Emuna Hour

Star Wars is nothing compared to the battles that a soul must endure. If people had completely spiritual eyes, they couldn't live long. They'd faint in fright. The atmosphere is full of toxic enemy and lethal forces, both physical and spiritual. The "Protective Force" is our only safeguard.

The sound of the Shofar invokes unfathomable Divine compassion. As such we blow the shofar and Rosh Hashanah. But that's not all. The shofar heralds the arrival of Moshiach and the reestablishment of David's kingdom, our prayer in Psalm 89.

In our prayer for Redemption, we plead with Hashem to uplift us from the pit of exile. We yearn for our holy homeland. Where the Torah is observed on earth, truth permeates the land. Where there is truth below, justice reflects from above.

In our prayer for Redemption, we remind Hashem that a bird will always return to its nest. Despite nearly 2,000 years of exile, we, the indigenous people of the Holy Land, yearn to return to our true nest. May Hashem in His mercy, terminate the exile and return us to our rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem, soon.

In every generation, marauders – like a pack of hungry wolves - attempt to devour us alive. Only Hashem can redeem us. In His mercy, He will, soon.

Despite the repeated times when the nation strayed from faith and became entangled in worldly lust, the Almighty shows endless mercy and compassion. All we have to do is to remember His wondrous acts.

King David foresees the seemingly endless exile, where it appears as though there is no longer Divine mercy. Then he remembers the melodies that he would always play at midnight and his soul finds meaning.

Since the dawn of history, even the great tzaddikim had near breakdowns of emuna. Moses couldn't understand why the evil had great lives while the righteous were suffering. King David had difficulty in grasping why the wicked succeed when the upright have so many setbacks. So many good people limp along while the crooks ride in Cadillacs…

Sometimes, a person looks around and simply cannot find a single friend, ally or anyone else to depend on. Yet, that's really a blessing in disguise. Alone, with no friend or allie and on the verge of certain death, King David had no one to turn to but the Almighty, his Rock and Redeemer.

When we feel that the floodwaters of tribulations are about to drown us, we turn to Psalm 69. And when we can no longer withstand the fierce currents of life's raging rivers, we call for immediate help in Psalm 70.

Psalm 68 describes Hashem's magnificent reign over creation. King David prophetically describes how in the end of days, Hashem will bring Moshiach, subdue His enemies and establish His holy Sanctuary in Jerusalem.

Psalm 67 resembles the 7-branched menorah of the Holy Temple. When we recite it, we kindle our souls. King Solomon said, "Hashem's candle is the human soul" (Proverbs 20:27). Therefore, kindling our souls is tantamount to lighting the actual menorah of the Holy Temple. This is only one of the many spiritual powers of these two psalms, which King David wrote for all of mankind.