Prickly Pears

Today’s lesson deals with the thorny types of verbal abuse that a person suffers with no prior triggers or misdeeds. Like the sweet prickly pear, these too are sweet fruit concealed in thorns. They are able to atone for a person’s misdeeds and can uplift him or her to a higher spiritual level. They also strengthen character.

Caustic Catalysts

Rabbenu Bachiya then explains that Hashem runs the world in a measure-for-measure fashion. One who encounters trouble in life should immediately assess himself. He who does so sincerely will benefit Divine guidance and assistance so that he'll be able to recognize the caustic catalyst that triggered the trouble.

The Serene Soul

Although the world is rife with suffering and tribulations, few are the fortunate individuals who know how to cope with indignity. They are able to weather insult without losing their composure. This is not a matter of superficial self-control. It's apparent that their soul remains calm. Let's learn their secret...

Dogs at Daybreak

This is the moving story of Rebbetzin Rachel Sarna, osb"m, who as a teenager survived the Holocaust and a miraculous confrontation with a senior Nazi commander and his pack of killer dogs.

Mitzvoth of the Mouth: Spiritual Oral Hygiene

Since Coronavirus has such a predilection for the mouth and throat, oral hygiene is a determining factor in controlling its spread. Health authorities urge us to protect ourselves and those around us by keeping our mouth cleaner and free of harmful microorganisms. They're correct, but only partially. Everything in the physical world has a root in the spiritual world. Let's rephrase the Health authorities' idea from an emuna standpoint: we can protect ourselves and those around us by keeping our mouth cleaner and free of spiritual microorganisms, the viruses of transgressions.

Friends and Enemies

Every word of sincere personal prayer is far more valuable than the Hope Diamond, which weighs 45 carats and is worth some $250-300 million. There will be many robbers and hijackers lying in the lurk to prevent those words of prayer from reaching the Heavenly throne. These evil forces do everything in their power to prevent a person from building an intimate relationship with God. For practical purposes, we refer to them as the enemies of personal prayer, the antagonists whose purpose is to obstruct our efforts to get close to the Almighty. Since these antagonists are so powerful, the rewards for overcoming them are unfathomable.

Closeness to God

This message comes from the holy gravesite of King David on Mount Zion. We examine his autobiographical statement in at the end of Psalm 57. King David tells us what his definition of good is. As a result, we see what the King of Israel’s top priority is.

Private Speaking 101

The more we maintain an even emotional keel, the more we become immune to stress and anxiety. The more we live a stress-and-anxiety free life, the more mental and physical energy we have. That leaves us more resources to devote to productive endeavors. In that respect, there's no stress-buster like daily personal prayer. Today, we learn the art of private speaking. This is our own intimate conversation with our loving Creator.

What’s Emuna?

Here's a one-minute answer to a question everyone asks: what really is emuna?

It’s All Emuna

Filmed in the Shoreshim Outreach Center in Mexico City, this enjoyable 10-minute clip is in both English and Spanish. We learn here about King David's intention when he said, "All Your mitzvoth are emuna."

Why Prayer?

A person might ask that if the Creator alone did, does and will do everything, then why pray? What do we need prayer for? Isn't everything predetermined? So what difference do my prayers make? These are the questions that today's Emuna Hour answers...

The Language of Emuna

If prayer were a commodity on the futures market, it would be the best investment anywhere. What's more, the dividends are phenomenal as we learn in today's inspiring podcast.