh lashon hara and that gave her an extra push to make teshuva for all of the lashon hara that she had previously spoken. During this time, she actually became thankful to Hashem for sending her this scare with her baby. Life is short, she said, and she could have easily gone through the rest of hers without making any of these changes. She now feels that great excitement towards mitzvot like she did when she first became observant. She has that spark back and it is doing wonders for her. She is hearing feedback from people around her saying how much she has changed and how spiritual she has become. She once learned, it's easy for people to get inspired and take on one heroic act, but what really changes a person is the small things that he does every single day. As a side note, the ultrasound that she recently took came out with the good news she was hoping to hear. But that's just a very small part of this story. Instead of wallowing in her misery over the negative report she received, she used the experience to become so much closer to Hashem and her life has become ever so enriched because of it. Challenges should not cause a person to despair, but rather just the opposite. A person should use them to catapult into greatness.

If you'd like to solve 80% of your philosophical problems, the solution is simple: stop playing G-d.

https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_parsha/004_bamidbar/004_shelach/011

https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_parsha/004_bamidbar/004_shelach/006

Welcome to "Famous Gemaras" a series where famous gemaras are sent out, as chizuk for Am Yisrael during these difficult times. Through this Torah learning, may we connect to Hashem and to each other. These are given by Rabbi Rosner.

S5 6:9 (Season 5 Finale) This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

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This song is a beautiful expression of what our avodas Hashem should be.  Collaborating with the well known Israeli singer/songwriter Yosef Karduner, Joey Newcomb tells the story behind this enchanting song.   Our new and free call-in-to listen feature is here: USA: (712) 432-3489 UK: 0333-366-0154 ISRAEL: 079-579-5088 Follow us for more content: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@livinglchaim Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/livinglchaim/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/livinglchaim LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/livinglchaim Submit your questions to hi@LivingLchaim.com Have a specific questions? Email us hi@livinglchaim.com WhatsApp us feedback and get first access to episodes: 914-222-5513 Lchaim.

One of the reasons why yissurin – afflictions – are so good for a person is because they bring him kapara for his avonot(transgressions). It is a great chesed of Hashem to give a person kapara with temporary suffering in this world rather than having to get it in the Next World which is eternal. However, there are many ways in which a person can gain kapara without needing any affliction. Rabbenu Yona in Sha'arehTeshuva (4:11), teaches us about one of those ways. He writes there, a person's toil in the study of Torah as well as his loss of sleep over it will take the place of other forms of yissurin. As Chazal teach us on the pasuk אדם לעמל יולד - Everyone experiences hardships in this world, but אשרי מי שאילו בתורה – fortunate is the person who gets it in his toil in the study of Torah. Rabbenu Yona writes further, toil in Torah is so great, it could atone even for the sin of chilul Hashem, as is apparent from the Gemara in masechet Rosh Hashanah (18). The Gemara in Yevamot says, even though there was a curse on the house of Eli HaCohen that his progeny would die young, Torah study breaks that decree and elongates their lives. Learning Torah with full focus is not easy, but the rewards are endless. And besides for all of the blessings Torah brings, we are learning today that it also takes away the need for a person to get yissurin . Even more importantly, when a person learns Torah, he brings Hashem so much satisfaction, as the Gemara says, אמר רבי יהודה: אשרי מי שאילו בתורה עושה נחת רוח ליוצרו The Gemara in Masechet Gitin says that R' Avyatar once saw Eliyahu HaNavi in the marketplace and he asked him what Hashem was doing at that time. Eliyahu answered, Hashem was involved in learning the sugya that he was involved in. Hashem was saying, אביתר בני כך הוא אומר; יונתן בני כך הוא אומר. Hashem loves the study of Torah so much, it is what He Himself is involved in. And therefore, if someone is looking to grow in his avodat Hashem, adding more Torah study to his day is the best way to do it. Rav Yosef Karo, the author of the Bet Yosef and Shulchan Aruch , merited to have an angel come and learn with him once a week. The Rabbi wrote down everything the angel told him in a sefer called Maggid Mesharim . On one occasion, on the night of the 13 th of Adar Sheni, during the week of parashat Vayakhel , the angel told the Beit Yosef that when he goes up to the Next World, Hashem is going to purify him from all the sins that he ever did, his neshama is going to come out pristine and go to the highest levels of Gan Eden with the kedoshim and the tehorim . And why was he going to merit this? Because of his toil in clarifying different opinions of the Rishonim . The angel told him the Rambam was so happy when he explained one of his opinions in the Bet Yosef, siman 199 in Yoreh De'ah , that had not been understood by the world until he revealed it. The angel went on to praise him for his efforts in clarifying other opinions. And then said, regarding all of the toil he put in in trying to explain a certain opinion of the Tur, Hashem took so much delight in it, although he was wrong in what he said. The beauty of Torah is that Hashem appreciates every effort we make, even if we don't end up with the correct explanation. The angel concluded by saying, all of those efforts were going to be a zechut for the Bet Yosef to have three groups of malachei hasharet come to receive him when he goes up to Shamayim and escort him to the place Hashem has awaiting for him there. When a person sits down in front of a Gemara or a Shulchan Aruch or a Tanach or a mishnah and puts his focus on trying to understand the meaning of the worlds in order to know what Hashem wants from him, he brings endless kedusha inside of him. He earns rewards in both worlds, he brings so much satisfaction to Hashem and he gains kapara, which will take the place of other forms of yissurin.

Welcome to "Famous Gemaras" a series where famous gemaras are sent out, as chizuk for Am Yisrael during these difficult times. Through this Torah learning, may we connect to Hashem and to each other. These are given by Rabbi Rosner.

Rabbi Schoonmaker - Middos and Avodas Hashem Vaad - Hakpada (Grudges) #7 by Shapell's Rabbeim

Shmuel rebukes the people for wanting a king, Shmuel didn't steal an ox, a donkey, not even one thing. After a summertime thunderstorm came, Hashem would not forsake His people for the Sake of His great name!

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In this week's parasha , Shelach , the Jewish People were tested in emunah and bitachon and they failed. Kalev tried to give them chizuk , saying, “Hashem wants us to go in, we have nothing to fear.” But it didn't help. The pasuk says סלחתי כדבריך ואולם חי אני – Hashem forgave them but they were not going to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael . Most mefarshim explain סלחתי כדבריך to mean Hashem forgave them for the עגל, but not for the meraglim . And that's why they were not allowed into Israel. The reason both sins are mentioned in the same pasuk is because both of them were due to a lack of bitachon . By the עגל, Hashem tested the people by showing them a vision which made it appear that Moshe Rabbenu was not coming back. They knew that the mann was in the merit of Moshe and so they feared without Moshe they would go hungry. Their test was they should have realized Hashem is the One supporting them. It is true that Hashem gives us things in the merit of tzaddikim , but He also gives us new tzaddikim when the ones we had were taken away. The Gemara says that one time the entire world was being sustained in the merit of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. But what happened when Rab Chanina ben Dosa passed away? There was still sustenance being given. The reason is because it is Hashem who gives sustenance and He is never bound by any one means to give it. The Jewish People received water in the midbar in the merit of Miriam. But when Miriam passed away, Hashem still continued giving them water in the zechut of Moshe. The Clouds of Glory were given in the merit of Aharon, but when Aharon passed away, Hashem brought the clouds back in the merit of Moshe. Then when Moshe passed away, Hashem continued helping His People through Yehoshua. Hashem is always the One who is taking care of us and He wants us to feel that in our hearts. He wants us to internalize that He is unlimited and has infinite ways of helping. When someone had an avenue of parnasa that is no longer producing the same money it used to, this person is being tested with the same type of test. Is he going to believe that it was the means that was supporting him, or that it was Hashem? No matter how good a person thinks he used to have it, Hashem could always make it even better. A man said his wife works as a nurse's aid at people's homes. Before she gave birth, she worked for a nice old lady and they both enjoyed the relationship and the pay was good too. When she gave birth, a substitute was put there instead and when her paid vacation ended, the substitute didn't want to leave. She too had fallen in love with this nice old lady. Instead of making a fuss about it, the man's wife set out to start over from the beginning. She tried several places but nothing was available. Frustrated, she started getting angry at the substitute who took her job. But then she caught herself and worked on her emunah. She managed to remove the anger from her heart and feel at ease, knowing she was in Hashem's Hands. The very same afternoon that she was finally calm, she got a call from an agency with a new offer. The lady she was given to work for was also very sweet like the other lady. This job gave her more hours and more pay and was much closer to her house. She thought she had it good before and would never get the same opportunity, now she has it much better. We are never dependent on one means in any area of life. Hashem is the One who provides the means and He is unlimited. And we are to know that He was, is and always will be there to help us. Shabbat Shalom.

Dr. Zipora Schorr comes from a family of Jewish educators. She is the Director of Education at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Baltimore, MD. Prior to coming to Beth Tfiloh, Dr. Schorr was the principal of Beth Shalom Nursery and Hebrew School in Potomac, MD. While serving as principal, Dr. Schorr developed the curriculum and recruited staff and students. She received the 2003 Covenant Foundation Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators, was also named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women, and has received the Governor's Citation in recognition of her life's work. She was awarded Outstanding Educator in the Diaspora by Michlelet Lifshitz of the Israel Ministry of Education in 2012. She chairs the Baltimore Jewish Day Schools Principals' Association and is a member of the IAAM Board of Governors. She serves as Treasurer of the Dahan Foundation and has served as a member of the board of The Associated and RAVSAK. Dr. Schorr remains committed to “Klal Yisrael” and works to promote unity among all branches of Judaism.Gems:We are contributing to eternity.Gather small groups to learn together.Teach your students Bitachon and faith in G-d. Add a mantra “I love Hashem and Hashem loves me.”Talk about your relationship with G-d.Encourage your students to have a personal relationship with G-d.Model Derech Eretz for your students.Help Torah speak to students.Show your students what a privilege and a joy it is to be Jewish.Sincerity speaks loudly to children.Help your students grow.Chinuch is a way of life.Our role is not just to teach them Torah, but also teach them to be the best they can be.The moment we stop learning is the moment we stop growing and the moment we stop truly living.Our job is to foster ongoing connection to Judaism.We are not just educating children, we're educating families.Find a mentor and the right environment that will support you.Book: Our Morah in Uniform: Biography of Rebbetzin Sara MurikAmazon We receive a small commission for any items purchased through my Amazon link.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Chof-Hey Sivan (21:16)

In this Torah, Rabeinu talks about receiving the traits of fear and love through the Tzadik of the generation. Rabeinu also explains how through finding and seeking out the pride of The Jewish People in general and specificity one can come to understand the Ratzon/Desire of HASHEM in creating the world, all of the creations of the world, all its specific parts, and why He did it that way. Rabeinu also touches upon the concepts of tzedaka/charity, converts, Tefillin, intellect, the Mizbeach/altar, etc…

Today's daf is sponsored by Art Gould & Carol Robinson on the occasion of their 49th wedding anniversary. "We met each other at Hillel House in the summer of 1971 and have been inseparable since our very first Shabbat together. For once in his life Art knew the right thing to say - "Sit with me and I will get you a siddur."(She said yes!) We are grateful to HaShem and to Carol's medical team for bringing us to this day. And for Carol, who always knows the right thing to say and the right thing to do... רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה" There is a debate between Rabbi Elazar and the rabbis about a woman who remarries her husband after getting divorced - if he dies childless, can she do yibum. They have the same debate regarding a minor in this situation. If she was married off by her father and divorced, she is no longer considered under her father's responsibility (meaning that he can't marry her off), even if she is still a minor. So if the husband remarries her, all agree that there is no yibum as by Torah law, she is considered divorced, since her ability to remarry was only of rabbinical law, and one is forbidden to marry the brother of one's divorced husband. The Gemara brings four different explanations for Rabbi Elazar who forbids yibum in all the cases. According to Rabbi Elazar, the rival wife in these cases can do yibum. If two brothers are married to two minor sisters (married off by their mother or brother) or two deaf-mutes, if one dies, the other is exempt from yibum as she falls to yibum to her sister's husband. But if one sister was a minor and the deceased's wife was not a minor, what happens with yibum? Three opinions are brought in the Mishna. One suggestion is to encourage the minor to refuse him so that her sister can do yibum. The Gemara questions this with a braita that lists three actions one should pursue and three that one should avoid and refusal is listed with the actions to avoid - so how is it that we encourage this minor to refuse? An exception is made here because it is in order to allow the fulfillment of yibum. The six actions listed are discussed more in-depth. In the case where a minor's sister fell to yibum to her husband, Rabban Gamliel held that we wait until the minor gets older and then the yevama becomes exempt from yibum. Rav explains (in answer to a question from  Rabbi Elazar) that the marriage of the minor becomes a Torah law marriage which will exempt the sister only when they engage in intercourse after she becomes of age. Based on this, Rabban Gamliel exempts the older sister as he must hold that one who betroths his yevama's sister, exempts the yevama. Rav Sheshet questions this assumption of Rav based on a braita but Ravin is able to explain the braita to work with Rav's understanding.

Today's daf is sponsored by Art Gould & Carol Robinson on the occasion of their 49th wedding anniversary. "We met each other at Hillel House in the summer of 1971 and have been inseparable since our very first Shabbat together. For once in his life Art knew the right thing to say - "Sit with me and I will get you a siddur."(She said yes!) We are grateful to HaShem and to Carol's medical team for bringing us to this day. And for Carol, who always knows the right thing to say and the right thing to do... רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה" There is a debate between Rabbi Elazar and the rabbis about a woman who remarries her husband after getting divorced - if he dies childless, can she do yibum. They have the same debate regarding a minor in this situation. If she was married off by her father and divorced, she is no longer considered under her father's responsibility (meaning that he can't marry her off), even if she is still a minor. So if the husband remarries her, all agree that there is no yibum as by Torah law, she is considered divorced, since her ability to remarry was only of rabbinical law, and one is forbidden to marry the brother of one's divorced husband. The Gemara brings four different explanations for Rabbi Elazar who forbids yibum in all the cases. According to Rabbi Elazar, the rival wife in these cases can do yibum. If two brothers are married to two minor sisters (married off by their mother or brother) or two deaf-mutes, if one dies, the other is exempt from yibum as she falls to yibum to her sister's husband. But if one sister was a minor and the deceased's wife was not a minor, what happens with yibum? Three opinions are brought in the Mishna. One suggestion is to encourage the minor to refuse him so that her sister can do yibum. The Gemara questions this with a braita that lists three actions one should pursue and three that one should avoid and refusal is listed with the actions to avoid - so how is it that we encourage this minor to refuse? An exception is made here because it is in order to allow the fulfillment of yibum. The six actions listed are discussed more in-depth. In the case where a minor's sister fell to yibum to her husband, Rabban Gamliel held that we wait until the minor gets older and then the yevama becomes exempt from yibum. Rav explains (in answer to a question from  Rabbi Elazar) that the marriage of the minor becomes a Torah law marriage which will exempt the sister only when they engage in intercourse after she becomes of age. Based on this, Rabban Gamliel exempts the older sister as he must hold that one who betroths his yevama's sister, exempts the yevama. Rav Sheshet questions this assumption of Rav based on a braita but Ravin is able to explain the braita to work with Rav's understanding.

Korach | Three Books: Three Perspectives, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The setting of Parashat Korach raises broader issues about the chronological sequencing of the Torah's narrative; ibn Ezra maintains that Korach's rebellion took place significantly before the "sin of the scouts" story, which precedes it in Bamidbar. We use this observation to explore a larger and broader issue of the Torah's purpose in retelling stories and in the presentation of specific Mitzvot in multiple Sefarim - and conclude that from the middle of Sefer Shemot through the first two thirds of Bamidbar are essentially one narrative, presented from three distinct points of view - which allows us to see the relationship between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael through the different prisms of each side of those interactions. Source sheet >>

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Having received his Ph.D. in mathematical logic at Brandeis University, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb went on to become Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Today he is a senior faculty member at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. An accomplished author and lecturer, Rabbi Gottlieb has electrified audiences with his stimulating and energetic presentations on ethical and philosophical issues. In Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Dr. Gottlieb, we are invited to explore the most fascinating and elemental concepts of Jewish Philosophy. https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ podcasts@ohr.edu

Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series?   We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu   https://podcasts.ohr.edu/   00:00 Clarification about R Aryeh Kaplan and use of drugs    00:58 Is there a source for wars being prevented for learning Torah?   07:05 What is an appropriate response to answer a secular person about slavery in the Torah?   14:14 How do we visualize demons, what did they look like? How did we know they were there? Are they present today, or did they go away with certain yeridas hadoros?   19:28 How should a convert act in terms of honoring parents, shomer negiah, etc.?   23:47 What is the safek on mainstream techeles today?    31:43 Why is Miriam punished instead of Aaron if listening to Lashon Haro is worse than saying it according to the Chafetz Chaim?   33:12 How should we think about Angels?   37:46 What are the levels of Angels?   38:44 Why is the Shema such a meaningful prayer and what does it really mean?   40:25 When the Ark landed, how did animals spread to all parts of the earth? does this contribute to the idea of one continent/Pangea?   42:42 What are the Rav's views on the different types of kiruv?   47:05 Shuckling and vigorous flailing during davening looks absurd, so should we stand still during Shemona Esrei?    51:42 What is wrong with occasionally drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana?   54:40 What are the reasons that Sephardim and Ashkanazi Jews have different ways to say certain tefillos out loud or not?   1:00:37 Are people who are married by a reform rabbi halachically married?   1:05:52 Why does the Torah state things one way but we have a mesorah that it means something else (such as eye for an eye)?   1:07:08 What is something that surprised the Rav in his  life or his favorite sefer?   1:10:53 What are the halachic ramifications of a Jewish man and woman being intimate outside of marriage?   1:17:10 Recently an animated Disney movie had a small homosexual scene. Should we not be showing cartoons to our kids?   1:21:40 Why does mashiach have to come in the form of a person? Why wouldn't it just be Hashem himself? What depends on a human leader?   1:23:24 What is the opinion on causing a car to stop on Shabbos to cross the street?   1:25:40 What about when someone needs to use transportation for an emergency on Shabbos?   1:27:10 Should we not walk on grass on Shabbos?   1:28:00 In Parashas Shelach, why is there a seemingly larger focus on Yetzias Mitzrayim if the miracle to get to Israel is seemingly harder?   1:30:22 Where does the 250 incense offerings come from in Parashas Korach?   1:33:04 After all the miracles and revelations of Hashem in the Torah, why would anyone continue to question Moshe and Aharon's authority?    1:37:30 Why do we say speedily in our days when amoraim prayed against that?   1:38:51 What does the Rav think of many Jews pursuing higher education in relation to going off the Derech?   1:44:31 How do we posken with non-Jews opening and pouring non-Mevushal wine?   1:49:29 Could a Kohen enter a cemetery of Karites?   1:50:40 If a convert stops being a shomer Torah Jew, do they become invalid?    Visit us @ ohr.edu !   Produced by Cedar Media Studios

The Chovot HaLevavot in the Shaar HaBitachon perek 4 teaches us the mindset we are supposed to have every time we do mitzvot between man and man, like chesed or tzedaka. Usually, the way the human mind works is that before a person does anything, he thinks about what he is going to get out of it first. This attitude could easily affect a person when it comes to him helping others as well. If someone is asked to do a chesed, he may think, Is it worth it? Will the one asking me be able to help me in the future? But that is obviously the wrong attitude. The Chovot HaLevavot writes, our sole motivation in helping other people should be to bring us closer to Hashem, because helping others is a mitzvah and any mitzvah that we do brings us closer to Hashem. This means, for example, if someone asks for a ride home, the person with the car should think, I am now going to perform a mitzvah which is going to bring me closer to Hashem. And that is the greatest gain a person can get. It does not matter who the person asking for the ride is. It does not matter how much money he has or how connected he may be to influential people either. The Chovot HaLevavot writes further that a person should try to conceal his good deeds as much as possible because then the rewards from Hashem are far greater. The more leshem Shamayim we are, the greater our deeds become. But what if it is impossible to conceal the deed and the person is worried that he is going to do it just to find favor in other people's eyes, rather than for the sake of Hashem? In those circumstances, the person is to internalize the fact that there is no need to ever impress other people because no people have any ability to help or hurt us. Everything we have comes from Hashem and He is the only one we ever need to impress. And the less we care about other people giving us honor, the more that impresses Hashem. Although it may seem that other people can affect us, it's just a mirage. Hashem can take the same people who threaten to harm us and use them to benefit us. A man said, 30 years ago he had a houseware store and earned enough money to get by. At one point, he saw some people doing renovations on a storefront on the same block as his store. It wasn't too long after that he discovered it was a famous store which sold the exact same line of silverware, dishes and pots that he did. They were moving on to his block. People told him to demand that the owner move to a different location, but he did not want to fight with anyone. He strengthened his emunah in the words of the Chovot HaLevavot that people cannot harm or benefit others and that everything comes from Hashem. He repeated those same thoughts over and over until the whole situation no longer bothered him. One day, a big caterer came into his store to buy merchandise for his business. He bought hundreds of plates and pieces of silverware, filling his cash register with several months worth of earnings. After the man paid, he asked him how he found out about his store. The caterer replied he went to the more famous store in a different location and a sign there said that they moved to this block, so he came here. At that moment, this man realized how fortunate he was that the famous store moved next to him. All his customers were now going to come to this block. That meant his competitor was going to advertise for him as well. No one can affect us other than Hashem. Our motivation in the performance of all mitzvot, including ben adam lechavero, should be purely to get closer to Hashem.

In this Torah, Rabeinu talks about receiving the traits of fear and love through the Tzadik of the generation. Rabeinu also explains how through finding and seeking out the pride of The Jewish People in general and specificity one can come to understand the Ratzon/Desire of HASHEM in creating the world, all of the creations of the world, all its specific parts, and why He did it that way. Rabeinu also touches upon the concepts of tzedaka/charity, converts, Tefillin, intellect, the Mizbeach/altar, etc…

From Revolutionary Iran To Outreach In California: Rabbi Danny Yiftach-Hashem“Our ‘fun' going back from school to home was to find empty shells, casings of bullets on the streets.... quite quickly, I figured out no matter what happens here, which side is going to be the winner, the chaos seems to be permanent.” - Rabbi Danny Yiftach-HashemNarrated by: Gary WaleikProduced by: Gary Waleik & Shneur Brook for Lubavitch International/Lubavitch.comAvailable on all major podcast platforms - and online at Lubavitch.com/podcastDid you enjoy listening to this episode? Leave us a review and/or email us at Podcast@Lubavitch.com - we truly value your feedback!To inquire about dedicating an episode - please email podcast@lubavitch.com

If a person was asked to define what emunah means, the answer would most probably be “the belief that Hashem exists.” However, as Rabbi Zamir Cohen pointed out, when the Torah speaks about Hashem's existence, it does not use the word emunah, but rather ידיעה, which means knowledge. It says וידעת היום והשבות אל לבבך כי ה' הוא האלוקים. We are to know that Hashem exists. Besides for the fact that Hashem already revealed Himself in front of millions of people at Har Sinai, and then wrote in the Torah that no other nation will ever claim that G-d spoke to them like that, it is readily obvious to anyone who is honest with himself that Hashem is here with us. A surgeon who became a baal teshuva was asked what made him start believing in Hashem. He said whenever he did surgery, and opened the stomach of a person, he was in awe of how everything was set up in the body with such wisdom and perfection. An Israeli historian who became a baal teshuva was asked the same question and he said it was from learning sefer Daniel and seeing all the history that he already learned being predicted way before it happened. That sefer clearly showed him there is a Hashem who knows the future. Our Torah is filled with clear proofs about Hashem's existence. Moreover, there are millions upon millions of hashgacha peratit stories with each one of them providing clear proof of Hashem. We have witnessed with our own eyes the Divine inspiration that Hashem gave to our Chachamim. And therefore, with all of this, we don't need to believe in Hashem, we already have knowledge of Him. So what exactly is emunah? One example of where the Torah uses the word emunah is when Hashem told Avraham that he was going to be the father of a great nation, although at that time he did not yet have children. There it says when Avraham heard that, והאמין בה' ויחשבה לו צדקה – he believed in Hashem and Hashem considered that a great act. Obviously, in that story, emunah cannot refer to the belief in Hashem's existence because Hashem was talking to him. Avraham did not need to believe in Hashem's existence, but he did believe in what Hashem was telling him. He trusted that Hashem would fulfill His word. That is what emunah is and we have the same mitzvah to believe what it says about Hashem in the Torah – כי כאשר ייסר איש את בנו ה' מיסרך – everything Hashem does for us is good. He's always leading us in the path that is best for us. If someone had a broken engagement or lost a job, for that person to believe that those were the best things that could have happened to him – Hashem saved him from marrying the wrong person, Hashem knew that working in that job any longer would have been detrimental to him, that is emunah. And when a person internalizes this message, day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year, then he is ready to graduate to the next level called bitachon where his emunah penetrated his heart to the point that he feels like he is always in a state of tranquility. He feels that he is in the Hands of Hashem every moment of the day and he knows Hashem is guiding him to give him exactly what he needs. Bitachon is where he applies all the principles of emunah that he learned and is able to put them into practice, which manifests itself in the way he feels: calm, no anxiety, no sadness. Of course, there are many levels of Bitachon . It is never all or nothing, but the more a person is able to feel tranquil with the knowledge that Hashem is with him, the greater is his level of bitachon.

Our ego, left unchecked, will run rampant with delusions of grandeur. It's so soothing to genuinely believe that I am better than others, I am successful, important, incredibly talented and more than that- the way I am now will last forever. In this candid shiur, Rabbi Shafier picks apart the anatomy of arrogance, showing us where our thinking becomes illogical and driven by our need to feel good about ourselves. Does that mean we should negate our abilities and squash our victories? Absolutely not. But as Torah Jews striving to live an authentic life, we have a responsibility to get real about ourselves and start acknowledging that our talents are gifts from Hashem, given to us to fulfill our role in this world.

In this Torah, Rabeinu talks about receiving the traits of fear and love through the Tzadik of the generation. Rabeinu also explains how through finding and seeking out the pride of The Jewish People in general and specificity one can come to understand the Ratzon/Desire of HASHEM in creating the world, all of the creations of the world, all its specific parts, and why He did it that way. Rabeinu also touches upon the concepts of tzedaka/charity, converts, Tefillin, intellect, the Mizbeach/altar, etc…

Chof-Gimmel Sivan (17:44)

Part two.

Hashem tells the Angel of Destruction to stop the plague at Aravnah's threshing floor

One of the greatest tools that we have to maintain our internal peace of mind is the knowledge that Hashem is in control of everything that happens in our lives. Each time our peace and tranquility is threatened to be disturbed, we should remind ourselves that what is happening is from Hashem, and it's best for us. Hashem gives us signs all the time that He is with us, and we should use those signs to realize He is with us even when it is not as obvious. A man told me he attended a class recently, and he had a very big question on something the rabbi said but was too embarrassed to approach him and ask him about it. The very next day, on his way to work, he chose to listen to a class from a website with 168 Rabbis to choose from and over 16,000 classes. Although we are in June now, he selected a parasha class on parashat Miketz from a certain rabbi and although it had nothing to do with the parasha , the rabbi giving the class addressed the exact question that he had the day before. It was something regarding a story which took place in Navi and, of all places, the rabbi spoke about it in parashat Miketz, and that's the class he chose. The man was in awe of how Hashem guided him to that exact shiur . Another man told me there was a time when he was having trouble sleeping. He would wake up every night, in the middle of the night, frustrated about having the issue. One night, he decided to go downstairs and pull a book off the shelf and at least be productive with his time. He randomly opened a page in one of the English mussar books that he had, and the topic he opened to was all about not getting frustrated when you can't sleep at night and rather use the time productively in learning Torah. It was amazing how Hashem was speaking directly to him at the exact time he needed it. Another man told, his wife would often go to her father's house and take care of his things ever since he became widowed. On one occasion, she was cleaning out an area with a lot of old papers and geniza and she found 8000 shekels in the pile. It must have been sitting there for years. At that time their financial situation was very tight. Their daughter was engaged and their house was on empty. They didn't even have enough money to buy a pair of shoes. While 8000 shekels wouldn't pay for the wedding, it would definitely help them with their mounting expenses. For a moment, his wife thought that perhaps she could take it, being she was her father's daughter and, of course, she would attempt to pay it back. But she stopped herself and immediately called out to her sister who was also there, telling her about what she found. They put the money in an envelope and they gave it to their father. One week later, they received a call from a chesed organization they never heard of saying that they were depositing some money in their account to help them with their expenses. How much money were they giving? 8000 shekels exactly. Hashem's presence is very obvious. When we are able to stop for a moment and focus in the middle of turmoil and remind ourselves of this simple fact, it will help us stay at peace and feel that we are always in the best Hands.

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The sefer Choshev Machshavot asked the following question. On one hand, it says in Iyov regarding the wisdom of Torah והחכמה מאין תמצא – that it is difficult to decipher. It also says there לא ידע אנוש ערכה – people do not understand its true value. Yet, in parashat V'etchanan , it says regarding the Torah, כי היא חכמתכם ובינתכם לעיני הענים – the world will recognize its great wisdom through us. How do we understand this pasuk in light of the pesukim in Iyov ? Furthermore, what great wisdom will the world see in us by us adhering to the Torah? We follow its mitzvot like eating matzah , shaking lulav and etrog , and blowing shofar . How is the wisdom of the Torah apparent in those mitzvot ? The rabbi explained with a mashal . Take for instance the person who created the very first piano. How much wisdom went into creating it? Namely, all of the mechanisms and stringing of the chords that connected to the keyboard to produce the beautiful music that it produced. All of that back work was hidden. We are only able to see the pianist pressing the buttons and producing the beautiful music. Those sounds reveal all of the wisdom that is behind them. Similarly, Hashem connected the Torah and mitzvot with infinite connections to the myriads of Upper Worlds in Shamayim . Every mitzvah we do sets off so many things in motion. The Gemara says when we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, Hashem gets off His Throne of Judgment and moves to His Throne of Mercy. Hashem in His endless wisdom prepared spiritual connectors to every mitzvah that we do and one day those connections are going to be revealed and everyone will see how each person's performance of mitzvot was what was making this world turn and how many things each one of them accomplished. The nations of the world will recognize the endless wisdom behind the Torah at that time. For now, we don't fully appreciate the value because we don't have the eyes to see what's going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, we are given small glimpses of how people's performance of mitzvot directly cause physical changes to take place in this world. A rabbi told me, during the time the schools were closed because of Covid, his neighbor asked him if he would teach his son Torah on a daily basis outdoors. The neighbor apologized saying he couldn't afford to pay, but he hoped the rabbi would do it anyway. This was a tall order, being that there was a going rate to do such a thing and the rabbi could have used the money. This rabbi had a few daughters but no sons. Moreover, he and his wife had not been blessed with any children in the previous four years. He remembered once learning that teaching someone else's son Torah is a segula to be blessed with one's own son. So the rabbi told the neighbor he would happily do it, and every day, for months, he taught this boy for an hour a day. About ten months from when they began, this rabbi and his wife were holding their very own baby boy. Another man, who used to be in prison, related the following story about himself. While in jail, the only thing he looked forward to was receiving a weekly care package from a relative. One day, a bully went over to him and asked him to give him the package. And then, he took out a knife and threatened him if he didn't. With no other choice, he gave up that package and this went on every single week and it bothered this man greatly. One day he was visited by a rabbi from Chabad and he told the rabbi about his plight. The rabbi asked him if he kept Torah and mitzvot and the man said he knew he could do better. The rabbi asked him if he would commit to putting on Tefillin every day as well as saying Asher Yatzar each time he went to the bathroom. The man said he would do it. The rabbi told him, “ B'ezrat Hashem, in the merit of those deeds, this man will stop bothering you.” Lo and behold, by the end of that week, this bully was removed from the prison and put into solitary confinement because he was caught attempting to harm somebody else there. We have no idea what our mitzvot are accomplishing, but we do know each one of them is connected in infinite ways to the holiest places and, one day, the great wisdom of Hashem will be understood by all.