Emuna and the Four Sons

The account of the four sons in the Passover Haggadah is like a kaleidoscope where we see many different images. We see how four general types of people relate to emuna. What's more, we learn about four facets that are in each of us. As such, the Passover Seder and the story of the Exodus are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.

We Were There

The Seder night is when we tell the story of our Exodus from Egypt. This is one of the Torah's 613 commandments that one can fulfill only once a year on the first night of Passover. The Zohar and the Gemara laud the amazing attributes of this mitzvah. It strengthens emuna and solidifies the family. In addition, it enhances one's inner joy, especially when we tell of the Exodus as if we were there...

Hidden Lights

Superficial, exterior looks at people, things or events are always misleading and very inaccurate. The essence of any creation is the Divine wisdom that is inherent in that creation. Once we connect to that Divine wisdom, we connect to the Creator. That way, our insight, intellect and potential rises to a much higher level. We attain fulfillment, success and happiness.

Ordeal and Real Deal

To paraphrase the tire manufacturers, "where the rubber meets the road" is the nit and grit of life. This world is no picnic. The test of our "spiritual tires" is how well we hold up under the challenging conditions of real life. Today's lesson shows how to avoid negative emotions and to maintain a healthy emotional equilibrium.
 

Megilla, 2022: Understanding the Madness

The one consolation for all the madness in the world is that our sages foresaw everything. We are now in the birth pangs of Redemption, or Geula. Today's events are simply pieces of the Geula puzzle. Meanwhile, everything is unfolding just as the Torah, Midrash, Zohar and Gemara told us they would. This is the Megilla of today, the story of Hashem setting the stage for Moshiach.

A Father’s Caress

Ponder these four important characteristics of a loving parent, as follows:
The loving parent favors his/her child more than anything else in this world.
The loving parent focuses on his/her child's good points.
The loving parent is forgiving.
The loving parent attends to all the necessary needs of his/her child.
How many parents do you know who can objectively and honestly say that they fulfill the above four criteria? We can't possibly know, but one fact we do know. No parent on earth fulfills the above four criteria so completely as our Father in Heaven does. Let's see how:

Beyond the Brain

Logic and intellect see things through physical eyes. Just as physical gravity brings an object down, logic and intellect knock a person down. Their interpretation of events is negative and pessimistic. On the other hand, emuna sees through spiritual eyes. Spiritual gravity lifts one up. Emuna is beyond the brain and beyond the realm of negativity. With emuna, there is truly no despair.

Don’t Fear the Lion

Without emuna, life's tribulations look like a lion about to devour us. No wonder so many people succumb to fear and anxiety.
With emuna, life's tribulations still look like a lion. Yet, the lion is only a costume that our loving Father in Heaven is dressed up in. That changes our outlook completely, as we're about to learn.

3 Illuminating Words

Many people are skeptical when I tell them that three words are capable of illuminating the soul. An illuminated soul leads to inner peace. Hard to believe?
Do believe that a diabetic individual sees a dramatic improvement in health by getting off of junk food and sugar? Are you aware that a few minutes of exercise every day also enhances good health? Both are obvious, right?
The same principle applies to the soul. By focusing on three simple words, which constitute one concept, we dramatically enhance emotional and spiritual health.

Opening Our Eyes

Few people are able to understand what they see. To paraphrase the old saying, they're in a big area with oak and pine trees all around them but they don't see that it's a forest.
Divine Direction is the Creator's active determination of every detail and occurrence in the world. The more we enhance our emuna in Divine Direction, the more we improve our spiritual eyesight. This lets us see the Creator personally directing our lives. Few things are more rewarding.
There are five main ploys in enhancing our emuna in Divine Direction. These ploys are:
Realizing that We Don't Run the World – Hashem does
Learning to be Happy with Our Lot in Life
Appreciating Life's Countless blessings
Remembering the Many Salvations we have seen in our lifetime.
Looking for the Divine wisdom in every creation
Let's examine them, one by one.

Against All Odds

Moshe, a sergeant in the Israeli Navy, had beads of sweat on his forehead; tears glistened in his eyes. "The newspapers don't write about the miracles and the Divine Direction that we all saw when that missile hit us. I ran to my bunk on the deck right below the landing pad. It was charcoal; my metal bunk was completely melted down and all my possessions were ashes. If I hadn't been detained in the chapel and in the dining room for Shabbat meal, I'd have been charcoaled too. I haven't stopped thanking Hashem since..."
Israel's turbulent history transcends all logic, military and otherwise. It's beyond nature to the extent that experts in military history and strategy understand everything but Jewish history. That's exactly the subject of our lesson today. Hashem's personal Divine Direction is constantly defying nature and logic.

Diamonds and Distress

Packed up for their very first outing in their brand new SUV, the family left city limits. As they entered the highway, a speeding truck swerved into their lane and collided with them. Fortunately, the cars airbags functioned perfectly and the whole family wore seat and shoulder belts. The car was a total loss, but the family emerged unscathed. That is, all except their 7-year-old son. He was unconscious with a concussion, and maybe even a fractured skull.
What could possibly be good about the above situation? The family saved up years for the new car. They had not yet clocked two hundred miles on it. Yet now, it's a total wreck. What's more, their little boy is now in the hospital and the situation is critical...