Emuna Beams

Here's an important Purim-week lesson and practical message about Jewish unity. "The Toothpick Test" is something that anyone can do, especially at the family Purim table. We cordially invite Prime Minister Netanyahu and opposition leaders Gantz and Lapid to join us in this test.

In prayer, we must direct our voices exclusively toward the Almighty. When we do, we correct three different voices that mislead us down errant paths. Such directed prayer has the power of a ritual sacrifice in the Holy Temple...
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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…

Mordechai wasn't politically correct, but he saved the Jewish People from annihilation. There's nothing new under the sun. We see this with our own eyes how the battle between the liberal Jewish establishment's political correctness and the seemingly antiquated Torah sages that took place in Mordechai's time back in ancient Persia is still taking place right now in the USA and in Israel.
 

The Miser wanted to rid himself of his wife in the worst way. He couldn't divorce her, because then, he'd have to pay her a large sum of money. He asked the local rabbi what to do...

Here's a delightful parable I heard from the renown Novardoker Maggid, Rabbi Yankel'e Galinski, of saintly and blessed memory, about a group of drunkards. This is something to keep in mind not only while preparing for Purim and Passover, but all year long.

Abraham compared himself to dust and ashes. This was not mere humility, but advice to his offspring until the end of time.

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.

At times like this, when we are all walking around with hearts that are shattered into smithereens, we face a major challenge to our emuna. The evil inclination yells in our ears, "How can Hashem allow something so cruel, so barbaric and so sadistic as the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two angelic red-headed sons, 4-year-old Ariel and 3-year-old Kfir? Why do such unspeakable atrocities happen to such pure, good and innocent people? Let's get some answers and try to make sense of the insanity that's going on all around us.

Rebbe Nachman explains that once the tzaddik's eyes are strengthened, he is able to perceive Hashem's justice. He becomes aware that whatever seemed unfair and unjust was simply a magnificent expression of Divine love.

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.

Rebbe Nachman explains that our only right to the Land of Israel is when we connect to its holiness. Yet, how can it be holy if the Divine Presence is in exile? By virtue of our holy matriarchs and patriarchs – and in their merit – the Divine Presence is with us. So, without a connection to our forefathers, the land is contested, and the evil gain the upper hand.