Emuna

Since emuna and idolatry are mutually exclusive, the first Noahide Law that prohibits idolatry is actually a law that obligates emuna. Without emuna, a person is vulnerable to all types of idolatry, some in very subtle forms. In spirituality, there is no vacuum; where there's no emuna, idolatry fills the void.

A wagon master had a faithful donkey who worked hard and never complained. He decided to take his donkey on vacation, so he took it to the luxurious Hilton Hotel by the beach... A parable about life in the Land of Israel.

How would you like to love someone so much and be loved back a hundred times more, to the extent that you no longer care what anyone thinks about you or says about you? How would you like to be so confident in your love that nothing worries you and you're in a constant state of inner peace?

In the springtime, all of creation renews itself. Renewal, especially self-renewal, is a wonderful process. Renewal is particularly important in relationships, to keep them fresh and meaningful. Communication is also vital to the success of a relationship. With this in mind, this time of the year is ideal to renew our own personal relationship with the Creator. We do that by finding a nice quiet place where we can speak to Him in solitude. Here's how...

A chassidic parable teaches us that we don't have to live a third-class life when there are available upgrades for everyone.

With Emuna, we know that every tiny amenity that we have in life is a huge blessing. Who can take every little sip of water or every breath of air for granted? These and a myriad of other blessings in life - every moment - are products of Hashem's magnificent Divine Direction. These gifts are customized for each one of us. By simply pondering them, we're immediately happy.

Sometimes, what appears to be a worst-case scenario is really the best. Without our realizing, the person who we think is our worst adversary is really our best advocate. We're in for a big surprise and even a bigger shock, something we never expected…

In the final chapter of Genesis, Joseph gives his brothers a lesson in emuna. This lesson is vital for every one of us to this day. There's absolutely nothing to fear...

Since Abraham, the first monotheist, the war against emuna has been never-ending. There are times in history when the vast majority of Jews succumbed to political correctness and assimilation at the expense of their faith. One such time was nearly 2300 years ago, when the Seleucid monarch Antiochus IV tried to Hellenize all of Judea. He nearly succeeded, but the Maccabees foiled his plan. Today's Emuna Hour scans the War of Emuna and tells the story of Chanukah. This story continues to this day.

Are you a calm person or a time-bomb of turbulence? How would you objectively rate yourself on a scale of total turbulence at the bottom and total inner peace at the top? Today's lesson enables you to assess your position on the stairway from explosiveness to serenity.

No one strengthens character from eating chocolate ice-cream. Coping with difficulty is like spiritual resistance training that strengthens one's spirit. Therefore, when the Almighty wants to uplift a person to a higher spiritual level, He first sends them some sort of verbal abuse. Verbal abuse breaks a person's heart. Yet, in striving to overcome a broken heart, a person builds an emotionally-stronger heart. Here's a lesson in spiritual resistance training...

Metaphorically, raw gold symbolizes the soul, whose mission on earth is to refine and purify itself from its unrectified blemishes. Extreme heat is not a punishment for the raw gold, but a mode of purification. Extreme tribulations in like manner remove the blemishes from the soul.