Emuna Hour

Ein Od Milvado - there is no one but Him. Hashem is everything. We need not look anywhere else for anything we need in material or spiritual abundance and salvation. For anyone who yearns for inner peace, Hashem is your one-stop shopping address. Today's lesson teaches us the first of the 13 Principles of Emuna.

Why bother learning emuna? Why bother searching for truth at all? What difference does either make? Modern society says, "Let me enjoy my life and don't bother me with the details." The problem with that type of attitude is that a life oriented toward appetite – fulfillment and material enjoyment - never attains what it seeks, let alone lasting happiness and fulfillment.

No other creation in the universe has the attribute of free choice, for no other creation has a Divine soul, a human soul and an animal soul. By learning the anatomy of free choice, we see how the human can rise higher than an angel or lower than a beast of burden.

Only seven short weeks prior, the People of Israel were still slaves in Egypt. But now, they willingly accepted a different type of servitude, accepting the yoke of the Torah and its commandments. They had no idea of what to expect. Three Hebrew words changed the course of history. The greatest sound and light show that the universe ever saw was about to begin…

In our fourth and concluding lesson in the Book of Ruth, we see the roundabout measures that Hashem takes, within the apparent framework of nature, to fool the Evil Inclination and bring Moshiach.

Who would believe that a chance encounter between one of ancient Israel's most esteemed noblemen and an impoverished foreign convert would change the course of history? Welcome to Chapter Two of The Book of Ruth…

Chapter One of The Book of Ruth is a lesson in Hashem's precision Divine Direction of the world, all its creations and each of us in particular. Elimelech, the richest man in ancient Isreal, thought that he could outsmart the Almighty. He learned the hard way that his efforts were in vain. Yet, Hashem uses his free will to bring Moshiach…

We don't need Hollywood or Netflix. If you want to enjoy a poignant love story, open the Book of Ruth. You'll also encounter a deep moral and social message that you'll never find in Hollywood.

Welcome to our 4-part series on the story of Passover. This series of lessons aspires to give us a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Passover holiday. The more the story of Passover becomes alive in our hearts, the more meaningful our observance and celebration of the holiday, especially Seder night. Our first lesson presents the series of events that led up to Passover, and specifically, how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt.

Today's lesson concludes the Book of Psalms. How do we know when body and soul are in healthy synchronization? With every breath a person takes, he or she revitalizes the body. The soul praises Hashem with every breath…

When a person begins to pay attention to every blessing, his or her entire outlook changes dramatically for the better. By observing and acknowledging each Divine gift, one no longer takes them for granted. Suddenly, he or she discovers a new joy in life.

The most important thing a person must remember in this turbulent world is that he or she is not alone. That's not all. To avoid disappointment, a person must realize that there is no one on earth to depend on but Hashem. As King David says, Hashem alone is my lot in life and I'm never alone.