Popular Shows by Reuven Garber ראובן גרבר

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501

445 - Bitachon (Part-7)

Oct 23, 2025

4:39

We've been learning about the tremendous importance of the mitzvah to rely on Hashem - to practice our bitachon. As we've learned, the Torah commentaries write that it is a great sin to not live a life of bitachon. And when one chooses not to rely on Hashem, but rather fear other individuals and circumstances, not only does one now not have the special protection that bitachon provides, but one actually brings about those troubles that they are fearing from coming about. Life is full of challenges and situations that trigger us to feel feelings of fear and anxiety potentially. When we live lives of bitachon, we are able to feel calm, even when the greatest challenge might be presenting itself. I remind myself, who is looking after me. As the Vilna Gaon writes, Just like a baby nursing from its mother does not have a worry in the world, because it has everything it needs and it knows it will never go hungry, in the same way, Hashem is taking care of all of our needs, those that have already arisen and those that might arise in the future. It is not difficult to see the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on the importance of living a life of bitachon. But one might say, "I would love to live a life of bitachon and already be there, but the truth is that I don't feel that reliance on Hashem, so how do I get there?" And as always, the solution to all problems is to talk to Hashem about what I need. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, whenever we want. And if we truly are seeing it as our life's mission to grow in our emunah and bitachon, it is vital that we dedicate time to make an effort and give us a space to talk to Hashem and ask Him to help us to grow in our bitachon. "Hashem my Father, You are well aware of what just transpired, that just yesterday I lost my job, and the truth of the matter is that I currently don't have a backup plan. I don't know where to from here. I have people that are dependent on me, and without the salary that I was receiving, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do in the coming months. My natural tendency, Hashem, is that I am petrified. I know that the consequences of this could be devastating, and Hashem, if I don't remind myself to internalize the values of bitachon, I know that I'm going to get tremendously fearful, anxious, depressed, and many other negative feelings. But You have taught us that You ultimately run every single detail in our lives, and I've been making an effort to try to grow in my emunah, as well as taking those principles and applying them practically. Hashem, I don't want to rely on any other individual, nor any other circumstance. Help me to internalize the true perspective. My ex-boss was never paying my salary. You Hashem exclusively were always paying my salary, giving me the money that I need. And although until this moment You decided that the way You would like to give me my sustenance is via my ex-boss, the only thing that has changed now is that the method of You delivering my sustenance to me is going to change. If I am God forbid to think that I am in the hands of my ex-boss, there is so much to fear, because there is no way I am getting this job again. And the truth of the matter is that I don't have an alternative right now, and I don't know where to from here. Please help me not to be fearful, but rather to rely on You. Of course I am going to make an effort to try to find alternatives, to fulfill the mitzvah and my obligation of hishtadlus - to make an effort. But to feel feelings of fear and anxiety is in essence coming from a place of me not having true bitachon, because Hashem, if I know that You are my exclusive provider, You have many ways to provide for me. Thank You so much, Hashem, for giving me the opportunity to talk to You, the King of Kings, the Master of the Universe, in personal conversation, intimately, whenever I choose to."

502

446 - Bitachon (Part-8)

Oct 24, 2025

4:46

It's important to emphasize that no one can truly tell another individual's level of emunah and bitachon. One might see another individual who appears to be quite fearful and anxious, and one might therefore conclude that individual is not excelling in their emunah and bitachon, because again, as we've learned many times, when one lives a life of bitachon, one relies on Hashem and doesn't feel fear and anxiety from the troubles and challenges that present themselves in our lives. However, the truth is that that is not the case, because every individual is influenced by the nature of the way Hashem has made them, as well as the nurture they have received throughout their lives, shaping their personality. It's possible to have an individual who doesn't feel anxious or fearful about anything, even without the values of emunah and bitachon, and this could just be due to their personality and their nature. Of course, it is never our place to judge another individual, and we should always try to see the good in one another. Our true scorecard, only Hashem knows. How successful we might appear to be in our endeavor to excel in bitachon depends on our personality and other factors, and therefore if we are naturally a very tense individual, but by working on bitachon, we are able to minimize our fears and anxiety even slightly, such an individual with such an achievement might be on a much higher level than many others who appear to be of less anxiety, worry and fear. But it is important to emphasize that whatever we can do in order to minimize bringing in any more anxiety and fear into our lives, we should make our maximum effort to do so, because remember, not living by the values of bitachon is a great sin as the Torah commentaries have taught us, and the greatest gift is to be able to rely on Hashem and have the security of the Master of the Universe Himself. The Gemara in Shabbos 151b instructs that one is not to sleep in an empty house alone, and whilst there are many details to the exact parameters of this halacha which we will not delve into right now, for our purposes we'll mention the commentary of the Meiri who explains that the reason for the statement of the Gemara that one is not to sleep in an empty house alone is because it brings oneself into the test of fear. For many people, being alone can bring one to feelings of fear and therefore says the Meiri, if you are able to avoid such a situation, one should do so, because again, the opposite of the mode of thought of bitachon is being in a situation of fear, and anything we can do to minimize that should be done. And in a similar vein, the Gemara in Bava Kamma 60b emphasizes the importance of staying indoors during times of plague. And although again there are many details to this statement, the Ben Ish Chai explains that this is not only a health precaution, but also a method of reducing fear, because when people remain indoors, they will not see nor hear about illness or death being caused by the plague, so people will be less frightened. We are all made up with different natures and different personalities, and different people are triggered to fear and anxiety by different things. Whilst we can never know the level of another individual with regards to their emunah or bitachon, and even many times our own level, because one doesn't know - is the fact that I feel anxious due to the fact that I don't have enough bitachon in my life, or is the fact that I feel anxious due to my inherent nature? Regardless, that is not our job. Our job is to make our maximum effort to minimize the fear and anxiety as much as possible, and any situation that might provoke bringing more fear and anxiety into our lives should be minimized as much as possible. For many people, constantly following the news updates can trigger tremendous anxiety, and if that is the case, that would certainly be a modern application of these Torah sources that we have learnt. "Thank you Hashem for giving me your incredible Torah sources to teach me the real keys to the treasures of life, how to live a life of true bitachon, of true reliance on you, which ultimately leads to a life free of anxiety and free of fear."

503

447 - Bitachon (Part-9)

Oct 26, 2025

4:51

In an ideal world where one is able to reap all the benefits of a life of true bitachon, true reliance on Hashem, we would not be required to make Hishtadlus - to make our own efforts. And as the Torah commentaries teach, the only reason that we are required to fulfill our mitzvah of Hishtadlus is because it is a curse that was placed on us when the initial man, Adam, ate from the tree. However, the Torah commentaries delve into what seems to be an apparent paradox, because on the one hand, we have a mitzvah to absolutely rely on Hashem exclusively, and on the other hand, we have a mitzvah to make a real effort on our own accord. One who is interested in researching this topic further is invited to view our 8-part series that was posted at Recording 97. Briefly for our purposes right now, we are called on and obligated from the Torah to make every effort to live a life of absolute bitachon, which means to believe that Hashem exclusively runs every single detail in my life and to make a practical effort to turn that belief into the way I practically live my life, not feeling feelings of fear from other individuals, not flattering my boss, the doctor, or whoever else I might sometimes be led to feel that I am relying on. And in truth, if not for the fact of the curse that was initially placed on mankind, the curse to perform Hishtadlus, I would not have needed to make an effort, because, as the Mesillas Yesharim teaches, the effort that I make has no correlation to the result that I achieve; the money that I receive, the recovery from illness, finding my marriage partner, or success in whatever other area I might be dealing with, has nothing to do with the efforts that I make. Hishtadlus is just an obligation, a curse, but the fact that we are obligated to live out that curse should not mislead us into thinking that our own efforts could even slightly contribute to our endeavors. Let us remember the words of the Sefer Hachinuch that are quoted in the Biur Halacha right at the beginning of the book, where he writes that as we know there is a mitzvah not to serve idols, and as he explains, included in that mitzvah is to believe without a shadow of a doubt that the only power in the world is Hashem and no other individual, nor circumstance or effort can contribute even slightly towards the happenings in my life, and believing that Hashem runs 99% of my life, but just 1% is left up to another individual circumstance is included in the category of idol worship. So whilst we have a mitzvah to fulfill the curse of making an effort, of making a Hishtadlus, it is of paramount importance to remind ourselves of the dangers of having the wrong approach to Hishtadlus, to making an effort, which could borderline on idol worship. "Hashem, I am currently feeling quite fearful about the current war that is taking place. Please help me to internalize that You alone are the one protecting us. Although we have an obligation to set up an army and fight the enemy, because we have an obligation to perform the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, to make an effort, nevertheless please Hashem help me not to be misled to the wrong perspective that would make me think that the only reason we are safe is because there is an army protecting us. Help me to appreciate and pray for every single soldier fighting for us, whilst at the same time to realize that what the army is doing for us is just fulfilling the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, which ultimately comes from the curse which obligates us to make an effort, but the only source of our protection is exclusively from You, and by me realizing that You are my sole protector, I will be led to a life free of anxiety, I will not fear what the enemy is threatening to do. By fearing the enemy, as I have learned in Your Torah sources, that can God forbid attract some of those things that I am fearing, whereas when I adopt an approach of absolute bitachon, reliance on You, I have nothing to worry about, no reason to feel anxious, because I know that You Hashem are protecting me."

504

448 - Bitachon (Part-10)

Oct 27, 2025

4:59

Rav Dessler, in his Michtav Me'eliyahu, part 5, page 74, writes that there are two approaches to bitachon. Approach number one is where I realize that there is absolutely no other power in the world and Hashem is exclusively the only one orchestrating every minute detail in the world, the only one that can help me and the only one that I should turn to. But at the same time, although I might be hopeful and am called on to pray to Hashem for what I desire, I nevertheless don't necessarily expect that to happen. Hashem has many considerations and although we are called on to pray for what we think is best for us, as we are taught from many Torah sources, nevertheless, what Hashem does is His business and we can trust that that is for the best. Rav Dessler mentions that there also is a second approach to bitachon and this approach outlines that one relies on Hashem to such a heavy extent that one is certain Hashem will give me exactly what I am requesting. To one who has not heard this concept before in Torah sources, at first this can be a difficult idea to digest. Who says I deserve what I am asking for? Hashem has many considerations. Maybe He'll decide that it's best for me not to receive what I am requesting, and many other similar considerations. As always, whether we understand or we don't, we always follow the only true perspective, Hashem's perspective, the perspective of the Torah and the Torah commentaries. As mentioned previously, the fantastic work by Artscroll, the Beis HaLevi on bitachon, authored by Rabbi David Sutton, outlines this and many similar concepts in a fantastic manner. The Beis HaLevi himself, in his classic essay on bitachon, writes that a person who truly chooses to rely on Hashem for a particular need or something that they might be lacking, in his words, "bevadai yasig ma sheyechsar lo mehitztarchuto" - he will for sure obtain what he is currently lacking. Although this approach might seem like a novelty, there are many, many Torah sources that teach that this is the ideal approach to what it means to have bitachon, to be able to rely on Hashem to the extent that I am so certain He will give me exactly what I am asking for. To name a few others that bring this approach to bitachon, Rav Yosef Albo in his Sefer Haikkarim, as well as Rabbeinu Bachya in the Kad Hakemach, as well as Rav Chaim Vital in Shaarei Kedusha, and many others. Both approaches are valid, and depending on circumstances and perhaps other factors, each approach can be used at the relevant times. "Hashem my Father, I have been struggling to find my marriage partner, as you know, for a long time. For whatever reason you have challenged me in this area, I know Hashem that You exclusively orchestrate every single detail in my life and in everybody's life, and when You decide that my husband should come along, You and You exclusively will make that happen. So there is nothing for me to worry about. And Hashem I beg You, please let it happen soon. I have been waiting for so long, and I beg You, in the very near future, please will You send me my marriage partner. And at the same time Hashem, I acknowledge that I don't know the ins and outs of Your calculations, and whatever You do, I thank You for that, because I know that You will always do only what is best for me." This is certainly a very valid approach to bitachon, where I am trusting in Hashem completely, acknowledging that He is the sole orchestrator of every detail, but not necessarily expecting what I have requested. The second approach to bitachon would say, "Hashem my Father, I have been waiting for so long to find my marriage partner. I am going to trust in You exclusively because I know that You are the sole orchestrator to every detail in my life and everybody's life. I know that in one second, You can send me my marriage partner. Hashem, I am going to rely on You to the extent that I am certain that You will send me exactly what I need. Hashem, I am begging You that in the near future, You will send me my marriage partner. And I am going to feel now Hashem, as if You have already found my marriage partner, because I know that that is what You are going to do." Thank you Hashem for teaching us all the approaches about bitachon and giving us the keys to be able to live a truly meaningful life.

505

449 - Bitachon (Part-11)

Oct 28, 2025

4:59

We mentioned that the Torah commentaries cite two different approaches to bitachon. The first, more well-known and conventional approach to bitachon is that we are all called on to rely on Hashem exclusively, expressing to Hashem that we know that He is the exclusive orchestrator to every happening in our lives, and we are called on to hope and pray that Hashem will provide us with the things that we need, whilst at the same time we accept that not necessarily will Hashem come through for us in the way that we desire, but rather that whatever He does decide to do, we trust that that is for sure the best for us. The second approach to bitachon is where one is so confident in what they are hoping and asking Hashem for, to the point that they are now asking Hashem in the form that they will for sure receive what they are asking for. We are taught by many Torah commentaries, such as Rav Chaim Vital, the Beis HaLevi, Rav Dessler, the Steipler and many others, that the power of bitachon is so strong that relying on Hashem causes Hashem to give us what we are relying on Him for. Not only that, the Midrash teaches that even a wicked individual who relies on Hashem reaps all the benefits of bitachon and following suit to this Midrash is the Ramban and others who again teach that even a thief or some other wicked individual who chooses to rely on Hashem, Hashem will come through for that individual. The bottom line is that bitachon is completely independent of our scorecard. Although we are of course called on to make every effort to stay away from sin and do as many mitzvos as we can, nevertheless, the power of bitachon is something completely independent to our scorecard. Even if a person is tainted with tremendous impurity from many transgressions and sin, of course as the Torah sources teach us, there will always be consequences for those actions unless a person repents for them; nevertheless, when one chooses to practice bitachon and rely on Hashem, it does not matter anymore what one's scorecard is, in terms of the bitachon being able to work and Hashem coming through for the individual. The many Torah commentaries that mention this type of bitachon where one is able to rely on Hashem to the point that they are certain Hashem will give them what they are asking for can be illustrated further by some passages we find in the Talmud. The Gemara in Kesubos 67b cites a story about Rava who was once approached by a needy person asking for food from the communal charity fund. "What do you like to eat?" Rava asked. "Fattened chicken and aged wine", the man said. "But you're taking from the public charity fund", Rava replied. "Do you really expect to receive such extravagant food and wine when you're relying on charity?" "What do you mean?" The man said. "I get what I need from Hashem." And the needy man quoted a verse to support his statement that it is not Rava who is providing for him, but rather Hashem exclusively is his sole provider. The needy man said, "Hashem does not provide sustenance in a general manner, but rather provides each individual with his needs. If so, if one relies on Hashem, he will receive everything exactly how he wants it." And the Gemara goes on to say that just then Rava's sister, who he had not seen in many years came to visit him and she brought him as a gift - fattened chicken and aged wine. Rava then gave over the chicken and wine to the pauper and acknowledged that the pauper was right and it was now absolutely clear that the sustenance that was due for the pauper was not even slightly coming from Rava, but rather exclusively from Hashem, and therefore Rava acknowledged that the pauper was correct in that although he was seeking funds from others, it was proper to still consider his own self-worth and dignity. When one is not living a life of bitachon and one has to take a favor from another individual, the Torah approach is to always be appreciative. But if one feels like this individual is my provider, that sometimes leads to flattery and other sins which the Torah prohibits us from committing because again, that is not my provider, that is just the messenger; the only provider for every single thing in my life is Hashem Himself.

506

450 - Bitachon (Part-12)

Oct 29, 2025

4:35

We've been discussing the two approaches the commentaries outline with regards to bitachon. Although the conventional understanding is to rely on Hashem that He will always take care of us and do what is best for us, the other approach to bitachon that many Torah authorities outline is to rely on Hashem so heavily and confidently that He will give me exactly what I have asked for. As we mentioned in the words of the Beis HaLevi, "Bevadai yasig ma shechaser mehitztarchuto" - that one who places their reliance on Hashem will for sure receive what they have requested. And as mentioned, many Torah sources teach that this applies regardless to one's spiritual level and scorecard; even if one has performed many sins, the power of bitachon is so great that when one relies on Hashem, Hashem will come through for them. We mentioned the Gemara which states that there was a poor man who came over to Rava and requested a more extravagant meal than would usually be suitable for a poor man. And although initially Rava had suggested that when asking other people for funds it would not be appropriate to ask for anything more than the bare minimum, after the episode, the Gemara concluded that it was not out of place for the pauper to ask for the type of meal that he was used to, because ultimately all of our sustenance comes exclusively from Hashem. This idea can be illustrated further by another passage in the Talmud. The Gemara in Brachos 60a states that once as Hillel was on his way home, he heard cries of anguish from his neighborhood and he stated with confidence that these cries were not coming from his house. And the Gemara questions how was Hillel able to be so confident that the tragedy that had befallen was not coming from his own family? And the Vilna Gaon explains that the reason was because exceedingly righteous people live with full confidence that they will never suffer any harm. And one more passage in the Talmud to highlight this idea. The Gemara in Taanis 19a tells the story of Nakdimon ben Gurion, a wealthy Jew who lived in the time of the second Beis Hamikdash and who during a time of severe drought wanted to provide water for the Jews traveling to Yerushalayim for Yom Tov. He borrowed wells of water from a Roman individual promising that they would be refilled by a certain time and if not then he would fill them with gold. Nakdimon took a very big risk yet he remained fully confident that Hashem would enable him to fulfill his promise. Sure enough, at the last moment heavy rain began to fall and the wells were all filled. Although some might argue that being so confident that Hashem will come through for an individual might be saved for the righteous, we see from many Torah commentaries that that is not the case and that this mode of thought may at times be applicable to many of us even during our times. And as always in any area of doubt, after trying our best to learn Torah passages and seek guidance from Torah leaders, the most advisable thing to do is to talk to Hashem and ask for clarity. "Hashem you have taught me this most precious information about bitachon. Thank you so much for teaching me that the opportunity to have bitachon is available to every single one of us regardless of our actions and how we are doing in terms of our spiritual scorecard. Hashem thank you also for teaching me the different types of bitachon that the Torah authorities offer us. Of course always praying to you and hoping to you for the best the way we see it in our eyes, but sometimes thereafter letting go and accepting that whatever you do will for sure be the best, whilst at the same time appreciating the other mode of bitachon, that the power of relying on you is so strong that at times it might be appropriate for us to rely on you to such an extent that we are sure that what we need and what we are asking you for will come about. Please Hashem will you guide me to be able to apply the bitachon that I am learning and truly rely on you under every and all circumstances throughout my life."

507

451 - Bitachon (Part-13)

Oct 30, 2025

4:38

As mentioned many times, Torah sources teach, "HaShem Tzilcha" - HaShem is your shadow. Just like if one puts out one finger into the sun, the shadow that you'll see is that of one finger, whereas if you put five fingers out, then you'll see a shadow of five fingers, in the same way, when it comes to reliance on HaShem, the more one relies on HaShem, the more one will see HaShem come through for them. We've mentioned the approach of bitachon that many Torah commentaries bring, that one relies on HaShem about something that they might be lacking, to the point that they are absolutely certain that HaShem will give them exactly what they have requested. And again, there are many levels. There might be times where it is more appropriate to say, "HaShem, I know You can do anything, but I don't expect anything in particular. Whatever You decide, that's what I want to go with." And at other times, one might feel it more appropriate to say, "HaShem, I really need this job opportunity to come through. Until now we've really struggled and I'm not even able to perform mitzvos in the ideal way because of our lack of funds. HaShem, I really would like to be able to rely on You, that You will come through for me because I really believe that there is no other force in the world except for You. You exclusively orchestrate every single detail in my life. HaShem, I know You will come through for me." Whichever approach of bitachon one is taking, it is absolutely vital to do our best to work towards being sincere in our reliance on HaShem and in what we are requesting from Him. There is a story told about Rav Yisrael Salanter. He was once sitting with another great Torah leader and they were having the following argument. Rav Yisrael Selanter insisted that with bitachon one can obtain anything he wants, while the other great Torah leader argued that this is not the case. To prove his point, Rav Yisrael said that he will have bitachon to receive a gold watch. And at that moment, there was a knock at the door; a man walked in and handed his watch to Rav Yisrael. There is no question in the world that bitachon works, and there is no question in the world that we believe what the Torah sources say - that bitachon is not related to our deeds. It is available to every single one of us. Yes, we might not all be on the level of Rav Yisrael Salanter to need a watch and be able to rely on Hashem to the point that we receive it a few minutes later, but there are many levels in between where we might currently be and where our maximum potential might be at. "Thank you Hashem for teaching me that relying on You is so powerful that it works to the point that many Torah authorities write, that if I rely on You for something, I will for sure receive that item. Now Hashem, I know that there are many levels and there may be many reasons why I might not receive something that I choose to rely on You for. If I am fully sincere in my reliance, maybe at times I might be able to be in this category, but maybe sometimes I am insincere. Please Hashem help me to move towards a bitachon where I am able to rely on You with absolute sincerity, with absolute reliance, that You exclusively provide for me, can send me everything and always have my best interest in mind. And Hashem, even though You've taught me that bitachon is completely independent of my actions, and if I rely on You, You will come through for me even if I have a messy scorecard, however, at the same time, please help me to remember my priorities. It's not about what I want and then using the power of bitachon to live life in the way that I would like, but rather first setting my priorities right. What is important in life? Is it just about making efforts to rely on You to get the new car that I want? Sometimes there is a place for that, but much more important than that, my priorities should always be to receive things that I need in order to enhance my service to You. Hashem, You know the reason that I would like more money. I would like to fulfill the tremendous mitzvah to be able to give more charity. And I'm going to have bitachon in you, that this particular venture that I'm exploring, that You are going to make it successful so that I should be able to get more money in order to fulfill Your mitzvah of giving charity in the best way possible. Thank You Hashem for the incredible gift of bitachon and the incredible gift to talk to You on a constant basis."

508

452 - Bitachon (Part-14)

Oct 31, 2025

4:48

We have been discussing the approach in bitachon that many Torah commentaries outline, where one can be so confident in relying on Hashem about something, to the point that according to this approach, one who is sick can have bitachon that they will get better; one who is short of money can have bitachon that they will find the sustenance they need; one who is searching for a marriage partner would be able to be confident that they will for sure find the one that they are seeking. The question is, if bitachon is so powerful, and as we are taught - independent of our actions and available to every single one of us, then certainly when it comes to the very righteous people, the tzaddikim, why is it that so many of them do undergo suffering? If they would just practice their bitachon, then they would be able to be saved from their suffering. There are many approaches offered by the Torah commentaries to resolve this question. The bottom line is, there is no question in the world that when one relies on Hashem, Hashem comes through for them. We will mention four approaches that are cited in the appendix of the Artscroll Beis Halevi on B'tachon. One approach to answer this question is that of the Vilna Gaon. He writes that although one might have strong bitachon, it might not be strong enough to protect him from the suffering that he is undergoing. According to the level of danger or suffering that is present, one might need a stronger bitachon to remain calm through even this dangerous situation. A second approach is that of the Brisker Rav, who says that many people think they have bitachon, but in truth their relaxed mood is as a result of not being aware of the seriousness of the danger they are in. Had they known how dire their situation really was, they would indeed have been very afraid. The Leshem outlines two more approaches. In the one he explains that there are times when Hashem makes the drastic decision to suspend a person's free will in order to carry out his decree, and sometimes for reasons concealed from us, he will issue a harsh decree that needs to be executed, but if the individual would have bitachon in this situation, the decree would not be able to be executed, and therefore what Hashem does, He interferes with the individual's ability to have bitachon in order to allow this to happen. And the Leshem offers another approach, where he says that the great sages were on such a high level of bitachon that they accepted everything Hashem did, and did not even have a desire to be relieved of any pain or suffering. Although this approach of bitachon that we've been discussing is less conventional and perhaps less well known, it is certainly worth learning about it, as many Torah commentaries do bring it down as a valid approach, and it can certainly be relevant at different times to our lives. However, what is super vital to remember and internalize is that having bitachon in Hashem should never turn into a test to see if Hashem will come through for me, then I will decide to continue in the path of serving Hashem. If that is the level that one is holding on, then this path of bitachon would certainly not be relevant to my current spiritual level. One's approach needs to be that before the fact, one davens to Hashem, one hopes to Hashem, and one might at times even be able to practice bitachon - reliance on Hashem, to the point that they are confident Hashem will come through for them in the way they desire. However, after the fact, whether I received what I was requesting, or also if I didn't receive it, it is so vital to always live with the understanding that everything Hashem does is for the best, and if He did not come through for us in the way that we desired, it is nevertheless for sure for the best for us, because Hashem always does only what is best for us. In fact, one of the great early commentators, the Smag, followed by the Aruch HaShulchan, writes that just like there is a mitzvah to judge another Jew favorably, and if you see somebody else doing something that might appear suspicious, we have a mitzvah in the Torah to judge them favorably, in the same vein, we are obligated to judge Hashem favorably. When things transpire throughout our lives, we have a mitzvah to try to find reason why Hashem would do that for us, and even though we of course can't understand Hashem's reason for doing things, nevertheless we certainly can give ourselves reason to justify that everything Hashem would do for us will always only be for our best.

509

453 - Bitachon (Part-15)

Nov 2, 2025

4:09

We've discussed some of the details and the different approaches that the Torah commentaries take when it comes to bitachon. The bottom line is that Hashem has given us the most incredible, tremendous opportunity to rely on Hashem for all of our needs. We ought to constantly remind ourselves that Hashem is continuously orchestrating every single detail to every single one of our lives, and it is absolutely absurd to place our trust in any other individual or circumstance. Not only that, as the Beis HaLevi taught us, when one does place their trust in another individual or circumstance, or give some form of credibility to fear and anxiety that one might be experiencing, one actually attracts that fear to come about, God forbid. Besides the tremendous benefits that we reap in this world from having bitachon in Hashem, having the protection and security and anti-anxiety stronger than any other, as well as the outright obligation we have from numerous verses in the Torah that command us to have bitachon in Hashem, as well as the tremendous sin it is to live a life without bitachon as discussed previously, when we do choose to make our maximum effort to place our bitachon in Hashem, we are fulfilling our ultimate purpose in this world, because remember, the only reason Hashem created us is to be good to us, and as Torah sources teach, that takes place in the next world, and the only reason we're in this world is to earn our place in the next world. And as we've discussed many times, the Torah sources teach that the main way we achieve earning our place in the next world, and therefore our main focus in this world, is to have emunah and bitachon, and develop our emunah and bitachon as much as possible. The Beis Halevi writes further that when an individual encounters some distress, God forbid, or a shortage of sustenance, his approach should not be to increase in hishtadlus, but rather, he should examine his improper deeds that have brought about the situation for him, and repent from his evil deeds. He should pour forth his supplications before Hashem, that Hashem should save him, and pray to the One who wealth and property belong to. He should fortify his heart with bitachon and place his hope in Hashem. He should confirm in his heart that there is no other one than Hashem from whom to seek help from. There are many resources that we have available today, giving us the opportunity to make more and more of an effort to grow in our emunah and bitachon. The Beis Halevi on Bitachon by Artscroll is one fantastic example, and as mentioned previously, I highly recommend whoever is able to get a copy to do so, and reap the tremendous benefits from going through the many different examples and angles and wealth of Torah information that one will gain by doing so. The verse in Yirmiyahu states, "Cursed is a man who trusts in another individual." Whereas the other verse states, "Blessed is the individual that trusts in Hashem." "Hashem, Master of the Universe, thank you so much for the privilege to be learning about emunah and bitachon. Thank you, Hashem, for teaching me that it is such a tremendous sin to live a life without bitachon, that you have an explicit verse cursing one who does so. Whereas the opposite is also true. Thank you, Hashem, for teaching me in your verse that when I place my trust in you, the verse calls me a blessed individual." May we all merit to grow to our highest potential, both in emunah and bitachon. And b'ezrat Hashem, may we all merit to be in the category of the verse, "Blessed is the individual who trusts in Hashem."

510

454 - Hishtadlus (Part-1)

Nov 4, 2025

5:22

We've learned many times that the Torah commentaries point out that our main purpose in this world is in order to express our emunah and bitachon in Hashem. The Ramban in his commentary on the Torah writes that the purpose of all the mitzvahs is in order that we come to have emunah in Hashem. The Vilna Gaon in his commentary to Mishle says that the main reason Hashem gave us the Torah is in order that we come to have bitachon in Hashem. And again he says there that this is ultimately the purpose of all the mitzvahs. And elsewhere the Vilna Gaon states a frighteningly powerful statement where he says that somebody who is excelling in the character trait of bitachon, even if this individual is committing severe transgressions, they are better off than somebody who is not committing any transgressions but is not excelling in bitachon. There are many Torah sources that highlight that our main purpose and endeavor in this world is to succeed and excel in emunah and bitachon and this is ultimately the reason that we were created. Of course seeing as emunah and bitachon are the main reason that we were created for, it is certainly going to be our life's work and the more we learn about it and make efforts to grow in it, the more we will succeed in our purpose of being created. Simply speaking, basic emunah means to believe the words of the Torah which teach us that Hashem is ein od mil vado. There is nothing else except for Hashem in the world. Hashem is the only one who calls all of the shots to all the happenings in the world, in my private life, in our experiences as a nation and to the whole universe. This statement of ein od mil vado is really the ABC of emunah. However, there are many levels to what it means to believe that Hashem is the only power. Right at the top there could be an individual who is 100% conscious 100% of the time that nothing in the world can happen without Hashem's exclusive involvement and therefore an individual who has reached such a level will fear absolutely nothing, will devote their lives to the service of Hashem and the many other offshoots of emunah and bitachon and at the opposite extreme there could be an individual who feels that they are the boss of their own lives. Between these two levels there are millions and millions of levels of to what degree have we internalized and are we internalizing that Hashem is exclusively running the show. For many people one of the biggest challenges to a life of exclusive reliance on Hashem is the fact that the way the world works is we are obligated to make an effort, otherwise known as hishtadlus. Hishtadlus is an obligation that Hashem has commanded us to fulfill. But again seeing as emunah is our life's work and hishtadlus is one of the biggest components to living a life of emunah and bitachon, sometimes one of the biggest deterrents if done in the wrong way and understood incorrectly. We can obviously understand that to understand hishtadlus on one foot without investigating and learning about the topic sufficiently will not do justice to the topic. There is much information in Torah literature outlining the perspective of one with emunah and bitachon, how we are to approach hishtadlus and the like. What's most important to remember is that as discussed by many many Torah commentaries the only reason we exist in this world is to express our emunah and bitachon to Hashem, our belief and reliance on Hashem. And therefore there must be a way where we are able to perform our hishtadlus which sometimes seems to go against the values of emunah because hishtadlus means I am making an effort which sometimes contradicts the notion and mode of thinking that Hashem exclusively guides every single detail of my life. And therefore there must be a way that we can approach hishtadlus within the light of emunah and bitachon because remember hishtadlus is a mitzvah that Hashem himself gave us. Regardless of how we understand hishtadlus, the most important fundamental to remember in achieving our purpose in this world in excelling in our emunah and bitachon is ein od mil vador. The bottom line is that there is only Hashem who runs every detail in this world.

511

441 - Bitachon (Part-3)

Oct 19, 2025

4:26

As we continue to dive deeper into the most important and vital topic of bitachon, let's remind ourselves that when it comes to any topic, many of us might have many opinions, but as we've discussed many times, everything depends on which perspective one is looking from. And just like many people decided to side with the outrageous values of Hitler, Yemach Shema, as well as currently we can see with the war between Israel and Hamas, that most of the world has sided with Hamas, and of course it is a basic value to all of us that Hitler and his opinions and perspectives, as well as Hamas and their opinions and perspectives, are mistaken and far from the truth. And although these might be extreme examples, ultimately every question we might discuss depends on the perspective that we use on how we answer that question. Just like many clever people can make mistakes even after it is well thought out, in the same way, we without human limitations are always limited and at risk of making a mistake. Now especially when it comes to these important questions, such as what exactly does it mean to fulfil my purpose in this world and how exactly do I practice bitachon, it would be very unwise to try follow our own perspective to find the answer for these questions. The only perspective that can be the absolute truth is Hashem's perspective. And as discussed previously, Hashem does not reveal Himself in the form of a voice speaking to us in today's day and age, but rather has given us the Torah with all its commentaries that express Hashem's perspective to give us the absolute truth. Let's begin discussing what some of the Torah commentaries teach us about the importance of bitachon. The Vilna Gaon in Even Shleima, chapter 3, writes, "One who commits severe transgressions but nevertheless excells in bitachon, is better than one who does not transgress but does not have bitachon." Now for anyone even slightly familiar with Torah literature, this is a frighteningly powerful statement, because throughout Torah literature there is much emphasis placed on even the slightest Torah transgression, and certainly on severe transgressions. And nevertheless here the Vilna Gaon is teaching us that so important is it to live a life by the values of bitachon, that if one had to choose between a life of bitachon coupled by a life of severe transgressions in comparison to a life clean of transgressions but devoid of bitachon, it is more important to go with the first option, that of bitachon, even though there would be severe transgressions on one's record. Now of course nobody is advocating to do any transgressions, because ultimately there will be consequences for anything and everything, as we've learned about many times. However, what we do see here is how much emphasis there is being placed on making efforts to live a life according to the values of bitachon. "Hashem, my Father, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk to you whenever I want about whatever I want. Hashem, I've been trying to learn about Emunah and ultimately I know that you run the world exclusively and there's no question in the world that the best effort that I can make is to talk to you and to ask you to help me in the areas that I need. Now of course you know that there are many things that I need in my life and I'm going to try and make an effort to talk to you about all of them, to bring you into my life in all areas. But certainly when it comes to the most important area, Hashem, to my progress in Emunah and Bittachon, please help me, Hashem, to remember to talk to you on a daily basis to help me to excel in these areas, although many things in this world that we live in might try to distract us, but ultimately I know, Hashem, that the only reason that I exist, as your Torah commentaries have taught us, is to excel in my Emunah and my Bittachon."

512

456 - Hishtadlus (Part-3)

Nov 6, 2025

5:54

We've discussed that an approach of emunah leads us to believe ein od milvado. There is only Hashem exclusively running the show and all the details that transpire throughout our lives in this world. The opposite of that perspective is to believe that there is some other power, another individual, another circumstance, or oneself, as if I have the power to dictate my destiny. One of the complications of our endeavor to succeed in our emunah and bitachon is that there is a commandment to make our own effort in our endeavors, hishtadlus. And although the Torah commentaries teach that we are to view hishtadlus just like any other mitzvah that Hashem commanded us to perform, but of course we are to internalize that our efforts make no impact on the final result and what actually transpires in our life is exclusively ordained by Hashem, nevertheless retaining that perspective is a difficult ordeal because when I perform an act and see a result from my act, it looks very much like I am the engine driving my destiny. So, step number one, when performing the mitzvah of hishtadlus, it is so vital to remember the teaching of the Torah commentaries that it is just a mitzvah I am performing and ultimately is not leading to any results. My results that I achieve in my life are completely and exclusively ordained and orchestrated by Hashem. One of the main differences about the mitzvah of hishtadlus in contrast to other mitzvos is that for most mitzvos we have clear guidelines outlined in the shulchan aruch, the code of Jewish law, as to the exact details pertaining to those mitzvos. When it comes to the mitzvah of giving tzedakah for example, there are many details outlined in the code of Jewish law, how to shake a lulav, eating matzah, lighting Shabbos candles and the many other mitzvos that we have, there are many details available to be able to fulfill the mitzvah in the appropriate manner, whereas with regards to the mitzvah of hishtadlus, there is no code of Jewish law that clearly outlines exactly how much effort each individual is required to make in any particular area. The basic rule of thumb that many Torah commentaries point out is based on the verse of “Hashem tzilcha” - Hashem is your shadow. Just like a shadow reflects the image that one is portraying, in the same way the amount of emunah that a person is living with sincerely, to that degree one experiences Hashem coming through for them in their life. And therefore, Torah commentaries point out that the higher we are able to climb on the ladder of emunah, the less hishtadlus we might be required to make. Just like any other area of Torah, we are always obligated to learn whatever is available to us in Torah literature to gain Hashem's perspective. The only true and correct perspective. And at the same time to seek daas torah, advice from real talmidei chachamim and tzadikim that can guide us according to Hashem's perspective. But after all is said and done, we have to realize that our obligation to fulfill the mitzvah of hishtadlus is very subjective and can depend on many factors. So ultimately how am I supposed to find the exact line of what I am required to do in order to fulfill my mitzvah of hishtadlus? And as mentioned many times, ultimately after one has researched the topic and taken daas torah, the advice of Torah leaders, we are left with the opportunity to speak to Hashem in our own words and ask Him for our personal guidance in our particular situation. “Hashem, my Father, I know that You exclusively run the world. I believe and want to believe more and more the truth of the words ein oed milvadoi. There is nothing else except for You in the world. At the same time, Hashem, You commanded me to perform the mitzvah of hishtadlus, to make my own effort in my endeavors. I am currently dealing with a health issue, as You know, Hashem. And ultimately You do not need my efforts whatsoever to make me better. In fact, any efforts that I am going to perform have zero effect on my health. It's just that just like any other mitzvah You commanded me to perform, I also have an obligation to make an effort in this area. But I don't know how much effort to make. Should I go to the doctor at all? Should I visit one doctor, maybe three? Where is the line, Hashem? You have taught me in Your Torah sources that ultimately the amount of hishtadlus that a I don't know exactly where my level is. And You have also taught us that a person has to be absolutely sincere in their emunah of where they are holding. I am not allowed to use emunah as an excuse not to make an effort. And therefore, Hashem, I ask You, please guide me to know exactly how much effort should I put in to my relevant situation. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that You exclusively orchestrate every detail in my life, and the fact that I have to make an effort is a mitzvah like any other mitzvah You have commanded us to fulfill.”

513

457 - Hishtadlus (Part-4)

Nov 7, 2025

4:59

We've been discussing the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, the mitzvah to make our own effort in our endeavors. As mentioned, there is no Shulchan Aruch, Code of Jewish Law, outlining the exact amount that we are obligated to invest into our Hishtadlus. And as the Torah commentaries teach, the true answer is it depends from individual to individual. One is not allowed to use emunah as an excuse to not have to fulfill the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, and at the same time, one's requirement to do Hishtadlus becomes minimized the higher one goes on the ladder. And of course, to work out the exact line of not doing too much Hishtadlus but not doing too little Hishtadlus is a difficult feat, and as discussed, we have to learn the Torah sources, seek da'as Torah, Torah guidance from our Torah leaders, and at the same time, to talk to Hashem and ask Him for clarity in my particular situation, what is required of me. I don't want to do too much nor do too little. Please Hashem guide me to have clarity of how much Hishtadlus I am obligated to make. One thing which is outlined very clearly is when it comes to other mitzvos, if the only way to perform that mitzvah is by committing the grave sin of idol worship, one is absolutely prohibited to perform that mitzvah. So, for example, imagine for a moment that I have no lulav available in order to fulfill the mitzvah of lulav and etrog, and an individual offers to obtain a lulav for me on one condition. If I go ahead now and bow down to a certain item which has the status of Avodah Zarah, idol worship, I am absolutely prohibited from going ahead and bowing down to the idol, committing the grave sin of idol worship, even though it is in order to facilitate the ability for me to perform this mitzvah of lulav, or whatever else it may be. There are many details outlined in the Shulchan Aruch of what qualifies under the umbrella of idol worship. Not always does it need to be bowing down to a stone, but many other acts could also fall under this umbrella, and any of those acts would be absolutely prohibited under all circumstances, even if it means forgoing the performance of a different mitzvah. When we take the words of the Sefer HaChinuch to heart, that any time we are led to believe that there is some slight power outside of Hashem, be it me, be it another individual, or be it another circumstance, can even slightly contribute to the results of my endeavors, is classified as idol worship, if we take these words to heart, we will quickly realize that although there is a mitzvah to perform Hishtadlus, we are certainly prohibited from performing this mitzvah just like any other mitzvah, if in the course of performing this mitzvah we will be doing idol worship. And therefore it is so vital when approaching the subject of Hishtadlus to preface it, that ein od milvado, the basic teaching of Emunah, that only Hashem exclusively runs every single detail to our lives, is an absolute, and thereafter, yes, we might have an obligation to perform the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, but under no circumstances may we even slightly be led to believe that that Hishtadlus that we are making is contributing even one iota to the desired result, and if we are led to believe those thoughts, we are no longer permitted to perform this mitzvah. We ought to be so careful with this mitzvah of Hishtadlus. Doing too little Hishtadlus is using Emunah as an excuse to opt out of our obligation to perform the mitzvah, which is certainly wrong, and doing too much Hishtadlus can fall under the very severe transgression of avoidazara, idol worship. Whatever amount we believe is correct for us to be investing into Hishtadlus, it is so vital for us to first internalize that ein od milvado, there is no power in the world whatsoever outside of Hashem.

514

458 - Hishtadlus (Part-5)

Nov 9, 2025

5:58

Rav Yisrael Salanter cites two views when it comes to the mitzvah of hishtadlus. The conventional understanding is usually like the view of the chovos halavavos, that I have a mitzvah to make my own effort, and at the same time to understand, internalize that my efforts have nothing to do with bringing about my desired result, realizing and internalizing that everything that happens in my life is exclusively from Hashem. And following this line of thinking, like the chovos halavavos, one will make an effort to try find clarity about how much hishtadlus they are supposed to be making in their lives. Remember, too little hishtadlus is using emunah as an excuse to opt out of my obligation, which Hashem has commanded me to perform, the mitzvah of hishtadlus. And too much hishtadlus can borderline on the grave transgression of idol worship, avodah zarah. Rav Yisrael Salanter also brings the opinion of the Ramban, that if a person climbs the ladder of emunah sincerely, eventually they can reach a level where they are not required to even do hishtadlus anymore, and they become absolved of the obligation of hishtadlus completely. Like any area of our lives, how do we find clarity for our particular situation? We have to learn what the Torah commentaries teach us. We are obligated to seek counsel from Torah leaders, da'as torah, and thereafter we talk to Hashem and ask Him to guide us with clarity for our particular situation. How much hishtadlus am I supposed to be making in my particular life with my particular circumstances? What is right for me is not right for another individual, and vice versa. However, what is important is to highlight that according to all opinions, our efforts do not produce the results that we endeavor to achieve whatsoever, because believing that we have a hand on orchestrating our results can borderline on the very grave sin of idol worship. It is known about the rabbi of Rav Yisrael Salanter that he would constantly change his occupation. At first, he was a vinegar manufacturer. The next year, he decided to change to a completely different field, and his reason was that he never wanted to feel like he was in complete control. Of course, this is a very elated level of emunah, and for many people would be wrong to take such a drastic leap of faith, and we have to remember that when it comes to emunah, we have to be absolutely sincere with our belief in Hashem and with how much hishtadlus effort we are putting in. But the principle can apply to all of us, that the dangers of hishtadlus are very real and present. The dangers that can result of us fulfilling this mitzvah, of making our own effort, can sometimes lead us to believe that we are the master over our own destiny, even to some degree, and that would borderline on the grave sin of idol worship. “Hashem, my Father, I would have loved to live in a world where I don't even need to do any of my own effort. It is so difficult to succeed in my emunah and bitachon endeavor, trying to internalize that you are the sole exclusive power in the world, because you have also commanded me to make efforts in my endeavors. And when I make an effort and see a result coming about as a result of my effort, it is so difficult to remain strong in my belief that you exclusively are running my life and my involvement is just to cover up the miracle so that I have the opportunity to choose, am I going to believe that you are sending my desired results, or is it as a result of my actions? Hashem, I ask you with all my heart, please guide me to be able to know how much hishtadlus I am supposed to do in my particular situation, whilst at the same time, Hashem, please guide me to internalize that however much hishtadlus I am doing, it is not my hishtadlus that even slightly affects the desired results that I am seeking. When I invested that money into this particular business venture, and thereafter I was successful and the deal went through, Hashem, please help me to internalize that you have just made this world operate in a way that it looks like my action, my investment brought in the money to me, but really in true essence, you don't even need me to make that investment. Granted, at this point in my life, I am obligated to fulfill this mitzvah of hishtadlus, whilst at the same time, it is so vital, Hashem, for me to internalize that this deal that I have made has nothing to do with bringing in my money, because you could bring in my money even without the hishtadlus. Please Hashem, help me to realize that everything in the world operates exclusively under your control.”

515

459 - Hishtadlus (Part-6)

Nov 10, 2025

5:14

Hashem has commanded us to perform the mitzvah of hishtadlus, making an effort, whilst at the same time it is of paramount importance to internalize that the effort that we make has zero impact on our desired results, to the point that if we do believe that we are contributing and helping Hashem in any way, that could borderline on the grave sin of idol worship. Emunah and bitachon are like a muscle. Just like with a muscle, the more we work it, the stronger it gets, but we can't go too fast because we can damage the muscle if we don't build it up slowly. In the same way with emunah and bitachon, the more we internalize the concepts and practice our bitachon in Hashem, the more our emunah and bitachon muscle will grow stronger. Because hishtadlus can be such a dangerous deterrent to internalizing the truth of emunah that Hashem runs the world exclusively, as we grow our emunah and bitachon muscle, there might be certain times that it would be appropriate for us to exercise our bitachon muscle in a particular situation. If after having learned about the topic and having seeked Torah guidance, Da'as Torah, and also having davened to Hashem to guide me to find the right level of hishtadlus that would be appropriate for me in my particular situation, let's say I am looking for a spouse and the way I would like to do so is by calling a shadchan, a matchmaker. If I have decided that it would be appropriate for me to call five different shadchanim because each one is exposed to a different community and could have different options as a potential spouse for me. At times, it might be appropriate to say, “I've been learning about emunah and bitachon and I feel that in order to exercise my bitachon muscle, it might be appropriate to only call four shadchanim today as opposed to five. I'm going to minimize the hishtadlus slightly.” Of course, this needs to be done very carefully and according to Torah guidance and through prayer to Hashem, but it is important to remember that bitachon is a muscle and the more we work it slowly and carefully, the muscle grows and we will excel in our reliance on Hashem. It is also worthwhile to point out the famous idea that Rav Dessler brings down in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that everything Hashem created has a place to use both for the good and also for the bad. So, for example, one's eyes one can use to learn Torah, to make a facial expression to make somebody else happy and the like, that would be a mitzvah. And in the same way, if one views inappropriate material, that would be using the gift of one's eyes in an inappropriate manner. And they point out that every character trait can be used in both the service of Hashem for the good as well as for the negative. Usually, it is not a good thing to raise one's voice and shout at another individual, and that often would qualify as a sin. However, if somebody is about to get hit by a car and you shout at them to get out of the road, thereby saving their life, that would be a time where exercising the character trait of shout and panic would be appropriate and a mitzvah. When it comes to the character trait of kefirah, which means denial of Hashem, how does one use denial of Hashem in service of Hashem? And they point out that when it comes to our own selves, our own lives, that is when we should do our best to grow in our emunah, our bitachon, and make our maximum effort to build our bitachon muscle. However, when it comes to the lives of other people, that is not our place anymore, to accept the situation with emunah and bitachon. From our viewpoint towards another individual's life, when they have a need, we are not to have bitachon and exercise our bitachon muscle, but rather that is the time to exercise our character trait of kefirah, of denial of Hashem, and in a sense say, “you need something? Let me see what I can actually do for you.” It is not a time to say, I'm sure Hashem will come through for you. It is important to distinguish between my own needs, where it is appropriate and commendable to exercise our emunah and bitachon, as opposed to other people, where it is appropriate to see what we can actually do for them. And if we can be of help in any practical way, we should certainly do so.

516

460 - Hishtadlus (Part-7)

Nov 11, 2025

5:15

As discussed many times, we were created to have emunah and bitachon in Hashem. Emunah and bitachon are a muscle that we have to work throughout our lives, climbing up the ladder of emunah and bitachon. One of the complications and challenges in order to excel in emunah and bitachon is the mitzvah of hishtadlus, where we are commanded to make our own efforts through our endeavors. And many a time when we perform an act and as a result of our action achieve a certain result, it is a difficult challenge and test for us to sincerely acknowledge and internalize that we did not bring about that result, because according to our perspective and through the lens that we are seeing through, it actually does appear as if we are the ones bringing about our desired result. Rav Dessler speaks about the different levels of emunah and bitachon correlating to the different requirements of hishtadlus. And he brings the midrash of the four righteous kings. David HaMelech, who was considered the holiest and the highest level of emunah and bitachon, took the approach that when he would go to battle, he would prepare his army completely and make every physical and practical effort in order to win the war. And although all four kings that we are discussing were on a level of complete righteousness way beyond anything we can even begin to imagine. The next king, which is listed in the midrash, decided that he would not go to war with his army because he was worried that if he would go to war and succeed in winning the battle, he might be led mistakenly to attribute the success of his winning the battle to his own effort. And therefore, he decided that it would be appropriate to minimize the hishtadlus and not go to war, but just prepare the army without actually going out and fighting the battle. The next king, again completely righteous, decided that even preparing the army might scare off the enemy, and if they would do so, that would be a danger to him considering his own efforts as the catalyst to bringing about his success. And therefore, he decided we're just going to sing praise to Hashem. We're not even going to prepare an army. And finally, King Chizkiyahu, on a level of righteousness that we can only dream of, but lower than the other kings, said that he would not go to battle, nor would he prepare the army, and nor would he even sing and pray to Hashem. He would just go to sleep. Because if he would pray and sing to Hashem, and they would then win the battle, because Hashem would hear their prayers and come through for them, he would attribute his successes to the fact that he prayed to Hashem, as if he was the catalyst to bringing about their success. So, we see here a fascinating idea that in a sense, the more bitachon and emunah a person has, if one can reach a level of David ha-Melech, then it is actually sometimes more appropriate to do hishtadlus, because one is not at risk anymore of mistakenly concluding that they have brought about their own results. Whereas the other kings, who were not on the level of David ha-Melech, but again on a level much higher than any of us can even begin to imagine, they felt that doing too much hishtadlus, too much personal contribution to the situation, was a danger, and they were at risk of coming to conclude that they were the drivers behind their engine. And because of that, they opted to rather do less hishtadlus and rely more on Hashem. There are many levels as to what would be appropriate with regards to hishtadlus. As a general rule, Rav Dessler does write that our aim should be working towards minimizing our hishtadlus, because as we can see, even from people which were on a much higher level than we are, they were at tremendous risk of concluding that their efforts contributed to their successes. When a person tries to build a muscle through a process which would normally take a year, and one tries to do so in a day, one will probably tear the muscle in an unhealthy way. And in the same vein with Emunah and Bitachon, one has to always walk carefully through the guidance of the Torah commentaries, of Daas Torah, and through personal conversation with Hashem, and go slowly. But at the same time, to remember and to aim to the right direction, we need to internalize with absolute certainty that our own efforts are not contributing to the final result, and only Hashem exclusively runs the show.

517

461 - Hishtadlus (Part-8)

Nov 12, 2025

5:49

As discussed many times, our purpose in this world is to grow in our emunah and bitachon. And because this is the main purpose for our existence, Hashem has created a world where much of what transpires around us seems to contradict the perspective of emunah and bitachon, making it difficult for us to succeed and excel in our emunah and bitachon journey. Sometimes we find an exceedingly righteous individual who is praying to Hashem to help them succeed financially in order to serve Hashem better, and nevertheless, this individual remains very poor and completely financially unsuccessful. And at the same time, we sometimes experience individuals who seem to be doing everything wrong, whilst at the same time have been blessed with tremendous financial success. And one can be led to believe sometimes that only because that individual is working so hard have they been blessed with financial success. Rav Dessler points out a frightening but most fundamental principle that helps us to digest this concept and grow in our emunah in the right direction. Rav Dessler points out that we find in Torah sources that when Hashem loves an individual and because I have done something wrong in my service to Hashem, He decides to make something difficult in my life in order to remind me to do teshuvah, to gain atonement for my sin, as well as to cleanse my slate so that I shouldn't have to suffer the full extent of consequence to this sin in the next world, but rather experience some or all of the consequence in this world. And therefore, much of the time when people suffer in this world, it's only because Hashem specifically does love them and wants to give them an opportunity to come back to Him and also wants to cleanse them in this world. So specifically because of His love, He sends the challenges much of the time. However, Rav Dessler points out that all this applies to an individual who has some sort of relationship with Hashem. Maybe I'm struggling in my emunah, in my belief in Hashem, but Hashem still loves me and wants a personal relationship with me and therefore gives me constant opportunity to grow in my emunah. However, there is the lowest category, which Rav Dessler points out, where a person has reached such a low level, the antithesis of an emunah lifestyle and an emunah perspective, where they believe that they are the engine that drives their own destiny. And Rav Dessler writes that when this happens to an individual, Hashem, so to speak, removes his own personal involvement in this individual's life and gives him over to become part of the team of the Satan, called the Cheloysav Shel Satan. And what the Satan does at that moment is he makes this individual extremely successful in whatever endeavor he may be dealing with. The purpose of this is because this individual has sunk to such a low place, completely excluding Hashem from their life, believing that they are in complete control, that they in a sense don't have their own purpose anymore, and the only reason for their existence is in order to test other people that exist. When other people view this individual as such an incredibly successful individual financially or in whatever other endeavor he is being successful in, other people now might be deterred to think that the righteous individual in a similar situation is not being successful, whereas this individual, who is denying Hashem in a sense and believing that he is the master of his own destiny, he is being so tremendously successful. Therefore, one might be enticed to believe that their own efforts are the cause of their success, and I now should invest more into my Hishtadlus believing that I am the master of my own destiny. The only reason that this individual now exists is to test those around him. Are they going to be successful in the life of Emunah and Bittachin? And as Rav Dessler points out, frighteningly, this individual does not have a future, even spiritually, because they have sunk into such a low place. They are now on the side of the satan, and their only reason for existence is to test all of us. Let us remember that what we see in this world is not the true perspective of what is actually happening. Let us remember the Gemara which teaches us that this world is called an upside-down world, a world of untruth. What we see and experience in this world is very often exactly opposite to how it is manifest in the true world. When we see an individual being successful in a particular field, of course, they might be a very righteous individual, and Hashem is just blessing them, but they might also be an individual who is completely disconnected from Hashem and believing that they are the master of their own success, and now the reason for their existence is only to test other people. We should never be deterred just by what we see around us. “Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me the wisdom of your Torah, your true perspective.”

518

462 - Olam Haba (Part-1)

Nov 13, 2025

4:06

We've discussed many times, with regards to the most fundamental question of why Hashem decided to create the world in the first place. As mentioned, seeing as Hashem is a completely perfect being and could have certainly existed without creating the world and everything contained within it, why then did Hashem decide to go ahead and create the world? And as we've discussed, when we answer any question, and especially such an important question, because ultimately this will lead us to being able to find what our purpose is in this world, there can be many perspectives. And how can one be absolutely certain that one's perspective is without fault, even though one might be well-meaning and even well-educated, but because of our human limitations, we are always at risk of making a mistake. And as we've discussed many times, we are so privileged to have the only absolutely truthful and unmistakable perspective, Hashem's opinion Himself, which He voices to us throughout the words of all of Torah literature. We have learned many times that countless Torah sources teach that there is only one reason Hashem ultimately decided to create this world, and that is in order to give to the recipients that He would create. The only reason Hashem created this world is in order to give to all of us. This answer as to why Hashem created the world that countless Torah authorities bring, at first glance, seems difficult to digest, because although we might be privy of some amazing and pleasant experiences throughout our lives, that perhaps we might consider those times to be experiences of pleasure that Hashem is sending to us. However, much of the time, we all experience hardships and difficult times throughout our lives, and that being the case, the question that begs to be asked is, if Hashem created the world only to give to me, why do I have to go through suffering and difficult times? And although there are many different angles to address this question from that the Torah authorities discuss, and one can certainly gain insight by studying the different perspectives, however, the most simple and direct answer was that when Hashem intended to create recipients to be able to receive His goodness and be able to bask in His pleasure, He intended that to take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, and not in this world, where we are currently existing. And again, the question that then begs to be asked is, if Hashem desired to give to me, and that will ultimately take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, why did Hashem then decide to put me in this world, if this is not the place that He intended to share His goodness with me, ultimately? And again, the answer that many Torah commentaries offer that we've discussed many times is that Hashem in His great wisdom understood that in order to give us the opportunity for the ultimate pleasure, we need to have an opportunity to be able to earn that reward for ourselves, and that is the ultimate reason for our existence in this world. Not for the pleasures that we might happen to experience in this world, but rather to be able to have the opportunity to earn our place for eternity in the next world. Seeing as Olam Haba is our eternal address, it is certainly worthwhile to try and learn a little bit about where we are going, and to gain an appreciation of what we are working for. Because although there is a vast amount of information in Torah literature about the next world, it is certainly not an easy pursuit to truly internalize that this world is far from our final destination, and all of us are actually going to make our way to another place. And again, just like we've learned countless times with regards to the pursuit of Emunah, that although there is much information, that we're able to learn about it, and that is certainly a great starting point, however our main focus and endeavor is to truly internalize that information. And in a similar vein, b'ezrat Hashem, let's begin to explore from the Torah's perspective what exactly it means to go to the next world, bearing the same principle in mind that not only is our objective to learn the information, but much more than that perhaps, to truly internalize our belief in Olam Haba.

519

463 - Olam Haba (Part-2)

Nov 14, 2025

4:53

We've discussed that the Torah commentaries outline to us what Hashem's perspective is. The only absolutely unmistakable perspective with regards to what we are doing in this world. Step number one. Although Hashem doesn't need anything outside of Himself, He nevertheless decided to go ahead and create this world. And the only reason He decided to do so was because He desired to share His goodness with us and give us the ultimate pleasure. Step number two. The ultimate place where we are destined to experience that goodness and pleasure is in the next world, in Olam Haba, and not in this world. And step number three, that being the case, what are we doing here exactly? Why didn't Hashem just place us directly in the next world? And as the commentaries explain, Hashem wanted to give us the opportunity to be able to reap the greatest form of pleasure, and in His great wisdom, He understood that when we are given the opportunity to earn that eternal reward for ourselves, that then will be the highest form of pleasure which b'ezrat Hashem we will reap in the next world. And step number four. As we've discussed many times, the Torah commentaries mention that although there are many branches to the tree of Judaism, such as the great mitzvah of learning Torah; or the many mitzvos that we have; the efforts we are supposed to make on character development and the like, nevertheless, the trunk of the tree and core of the entire Torah and all the mitzvos can be summarized in one word - Emunah. We've spoken a lot about Emunah in this daily inspiration and b'ezrat Hashem we will continue to do so. Because as discussed many times, although the concepts and theory of Emunah can be learned in a relatively short amount of time, but our ultimate purpose in this world is not just to know the information, but rather to take that information and make just a little bit more effort each day to internalize the concepts and try to live by their values with more and more sincerity. We've been discussing how seeing as the ultimate destination that b'ezrat Hashem we are all due to make our way to is Olam Haba, the next world, it is certainly worth our while to try gain an appreciation and understanding of where we are going, seeing as this is our final destination for eternity. Some people don't like to talk about death, but the truth of the matter is that death is something that is inevitable to every single one of us. And although we should certainly make an effort to remove negative thoughts and connotations of some ideas we might have heard about death, and as always, it is much more beneficial to move in a positive direction, however, just to ignore the topic because one is afraid of what's coming might be comparable to any area of our lives which there is potential to cause us stress. Let's say I have an important exam in three weeks time from now and I am extremely stressed and perhaps nervous about what the outcome is going to be. Of course the wrong and perhaps the silly approach would be just to forget about the whole thing and focus on other areas of my life and just ignore the fact that I have this exam in three weeks. Because at the end of the day, although during this three-week period, if I forget about the fact that I have an exam, I might be able to relieve the stress from myself, but when that day comes and I now have to face the fact that there is an exam taking place and there will be consequences for the fact that I am unprepared, I will then have to deal with a lot more stress at the sudden shock of being unprepared for the exam than I would have been throughout the three weeks of preparation. And although we might compare what's coming to all of us - death which ultimately leads to the next world - Olama Haba, to an upcoming exam, however the truth of the matter is that our preparation for what's coming in Olam Haba for all of us, needs to be treated with much higher priority than an exam or anything else in our lives, because ultimately everything in our lives is temporary and it will always come to an end, whereas our destination, where we are due to go after this world, is our final destination forever. There is a parable offered by Turk commentaries where there are twins inside the stomach of their mother. And as the mother gives birth to the firstborn of the twins, the one who is still in the stomach yet to be born begins to cry and starts to mourn over the fact that his sibling has just died. Because again, in his vision of what he sees of the world, his entire world exists just of his mother's stomach. And the fact that his sibling is now gone, to him means that his sibling has died. But in reality, his sibling has just been born to a vast world, much bigger than the small space of one's mother's stomach. And similarly, when people die in this world, of course we are supposed to follow the halacha as the Torah prescribes, to mourn over the individual. However, without learning about the topic, we might feel like this individual is now gone, but the truth of the matter is that death is just the beginning of life.

520

464 - Olam Haba (Part-3)

Nov 16, 2025

4:08

We've been discussing the topic of Olam Haba, the next world, and the tremendous importance there is to learn about this topic and contemplate on the fact that as the Torah commentaries teach us, ultimately Hashem created the entire world in the first place just in order to share His goodness with us and give us pleasure. And ultimately that is going to take place in the next world. The only reason that we are in this world is in order to earn our place in the next world for eternity. And as discussed many times, the core of the entire Torah and mitzvos is Emunah. When I know something, I have no need to believe because I am able to see it, understand it, and there is no reason for me to therefore take that necessary step to believe in something that might at first glance be difficult to understand. We've discussed many times throughout this daily inspiration how this applies to many areas of our lives in this world and how the benefits of both Emunah and Bitachon can affect the quality of our lives in many ways. It's important to also build our Emunah, our belief, in the next world. Again, just like we've discussed many times that the levels of Emunah in Hashem, in the Torah, in the mitzvos and the like are immeasurable and there are countless levels that one can strive more and more each day to move towards, in the same vein, there are many levels in what it means to believe in Olam Haba. Of course if one is not yet privy to know the information that there is a next world, then that is certainly the first step. But assuming that one does know that there is a next world, there are many levels of what it means to believe so and to internalize that information. And again, although part of our job is to learn about the topic of Olam Haba and know the information in a theoretical manner, but perhaps a much bigger part of our job is to internalize that information just a little bit more each day to truly believe in Olam Haba. We discussed previously how sometimes people are afraid to discuss the topic of death, which b'ezrat Hashem ultimately leads to Olam Haba, and how truthfully, although we are human beings and it is certainly valid and acceptable to feel anxious about the topic of death for one who does, however the first thing to keep in mind is that much of the time when we feel anxiety and stress about the unknown, that is exactly because of that fact - that it is unknown and we have no idea what's coming. And in a sense the more we learn about it, the less anxious and stressed we might feel about the topic. And a second point to bear in mind is that regardless of our feelings towards the topic, to just hide behind the door and ignore what's on the other side would be a very silly approach. Imagine you are employed in a certain company and you are now given the instruction that in a year's time from now, you are going to need to relocate to another country. Now you are fully committed to this company and there is no other option to go elsewhere, so you know that in a year's time from now, you will for sure be relocating. Now in this new country that I am relocating to, I need to find an area to live, a house, a community, perhaps schooling for my children and many other things. So a very silly approach would be to say, let me just enjoy myself for the remainder of this year where I currently am and I guess at the end of the year, when the time comes, I'll just get on the plane, arrive at my new destination and find my way from there, not having a clue about how anything works there and being completely unprepared for what's coming. We can all easily understand how that would be a very silly approach. Whereas the smart thing to do, would be to investigate the new location and with good preparation, we'll find the right house, community, schools and the like and we'll certainly be much more well prepared than if we just wake up at the last minute because we were too scared to face the reality initially. We are taught loud and clear from countless Torah sources that this world that we exist in is not by any means the final destination. So let's make an effort to begin to try and understand and internalize where we are actually headed towards. Olam Haba.

521

465 - Olam Haba (Part-4)

Nov 17, 2025

4:35

We've been discussing the topic of Olam Haba, the next world where we are all destined, b'ezrat Hashem, to make our way towards. And as mentioned, we don't know exactly how it's going to be and we cannot see and understand the information for ourselves, and therefore we are called on to practice our Emunah, our belief in what we are taught from the Torah sources and commentaries. Let's try and appreciate just how worthwhile it is to talk about and try and make effort to internalize the concept of Olam Haba. Imagine for a moment that you see your child running towards a busy street with cars driving at a very fast speed. In only a few moments this child is going to take a leap into this main street. Of course the appropriate response would be to grab the child and pull them out the road even if doing so would be painful for the child for a few moments. And perhaps if one is not within reach of the child, one might begin to scream in a way that would frighten the child and make them freeze in their footsteps to prevent a tragedy. One who is witnessing this situation does not need to believe that if the responsible parent would not have gone ahead to pull the child out the street or began to scream in a hysterical manner, that the result would have been a catastrophe. This is not something that needs to be believed because anyone witnessing this episode on the ground can see and understand it for themselves. The more we develop our belief that the next world is coming and there certainly are very real consequences both for the positive and for the negative, the more that belief will become a reality. Just like in the example of the child who is about to get run over on the busy street where it would certainly be appropriate to act in a dramatic manner, in a similar vein, the more we learn about the topic of the next world and the way that our actions in this world impact our destination in the next world, if we ourselves or perhaps others that we witness might be performing acts that could be leading us to a very dangerous street in the spiritual worlds, it certainly should be our instinctive desire for ourselves and for those around us to make a stern warning that there are serious consequences for this act, both for ourselves and for others. Of course, when one is dealing with other people, it is very important to be super sensitive in the way one gives the information over and it is not always our place to do so, and perhaps that can be discussed at another time. But what we are focusing on right now is that much of the time, because the concept of Olam Haba is not as real to us as that dangerous street, because we are not able to see that street in the spiritual worlds, but rather we have to work on our emunah, our belief, the next world is very real, and what we are taught in the Torah that there are consequences for, both for the positive as well as for the negative, are very real. Imagine you see your best friend going on a date with a very good-looking individual on the outside. However, you happen to know that this individual is very nasty on the inside. Although usually throughout one's life it is important to make efforts to be kind and focus on the positive, however, when something of such great measure is at stake, of course a good friend must stand up for the truth, as painful as it might be. When one shies away from talking about what's going to happen after one dies, much of the time it comes from the fact that we don't truly believe what is coming after we die. It is so important to study the information and try to take that information and internalize it, to realize we are headed to another world, and everything that is written in Torah literature with reference to the next world is very true. Let us remind ourselves that Hashem created the world in the first place just because He desired to give to us, but again, He wanted us to have the greatest opportunity for that pleasure, and in order to do so, He gave us the ability to make choices in this world. Simply speaking, the more we follow His commandments, the greater our portion for the good in the next world. And the more we fall on the side of sin, the greater the consequences on the negative side in the next world. What a privilege we all have to be learning about, making efforts to internalize this information, and b'ezrat Hashem, preparing in the best way that we can for our place in eternity.

522

466 - Olam Haba (Part-5)

Nov 18, 2025

4:36

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, chapter 4, mishnah 17, states, "This world is like a hallway in comparison to the future world. Prepare yourself in the hallway so that you may enter into the banquet hall." Although this is a well-known mishnah that one might have heard many times previously, again there are many levels as to what it means to believe in the world to come. We are taught that this world is just a place of preparation, similar to a corridor or hallway before a banquet hall. Of course, one doesn't spend much time, focus and energy in getting too comfortable in the corridor before the banquet hall because it is only the corridor where one is supposed to walk in order to make their way to their real destination. And similarly and very literally is this world in comparison to the next world. There is a famous analogy offered by many Torah commentaries. Imagine the largest stadium that you've ever seen filled to the top with sand. Every thousand years a little bird would come and take just one grain of sand out of that stadium. How long will it take to empty out the stadium? Of course, that number is so huge that one might say forever. But the truth is that even that is not forever. Because after whatever huge amount of years, the stadium will be emptied. Whereas true eternity is literally forever. When one puts that into perspective, one quickly realizes that a maximum of 120 years in this world is so small in comparison to true eternity. So although we do need to make an effort in this world to get somewhat comfortable so that we can be the best we can in our lives in order to earn our place in the next world, but unnecessary comfort or focusing on things just for the sake of this world, besides for perhaps being wrong, can also perhaps be classified as silly. Another example to illustrate this concept. Imagine you're waiting at a bus stop and because the bus is taking a few minutes to arrive, you take a seat to relax for a few minutes. And as you sit down, you notice that there's a slight bump on the seat that you're sitting on, which makes it a little bit uncomfortable. Now most people would not go ahead and call the bus company who are in charge of the seats at the bus stop and complain that when you had sat down to sit for five minutes, you were slightly uncomfortable and they should come and fix that little bump on the chair. And the reason for that is because of the 24 hours in the day that we are all busy with so many things, that little gap of five minutes that one takes a seat on the bus stop is so insignificant in comparison to the next many hours of the day, and usually one doesn't even have time to care about focusing on that little discomfort that one experienced, but rather one would usually choose to ignore it. Whereas if you've just contracted a company to build a house for you and you now make arrangements to meet them on premises to see their progress, and as you arrive you see that they've built the bathroom in the middle of the living room, of course for that you'd complain because this is a house that you intend to live in for many years and most people do not want the bathroom to be right in the middle of the living room. When we are sincere with ourselves and take to heart the true belief of what the Torah sources teach us that this world is in comparison to the next world, the amount of time that elapses in this world compared to eternity cannot even be compared to five minutes of the day at a bus stop. Because again, eternity is forever, so what is 120 years in that picture? As we've discussed here previously, when the Torah authorities outlined to us that every mitzvah that we perform in this world is literally making spiritual worlds much bigger and greater than anything that exists in this world; just for one seemingly insignificant mitzvah, we are building worlds much greater than anything we can even begin to fathom. And similarly, God forbid, when one performs a sin, even what seems to be the most insignificant of sins, there are tremendous consequences in the next world. Imagine for a moment that one knew that the small sin that I'm about to commit will cause an atomic bomb in another country. Most of us will think twice before doing so. But again, although we are taught that the consequences in the next world are much greater than an atomic bomb falling on another country, the reason that it is so difficult for us to internalize this is because as we've discussed many times that the Torah commentaries teach that our purpose in this world is not to know, but rather to believe. Emunah.

523

472 - Olam Haba (Part-11)

Nov 18, 2025

4:25

We've been discussing about the components that the Torah commentaries outline to us of what will transpire in the next world, after we pass on from this world. We know that there are two seemingly paradoxical forms of serving Hashem. One is when we employ the side of fear and the consequences for our actions, and the other is motivation out of our absolute love for Hashem. Many commentaries teach that in order to come to the higher level of absolute love for Hashem, we first need to start with the motivation of fear of Hashem. And as we've been discussing, it's so important for us to internalize the truth of what is in store for us, because by doing so we are able to then take our lives much more seriously and thereby b'ezrat Hashem and our maximum potential in the world to come for eternity. As we've discussed many times, Hashem created the world just to give to us, and our job in this world is to have the opportunity to be able to earn our place for eternity. It's so important when we do relate to topics of fear of heaven and the negative consequences in the world to come, that we always keep at the forefront of our mind the initial reason why Hashem decided to create the world. Hashem is not out to get us. Hashem only decided to create the world because He wants to give us unlimited pleasure for eternity. And the only reason that we have this opportunity to choose between good and bad is because He wants to make the good even better by giving us the free choice and opportunity to choose good. But again, because this is the way the world has been designed, there is an opportunity to choose evil, both on a large scale as well as even the smallest of actions, every one of us in our own way. With the fast-paced world that we live in, it's not always easy to catch ourselves for the sins we might be committing and the missed opportunities we might have been able to grab onto. As we've discussed many times in this daily inspiration, we know that the Torah commentary is write, that if you want to summarize our job in this world into one word, that word is emunah. And as we've talked about many times previously, one of the most basic expressions of emunah is when we talk to Hashem, because if I believe Hashem exists, can hear what I'm saying and can help me more than anyone else, I will certainly reach out to Him about whatever endeavor I might be dealing with. And no less should we be reaching out to Hashem with regards to our spiritual endeavors than more practical areas in our lives. "Hashem, my dear Father, thank You so much for teaching me the truth of why I exist. Thank You so much, Abba, for deciding to create this world for one objective. You don't need this world; You are perfect in Your core, but You just wanted to create us to be able to give to us. That's the only reason that You created us for. Thank You so much, Hashem, for giving us the opportunity not only to bask in Your light and pleasure for eternity, but You in Your great kindness willed it that we should be able to also live in this world, to be able to earn an even greater place for the next world. And Hashem, You have taught us that the more mitzvos that we do, and the more we listen to Your instructions from the Torah, the higher place we will earn in eternity. Please, Hashem, can You help me to work out in my personal life which are the areas that I can do better in. Hashem, I'm going to take a certain amount of time right now to try to really think about where I might have some missed mitzvah opportunities, and where, even slightly, I might be committing transgressions. Please, Hashem, help me to find the truth and be able to just become better and better each day. And Hashem, You have also given us one of the most incredible gifts, to be able to do teshuva and repent for anything and everything I might have committed in the past. Please, Hashem, accept my repentance for all my transgressions. And as we've learned from the Gemara, please help me to do my teshuva with sincerity and out of love for You, and to turn those transgressions of mine into mitzvos. Hashem, I know that the more that I have olam haba, the next world, which is ultimately our final destination for eternity, at the forefront of my mind, the more I am able to remain in the right place of what real reality is. Please, Hashem, help me to be successful in my endeavour to internalize more and more each day of what true reality is. Olam Haba."

524

467 - Olam Haba (Part-6)

Nov 19, 2025

4:42

Many people have heard terms such as Mashiach, resurrection of the dead, hell, Gan Eden, Olam Haba, and the like. It is helpful to understand what the Torah commentaries teach us about the exact process and direction of what is supposed to happen. So let's break it down, b'ezrat Hashem. Every one of us is comprised of both soul and body. At some point, our souls depart from this world, also known as death. And as we are taught from the Torah commentaries, there is something called chibut hakever, which is a certain form of punishment which takes place in one's burial place. Now on the one hand, we are to remind ourselves that the only reason Hashem created the world in the first place is certainly not to punish us, but rather to give us the greatest pleasure that can exist for eternity. But again, let us remind ourselves that the reason we have to make our excursion into this world is in order to give us the opportunity to earn our place in the next world. And in order for there to be that possibility, Hashem created a system where there are consequences, and if we do go against His word and neglect doing our best to follow His commandments, then we do need to suffer consequences. And as the Torah commentaries teach, one of the main purposes of those consequences is to cleanse ourselves to be able to then move on forward in a renewed state that is then able to appreciate and bask in Hashem's pleasure eternally. However, it is also important for us to remember what the Torah commentaries write about the tremendous suffering that can be experienced with the extent of the suffering dependent on the severity of our sins. And again, the purpose of internalizing this is, God forbid, not to bring us down, but rather to help us focus on our purpose and mission in this world. Because when we are able to internalize the potential that there is for such a tremendous magnitude of suffering, that can help to deter us from committing those sins that cause that suffering. Many Torah commentaries teach that on the positive side, the reward that is in store for us in the future, for our good deeds, is greater than any possible thing that can exist in this world. And similarly, with regards to the consequences for our sins, Torah commentaries teach that although it is a difficult idea for us to relate to because we are not familiar with what happens after we die, if one were to think of the worst atrocity that one has ever experienced or heard of, as painful as it is to talk about the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust, October 7th, or whatever else it might be, as Torah commentaries teach, if one is to imagine that form of suffering transpiring for an entire lifespan without pause, that is still not on par with one moment of suffering after we die. And again, one might argue, let's not focus and talk about such topics because it's quite scary, it causes me anxiety, etc. As we've discussed previously, the only reason that one might be led to that mode of thought is because one doesn't truly believe what the Torah commentaries outline to us is coming in the future after we die. It is so important to build this belief and truly internalize that the concept of the world to come, both for the positive as well as the consequences for the negative, are very real. And by doing so, we can really make our maximum effort to focus on the right things in this world and stay away from the wrong things. "Hashem, my dear Father, in Your great kindness, You have given me the wisdom of the Torah which teaches me Your true perspective and the ability to understand, to the best of my capacity, what is coming once I leave this world. Hashem, it is so hard to truly believe and internalize what we are taught about the tremendous consequences, both in terms of the positive outcome that can be for our eternity, as well as, God forbid, the tremendous suffering that is beyond anything we can even begin to comprehend. And it's so hard to internalize this, Hashem, because at the end of the day, we live in this world and we don't see what's happening in the next world. And because for the most part, You do not send us direct and immediate consequences for our actions in this world that we are able to witness and experience, it ultimately all boils down to how much emunah, belief, we have in what the Torah commentaries teach us about the next world. Please, Hashem, help me to truly internalize what the Torah commentaries teach us, that in truth, our life only begins after we die. And in that way, please Hashem, help me to make my maximum effort, to use every moment in my life to its maximum, and earn my highest possible place for eternity."

525

427 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-10)

Sep 26, 2025

4:21

Very briefly, let's go through the steps again of why Hashem created the world. Hashem created the world just to give to me. Ultimately, that takes place in the next world, and what I'm doing in this world is earning my portion for the next world. And as Torah authorities outlined to us, the main way that we earn our eternal portion in the next world is by growing in our emunah in this world. We discussed how a life of true emunah will lead to one making their maximum effort to fulfilling the mitzvos and all the intricacies in the best way possible. We discussed further what the Torah commentaries teach, how emunah is considered the tree and bitachon is considered the fruits of the tree and in many ways, emunah is more of a theoretical exercise where one knows that Hashem is in control and bitachon is taking that theory and applying it in a practical way. Let us remind ourselves of what many Torah commentaries write that we've discussed many times, that although it might seem counterintuitive, bitachon is completely independent of our actions. And again, one serious about their purpose in this world will constantly be remembering the fact that their ultimate destination is the next world for eternity and as we are taught, there are consequences both for the mitzvos that we do as well as for the transgressions that we commit and one should certainly therefore make their maximum effort to do the right thing in this world. However, what is so important to remember is that regardless of what one has achieved and regardless of what one has transgressed, we are taught that bitachon is a completely independent entity to our mitzvos and our transgressions. And in the words of the Midrash, even a rasha - a truly wicked individual who stops and relies on Hashem, Hashem will come through for that individual. And as some of the Torah commentaries discuss, even if a thief who is on his way currently to commit a crime stops and asks Hashem to help him out, Hashem will come through for him. Because again, bitachon is a reality that Hashem created in the world that works regardless of how we might be doing in our spiritual endeavor. There are many things that a life of true emunah and bitachon will lead to. Most importantly, we are achieving our ultimate purpose in this world, earning our maximum potential for the next world. Additionally, in this world itself, the more one grows in bitachon each day, the calmer one will feel throughout any and every situation. Because again, the reason we are triggered by anxiety-provoking situations is only because we are scared of something. Whereas when a person truly internalizes that Hashem is in absolute control every single moment, and Hashem only created me just because He wants to give me of His best, eternal pleasure, and one is in the safest hands, much safer than any individual could ever provide for me, even the person who loves me the most, or I truly see as my security, but again, people are always limited by human capacity and limitations. Whereas Hashem Himself is not, He is the Creator of the world. The more I internalize that belief, the more I will feel completely calm throughout my life. And similarly, everybody is searching for true happiness and fulfillment in one's life. When one is living together with Hashem in their life, there can be no happier feeling than that. Rav David Ashear, in his fantastic book, Living Emunah, tells the story of a little girl who was flying on an airplane. Suddenly there was tremendous turbulence on the airplane, and many of the passengers felt scared and anxious. One passenger noticed that this girl looked completely calm throughout the whole ordeal, and he went over to her and said, "Little girl, how come you are not nervous like many of the other passengers who are aboard this flight?" And the girl responded, "Oh, there's nothing for me to worry about, because my father is the pilot of this plane, and I know he will only do the best thing for me." And she was completely calm because she knew she was in the best hands. And in the same way, when we take to heart that every single happening in our lives is orchestrated exclusively by Hashem, without the interference from any other individual or circumstance, we are able to feel completely happy. We are so privileged to be able to have access to this treasure, the keys of how to live a truly meaningful life.

526

414 - One Step Higher

Aug 20, 2025

4:11

We've been discussing how one of the most basic expressions of emunah and bitachon is to talk to Hashem, and how the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Hashem and talk to Hashem is available to every single one of us, regardless of our levels. Although it might be such a basic fundamental of emunah, that if I believe in Hashem, I know He is there, He can hear me, He can help me, why would I go and make other efforts in place of talking to Hashem? Again, we do have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus, to make our own efforts, and we can talk about that at another opportunity. But regardless of our own efforts, a person with an emunah mindset will certainly devote the majority part of their energy and effort to their relationship with Hashem, to talking to Hashem, because if He is the Creator of the world and He is the One that makes everything happen every moment, is it not logical to reach out to Him to help me, because He can and He just wants me to talk to Him before He sends me the help? As opposed to trying to make my own plans and forgetting to reach out to the Creator, which upon contemplation, one will quickly realize is an absolute absurdity. However, it's also important to remind ourselves that because of our human limitations, we often don't feel that inspiration and motivation, and even though we might know the information about emunah, that Hashem is there and does listen, when push comes to shove and we try to talk to Hashem, we feel like we are talking to a wall. And again, that is the whole objective of our existence in this world, to give us a test in our emunah and have the constant struggle every single day, regardless of what I might have learned. Today, I just don't feel it; I'm uninspired, I'm unmotivated. So what then do I do? What we've discussed many times is that the answer to all questions always is the opportunity to reach out to Hashem, even about this topic itself. I don't feel inspired about my emunah, my bitachon and my relationship with Hashem. Whatever I am able to say, I should. Perhaps, "Hashem, I really am not feeling that inspiration anymore, for whatever reason. Please can You help me, Hashem, that I should be able to talk to You with true sincerity and mean what I say. And Hashem, even if I'm not feeling it today, I'm asking You, please can You come through for me in the areas that I'm asking You, not just so that I should achieve what I'm trying to achieve, but more importantly, that I can see how You do listen to me and how You do come through for me, because there's been times in my life, Hashem, where I did talk to You, and You came through for me and You answered me, and when that happens, it's a tremendous motivator and inspiration for me to continue to build my relationship with You." There are many levels of emunah, and there are many levels of talking to Hashem. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity. All we are called on to do, is to do our best. Rabbeinu Bechaya to Bereshit chapter 46 verse 32 writes that many of our ancestors were shepherds. Hevel, the son of the first man - Adam, was a shepherd; and so were Moshe Rabbeinu, the prophet Shmuel, King Shaul, King David, as well as many others of our righteous ancestors. Rabbeinu Bechaya writes that they specifically chose shepherding as their profession because shepherds spend much of the day in the fields with their flocks, away from other people. And this is conducive to focusing on one's connection and relationship with Hashem, without distraction. Because of the fast-paced world that we live in, we are all at risk of forgetting to prioritize our relationship with Hashem. Rabbeinu Bechaya here is teaching us that the secret to many of our ancestors' success was that they would seclude themselves at regular intervals. Again, there are many levels. Perhaps for some of our great ancestors, they might have secluded themselves away from other people to be able to just focus on their personal relationship with Hashem for a two-week uninterrupted period or longer. For many of us, that is not something attainable, but certainly, every single day, every one of us has the opportunity to build a personal relationship with Hashem. Every one of us according to our own level. The more we make an effort to build our emunah, the more we will be motivated and inspired to treat our relationship with Hashem and talking to Hashem with highest priority.

527

415 - Where Is Your Home?

Aug 21, 2025

4:39

We've been discussing how practising our emunah and bitachon, our core purpose and focus in this world, is expressed in one of its highest ways when we talk to Hashem in our own words. Again, for many of us, if we are asked if we believe in Hashem, we would answer in the affirmative. However, when push comes to shove and adversity strikes, there are many levels of how one can respond. The ultimate would be feelings of complete calm and turning to Hashem in prayer to help out. And on the opposite extreme would be someone who doesn't even think about Hashem, but rather just runs around trying to find their own solutions. There are millions of levels in between, and all we are required to do is grow each day to make a little bit more effort to when something does happen, rather than initially running around to try to find our own solutions, first reaching out to Hashem and asking Him to help us in our endeavour to find a solution. The Midrash Rabbah in Vezos HaBerachah section 11 states that after it was decreed that Moshe Rabbeinu would not be permitted to enter Eretz Israel, he prayed no fewer than 515 times, beseeching Hashem to annul the decree. And as the verse states, after the 515th prayer, Hashem actually asked Moshe Rabbeinu to stop praying about this matter. And this is because had Moshe Rabbeinu prayed just one more time, Hashem would have been required to fulfill His request. Many people would ask, but doesn't Hashem run the world? Hashem calls the shots, and if Hashem desired that Moshe Rabbeinu should not enter Eretz Israel, regardless of how many times he prayed, He would not have entered. And the answer to this question is that Hashem created the world with a rule: Tefillah works. Just like Hashem created the nature of our world, that if you are hungry and you eat food, it satiates the hunger, and if one is tired and sleeps, one feels rejuvenated thereafter, similarly, Hashem created nature in the spiritual worlds, and one segment of how the natural order in the spiritual worlds work, is that emunah, bitachon, and prayer work, to the point that Hashem had to ask Moshe Rabbeinu, "please do not pray again, because if you do, although I do not want you to make your way to Eretz Israel, I will be required to take you in because of your prayers." Nobody is on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, and for many people to daven 515 times would be an achievement beyond our maximum capacity, but again, one day when we meet our Creator, we are not going to be asked, how did you do in comparison to Moshe Rabbeinu? We are going to be asked, how did you do in comparison to what you could have become? Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to pray. If we are to internalize the truth of the words, ein od milvado - that Hashem truly orchestrates every single detail in every one of our lives, we will quickly realize that we don't call any of the shots to anything that happens in our lives or in anyone else's lives. Everything is exclusively orchestrated by Hashem. The only thing that truthfully is within our capacity, is our ability to pray and ask Hashem to make things turn out the way we would like, and of course thereafter, to make our maximum effort to make it happen. Many individuals have expressed their desire to live in the land of Israel. It is not our time and place now to discuss the benefits of what it means to live in the land of Israel from a halachic or Torah perspective, but assuming that one has decided that ideally they would like to live in the land of Israel, for many people, much of the time it can seem like an absolute impossibility on many fronts, be it because of financial circumstances, family dynamics and many other things. Now again, assuming that one's perspective after investigating the topic is that the right thing ultimately is to be in the land of Israel; One day, when we are to meet our Creator, He is not going to ask us, did you live in the land of Israel? Because again, if I believe ein od milvado - I will quickly realize that I will only live in the country that Hashem will place me in, and I actually have no say in the matter. But the question that will be asked is, did you pray to live in the land of Israel? And therefore, for the many people that would like to live in the land of Israel, but see it as an impossibility, the wisest thing that one can do is make it part of one's daily personal prayers to beg Hashem to give one the opportunity to come to live in the land of Israel. And again, even if one sees it as an impossibility, when one takes to heart that Hashem is the Creator and controls every detail of the world and can do absolutely anything, then I will quickly realize that I too can pray for absolutely anything.

528

416 - It's the Same Hashem

Aug 22, 2025

4:04

The passage in Tanach from Shoftim chapter 16 verse 28 tells how the Prophet Shimshon was blessed with supernatural strength, which made him immune to his enemies. Eventually, however, his enemies, the plishtim, discovered his secret and stripped him of his supernatural strength. Using his own words, Shimshon requested that Hashem please give him the supernatural strength just one final time to take revenge against the plishtim in order to sanctify Hashem's name just one more time. And as the passage tells, Hashem answered Shimshon in His personal prayer. There is a well-known Torah teaching which states that ma'aseh avos siman labanim - the narratives recounted in the Torah, are not just mere history lessons, but rather each event has valuable lessons to teach each one of us that we can apply to our lives in a practical way. One obvious take-home from the above account in the episode of Shimshon and the Pelishtim is to regularly reach out to Hashem using our own words. The same Hashem who was present and available to hear and come through for Shimshon in his challenging situation, is the same Hashem who is present today and waiting to hear from every single one of us. The Gemara in Yoma 29a states that with regards to prayer, the more one prays, the more effective one's prayers become. It's important to take to heart this teaching of the Gemara, because as we know, tefillah can be disheartening at times, especially when we do not seem to receive what we had prayed for. Sometimes Hashem withholds blessing from us specifically in order to give us reason to keep on praying. Eventually, however, all our prayers come together and will be much more potent and effective than if we had been answered in the first place. Again, our purpose in this world is to have emunah. I don't know, I don't understand. Emunah means, I believe. The Midrash elsewhere teaches that some prayers take years before they are answered; some prayers take months; some days, and some prayers are answered instantaneously. And the question is, why? And the simple response is, we cannot know Hashem's calculations in this world specifically because we are called on to believe - to have emunah - not to understand and know Hashem's workings. But the one thing is for sure, that no prayer ever goes to waste. And just like we learned from the Gemara above, the more one prays, the more effective one's prayers become, and if I prayed for something, and not only didn't I get answered, but things even seemed to get worse, although logic and a mistaken perspective would dictate, "you see, Hashem is not really listening", however, the emunah perspective would dictate - "even if I don't see Hashem coming through for me, I have no doubt in the world that that prayer that I just made is making a huge impact, and even if the results are not experienced right now, it could be that for whatever reason, Hashem is holding back right now, but in the future, there is no question that this prayer will come through for something of tremendous value." The book of Yonah relates the fascinating episode when Yonah was swallowed by a large fish and remained inside it for three days and three nights. Whilst inside the fish, Yonah reminded himself that the only thing that could help him out of his predicament was tefillah. He was therefore able to pray to Hashem with true sincerity, even inside the innards of a fish. As mentioned many times, personal prayer was the consistent practice of all of our ancestors. The opportunity of prayer is always accessible and available to every single one of us at any time and at any place. "Thank you so much Hashem for the constant opportunity to be able to reach out to you and have my personal relationship with you."

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417 - What's Most Important?

Aug 24, 2025

4:29

We've discussed previously with regards to the famous verse that states ein od milvado - there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem exclusively - and we've discussed that there are many levels to what it means to truly understand and internalize this verse. Simply speaking, if someone were to ask me, "do you believe that Hashem runs the world?" and I am to answer in the affirmative, that certainly is a milestone in having understood to some degree what the verse ein od milvado means. However, as discussed many times, Torah commentaries point out that the distance between knowing Emunah in our heads, meaning knowing the information, that yes, Hashem does run the world, as opposed to truly internalizing it in our hearts, which will translate into the way we live our lives with real life Emunah, that distance is greater than the distance between heaven and earth, meaning that there are many levels to what it means to have Emunah. Our life's work is of course initially to grow in our knowledge about Emunah, because without knowing what we are trying to internalize, we can't really move forward. But after one has already understood in one's head that our main purpose in this world is in order to grow in our Emunah, the next step is to try internalize that Emunah more and more into the core of our beings, to the point that Emunah does not just remain an abstract concept or subject, but rather translates into the very core of our beings and the way we live our lives. There is much information available to us about many Torah concepts, from the study of the Chumash itself, Tanach, the Talmud, Halacha, Kabbalistic material, inspiration for character development, and much more. They are all important, and we are certainly encouraged to strive to explore as many areas of Torah as possible. Different people are attracted to different areas of Torah, and although we are all called on to learn all areas of Torah to our best ability, and we should certainly strive to do so, it is nevertheless motivating to remind ourselves about what many Torah commentaries write, that ultimately all the branches of Torah are super important, and again, we should make our maximum effort to explore all the branches of Torah. However, as pointed out by many Torah commentaries, Emunah is not one of the branches, Emunah is the trunk of the tree itself, because when one has Emunah, it automatically leads to all of the branches of the Torah. So whilst it is so vital to explore all the branches of Torah, it is also important to highlight and remind ourselves that the trunk of the tree itself should never be forgotten about, and our highest focus should be placed in not only knowing the concepts of Emunah, but also making our maximum effort in trying to internalize the Emunah in our bones, in a way that it translates to the way that we live our lives. "Thank you, Hashem, for the incredible privilege to be able to know about Emunah, and to be able to learn about Emunah, and to have the ability to try make an effort to truly internalize the concepts of Emunah. Hashem, please help me from this moment on to grow more and more in not only knowing the concepts of Emunah, but also truly internalizing and changing the way that I live, to living a life of sincere Emunah."

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418 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-1)

Sep 14, 2025

4:05

Usually, when one is trying to study a subject, after a certain amount of time of delving into the content of the subject matter, one will be able to master that subject and move on to a different topic. We've discussed many times about what the Torah's sources teach us is our purpose in this world - to make efforts to build and internalize our emunah and bitachon - our faith and reliance on Hashem more and more each day. And in a sense, one might ask, "I've learnt about this topic so many times, so why do I need to continue to delve into the topic of emunah each day? Is it not perhaps time to move on to something else?" It is so important to remind ourselves of what many of the Torah greats teach, that although in a sense one is able to graduate from knowing the information about emunah and bitachon, because after continuous study, one will certainly gain much information from the Torah about what it means to live a life of emunah and bitachon, but as many of the Torah greats point out, when we are taught that our ultimate purpose in this world is emunah and bitachon, it certainly does not just mean knowing the information of emunah and bitachon, but rather, as they teach, the distance between just knowing emunah in one's head, as opposed to truly internalizing it in one's heart, is greater than the distance between heaven and earth. Just like we can clearly understand that there are miles and miles apart between the highest heavens and the earth that we live on, in a similar vein, when it comes to emunah, although it is certainly a tremendous accomplishment to be making an effort to learn the information of what it means to have emunah, because without knowing the information we certainly can't move forward to try to internalize that information, but it's also so important to highlight that ultimately our purpose in this world is not just to know the emunah in theory, but rather, our purpose in this world is to take that information and truly transform the way that we live to be according to the values of emunah and bitachon. And as we've discussed many times, it's an obvious equation that it's not going to be an easy task that can be mastered overnight. Because as many commentaries that we've discussed, such as the Ramban at the end of Parashas Bo bring to our attention that our main focus and job and purpose in this world is to grow in our bitachon. And as we've pointed out many times from many many Torah sources, that ultimately the purpose of all the mitzvos, of Torah learning and everything we do in our lives is in order to build our emunah. Emunah is the core of everything we do in our lives. So seeing as this is the ultimate purpose for our existence and our focus of what we're supposed to be doing in this world, it's obvious that it's not going to be a simple task that can be mastered overnight, but rather, a lifetime of constant effort in order to grow in this area as much as possible. And therefore, constant repetition of the same concepts that one might have studied many times before is highly recommended. Because in the world that we live in, most of our experiences are surrounded by things which could be potential deterrents from living a life of emunah. And understandably so - it's supposed to be that way, because again, our purpose in this world is to try find the emunah, and if it wasn't a challenge, then what is our purpose of being here? Without making a conscious effort to be mindful to live according to the values of emunah, one will certainly fall to the normal way of the world, which is certainly not a life according to the values of emunah. And because we are constantly surrounded by things which might attempt to deter us from a life of emunah, we are certainly called on to constantly revise the concepts of emunah and how we are able to apply them in our own lives in a practical way and b'ezrat Hashem, each day, we will thereby be able to be living lives truly according to the values of emunah.

531

419 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-2)

Sep 15, 2025

4:02

We've been discussing how constant repetition about the principles of Emunah and Bitachon is of paramount importance. In the world that we live in, for the most part, it is much easier to relate to things that are physical and tangible, and I am able to see the accomplishment of my efforts. So, usually when I study a subject, once I have completed learning and perhaps remembering the information that I have studied, I am now able to move on to the next subject. Whereas when it comes to Emunah, our core purpose in this world, although certainly we do have to learn the information as a starting point, but by no means does it end there. The real work of Emunah is taking the information that we might have learned many many times previously and trying to truly internalize that information to be able to live according to their values. So let's go ahead now and discuss some of the concepts that we've discussed many times previously with the objective of not only reminding ourselves about this information, although that too is a worthwhile endeavor, but perhaps to make an extra effort to take whatever information and growth that we might have made whilst being exposed to Emunah and Bitachon and to try and apply it to areas of our own lives, everyone in their own way. So the very first question that needs to be discussed is if I believe that there is a God, a Creator, a Being who is certainly not limited by needs such as the ones we have, the question is why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place? Anyone who has studied any Torah information about God understands that Hashem is completely independent of anything else that exists in the entire universe and in existence in general. And that being the case, why did Hashem decide to create the entire universe, with all the spiritual worlds as well as the physical world that we live in? Just as an aside, the question that we are discussing here is certainly the most important question for anybody that accepts that there is a Creator. There are many ways that people arrive at this conclusion, that there is a Hashem overseeing our world, and our discussion here does not revolve around proof for the existence of Hashem, although that is certainly a worthwhile discussion in its own right and there is much information available for a person who is sincerely seeking, but has many questions about the existence of Hashem in general. But assuming that one has accepted that there is a God in the world, that Hashem does exist, then the most important question that needs to be delved into becomes, why did Hashem, a being who does not lack anything, decide to create the world? It almost seems superfluous to do such a thing. Imagine for a moment the wealthiest person in the world, a multi-billionaire, who has everything financially available to him. Would it make sense for this individual to be involved in a project that would only produce him one dollar? Of course, it is easy to understand why he would not do so, seeing as he has all the money in the world available to him. And similarly, why would Hashem decide to create a world when He does not lack anything and does not need anything? And although we are trying to illustrate this point with this analogy of the billionaire, however truthfully this does not portray the concept of how Hashem does not need anything. Because since we are human beings, by definition, we have needs, and although a billionaire might not need another dollar, but the extra dollar might nevertheless bring a slight smile to his face and the like, whereas when it comes to Hashem, He is completely perfect and does not need this world in the least. So that being the case, why did Hashem create this world? And again, although we might have explored this topic many times previously, it is so worthwhile to go over it again and again, to digest the concept, not just to know the information, but to truly internalize the information and b'ezrat Hashem, thereby be able to truly internalize the information, live according to their values, and transform your life.

532

420 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-3)

Sep 16, 2025

4:21

We've been discussing how although the principles and fundamentals of what it means to live a life of emunah and truly fulfill our purpose in this world, in a sense does have limited information and after spending time studying the topic, one might have mastered the information, however, as discussed, our purpose in this world is not just to know the information, but rather to take that information and truly internalize it and b'ezrat Hashem transform our lives to be able to live according to the values of true emunah. The first and most fundamental question that needs to be discussed is why did Hashem, a being who does not have any needs and who is completely perfect in His core, decide to create this universe and everything that is encompassed within it. Usually when one creates something or embarks on any sort of venture, the reason I would do so is because I need or want something, such as more money, that could help me live more comfortably by embarking on this business venture. Whereas if there'd be no financial gain nor personal fulfillment by getting involved in this business venture, I certainly wouldn't embark on this project. Hashem does not need anything in this world because He's completely perfect in His core. So why did He decide to create this world? And as we've discussed previously many times, before answering this question or in fact any question, we need to ask ourselves what method we're going to use to try to answer this question. If I just use my head to try find the answer, I need to ask myself, have I ever made a mistake before? And of course anyone real with themselves will quickly realize that we all make many mistakes all the time. And that being the case, how can I be comfortable to assume that the answer I might think of for this most important question of why Hashem decided to create the world in the first place, which will ultimately lead to what exactly is my purpose on a moment-to-moment basis, to assume that the answer that I might think of with my limited brain, which is very susceptible to constant mistakes. But what else are we supposed to do, if not for using my head to try find a solution? What other possible solution is there? As we've discussed previously, just to illustrate this concept in a more tangible way, when one looks at the current war between Israel and its enemies, most of us can easily understand that the truth is with Israel and the cruelty is with the enemies. However, it's fascinating to point out that most of the world does not believe so. And when you look around at the people that have sided with the enemies of Israel, many of them might be smarter people than you and I. And that being the case, one feels like screaming and saying, how can you not see the truth? If you are such a clever individual in many other ways, why are you making such a terrible mistake in this area? And similarly, when one looks at the Holocaust, many people who followed Hitler, Yemach Shemo and his atrocious policies, in many areas of life they might be smarter than you and I. And again, seeing as that's the case, and we are not dealing with just plain silly individuals who cannot understand anything, but rather many of them smart individuals, how could they make such a grave mistake which seems so apparently obvious to us and it would be such a basic logical conclusion to all of us that Hitler and his policies are completely gravely mistaken and untruthful, whereas again, many of the people, clever people, did not see it that way? And that being the case, even though we might feel like we see things clearly in these areas, we are also people and limited by our human limitations, just like many of those people - clever people, were limited and blinded in many ways. So, what therefore are we to do when we ask ourselves, why exactly do I exist? What is my purpose in the world? How can I make sure that before I leave this world, I have fulfilled the real purpose of why Hashem decided to create me? In order to answer that, let us break down these points in a clear way. And again, even if we've heard this information many times before, try to take this information, to understand it and to apply it, everyone in our own way, to our own lives, and each day more and more, be able to thereby, be able to thereby, be able to thereby, and live according to the values of true emunah.

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421 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-4)

Sep 17, 2025

4:27

We've been discussing perhaps the most important question that we might attempt to answer. Why did Hashem decide to create the world in the first place? Seeing as Hashem is a completely perfect being, completely independent of needing from any external force, as opposed to us human beings who have many needs, physically, emotionally, psychologically and the like, why would Hashem decide to create the world in the first place? And again, answering this question is certainly very beneficial to be able to know exactly what my purpose is in this world. And even if I have heard this information many times previously, as discussed many times, repetition of these principles is of paramount importance, because it's not just about knowing this information, but it's about taking this information and truly internalizing it, and each day living our lives more and more according to their values. We discussed that we need to ascertain what would be the appropriate method to attempt to answer this question. Because if we just try to use our own brains and logic, we are certainly susceptible to making a mistake. Although we might be super well-meaning, but just like very clever people in many areas of life could be so misled by talented orators such as Hitler, or perhaps in today's time, misleading but sometimes very compelling presentation of information on the media can very easily and quickly turn well-meaning and well-educated people to see things from the wrong perspective and thereby reach gravely mistaken conclusions, seeing as Hashem is the only perfect being that exists in our universe, the only way to find an absolute truthful answer to this question of why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place, which seems illogical to us because He doesn't need anything, would be to ask Hashem Himself for the answer to this question. As we've discussed many times, in today's times, Hashem does not reveal Himself to us in an open way. And for the most part, we do not have a phone line where we could literally hear Hashem's voice on the other side telling us answers to these questions. But for our purposes right now, the way Hashem does communicate with us in this world is via the information that He has given us in His Torah. And although there is much information for one interested in studying this subject more extensively, very briefly for our purposes now: many years ago when Hashem decided to give the Torah to the Jewish people, He did so by making a public revelation to three million people. And as opposed to some of the other religions where the claim began from one individual, where the starting point of one's entire trust and reliance is based on the episode or story that was related by that individual, whereas with the Jewish people, there was a public revelation. For one individual who might be talented, it is possible to fabricate a good story that many people might follow. Whereas for three million people to fabricate a story and pass that information down from generation to generation, it is easy to understand how it's an absolutely impossible feat. It is well known that when Hashem made that public revelation, it was there that He handed down two Torah's to Moshe Rabbeinu on behalf of the Jewish people. One is the written Torah, the same text that we have today. And the second is the oral Torah, which was much information told directly by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu. And as we are taught, that information was then passed to the leader of the next generation, and following that, passed down to the leader of the following generation, creating a chain of tradition all the way back from Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, through the leaders of all the generations, and right down through to our day and age today. There is much Torah literature available to be able to investigate this topic further. However, for our purposes here, we are taking it for granted that I believe that the written book of the Torah, as well as much information which was transmitted orally, was given directly from Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, passed down from generation to generation via specific leaders, and is that same written and oral Torah that we have today. And that being the case, we now have an address to go to, to answer our initial question. Why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place, seeing as He doesn't need anything? So let's look into the Torah and discuss, why would Hashem decide to create this world.

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422 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-5)

Sep 18, 2025

4:25

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions. Why would Hashem, a completely perfect being, who is not lacking anything, and certainly does not need anything from us, have decided to create the world in the first place? We've also been discussing that the only way to answer this question with absolute truth, with no risk of making a mistake, is if Hashem Himself gives us the answer. Because when we use our own logic and minds to try to find the solution, we are all susceptible to mistakes. And even though we might be well-meaning, even the smartest person in the world is still limited by their human capacity. And when dealing with such a most fundamental question, any individual who is seriously seeking meaning and finding the purpose of their lives which will ultimately be based on finding the answer to this question, will not suffice with just assuming the answer based on their own logic, which one knows could have mistakes and lead to incorrect conclusions. And as we discussed, we are so privileged to have Hashem's Torah, where Hashem has given us a vast amount of information in both the written Torah as well as the oral Torah which was transmitted down from generation to generation. And therefore all of Torah literature which we have today is ultimately the same word of Hashem, as if I'd be hearing Hashem's voice directly speaking to me, relaying this information. So what does the Torah say? What is Hashem's perspective about this question? Why did you, Hashem, decide to create the world, seeing as you are perfect and you don't need anything else? And as we've discussed many times and again, learning this information for the first time is certainly a huge accomplishment. But even if I've heard this information many times previously, digesting this information and trying to internalize it into my day-to-day life more and more each day is ultimately our objective because again, Emunah is not just about knowing the information but taking the information that we've learnt and trying to internalize that information more and more each day to be able to live our lives according to the true values of Emunah. Sometimes we find some level of Torah controversy within Torah sources with regards to how to answer certain questions. When it comes to this question, however, it is unanimously clear from countless Torah sources that there is only one reason that Hashem decided to create the world in the first place. Again, He did not need it for Himself. Hashem is a perfect being that could very well manage without a world having been created. And as all the Torah sources outline, Hashem had a desire to give and without a recipient being created, there is nobody to give to. So the only reason that Hashem decided to create the entire universe and everything that is encompassed within it is just to be able to give to the recipients that He would create. Now again, one might ask, but why did Hashem have a desire to give? There might be Torah information where one is able to understand this question further, but that is not our focus right now. For our purposes right now, we are told by countless Torah sources that Hashem had a desire to give and the only way for Hashem to be able to give would be if He would create recipients who would have needs and wants. And by Hashem being able to fulfill those needs and wants, He would be fulfilling His desire to give. So again, let's digest this information. Information from Hashem's perspective, the only true perspective. The only reason Hashem, who is a being who does not need anything else except for His own perfect existence, decided to create the world in the first place is because He had a desire to give. Let us try to internalize and take to heart that as we advance on our emunah journey, whatever we might be experiencing and going through, let's make an effort to internalize the truth of what's actually happening. That although at times it might be difficult to reconcile why Hashem is dealing with us in a certain manner, but if we are able to remember and internalize the starting point of why Hashem, who didn't need to create us in the first place, nevertheless decided to go ahead and create this world and everything that is encompassed within it, including you and I, when we follow that thought process, we will quickly realize that everything in the world that Hashem does is ultimately for our best. And by doing so, we will thereby be able to move more and more towards living a truly meaningful life.

535

423 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-6)

Sep 19, 2025

4:03

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions that can exist. Hashem, a perfect being, who doesn't need anything outside of His perfect self, why then would He go ahead and create the world? And as we discussed, the only place we want to look for the answer is the Torah, which is Hashem's true perspective. Because any other perspective is always susceptible to be mistaken. And we discussed how countless Torah sources teach that the only reason Hashem decided to create the world was because He had a desire to give. And without a recipient, there'd be nobody to give to. So this answers the question, why did Hashem decide to create you and I and everything else that is encompassed within our universe? Just because He desired to give to us. Let us remind ourselves again that we are not trying to study information to be able to pass the test and graduate from this information and move to the next subject. As the Torah greats have taught us, the purpose of emunah is not just to learn the information, although that is the starting point, but our life's work is to take that information and to truly internalize it. And via constant repetition of the concepts, b'ezrat Hashem we will be able to take the information more and more each day and apply them to our personal lives. So from Hashem's vantage point, He created the world just because He had a desire to give to each one of us. But then the question that begs to be answered is, most of us experience challenges throughout our lives, and if Hashem decided to create me just because He wants to give to me, why does He sometimes send challenges and bitter experiences my way? Let's discuss how the Torah sources, Hashem's perspective, the only true perspective, answer this question. If Hashem decided to create the world just to give to me, why do I need to suffer at times? And as many, many Torah sources teach, a fundamental belief to Judaism and the Torah is that the world that we live in is certainly not our final destination. But rather the next world, Olam Haba, is where we are destined to receive Hashem's goodness. When Hashem created the world, He did so having in mind that one day we will depart from our lives in this world and make our way to our final destination in the next world, and there truly to bask in Hashem's light in His true goodness for eternity. Although we certainly can't grasp a full understanding of what it means to go to the next world, because that is one of the things that is hidden from the eyes of human beings, however there certainly is very much Torah information about this concept, and again one who would like to investigate this topic further has much Torah literature available about the concept of Olam Haba and what it means to live in the next world, however for our purposes right now, let us just relate an analogy offered by many Torah commentaries to shed just a little bit of an appreciation of what it means to live in Olam Haba. Imagine the largest stadium that you've ever seen. This stadium gets filled up to the top with sand. Every one million years, a little bird comes and takes one grain of sand out from the stadium. Let's try calculate how long it will take for the stadium to be emptied. Of course nobody can work out this number, it is so big. Sometimes when people are asked how long it will take for the stadium to be emptied, people answer "forever". However the truth of the matter is that that is still not considered eternity, because after a certain huge amount of time, the stadium will be emptied. Whereas we are taught from Torah sources that Olam Haba, life in the next world, is literally for eternity. So just to appreciate, when Hashem created us in the first place, His vision is that after our small excursion of a maximum of 120 years in this world, we will thereby make our way to our true final destination in the next world. And there we will bask in His light for eternity.

536

424 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-7)

Sep 21, 2025

4:03

We've been going over one of the most fundamental questions that can exist. Why did Hashem decide to create the world in the first place, when He is a being who is completely perfect and does not have any needs or desires outside of His perfect self? We discussed that the only place that we can find a truly undistorted answer for this question is the Torah, which is ultimately Hashem's perspective Himself. And as many Torah sources teach, the only reason Hashem created the world is to give to us. But the question that then needs clarification is that if Hashem does truly just desire to give to me, why is it that so many people do suffer in this world and don't just experience Hashem's sweet goodness on a constant basis? And as the Torah commentaries taught us, that ultimately Hashem had in mind for us to make our way to the next world after our small excursion in this world. Although 120 years might seem like a long time, but again, in contrast to the analogy that Torah commentaries offer us, imagine the largest stadium that you've ever seen filled up to the top with sand and every million years a bird would go and take out just one grain of sand. The amount of time that it would take to empty out the stadium would be so great that 120 years would not even be like a second in comparison to that amount of time. And again, that is still not eternity, because eternity is literally forever, even longer than it would take to empty that stadium. And Hashem's plan for us was to make our way to a world called Olam Haba, the next world, where we literally live eternally, basking in Hashem's goodness. But then the question that needs to be dealt with is that if Hashem's vision was for me to make my way to the next world and there bask in His light and experience His goodness, why do I need to be in this world at all in the first place where we do undergo many challenges and much suffering? And again, the Torah commentaries, Hashem's perspective, provide the answer to this question. The only reason that Hashem decided to first send us for an excursion in this world was because Hashem wants to give us the ultimate pleasure. And in Hashem's great wisdom, He understands that if we are given the opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves rather than it just being given to us as a present, that pleasure that we will be able to experience again for eternity will be much greater than if it was just given to us for free. Some Torah commentaries illustrate this with the following. If I were to give you a million dollars today, yes, you'd be happy because now you have that money available for whatever you need to do. However, when a person starts their own business and thereafter cuts a deal for a million dollars because of their own efforts, they feel so much more accomplished by having worked and achieved their success. In a similar vein, if I am very hungry and I go get some takeouts from the restaurant, again, that makes me happy because now that food is able to take care of my hunger. But perhaps a person might feel much more fulfilled when I am hungry and I go pull out all the ingredients that I need from my own kitchen and spend a certain amount of time making the food myself. When I sit down to eat that food, I'll appreciate it a lot more because I spent time and energy and effort making this myself. And in a similar vein, although we can't fully grasp Hashem's ways by any means, but the analogy that Torah commentaries do offer us is that although Hashem's vision in creating the world was for the exclusive purpose of giving to us and that experience will ultimately take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, however, the reason that we are here for our excursion in this world is to have the opportunity to earn that reward for ourselves for eternity in the next world. And again, by having the opportunity to choose good and stay away from bad in this world and making our maximum effort to follow the instructions and guidance of Hashem as laid out to us in the Torah and b'ezrat Hashem being successful in that endeavor, we will thereby be able to earn our place in Olam Haba and there bask in Hashem's light and goodness for eternity.

537

425 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-8)

Sep 22, 2025

4:35

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions. Why would Hashem, a perfect being who doesn't need anything outside of His perfect self, create the world in the first place? And we discussed that the only place we want to look is Hashem's perspective, the Torah perspective, which can be the only unmistakable perspective. And many Torah sources teach us that the only objective Hashem had in mind in creating the world was because He wanted to give to us. And without a recipient, obviously, there's nobody to give to. And He therefore created us to be able to receive His goodness. We discussed, however, that there seems to be an apparent contradiction to that by the fact that we all undergo suffering and challenges throughout our lives. And if Hashem created me just because He wants to give to me, why at times do I have to suffer? And we discussed what the Torah sources teach, that Hashem ultimately intended for us to receive His goodness in the next world, in Olam Haba. And the only reason that we were first placed in this world was to give us an opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves because in Hashem's great wisdom, He understood that if we are given the opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves, the level of pleasure that we will experience by doing so will be much greater than if it was just given to us as a free gift. And this really brings us to the final point of this discussion. Seeing as Hashem placed me in this world just to give me the opportunity to earn my eternal place in the next world, what exactly am I supposed to be doing in this world? How exactly do I fulfill my purpose in this world, in the most efficient and ideal manner? And again, although there is much Torah literature about this, and throughout one's life one can certainly learn more and more and digest the concepts more and more. But simply speaking, the Torah commentary is right that the answer to this question can be summed up in one word. Emunah. Let us remind ourselves that if we are studying this information for the first time, it is certainly very beneficial because we can now take this information and move towards the next steps of trying to truly internalize this information. But even if one has been exposed to this information many times previously, let us remind ourselves what the Torah commentaries teach, that our whole purpose in this world is to truly internalize the concepts of emunah, not just to know the information, but more and more each day to internalize the information and live our lives according to their values. And as we hear this information again and again, one has the opportunity to contemplate on the information and try to apply it in a practical way to one's life more and more each time. What exactly does it mean to live a life of emunah? Again, seeing as this is our life's work and main purpose in this world, it can be easy to understand that it's not going to take a three-minute discussion to summarize how to fulfill our purpose in this world. But again, we are not called on to do that. We are just called on to make our maximum effort to try our best to grow more and more each day in internalizing these concepts. One very important and fundamental branch of emunah which many Torah commentaries discuss is the fulfillment of mitzvos. Seeing as Hashem is the Creator of the world and designed the whole pattern of what we are doing here, namely to be in this world to earn our eternal portion in eternity where we are able to experience Hashem's goodness, Hashem is also the one who knows best how we are able to go about earning our best place in Olam Haba. Hashem has given us many mitzvos, things that we are supposed to do and things that we are supposed to stay away from. Some of them are easier to understand and perhaps more logical, whereas many of them we have little or no understanding of. In our journey towards the life of emunah, we are called on to fulfill all of Hashem's mitzvos as best as we can regardless of our understanding. Because again, if Hashem created the world and He is the one in charge of everything that happens, I certainly ought to listen to His instructions based on His perspective. Although certain mitzvos might be more appealing and more logical, but a true life of emunah would dictate that every single one of the mitzvos should be dealt with highest priority including all of the intricate details because if this is what the Torah sources coming from Hashem's perspective dictate for us to do, then I can and should trust that this is certainly what I should do. The more emunah that we have or that we might be aspiring to achieve in our day-to-day growth, the more that will direct us to treat each of the mitzvos and all the intricacies with paramount importance.

538

426 - Emunah Fundamentals (Part-9)

Sep 25, 2025

4:11

We've been discussing the Torah's perspecive, the only true perspective, of exactly what our purpose is in this world. Firstly, why did Hashem create the world in the first place? As the Torah sources teach us - only to give to us. Where ultimatelty do we receive and experience Hashem's goodness? In Olam Haba - in the next world. Why then did Hashem place me in this world? And as discussed, just because He wanted to give us an opportunity to be able to earn our eternal portion for ourselves. And by having the constant opportunity to choose good and stay away for bad in this world, we are thereby able to earn our eternal portion for ourselves. And as many Torah commentaries discuss, if we are to summarise into one world, what exactly our purpose is in this world - how exactly do we earn our eternal portion in the next world? The answer to that is: emunah. We've been discussing what exactly it means to have emunah and how important constant repetition of these concepts, even if one might have heard them many times before, is. Because again, as many Torah sources teach, it's one thing to learn the information. But our main purpose in this world is not just learning the information, but rather truly internalizing that information in how we live our lives. And one of the greatest things we can do in our endeavor to do so, is by constant repetition of these concepts. And the more we grow in our emunah journey, the more we will be able to apply the concepts that we are learning to our own lives, everybody in their own way. As we've been talking about, one expression of emunah that many Torah commentaries discuss is the performance of mitzvos. Because again, if I believe in Hashem, then I will certainly be motivated to follow His laws exactly as He has prescribed whether I understand or not. Because I'm not doing so based on my understanding, but rather because of my belief in Hashem. We've discussed many times, many Torah sources, such as the Zohar HaKadosh, the Vilna Gaon in numerous places, as well as many others, who state that the purpose of all the mitzvos is ultimately for the sake of emunah. In today's day and age, we are so privileged to have so many platforms available to us to learn about all of the mitzvahs. And again, seeing as this is one of the most basic and most potent expressions of emunah, to practice Hashem's mitzvos, one should certainly make their maximum effort to study as much as possible about all of the laws and intricacies of all the mitzvos to be able to practice them in the best way possible. For our purposes right now, we are going to focus on an additional and most potent and core aspect of what it means to live a life of emunah. The Ramban and many others contrast emunah and bitachon and explain that having emunah is like the tree, whereas having bitachon is like the fruit from the tree. It's possible to have emunah without applying the bitachon, whereas it's impossible to have bitachon if one does not have the emunah. So ultimately, one of the main ways we achieve our purpose in this world, which again, is ultimately leading us to our place in Olam Haba for eternity, is by growing more and more in our belief that we have in Hashem. And as we've learned many times, the more emunah that one has, the more calm one might feel throughout all circumstances, knowing that Hashem is in complete control. When there is a potential to feel feelings of anger, the more emunah that one might have, the less feelings of anger I will feel because I will internalize that it is not this other individual who is causing this to happen to me, but rather, Hashem pulling all the strings, causing everything to happen. Because Ein Od Milvado, there is only Hashem in the world, and every single happening that happens in the world is exclusively orchestrated by Hashem. Let us remember what the Rambam writes in the 13 Principles of Faith, that 'vehu lavdo' - Hashem exclusively, without the help of any other individual or circumstance, orchestrates every single detail of our lives. The more we are able to take these concepts to heart, the more we will be able to apply them in a practical way, by exercising our bitachon in Hashem.

539

413 - Adversity Brings Sincerity

Aug 19, 2025

4:34

We've been discussing how one of the most basic expressions of applying and practicing our emunah and bitachon, which is our main purpose and focus in this world, as the Torah commentaries outline to us, is the opportunity of talking to Hashem in our own words. We've been discussing some Torah sources, seeing how throughout the ages, right from the beginning all the way through until today, this was always a fundamental practice of the Torah's perspective, the only true perspective, Hashem's perspective. The objective of studying sources such as these is to encourage and motivate ourselves that we too have the exact same opportunity. Although on the one hand, many of our ancestors were much greater than anything we could even begin to imagine in comparison to our level, and perhaps many of them were able to spend many hours on a daily basis in real close connection throughout their conversations with Hashem, many of us might not be expected to reach such a level of closeness with Hashem, but certainly we are expected and should capitalize on the opportunity to make our maximum effort within our maximum capacity. Every single one of us can talk to Hashem in our own words, both through good times when things are good thanking Hashem for all the amazing things that He blesses us with, as well as in treating Hashem and asking Him to help us throughout the difficult times that we experience. The Gemara in Bava Basra 123a states that the first of the twelve tribes was supposed to be born to Rachel Imeinu. However, because of the extended and sincere prayers of Leah, she was privileged to give birth first. The Gemara explains why Leah was able to pray in such a heartfelt and sincere way: It was common in those times for members of extended families to marry one another. Now in the extended family of Avraham Avinu, there were two sisters and two brothers. Yaakov was the younger child, as was Rachel, whereas Eisav was the older one, as was Leah. Everyone was saying that Leah, the older sister, was therefore destined to marry Esav, the older brother. When Leah learned that Eisav was an evil man, she cried and prayed to Hashem that this destiny of hers not come to fruition. Because of this, she was able to pray so sincerely. When we experience adversity and suffering, much of the time we just can't wait for the next chapter of our life to begin and just want to move out of the space of challenge and suffering. However, when we are able to have the right perspective, it can help us to cope with our challenges in a much better way, as well as capitalize on the opportunity for growth through that ordeal. Adversity is often a vehicle for us to put our full heart and soul into our prayers. Of course we don't ask to experience adversity and suffering, but when it does come, let us capitalize on the opportunity to pray with more sincerity. In a similar vein, in Shemos chapter 2, verse 23, the verse depicts the response of the Jewish people when they were subjected to the atrocious treatment of the Egyptians. And as the verse states, "they cried out to Hashem in prayer and their cries ascended to Hashem." Let us remind ourselves that one of the major obstacles that prevents us from calling out to Hashem, which is really such a basic equation if we believe in Hashem, is the lack of sincerity in our belief that Hashem is really listening. As Rav Pincus points out, it is very difficult to talk to a wall for a long period because you know that the wall is not listening. Whereas when we make our maximum effort to try and internalize more and more each day, that when we talk to Hashem, we are not talking to a wall, then it becomes so much easier to talk to Hashem. And again, one might feel, but it is hard for me to talk to Hashem. Does that mean that I am on a very low level, that talking to Hashem is not for me? God forbid. Let us remind ourselves that even with regards to a wicked person, we are taught that the opportunity for emunah and bitachon is available to every single human being. If our maximum capacity is to say, "Hashem, I want to believe in You, but I actually feel like I am kind of talking to a wall, please can You help me to see how You come through for me in my life, Hashem. Please show me how really it is You who is always orchestrating all the details of my life. And please can You send me some of those moments where I am inspired and motivated because I see how You are coming through for me in my life, and how the prayers that I make are actually making a difference. Thank You, Hashem, for the tremendous opportunity to have a personal relationship with You and be able to talk with You every single day."

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428 - Hisbodedus (Part-1)

Sep 28, 2025

4:55

Once we have internalized that our sole mission and purpose in life is to make maximum efforts to strive to excel in emunah, how are we to practically go about daily living with simple and sincere emunah? Of course, there are many different forms of serving Hashem, such as the performance of mitzvos, Torah study, making effort to improve one's character traits, and the like. All forms of service to Hashem are important and are ultimately based on having emunah in Hashem. We shall now explore one of the most potent forms of applying and living emunah in a practical way, perhaps the strongest course in developing our personal relationship with Hashem. When I talk to a friend, I do so because I know that he will listen. Talking to a wall is dispiriting because it is futile. On the other hand, when I send a message to someone, I communicate as if that person is in front of me, even though he may currently be on the other side of the globe, offline and unresponsive. Why? Because I believe that he will hear my words, even though we are not currently together. If I sincerely believe in the existence of Hashem, talking to him is like leaving a voice message for a friend. Most of us do not experience direct revelations from Hashem. We do not experience His presence in the tangible way that we experience communication with another human being. But if we believe that God permeates the entire world and that He is listening to every word that we utter, we should certainly communicate with Him, at the very least, in the same way that we communicate with another human being. Talking to Hashem in one's own words and thereby developing a personal relationship with Him is often referred to in Torah sources as Hisbodedus. The Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15 writes that the early pious sages would practice Hisbodedus and bond with Hashem in seclusion. He writes that as early a luminary as David HaMelech spoke approvingly about the practice of Hisbodedus and that the prophets Eliyahu and Elisha would spend large amounts of time secluded in the mountains practicing Hisbiodedus with Hashem. To quote the Mesillas Yisharim, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." The Mesillas Yesharim is explaining to us that by isolating ourselves from society and practicing Hisbodedus with Hashem, we clear our mind and heart of mundane matters, thereby creating room for success in our spiritual endeavors. Our lives involve serving Hashem in many ways, expressing our submission to and love for Him. We observe many mitzvos with all their intricacies. We have chesed, we have Torah study. All of these are extremely important. It is fascinating however to note this potent and rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim which highlights the power and effectiveness of Hisbodedus, as he stated, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." We've seen many Torah sources who have highlighted to us that ultimately the fundamental core of the entire Torah and mitzvos and our main focus in this world is to grow in our emunah. And as we've pointed out, there are many levels to what it means to live a life of emunah. We learnt in the Gemara that if we've only got enough food just for today but have no idea what we're going to do about tomorrow, it is possible to reach such a level of emunah that I feel completely calm knowing that Hashem will take care of me. As we've discussed previously, the Mesillas Yesharim and many others point out that life is meant to be a test, to give us the opportunity to pass and succeed in something that there was also a potential to fail. Every day we all experience many tests that Hashem is giving us the opportunity to pass and succeed, thereby earning our highest place in the next world, Bezrat Hashem, and we are called on to place our highest focus on our endeavour to pass the test of emunah and bitachon, where everything around us in this world that we live in seems to dictate the exact opposite of the values of emunah and bitachon that we are taught from the Torah. But again, this is an opportunity that we have, and the more that we choose to invest in our endeavour to grow in our emunah and bitachon, the more of a success story we will be in the true world, in Olam Haba.

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429 - Hisbodedus (Part-2)

Sep 29, 2025

4:09

We've been discussing how although many Torah commentaries point out to us that our sole mission and purpose in our life is to make our maximum effort to grow and excel in our emunah and bitachon, but seeing as emunah means to believe, and what we see in front of us on a day-to-day basis, much of the time presents values exactly the opposite to what the Torah teaches about emunah and bitachon, there are many different paths of how people come to believing in Hashem and by extension to believing in His Torah and the Torah sources as being His word. Some people perhaps were brought up with Torah education. Others might have been motivated by a certain moment of inspiration. Some others might have had the opportunity to explore sources outlining the validity and reason why one should believe that the Torah is an extension of Hashem's word. But taking for granted that one does believe in Hashem and one does believe that all the Torah sources that we have are an extension of Hashem's word Himself; we are taught loud and clear that our ultimate purpose and focus in this world is to make efforts to believe in Hashem. We've discussed that one thing we can do is to constantly expose ourselves to Torah teachings about emunah, which is available to all of us in many forms, regardless of our level, in today's day and age. We've also been talking about that perhaps one of the highest expressions of true belief in Hashem is acknowledging that if He does exist and He listens to everything that I'm saying, it is a simple equation that I should be in constant communication with my Creator. Even if I don't need anything in particular, if I believe Hashem exists and is there, I should be communicating with Him, and certainly if I am currently experiencing some hardship or challenge, my address to find a solution should not be to turn to another individual or circumstance, but rather to Hashem Himself. The more one believes in Hashem, the more one will make an effort to talk to Hashem. The challenge with communication with Hashem, in contrast with communication with another individual, is that when I talk to someone else, usually I hear a response, and therefore that will motivate me to continue talking to them. Whereas as we discussed, when I talk to a wall, it is quite boring, because I don't feel like the wall is listening. But again, if I send somebody a voice message, although I know that they're only going to listen to this message in a few hours' time, and I might not even receive a response, because maybe they'll decide not to respond, or for whatever other reason, nevertheless, when I'm dictating my voice note to them, the reason I will send it is because I believe that they will receive my message, even though I'm not experiencing any communication. And we can compare that type of communication to the way we speak to Hashem. For whatever reason, Hashem does not openly reveal Himself in this world. But if we have emunah, we believe that He is absolutely listening to every single word that we utter. And just like we would send a voice note to someone else who we believe they will receive our message, so too when we speak to Hashem, we believe that He will listen to us. A basic equation of simple emunah - If I believe Hashem exists, if I believe that Hashem is listening to every word that I am saying, certainly I will talk to Him. And seeing as emunah is the challenge, is the test of my life, because as mentioned countless times, this is the main way that we earn our place in the next world, so obviously it's not going to be an easy task. Although we've discussed that exposing ourselves to constant inspiration from Torah sources and the like is certainly conducive to helping us remain in the mindset of constant emunah and bitachon, but perhaps even more powerful than that is to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Hashem to help us to be successful with our emunah.

542

430 - Hisbodedus (Part-3)

Sep 30, 2025

4:26

We've learned countless Torah sources, emphasizing the tremendous focus the Torah places in directing us to make our maximum effort to excel in our emunah and bitachon. And as we've discussed previously, one of the greatest efforts that we can make is to talk to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help, because again if we believe that Hashem exists and listens to every single word that we are saying, we can talk to Him about anything. And just like we can and should talk to Hashem about any and all of the happenings in our lives, because certainly there is no greater address than going to Hashem Himself, the Creator of the world and the One who orchestrates every detail in every single one of our lives, but perhaps one of the most important areas that we ought to make our maximum effort to constantly communicate to Hashem about, is to help us succeed in our emunah endeavor. If we take to heart what we've learned from countless Torah sources, that emunah and bitachon is the most important thing that we ought to focus on in this world, then certainly we should internalize how important it is to treat personal prayer to Hashem, specifically in the area of growing in our emunah and bitachon, with utmost importance. Because just like Hashem created the world, constantly runs every detail in everybody's lives and is ultimately the One who calls every single shot, so too certainly He is the One who can help me in my life to grow in my emunah and bitachon. And as many Torah sources teach, Hashem does not require from us anything more than our maximum potential. How successful we might be on an objective scorecard depends on many factors that are often beyond our capabilities. If Hashem did not make me particularly smart or motivated, or perhaps I didn't have a background in Jewish education, or whatever other reason, I might not be able to objectively be on a higher level than an individual who does have those things. However, Hashem does not care about the objective results. Hashem has tailor-made my life to achieve my maximum potential. In this world, it is me against me. There is no comparison to one another. We all have completely different lives, completely different makeups, with many intricate details that only Hashem knows. Hashem only desires that we make our maximum effort in truly trying to excel and succeed in the areas that are important. And as we've learned by countless Torah authorities, there is nothing more important than emunah and bitachon. Certainly then, we are all called on to make our maximum effort to grow in our emunah and bitachon. Although many Torah authorities outline how talking to Hashem in our own words, which by many is referred to as hisbodedus, is one of the greatest efforts that we can make towards growth in our emunah and bitachon, and b'ezrat Hashem, as we'll continue to discuss, we find many powerful statements throughout Torah literature about the tremendous potency of our personal conversations with Hashem, it is noteworthy to highlight that just like emunah with Hashem has many levels, and our life's work is to grow and climb the ladder of emunah as much as possible, in a similar vein, if one of the most basic expressions of emunah is talking to Hashem because I believe he exists, there are obviously many levels of what it means to talk to Hashem and have a personal relationship with Hashem. We are not expected to climb the ladder in one day, nor necessarily get to the top. But we are expected to make our maximum effort. It is noteworthy to point out that the opportunity to talk to Hashem is available to every single one of us, regardless of our backgrounds or what we've been exposed to. Because just like we all are able to talk to another individual, Hashem has given us this tremendous privilege to be able to talk to Him about anything and everything, including asking Him for help to succeed in our endeavor to grow in our emunah and our bitachon.

543

431 - Hisbodedus (Part-4)

Oct 1, 2025

4:36

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity that every single one of us has available to us at every single moment - to talk to Hashem in our own words. If I believe that Hashem exists and is able to hear any word that I utter, then certainly the more I believe, the more I will reach out. Both when it comes to times of struggle in my life, the true address I will reach out to more than any other address, more than any other human being, or any other effort that I might be required to make, my main effort will be to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help. And when it comes to our life's work, when we realize and internalize how our main focus in this world is to grow in our belief in Hashem, to feel calm when anxiety-provoking situations arise, and all the other many things that a life of true emunah and bitachon leads to, we will certainly make our maximum effort to talk to Hashem as much as possible, to help us to be successful in our endeavor. Although talking to Hashem is a very obvious equation for one who believes in Hashem, however as always, much more important than what our own logic dictates, is what the Torah sources teach us, because that is truly Hashem's perspective, the only unmistakable perspective. We mentioned the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15, who writes that the early pious sages would practice Hisbodedus and bond with Hashem in seclusion; and he writes that David HaMelech spoke approvingly about the practice of Hisbodedus, and that the prophets Eliyahu and Elisha would spend large amounts of time secluded in the mountains practicing Hisbodedus with Hashem. And to quote this very rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim, which highlights the tremendous power and effectiveness of Hisbodedus, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." The Sefer Chareidim in chapter 65, as well as the Shlah HaKadosh in Yoma, Ner Mitzvah 2, both cite the masters of Kabbalah that write, "the effect that Hisbodedus has on the soul is seven times greater than the effect of learning Torah." Now let us just take these words to heart. Every morning we recite a Mishna which states that the value of Torah learning is so profound that it equals that of all the mitzvos put together. Yet the Sefer Chareidim and Shlah HaKadosh teach us over here that the effect of Hisbodedus on the soul is seven times greater than even that of Torah learning. "Hashem, my Father, thank You so much for giving me the tremendous opportunity to know what life is truly all about. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that my ultimate focus in this world needs to be to grow as much as possible in my emunah and bitach and endeavor. And at the same time, thank You, Hashem, for teaching me via your Torah sources the only absolutely true perspective, that one of the greatest endeavors that we could involve ourselves in is to practice Hisbodedus, is to be alone with You and talk to You about anything and everything that we might desire. Thank You, Hashem, for making it so easy that we don't even have to pay any amount of money to be able to have the opportunity to talk to You, and that there's no limitation in what we're allowed to say. We're allowed to talk to You about anything and everything at any moment. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that I am never alone, because whatever I'm experiencing throughout my life, I always have the opportunity to reach out to You, to ask You for help, and there is no greater address to go to. Yes, although in this world sometimes people see it as a weird thing to do, to talk to something you can't see and something that doesn't give you a response, but ultimately that's because this whole world's purpose is to test us in our emunah. I do not see You, Hashem, and it's difficult, because I wish I could hear a response from You. But again, my purpose in this world, as You've taught us loud and clear from countless Torah sources, is to believe in You. And believing in You means that I cannot know that You're there, and I cannot necessarily experience that You're there, but I do believe that You're there. Thank You so much, Hashem, for the constant opportunity to have a personal relationship with You."

544

432 - Hisbodedus (Part-5)

Oct 3, 2025

4:31

We've been discussing one of the greatest opportunities that we have, to constantly converse with Hashem about anything and everything, and of course, it is not easy to keep up the practice on a constant basis, because as Rav Pinkus points out, many people struggle to talk to Hashem because they don't truly believe Hashem is listening to them; whereas the more one builds their emunah, that Hashem is truly there, and every single word that I utter, as the Midrash says, it's as if I'm telling it to Hashem directly in His ear, the more one is motivated by the truth of what is truly going on, that Hashem is listening to every single utterance that I make, the more motivated I will be to prioritize the time that I speak to Hashem about any area of my life. When I need anything, certainly my first address will be to reach out to Hashem, and the discussion we've been focusing on is emunah in general, being our main purpose and focus in this world, is something that does not come easy, and is our life's work. And one of the main efforts that we can make towards growing in our emunah endeavor is to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help. Every single one of us has the opportunity to talk to Hashem in our own words, asking Him to be successful in our emunah, in our bitachon, and in anything else that we see as a priority in our lives. We mentioned that many Torah commentaries refer to personal conversations with Hashem as hisbodedus, which simply means secluding oneself away from other people and other distractions, and talking to Hashem in one's own words. And we mentioned the rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15, where he says "hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." We also spoke about the statement of the Masters of Kabbalah, which are cited by both the Sefer Chareidim in chapter 65, as well as the Shelah Hakadosh, in Yoma, ner Mitzvah, Beis, that "the effect that hisbodedus has on the soul is seven times greater than the effect of learning Torah." This is a very potent statement because there are countless Torah sources that highlight the tremendous value that Torah learning has, and as we recite every morning the first Mishnah in Peah which says that the value of Torah learning equals all of the other mitzvahs put together; yet here we learn that the effect of talking to Hashem is so potent that it has a seven times greater effect than even that of Torah learning. The Chofetz Chaim in Likutei Amarim, chapter 11, writes, "The reason that we do not merit salvation from all the hard times that befall us is that we do not pray and cry out to Hashem enough." He continues, "It is not sufficient to daven Shmoneh Esrei three times a day, rather, several times a day whilst alone, a person must pour out his heart in prayer to Hashem from the depths of his soul. Since one is accustomed to the daily recital of the Shmoneh Esrei, one does not say these prayers with absolute sincerity. On the other hand, when it comes to speaking to Hashem with our own words, in our own way, this type of prayer emanates from the depths of one's soul with true sincerity, and this type of prayer will without question not be denied by Hashem." Much has been written about His bodedness and one's personal relationship with Hashem, and one who'd like to research this topic further will be able to easily do so by the many fantastic sefarim and online resources that are available to us in today's day and age. Ultimately, however, no external resource can give over the precise details of what it means to have a personal relationship with Hashem. Just like one cannot be robotically directed as to what to discuss or when, where and how often to connect with one's spouse or best friend, in the same way, when it comes to our relationship with Hashem, ultimately it is your personal relationship with Hashem. One does not need to be a scholar or have a diploma in order to enter into a relationship. Hisbodedus is a relationship. It's your own personal relationship with Hashem.

545

433 - Hisbodedus (Part-6)

Oct 5, 2025

4:38

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity that every single one of us has to talk to Hashem in our own words on a constant basis. Besides for talking to Hashem in our own words, we all also have the tremendous opportunity to pray the prescribed prayers on a daily basis. We know that the prescribed prayers were authored by the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah through divine inspiration and every single letter that is uttered has tremendous holiness and potency. Everything in this world is about emunah, belief. When I read the prescribed prayers, maybe some days I might feel motivated and inspired for whatever reason, but perhaps much of the time, especially that it's a repetitive exercise that the same words are recited every day, it can become monotonous. We are called on to make every effort to build our belief that every word that we utter of the prescribed prayers that were authored by the Holy Anshei Knesset HaGedolah through divine inspiration, is making a tremendous effect in the spiritual worlds. We should make every effort when we recite brachas throughout the day as well as throughout the prescribed prayers to say the words with meaning, concentration and intention. Although life is busy and everybody is in a rush, the more we believe in the potency and power of these words, the more we will be inspired to say them slowly and with concentration and meaning. After we say the morning brachos in the shacharis prayers, the next section of the davening is the psukei dezimra, which means the verses of song. This whole section is ultimately many songs of praise that we are called on to sing to Hashem and in an ideal world where there was more time, we would spend perhaps many hours just singing and singing these songs to Hashem. Again, just like there are many levels to emunah, there are also many levels to what it means to believe in the words of prayer. Perhaps the highest level would be to spend many hours singing these songs that David HaMelech and others composed towards praising Hashem. But again, we are not expected to be what we can't and to reach levels that are beyond us, but what Hashem does expect from us is to make our maximum effort to grow as much as we can. Perhaps when we say psukei dezimra, we could choose one paragraph which we say with more song and enthusiasm and concentration, and that itself is already a tremendous effort in growth in our belief in the potency of the words of the sages. And in the same vein, when we say bracha throughout the day, perhaps we could choose one bracha that we will say it slightly slower, trying to think about the meaning of the words. We've mentioned before that in the future there will be no more animal offerings, except for one, and the reason for that is because we will have reached such a level in terms of our spirituality that the animal offerings in general will not anymore be needed in order to enhance our service to Hashem. However, the Torah sources teach us that the korban toda, the animal offering of thanks, will always be active even in times of the future, and the reason for that is because it is such a fundamental cornerstone of our essence to express our gratitude to Hashem that even in the times of the future when we will reach such tremendous spiritual heights, we will nevertheless always need that form of service to Hashem. And similarly we are taught that in the times of the future, all songs will cease to exist except for one, and that is the song of thank you, because thanking Hashem is such a tremendous foundation of what it means to be a Jew and to live by the values of the Torah. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to thank Hashem for things that are obvious that we should thank Him for. The gift of eyesight, the ability to hear, the fact that I can walk today, the fact that I might have had some food available to eat today, the fact that I might have family, friends, a job, the fact that I have the opportunity to learn Torah, to be exposed to emunah - to be exposed to the real reason that I exist and be given Hashem's perspective about what my life is truly about, and so many other things that we can all think about in our own personal lives. "Thank you, Hashem, for the gift to be able to praise You and thank You for all the tremendous things that You do for me."

546

434 - Hisbodedus (Part-7)

Oct 6, 2025

4:36

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity we have to communicate with Hashem in both the form of our personal prayers, every single one of us in our own way, with our own words, at our own time, in our own place, as well as the tremendous opportunity we have to recite the prescribed prayers which were authored by the great sages of times of old through divine inspiration, and how each letter is imbued with tremendous holiness beyond anything we could imagine. In both of these forms of communication with Hashem, our job is to build our emunah - our belief. When I talk to Hashem in my own words, He is really listening to every word. And as we pointed out from the Torah sources, the Sefer Chareidim and the Shelah cite the masters of Kabbalah, that when I speak to Hashem in my own words, the potency of that has seven times more effect than even that of Torah learning, and we know the great value of Torah learning, where the Mishnah teaches us that the value of Torah learning equals all of the mitzvos put together, yet, talking to Hashem has more of an effect on the neshama than even that; and at the same time to build our emunah, that when we recite the prescribed blessings throughout the day, to have more intention and meaning, and perhaps recite them slower, to be able to truly focus on what we are saying, and not miss out on the opportunity of tapping into the tremendous power of these prescribed words by the holy sages. We spoke about how in the times of the future, although all of the animal offerings will cease to exist, nevertheless, we are taught that the korban toda - the animal offering of thanks, will always exist, because the prayer of thanks is something so important and fundamental to us, that although we will climb to such spiritual heights in the future not needing the other forms of animal offerings, nevertheless, we will always need the animal offerings of thanks. And in the same vein, we are taught by Torah sources that all songs will cease to exist in the future, because again, we will be beyond what songs can achieve for us, but the one song that will remain is mizmor lesodah, is the song of thanking Hashem, because when we thank Hashem, that is ultimately the highest expression of our emunah, because if we truly believe that Hashem would only do what is best for us, then ultimately we'll just sing to Him and thank Him and praise Him for everything He does for us all day long. Although ideally we are called on to make every effort to say all of the prescribed prayers and blessings with the best intention and meaning that we can, and as we spoke about when it comes to the verses of psukei dezimra, which were initially designed to be songs for Hashem, the ideal course would be to say all of those prayers in form of song, praising and thanking Hashem, however, in particular, when it comes to the paragraph of mizmor lesodah, the Shulchan Aruch in section 51 outlines that we are called on to sing the chapter of mizmor lesodah, which is the song of gratitude, because again, expressing our gratitude to Hashem is such a fundamental principle. There is a fascinating observation of the Maharsha to the Gemara in Brachos 32b, where the Gemara states that since the time of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, prayers are not as readily received by Hashem. However, there seems to be an apparent contradiction from the Gemara elsewhere, where the Gemara in Pesachim 85b states that even were there to be an iron wall separating us from Hashem, our prayers would always make their way up to Hashem. And the Maharsha resolves the contradiction as follows. He says that the first Gemara refers to when we make requests from Hashem. When doing so, yes, sometimes we need to pray again and again and again until our prayer will make the desired effect. Whereas the second Gemara we spoke about, says the Maharsha, is referring to prayers of praise and gratitude. What a tremendous privilege we have to reach out to Hashem about anything and everything, in all forms of prayer, both the prescribed prayers as well as our personal prayers, both in terms of requesting from Hashem as well as prayers of praise and gratitude. Let us capitalize on the opportunity to pray to Hashem in all areas, and perhaps in particular, to make prayers of praise and gratitude to Hashem, which is the highest type of prayer that can exist.

547

435 - Hisbodedus (Part-8)

Oct 9, 2025

4:35

One of the great mitzvos that Hashem has given us the opportunity to take part in is the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. When someone is sick we have a mitzvah to go and visit them. However, what is sometimes not as well known is that the halacha in Yoreh Deah chapter 335 states that just like by all mitzvos we find that there are certain technicalities one needs to follow in order to fulfill the mitzvah in the correct way, in the same way when it comes to the mitzvah of visiting the sick, besides actually going and visiting the sick person and of course asking them if there is anything we could help with which is part of the mitzvah, the halacha also stipulates that one is obligated to pray on behalf of the sick person for their recovery, to the point that the Ramah in the name of the Ramban states the halacha that if one visited a sick person and neglected their obligation to pray on their behalf, one has not fulfilled the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. One might argue, although it might have been the ideal course to follow the halacha perfectly and pray for this individual, but come on I spent many hours visiting the individual trying to help them out, surely I kind of did the mitzvah almost perfectly even if I didn't pray for their recovery? The reason this is a very wrong approach is because firstly as mentioned many times, Hashem is the only one who knows the details of why every mitzvah needs to be done in the precise way that He has designed. And if He has said that these are the specifications of how this mitzvah works, we need to make sure to listen to exactly how He has outlined the law. As we've discussed previously, Torah authorities teach us that although sometimes we might be given some of the reasons as to why we perform the mitzvos, however for the most part the real reasons behind the mitzvahs we have no idea as to their true essence. And therefore, just because to us it might seem like the main component of visiting a sick person is in order to make them feel better and to help them out with anything they might need, however if we might be missing the component of praying on their behalf, we might be missing one of the main, most important parts of the mitzvah; again to the point that the halacha stipulates that if we visit a sick person and one neglects to pray for their welfare, one does not fulfill the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. And another reason this would be a very mistaken approach is because again, everything always boils down to emunah. It is much easier to appreciate when somebody goes ahead to visit a sick individual and takes the time to go and help them out practically, and of course this mitzvah should not be undermined whatsoever because it is a tremendous mitzvah to take of one's time and energy to help another Jew and especially to visit a sick individual and help them out in whatever way one can. However it is much more difficult to relate to the potency of the prayer that I might make for them because again, when I might be visiting them or helping them out in a practical way, I don't need to believe anything. I can see that I'm helping them out and I can see that they feel better by me being there. But thereafter when I go and make a prayer for this individual, I don't see any effect of my prayer and the only thing I have is to believe, to have emunah that my prayer is making a difference. The bottom line is that it is difficult to relate to the effectiveness and the potency that prayer has because in this world we are not allowed to see the effect that prayers have on a situation. However we are taught from the only true perspective that can exist regardless of what our own logic might dictate, which again could of course be mistaken at times, that the power of prayer is so important. Our prayers make a big difference if we would be able to see what the Torah sources teach us that every time we utter a word of prayer we are creating worlds in the spiritual realms to degrees that we can't even imagine, it would be impossible to stop praying but in this world we are not allowed to see because the purpose of our existence is specifically to believe when we don't see; emunah.

548

436 - Hisbodedus (Part-9)

Oct 10, 2025

4:07

We discussed the law which is stated in the shulchan aruch, Yoreh Deah section 335, where we learned that in order to fulfil the mitzvah of visiting a sick person - bikur cholim - according to halacha, one is required to visit the individual, help them out with whatever they need and also pray for their welfare. And the halacha taught us that if one neglects their obligation to pray on behalf of the sick individual, one forfeits the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. We can learn many things from this law. One important point is to internalize that we are always to follow halacha exactly as Hashem dictates, regardless of our own understanding. Because although sometimes logic may dictate to us differently, nevertheless, we ought to humble ourselves that we cannot understand Hashem's calculations and therefore, the wisest thing to do would be just to follow exactly what He told us, whether we understand or we don't. And another important point we learn from this law is the tremendous potency the Torah places on prayer. Although our logic would seem to dictate that fulfilling a mitzvah where you help another individual is of utmost importance, which again, according to the Torah, it is; however, our logic would also dictate that prayer is not as important because we don't see the immediate effect that prayer has. Whereas when you help another individual, such as you visit a sick person and you help them out, you do see the immediate effect. But again, the Torah sources, which is the only true real perspective that we have, teach us otherwise - that even when we don't experience what we think to be meaningful, we are called on to do exactly what Hashem tells us to do. We've also mentioned previously the Gemara in Brachos 12b which states that if one knows of another individual who is experiencing some form of hardship or trouble and one does not daven for that individual, the Gemara says one is called a sinner. And Rav Moshe Feinstein explains further that even if an individual sees themselves as a not particularly righteous individual or perhaps even as a non-observant individual, we are obligated to pray on their behalf because one never knows the heavenly calculations of whose prayers will be accepted and therefore, even if one sees themselves as an unimportant individual, every single one of us is obligated to pray for one another. The Gemara in Bava Kamma 92a states that when we pray on behalf of another individual, and in actual fact we are also in need of the item we are requesting for the other individual, we will actually be answered first. Now, of course, when we pray for another individual, the right motivation should be to pray because we really care about them and as a fringe benefit, the Gemara tells us that we will be answered for what we need. However, it is motivating to know this fact, that ultimately when we care about others, in return, Hashem will care about us and give us what we need. "Thank You, Hashem, for giving us the tremendous opportunity to be able to speak to You, even though we might not have any background in Torah education, and even if we do have a tremendous background in Torah education, thank You for teaching me that this is one of the greatest mitzvos that can exist, and it's available to all of us in an easy form, where we can just open up our heart and talk to You. Hashem, thank You also for giving me the tremendous opportunity to pray on behalf of others, and teaching me the tremendous potency that my prayers can make, that I might just be the only person who can make a real difference in this situation. Sometimes it might be that I'm supposed to make the difference in a practical way, but much of the time, the main difference I will make is by praying to You. Thank You, Hashem, for the gift of tefillah."

549

437 - Hisbodedus (Part-10)

Oct 12, 2025

4:26

As we've discussed many times, the cornerstone and foundation of the whole Torah and of what it means to be a Jew, is emunah. And as many Torah commentaries discuss, that a kind of synonym with emunah and certainly one of the main focuses that a life of emunah should lead to is prayer - tefillah. When it comes to isolated mitzvos, which are all of paramount importance, usually there is a set of laws that outline to us exactly how to perform this particular mitzvah. When it comes to emunah, because it is such a foundation and ultimately everything we are doing boils down to it, there are so many details in what it means to have emunah that in a sense one can continue to learn more and more about it throughout one's life. And in a similar vein, when it comes to tefillah, there's so much Torah literature available about it that again, it is a lifetime's work. The Midrash Rabbah to Parshas Beshalach section 21 states that the angel appointed over the prayers of the Jewish people collects the prayers, makes crowns out of them, and then places them on Hashem's head. Let us appreciate that whenever we talk to Hashem, even about the most mundane matters, we are actually sending Him a gift that makes up the crown that He wears. Each word of prayer that we utter is really the holy of holies and therefore Hashem chooses to wear these prayers on His head constantly. This is one of many tremendously motivating Torah sources that help us to treat prayer with highest priority. The Talmud Yerushalmi in Brochas chapter 9 states that Hashem is close to us and attentive to our prayers. The Gemara goes on to compare the manner in which Hashem hears us to one who speaks into the ear of another individual. Just like the individual hears us loud and clear, so too does Hashem hear every word loud and clear. There are many levels to what it means to have emunah. For many of us who believe that Hashem is there, we believe that He listens when we talk to Him. However, there are many levels to what it means to believe that Hashem is truly listening to me. This passage is teaching us that Hashem listens to every single word we are saying just like you would be whispering into the ear of another individual, to that extent and more because He is not limited by human capacity. Taking Torah passages like this to heart will motivate us to treat our personal prayer with Hashem with maximum importance. The Zohar HaKadosh to Parashat Vayishlach page 169a states that we should make effort to express our prayers to Hashem clearly to the best of our abilities. We should not assume that Hashem understands what we mean without the need for us to express our requests adequately; but rather, we should imagine that we are talking to another individual who needs us to explain all the details of what we are saying. Of course Hashem understands what we are going to say even before we say it, and were we to be in a situation such as having an inability to talk, we certainly could be rest assured that Hashem knows exactly what we mean even without us having expressed ourselves adequately. However, this Torah passage is teaching us that Hashem's desire is that we do make our maximum effort in expressing ourselves in our prayers with all the precise details. "Thank you Hashem for teaching me that when I pray to you it is so important to you that you take those prayers and actually put them on the crown that is on your head. Thank you also Hashem for teaching me that you are listening so closely to everything I have to say as if I am talking directly into your ear. And thank you Hashem also for outlining to me that the right way to pray is to make my maximum effort to adequately express myself even though in truth you don't need me to because you know everything, this is your desire and this is the mitzvah of what it means to pray to you. Thank you Hashem for the gift of tefillah."

550

438 - Hisbodedus (Part-11)

Oct 13, 2025

4:12

The Shulchan Aruch in Ohr Hachaim chapter 287 states that although on a weekday, when one encounters an individual who is unwell, it is a mitzvah to wish them a refuah shleima - a complete recovery, however on Shabbos, under normal circumstances, one is not supposed to wish another individual a refuah shlema. And the reason for that, as explained by the commentaries, is because when somebody is ill and I wish them better, I am also supposed to pray that they have a complete recovery, and sometimes whilst doing so, that might cause me to have sad feelings when I contemplate on the pain and suffering that this individual might be experiencing. And therefore on Shabbos, when we are not supposed to give ourself reason to feel feelings of sadness, instead of wishing somebody a refuah shleima, the halacha outlines that we are to say, "shabbos hi milizok urefuah kerovah lavo" - that I have no need to daven for you, nor wish you a refuah shlema, because Shabbos is so powerful that it will heal you itself. Although in general, we are highly encouraged to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, as we have discussed many times, both with regards to perhaps more spiritual things, as well as with regards to more mundane subjects, although usually there are no limitations as to what we should talk to Hashem about, and Hashem has given us the incredible opportunity to have a green card to be able to reach out to Him about anything and everything at any time, however, the halacha tells us that davening on Shabbos has different halachic parameters than regular weekday prayer. To briefly summarize what emerges from the halacha, which the Shulchan Aruch and other halachic commentaries in Ohr Hachaim chapter 288 state: prayers in the form of praise and gratitude to Hashem are always permitted even on Shabbos, whereas when it comes to the type of prayer that we make in the form of requests, then the halacha outlines to us that there are three categories that are permitted on Shabbos. The first is when we are dealing with spiritual matters. Although asking Hashem for more money, or for recovery from illness, or success in a mundane endeavor that I might be involved in, is problematic on Shabbos under normal circumstances, however, to ask Hashem that He help me in overcoming my anger challenges, or perhaps to ask Hashem to help me to be more diligent in my mitzvah observance, or being more committed to talking to Him on a regular basis, that would be permitted on Shabbos under all circumstances. The halachic commentaries bring that a second category that would be permitted on Shabbos: when a person prays in his mind rather than actually mouthing the words, then say many commentaries that one is actually permitted to pray for anything, both with regards to spiritual endeavors as well as with regards to even mundane things. Although the midrash does teach that in general when praying, one should make an effort to mouth the words of one's prayer rather than just thinking it, however on Shabbos, seeing as one is not supposed to pray for mundane things, the halacha outlines that if one wishes to do so, one is permitted to, as long as they do so only by thinking so, and not praying the words with one's mouth. And the third category is any case where a Jew's life might be at stake; just like we know the halacha permits us to even violate Shabbos under such circumstances, certainly then we are permitted to pray, say tehillim or whatever else for people whose lives might be in danger. We are so privileged to be able to constantly have a personal relationship with Hashem. Although on Shabbos the laws of praying do differ to how we may pray during a regular weekday, nevertheless we are so privileged that at every single moment of our lives we always have a way to have a personal relationship with Hashem and talk to Him.

551

439 - Bitachon (Part-1)

Oct 16, 2025

4:11

We've discussed many times the important question of why Hashem decided to create the world. And as the Torah commentaries teach, step number one, the only reason Hashem decided to create the world in the first place was just because of His desire to give to all of us. And of course, if there's no recipient, there is nobody to give to. And therefore, He created us. And step number two, as the Torah commentaries teach, the ultimate destination where we'll receive our reward in the future, b'ezrat Hashem, is not in this world, but rather in Olam Haba, in the next world. And step number three, that being the case, if so, why did Hashem place us in this world at all? If the only reason You created me is to give me pleasure in Your goodness, and ultimately that takes place in Olam Haba only, in the next world, and not in this world, what am I doing here? Why am I alive in this world? And as the Torah commentaries explain, the only reason that we exist in this world is because Hashem, in His great knowledge and wisdom, understood that the ultimate opportunity for pleasure in the next world will be if we are given the opportunity to earn that pleasure for ourselves, rather than having that pleasure being given to us as a free gift. And the way we earn that pleasure is by having our excursion in this world. And step number four, exactly what is the process of how we earn our place in the next world? We know there are many components to Judaism, including the learning of Torah and performance of many mitzvos and many other practices that we have. However, as we've discussed many times, the Ramban writes in his commentary on the Torah in the final passage of Parashat Bo - the purpose of all the mitzvos, and in fact, the only reason for Hashem creating us is that we come to have emunah in Hashem. We've also mentioned previously many others who follow suit, teaching us that ultimately the purpose of all of the mitzvahs and of the Torah and all of Judaism is to come to have faith in Hashem. And therefore our main focus whilst alive in this world should be to make efforts to grow in our emunah and our bitachon. What exactly is the difference between emunah and bitachon? Usually emunah is translated as faith and bitachon is translated as trust or reliance. Many Torah commentaries explain that emunah can be viewed as the theoretical principle - that Hashem initially created the world and that Hashem is currently actively involved in all the intricate details of every single one of our lives; that there is no other force or power in the world except for Hashem, and the many other things that emunah teaches. Whereas bitachon refers to taking the theoretical principles of emunah and applying them in a practical way by living our lives according to their values. Of course it can be self-understood that both emunah and bitachon are of paramount importance because without knowing the principles of emunah it is impossible to apply them practically and practice bitachon, whereas just learning and internalizing the principles of emunah, although of paramount importance, but of course the ultimate is to apply those principles in a practical way, living our lives according to the values of bitachon. "Hashem, my Father, please will you help us to learn the correct information as well as internalize everything we need to know about both emunah as well as bitachon and please Hashem guide every single one of us in our own way to be able to apply these principles in a practical way and live the most meaningful lives to our maximum potential."

552

440 - Bitachon (Part-2)

Oct 17, 2025

4:03

Our ultimate purpose in this world is to focus on building our emunah. And as we've been discussing, although emunah is the first level that we are required to dive into, we then take the principles of emunah and apply them in a practical way, moving towards bitachon. What exactly does it mean to have bitachon, trust or reliance on Hashem? Emunah teaches us that there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem. Just like if somebody would come and hit you with a stick, it would be the most absurd response to begin fighting against the stick itself, because we all know that a stick is not a power of its own, but rather is an object that has been handled by an individual who is deciding how to use the stick. And in the same way, when we internalize what emunah teaches us, that ein od milvado, there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem, every individual, every circumstance, every happening is ultimately one of Hashem's many puppets, and the values of emunah teach us to internalize that the only power that exists is Hashem Himself. And as we move from emunah to bitachon, we are now called on to exclusively rely on Hashem for all of our needs. Of course at this point, before we've delved into the subject further, many questions will already arise, such as, if Hashem runs everything and does everything, why do I need to even make the slightest of an effort? And B'ezrat Hashem we'll discuss this more as we continue to talk about bitachon. But for now, before anything, just to define bitachon a little bit, bitachon refers to relying on Hashem rather than on other individuals. So of course, everybody needs money to be able to live. If I am not living by the values of bitachon, one might go to work, work hard, and be well-meaning in all areas. However, this individual might think that the only reason they are receiving their sustenance is because they go to work and their boss pays their salary. Now again, we are not now discussing the obligation to make hishtadlus, to make an effort, which we know the Torah commands us to do. But regardless of the obligation of hishtadlus and whatever hishtadlus we might be obligated to make, when one is not living according to the values of bitachon, but rather according to the illusion that their boss is the one who is providing for their needs, that would be a life devoid of Hashem, devoid of emunah, and devoid of bitachon. Whereas, when an individual understands that the only source of their parnassa comes directly and exclusively from Hashem, yes in this case, Hashem is giving the money to the boss to give to me, but I am absolutely clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this boss is just a puppet to the point that I am not afraid of him, that I will not flatter him like sometimes one might be led to do if they have the mistaken illusion of this boss being their provider. As opposed to when one internalizes that Hashem is the only provider, it could be through this boss, it could be through some other means, but I rely exclusively on Hashem. It is easy to understand that seeing as emunah and bitachon should be our ultimate focus whilst alive in this world, it is not going to take one day to become proficient in these topics, but of course all Hashem expects from us is to make an effort to grow in these areas, in our purpose of being alive in this world. Let's explore and learn about together the true perspective, Hashem's perspective, which is portrayed in the Torah, about what it truly means to have bitachon.

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575 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-12)

Apr 13, 2026

3:47

Let's continue this most exciting journey of Bitachon. So we discussed the breakdown of what we're going to be discussing, 15 sections in total. Let's revise briefly what we've mentioned that we're going to be discussing. Part number one, what exactly is Bitachon? Part number two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part number three, how important is Bitachon? Again this is so important just to realize how much focus we should be placing on our Emunah, specifically Bitachon journey. If it is the ultimate point of our lives, of all Torah and all mitzvos, as we're going to see B'ezrat Hashem, then certainly we should place a very high emphasis on our Bitachon journey. Part number four, does Bitachon always work? What does Bitachon mean? We're going to see that there's different types of Bitachon and what's usually understood is that Hashem can come through for me if I have any issue or anything in my life, the starting point is reach out to Hashem. He's the only one that can actually help and he's the one fully in control and he wants to help you. But can one be so confident in their reliance on Hashem that they are sure Hashem will come through for them in the way they desire? Part number five, if that is the case, why must Hashem come through for me? Doesn't Hashem have many considerations? Who says he even owes me this? Why must he come through for me? Part number six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? Even if Bitachon is so powerful that Hashem will come through for us in the exact way we desire, but what exactly is a precondition for this to happen? Part number seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Somebody who commits sins, we might argue that not only does Hashem not owe them things, but Hashem might actually owe them the opposite. As many Torah passages teach, when we commit sins, much of the time Hashem will respond in turn by sending us suffering. And the reason for that is not because Hashem wants to catch us out. Hashem only created this world to give us good. But the reason that Hashem will at times send a person suffering in response to their sins is in order to give them the opportunity to come back to Him, to do teshuva, because when things are just going smoothly in life, we sometimes just smooth sail through our happenings in life and we don't remember to do teshuva. And likewise, many Torah passages teach that one moment of suffering in the next world is much greater than an entire lifetime of constant suffering without interruption. And therefore it could very well be that sometimes Hashem sends a person suffering in order to give them the opportunity to either be cleansed in this world as opposed to the next world, or perhaps to be a springboard to do teshuva and to remember Hashem and to build our relationship. So because of this correlation and relationship between Hashem sending suffering as a consequence of sins, one might be led to think that similarly, one who would like to tap into this most incredible and holy avodah of bitachon will not have that opportunity if he is not yet cleansed from his sins. So yes, this amazing opportunity might be available to the very great and righteous people of our generation, but what does that have to do with me? So as we go into the Torah sources, we will discuss, that one of the basic foundations of bitachon is that although countless Torah passages emphasize the tremendous importance that we are to place on trying our real utmost best to do mitzvos and stay away from aveiros, and there are certainly very real consequences for both the positive and the negative, whilst at the same time the opportunity to have bitachon is completely independent of our actions. We are yet to quote even one Torah source in terms of the journey of bitachon, but at the moment we are just focusing on outlining the concepts to give us a bit of an indication of where we are heading. With the help of Hashem, let's continue our journey in bitachon and as we do so, may Hashem help us to gain more clarity in all of these concepts of bitachon.

554

560 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-9)

Mar 18, 2026

4:04

I can't stop expressing the tremendous excitement I have for sharing this tremendous information about Bitachon. I'm just so excited about the topic because again, it is just the keys to life. We already know from Emunah, a life without Emunah and a life of Emunah are literally completely different worlds. And again, a life with true Bitachon and a life without Bitachon are completely different worlds. And while we can maybe call Emunah level one, we're now moving to B’ezrat Hashem, Emunah level two, which is really the practical application even more so of turning Emunah into Bitachon. So B’ezrat Hashem, let's continue the outline we've been giving to give a bit of an overview and direction of where we're going to be heading and many of the questions that will arise and that B’ezrat Hashem is going to deal with in an organized and structured way in each section dealing with the Torah sources that deal with those questions and thereby B’ezrat Hashem coming out with clarity, not only in terms of daily inspiration, but in terms of gaining clarity and direction about these questions. Of the 15 sections we're going to be discussing, B’ezrat Hashem, we've outlined so far. Question one, what exactly is Bitachon? Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon always work? Is it that Hashem can come through for me, but not necessarily will He come through for me in the way I desire, or can I rely on Hashem to such an extent that I am confident He will come through for me in the way that I desire? Part five, if the latter is true, that I can rely on Hashem for whatever I need and whatever I might desire, why must Hashem come through for me? Who says that's good for me? Who says Hashem owes me that? Who says that's going to happen? Why must Hashem come through for me? And part six, which we left off in the previous session, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? So I'd like to elaborate on this a little bit further because this is one of the most fundamental components of Bitachon. As we're going to explore, one of the highest types of Bitachon is to be able to rely on Hashem to such an extent that I am sure He's going to come through for me in the way that I desire. Now as we're going to learn inside and as we get to those sections, we're not just going to talk theoretically about this concept, but rather we'll learn the actual Torah sources inside. But just for now, to give a bit of a direction, we're going to see that according to many, many, many, many Torah sources, not only can one rely on Hashem to an absolute extent that Hashem will come through for me in the way that I need and in the way that I desire, but it is commendable to do such a thing. Not just commendable, but it is actually what true Bitachon is all about, to rely on Hashem to come through for me for my needs in the way that I need, in the way that I see it, in the way that I desire. But what is most vital to remember and internalize is that a prerequisite and precondition for this type of Bitachon to be effective is to be 100% sincere in one's reliance on Hashem. Now as we've repeatedly mentioned, many of these questions intertwine and one might say, how do I get to such a stage? We'll get there, B'ezrat Hashem. But for now we're just honing in on this point, that this type of Bitachon, where one is so confident that Hashem will come through for them in the way that they need, in the way that they desire, has a prerequisite. Not a prerequisite in terms of one's reward. Any little step that one makes in terms of their efforts to grow in emunah, to grow in bitochen, is immensely rewarded for and has tremendous benefits for eternity and also in this world. But in terms of this form of bitochen, of relying on Hashem, for Hashem to come through for us in the way that we would like, we're going to see that a most important prerequisite to this happening is that one's bitochen needs to be 100% sincere. Let's explore this further as we continue in the next session with B'ezrat Hashem.

555

561 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-10)

Mar 19, 2026

4:57

Let's continue our Bitachon journey. Okay, so we're dividing this up into 15 parts, just in terms of explaining the questions to give us a bit of a direction of where we're going to be heading, not only to gain the daily inspiration about Bitachon, but also to give us clarity and direction. Again, this is a journey. It's not going to take one day, but we're going to get there, B’ezrat Hashem. Before even exploring the Torah sources, as mentioned, I'd like to first go through the questions in an orderly, organized way to give us clarity and direction, B’ezrat Hashem, in our Bitachon journey. So we mentioned part number one, we're going to be discussing what exactly is Bitachon. Part number two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part number three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Is it just another regular mitzvah? Is it a super mitzvah, or is it ultimately the point of all the mitzvos and all of Torah? Part four, does Bitachon always work? Can I be confident Hashem will come through for me in the way I desire and the way I see it? Or is it just that I know Hashem can do anything, but not necessarily will He come through for me in the way I desire? Part five, why must Hashem come through for me. If it's true that I can rely on Hashem to such an extent that He will for sure come through for me in the way that I desire, why does He owe me that, that He must come through for me? Who says there's no other considerations, that maybe He shouldn't come through for me? And again, B’ezrat Hashem will elaborate on these points further as we move forward into the Torah sources of each of these sections. But for now, we're just going through the contents to again, give us clarity and direction and raise some of the questions before we explore the Torah sources. Part number six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? And as we mentioned, this is so important, and one of the reasons that perhaps this is not so widely taught, where one relies on Hashem to such an extent that He will come through for me in the way that I need, in the way that I desire, is because an absolute prerequisite for this to happen is that one's Bitachon has to be 100% sincere, and this is a very high level to achieve. Now, as we'll discuss, it's not even about getting there. It could be that we will get there in certain aspects of our lives, and certain times we may be able to tap into this form of Bitachon and even receive the things that we are relying on Hashem for in the exact way that we desire. But not necessarily is that even the goal. It's just about taking a step forward to the right direction. There are many levels in Judaism, and it's not about getting there, not in one day and not even in 100 years. It's about just taking the steps forward to moving in the right direction. So yes, to get to a level of 100% sincere reliance on Hashem is not an easy endeavor. But at the same time, to aim to get to that level and just to climb higher in our sincere reliance, even just a little bit higher, that is ultimately our goal, just to grow in Bitachon. What does it mean to be sincerely reliant on Hashem? So let's use an example just to illustrate this. Imagine you have an uncle who is so extremely wealthy. He's a billionaire beyond. But not only that, he's a very good-hearted person, and he wants to help people. But not only that, he is particularly fond of you. And he calls you up one day and he says to you, As you know, I am extremely wealthy, and giving out money is very easy for me. And in fact, I like to give out money. But not only that, he says to you, you're the one person that I particularly want to help in any and every area I can. And he says to you, if at any point you need money, please come over to me. Now one time it happens, you need money, you go over to him, and he so willingly and gladly helps you out exactly with what you need. And he says to you, please, if you ever need this again, come over immediately. And it happens again that you need money, and you go over to him, and he helps you graciously with everything that you need. And you do this 10 times, and each time he helps you graciously and tells you to please come back any time you need. It happens one night, you're speaking to a friend, and you're currently in a situation where you need money. Now you know that tomorrow you're going to pick up the phone and you're going to call your uncle. Are you pretty confident that he is going to give you exactly what you need? Or are you feeling doubtful about it? Meaning are you saying to your friend, listen, I'm going to call my uncle, and I think he'll help me, but you know, if he won't, then this is the other avenue that I have. Now although there is some reliance on one's uncle, but that won't be classified as 100% sincere reliance, whereas if one says, after these 10 times that he's helped me, I have no doubt about it that he is going to help me, that can just give us a little bit of an indication of what it would mean to rely on Hashem with 100% sincerity. I have no doubt about it, He'll come through for me. So let's continue to discuss and explore these most fascinating topics about bitachon.

556

562 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Intro)

Mar 22, 2026

0:25

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Before we continue with our Transform Your Bitachon journey, as we approach Pesach — the festival of Emunah, we’re resharing our powerful video series: Transform Your Life! YouTube Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QQSG6TLlv8o&pp=iggCQAE%3D Join Our WhatsApp Group Here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

557

563 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-1)

Mar 23, 2026

2:31

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-1: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUwXV9npxk&pp=iggCQAE%3D Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

558

564 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-2)

Mar 24, 2026

3:50

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj7nzSpkfIE Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

559

565 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-3)

Mar 25, 2026

3:40

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d SBqvhsimQ Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

560

566 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-4)

Mar 26, 2026

3:18

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IPs-6Fgnc8 Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

561

567 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-5)

Mar 29, 2026

2:21

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLSxbM NKWk Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

562

568 - TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE! (Part-6)

Mar 30, 2026

2:10

Why were we created? What is our purpose? Transform Your Life! Part-6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muuxjIvDHUk Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZHQRgDbMFiKnahdwTIySC

563

569 - Pesach (Part-1)

Mar 31, 2026

6:12

We are so privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate Pesach every single year. What exactly are we celebrating? Simply speaking, we're celebrating the fact that we were redeemed from the slavery in Egypt. It is worthwhile learning about what the Jewish people went through and experienced to appreciate what we're celebrating. It's important to highlight that our slavery in Egypt is not a fairy tale that didn't really transpire, God forbid. Just like we can relate to the Holocaust and similar atrocities throughout history, in the same way our enslavement in Egypt was something real that was experienced on a very real level by the Jewish people. To just give one example of one of the atrocious things amongst many others: We know that the Jewish people were tricked into working for Pharaoh and they were given a certain quota of what they had to complete on a given day. If they had to collect material in order to make bricks to build a wall and they were short just of one brick of their expected quota, which was almost impossible - it was so much, they were forced to bring their own little cute precious child and stuff the child into the wall, thereby killing them, thereafter applying cement on top of the child. So painful even to say such a thing, but it's so important to digest what the people went through, and this is just one of many, many tremendous atrocities that the Egyptians imposed on the Jewish people. So, on Pesach, we are celebrating that we came out of Egypt. What a tremendous celebration. “Thank you, Hashem, for taking us out of Mitzrayim.” But many of us would ask, “why Hashem did you put us there in the first place? Why did you cause us to suffer all those years? Why did Hashem put us in Egypt in the first place?” And the answer to this question is because Hashem wants to have a personal relationship with every single one of us. Let's explain this a little bit further. The Torah records that during the first few days after the creation of the wrodl, the snake sinned, and part of his punishment was, “your food snake will be the dust of the earth.” And the question that the commentaries ask is, what type of punishment is this? One of the biggest struggles that we all have to deal with throughout our lives is our parnassah - our sustenance. We have to be able to put food on the table. And here, Hashem says to the snake, “your food will be dust”, meaning to say, wherever you go in the world, there's always dust around. So, you, Mr. Snake, you will never ever lack parnassah. The snake is never ever short of food. So where was the curse that Hashem gave to the snake? And the answer is, Hashem was saying to the snake, “I hate you so much that I never want you to talk to me again. I don't want anything to do with you.” So much so that if you one day would lack food, I know that you will reach out to me and say, “Hashem, I'm hungry. Please help me”, In the snake's own language. Hashem didn't want the snake to talk to him anymore because Hashem is not interested in a personal relationship with the snake, which represents something so evil and disgusting. Therefore, Hashem says, “you, Mr. Snake, you will have your food wherever you go.” When it comes to the Jewish people, however, Hashem says, “you, my children, I want to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with every single one of you.” And in order to do that, very often He sends us challenges and very often He saves us from those challenges. One who is building their emunah and has their eyes open to bring Hashem into the picture uses both the challenges as well as the salvation from the challenges to build their relationship with Hashem - to build their love for Hashem. “Yes, Hashem, you are the one who put us into Egypt, into the Egyptian slavery in the first place so that eventually you could redeem us with the most phenomenal miracles that showed us how you were there all along. And it was you who placed us in there in the first place. And just like you are the one who redeemed us in the most unnatural, miraculous way, so too you are the one who placed us there in the first place because Hashem wants that personal relationship with every single one of us.” This is the message of Pesach. Hashem is interested in having a personal relationship with every single one of us. And that's why He put us into the Egyptian slavery in the first place and eventually redeemed us from that slavery. So, what we are celebrating on Pesach is that Hashem wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us.

564

570 - Pesach (Part-2)

Apr 1, 2026

5:10

We've discussed that the message of Pesach is that we are celebrating the fact that Hashem took us out of Egypt. We discussed how we ought to learn about the tremendous atrocities that the Jewish people experienced to help us appreciate what it means to come out of the Egyptian slavery and how we ought to celebrate to the highest degree. We also discussed why is it that Hashem put us into the Egyptian slavery in the first place. And as we spoke about, the answer to that is because Hashem cares about every single one of us. Hashem wants to have a personal relationship with every single one of us. And in order to do that, Hashem requires us to need Him. The snake, the epitome of what symbolizes evil in the world, Hashem says to the snake, “you, I don't want anything to do with, and therefore your food will be dust. Wherever you go, you will have food to eat.” But when it comes to us, on the other hand, Hashem says, “you, my children, much of the time, maybe you won't have food. Not because I don't love you, but because I love you more. I want you to reach out to me. I don't want you to be like the snake who doesn't need me and never needs to have anything to do with me.” So, on Pesach, we celebrate two things. Number one, that Hashem put us into the Egyptian slavery in the first place, and that we have that close, intimate relationship that He wants to have with every single one of us. Otherwise, He wouldn't cause us to suffer. And we also celebrate the salvation that Hashem sent us to redeem us from Egypt. This principle applies not only to our enslavement in Egypt, and the redemption and salvation that we received from our slavery. It applies to any form of suffering that we experience. If we were given the option of paving the course to how our lives will play out, many of us would opt for a life free of suffering. However, Hashem knows better. If we were to have everything that we needed, we would have no reason to reach out to Hashem. We would not have the drive to build a personal relationship with Hashem. This is one of the main reasons that Hashem sends every single one of us challenges, as explained by many Torah commentaries. We know that matzah is called by the Zohar “nehama dimeheimenusa” - which means the bread of emunah. Throughout the year, we're trying to build our emunah - to make efforts to grow in our belief in Hashem, because that is ultimately the only reason we exist. As discussed, numerous times, the only reason Hashem created the world is to give to us, which takes place ultimately in Olam Haba. And the main way to earn Olam Haba in this world is building our emunah and bitachon. Throughout the year, we're making efforts to grow in our emunah and bitachon. But so much of the time, it's difficult. And of course, it's meant to be difficult, because this is the main reason that we're alive. This is our purpose. So of course, it can't be simple and easy. When we have an opportunity such as Pesach, where the time period lends itself to a boost in emunah, to the point that the main food of Pesach, matzah, is called the bread of emunah - if we believe in Hashem and His Torah and His mitzvos, every single bite of matzah is another boost in our emunah. Everything we're doing towards Pesach is going to boost our belief in Hashem. Let us all take the opportunity of Pesach to boost our emunah, that everything Hashem does is always for the best.

565

571 - Chol Hamoed (Part-1)

Apr 5, 2026

5:31

Let us not forget that the only reason Hashem created us is in order to share His goodness with us. We will ultimately experience that goodness in the next world, and the way to earn that goodness in the next world is by the things we do in this world. We've discussed that the most potent thing we can focus on in this world, as discussed by the Torah commentaries, is to build our emunah and bitachon. One very potent way of expressing our belief in Hashem, our emunah and bitachon in Hashem, is by following His mitzvos. When we follow Hashem's mitzvos, we're showing that we believe that He exists. We are thereby expressing our emunah, our belief in Hashem, that Hashem exists and Hashem is the one who commanded us to do these things, and that being the case, we will do so. And in the same way, the details, and sometimes very intricate details, that are involved in the performance of each of the mitzvos - if that is the way the Torah authorities have prescribed the mitzvos to be followed, that is ultimately the way Hashem wants us to fulfill the mitzvos, and the more we believe in Him, the more we will be careful to fulfill the mitzvos exactly as Hashem has prescribed us to do in all the intricate details. We have right now the most incredible opportunity to be celebrating the days of Chol HaMoed. All of the mitzvos are important, and as the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos teaches, one can never know which mitzvah is bigger than another. And therefore, we are to treat all the mitzvos with tremendous importance and do our best to fulfill them all in all the intricate details, thereby expressing our belief - our emunah in Hashem. Although all the mitzvos are of paramount importance, one sometimes gets a feeling of a certain importance that Hashem shines upon certain mitzvot. Let's explore the mitzvah of Chol HaMoed to try and appreciate the tremendous opportunity we have during these days. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos says that one who disgraces the festivals, even if he possesses the merit of Torah and good deeds, he does not receive a portion in the world to come. The commentaries explain that this Mishnah refers to somebody who disgraces the days of Chol HaMoed by doing one of two things: either by doing forbidden forms of work during these days, or alternatively, by eating and drinking as if it's a regular weekday as opposed to a more lavish, respectable meal similar to Shabbos and Yom Tov. These are very strong words. All of the mitzvos are important, but when the Torah is teaching us that somebody who does not treat Chol HaMoed in the right way, they forfeit their portion in the next world, that gives us an indication that the days of Chol HaMoed are extremely important in Hashem's eyes. We will explore, b'zrat Hashem, perhaps some of the reasons why these days may be so important. But again, the bottom line is, if Hashem says that these days are important to the point that if we don't treat them in the right way, we could, God forbid, forfeit our portion in Olam HaBa, if we believe in Hashem, we take those words seriously and make our maximum effort to treat Chol HaMoed in the right way. So based on this Mishnah, step number one is to do our best to learn about the laws of Chol HaMoed and to try to follow them as best as we can. And secondly, to make an effort to eat and drink during these days in a similar way to how we do on Shabbos and Yom Tov, to show that we are celebrating the days of Chol HaMoed together with Hashem.

566

572 - Chol Hamoed (Part-2)

Apr 6, 2026

5:53

We've discussed how following Hashem's mitzvos in this world is one of the potent ways we earn our share in the next world. We also have discussed that one who believes in Hashem and His mitzvos truthfully, will make the maximum effort to perform the mitzvos with their intricate details exactly as Hashem has prescribed, because if this is what He says to do, this is what we ought to do. We have this tremendous opportunity during Chol Moed to fulfill the mitzvos as Hashem has prescribed. We discussed the Mishnah which mentions that one who does not honour Chol Moed in the right way, they forfeit their portion in the next world. And as the Torah commentaries explained, that refers to one who does forbidden forms of work during Chol Moed, or alternatively, one who does not eat and drink in a similar way to how one would honour Shabbos and Yom Tov with Shabbos and Yom Tov meals. Now again, one may say, “well I haven't yet learnt all of the laws of Chol Moed, so does that mean I don't have a portion in the next world?” God forbid! Hashem does not expect us to do anything beyond our maximum capacity. If we have not yet had the opportunity to learn the laws of Chol Moed, or even if we have, but we make a mistake, remember, Hashem created us only to give to us, He is not there to catch us out. Our job is to make our maximum effort to do our best in learning the laws of Chol Moed, and do our best in fulfilling the mitzvos, doing what we are supposed to do, and not doing what we are not supposed to do. But, if we try our best and still get it wrong, either because we made a mistake, or because we haven't yet had the opportunity to learn all of the intricate details, Hashem sees our efforts, and that's what will count. In terms of the mitzvah of Chol Moed itself, the Gemara says further that one who disgraces the festivals is comparable to an idol-worshipper, and again, the commentaries explain that this refers to one who performs forbidden forms of work during the days of Chol Moed. They're comparable to an idol-worshipper. Why? What is so bad? I still believe in Hashem, I'm performing many other mitzvos, I'm just maybe not treating Chol Moed as I am supposed to. Why is the Mishna and the Gemara, which is Hashem's voice, seemingly being so strict with us if we don't treat Chol Moed in the right way, to tell us that we may forfeit our portion in the next world, as well as being compared to an idol-worshipper? These are very strong words! And the answer to this question, why the consequences of Chol Moed are so strict, is as the Gemara tells us, that the reason for the days of Chol Moed, ultimately, are to give us the opportunity to celebrate the festival together with Hashem, by having festive meals, by not doing forbidden forms of labor, thereby giving us an opportunity to have more time, to learn Torah, to connect with Hashem, to have more time in our personal relationship with Hashem. As the Maharal explains, if Hashem's whole intention in giving us the days of Chol Moed is in order to give us an opportunity to forge a close relationship with Him, if God forbid somebody is to ignore this precious time and become busy with other things, instead of focusing on building their relationship with Hashem, that is similar to slapping Hashem in the face and saying, “You're not my God, I don't want a personal relationship with you.” And that is why the Gemara is so strict and says that if one disgraces the days of Chol Moed, they are comparable to an idol worshipper, and the Mishnah teaches us that if one disgraces the days of Chol Moed, not according to its due honor, they forfeit their portion in the world to come. May we all capitalize on the opportunity of these tremendous days to build a closer relationship with Hashem, by having festive meals, by using the extra time that we have to learn Torah, to build our personal relationship with Hashem, by talking to Him, perhaps with the extra time that we have, more than usual. May we all merit a Chag Kasher Sameach.

567

573 - Chol Hamoed (Part-3)

Apr 7, 2026

4:49

The Gemara tells us that just like the initial redemption from Egypt took place in the month of Nissan, so too the redemption of the future, the coming of Mashiach, will also take place during the month of Nissan. Out of all the tremendous miracles that took place through our exodus from Egypt, in a sense the climax was the splitting of the sea when we were surrounded by the Egyptians from behind and the sea in front of us, and Hashem miraculously split the sea and allowed us to pass through it. We know that the splitting of the sea took place on the seventh day of Pesach, so in a sense the seventh day of Pesach is the climax of the redemption from the Egyptian slavery. The Gemara tells us that one day when we are to pass on to the next world, one of the very first things that happens in the heavenly bastion is they ask us the question, “did you hope for Mashiach?” This is such an important question that it's right at the top of the list of questions that we are asked. We can obviously understand the importance that Hashem places on our wanting and hoping for the arrival of Mashiach. Now one may say, “look my life is actually okay, I don't necessarily need Mashiach.” Whether one feels that way or not, we have a mitzvah to want, pray and hope for the coming of Mashiach, and we can see that this is extremely important in Hashem's eyes to the point that this is one of the very first questions that we are asked when we arrive in Shamayim. It is famously told about the Chofetz Chaim that he would constantly have a bag ready and packed under his bed for the arrival of Mashiach because he so eagerly awaited Mashiach's arrival that it was something real to the point that he had to be ready to go with his things packed in his bag because the Chofetz Chaim was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mashiach at any given moment. Now although we can understand in our heads that hoping and wanting and praying for Mashiach to come is something extremely important, many of us may not feel that eagerness for the coming of Mashiach and that doesn't make us bad in any way, God forbid. In a sense it's very hard to relate to what it's going to be like when Mashiach comes. Although we are taught in Torah sources many things about the coming of Mashiach and many Torah commentaries do offer insight into the Messianic era, nevertheless ultimately we don't know exactly how it's going to be because it's meant to be something hidden and that being the case it makes it more difficult for us to relate to as something so real because it's hidden from us. But nevertheless, as always, even if a mitzvah is difficult or for that matter if anything is difficult in our lives there is always one solution that is the solution to all problems. We can talk to Hashem, we can say, “Hashem you have commanded me to want Mashiach whether I can relate to it or whether I don't relate to it. Master of the universe, please help me to really want and hope for and pray for the coming of Mashiach.” Be'ezrat Hashem on this holy seventh day of Pesach which is ultimately the climax of our redemption from Egypt when we came to the splitting of the sea, may we all merit the ultimate redemption, the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days.

568

574 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-11)

Apr 12, 2026

4:16

Let us continue this most fascinating journey about Bitachon. In the introduction that we've been giving to Bitachon, we've broken up the questions into numerous parts, and again, I'm just making it clear, we have not yet discussed the Torah sources and intricate details of all these questions, but just to get a bit of clarity and direction, it is helpful to go through the questions and explore them briefly just so that we can gain a little bit of clarity before we delve into the Torah sources. So let's revise what we've discussed so far. Part number one, what is Bitachon? Part number two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part number three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Is it just an additional mitzvah, a super mitzvah, or is it the foundation of Torah and mitzvos? Part number four, does Bitachon always work for me in the way that I desire, or is it just that Hashem can come through for me, but not necessarily will He in the way that I desire? Part number five, why must Hashem come through for me in the way I desire? And as we discussed, there are many reasons why maybe it won't be good for us if Hashem comes through for us in the way that we desire. And that being the case, this type of Bitachon where one can rely on Hashem to such an extent that Hashem will come through for me, why must He come through for me? Part number six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? And as discussed, although there is infinite reward for any level of Bitachon that one achieves, even a small step forward, even if I only have 1% of reliance on Hashem, that is a tremendous achievement and in fact, the core of the entire Torah as we'll learn. But in order for this type of Bitachon that we're going to explore, where Hashem will for sure come through for me in the way that I need, in the way that I desire, in order for that to work, then one needs to be 100% sincerely reliant on Hashem. We now move to part seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Somebody who performs sins, can he apply Bitachon? The argument might be, Hashem coming through for me in the way that I need, Hashem sending me my desire in exactly the way that I view it - Okay, I can understand if somebody is a big tzaddik and performing Hashem's will exactly as He prescribes and doing everything right, then I can understand why Hashem would come through for them because they're such a devoted servant and child to Hashem, obviously Hashem is going to pay them back, but what does that have to do with me? I'm somebody who not only every second day but every day commits numerous sins, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes intentionally, and what therefore do I have to do with Bitachon? So does that mean that I can only have the opportunity to tap into Bitachon once I cleanse myself from sins or can I even have the opportunity today to tap into Bitachon? Meaning to say we all understand the tremendous importance that countless Torah passages place on doing our best in this world to do as many mitzvos as we can and to stay away from aveiros and there's no question that regardless of the discussion about Bitachon, there are very definitely very concrete consequences, both for the positive as well as for the negative in terms of our actions, both in this world as well as most importantly in the next world. But is Bitachon an independent factor, completely independent of our actions, meaning to say certainly if somebody committed sins in the past and has not yet done Teshuva, again if somebody has already done Teshuva, then as the Gemara teaches, they don't actually have sins anymore. But we're speaking about somebody who has done sins, does that mean that because this person's slate is not clean, they cannot have the opportunity to have absolute reliance on Hashem? And even more so, let's ask, if somebody is currently committing a sin, does that mean that okay, when I get clean, then I'll be able to rely on Hashem, but right now while I'm performing a sin, certainly it would seem that I do not have the opportunity to rely on Hashem. So let's discuss this further because again, many of these topics are counterintuitive like many topics in Torah and we do not use our own rationalism and reasoning to try answer these questions because as well-meaning as we might be, we certainly could be wrong. So let's b’ezrat Hashem continue to explore and eventually work our way to discussing the Torah sources themselves and gaining more clarity in our Bitachon.

569

559 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-8)

Mar 17, 2026

4:13

I'm so excited to continue our Bitachon journey. So let's revise. We divided the sections into 15 parts. So far we discussed, in terms of the headlines of the sections we're going to be discussing, Bezrat Hashem. Part one, what is Bitachon exactly? Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon always work? Is the correct perspective that Hashem can do anything but not necessarily will He do it in the way that I need and desire? Or is the correct perspective that I can have reliance on Hashem to come through for me in the way that I need and the way I desire? Part five, if the latter is the case, that I can rely on Hashem to the extent that I need and I desire, why must Hashem come through for me? Hashem has many reasons and considerations why it might not be good for me if He comes through for me in the way that I desire. And therefore, why must He come through for me? Let's move on now to discuss part number six. Does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? Now this is so important to elaborate a little bit on what this means. As I'm sure you self-understood from the way I've presented the questions, we're going to see that there is a type of Bitachon that one can be so confident in Hashem that one will for sure receive exactly what they desire. This is honestly one of the greatest and most exciting keys to our life. And after I had the opportunity to learn this topic, I wondered to myself and also had the privilege to discuss it with some great Torah authorities, what is the reason that this type of Bitachon, which is such a powerful weapon that we have available, why have I never heard of this concept before in all the many Torah lectures that I've explored over the years? Why have I not come across this topic? Again, if it was just like a side topic for someone who's very learned, who's exploring intricate topics beyond the scope of what usually people explore, then I'd understand. But if, as we're going to learn, it is the most basic foundation to all of Torah and to all of mitzvos, and we're going to see how not only is this a possible type of Bitachon that we are allowed to tap into, but it's actually one of the higher levels of Bitachon that we should aspire to arrive at, B’ezrat Hashem. But one of the reasons one doesn't usually come across this topic, and rightly so, is because if this prerequisite and precondition is not met, then of course one's absolute reliance on Hashem is not going to work. So let's clarify what we're trying to say. If somebody is looking for a marriage partner and has Bitachon to Hashem, and again we need to define exactly what does it mean to have Bitachon in Hashem, but let's assume somebody reaches out to Hashem and reaches a space of full reliance on Hashem that they're going to find their marriage partner in the near future. As we're going to learn, there has to be such a sincere reliance on Hashem that one has absolutely no doubt that Hashem will come through for them. Now again, many questions are going to arise as we learn these topics because so many of them are intertwined. One might ask, if I am so reliant on Hashem, why should I do any Hishtadlus? Why should I make any of my own efforts to make anything happen? Because if I know Hashem is going to take care of it, then why should I make any of my own efforts? And if I am making any of my own efforts, does that mean that I don't have true, sincere reliance? Again, B’ezrat Hashem, we're going to get to this section of Hishtadlus as we proceed to discuss these topics. And another question that will arise is, okay that's very nice. If one has such sincere reliance on Hashem that they're 100% sure Hashem will come through for them, then Hashem will come through for them in exactly the way they desire. But as we're going to see, that's quite a high level. So does that mean that bitachon is only for the elite? Because I don't even know if I can ever get to such a level. And again, as we're going to discuss in the coming sections, what is the true reward for bitachon? Is it just receiving what I'd like? Or even if I'm not able to have the full sincerity in bitachon, do I reap tremendous benefits in both the spiritual worlds as well as this physical world? B’ezrat Hashem, let's continue to explore these topics and transform our bitachon.

570

576 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-13)

Apr 14, 2026

4:31

I hope you're getting as excited as I am with regards to Bitachon. I know we are yet to discuss Torah sources inside and gain more clarity on the issues, but hopefully just from seeing the questions, you're getting a bit of an indication of the direction we're going to be taking. Let's revise what we've discussed so far in terms of the 15-part outline of the contents we're going to be discussing. Part one we're going to be dealing with is the Torah sources on the question of what is Bitachon. Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon always work? Part five, why must Hashem come through for me in the way I desire? And as we discussed, there's a lot to this question and we'll see more in the Torah sources inside B’ezrat Hashem. Part six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite in order to be effective? Again, as discussed and as we will discuss B’ezrat Hashem, there are different types of Bitachon, but one of the types of Bitachon which we're going to be elaborating on is a confident type of Bitachon where Hashem will for sure come through for me in the way that I desire. But what is the prerequisite in order for that to happen? Part seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Is the opportunity to have Bitachon dependent on our deeds? So a person who's doing well spiritually, it can be argued that maybe they can tap into these amazing opportunities of Bitachon to rely on Hashem for the things that they need in such a confident way that Hashem will come through for them. It would seem that Hashem certainly would want to take care of those that do His will, but those that do not, maybe Bitachon is not available to a sinner. Now regardless of our conclusion, in terms of Bitachon, nobody's advocating to do Aveiros because it's very clear, independent of the discussion of Bitachon, that there are very severe consequences in the next world, and even in this world for our transgressions, and on the positive side for our mitzvos, to the point that many Torah commentaries teach that one moment of suffering in the next world is way worse than 120 years of constant suffering of the worst form that you can imagine in this world. And likewise, on the positive side, in the next world, of the reward we have the potential to earn for ourselves, experiencing one moment of that is way greater than 120 years of the greatest pleasure we can imagine in this world. So it's super important to emphasize that regardless of our discussion about Bitachon, there's no question there are very real and severe consequences for our actions in this world. However, in terms of the opportunity of Bitachon, sometimes a person might get led down the path that teaches, don't even think about Bitachon until you correct yourself. Whereas we're going to learn what Torah sources teach about this question. Can a sinner apply Bitachon? Let's move now to part eight. Why were tzaddikim not always saved by their Bitachon? So let's elaborate on this a little bit. If it's so that Torah sources will teach that one can have such confident Bitachon that Hashem will come through for me for anything and everything that I might need and desire for those who rely on Him sincerely with an absolute 100% guarantee, without exceptions and without failure, that Hashem has built it within the nature of the way the world works, that if somebody does practice this absolute confident type of Bitachon with full sincerity, then without a doubt and without exception, Hashem comes through for them. And that being the case, that leads me to think, were there not many very great tzaddikim – way greater than me in terms of their righteousness, in terms of their Torah knowledge, and how come seemingly and apparently bad things happened to them? We know of many great tzaddikim throughout the generations, earlier generations and contemporary generations, who suffered tremendously in terms of health, in terms of finances and in many other areas. But if we are going to learn that one has an opportunity to rely on Hashem to such a confident extent, that they will for sure receive what they desire, without exception, if their reliance on Hashem is 100% sincere, and if we're also going to learn that not only can one do this, but this is actually commendable and a huge mitzvah to aim to rely on Hashem to this extent. So if that is the case, why is it that many tzaddikim seemingly did not make use of this type of bitachon? Let's explore this further together and b'ezrat Hashem transform our bitachon.

571

577 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-14)

Apr 15, 2026

4:04

I hope you're beginning to get excited about this incredible topic of Bitachon. We've been discussing a bit of an introduction to the topics we're going to be discussing to get a bit of an indication of where we'll be heading. I'm sure you're beginning to realize that Bitachon is one of the most important foundations of the entire Torah and all the mitzvos that we have. In fact, the foundation of the entire Torah and mitzvos as we'll see in many Torah sources. And that being the case, it's obviously easy to understand that it's not going to be a journey of one day to master this topic. It's going to be our life's work. But our journey right now, B’ezrat Hashem - with the help of Hashem, is to do our best to clarify this topic in an organized way so that hopefully, with Hashem's help, we can come out with more clarity. And once we do so, then we can have the confidence to apply Bitachon in a practical way and be confident about what we are doing. The reason that I continuously repeat what we've discussed previously is because it's one thing just to hear the information, but it's something else to truly digest it. And in our fast-paced world, it's very easy to forget the information that we've learned. So revision is of paramount importance. So let's revise what we've said so far. The Torah sources that we're going to discuss in an orderly, section-by-section way, B’ezrat Hashem, relate to the following questions. In part one, we will discuss what is Bitachon. Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon always work? That means to say, are there any exceptions? Or if I practice this type of Bitachon - confident Bitachon in Hashem, will it for sure work beyond a shadow of a doubt, without any caveats whatsoever? Part five, if I can rely on Hashem with confident Bitachon for the things I desire and I need, why must Hashem come through for me? Part six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? A few moments ago, we just alluded to the fact that this type of confident Bitachon has no exceptions, as long as one fulfills the prerequisite for this type of Bitachon to be effective. Because again, if one has not fulfilled the prerequisite for this Bitachon to be effective, then it will not be effective in the way that I desire. Although as mentioned, one will certainly get rewarded immensely for any step one takes forward in Bitachon, both in this world and in the next world, but in terms of the Bitachon working without a shadow of a doubt in the way that I desire, although as we will learn, there are no exceptions to that if one does practice Bitachon with absolute sincerity, however, the precondition is that that Bitachon in Hashem has to be with absolute sincerity. In part seven, we will discuss, B'ezrat Hashem, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Is the opportunity of Bitachon only for the super righteous? Or even somebody who is tainted by sin, not only from previous sins, but even current sin, can that individual apply Bitachon? And part number eight is that as we're going to learn in many Torah sources, if Bitachon is such a powerful absolute that has no exceptions, that if one is sincerely reliant on Hashem, Hashem will for sure come through for them in the way they desire, so many of the tzaddikim who experienced difficult times, be it financially, with their health, relationships and family, or many other things, why did they not get saved by their Bitachon? Surely they knew about Bitachon. And if that is the case, and Bitachon always works, why did they not get saved by their Bittachon? I hope that B'ezrat Hashem, as we discuss these questions, more and more questions will come across your minds to help open up this most fascinating and incredible discussion about Bitachon, and B'ezrat Hashem, as we break down each of these sections part by part and discuss the Torah sources, with Hashem's help, we'll come to more clarity and see Hashem's true perspective of what the undistorted truth of the Torah is about Bitachon.

572

578 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-15)

Apr 16, 2026

4:23

Let's continue this most incredible journey about Bitachon. Okay, let's summarize. So far, we've said that we're going to break down this discussion about Bitachon to try to get things in an organized way into 15 different parts. Here are the questions that we've discussed so far. Part one, what is Bitachon? Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon always work? Part five, why must Hashem come through for me in the way that I desire? Part six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite in order to be effective? Part seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Part eight, why were tzaddikim not always saved by their Bitachon? And as we spoke about, we've alluded to the fact that we're going to learn in many Torah sources that the opportunity to rely on Hashem is an absolute guarantee if one does it properly. If one is able to reach a level of absolute sincere reliance on Hashem, Hashem will for sure come through for them in the way that they desire. And that being the case, why is it that so many of our greats, both from previous generations and contemporary great scholars and tzaddikim, were not saved by their Bitachon? Surely they knew about the opportunity of Bitachon. Does that mean that Bitachon does not always work? Or is there some other reason why we find at times tzaddikim chose not to use the opportunity of Bitachon and the like? We will discuss this and more, b'ezrat Hashem, via the Torah sources in this section when we get there. We now move to part number nine. This seems like almost an uninteresting question, but this is probably one of the most foundational questions about the whole topic of Bitachon. The question is, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bittachon? Now again, this might seem uninteresting because why do I particularly need to know about the opinion of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon? And the reason this is included in its own section is because this is perhaps one of the reasons that many have not understood the mitzvah of Bitachon correctly. The Chazon Ish is one of the greatest of the great contemporary tzaddikim and Torah scholars that we have. And as we will study, there is a passage in one of the sefarim of the Chazon Ish which would seem to indicate the opposite of what many Torah sources teach. And if that would be the case, then one might be led to a conclusion that for whatever reason, we don't follow these Torah opinions. Now it's very important to learn these Torah passages that the Chazon Ish himself would have learned and also passages that the Chazon Ish himself wrote and compare them to one another to truly understand B’ezrat Hashem with absolute clarity what he meant in this famous passage that people usually come across. Again, it should be clear to you by now that we're going to explore a form of Bitachon where one is so confident that Hashem will come through for them - one is a hundred percent sincere in their reliance on Hashem and the guarantee that we will have is that Hashem will for sure come through in the way that I desire. Again, I may have many questions. Why is that so? How is that so? Who says so? Etc. And B’ezrat Hashem, we will get to all those sections and discuss this and the relevant Torah sources. However, just by way of introduction, in this section, we will discuss a famous passage written by the Chazon Ish where it seems to indicate that one should not have absolute reliance on Hashem. And the relevancy of understanding this passage correctly is important in the way we're going to draw our conclusion about what the halacha is, of what type of Bitachon we're supposed to apply. Are we allowed to, are we supposed to have such absolute reliance on Hashem for the things that we need and that we desire in the way that we need and the way that we desire? Or if the Chazon Ish seemingly wrote the opposite and again, it's not just one opinion that we would simply ignore. The Chazon Ish is a very important halachic opinion. Then why does it seem to be implied in one of his passages that one should not practice this absolute confident Bitachon in Hashem? B’ezrat Hashem, as we get to this section, we will explore the exact meaning of the Chazon Ish and with Hashem's help, draw more clarity to our Bitachon.

573

579 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-16)

Apr 19, 2026

4:37

We continue in our Bittachon journey. So let's revise. We need to give a rundown of 15 sections of what we're going to be discussing before we actually begin exploring the Torah sources themselves in these 15 sections. Let's revise what we've stated so far. Part one, what is Bitachon? Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important exactly is Bitachon? Part four, does Bitachon for sure always work without exception? Part five, why must Hashem come through for me in the way that I desire? Part six, does Bitachon have a prerequisite in order to be effective? As we've discussed, we're going to learn that if one applies this form of Bitachon, absolute 100% sincere reliance on Hashem, Hashem has created it as a rule of nature that He will for sure come through for us in the way that we desire. However, as we will learn, this prerequisite is vital as long as I am 100% sincere in my reliance on Hashem. Part seven, can someone who commits sins apply Bitachon? Is Bitachon only an opportunity for the righteous, for people who are doing their best to fulfill Hashem's will and building their personal relationship with Him? Or is Bitachon for anybody, even someone who commits sins? Part eight, a most important question, why were there tzaddikim that were not always saved by their Bitachon? Certainly, tzaddikim were much more knowledgeable and righteous than any of us, and we find so many tzaddikim that suffered immensely, and if Bittachon is so powerful that one is able to tap into it and get saved from their troubles, not only is one able to, but as we will learn, it is commendable and it is a tremendous mitzvah to rely on Hashem for our own needs in the way that we desire, and that being the case, why were there many tzaddikim that seemingly did not rely on their Bitachon to be saved from their ordeals? And part nine, we mentioned, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon? Although this seems like an uninteresting question, this is one of the most important fundamentals about Bitachon, because as we will discuss, a very popular sefer in the Torah world is one of the sfarim of the Chazon Ish, and although many people are not so well versed in most of the Torah sources about Bitachon, however, this famous sefer from the Chazon Ish has a passage which seems to imply against what almost everyone teaches about Bittachon, and many who have not learned the topic extensively, by just coming across this passage in the Chazon Ish will draw a very mistaken conclusion that this type of Bitachon that we will discuss, absolute confident reliance on Hashem, is not an option, and is not a type of Bitachon that we are permitted to practice. Now, we will learn and explore different passages in the Chazon Ish writings himself, where it will be made absolutely clear that the Chazon Ish is certainly on the same page as all the very many Torah sources, as would be expected from one of the greats of our generation. However, there is a very important and specific reason why the Chazon Ish chose to write this passage in the way that he did, as we will explain when we get to this section. And as we will learn, there are different types of Bitachon. Through our whole series of daily inspiration about Emunah that we gave for about two years, and again, if one would like to refer back to any of that, one can find all of it on transformyouremunah.com, Emunah with an H. Through all of our Emunah discussions, it was not just about a theoretical concept of Emunah, it was made very clear that anybody who believes in Hashem will certainly turn that belief into practical application. In many ways, one of them that we discussed continuously and extensively was building a sincere personal relationship with Hashem and talking to Hashem. And similarly, as we will learn, there is no question that there are many different levels to what it means to have Bitachon. The more conventional forms of Bitachon that are usually understood and taught will be the type of Bitachon that one can see as an extension of Emunah. Emunah being the concept of trying to build a relationship with Hashem, and Bitachon, the practical application of that, of speaking to Hashem, of following his mitzvos and the many other things that we discussed in our Emunah series. And there is no question that that is certainly a form of Bitachon, as we will see in this passage of the Chazon Ish, as well as in other passages. However, the mistaken notion that people are often led to make, that this passage is a contradiction to the type of Bitachon that we've been exploring, we will investigate B’ezrat Hashem in the Torah sources in this section, and Bezrat Hashem moved forward to more clarity in our Bitachon.

574

580 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-17)

Apr 20, 2026

4:12

Guys, I'm so excited to continue our Bitachon journey. So as emphasized previously, one of our goals that we're trying to achieve is to learn this information about Bitachon because when we don't understand what Bitachon truly is and the abilities and opportunities that we are allowed to have, then obviously we can't truly tap into Bitachon. So certainly one of our goals is to try to get a better understanding of what Bitachon truly is. But as emphasized previously, another major goal is not just to learn the information, but to truly digest the information. And with the incredibly fast-paced lives that we all live, it's quite difficult to stay mindful about these concepts all the time. So revision is truly of paramount importance. So as emphasized previously, just outlining the topics already gives us a good direction of where we're aiming at in terms of trying to understand Bitachon, and also helps us before we delve more deeply into the Torah sources themselves, just to think of the many questions that arise when we discuss the many concepts of Bitachon. So let's quickly summarize before we move on to the next section, what we've outlined so far. Part 1, what is Bitachon? Part 2, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part 3, how important exactly is Bitachon? Part 4, does Bitachon always work? Is the correct understanding that Hashem can do anything, but not necessarily will He come through for me in the way that I desire? Or rather, can Bitachon be understood and practiced as what I would like to happen, then I will rely on Hashem for that, and that will for sure transpire? Part 5, if the latter is the case that I may rely on Hashem even for my own needs and desires, why must Hashem come through for me? Who says that's necessarily good for me, who says I deserve it, etc. Part 6, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? And as we've already outlined numerous times, one of the most important factors when considering this dynamite kind of Bitachon, where one can rely on Hashem so confidently, that Hashem will come through for me in exactly the way that I desire, an absolute condition to this is that I rely on Hashem with absolute sincerity. Now again, it's important to highlight that one might feel, “okay it's very nice that we have this amazing dynamite opportunity of Bitachon available, but how many of us can get to such a level that we fully and sincerely rely on Hashem 100% without any backup plans whatsoever? Is that even possibly attainable? And therefore, what's the point of even learning about this or even trying to take a step forward? And as we'll discuss in the coming sections, which we'll get to soon, B’ezrat Hashem, we'll allude to the fact that the true reward for Bitachon is not actually receiving what we would like, but much, much, much greater than anything we could possibly receive in this world, is the reward that Hashem will give us, just for making an effort to take steps forward in our Bitachon journey. We then outlined in Part 7, that we'll discuss the Torah sources, about can somebody who commits sins apply Bitachon? Part 8, if Bitachon is so powerful and so absolute that it always works if I am sincere about it, so although today I might not be able to be absolutely sincere in my Bitachon, but certainly many tzaddikim were able to. And we nevertheless find that many tzaddikim seem to have suffered tremendously throughout their lives. So why did they seemingly not tap into the tremendous power of Bitachon? Part 9, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon? And again, although one might not initially understand the importance of delving into the particular opinion of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon, but as we've previously outlined, for numerous reasons, it is super important to gain a better understanding of specifically the Chazon Ish’s opinion about Bitachon, and B’ezrat Hashem will discuss more about that when we get to that section. We now move to Part 10, the question we're going to explore is can Bitachon be applied to mundane endeavors? Briefly, it is easier for us to relate to the fact that when we rely on Hashem for spiritual endeavors, that He might be willing and happy to help us and come through for us. But if it's just for my own mundane needs and wants, can I rely on Hashem for that? Should I be relying on Hashem for that? Let's discuss this further, B’ezrat Hashem, as we move forward on our Bitachon journey together.

575

581 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-18)

Apr 21, 2026

3:57

I would like us just to take a moment to appreciate what we're doing. This is literally the treasure of the world, worth billions and billions of dollars, what we're discussing. And b'ezrat Hashem, as we delve deeper and deeper into our Bitachon journey, I hope and pray that each one of us can truly transform our lives, not just to know the information as something interesting, but rather to truly take it with us and transform our lives, transform our Bitachon and live in a completely different world that we're now, b’ezrat Hashem, just beginning to explore and b’ezrat Hashem will come out with the keys to these treasures. I'm going to recap what we've discussed so far, just outlining the headings of the sections that we're going to be discussing. And as mentioned previously, the reason I'm repeatedly going over these questions is firstly to truly internalize them, and not just that it should go in one ear and come out the other, but rather that we should truly remember these concepts and meditate on them. Because it's one thing to learn the information here, but it's another thing when we go through the day and we think about these concepts and we're able to extrapolate one thing from another, that's how true Bitachon will be built in our lives. And another reason that I feel it's very important to keep going over these questions is because the Torah is replete with passages about Bitachon, but to have it in an organized way is not always so easy, because it's literally everywhere. And therefore when we discuss one question about Bitachon, often what happens is I think about numerous other factors. For example, if we learn that B'tochen can be so powerful that what I rely on Hashem for will come about. But as soon as we learn that, we might ask ourselves, but how come there were many great people who didn't apply this form of Bitachon? And then at the other corner of our mind we'll think, but what about the mitzvah of Hishtadlus? Have we not learned many times that we have a mitzvah to make an effort in the world? But then we might think, but if I'm making Hihtadlus, and seemingly making my own efforts, how am I supposed to fulfill the requirement to exclusively rely on Hashem for Bitachon to work? And there's many of these factors that all intertwine, and therefore learning it in an orderly way is the objective we're trying to achieve. Part 1, what is Bitachon? Part 2, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part 3, how important is Bitachon? Part 4, does Bitachon always work? Part 5, why must Hashem come through for me? Part 6, does Bitachon have a prerequisite to be effective? Part 7, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Part 8, why were tzaddikim not always saved by their Bitachon? Part 9, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon? And in the previous session we left off with part 10, which B’ezrat Hashem now will explore a little bit further. The question is, can Bitachon be applied to mundane endeavors? And of course it's easy to understand that our main purpose in this world is to strive towards what the neshama is attracted to, rather than what the body is attracted to. And therefore when we use our Bitachon to help us achieve our spiritual pursuits, it's easier to understand that that would be Hashem's will. So let's say for example I'd really like to learn more Torah, but I currently don't have much time at my disposal. This is something easier to relate to, that I might be able to take steps to rely on Hashem in terms of giving me the opportunity to learn more Torah. But let's say something as mundane as, I would really like a new car. Is that something that's even appropriate to, so to speak, bother Hashem with? We don't realize just how important it is to get a clear understanding on what the correct approach to this is, because much of our lives are comprised of our mundane needs and wants. Let's explore this further together, B’ezrat Hashem, as we move forward on our Bitachon journey.

576

582 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-19)

Apr 22, 2026

4:11

We left off in the previous session outlining part 10 of the contents of what we're going to be discussing. And the question was, can Bitachon be applied to mundane endeavors? There's no doubt about it that ultimately our main purpose in this world is to strive to succeed spiritually. And of course, the spiritual and physical overlap all the time because we live in a physical world. But ultimately, it boils down to what is our motive? Are we living just for the physical gratification of the enjoyment of this world, or are we using the physical things in this world to serve Hashem, which is ultimately what the neshama's calling is for, as opposed to what the body desires. So there's no question that when it comes to bitachon itself, as we'll see from Torah sources, that the ultimate is certainly to use bitachon for our spiritual attainments. You see, we've alluded to a type of bitachon which is not so popularly taught. And we've discussed previously some of the reasons why that is so. And of course, we've only just began to touch the tip of the iceberg about this whole topic. But another reason sometimes this form of bitachon is shied away from is because what might happen, God forbid, is a person can become so self-indulged about one's own needs and wants that one can almost forget about Hashem. So I can learn about bitachon, and I can learn that bitachon can help me get what I want, and I can now understand that I have this amazing magic potion that can get me what I want, and almost forget about Hashem in the picture. There is absolutely no question that the ultimate purpose of all of Torah and mitzvos, which includes the whole purpose of bitachon, is for our spiritual achievements. At the same time, we've all got to be real with ourselves, that most of us are not living 100% of the time at that level where we only have spiritual wants and needs. Although many of us are trying our best to climb the spiritual ladder, at the same time we have many physical needs and wants. So now what do we do? Do we just leave Hashem out of the picture of those physical needs, or do we just live like a two-faced life, that on the one hand we have the life with Hashem, which refers to spiritual things, and then we have the other side, which is my own physical desires, which I kind of leave Hashem out of that picture, because I'm almost embarrassed to include Him in that. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to gain clarity on this topic, because this literally makes a difference to us on a moment-to-moment basis of our lives, because so many of our decisions and needs and wants all have to do with the mundane world. So do I have a license to reach out to Hashem about those things? Is it commendable? Is it a mitzvah? What do the Torah sources teach when it comes to relying on Hashem about mundane endeavors? We're now going to move to the next question, part 11. What is my obligation of Hishtadlus? The word Hishtadlus is a famous word and phrase that many of us are familiar with. Simply speaking, Hishtadlus means my making an effort in the picture. If Hashem does everything, and I can rely on Him, and I should rely on Him, and as we've learned that if I want to have the ultimate bitachon, I should rely on Hashem 100%, what space does that leave for any form of Hishtadlus? Now again, there are many Torah sources about this, and B’ezrat Hashem will get to them in part 11. But just for now, some food for thought. It could happen that you see two people performing and acting the exact same way, and they're literally on two opposite sides of the spectrum, where the one is fulfilling Hashem's will to the ultimate degree, truly fulfilling his mitzvah and obligation of Hishtadlus under the true parameters of bitachon, and the other person could literally, God forbid, be under the umbrella of idol worship. It is so, so, so important to gain clarity of what does it mean that I have a mitzvah to do Hishtadlus? How do I reconcile this with bitachon? Let's discuss this further, B’ezrat Hashem, as we move forward together on our bitachon journey.

577

583 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-20)

Apr 23, 2026

3:29

We discussed previously, in part 10, can Bitachon be applied to mundane endeavors? Again, of course, ultimately to remember that the whole purpose of life is for our spiritual accomplishment. Yes, the neshama and body do live together in this world, but ultimately it is all for the sake of serving Hashem. And therefore, obviously, Bitachon itself is not just meant to be a vending machine, to ask Hashem and rely on Hashem to give me a new car every day or whatever else I might want. And again, as discussed previously, this is probably one of the reasons why this form of Bitachon, where one relies on Hashem to such a confident degree, that Hashem will give me exactly what I desire, one of the reasons this is probably not so commonly taught is because if one is not guided to learn this in the correct way, it could almost just become a magic trick that all I want is me and my desires, and I don't even care, God forbid, about Hashem anymore. And that's what the whole point of Bitachon can become about, whereas we ultimately know that the whole point of our lives is to serve Hashem, yes, eventually to reap tremendous rewards in the next world, in olam haba, but at the same time, we do live in a physical world, and most of us do have very physical desires, and sometimes a person can leave Hashem out the picture and almost feel, how do we relate to our physical desires? Should I rely on Hashem for them, or should I just feel like Hashem doesn't really want me to do those things anyway? What if the physical desire I have is something that is not such a Torah value? Or even worse, what if it's an outright sin? What should I do then? Do I just leave Hashem out the picture? These are very important questions that we will delve into Bezrat Hashem as we get to this section in part 10. We then referred to previously in part 11, what is my obligation of Hishtadlus? Now if you're interested and you haven't yet come across it, you're welcome to visit our website transformyouremunah.com, and under the courses section, one of the courses is titled Hishtadlus, and there briefly we go through the basic obligation of how to reconcile the fact that we have an obligation of Hishtadlus with the fact that Hashem exclusively runs the world. It is so vital to have a good perspective and understanding of our mitzvah because if we are led to believe, God forbid, that we are the drivers of our engine in our lives, that is very close to the great sin of idol worship where we're relying on something else or someone else or ourselves. We have to be absolutely clear that Hashem exclusively runs every single detail in the world and at the same time He commands us to give charity, to learn Torah, to shake a lulav, to light Shabbos candles, and to fulfill the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, to make our own effort in our endeavors. Why that is so? Again, if you're eager to get a brief overview, you're welcome to visit our previously cited course, but of course, when we get to the section in part 11, we'll discuss it much more at length in exactly how we're supposed to reconcile Hishtadlus. In the next session, Bezrat Hashem, we're going to move to part 12 - How do I acquire Bitachon?

578

584 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-21)

Apr 26, 2026

4:32

Guys, here's a quick recap of what we've discussed so far outlining the sections we're going to be discussing exploring the most incredible Torah sources about Bitachon. Part one, what is Bitachon? Part two, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? Part three, how important is Bitachon? So important to understand and digest that Bitachon is the point of the whole Torah, of all the mitzvos, as we'll see in that section. Part four, does Bitachon always work? Part five, why must Hashem come through for me? Part six, what is the prerequisite for Bitachon to be effective? Part seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Part eight, why would Tzaddikim not always saved by their Bitachon? Part nine, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bitachon? Part ten, can Bitachon be applied to mundane endeavors? Although we might have understood that Bitachon's main purpose should be for our spiritual endeavors and spiritual accomplishments, and that understanding is certainly correct because our main purpose in this world is to strive to succeed spiritually much more than just focus on our physical enjoyment. But at the same time, we all live in a world where we are exposed to physical enjoyment and desires on a constant moment-to-moment basis. And therefore, those desires and needs and wants that we have, how do we go about them? Are we allowed to rely on Hashem for those needs and wants that are physical and mundane? Or is that something Hashem would not want? Part 11, what is my obligation of Hishtadlus? One of the main hurdles that chases people away from living a life of true Bittachon is the excuse of, but I have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus. Hishtadlus is a big topic which we need to learn about. It is a mitzvah like any other mitzvah and a great mitzvah. But if it's misunderstood, God forbid it can be very close to the great sin of idol worship. Hishtadlus is not a green card to avoid the whole mitzvah of Emunah and Bitachon. Sometimes, unfortunately, when people hear about the concepts of Emunah and Bitachon and relying on Hashem, they say, “well, I need to put food on the table”, or “well, I need to make sure that I look after my health” and the like. Now, those statements are certainly true. We have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus and we'll explore that. But God forbid, Hishtadlus should never become something that is just an excuse to avoiding living a life of true reliance on Hashem. The Torah perspective is unanimous that Hashem exclusively runs the world. And yes, we might have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus and we'll discuss, B'ezrat Hashem, the levels of Hishtadlus that may apply to us, how far we are to take that. And there's a lot to discuss in this and we'll get there, B'ezrat Hashem. But suffice it to say for now, our approach should head towards having the question as follows. I have a mitzvah of Bitachon. I need to rely on Hashem exclusively. How then am I supposed to reconcile and relate to the mitzvah of Hishtadlus when I have this absolute mitzvah which underscores the entire Torah and mitzvahs to rely on Hashem exclusively? There is, of course, much more to this which we'll get to, B'ezrat Hashem. But just briefly, that is the way that we should look at things rather than phrasing the question in an opposite way as in, I have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus. I've got to do my part in the world. Therefore, how can it be that I'm supposed to rely on Hashem? The main point of our lives is to rely on Hashem as illustrated in countless Torah sources literally throughout all of Torah literature. The point of our lives, as we'll learn, is Bitachon. So nobody's saying we therefore just avoid the mitzvah of Hishtadlus. But we certainly have to gain an understanding of how do we reconcile this mitzvah of Hishtadlus which seemingly contradicts the whole mindset of Bitachon. Part 12, perhaps one of the most important questions: How do I acquire Bittachon? It's incredible to learn all these amazing statements, again, not even having yet explored one Torah source inside itself, but rather first just outlining the concepts. But it should be clear to everyone already that Bitachon is the purpose of the entire Torah, of all the mitzvos, and the most important endeavor that we could really aim at in our lives. But how do I get it? So B'ezrat Hashem, in part 12, we'll begin the discussion about how do I acquire Bitachon.

579

585 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-22)

Apr 27, 2026

3:16

I'm going to, again, very quickly recap from where we left off. Can bitachon be applied even to mundane endeavors? I want to learn more Torah. I want to give more tzedakah. I want to dress in a more tznius way, or the many mitzvos that we might strive to achieve. We'll discuss further B’ezrat Hashem in this section, how we can rely on Hashem for all those incredibly and holy spiritual achievements that we're making an effort to grow in. But how about, I'd really like a holiday house. I want a new car. Or take it one step further, I've done something wrong and I really don't want anyone to catch me and cause me an embarrassing situation. Is this something I can and should rely on Hashem for? B’ezrat Hashem we’ll discuss this further as we come to this section. Part 11, what is my obligation of Hishtadlus? And as we discussed, there is so much to explore in this section. Hishtadlus is not a license to ignore bitachon, God forbid. Hishtadlus is a mitzvah like any other, and a great mitzvah that is, to accomplish and achieve. But just like the other mitzvos, if done, God forbid, in the wrong manner, there can be devastating consequences to its results. And especially when it comes to Hishtadlus, which so easily can be confused if done in the wrong manner. We've got to learn how to reconcile it with the basics of Emunah that Hashem exclusively can and does make everything happen in the world. He doesn't need me to make it happen, it certainly can happen without my doing. Why then do I have to make an effort? How much of an effort do I have to make? What should be my perspective when making an effort? And much much more, B’ezrat Hashem will discuss in this section. Part 12, really making it practical, how do I acquire bitachon? It's inspiring to learn how bitachon is ultimately the purpose of all of our lives, all of Torah, all of mitzvos and everything, as we'll see as we explore further. But how do I get it? How do I achieve bitachon? I want it, I'm inspired to get it. Of course we should understand that it's not going to be something as easy as just being inspired for a moment and now having bitachon for the rest of my life. Because if this is the purpose of my life and the whole Torah and all the mitzvahs, obviously it's something that should take work and effort to achieve. More work and effort than any other endeavor in our lives, but if this is the purpose of our lives it certainly should be worth it. We now move to part 13, how important is tefillah? We know that one of the main foundations that Judaism is built on is davening to Hashem. Be it the prescribed prayers, Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv, or our personal prayers to Hashem, just the opportunity to talk to HaShem in our own words, we elaborated it on at great length in our daily series, Transform Your Emunah, which again can be found on our website transformyouremunah.com, how throughout the generations has been placed on tefillah to HaShem. So what exactly is the connection between davening to HaShem and having bitachon in HaShem? Are bitachon and tefillah the same thing? And if not, what exactly are the differences? B’ezrat HaShem, let's explore this further together as we move forward on our bitachon journey.

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586 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-23)

Apr 28, 2026

4:20

We're coming to the end of outlining all the sections, and very soon we're going to be moving to the Torah sources themselves, which is tremendously exciting, again, to appreciate how privileged each one of us are to be on this journey of transforming our bitachon, really the keys to the highest treasures in the world. We outlined previously what we're going to be exploring in part 12 of the Torah sources, where the question is, how do I acquire bitachon? We've mentioned many times that Torah is replete with countless Torah sources about Emunah and bitachon, and it is very clear from many, many, many Torah sources that the entire purpose of our lives, of the whole Torah, of all the mitzvos, of everything we exist for, is ultimately for the sake of bitachon. And there is much to learn about bitachon, but how do I get it? And B’ezrat Hashem, in part 12, as well as the other sections, will explore this further. But suffice it to say, for now, something to realize is that if bitachon is the point of my life, then certainly I should make it my life's mission to invest much time and energy into this tremendous holy endeavor. It's not just a nice added benefit to my life that will enhance my life, it is my life. And if we internalize that, we will begin to add more and more time, energy, and effort into our bitachon quest. It's an amazing privilege, all of us, to be on this journey together, transforming our bitachon, but it is certainly only the beginning, because as we take these concepts, each one of us, into our own personal life, we will find that we're able to apply it in our own personal relationship to Hashem. And the more we internalize how important bitachon is in our life, the more effort, energy, and time we'll invest into it. But in terms of the technical side of the Torah sources, in part 12, we will, B’ezrat Hashem, discuss the question of how do I acquire bitachon. The next question, part 13, how important is tefillah and personal prayer? There are many important terms that we throw around loosely. Emunah, bitachon, tefillah, personal prayer. How do I practically bring them all together? Throughout our Emunah series, we quoted many times fascinating sources, such as the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15, where he writes that more precious to Hashem than anything else is when we seclude ourselves with Hashem and talk to Him in our own words. Hashem desires our personal relationship with Him. And we discussed also many times the well-known words of the Sefer Chareidim and the Shelah Hakadosh, that the effect of secluding ourselves and personal prayer with Hashem has seven times more of a potent effect than even that of Torah learning on our neshama. And for anybody who is even slightly familiar with Torah literature, this is a fascinatingly powerful statement, because the Torah is replete with the importance about Torah study. Torah study is one of the most powerful things anybody can do in this world. Nevertheless, we are learning here that on some level, talking to Hashem in our own words can even be more powerful than that. Now again, if you'd like to listen to our previous recordings about emunah and personal prayer, you're invited to visit our website at transformyouremunah.com. But for our purposes right now, as we proceed on this incredible bitachon journey, how do we reconcile personal prayer with bitachon? If I have so much bitachon and reliance on Hashem, do I even need to pray to Him? Why should I daven about anything? Can't I just perhaps rely on Hashem to such an extent that I don't even need to pray? Because if I am so confident that Hashem will help me out, why should I even pray for something to be different? And if I can reach the ultimate form of bitachon, where my will is the same as Hashem's will, and I don't necessarily have a will of my own, why does prayer exist at all? Because ultimately, prayer is saying to Hashem, “Hashem, I would like this to be this way. Please make it happen this way for me.” And there's a lot more to discuss. B’ezrat Hashem, as we move further in our bitachon journey, will discuss this further, and with Hashem's help, bring more clarity to our bitachon.

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587 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-24)

Apr 29, 2026

3:45

We are right at the end of our journey of outlining the sections, b’ezrat Hashem, to give us more clarity of where we are heading in this bitachon journey. B’ezrat Hashem, in part 12 we will discuss the question of how do I acquire bitochen. And as mentioned previously, this is so important because as many Torah sources teach, ultimately the purpose of the Torah is to apply it in a practical way. And when it comes to practical mitzvos, it's much easier to relate to - that I can learn the details of a particular mitzvah and thereafter I can actually take those details and apply them in a practical way. And when it comes to bitachon, yes the daily inspiration is certainly something beneficial to constantly be mindful, to live by the values of bitachon. But much more than that is how do I make it practical? How do I actually take bitachon and live by the values of bitachon? We'll learn and explore that true bitachon removes fear, leads to serenity, calm, happiness and so, so much more. Not to mention the true reward which awaits for us in the next world – in Olam Haba. But how do I get there? Again, I hope that all of us will realize that bitachon is ultimately the point of everything and we'll be inspired to make it the focal point of our lives because it is our lives. It's about bitachon. It's about removing the false opinions and assumptions of the world around us which teach that you are your own boss; You are the master of your destiny, and try to remove Hashem from the picture. And a life of bitachon brings Hashem into the picture and teaches us that Hashem exclusively runs every single detail of our lives and therefore, of course, our only address should be Him. And yes, we've got many details to discuss such as why then should I do Hishtadlus at all? And of course, we know and we'll learn that we do have to do Hishtadlus. But how do I reconcile that with bitachon? And much more that we'll discuss in those sections. In part 13, Bezrat Hashem will discuss the question, how do we reconcile tefillah and bitachon? Now, something which is just some food for thought for the meantime. If we really and truly trust Hashem, why do we daven for things to be any different than the way He makes it? Even if something is a challenging situation, we know ultimately that Hashem does everything for our best. And similarly, you could ask, why would I rely on Hashem for something to be different than the way He's made it to be? There is much more to discuss about this, but just a little bit of food for thought for right now: When it comes to tefillah, we've been trained over the years that we're not only allowed to pray and daven for our own needs and wants, but it's commendable in a mitzvah to do so. But because bitachon is not as well taught of a subject, for numerous reasons, when it comes to relying on Hashem for things to be a certain way that we would like it to be, it's more difficult for us to digest that that should be Hashem's will. But again, when we reconcile that with what we know about tefillah, that Hashem desires that we daven for the things that we would like. When our many great ancestors listed in the Torah, let's just take one example for now, Rachel Imenu was not able to have children. She very easily could have just accepted the situation and said, “Hashem only does what is best for me. I'm not going to pray for anything. He didn't want to give me children, I'm not going to pray for children.” But that wasn't her approach. Her approach rather was, “I am going to pray for the outcome to come about in the way that I desire.” And similarly, we've got to discuss how this applies to bitachon, to relying on Hashem for our own needs in the way that we desire. B’ezrat Hashem, let's discuss this further and let's move forward together in our journey of bitachon.

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588 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-25)

Apr 30, 2026

4:58

I'm so excited, we're about to wrap up the outline of the sections we're going to be discussing, outlining the Torah sources of the most important topic in our lives, bitachon. We're going to begin today's session with part 14 that we're going to be outlining. And in many ways, this is perhaps the most important section that needs to be highlighted. What is the true reward for having bitachon? Now why this is such an important question to discuss is because as we've alluded to, there are many different forms of bitachon. And one of the types of bitachon that we're going to discover together is that one can rely on Hashem to such an extent that Hashem will come through for you for exactly what you desire in the way that you desire. And if you do it in the right way, that you're 100% reliant on Hashem with full sincerity, He will for sure give it to you in the way that you desire. But something which is much more important than that is that the true reward for having bitachon is much greater than anything you can achieve or receive in this world. So let me give you an example to illustrate this concept. Let's say I want to have bitachon in Hashem to give me 10 million dollars. Now if I do it correctly, which again is not an easy task because bitachon is the point of our lives, and if it was just as easy as going to a vending machine and putting in a coin, then that would defeat the whole purpose because this is the point of our lives. But let's say I reached such a high level that I have absolute sincere bitachon in Hashem to receive 10 million dollars. Now I might think that the true prize is receiving 10 million dollars, but in truth, much, much, much greater than receiving those 10 million dollars is the reward that I will receive both in this world and especially in the next world for just trying to take a step forward in my bitachon journey. And the reason it's so important to highlight this is because regardless of what we actually achieve in our bitachon journey, if we are trying to take a step forward, we are achieving way, way greater than receiving 10 million dollars. And of course, we'll discuss it more extensively when we get to B’ezrat Hashem, but for our purposes right now, it's important to internalize that any small step that we take forward in our bitachon journey is achieving for us way greater than anything beyond our imagination. And why it's so important to remember this is because although to reach the highest levels of bitachon, let's say backtracking to our example before, I have bitachon in Hashem that I want those 10 million dollars, something which seems so far-fetched and I work very, very hard on my reliance and everything that entails as we'll discuss B’ezrat Hashem. And let's say after everything's said and done, I don't get the 10 million dollars. Not, God forbid, because bitachon doesn't work. As we'll learn, bitachon works, period. But the reason it might not work was maybe I was not fully sincere. Maybe I was only 99% sincere in my bitachon endeavor. And as we'll learn, in order for it to be an absolute logarithm that Hashem will for sure come through for you, it has to be 100% reliance on Hashem. Now one might feel, but how am I going to get to 100%? What if I'm only 99%? Now again, this is why this is so, so, so vital to remember that the true reward for bitachon is way greater than receiving whatever you might be trying to receive. Because as we know, this world is temporary. Eventually, we're all going to move to a much greater world for eternity. And eternity is forever. So as the Sfarim teach, whatever reward we can imagine for ourselves in this world is not even comparable to one moment of the true pleasure we'll receive in the next world. And the efforts that we make in our bitachon journey are one of the greatest things we can do towards achieving for ourselves the greatest places in eternity. And therefore, let us constantly remind ourselves that one of the greatest possible things that we can do is just to make an effort to grow in our emunah, in our bitachon, regardless of what we actually achieve. Even if we feel like we've been working on bitachon for so long, and we've barely grown in the endeavor, if we've been making an effort to do so, it's as if we've done everything. B’ezrat Hashem, in the next session, we're going to wrap up the introduction of the contents of bitachon. And thereafter, we move forward to the Torah sources themselves, and with Hashem's help, move to more clarity in our bitachon journey.

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589 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-26)

May 3, 2026

4:24

This is tremendously exciting that we're moving today to wrap up the contents we've been discussing of what we're going to be exploring in the Torah sources. Again, there are many, many, many Torah sources throughout Torah literature about Emunah and Bitachon, and one can almost get lost in the Torah literature without clear direction of what to do. I thank Hashem for the inspiration that He provided for me in my own Bitachon journey to try to clarify in a very orderly way of the different questions that can arise in Bitachon and try to compartmentalize the different questions in an organized way and under each section explore the Torah sources to do with that section so that, B’ezrat Hashem, at the end we can come out with more clarity and feel more confident to move forward in our Bitachon journey. Up until now, throughout the series, we've been outlining the different sections we're going to be discussing, 15 sections in total. Today we're going to summarize the 15 sections and B’ezrat Hashem, thereafter, we're going to move forward with the Torah sources themselves. So in part one we'll discuss, B’ezrat Hashem, what exactly is Bitachon, a bit of an introduction to Bitachon. In part two we'll discuss what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon. Is it a Torah mitzvah, a rabbinic mitzvah, what exactly is the source? And now we move to part three, how important exactly is Bitachon? So important to digest the Torah sources we'll learn in this section, to see that this is ultimately the point of our life, Bitachon is the point of our lives. Part four, does Bitachon always work? There's a type of Bittachon that one can be so confident in Hashem that He will come through for me in the way that I desire. And then we move to part five, if that is the case, why must Hashem come through for me? Are there not many factors to Hashem's calculations? Maybe I don't deserve it, maybe it's not good for me, am I the master of my own destiny? And if that is the case, is that not a dangerous thing to do? Is it not safer to just put it in Hashem's hands and not have a desire of my own? We then move to part six, what is the prerequisite for Bitachon to be effective? And as discussed, there is a form of Bitachon where you can be so confident in Hashem coming through for you that He will come through for you in exactly the way that you desire. But you have to be 100% sincere on your reliance on Hashem exclusively. Part seven, can a sinner apply Bitachon? Part eight, why were there tzaddikim that were not always saved by Bitachon? Part nine, what is the position of the Chazon Ish about Bittachon? And although that seems like almost a random, not so interesting type of question, we will learn in that section why this is such a fundamental opinion in the way we're going to make a conclusion as to the final halacha, how we are to apply Bitachon. Part 10, can Bitachon be applied even to mundane endeavors? Is Bitachon only something that I should aim to apply to my spiritual journey, or is it something I should bring into my day-to-day mundane endeavors, and even things that I might get involved in which are not so holy? Part 11, what is my obligation of hishtadlus? At first glance, it can very easily appear that hishtadlus and Bitachon do not work together and contradict one another. But again, of course, we've got to make sense of this great mitzvah that Hashem has given us, where on the one hand, we have an absolute obligation to believe Hashem exclusively runs everything in our lives, and on the other hand, we have to make our own efforts. Part 12, how do I acquire Bitachon? It's not just the theoretical subject that we're learning. How do I make it practical in my life that I can truly live by the values of Bitachon? Part 13, what exactly is the relationship between tefillah and Bitachon? Part 14, what is the true reward for having Bitachon? As we'll see in the Torah sources, any small effort that we make towards growth in our Bitachon is way greater than any reward we might imagine to receive for ourselves in this world. And part 15, where in Chazal are examples of Bitachon? “Hashem, please give us tremendous success in the next phase of what we're going to be doing, moving forward to the actual Torah sources in each of these sections, and b’ezrat Hashem each one of us, gaining more clarity in our Bitachon journeys.”

584

544 - Simcha (Part-11)

Feb 19, 2026

4:21

We've been discussing what the Torah commentaries teach with regards to the tremendous benefit of living a life of happiness. And as pointed out by the Vilna Gaon to Mishlei, chapter 18, verse 14, as well as other Torah commentaries, when one is in a happy state, even when illness strikes, God forbid, one will come out of that illness due to the state of one's happiness. And as we've been discussing, much of the time, feeling feelings of happiness as opposed to anxiety is an extension of living a life of emunah and bitachon. Because the more I believe that I am in Hashem's hands exclusively and there is nothing to worry about because He is in absolute control and He only does what is best for me, the more I will feel feelings of calm, serenity, peace and tranquility. Because if I am learning about emunah, although I might know that in truth I am immune to circumstance and other individuals, but to truly internalize that knowledge is our life's work, as we've discussed many times. And as mentioned, we are only called on to make a little bit more effort each day to try and grow more and more to living a life of true emunah and bitachon, which will lead to a life of true happiness. The Gemara in Kesubos, page 111b, states that a person who smiles at his fellow is better than one who gives him milk. Imagine for a moment that someone were to go around giving people free milk every day. That would certainly be a notably commendable act. Whereas when someone walks around just smiling at those around them, instinctively it doesn't appear to us like such a commendable act. From Hashem's vantage point, smiling at people is considered even greater than going around and giving people milk. We've discussed previously how to internalize the concept of what it means to go to the next world, to Olam Haba, in comparison to this world. There's a famous analogy offered by Torah commentaries. Imagine you have a large stadium filled to the top with sand, and every 1,000 years a little bird comes and removes just one grain of sand. Let us try conceptualize how long it will take to empty out the stadium. This is not a number that can fit on the calculator, it is so big. When we compare 120 years of living in this world to what it means to live for eternity, our lives in this world is not even like one grain of sand in that stadium. Certainly then, when it comes to the opportunity to performing a mitzvah, even though we might have to invest financially in terms of our time or in other areas, in order to be able to perform this mitzvah, one with the right perspective will certainly be prepared to do so, because again, what is the point of all the money or all the time in this world compared to the eternal reward and blessing of one mitzvah in the next world? However, after all is said and done, we do have to choose into where we're going to invest, both in terms of our time, our money, and the like, because as human beings we are limited. For many mitzvos, there might be a great time investment, as well as it might cost a lot of money to have the opportunity to perform them. And although we are certainly encouraged to do so, as mentioned, we are limited and won't be able to do that on a constant basis. Whereas there are some mitzvos, such as giving somebody a smile, which is so easy, doesn't cost anything, and nevertheless the Gemara is teaching us that giving somebody a smile is more of a mitzvah than giving him milk, taking the time and investing the money to bring him his supplies. We are certainly encouraged to help out in all areas, even when we do have to invest time and financially. However, it is motivating to internalize that each one of us has the constant opportunity to perform a huge mitzvah many times a day, just by giving somebody a smile.

585

530 - Tests & Decisions (Part-5)

Feb 3, 2026

5:09

Let's consider the following case again. I currently have a respectable job, however my family does struggle financially. I am offered an alternative job opportunity where I would now receive double the salary and be relieved of my financial pressure, but I would be required to work one month from home and one month overseas, away from my family. Would it be right for me to pursue this opportunity? There is no objectively right answer. For some individuals, it would be absolutely right to take this job opportunity, and for other individuals, it would be absolutely wrong to take this job opportunity. How do I make my decision? What's important to realize when making this decision is, is it coming from the right place? Let's say I really dislike traveling and being away from my home environment. It could be that the right thing for me to do would be to take this job opportunity, but because of my discomfort of being away from home, my logic starts to dictate to me why it would be better to not take this job opportunity and why it is wrong to be away from my family every second month. And conversely, let's say I love traveling and therefore the idea of traveling every second month excites me tremendously. It very well could be that in my situation and for my family circumstances, to be away from home for long periods might be detrimental to my family and outweigh the financial gain and the removal of financial pressure, but because of my excitement to travel, my logic starts to dictate why it is the right thing for me to take this opportunity and it would be wrong for me to turn it down. Sometimes our logic is correct and in line with Hashem's approach, but many a time we have vested interests and because of the powerful brains that Hashem has given us, we can convince ourselves of many things even when they are not the ideal course that Hashem would have wanted us to choose. And therefore, the most advisable thing to do before making any decision, especially bigger decisions that will impact our lives significantly depending on what we choose, is to take the advice of what the Torah teaches us in many places, to talk to Hashem and ask Him what is the right thing to do. “Hashem, thank You so much for sending me this new job opportunity where potentially I could be relieved of my financial stress. I don't know if the right thing here is for me to take this opportunity that You've given me as a gift, maybe just to relieve me and my family from the financial stress that we are going through. However, it also could very well be, Hashem, that You are sending me a test because I know that the whole point of this world is to be tested. And it might be that although it is enticing to take this job opportunity which would relieve the financial pressure tremendously, nevertheless, being away from my family for long periods could bring about new complications, and I don't know if this is right for me. Hashem, You know the ins and outs of how I work and how my family works, and all other things I don't even know how to mention because they are so complex. And therefore, Hashem, I ask You with all my heart, please guide me to make the right decision.” The more we believe in Hashem, the more we will invest in talking to Him. If we sincerely believe He is listening, we might not settle on 30 seconds of a small conversation with Hashem, but rather devote 30 minutes or perhaps longer in asking Hashem for clarity and guidance in this situation. Many times, the reason that we are not particularly motivated to talk to Hashem, especially for longer periods, is because we don't hear Hashem, nor see Hashem, and therefore, it is hard to believe that He is actually listening to what I am saying. But we who are working on internalizing our life's mission, emunah, internalizing the belief that Hashem does exist, does listen to me, can help me, wants to help me, the more we grow in our belief that Hashem is there, the more we will be dedicated in talking to Him and asking Him to guide us in making what will truly be for our best.

586

531 - Tests & Decisions (Part-6)

Feb 4, 2026

5:26

We've been talking about the fundamental idea discussed by many Torah authorities that Hashem created this world ultimately in order to test us, to give us the opportunity to pass the tests that He presents us, thereby earning our place in the world to come. We've discussed many times that if we make decisions just based on our logic, we are susceptible to making the wrong decisions because of our limitations and ability to make mistakes. In addition to the way we are limited, such as mistakes that we might make in our calculations, or a vested interest that we might have that will lead us to a certain mode of thought and direction, it is also important for us to internalize and humble ourselves to what the Torah teaches us about the concept of timtum haleiv. Timtum haleiv means the spiritual contamination of one's heart. And the more we are spiritually contaminated from the effect of certain sins that we might have committed, the less we are able to view the world out of Hashem's lens. When we make decisions, if we are using our own mode of thought and logic, even if we are sure we are not doing so out of vested interests, and we are 100% sure that we are absolutely unmistaken, we might have some timtum haleiv, some spiritual contamination to our soul where we are now not able to view the situation out of the correct lens. So just going ahead and making the decision without talking to Hashem, asking Him for His clarity and guidance, could lead us, God forbid, to make that decision from a place of spiritual contamination. We are so privileged to have the opportunity to talk to Hashem every single day, at every single moment, for no fee. We have the opportunity to ask Hashem for clarity, to guide us based on His perspective, the only absolute correct perspective which is completely uncontaminated spiritually. Our job is to internalize more and more the belief that Hashem is listening to what we are saying, and when we talk to Him, it makes a difference. It is interesting to note that sometimes an idea just pops into our head, sometimes it is apparent that it was a sudden flash of light, but at other times we just changed mode of thought and course of action and we almost can't explain what inspired us to change our thought process and now move forward in a different direction than we previously intended to. An emunah approach teaches us that Hashem is Ein Od Milvado, there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem, and any thought that I have is because Hashem is putting that thought into my brain. When I talk to Hashem and I ask Him to guide me to the right mode of thought, then those thoughts that He will send me will be the ones that are Hashem's perspective. “Hashem, my Father, I am trying so much to grow in my emunah, my belief that You are absolutely and completely involved in every single detail of my life. I really want to believe sincerely that You hear every word that I say, and the thoughts that I have are only as a result of You deciding to put those thoughts into my head, and therefore Hashem, I ask You, please will You help me to internalize the emunah, the belief that there is nothing more in the world that can help me than You exclusively, and the wisest thing for me to do when making my decisions would be to talk to You and ask You to guide me and thereafter I know and trust that You will direct me in the right direction. At the same time, Hashem, the normal way of the world is not to work in this way. People usually rely on their own cunning and logic to make decisions, and everything around me seems to dictate to do so, and in fact it is quite difficult to believe that talking to You and asking You to help me is a wise course, because I don't see You and I don't hear You, and very often even after I do talk to You, I still don't have clarity as to what to do. But Hashem, please help me to follow the Torah's perspective and grow in my belief that You exclusively are the One who has always guided me, who is guiding me, and always will guide me in the right direction.”

587

532 - Tests & Decisions (Part-7)

Feb 5, 2026

5:09

When trying to make a decision and pass the tests that Hashem presents us, we've discussed that one of the most advisable things to do is to talk to Hashem and ask Him for guidance as to what would be the right perspective and response to this circumstance and situation. One might ask, even if I have davened to Hashem, asking for clarity, how do I know that after I have done so, I will be making the right decision? In times of old, we had prophets where one was able to go and seek guidance and know, as a matter of fact, that the conclusion that they would tell us and the guidance they would give us, was for sure Hashem's perspective and the right thing to do, even if it was counterintuitive. But seeing as we don't have prophecy anymore and we don't hear Hashem's voice in a vivid, apparent way, how can I be so certain, even after prayer, that this is truly what Hashem wants me to do? It is important to emphasize that the more we believe, the more we will pray, because there is quite a big difference between somebody who is choosing to invest 30 seconds into personal prayer, as opposed to another individual who might be investing 30 minutes into personal prayer, and somebody else who might be investing three hours into personal prayer. The more one is motivated to invest in terms of their time they are committing to praying to Hashem, because they are internalizing the belief that Hashem does exist and is listening to me, and therefore, rather than running around sometimes like a chicken without a head, trying to make the right decision, it would be much more advisable to go to the source of all, to Hashem, and ask Him, “show me the right direction.” Sometimes, when facing a decision, we could spend many hours thinking about it, researching the topic and speaking to other people, and coming out more confused, even after having invested many hours trying to find our solution. And other times, we seem to find clarity quite easily. Why is that? The true answer is not because we have amazing brains which are able to view the situation in the correct way and come up with the right answer. If we really internalize that ein od milvado – Hashem exclusively runs every minor detail in this world down to the last degree, we understand that Hashem is the one who puts the thoughts in our minds and gives us the feeling and intuition in our hearts. And therefore, the more we believe that Hashem is there running the show exclusively, the more time we will invest into our prayers before making decisions, and the more sincere we will be when making those prayers, even if we are not there today. It is very valid and commendable to say, “Hashem, I want to believe that You are completely running the show, but I just don't feel that emunah yet. Please, Hashem, can You help me reach a situation where I am able to see and feel the truth that rather than running around like a chicken without a head sometimes, I will rather choose to spend more time asking You for clarity and guidance.” And after having prayed to Hashem within our maximum capacity, doing the best that we can, how do I know that thereafter what I will choose to do will be the right decision? And the answer is, I do not know. I cannot know in this world. The whole point of this world is to experience different circumstances and situations and have the opportunity to make a choice, sometimes the right choice, sometimes the wrong choice, and very often, perhaps most of the time, we do not even know if we are choosing right. In the next world, we will see if we have chosen right. But in this world, that is not our job; that is Hashem's job. Our job is to make our maximum effort, to try our best. Different perspectives will define what it means to try one's best in different ways. We want to follow Hashem's perspective. And what can be greater than asking Hashem Himself with true sincerity to guide me. “Hashem, please guide me to make my decision in the correct way based on Your perspective.”

588

533 - Tests & Decisions (Part-8)

Feb 6, 2026

4:14

We've discussed that when facing decisions that we might have to make, one of the wisest things to do is to talk to Hashem and ask Him for guidance as to which way to turn in this situation, because as discussed many times, if I'm not able to humble myself, to realize that I am limited - I am susceptible to mistakes; I have vested interests; I have spiritual contamination - and it is very possible that even if it seems like this is the correct decision to make, I might very well be making a mistake. And therefore, it would be so advisable to ask Hashem for guidance. We all have the constant opportunity to talk to Hashem at every given moment in our own words, asking Him to guide us in the right way. As mentioned, after having talked to Hashem and having asked Him to guide us in the right way, we now have to make a practical decision. In times of old, we might have had a prophet telling us with absolute certainty what Hashem's will was. Today, most of the time, we have to make a decision still in the dark. I do not know, ultimately, if I have made the right decision, but that is not my business. Hashem is the one who is in charge of that. My job is to make my maximum effort to do my best in making the correct decision. We've mentioned before a powerful analogy which helps illustrate this concept. Imagine an emergency ward where there are numerous doctors, usually on call. One particular time, these doctors need to go away for a certain important meeting and are not able to be on call. And they bring in an alternative doctor and leave him with the instructions of how to look after the patients. But they warn the doctor in a staunch way, "while you are on call, things might be calm. If that is the case, then continue the evening as usual. However, if things do get dramatic and intense, please call for help, because if you don't, the situation will be too much for you, and even if you try your best, you might not be able to handle it." As the doctor approaches his shift, he feels motivated to have a successful evening. And as he starts the evening, things are calm. But as the evening progresses, one patient requires help, thereafter another patient requires some help, and soon there is turmoil and he is not managing so well on his own. But perhaps because of his arrogance, he does not opt to call for help, but he works super hard throughout the night. In fact, because of him, numerous patients' lives might have been saved, but unfortunately at the end of the evening, one patient died. And upon the regular doctors' return, they accuse the stand-in doctor of being a murderer. And although he tried his best - he worked super hard throughout his shift, nevertheless, he did not call for help when he needed to; because he was limited, his maximum capacity was not enough to take care of the situation. We need to humble ourselves that we, with our maximum capacities, are limited and prone to mistake and making the wrong decisions, and therefore, Hashem calls on us to talk to Him and ask Him for help. "Thank you Hashem for the constant opportunity to ask you for guidance in how to make decisions in my life."

589

534 - Simcha (Part-1)

Feb 8, 2026

4:16

If we were to ask many people as to what the purpose of their existence is, why do they live on a moment-to-moment basis? Many people, well-meaning people, but perhaps who haven't learnt the topic and sources from a perspective beyond our own - which can be mistaken. Many people would tend to answer that the reason we are alive is to be happy, to seek happiness. And in fact, many people try to find ways throughout their lives to fulfil this need and want to be happy. Now again, we've learnt before that we are privileged to have the view of Hashem, to see from His viewpoint, the view of the Torah, the undistorted, absolute perfect perspective that only Hashem can have as to why we exist. Very briefly, we broke it down into four steps from the Torah sources. Number one, Hashem created us only to give to us. That's the only reason. He had a desire to give to us. He needed a recipient in order to receive that goodness, and therefore He created us. Number two, we said that goodness truthfully takes place in Olam Haba - in the next world, not in this world. Although sometimes we may have pleasant experiences in this world, ultimately the real true goodness that we are to receive is not due in this world. It's due in Olam Haba, in the next world, which as the Gemara says, our brains cannot even begin to comprehend the level of pleasure and goodness that we are due to receive there, it is so great. Step number three, that being the case, why did Hashem put us in this world at all? We all know that there are many challenges in this world, so why put us here? Just send us straight to the true intended address, to the next world, to bask in Your great light. And we answered that again from the Torah sources, that we're in this world for one purpose, in order to earn the next world. Hashem in His great wisdom understood that if we have the opportunity to earn something and we're successful in that endeavor, our pleasure in the next world will be much greater than if He just gave it to us as a complete gift. Step number four, how does one earn the next world on a moment-to-moment basis? What do we do to go about earning the next world in the most efficient way? And as we've discussed many times, the answer is one word, emunah, faith in Hashem. So again, backtracking, although many people believe that the ultimate purpose of their life is to find happiness, we know from a much deeper place, from Hashem's point of view, that the ultimate purpose is actually not necessarily happiness. The ultimate purpose is to practice emunah, bitachon, and everything that that stands for, and ultimately one day bask in Hashem's goodness and there truthfully be happy in Olam Haba. However, many, many verses and other Torah sources from other Torah literature, which B’ezrat Hashem, in the future, we will go through more intricately, many Torah sources explain that somebody who has emunah and bitachon, somebody who's living their life according to the values of emunah and bitachon, will be happy, even in Olam Hazeh, even in this world. So again, we're not ultimately seeking happiness if we're serious about being alive and fulfilling our purpose, but if we're doing what we're supposed to, striving to live and grow by the values of emunah and bitachon, ultimately, not only are we achieving our purpose in this world, but we will also actually achieve happiness. The goal that many people see as the purpose of their life, somebody who lives with emunah and bitachon will be the happiest person to their maximum potential. Let's explain this a little bit further. It's fascinating to point out that the Torah recounts many curses that could befall the Jewish people, and the Torah says that ultimately, the reason those curses could befall us is because we did not serve Hashem with simcha, with happiness. How can there be such severe consequences for somebody who's not being happy? Maybe they just don't feel it today? How can the Torah proclaim that many curses will befall the Jewish people? For which sin? For one sin - Because you didn't serve Hashem with Simcha. Maybe we fulfilled all the commandments perfectly, but if we didn't do it with simcha, with happiness, we are potentially, chas v'shalom, susceptible to those curses. How can the Torah be so strict with us and require us to be happy? And the simple answer is that somebody who's living with sincere emunah and bitachon feels completely calm and relaxed because they know that Hashem is running their life. The most powerful being in the world, who has control and power over anything and everything else, is intimately involved in my life, orchestrating each detail. What greater happiness could there be? Sit back, relax, and enjoy, because I'm in the greatest possible hands, hands that cannot fail, hands that are wiser and more powerful than anything and everyone else, and care about me more than I could care about myself. So, when we perform the mitzvos and live our life according to the right practices, but we don't do so with simcha, with happiness, in a sense we're ignoring Hashem. We feel like we're doing something, we're in control, and therefore we come to anxiety, we come to a lack of happiness. Whereas when we truly include Hashem in our lives, we will be the happiest people that can possibly be.

590

535 - Simcha (Part-2)

Feb 9, 2026

5:25

We've spoken about the fact that when one practices emunah and bitachon and makes this the central focal point of their life, making every effort to grow and grow in our emunah and our bitachon, besides the fact that we're fulfilling our life's mission in being created, as the Ramban and many others say - the only reason that we were created is to have emunah and bitachon - besides for fulfilling our life's mission, emunah and bitachon leads to a life of bliss, a life of happiness. As recounted by many Torah sources, one who is living by the values of emunah and bitachon will live a happy life, an anxious free life, a life full of serenity. Now, a person may say, “well, that's very nice, but I'm not there. I have many downtimes in my life. Does that mean emunah and bitachon is not for me, perhaps? And the answer is, God forbid. Our life's work is not to succeed in emunah and bitachon and everything that that comes with. Our life's work is to make an effort - to try our best to succeed and excel in emunah and bitachon. We do not determine the results in any area of our lives, including how successful we will be in our emunah and our bitachon. But what we do have the capacity to do is to make our maximum effort to grow each day, each moment. So if I'm not a hundred percent happy in my life, but I'm growing, and a certain situation that could have triggered me to be 10 out of 10 anxious or 10 out of 10 angry, and now because of my efforts in striving to grow in my emunah, learning about emunah, trying to seek inspiration about emunah and bitachon, and today that same situation presents itself and I'm only anxious 9 out of 10. Still very anxious or still very angry, but only 9 out of 10. This is one of the greatest success stories that there can be. It's not about achieving what people usually see as success. It's about growing each moment. So again, our effort needs to be to grow in emunah and bitachon, which ultimately leads to simcha, to happiness. I once came across a fantastic analogy from Rav Shalom Arush that explains this concept beautifully. He said that there was a child in a certain family who was absolutely adamant that he had to be the driver of the car, and every time they would get in the car he would go to the driver's seat, and they'd have to move him out, and every time they'd move him out he'd scream and shout. So what they did one day, they installed a fake steering wheel in the passenger seat, and this child was placed in the passenger seat, and as they were driving he was steering his wheel thinking that he was driving the car. We all understand that the child was actually doing nothing. The adult in the driver's seat is driving the car. In the same way, when we feel that we're the boss of our own lives, when we feel that we're orchestrating and navigating the details to our own lives, that is one of the greatest causes for anxiety, for lack of serenity, for lack of peace, because there are so many dangers, so much evil, so many things that could catch us out, people, situations etc, and therefore sometimes we act like that little child, as if we're steering the wheel, and sometimes we have momentary fake happiness, thinking, “oh wow, look how well I'm steering the wheel of life, look how well I'm running my life.” However, when we realize that we're not actually driving the car, or when we have an accident, and then it really hits us how we had no control, all that happiness fades away, and one realizes that it wasn't true happiness. When one lets go to the real driver and acknowledges and internalizes everything in my life from A to Z is orchestrated exclusively by Hashem - I might have an obligation to make an effort but my efforts do not affect the way the car drives - the way my life will navigate; It is exclusively, only up to Hashem. When I live that way, there can be no greater simcha in the world, and that's why the Torah recounts so many times in many Torah sources that one who lives with true emunah will be serene, will be happy, because I know that the most powerful being, Hashem, is exclusively leading my life.

591

536 - Simcha (Part-3)

Feb 10, 2026

5:15

The most important question that we can ask ourselves is, why do I exist? Why am I alive? We've discussed the Torah's viewpoint to this question, that Hashem created us only to give to us, and ultimately that reward we will receive in the next world; we're in this world just to earn our place in the next world, and ultimately our most potent method of earning the next world is by practicing and building our Emunah and Bitachon. Although our ultimate purpose of being alive is exclusively to have Emunah and Bitachon, nevertheless, as we've discussed, an amazing fringe benefit, even in this world, of living a life of sincere Emunah and Bitachon, is that one lives with happiness, serenity and calm. The reason for that is because when we feel that the destiny to our lives belongs in our own hands, that feeling can potentially lead to tremendous anxiety, because if it's all up to me, I've got to be super careful that I don't mess up, and if I do make a mistake, maybe everything is going to go downhill going forward. Whereas, when one is able to acknowledge and accept that everything in my life is personally orchestrated by Hashem, down to the most minor detail, one is then able to live with serenity and calm because I know that the all-powerful Master of the universe is personally orchestrating my life and only does what is good for me. Therefore, when one lives with Emunah and Bitachon, automatically one feels a tremendous sense of serenity, of peace, of calm, of happiness, because my happiness is now not related to circumstance. There can be many challenging circumstances that one may have to face, but my happiness is not based on my circumstances. Even if I am experiencing challenges, my feeling of calm comes from the fact that I know I am in the safest place that can possibly be. The verse in Tehillim compares our reliance on Hashem to the reliance a young baby who is still nursing has on its mother. A young baby who experiences any form of stress, maybe it's cold, it's hungry; as soon as the baby begins to feed from its mother, it automatically feels a tremendous sense of calm because the baby knows that this is its safest place in the world. The mother is always the one who has been there for the baby to sustain it and feed it and give it everything it needs. The Vilna Gaon based on this verse in Tehillim compares this to the Jewish people's Emunah that we have for Hashem. Just like a baby who relies on its mother feels a tremendous sense of peace, calm and tranquility, so too when we rely on Hashem, we feel happy, calm, peaceful, but not to the same extent that a baby feels towards its mother - a billion times stronger. Because as loving as a mother is, a mother is a human being and limited. Even though she may have the most well-meaning heart, nevertheless, she is still limited by her human limitations, whereas Hashem is completely unlimited, independent of anything and everything else. When we choose to rely on Hashem, we will live a life of happiness, calm and serenity.

592

537 - Simcha (Part-4)

Feb 11, 2026

4:15

As we've discussed, one who lives with sincere emunah and reliance on Hashem will be happy, calm, serene, because they're not anxious about the curveballs that life throws at them, because I know that Hashem is in control of every single most tiny detail in my life, and Hashem is bigger and stronger than any curveball. So besides fulfilling our reason for being alive - as many Torah commentaries discuss, the main way to earn our olam haba, our reward in the next world, is by practicing and growing in our emunah and bitachon, additionally, there are many Torah sources that highlight that when one lives with emunah and bitachon, that will lead to happiness. When one is anxious, unhappy, much of the time that could be due to the fact that I'm not sincerely relying on Hashem, that He is taking care of me, because if I know I have His insurance through any and every situation, it would certainly make me feel a lot calmer through all of life's tests. Being unhappy when we're able to be happy is a sin to the point that the Torah actually mentions numerous curses that could befall the Jewish people, and the Torah says that the reason these curses could befall the Jewish people is because we did not serve Hashem with happiness. We may have performed all of the mitzvos in the most perfect way; we may have learned Torah; we may have davened and even succeeded and excelled in our personal relationship with Hashem through personal prayer; but if we serve Hashem without enthusiasm, happiness and joy, the Torah warns that numerous very serious and severe curses could befall us just because of our lack of simcha, of joy, of happiness. Why is it so important to serve Hashem with simcha? Maybe today we just don't feel the happiness, but at least we're performing everything in the way that Hashem said. It is certainly absolutely vital to perform the mitzvos in exactly the way that Hashem prescribed, because if that's what He said, it must be that is the best way to connect. However, we need to remind ourselves that the Torah specifically highlights curses that could befall us even if we do everything right on paper. But if we're missing the ingredient of joy and happiness in our service to Hashem, we are missing one of the main components of serving Hashem, and that is because our purpose in this world, as mentioned many times by many Torah commentaries, is ultimately to express our belief - our emunah in Hashem, and by being calm and relaxed, that is a result of our true reliance on Hashem, because if we know that He is in absolute control, we will be the happiest people in the world.

593

538 - Simcha (Part-5)

Feb 12, 2026

5:37

We've discussed many times that when a person lives with sincere emunah and bitachon, that automatically leads to a life of joy, happiness, calm, and serenity, because I know that I'm not in control of the circumstances that will transpire through my life, and therefore I'm able to let go, relax, enjoy, and live calmly, because I know that Hashem, the all-powerful Master of the universe, is running every single detail and occurrence that will transpire in my life. We know from numerous Torah sources that the more we grow in our emunah and bitachon, the more we will feel calm and happy knowing that we're in Hashem's hands. We have many mitzvos that Hashem has given us. Hashem commanded us to keep Shabbos, to keep kosher, to shake a lulav, to eat matzah, to light Chanukah candles etc. We have many mitzvos. The question is, why is there no commandment to be happy? If being happy is such a fundamental principle in Judaism, to the point that the Torah outlines that although we may have performed all the mitzvos perfectly, if we don't do so with joy and happiness, there are numerous awful curses that could befall us, so it's clear that happiness and joy is something very fundamental for our service to Hashem. If having happiness and joy is such a fundamental principle to Torah and being a Jew, why do we not have an explicit commandment in the Torah, commanding us, you are obligated to be happy? And in the same way, we could ask if the sole reason that we exist in this world is to have and grow in our emunah in Hashem, as taught by the Torah commentaries - some Torah commentaries understand that the obligation to have emunah is actually the first of the Ten Commandments, so important is it to have emunah that it starts right at the beginning, the first of the Ten Commandments. However, other commentaries understand that there is no mitzvah in the Torah to have emunah. The first commandment refers to something else. Now let's not make a mistake; according to everybody, even those who learn and understand that to have emunah is not a commandment in the Torah, they nevertheless agree that the only reason we exist in this world and the purpose and reason for all of the mitzvos and anything we do in our service to Hashem is for the sake of our emunah and bitachon. Why then, according to many commentaries, is there no mitzvah in the Torah to have emunah? And the answer is, as the commentaries explain, that emunah is such a fundamental cornerstone and foundation of Judaism to the point that the whole Torah in a sense, can't apply unless it is built on top of the foundation of emunah. So, it's not that emunah is not important enough to be a mitzvah, it's exactly the opposite. It's because emunah is so important, it can't even be a mitzvah because nothing can apply if we don't have emunah. So again, why is there no explicit commandment obligating us to serve Hashem with happiness? And why is there no explicit commandment, according to many Torah commentaries, to have emunah in Hashem? And the answer is - not because it's less important to work on becoming happy, joyful, and live a life of emunah - but exactly the opposite - because emunah and simcha are the foundations to the whole Torah, and in a sense, the entire Torah is stated thereafter, taking for granted that obviously emunah and simcha and the like are the foundations of Judaism and are of even higher priority than the entire Torah. So, because having emunah and simcha are so important and a foundation to the entire Torah, that is why there is no outright command to practice them. The foundation to being a Jew is living a life of simcha and emunah.

594

539 - Simcha (Part-6)

Feb 13, 2026

4:33

The main reason that we are striving to grow in our emunah endeavor, is because Hashem has commanded us to do so and has told us that by doing so, this will be the main way that we will earn our place in eternity. However, it is motivating to highlight that there are many fringe benefits to living a life of emunah. A life without emunah leads to anxiety, anger, and blaming others, whereas a life with emunah leads to calm, happiness, and situations where we don't try to blame other people for our challenges. Let's take the following example. I have a critical appointment scheduled in one hour from now. I intend to get on the next bus, which is scheduled to arrive in the next five minutes and will be a 40-minute drive, and therefore I will arrive 15 minutes early at this critical appointment, which is perfect. When the bus arrives, I get on and take a seat. After about 15 minutes of being on the road, I notice that we are not moving, and I look out the window and see that the traffic is at a completely unusual, absolute standstill. I start panicking. I know that I've got a critical appointment coming up very soon that it now looks like I am going to miss. I start feeling angry, perhaps at Hashem for making this happen, and perhaps at the driver for taking this route. I might even blurt out and say, "why did you take this route? There's another very perfect route that has no standstill traffic currently on. You know that I have a critical appointment today, and because of you choosing to take this route, I am going to miss it." An absolutely absurd response, but sometimes what anxiety and panic can lead to would be for me to try and push the seat in front of me forward as if that's going to make the bus go faster, which would of course be ridiculous. Whereas the approach of Emunah would say, "I'm on the bus now. There is a standstill traffic jam. Okay, this is obviously what Hashem willed." If I am able to do something practical such as there is a side road that I can catch a cab, which would get me there quicker, there is certainly nothing wrong with doing that. Let's say that is not an alternative solution. I can say to myself, you know, although this is a critical appointment, I was not irresponsible in the time that I left; I even gave myself an extra 15 minutes, and there is almost never traffic like this on this main road. It is clearly Hashem sending me this challenge. And if I am going to miss this critical appointment, as detrimental as the ramifications might seem to be, this is obviously what is best for me. And let's say the driver even did mistakenly take the wrong route. If I have an approach of Emunah, I will not go up to the bus driver and scream at him for taking the wrong route and now delaying me, because I will realize that the bus driver is just a puppet of Hashem, and if he took this route today, it is only because Hashem planted that idea in his head. Of course, I am always entitled and it is recommended to make an effort in advance. For example, if I know that a certain road might have a lot of traffic today, before we leave on the journey, it is certainly permitted and recommended to go up to the bus driver and say, "you know there is traffic on a certain road today, let's not go that route." But once all has already happened, what is the point of getting angry? Anger leads to bitter feelings. One can ruin someone else's day, someone else's life. And the truth is that when one gets angry, one ruins one's own day, one's own life. "Thank you Hashem for giving me the gift of Emunah, not only to fulfill my purpose in this world, which is the ultimate reason for doing so, but also the amazing benefits of being able to live a calm life, a life where I don't get angry at other people, and a life full of happiness."

595

540 - Simcha (Part-7)

Feb 15, 2026

4:29

Although the main benefit of living a life of Emunah and Bitachon is that we thereby are fulfilling our purpose in this world, which is ultimately for the sake of our reward in the next world, however, as discussed many times, one who lives with Emunah and Bitachon gains tremendous fringe benefits in terms of the quality of one's life in this world itself. Many Torah commentaries, such as the Vilna Gaon to Mishlei, chapter 18 verse 14, as well as the Metzudas David to Mishlei, chapter 17 verse 22, write that when an individual is always in a happy state, even when illness strikes, God forbid, that individual will come out of the sickness due to his state of happiness. Happiness is a cure for the body, whereas low spirits cause illness. Many Torah commentaries bring this idea on similar lines - that when we keep in a state of happiness, not only does that prevent us from falling to illness, but even if one is currently ill, being in a happy state might be one of the greatest medications that we might try and seek out. And again, when one is living a life without Bitachon, there is so much reason to feel feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression for many of the things that are transpiring. When one takes a look at the news and sees the tremendous suffering that so many are experiencing, without an attitude of Bitachon, one realizes how there is actually so much reason to feel anxious, depressed, and other bitter feelings. And similarly, with regards to my own life, if I don't have it loud and clear in my heart and mind that Hashem is running every minute detail in my life, there is so much reason to fall to depression and anxiety much of the time. Whereas, when I truly internalize that Hashem is exclusively pulling every single string in my life, and I internalize that Hashem is incomparably greater than any other being that exists in our human world, regardless of how much power they might seem to have, I am then able to move towards a life of complete calm and serenity and happiness. The more emunah and bitachon that we build in our lives, the more serene, calm, and happy we will feel. And as discussed, perhaps two of the main factors that can contribute to our growth in emunah and bitachon is firstly, to constantly expose ourselves to Torah study, and perhaps in particular, Torah inspiration about emunah and bitachon, because when doing so, we then learn Hashem's perspective and are able to contemplate on those ideas throughout our day; and secondly, we have the tremendous gift to reach out to Hashem about anything. And always, the solution to all problems that is available to every single one of us is the opportunity to ask Hashem, the Creator of the world and the One who guides each moment of our lives and everybody's lives, to help us in what we are trying to succeed in. "Hashem, please, can You help me to succeed in living a true life of emunah and bitachon. I know that this is ultimately the real reason that You created me for - to be close with You and experience my true reward in the next world. And as You've taught us by many Torah sources, the main way to do so is by me making efforts in growing in my emunah and bittachon. Hashem, please, can You help me to really grow and be sincere in living a life of reliance on You, and not relying on anybody else, nor anything else. And at the same time, Hashem, You've taught us that when one does live a life of emunah and bitachon, that will then lead to a life of true happiness. Because why should I worry about anything when I know that You are completely running every single moment and every single detail to my life, so what is there to worry about? Even if at times it might seem like the situation might be dire, however, I know, Hashem, that You exclusively are running the show and You will only do what is best for me. Please, Hashem, help me to truly internalize the values of emunah and bitachon, and thereby live a life of true happiness."

596

541 - Simcha (Part-8)

Feb 16, 2026

4:26

We've been discussing one of the tremendous fringe benefits of living a life of emunah and bitachon, that not only do we thereby gain the highest place that we can for ourselves in the next world, which is ultimately the purpose of being alive, but additionally, the quality of our lives can be transformed completely when we choose to live a life of true emunah and true bitachon. Because again, if I believe that I am slave to my circumstances or people around me that might be more powerful - perhaps I might be dependent on them in one way or another, then, when my situation seems to be quite dire, and this individual, who has always been the one to help me, might have had a change of heart, or perhaps the army, that I might have always relied on to be unshakable and unbreakable, had a huge breach in an unthinkable way, if I forget to bring Hashem into the picture, it is very easy to fall into feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and depression. And similarly, if I have been married for numerous years and always dreamed, hoped, and prayed for the opportunity to be able to mother a family, but for whatever reason, Hashem has not blessed me with children, of course we are allowed to feel our feelings of pain. And in fact, the halacha is that when a close family member dies, we are supposed to mourn. However, the halacha also dictates that after the period of mourning, we are supposed to make our maximum effort to continue with the happy and vibrant lives that we have the opportunity to live, and if I as a mother have not been blessed with children, if I do not have it loud and clear in my heart and mind that Hashem is absolutely in control of every intricate detail in every single one of our lives, it might be quite easy to fall into a depression and feelings of hopelessness. It seems unfair. Why is it that so many around me, with barely any effort, perhaps they didn't even pray for it, but they had the privilege of mothering many children, and me, after many hours of prayer, it seems to be that Hashem is not listening to me. Does that seem fair? As we've discussed many times, there are many levels to what it means to live a life of emunah and bitachon. And of course, the highest levels would dictate that a person is happy to the point of singing and dancing throughout their lives, regardless of what might be transpiring, because they are so clear that everything that is happening during their lives is completely and exclusively ordained by Hashem. However, we are not expected to be more than we can be. All Hashem does expect from us is to make our maximum effort to be the best that we can. And every day we have the opportunity to grow a little bit more, in relying a little bit more on Hashem, and moving more towards the direction of feelings of calm and happiness, regardless of my circumstances. "Hashem, my Father, I am reaching out to You because of this terminal illness that You have diagnosed upon me. My instinctive response, Hashem, is to feel feelings of panic and anxiety. Hashem, please help me not to panic, and to truly internalize that I am not dependent on the doctors nor on the medication. Hashem, just like You brought this illness upon me, in a flash You could take it away, even if statistics have predicted otherwise. Because I know, Hashem, that You are not bound by the normal laws of nature, but rather You are the one who creates nature every single moment. And if You would decide to make me better, You could do so in an instant. And therefore, Hashem, I am begging You, please will You heal me. However, perhaps even more importantly, Hashem, I am begging You to help me to remain in a state of true emunah and bitachon, that regardless of what I am going through, please, Hashem, help me to truly internalize that it is exclusively coming from You. Although You have given me a mitzvah to make a practical effort at times to see doctors and medication, however, please, Hashem, help me not to fall into the trap of believing that that is what is helping me. Thank You, Hashem, for giving me the opportunity to work towards a life of true happiness."

597

542 - Simcha (Part-9)

Feb 17, 2026

4:21

We've been discussing how when one lives a life of true emunah and bitachon, there are tremendous benefits to the quality of our lives. When circumstances present themselves that might instinctively lead towards feelings of anxiety and depression, the more we move towards a life of true reliance on Hashem, internalizing that no individual nor circumstance can contribute anything towards my life, because I have learned in the verse that ein od milvado - there is nothing else except for Hashem, and ultimately everything that transpires throughout my life and to the world at large is completely an expression of Hashem Himself personally orchestrating every single detail, and that being the case, knowing that Hashem only wants the best for mem and there is no individual nor circumstance that can even slightly impinge upon Hashem's plans, there is nothing to feel anxious and upset about. It is so important to highlight that when we learn these Torah passages, the objective is to realize that emunah is our life's work, and it's so important to encourage ourselves that even the slightest step that I might take is a true success story. Hashem expects from us to take the inspiration that we are learning and just become a little bit better each day. So if I am currently employed and financially comfortable, but my contract expires in a year's time from now, and I might have feelings of tremendous anxiety, perhaps sometimes having sleepless nights, or perhaps at other times going into long periods of depression and worry, I may not be expected to climb to such a level of emunah and bitachon, where I feel no feelings of anxiety; but perhaps if I am able to just take a few minutes to myself to try and contemplate on the fact that Hashem was the one who gave me this job opportunity in the first place, and just like before I found this opportunity, I had no idea what my future course was going to be and even though it appeared like I suddenly received this opportunity due to luck or due to my connections, I know that in truth, Hashem was pulling all of those strings, and He was the one who made the situation present itself as it did, and just like He provided for me then, He will not abandon me in a year's time. "Hashem, I am feeling tremendously anxious. I know that You are the one who has run my life up until now, and You are the one who gave me my current job opportunity. And even though in truth, Hashem, I am trying to work towards a place of internalizing, that You will always come through for me, and in a year's time when my contract expires, You will help me and provide for me with the next opportunity that You will send me, however, I am feeling tremendously anxious. Hashem, please help me to internalize that it is You exclusively who runs my life, and just like You came through for me previously, You will come through for me again." And although I am now called on to make a practical effort to try to find a new opportunity for the coming year, however, when I am able to internalize that my efforts are not what is going to provide me my opportunity, and even if I feel like I might have not found the right solution to my problem, but if I am able to internalize that only Hashem exclusively is the one who is able to find a solution to my problem, I might then be able to move towards a slightly less anxious life. As we have learned many times from Torah sources, emunah and bitachon is available to every single one of us. Hashem created us and has tailor-made all the details to my life to be best suited exactly for me. And regardless of my spiritual level, I have the constant opportunity to reach out to Hashem to help me for more emunah, for more bitachon, and for more simcha.

598

543 - Simcha (Part-10)

Feb 18, 2026

4:46

We've been discussing how Emunah and Bitachon is something available to every single one of us. It's tremendously encouraging to take to heart what the many Torah sources teach us, that Emunah and Bitachon are completely independent of our actions. And although we are certainly called on to do our best to avoid sin and do as many mitzvos as we can, nevertheless the opportunity to have Bitachon and rely on Hashem is completely independent of our scorecard. Sometimes the evil inclination makes us feel that only when we are thriving spiritually, then we have a license to talk to Hashem to help us succeed in all areas of our lives. But as we've learned many times, that is not the case. The opportunity to rely on Hashem is available to every single one of us, regardless of our actions. And as the Ramban, Rabbeinu Yona, Rav Tzaddok HaKohen, and other Torah commentaries point out, that even a thief who certainly knows he's doing the wrong thing by making an effort to go and steal from another individual, if he stops for a moment and chooses to rely on Hashem to some degree, Hashem will help him in his endeavors. The power of Emunah and Bitachon is beyond imagination, and it is so important to realize that it is available to every single one of us. And therefore, we all are called on to make use of this tremendous gift that Hashem has given us. We've been discussing how the more Emunah and Bitachon we bring into our lives, the more feelings of calm, serenity, and happiness we will feel. Torah commentaries teach that at face value, there are more times of challenge and difficulty that we all experience throughout our lives than times of calm, peace, and tranquility. And without an attitude and perspective of Emunah and Bitachon, much of the time we will instinctively fall into feelings of depression, anxiety, and worry. And again, although we are certainly not to feel feelings of guilt for having these emotions, because we are human and Hashem created us, seeing the right perspective helps us to aim in the right direction. If I am currently looking for a marriage partner, and the years are passing, and for whatever reason Hashem has not yet blessed me to find my marriage partner, without making a concentrated effort to moving towards living a life of true Emunah and Bitachon, which will lead to feelings of happiness and serenity, instinctively, this situation will cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and the like. Just taking one step towards a life of more Emunah and Bitachon can transform our lives to degrees beyond our imagination. "Hashem, Master of the Universe, thank You so much for giving me the opportunity to talk to You. I know that truthfully, the only thing that can help me in my situation to feel more feelings of calm and less feelings of anxiety, is if I reach out to You. Because although I've learnt Your perspective and the real truth of the situation, that You Hashem are completely exclusively running the show, and if I have not yet found my marriage partner, that is because You have not yet sent him, and regardless of what efforts I might make, if You choose to not send him to me, there is no way I can find him, and at the same time, when You decide it is the time for me to find my marriage partner, there is no question that I will find my husband without even a second delay after the time that You have decreed, and if I am able to take this to heart, Hashem, there is no question that I will feel much less anxious about each moment that passes without finding my marriage partner. At the same time, Hashem, much of the time, I am feeling tremendous feelings of anxiety and it is tremendously painful. Please Hashem, help me that You do send me my marriage partner as soon as possible. And additionally, Hashem, please help me that in the interim, until You do send me my marriage partner, that I remain in a place of true emunah and bitachon, and each day I grow more and more to living by Your perspective, that You are exclusively running the show, and thereby, Hashem, please help me each day to move more towards living a life of true happiness."

599

529 - Tests & Decisions (Part-4)

Feb 2, 2026

5:02

HaShem created the world in order that we have the opportunity to pass the tests that He presents us, and by doing so, earning our place in the next world. We've discussed that sometimes, when making decisions, it would be appropriate to look at Torah literature that is relevant to our circumstance, if that is applicable in this situation. And at the same time, many times, taking Daas Torah, seeking guidance from Torah sages, is one of the basic foundations of the Torah's perspective in making decisions. If we are to ask an individual who has not particularly thought about this question, how do you expect to find the right course of action in your life? Many would answer, HaShem has given me a brain, and I am expected to use that brain to make the right decisions. Although ultimately, after everything is said and done, that might be what we are supposed to do, it is worthwhile to point out that throughout the stories of the Torah, we find many cases of individuals that were completely righteous and nevertheless committed some of the most grave form of sins. One example is the episode of Korach in the Torah, who as taught by many Torah sources, was known to have been one of the most righteous individuals of the generation, and as taught by the sages, following his thought process, thinking he was making the right decisions sincerely for the sake of HaShem. Nevertheless, we see that in the end, his decision was completely mistaken and wrong, and had very dramatically negative consequences. And in the same vein, we find throughout Tanach many characters who were on a level of righteousness that we could only imagine and dream about, but nevertheless, at the end of the story, they landed up in places that we wouldn't even fathom about doing such sinful and evil acts. One example is a very great Torah sage and personality in the times of Shlomo HaMelech, Yeravam ben Nevat, who initially was a Torah sage of highest caliber, accompanied by his righteousness to levels that again we could only dream about, and at the end of the story, he managed to convince thousands and thousands of people to serve idols in the form of golden calves. Even though we have a well-known episode in the Torah itself outlining to us explicitly what a serious prohibition that is, but based on clever and logical reasoning that he explained why what he was doing was really the will of HaShem, he was led down this mistaken and sinful path. And again, we find many examples throughout the Torah and Tanach and throughout Jewish history of people who were sincerely trying to do the right thing, living lives of righteousness beyond anything we can imagine, and nevertheless were led astray based on following their own logic and thought process and ideas of their own which eventually brought them to places of tremendous sin and gravely severe consequences. So that being the case, how can I be confident that I am not making a mistake in what seems logical to me and my thought process, knowing that I am certainly not as righteous as many of those characters that made mistakes throughout Torah literature? It would seem very worthwhile to humble ourselves, to realize that I am limited by my human nature and my human limitations, and we should also remind ourselves that it very well could be that the reason my mind and heart are guiding me to take a certain course of action and make this particular decision is because I have a vested interest in doing so, and not necessarily because this would ideally be the will of HaShem. Again, if it would be something obvious as to what would be the right course of action, for many of us, we would make the right decision, but much of the time it is not obvious as to what HaShem would want from us. So how are we to find HaShem's perspective, the only absolutely true perspective?

600

545 - Simcha (Part-12)

Feb 20, 2026

4:16

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity that every single one of us has to perform the great mitzvah of giving somebody a smile. And as the Gemara in Kesubos, page 111b states, that a person who smiles at his fellow is better than one who gives him milk, and as mentioned, although we certainly are encouraged to invest both in terms of our time, energy and money to perform all of the mitzvos, because what is anything worth in this world compared to the eternal value of a mitzvah, however, some mitzvos are so easy to fulfill both in terms of our time, energy and financial investment that they are available to us constantly throughout the day, every day. Smiling at another individual is a huge mitzvah that is available to us constantly. Many a time, just giving a smile to somebody else can turn around their day from feelings of hopelessness and anxiety to just that little bit more upbeat. One of the reasons that it is such a big mitzvah to smile and bring happiness to another individual is because as Torah commentaries teach, when one is in a happy state, we are much, much more productive and able to excel in our endeavors, both with regards to the day-to-day activities that we might need to perform, and in particular with regards to excelling in our spiritual endeavors. When one is not feeling upbeat and happy, it is much more difficult to reach out to Hashem and talk to Him, to learn Torah, to perform an act of kindness and the like, whereas when one is feeling happy and in a good space, much of the time there is much more feeling of motivation to do good. With just a little bit of an effort to give somebody a sincere smile, one can change the day and the life of an individual who is experiencing loneliness, depression, anxiety from whatever challenges they might be going through. The Gemara in Taanis 22a records the following episode and states, Rabbi Beroka often spent time in the marketplace and Elijah the prophet - Eliyahu Hanavi, would appear to him. Once Rabbi Beroka said to Eliyahu Hanavi, "Of all the people who come here, is there anyone worthy of the world to come?" And as the commentary of the Torah Chaim to Sanhedrin 88b explains, that although the overwhelming majority of people do have a portion in the world to come, however for many people there is first a need for suffering in this world and to experience some suffering in Gehinnom in the next world to first cleanse their soul. And what Rabbi Beroka was asking Eliyahu Hanavi was, "is there anybody in this marketplace that is on such a high level that they are immediately worthy right now of the world to come without needing prior suffering neither in this world nor in the next world before earning their eternal share?" And the Gemara continues that Eliyahu Hanavi pointed to two individuals and said to Rabbi Beroka, "These two individuals are currently worthy of the world to come." Rabbi Beroka then went over to them and inquired, "What is your occupation?" They said to him, "We are jesters and we cheer up the depressed." Let us internalize what Hashem's perspective, the only true perspective is. Although at times it might not seem like such a super mitzvah to make an effort to make other people happy, however in this Gemara we are learning that out of all the people in the marketplace, many of whom may have been involved in great and holy endeavors, there were only two who were on such a high level that they were ready for the next world without a need for any cleansing. And these were two people who were constantly involved in cheering people up, in making people happy. Each one of us is presented with many opportunities in different forms to help others and bring happiness into other people's lives. Let us internalize that whatever efforts we might be able to do to bring happiness to those around us is a huge mitzvah.