Daily Bitachon - delivered directly to your computer and/or mobile device https://itorah.com/daily-bitachon/sutton/all en-us Copyright 2026 iTorah.com Sun, 03 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Sun, 03 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss itorahwebsite@gmail.com Rabbi David Sutton Daily Bitachon Podcast - Daily Bitachon By Rabbi David Sutton Daily Bitachon by Rabbi David Sutton: Building Strength from your love, faith and devotion to Hashem episodic Torah Learning Resources. itorahwebsite@gmail.com No https://learntorah.com/content/b41af578-ba4e-4afe-8c54-dee973042669.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon We are continuing our study of Shaar HaBechina (The Gate of Reflection), focusing on the benefits of the intellect—the unique gift that sets us apart from the animal kingdom. While the advantages of the mind are obvious regarding our physical functions and mobility, there is a far more vital factor: it is through our intellect that we are able to recognize God. Recognizing the Divine Through our sechel (intellect), we perceive the wisdom of the Creator and His eternal nature. We recognize His absolute oneness, His role as the First Existence, and His presence beyond the confines of time and space. He is above all human traits and thoughts—the ultimate doer of good, kind and compassionate. This recognition is the very reason for our existence. Beyond this, our intellect allows us to: Perceive Wisdom: To understand the mercy inherent in the world's design. Accept Responsibility: To realize that because we receive so much, we must reciprocate by serving Hashem. Accountability and Perception Our intellect provides the foundation for our belief system and our trust in the Torah given through Moshe Rabbeinu. Because man possesses sechel , he is held accountable for his deeds. This makes divine judgment, reward, and punishment possible—which is the ultimate goal of our time in this world. Without intellect, we would have no responsibility and, therefore, no purpose. Intellect allows us to perceive both physical and abstract concepts, often seeing what is hidden from the senses: The Shadow: The eye cannot track a shadow's movement in real-time, yet the mind recognizes it has moved by comparing the present to the past. The Water on Stone: We understand how a single drop eventually erodes a rock by connecting past, present, and future. Through this faculty, we differentiate between truth and falsehood, good and evil, and the praiseworthy versus the loathsome. Mastery Over the Self In Shaarei Teshuvah (Gate 1, Letter 9), Rabbeinu Yonah discusses how regret stems from realizing what a person is meant to be. He notes that Hashem breathed into us a "breath of life" and a "heart of wisdom" so that we might recognize and fear Him, and ultimately rule over our own physical functions. Just as God gave the soul dominion over non-speaking creatures, He gave us intellect to control our own instincts. If you can use your sechel to train an animal, you can certainly use it to train yourself. The Gift of Speech: The Pen of the Heart The intellect also allows us to master the sciences, geometry, and the complex ordering of the solar system. But perhaps most beautifully, it gives us the gift of speech. As the famous line goes: "The tongue is the pen of the heart, the translator of the soul, and the messenger of the conscience." Speech allows us to express our innermost thoughts and understand others. Rebbe Wolbe once shared a parable about a violin: I can play the violin to convey emotion, but I still need my mouth because not everyone understands the language of music. #### Why These Metaphors Matter: The Pen of the Heart: Just as writing something down brings clarity to blurred thoughts, speaking forces us to organize the "soup" of our emotions into clear ideas. The Soul's Translator: Feelings and speech are different languages. We must "decode" what is happening inside us to truly understand ourselves. The Messenger of the Conscience: Speech is the shliach (messenger) that carries the messages of our internal moral compass out to the world. Conclusion Through speech, we connect to others and to God. It is through words that we turn back from mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Ultimately, the way you speak defines who you are. As the saying goes: "Man is nothing more than his heart and his tongue." It is this capacity for communication and intellectual reflection that completes us, distinguishing us as truly human. How does the idea of speech as a "translator" change the way you think about your inner feelings? Fri, 01 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/2b4c1663-664c-4d5a-8dbc-9ff715cad26f.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon and our Sha'ar HaBechinah series, where we are discussing the various emotional and intellectual gifts God gave us that deserve our appreciation. One of the great benefits the Chovot HaLevavot highlights is Bushah (Shame), which he says is yiched bo ha'adam —unique to man alone. Animals do not experience shame. As the seforim explain, only human beings possess da'as hada'as —the ability to be self-aware. Animals can feel fear, anger, or joy, but those are survival reactions to external stimuli. To feel embarrassment, you must be self-reflective; you must recognize an "ideal self" and realize you aren't living up to it. Why did God give us this feeling of "not living up to ourselves"? Because shame is a powerful motivator to do the right thing. He explains that without it, we would lose many of our social virtues. People might not invite guests, as hosting is difficult and expensive; it is often the social pressure—the shame of being seen as stingy—that keeps the door open. People might not fulfill their promises; the primary force keeping a person to their word when it's inconvenient is the shame of being known as a liar. We wouldn't satisfy favors or perform acts of kindness. In fact, he says many matters of the Torah are only fulfilled because of shame: devarim rabim midivrei Torah osim ba'avur haboshet . He goes even further, noting that many people might not even respect their parents if not for Bushah —the feeling that sending them away "doesn't look right." It keeps us from holding onto lost objects and holds us back from sinning. It is a wondrous gift. But here is the real "wonder of wonders": while man is given a natural shame before his peers, he does not have a natural, instinctive shame before his Creator who is watching at all times. Usually, a trait is either "on" or "off," but God created a split in this specific area. Why? Because if we were naturally ashamed to sin before God, we would have no freedom of choice. Without choice, there is no reward. Rav Yitzchak Blazer, in Ohr Yisrael , makes the same point regarding fear: we are naturally afraid of germs, cars, or heights, but we aren't naturally afraid of God. We have to work to reach that level of realization. This is why, on his deathbed, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai blessed his students that they should "fear Heaven as much as you fear a human being." When they asked if that was all, he replied, "If only you could reach that level!" We are always concerned if a person is looking, but not always if God is looking. The Chofetz Chaim once illustrated this with a wagon driver who wanted to let his horse graze in a private field. He asked the Chofetz Chaim to keep watch and holler if anyone was looking. The Chofetz Chaim immediately yelled, "Someone is watching!" The driver panicked and drove off, not realizing the Chofetz Chaim was pointing toward Heaven. The Steipler Gaon, in Chayei Olam , points out that our entire existence is a series of these "coexisting opposites." We remember and we forget. We are calm and we are confused. We can be arrogant or humble. He lists over 35 areas of this duality—70 different traits and talents working together simultaneously. All of them were programmed into us for our benefit: to serve Hashem, to navigate our daily needs, or to provide us with the tests necessary for our growth. It is, truly, a wonder of wonders. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/f688e613-6efe-4b4e-a46d-f32dbc415443.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We are in our Sha'ar HaBechina series, discussing the wonder of how your memory works. Memory is essentially broken into three types: short-term memory , working memory , and long-term memory . Think of short-term memory as a small shelf where a craftsman places the tools he just picked up. Working memory is the actual workbench where he uses those tools to build something. Long-term memory is the warehouse where he stores everything for the future. Short-term memory is, as the name implies, very brief. It allows you to process a phone number or a temporary instruction without permanently "staining" your brain with irrelevant data. Imagine if you stored every set of driving directions you ever asked for—it's just not important. It goes in and it goes out. Your long-term memory is like a massive library, but your working memory is the single desk you work on. If that desk were ten miles long, you'd pile up so many books that you'd spend all your energy just looking for the right page. To prevent this, your working memory limits the "desk" to about seven items. This system forces you to clear away what isn't essential. Whatever stays on the desk is a priority, which creates clarity. If I gave you too much information at once, it would cause a system crash—much like a computer with 100 tabs open. Because our executive functioning must process what is important, it cannot handle 50 things at once. To manage this, we have the ability to "chunk" information. For example, if I gave you the number 9-1-7-6-6-4-2-3-5-8 , remembering each digit individually would weigh you down. But because 917 is a familiar area code to me, I "chunk" it into one unit. This allows us to focus more effectively. Within the "library" of our long-term memory, there are two units: Declarative Memory: This stores facts and events—episodes like your wedding day or universal truths like "an apple is a fruit." Procedural Memory: This is how you remember to ride a bike. Through repetition, actions become automatic—a concept called automaticity . At the same time that God gives us the ability to remember, He also gives us the gift of forgetting . If a person never forgot, they would never be free of sorrow. Nothing would ever clear the preoccupation of grief. You could never truly enjoy happiness because you'd be constantly reliving every past calamity. But God's design isn't just about "cleaning house" and throwing everything in the garbage. You keep the useful stuff while letting painful or trivial details fade. Your brain is not a raw video recorder; it is a high-efficiency editor. There is one price to film a wedding video, but a different price to edit it—your brain is constantly performing that expensive "editing" work. How does it know what to edit? It comes down to repetition. I once heard a mashal from Rav Wolbe: every time you repeat something, it makes a small indentation. This is why Baalei Mussar emphasize repeating lessons again and again to create what we now call a neural pathway . Imagine skiing down a mountain. The first time down, you make a thin dent in the snow. If you go down the same way again and again, you create a deep path that you naturally follow. Every experience creates a path, but if you don't "walk" that path again—or if you stop ruminating on that information—the brain "smooths out" the snow. The weeds are cleared. What you ate three Tuesdays ago or the sting of a distant embarrassment disappears. The brain preserves energy and space for the "flowers"—your skills, your values, and your loved ones. Scientifically, your brain acts like a search engine. When you focus on a new positive goal, your brain actively suppresses competing memories that might distract you. This is why, when someone is "stuck" on a negative thought, we suggest they garden or play basketball; the brain cannot easily process two intense, competing streams at once. Finally, much of this sorting happens while you sleep . While you rest, your brain reviews the day, deciding which memories are significant and which are marked for deletion. It is a true wonder: memory and forgetting—two opposite forces—working simultaneously to sustain us. Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/fd5fba77-47aa-4528-941c-0f01b66ea18d.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon , where in our Sha'ar Habechina series, the Chovot HaLevavot is moving into our mental capacities and how to appreciate them: thought, memory, forgetting, shame, intellect, and speech. Before we dive in, let's quote the Chazon Ish from his sefer Emunah U'Bitachon . As we've mentioned many times, he writes through a Sha'ar Habechina lens. He notes that a person who is sharp and contemplative sees a specific wonder regarding human wisdom: that man is formed of clay, yet within this "clay being" resides intellect. In the words of Rav Wolbe, if you were to remove the skull, you would see this "bowl of oatmeal"—and how wise is this bowl of oatmeal? Computers the size of a city block cannot do what the human brain can do. The Chazon Ish then describes one of the greatest "spectacles of wonders": that intellect is undefined by physical concepts. It possesses neither length nor width, neither youth nor old age. Yet, when a human is an infant, his intellect is likewise infantile, and as you grow, your intellect grows with you. Now, when I shared this with someone, they said, "Well, of course; as you get older, you gain more knowledge." But that isn't the point. It's not merely about accumulating facts. Your brain develops physically as you get older, and that physical development allows for intellectual development. To explain this in layman's terms: think of your brain as the hardware —the physical computer—and your intellect as the software or operating system. In a baby, the hardware is incomplete. The brain is born with almost all the neurons it will ever need, but the "wiring"—the connections—is still being built. Because the hardware isn't fully wired yet, the software (complex thought, reasoning, and memory) cannot run at full capacity. As the physical brain matures, the intellect expands along with it. This growth is a scientific concept called neuroplasticity , which literally means your brain is "plastic" or moldable. I studied this in education; during childhood, the brain creates more connections than it needs. As you repeat actions and grow, these wires are coated with a substance called myelin , which allows signals to travel faster. Think of it like metal wires coated in plastic. That coating keeps the electrical current focused. You have this "wiring" in your brain, and as it receives more "coats," the impulses travel faster to solve problems. So, as the biological network becomes more efficient, your soul matures, so to speak, hand-in-hand. Of course, science can explain how the brain changes, but it still struggles to explain why these physical electrical signals turn into a "person" inside with feelings and thoughts. This is what the Chazon Ish calls "wondrous." It is what we say every day in the Asher Yatzar prayer: u'mafli la'asos —"He acts wondrously." What is the wonder? It is that God links together body and soul. How can two such different "creatures" impact one another so deeply? With that introduction, let us look at the first thing the Chovot HaLevavot discusses: Memory . He asks: if you were lacking memory alone—even if everything else in your body worked perfectly from head to toe—what would your status be? How much loss would befall a person if they could not remember what they possessed or what they owed? You wouldn't remember who you helped or who treated you poorly. You wouldn't even know where to go, no matter how many times you traveled the path. You wouldn't retain any wisdom, regardless of how often you reviewed it. Experience would be useless, as you could not weigh the present against the past to determine the future. Indeed, such a person would be nearly divested of their very humanity. It is unbelievable to appreciate this. That is why Atah chonen l'adam da'at (God granting man wisdom) is the very first request in our daily prayers. Without memory, you have no identity, no relationships, and no way to fulfill obligations. You are basically non-existent. While I use the metaphor of a computer, the brain is more than that. It is a perfectly designed instrument intended to help a person fulfill their purpose. If we remembered everything with equal intensity, our minds would be cluttered with noise, making it impossible to focus on the "signal" of our lives. Therefore, we need this entire, efficiently designed system to act. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/c5003f98-34ef-4311-baa6-b027d3e98f43.mp3 Daily Bitachon: The Dual Wonders of our Organs Welcome to Daily Bitachon . In our Shaar Bechinos series, the Chovos Halevavos highlights a profound design in our creation: God fashioned our organs with dual functions. We've touched on this before—the windpipe serves as the conduit for air to the lungs for breathing, but it is also the instrument of speech. The tongue allows us to taste and assists in swallowing, yet it is equally vital for articulation. The teeth chew our food and help us form words. Even the lips act as a valve to ensure drinks are consumed in proper measure, while simultaneously serving as a tool for communication. The Chovos Halevavos notes that all organs possess these multifaceted benefits—some known to us, and others hidden. Today, let's explore several other organs and their remarkable "double lives." The Pancreas: The Pharmacy and the Factory The pancreas is a master of multitasking. Tucked behind the stomach, it operates as both a high-tech pharmacy and a chemical factory . Most organs specialize in one area, but the pancreas masters two entirely different systems simultaneously. The Pharmacy (Endocrine System): It monitors your blood 24/7 like a high-tech sensor to keep energy levels stable. When sugar is high, it releases insulin —the key that unlocks your cells to let energy in. When sugar is low, it releases glucagon , an emergency signal telling the liver to release stored energy. It is the body's ultimate fuel thermostat. This work is done by the Islets of Langerhans —roughly one million clusters of endocrine cells scattered throughout the organ. The Factory (Exocrine System): The second part of the pancreas creates "pancreatic juice" to break down food into microscopic nutrients. It produces powerful enzymes for fats and proteins—so potent they would digest the pancreas itself if they weren't kept inactive until they reached the safety of the intestines. The pancreas also acts as a diplomat . The stomach is acidic and aggressive; the small intestine is delicate. To prevent the stomach's acidic "mush" from burning the intestinal lining, the pancreas secretes bicarbonate (natural baking soda) to neutralize the acid. It ensures you don't burn up from your own digestion while keeping your blood chemistry perfectly balanced. The Spleen: Security Guard and Recycling Plant The spleen manages two vital departments: Immune Function (Security): It acts as a massive lymph node. As blood filters through, the spleen scans for bacteria and viruses. If it detects a threat, it triggers an early warning system for the entire body. Hematological Function (Recycling): Red blood cells live for about 120 days. The spleen identifies worn-out cells and breaks them down, salvaging the iron to be reused by the bone marrow. It is the body's most efficient "green energy" plant. The Bone Marrow: Framework and Life-Source Bones are more than just a rigid skeleton. Structural Function: They provide the framework that allows movement and protects the brain and heart. They are the hardest part of your body. Biological Factory: Inside that "dead" bone is a vibrant factory. Bone marrow produces 200 billion new red blood cells every single day, along with platelets for clotting and white blood cells for defense. It transforms a structural beam into a life-sustaining spring. The Stomach: The Blender and the Sanitizer The Chazon Ish pointed out the stomach's dual nature: Mechanical Function: It is a biological blender. Three layers of muscle churn and grind food into a liquid paste, much like a washing machine. Chemical Function: It produces hydrochloric acid. This doesn't just break down protein; it also kills bacteria and parasites that "hitch a ride" on our food, protecting the entire system. The Ear: Audio and Equilibrium We typically think of the ear only for its auditory function —capturing vibrations and converting them into electrical signals for the brain. However, it also houses our sense of balance . Deep inside the ear are three semi-circular canals filled with liquid that act like a smartphone's gyroscope. They tell your brain exactly where your head is in space. Rav Moshe Shapiro once noted a fascinating etymological link: the Hebrew word for ears is oznayim , and the word for a scale is moznayim . Your ears are quite literally your "balancers." The Nose: Climate Control and Defense The nose serves two distinct purposes: Sensory Defense: It detects chemical signatures (smells), acting as a first line of defense against spoiled food or fire. Climate Control: The nose is lined with bony structures that create a "swirl." This design forces incoming air to be warmed, humidified, and filtered before it reaches the delicate lungs. It is a built-in air conditioning system. Conclusion As science advances, we continue to discover even more "hidden" functions. For instance, we only recently learned that the heart also acts as an endocrine organ, releasing hormones that help the kidneys regulate blood pressure. Whether we are aware of these functions or not, the intricate design of our bodies points toward a deliberate and benevolent Creator. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/fe3118b9-bf40-4f2a-a3ea-107f462a5b17.mp3 Daily Bitachon Series: Erev Shabbat Special Edition Welcome to our daily Bitachon series; we are now in our Erev Shabbat special edition. There is a beautiful thought on Shabbat found in the second Dibrot (Commandments) in Devarim 5:12 . It says: " שמור את יום השבת לקדשו... כאשר צוך ה׳ אלוקיך " "Guard the Sabbath day to sanctify it... as Hashem your God has previously commanded you." This raises a question: When did God previously command us? Rashi, based on the Gemara, explains that this happened at Marah . The Lesson of Marah Marah—which means "bitter"—was the place where the bitter waters turned sweet. The Torah tells us, "There He gave them a statute and a law" ( Shemot 15:25 ). Rashi notes that God gave the Jewish people a few specific mitzvot there, including Shabbat, Parah Adumah (the Red Heifer), and Kibbud Av Va'em (honoring parents). Why was it so important that Shabbat be given even before Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah)? We see this reflected in Dayenu : "If God had given us Shabbat and had not given us the Torah..." Shabbat serves as a precursor. Why is it the specific mitzvah given before the rest? The Doctor's Parable Reb Aaron of Karlin explains that Hashem gave us Shabbat, which is me'ein olam haba (a taste of the World to Come), as a hidden treasure before everything else. He offers a beautiful mashal (parable): Imagine a doctor who traveled to a far-away land where there was no knowledge of medicine. When people fell ill, it was a roll of the dice; if they recovered, they recovered, and if not, they didn't. The doctor wanted to help, so he began advertising, "Who wants life?" But no one paid attention—they didn't even understand what he was offering. The doctor noticed a man covered from head to toe in wounds. He called him over and said, "I can heal you." The man was skeptical but agreed to try. The doctor healed just one of his many wounds—let's say a broken arm. When the man saw his arm was whole, he realized the incredible power of the doctor. He returned to beg the doctor to heal the rest of his ailments. Soon, the entire country saw the man looking healthy and word spread. Everyone flocked to the doctor to be healed. The Nimshal: Shabbat as a Catalyst The nimshal (lesson) is this: Hashem wanted to give us the Torah, a delight from His treasure house that existed before creation. However, He saw that we were spiritually wounded and lacked the ability to appreciate such a great gift. So, what did Hashem do? He gave us Shabbat. He gave us a "flavor" of the World to Come—a delicious sweetness—so we could see the tangible benefit of just one of His mitzvot . Once we experienced Shabbat, we said, "Wow, we want more!" This gave us the capacity to take on the rest of the Torah. Thus, Shabbat is the hachanah (preparation) for Kabbalat HaTorah . The Sforno's Perspective I would like to add a point based on the Sforno . He asks why the text adds "as I commanded you" regarding the commandments. This suggests that every Shabbat we keep should be "Marah-like." At Marah, you didn't just rest; God taught you other laws there as well. I would like to add in that vein, Using the "Marah lens" means recognizing that the tangible peace of Shabbat is an inkling of the power within all other mitzvot . The Goal: Use Shabbat to get a boost in your religious commitment for the upcoming week. The Action: Taste the flavor of Shabbat to appreciate the depth of the entire religion. This is especially apropos at this time of year as we prepare to receive the Torah on Shavuot , which is a re-enactment of Har Sinai. We must use our Shabbat to taste that sweetness and appreciate what Torah and our faith are truly all about. Shabbat Shalom! Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/7843074c-ec97-41c3-a661-9e125c652d33.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Shaar HaBechina Series – The Wonders of the Voice Welcome to our daily Bitachon in our Shaar HaBechina series. We are currently exploring the wonders of the voice box. There is something fascinating about the voice box; it isn't just about sound—it's about a deep emotional connection. Your voice is literally "wired" to your nervous system. Even without seeing someone's face, you can hear happiness, fear, or sadness in their tone because the muscles of the larynx are so sensitive that they react to our internal state instantaneously. How does that work exactly? How is it that our voice becomes a mirror of our inner world? We often say, "I can hear your smile," and that's not just a figure of speech; you truly can hear it. The Biological "Wire" The secret lies in one of our primary nerves: the Vagus Nerve . A specific branch of this nerve controls the muscles of the voice box. The Vagus Nerve is the "highway" for emotional signaling. For instance, when you breathe deeply to calm down, you are engaging that nerve. Any shift in your emotional state—a spike in cortisol from fear or a rush of oxytocin from joy—sends immediate signals to the larynx. This is why when someone gets angry and their "blood starts to boil," you hear it in their voice. When they are frustrated, you hear it there, too. A Parenthetical Thought: Rabbi Adler once noted a powerful chiddush from the Ramban in his Iggeret , where he instructs: "Train yourself to talk softly at all times." Talking softly actually impacts your internal state. Just as your inside affects your outside tone, it works in reverse: maintaining a low, calm tone can actually calm the person down internally. A System Beyond Our Control The muscles controlling your vocal cords are incredibly fine-tuned. Unlike the muscles in your legs or arms, which require conscious effort to move, the laryngeal muscles are highly reactive to the autonomic nervous system . Stress: When "fight or flight" kicks in, the muscles around the larynx tighten and the vocal folds thin out. This is why your voice might crack or sound constricted when you're fearful. Sadness: Grief triggers that "lump in the throat" feeling. This is actually the glottis trying to stay open for oxygen while you are simultaneously trying to swallow or suppress a cry, creating physical tension. Joy: When you feel safe or joyful, those muscles relax. This built-in connection is why faking an emotion—even over the phone—is so difficult. You can change your words, but unless you can change your heart rate and muscle tension, the listener's brain will detect the mismatch between your words and your frequency. Your nervous system broadcasts your truth before you've even finished your sentence. The Unique Voiceprint Another wonder is the uniqueness of the human voice. Just like a fingerprint, no two voices are exactly alike. The specific shape of your throat, the size of your nasal cavity, and the way you move the articulators of your voice box create a "voiceprint" that reveals your age, gender, and identity. We see this in Gemara Sanhedrin 38a : תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר בשלושה דברים אדם משתנה מחברו "It was taught: Rabbi Meir used to say: In three things a person is different from his fellow: b'kol (their voice), b'mareh (their appearance), and b'daas (their mindset)." Just as no two faces are the same, no two voices are the same. This is very real; today, banks use "passive voice biometrics" where the system verifies your identity within seconds just by your speech, replacing the need for security questions. The Ultimate Purpose We'll end with a final piece from the Steipler Gaon , who discusses the wonders of the body in Sefer Chayei Olam (Perek Beis). He explains that speech is what separates man from animals—it is our "speaking spirit." Even though animals may have similar physical organs, they cannot create speech. However, the greatest kindness of speech, he says, is the ability to serve Hashem through it. If we couldn't speak, we couldn't praise Him, thank Him, or pray. We couldn't learn, teach, or arouse ourselves to love and fear through song. This is why we came into this world. Speech is a tremendous tool in serving Hakadosh Baruch Hu , and we must appreciate that above all. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/af97d707-24a7-47cf-bb44-35bb969d9e25.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Shaar HaBechinah – The Symphony of the Human Voice Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are in Shaar HaBechinah, following the Chovot HaLevavot directive to contemplate our ability to create sound. Our voice is not just a noise; it is created by a highly sophisticated musical instrument built right into your body. As we noted, the Chazon Ish calls it a machine. To understand how it works, we can break it down into three stages: the power source, the vibrator, and the filter. 1. The Power Source: The Lungs The lungs act like a bellows or a pump. For sound to happen, there must be movement. Your lungs push air upwards with enough pressure to get the entire system moving. Without this consistent airflow, the voice would have no fuel. It is interesting to note that great singers often have more powerful lungs. Either they are born that way or they develop them through training because you need those strong bellows to sustain the music. 2. The Sound Maker: The Voice Box Next, we have the actual sound makers. Inside your voice box are two pearly white, triangular bands of tissue. As air passes through them, they vibrate rapidly, creating pulses of sound. This is where the fine tuning happens. Tiny muscles adjust the length and tension of these folds. Think of it like a guitar string; when you pull it tighter, the pitch goes up, and when you loosen it, the pitch goes down. You essentially have a guitar in your throat. There is a fascinating design difference in voices. Men generally have larger, longer vocal folds, which create lower, deeper tones, while women have shorter folds, resulting in a higher pitch. 3. The Filter: The Articulators The raw sound made by the vocal folds is not speech yet; it is just a buzzing tone. As that sound travels upward, your tongue, palate, cheeks, and lips act as filters. They shape the sound, turning raw vibrations into specific vowels, consonants, and words. Just as premium guitars or violins are made of specific woods to create a better sound, our body uses different materials. For example, a violin might use spruce for the top and maple for the back because spruce is stiff and responds quickly to vibrations, amplifying them without soaking up the energy. Over time, the cellular structure of a violin actually changes as it is played, which is why a Stradivarius sounds better with age. The human machine works the same way. Your throat, mouth, and nasal cavities act exactly like the wooden body of a violin. Take the hard palate. We previously spoke about how it helps crush food for digestion, but God multitasks. The roof of your mouth is hard and bony because it also serves as a soundboard. Professional singers are taught to aim their voice at the hard palate. Just like the wooden top of a guitar, this hard surface reflects sound waves, giving the voice ring and power. The human machine is actually superior to a violin because while wood is static, our body is dynamic. Your soft palate, cheeks, and tongue are soft tissues that can absorb sound. By moving them, you change the density of your resonator, allowing you to switch from a muffled whisper to a piercing shout. Even your sinuses help. These hollow spaces in the skull add resonance to higher frequencies, allowing the voice to bloom, much like air escaping a cello. The Inner Symphony The beauty here is that we have an entire orchestra inside one machine. You have the strings of a guitar and the resonance of a cello all happening inside you. In fact, in Hebrew, the bronchial tubes are called simfonot, the same root as the word symphony. We also have what are called the five extractions of speech in the body. If you want to make the sound of a B or a P, you build up air pressure and release it suddenly. That is percussion, like a drumbeat. The S or Sh sounds come from forcing air through a narrow gap. These are all different instruments working in your mouth. As we mentioned, these parts are symbiotic. If you only had strings, you would only buzz. If you only had percussion, you would only click and hiss. The wisdom of the design is that all these instruments are enclosed in one system, working in perfect harmony. We return to the words of the Chazon Ish: He arose and established a machine that chirps diverse sounds. The Chazon Ish stresses that word diverse. He is highlighting our ability to create an infinite variety of sounds with a single mouth. It is truly wondrous. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/37c0faf8-e741-4c0f-9f89-719829d1eec5.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Shaar Habechina – The Gift of Speech Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are currently in Shaar Habechina , appreciating the wonders of the human body. Today's lesson focuses on the sound we create: the ability to speak. We begin with the command from the Chovot Halevavot : " התבונן בתכונת כלי הקול " —Look into the nature of the "utensils" of voice and the motzia dibbur , the mechanism of speech. We have our trachea, a hollow tube for sound to travel through. We have our tongue, our lips, and our teeth, which work together to create specific sounds and letters. The Chovot Halevavot gives us the starting point; the rest of the contemplation is our job. To help us, we will quote the Chazon Ish ( Emuna U'Bitachon , 1:4). He describes a "Master Inventor" sitting in His laboratory—a mashal for God—preparing the perfect human. As He plans, the Creator sees that life would not flow according to its proper design if there were no connection between one person and another. A world where everyone is deaf and mute is devoid of all value; it has no substance. Therefore, this Inventor established a "machine" that chirps diverse sounds, and we call this machine a Mouth . It is beautiful how he phrases this; we take the mouth for granted, but it is truly a sophisticated machine for sound. Corresponding to it, He established another machine that is moved and stirred by every movement of sound, and we call this machine an Ear . Through the mouth and ear, language is created, and one can speak to his fellow. Thus, man becomes a "living soul"—a speaking spirit . There is much to unpack in these words. First, the term "machine" highlights that the mouth is a mechanical wonder. This biological hardware—our lungs, larynx, and articulators—wasn't created merely for survival. If we look at the theory of "survival of the fittest," we must ask: did primates without vocal cords die out from loneliness or isolation? Of course not. Primates communicate and survive without speech. In his essay on psychiatry and religion, Rav Wolbe quotes a Russian zoopsychologist named Nadezhda Kohts . She conducted rigorous studies backing the idea that human speech is a unique endowment rather than a mere evolutionary step up from apes. She provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the idea that human speech evolved from ape vocalizations. The Famous Comparison: Kohts is best known for a remarkable (and intense) experiment. From 1913 to 1916, she raised a young chimpanzee named Joni in her home, documenting every gesture and sound. Nine years later, when her son Roody was born in 1925, she repeated the exact same observation process with him. "Infant Chimpanzee and Human Child" (1935): Her magnum opus compared Joni and Roody. While she found that they shared many emotional expressions (joy, fear, anger), she concluded that they were fundamentally different in their capacity for symbolic thought and speech It is fascinating that Rav Wolbe and Kohts both point to speech as something that does not simply evolve. It aligns with the Chazon Ish: man is a speaking spirit . Speech comes from the soul; it is not just a biological byproduct. The Chazon Ish also highlights the symbiotic design . In a functional sense, "symbiotic" means two things that need each other in a mutual way. The mouth produces sound, but without an ear, that sound is "devoid of value." The ear is designed to receive sound, but without a mouth to produce it, the ear's intricate mechanics have no purpose. They form a single, closed system of communication. Evolution cannot explain how two different "machines," which have no knowledge of each other, work in such perfect sync. We have touched upon the profound wisdom and design of communication. In our next lesson, be'ezrat Hashem , we will get into the "nitty-gritty" of the mechanics—how the sound is actually produced. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/ecf28ec4-bd7d-42f8-a9b8-06cd030352f7.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We are in our Shaar Habechina series, discussing our digestive system. The Chovot Halevavot provides a beautiful Mashal capturing four forces that operate in our digestive process. Force number one he calls Koach HaMoshech , the "Attracting Force." This draws things into the stomach, much like a central vacuum system in a house where you plug a hose in and it sucks everything in. But once it is sucked in, the next force you have is Koach HaMachzik , the "Holding Force." This holds the food until the body does what it needs to do. Because of this holding, a person does not simply regurgitate; the food is kept in the stomach. We see the importance of this when, lo aleinu , we encounter people who do not have this ability. Then there is Koach HaMevashel , the "Cooking Force," which actually separates the good from the bad and sends the nutrients to the rest of the body. Finally, there is Koach HaDocheh , the "Rejecting Force," which causes the unnecessary waste to leave the body. Rabbeinu Bachya compares this to a king who appointed different servants with designated jobs: The first servant brings the necessary material into the king's treasure house. The second servant properly places it in the storage areas. The third servant prepares and distributes it to meet everyone's needs. The fourth servant cleans everything up when the work is finished. We have all those forces inside of us. We've already spoken about the "Delivery Man," the Koach HaMoshech , which refers to our esophagus. Now let's talk about the "Warehouse Guard," the Koach HaMachzik . This refers to the sphincters and gastric accommodation. If food just passed through the stomach as quickly as it goes through the esophagus, we'd never extract any nutrients. Hashem created "gates"—the sphincters at the top and bottom of the stomach—that lock shut. The stomach also has the specialized ability to relax and expand to hold a large meal without increasing pressure too much. This guard keeps the food in the "furnace" of acid long enough to be broken down. Next is the "Master Chef and Refiner," the Koach HaMevashel . This force "cooks" the food, extracts the pure essence, and separates it from the waste. This is the stage of chemical digestion and small intestine absorption—the most complex part of the "palace." In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and enzymes perform a chemical cook, turning solid food into a liquid called chyme . Once in the small intestine, the Master Chef uses bile from the liver and enzymes from the pancreas to break down molecules to their smallest forms. Then we have the distribution: the walls of the small intestine are lined with millions of tiny, finger-like projections called villi . These are the distribution agents. They pick up the microscopic nutrients—the pure essence—and pass them directly into the bloodstream to be sent to every cell in your body. Following this is the "Janitor," the Koach HaDocheh , which pushes out the leftover waste. This involves the large intestine (the colon) and elimination. After the small intestine has taken every vitamin and protein it can find, "trash" is left over—fiber, dead cells, and bacteria. The large intestine performs one last check, absorbing water to keep you hydrated. Interestingly, the large intestine does not take out all the water, which is why we usually have an easy time. However, if a person is dehydrated, the large intestine "decides" that the rest of the body needs that water more than the waste does. It sucks out all the liquid, and that is when a person becomes constipated. This balance is decided by the large intestine. Finally, through a powerful wave of contraction, this force clears the palace so the waste doesn't rot or cause toxicity. While the Chovot Halevavot does not directly name the kidneys here, he does talk about the "extract of the blood" that goes to the bladder. While the colon deals with solid trash, the kidneys deal with the liquid waste in the blood. The kidney is not just a sponge; it is a collection of about one million microscopic filtering units called nephrons (which is why a kidney doctor is a "nephrologist"). The blood passes through the kidneys like a sieve. Once the liquid is strained out, the kidney looks at the sugar, salt, and vitamins and says, "We need that back!" Your kidneys filter about 180 liters of fluid every single day. If you let all that out, you'd be dehydrated in minutes. Instead, the kidney reabsorbs 99% of it, leaving only about 1.5 liters of concentrated waste, which we call urine. As an aside, the kidney also manages your potassium level—a life-or-death task. If potassium levels get too high, the heart's electrical system shorts out and stops. Every second, your kidneys are measuring and dumping exactly enough potassium to keep your heart beating at a steady rhythm. This is just a touch of what goes on in our refining process through these four servants: the Delivery Man ( Koach HaMoshech ), the Warehouse Guard ( Koach HaMachzik ), the Master Chef ( Koach HaMevashel ), and the Janitor ( Koach HaDocheh ). Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/16531981-24e5-42e7-a4a2-0ce157eced68.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon , a special Shabbat edition. We are currently in the period of Sefirat Ha'omer , where we count seven weeks of seven days—totaling 49—until we reach the 50th day, Shavuot. What does this have to do with Shabbat? To answer that, let's ask a general question: Why do we count Sefirat Ha'omer? The Standard Answer The common explanation is that we are counting from Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus) to Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) at Har Sinai. We are demonstrating our yearning for the Torah, which is the ultimate goal of the Exodus. We didn't just leave Egypt to be free; we left to go to Har Sinai. The Challenge of the Name The challenge with this answer is the name: Sefirat Ha'omer . If the goal is the Torah, it should be called Sefirat Matan Torah . The Sefer HaChinuch suggests that it truly is a count toward the Torah, and we only call it "Ha'omer" because the starting point happens to coincide with the second day of Pesach when the Omer offering was brought. To him, the barley offering is incidental. Today as well we can count the Sefirat on the Torah level. Other Opinions suggest the name is essential. They argue that today the count is Rabbinic today because we are specifically counting the bridge between the barley offering on Pesach and the wheat offering on Shavuot and since we no longer have those offerings it is rabbinical to remember what we did when we had a Bet HaMikdash. The Connection to Shmita and Yovel Why is the transition from barley to wheat so significant? The Chizkuni offers a beautiful insight: the goal of this counting is to replicate and commemorate the concepts of Shmita (the Sabbatical year) and Yovel (the Jubilee). Just as we have a seven-day weekly cycle, the Torah commands a seven-year cycle. Every seventh year is a Shmita year, where the farmer stops working and dedicates himself to godliness and spirituality. After seven sets of seven years, we reach the 50th year—the Yovel . How do we remember the lesson of Shmita during the six years when we are totally dedicated to our fields? By counting the Omer. From the beginning of the barley harvest to the wheat harvest—the time of the farmer's heaviest "heavy lifting"—we count seven sets of seven. The Message of the "Sevens" The message of the seven sets of seven is Emunah (faith). Shabbat: We work six days and rest on the seventh to remember that God created the world. Shmita: The farmer works six years and rests on the seventh, relying on Hashem for parnasa (livelihood). Whenever a Jew hears the number seven, they should think of the Shabbat. This is the "season of the sevens." During the busiest agricultural time of the year, the count reminds us: "Don't forget who is actually making this happen. Who is providing the blessing?" Two Counts, One Goal The count toward Matan Torah and the agricultural count are one and the same. Whether we are waiting for the Torah or working in the field, the message is: God gives us the ability to be successful. Therefore, we can take time off from work to dedicate ourselves to Him, because the ultimate goal of all our labor is to serve God. Overcoming the Curses Interestingly, on the Shabbat shortly before Shavuot, we read Parshat Bechukotai , which contains a list of admonitions. There are—you guessed it— seven sets of seven curses. We "undo" those curses by internalizing the lesson of the sevens: recognizing God's hand in our lives. We then move toward Shavuot and Parshat Naso , which contains Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing). We ask that the old year and its curses end, and the new year and its blessings begin. That is the story of the sevens. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/68eb8aef-8608-4e56-b3af-f47d4e728b90.mp3 Chovot HaLevavot tells us to pay attention to the liver and the gallbladder. The liver is the second largest organ in your body, and it is a master of multitasking. It doesn't just do one thing; it manages thousands of chemical reactions simultaneously. First of all, it's a detoxification plant . Every toxin, medication, or waste product in your blood passes through the liver. It acts as a biological filter, breaking down harmful substances so they don't poison the rest of your "members." That's why many medicines warn that excessive doses hurt your liver—the liver can only process so much. It's also a glucose warehouse . Hashem designed the liver to be our internal battery. When you eat, the liver takes extra sugar and packs it away. When you haven't eaten for a few hours and your energy dips, the liver unpacks that storage and sends sugar back into your blood. It's a perfectly regulated storage system that keeps you running 24/7. Additionally, it is a protein factory . It synthesizes the proteins needed for your blood to clot. Imagine if you got a scratch, but your liver hadn't manufactured the right protein—you'd never stop bleeding. The liver ensures the "irrigation pipes" of the body stay sealed and healthy. That is quite a mouthful! Lo aleinu , we know that when livers fail, people can look green or jaundiced because of the buildup of toxins. Liver function is extremely important. It's interesting that when we think of organ failure, people immediately think of heart attacks (cardiac failure), lung issues (respiratory failure), or kidney issues (renal failure). But number four on the hit parade is the liver. Most people don't even know how to say hepatic failure , but it is one of the four most vital organs. When it shuts down, it causes a domino effect of sepsis and shock. Believe it or not, it often starts with the kidneys and the liver. An infection causes the blood pressure to drop; when the pressure is low, the kidneys and liver don't get enough blood and begin to shut down. Then, the lungs begin to fill with fluid, and the heart eventually tires and stops. So, it often starts at your liver. Who thinks about their liver? What's truly fascinating is that the liver is the only internal organ capable of complete regeneration . You can lose up to 75% of your liver, and the remaining 25% will immediately begin to expand and regrow to its original size. That's Hashem's ultimate fail-safe. I heard a wondrous story years ago about a mother donating part of her liver to her child. Hashem made the liver with independent segments, allowing you to take part out for someone in need while the remaining part stays behind and regenerates itself. Now, let's look at the gallbladder , our precision storage tank. While the liver produces the bile needed to digest fats, it doesn't always need to release it immediately. That's where the gallbladder comes in—a small, hollow organ tucked right under the liver. Think of it as a holding tank. When you aren't eating, the liver keeps making bile, and the gallbladder stores and concentrates it to make it more powerful. How does the gallbladder know when to discharge its contents? When fat enters the small intestine, a hormone called CCK is released. It's like a biological text message that says: "The pizza has arrived! Send the bile!" The gallbladder's smooth muscle layer then contracts, squeezing the bile into the digestive tract like a tube of toothpaste. To keep the bile from hardening into sludge, the lining of the gallbladder secretes hydrogen ions to keep it acidic. It also adds water and electrolytes to keep the mixture semi-liquid. Hashem didn't just give us a tank; He gave us a tank with a built-in stirring and pH-balancing system! If that "text message" or the chemistry gets out of balance, that's when gallstones can form. Just as acid reflux is a reminder of the esophagus, a gallstone is a sharp reminder of how perfectly the system usually works. A tiny piece of calcium or cholesterol is all it takes to disrupt the flow. When we realize that our gallbladder is currently balancing hydrogen ions and electrolytes every second to prevent crystallization, our "bones" truly should begin to sing. As the Chovot HaLevavot mentions, its primary function is as a filter—in his words, "kemasanenet lamazone" (like a strainer for the food). So, how does it tell the difference between a nutrient to keep and a toxin to destroy? The liver is essentially the Master Chemist of the body. Every single thing you swallow enters the bloodstream and travels directly to the liver through a special delivery route called the portal vein . It uses a high-speed, three-step identification system. This is mind-boggling: the liver is made of millions of tiny hexagonal units that act like processing stations. As blood flows through, liver cells use specialized enzymes to "read" the molecular shape of everything in the blood. Nutrients like glucose have "passports" the liver recognizes—it's like Global Entry. Toxins don't have these passports; the liver recognizes them as foreign because their structure doesn't fit the required template. Inside the liver, there is also an internal security force: scavenger cells that live in the blood channels to physically grab and "eat" bacteria and debris. It acts like a pool filter catching the "big trash" before the chemical plant starts working on the microscopic level. When the liver identifies a toxin, it can't just throw it away; it has to change its chemistry first. The liver uses enzymes to break the toxin down, which sometimes makes it more reactive for a split second. Then, the liver immediately "wraps" the toxin in a protective molecule to make it water-soluble. It turns a "poisonous spike" into a "harmless package" that can be safely flushed out through the kidneys or gallbladder. It's like when you recycle paint and have to add a chemical to neutralize it first. The liver doesn't just discard toxins; it neutralizes them so they aren't dangerous on their way out. This level of wisdom exceeds any man-made refinery. The liver doesn't just filter the blood; it re-engineers it. It knows exactly which molecules will build your bones and which will harm them. It performs this sorting process for every drop of your blood, over and over, every minute of your life, without ever receiving a single instruction. This is truly mind-boggling. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/4dd21519-6504-444b-bb8c-40091866fe61.mp3 Welcome back to our daily Bitachon series, where we are looking through the Shaar Bechinah lens at the various parts of the human body related to digestion. Yesterday, we explored the esophagus, but today we're moving back to the mouth—which actually comes first. I realized I skipped four essential words of the Chovos HaLevavos : "We have a mouth to eat and teeth to chew." Before you even take a single bite, your body is already at work. When you smell fresh-baked challah or see a beautiful apple, your brain sends a "heads-up" signal to your stomach. It's like a restaurant manager calling the kitchen to say, "The guests are here, start the ovens!" You wouldn't want to walk into a restaurant and wait for everything to start from scratch; similarly, your mouth waters and your stomach begins producing acid before the food even touches your lips. Hashem designed us to be ready for nourishment before we even realize we need it. Your mouth is far more than just a hole for food; it is a sophisticated laboratory. First, it features a "mucus shield." The mouth is lined with a mucous membrane that produces mucin—a high-grade, clear lubricant. This serves a vital purpose: it shields your cheeks and lips from the friction of chewing and helps protect your teeth from decay. Then there is the palate, or the "ceiling" of the mouth. If you run your tongue over the roof of your mouth, you'll notice it is hard at the front. As you move further back, it becomes softer. Why the switch? It is hard in the front to provide a firm surface to press food against while you chew. It is soft and mobile at the back so it can lift up and seal off your nasal passage when you swallow. If it were all bone, swallowing would be incredibly difficult. While preparing this class, I paid close attention to something I've felt my whole life but never truly contemplated: those ridges at the beginning of the palate called palatine rugae . We take them for granted, but they are a masterpiece of design. If the roof of the mouth were perfectly smooth, it would be difficult to eat. These rugae act like the treads on a tire; as you chew, your tongue presses food against these ridges to provide the friction and traction needed to hold food in place. Without them, slippery foods would slide around uncontrollably. Furthermore, Hashem designed the mouth for speech. To produce sounds like t, d, s, and z , your tongue needs a specific "landing strip." These bumps provide a sensory landmark, allowing the tongue to find the exact position needed to articulate words clearly. This area is also packed with receptors that tell your brain about the texture and temperature of your food. This is your "security system," helping you decide if a piece of food is too hard, too hot, or improperly chewed before you send it down the esophagus. Remarkably, these ridges are as unique as fingerprints—even identical twins have different patterns, making them a tool for forensic identification. Next, let's consider saliva. It isn't just water; it is produced by one thousand different glands and contains chemical enzymes. One such enzyme, amylase , begins breaking down bread and crackers into sugar while they are still in your mouth. In fact, 30% of carbohydrate digestion happens before you even swallow. Saliva also contains immunoglobulin A , an antibody that acts as a first line of defense. If there is something wrong with the food, the protection starts immediately. Another wonder is a protein in saliva called haptocorrin , which binds to Vitamin B12. It acts as a suit of armor, carrying the vitamin safely through the "furnace" of stomach acid so it isn't destroyed before it can be absorbed. While we won't go into every function of B12 today, it's worth noting why it needs this "VIP motorcade." Other vitamins are simple; Vitamin C is a tiny cluster of 20 atoms. Vitamin B12, however, is a massive, complex "skyscraper" of a molecule. Because it is so intricate, it has many "weak joints." If any part of that skyscraper is bent or clipped, the entire vitamin becomes useless. Turning to the tongue—it is a marvel of muscular engineering. It is held in place by a small band called the frenum , which prevents it from sliding down your throat. Eight different muscles allow it to shape, shift, and move food precisely toward the teeth. It also serves as a security guard, identifying sweet, salty, and sour flavors. If it detects bitterness—often a sign of something toxic—it knows to spit it out. There are even taste buds on the epiglottis to give you one final chance to reject something unhealthy. Finally, your teeth are coated in enamel, the hardest substance in your body. You have a specialized toolkit: incisors (the scissors) for biting, canines (the pliers) for tearing, and molars (the grinders) for mashing. All this is necessary to grind food into small pieces, creating a larger surface area for the enzymes in your saliva to begin the refining process. This is just the mouth, and we will continue down the path of digestion, appreciating every step of the way. As we have mentioned, these wonders serve as a constant reminder— hashgacha —of the wisdom embedded in our very being. Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/961dab56-aed1-4e58-ad35-538a17873ef5.mp3 Welcome back to our post-Pesach series, Daily Dose of Bitachon , where we look through our Shaar Habechina lens at the wonders of God in creation. As mentioned, we are in Chapter 5 of Chovot Halevavot: Shaar Habechina , where we explore the wonders of the human body. Today, Rabbeinu Bachya explains that we should contemplate the inner workings of nature within the body. Specifically, we will discuss how food reaches the body and is distributed to every single limb. That is our goal, and it will take us a few days to cover. Start with your apple. We are going to take that apple and break down all its parts to see what needs to go where. When you follow the path of this apple, you will see such signs of wisdom that you will be urged to hasten in thanking and praising Hashem. This is what David HaMelech meant in Tehillim 35:10, which we say every week in Nishmat : "Kol Atzmotai Tomarna, Hashem Mi Chamocha" —"All my bones shall say: Hashem, who is like You?" What does it mean that "my bones" will say this? There is a beautiful pshat here: My bones are saying it because they watched this unbelievable act of getting that apple into every part of me. They are saying, "Wow, Hashem, how did You do that? How did every part of my body get exactly what it needed?" Our limbs are singing because, if they had mouths to sing, they would know how to appreciate what they receive from God. This is an incredible new way of reading a pasuk we say every single week. Now, Rabbeinu Bachya offers a single line that contains a great deal of depth: the food travels to the belly through a pipe prepared on a straight line, without twist or distortion. That is the esophagus. Let's be medayek (precise) in what he says. First, it is "prepared on a straight line." In engineering terms, this is the most efficient path; we all know that straight is better than crooked. It sits directly between the windpipe and the front of the spine, and its straight design ensures food reaches the stomach in seconds. This minimizes the time the airway needs to stay closed—as we will see, the airway must close when you swallow—so a straight path is essential. There are no "twists or distortions." If it were coiled like the intestines, food would move too slowly or get stuck, causing us to choke or feel constant discomfort. The simplicity of this pipe is its most sophisticated feature: straight down. Again, it is a wonder of wonders: the esophagus is straight, while the intestines are curled. How did that happen? To look further into "all my bones shall say"—when do bones talk? Perhaps it is telling us that there are involuntary parts of us—our bones, muscles, and organs—that act on their own. You never spoke to your esophagus; he is on his own. He can work, talk, and sing for himself. Let's look deeper into the esophagus. The word comes from a Greek term which literally means "I will carry what I ate." That is all it does: it takes your food from Point A to Point B. But see the wisdom here. You've likely seen that little piece flapping in the back of your throat when you open your mouth wide—the epiglottis (often seen banging back and forth in cartoons). What is its job? Imagine a busy intersection where one road leads to your stomach and the other to your lungs. Every time you swallow, this tiny, flexible flap snaps shut over your windpipe like a high-tech trapdoor. This happens automatically. You don't have to remind your body, "Don't drown on this glass of water; make sure to shut down the lungs." Hashem created a fail-safe system so that even when we are laughing or talking, the body prioritizes protecting our breath. (Though we know we shouldn't talk while eating for that reason, the system works remarkably well regardless.) One of the most fascinating designs of the esophagus is its composition. It is about ten inches long but divided into three specialized zones. The top third is made of voluntary muscle, meaning you decide to swallow. You are in control. The bottom third is made of involuntary smooth muscle; once the food is there, your body takes over completely and you have nothing to do with it. The middle third is a blend of both, where you might still feel a pill going down. It is literally a "passing of the torch" from your conscious will to the body's internal wisdom. How does this happen? My favorite part is peristalsis . As my elementary school teacher told me, you could stand on your head and swallow, and the food would move upward against gravity because of these rhythmic, wave-like contractions. It squeezes the tube above the food and relaxes below it, moving the food down involuntarily. Furthermore, the lining of your esophagus is made of layers, like biological shingles. Because we eat everything from crunchy chips to hot coffee, the lining is multi-layered and tough. These cells renew themselves rapidly to handle daily wear and tear. Unlike the chairs in your shul that you have to reupholster every few years, the esophagus redoes itself. Finally, the esophagus has two "gates" called sphincters. The upper gate lets the food in, but the lower gate is extremely important: it is a one-way valve. The stomach is full of hydrochloric acid strong enough to dissolve metal. The lower gate is designed to stay tightly shut to prevent that acid from splashing up and burning the delicate throat. It is a high-pressure seal protecting the hallway from the furnace. We've all heard of acid reflux (heartburn), which happens when that sphincter stays slightly open or opens at the wrong time. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus doesn't have a thick protective lining, so the acid literally burns the tissue. Sometimes the problem is the sphincter itself, and sometimes we cause it by overeating, as a full stomach pushes upward against the valve. As Rabbi Miller once said, you have a toothache to remind you that you have a tooth. Acid reflux is a reminder of the incredible balance of pressure, chemistry, and mechanics that usually works perfectly without us ever having to think about it. When you take those Tums, let it be a reminder of your esophagus and your sphincter at work. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/54a1abb1-b9da-472a-b472-592d6e2fa514.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Special Pesach Edition Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Today, I'd like to share a beautiful insight connected to Emunah and Bitachon from the Haggadah Beit HaBechirah , written by Rabbi Abraham Hamway of Aleppo (1839–1888), a sage also renowned for his works on the Machzorim. The Connection: Brit Bein HaBetarim and Every Generation Rabbi Hamway addresses a fundamental question: Why do we bridge the promise God gave to Avraham at the Brit Bein HaBetarim —that his children would be in a foreign land for 400 years—with the declaration of Ve-hi She-amda , which praises God for protecting us from those who try to destroy us in every generation? What does the 400-year decree have to do with our ongoing survival? Furthermore, when God first appears to Moshe Rabbeinu at the Burning Bush, He uses the phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh ("I will be what I will be"). The Sages explain this to mean: "I will be with them in this exile, and I will be with them in future exiles." When Moshe asks why future exiles must be mentioned now, God tells him to simply say, "I will be with them." But the question remains: Why mention future exiles at all? The Early Departure The answer to both questions lies in the fact that we left Egypt "early." We were there for 210 years , though the original decree was for 400. As the Haggadah says, "God calculated the end"—He accelerated the timeline because we had reached the 49th Level of Tumah (impurity). Had we stayed a moment longer, we might have been lost forever. Rabbi Hamway (preceding the Beit HaLevi on this point) explains that because we didn't complete the full 400 years in Egypt, we are essentially living through the "remnants" of that original exile. We finished most of the "dosage," but a portion remains, which we continue to experience throughout history. However, there is a silver lining: The protection promised in the 400-year decree remains active as long as the exile continues. The "bitter capsule" of exile comes with the "sweet coating" of Divine protection. This is why God mentioned future exiles to Moshe; He was signaling that His presence and promise would persist until the full "dosage" of the original decree was complete. Pesach, Matzah, and Maror: A New Perspective This also sheds light on a famous question regarding the order of the Seder. Why do we say Pesach, Matzah, and Maror ? Logically, the bitterness (Maror) came first, so it should be mentioned first. While some say we can only truly appreciate the bitterness once we are free, Rabbi Hamway offers a different approach. He asks: Why, immediately after explaining the Maror, does the Haggadah say that every person must feel as though they personally left Egypt? The Insight: Even though we "got out" of Egypt, every individual still carries their own personal "dosage" of Maror. Because we left Egypt early, the process of refinement wasn't finished. We need Maror because it humbles us. Challenges and difficulties in life break our ego and make us receptive to God. Every year on Seder night, we "repeat" the redemption. We are redeemed from our current challenges—perhaps not by their physical removal, but through the Emunah and Bitachon we gain, which allows us to properly digest and tolerate them. Summary of the Symbols This perspective brings a deep harmony to the three main symbols of the night: Pesach: Symbolizes God "jumping over" and initiating the redemption. Matzah: Symbolizes the "rush"—the fact that we had to leave early before we were ready. Maror: Symbolizes the remaining challenges we still face today because of that early departure. When you face challenges in life and wonder why they are happening, remember: these are the leftovers of the original Galut Mitzrayim . And just as God was there then, His promise from the Brit Bein HaBetarim ensures He is with you now. We are all in our own "Mitzrayim" in some way, and every year, we have the opportunity to get out again. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/fbb94f4b-18a4-4267-a59c-9c0905f4c9fd.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Pesach and the Revelation of "Banim" Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue with our thoughts on Pesach. We mentioned yesterday that the fundamental takeaways of the Seder night are Emunah (belief), Hakarat Hatov (gratitude), and ultimately Avdut —realizing "I am a servant of Hashem." If I have gratitude, I feel the need to reciprocate and rely on Him. The Great Takeaway: "Beni Bechori Yisrael" There is another vital point brought out by Rabbi Avigdor Miller (quoted by Rabbi Yosi Sa'ida in the name of Mr. Sam Gindi). He suggests that a central takeaway of the Seder is Beni Bechori Yisrael : The Jewish people are the children of God. Now, I was initially bothered when I heard that because it feels like a chiddush (a novelty). It isn't explicitly written in the Torah as one of the primary "goals" of Yetziat Mitzrayim . However, as a takeaway for our lives, where do we see this? I thought of two points: 1. The Witness of the Sea First, we say in our nightly prayers ( Ga'al Yisrael ) that when Hashem crossed the sea for the Jewish people: הַמַּעֲבִיר בָּנָיו בֵּין גִּזְרֵי יַם סוּף "He took His children through the splittings of the Red Sea." And then: רָאוּ בָנִים אֶת גְּבוּרָתוֹ "The children saw His strength." There is something about Kriat Yam Suf (the splitting of the sea)—which is the finale of the Exodus—that reveals us as Hashem's children. In the Emunah Kol Zot prayer, we say there is nothing like God, and then: Ve'anachnu Yisrael amo ("And we, Israel, are His nation"). I once heard from Rav Moshe Shapiro that Emunah is not just believing God is King of the world, but believing we are His nation. We must believe in that identity. 2. The Father vs. The Messenger Another way God is revealed as a Father is pointed out by Rav Shmuel Birnbaum in his Haggadah. He discusses the phrase Ani velo shaliach ("I and not a messenger"). He explains that when a father truly loves his child, he doesn't want to care for them through an intermediary. It's not just about the child "being taken care of"—the father wants to be the one doing the caring. Think of a mother who waited ten years for a child; she isn't interested in a wet nurse or a nanny. She wants to care for that child herself because of her motherly love. So, too, God Himself wanted to take us out because we are His children. The Father Who Carries Us We see this again in Devarim (1:31): וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ "And in the wilderness... where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son." Rashi gives the famous mashal (parable) of a father carrying his child on his shoulders to protect him from attackers. The pasuk continues there by saying, "And in this matter, you do not believe"—meaning, you don't truly believe that we are Hashem's beloved children. The Kedushat Levi says almost the exact same thing: at Yetziat Mitzrayim , it was revealed we are His children because a father goes personally into the redemption. The Night of Blessings It is interesting to note that the night of Pesach is the same night Yitzchak Avinu gave the brachot (blessings) to Yaakov. This is the ultimate Birkat Habanim (Blessing of the Children). It is brought down that the most apropos time of the year to bless your children is the night of Pesach. In those blessings, Yitzchak uses the word beni ("my son") eight times. The Or Gedalyahu explains that just as David Hamelech used the word beni eight times to try and pull his son Avshalom out of the seven levels of Gehinnom, Yitzchak Avinu (thinking he was talking to Esav) wanted to lift his children up from the lowest levels. Why? Because a child is always a child. This is the message of the Arba Banim (Four Sons). Even the Rasha (the wicked son) is at the table. Regardless of what we do, we remain Banim la-Makom (Children of the Omnipresent). From Children to Brothers If we are children, that status comes with a requirement of brotherhood. The Pele Yoetz quotes the pasuk in Malachi (2:10): הֲלוֹא אָב אֶחָד לְכֻלָּנוּ... מַדּוּעַ נִבְגַּד אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו ? "Have we not all one Father? ... Why then do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" The Tanya (Chapter 32) says that because our souls are connected to one Father, we are Achim Mamash —literal brothers. Only our bodies are separate. The Maharal tells us the Jewish people are like one big body, and God is the soul of all of them. This was the first step of Moshe Rabbeinu's journey. Vayar besivlotam —he saw their sufferings. He saw them as brothers in need. He carried the trait of brotherhood passed down from Shimon and Levi ( Achim heim ). Viewing everyone as a brother is the true key to redemption. As the Maggid of Dubno and Hafetz Haim both famously : When two brothers love each other, the Father is happy and provides for the home. When they fight, the Father hides His face. If we want our Father in Heaven to treat us like His children, we must treat each other like brothers. A Final Appeal And again, our final push: Baruch Hashem, there were people who responded yesterday to my heartfelt plea on behalf of Lev Chana Lev Zechariah , collecting for clothing cards for families in our community. How to give: Zelle: RabbiSutton@gmail.com Pledge: Email me at RabbiSutton@gmail.com Link: Click the link attached to this chat or email : https://www.rayze.it/levchanazm/ Please give generously. Thank you very much, and Tizku L'mitzvot. Thank you, and may we all merit to see the brotherhood in one another. Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/979ad59e-dbe9-421d-bbdd-22c06aaeef69.mp3 Daily Bitachon: The Lens of Gratitude Welcome to Daily Bitachon. With only three days remaining until Pesach, our focus naturally shifts toward the holiday. However, we are not moving away from our fundamental topic, Sha'ar HaBechinah (The Gate of Reflection). From Reflection to Service Sha'ar HaBechinah is about recognizing God within creation. But what is the purpose of that recognition? It isn't just to sit back and be fascinated by the world. According to the Chovos HaLevavos , the true outcome of recognizing God's handiwork is Hakarat HaTov —gratitude. When I realize that God placed my nose in the middle of my face specifically so I can smell and enjoy my food, I recognize that He did this for me . As the Sages say, "Bishvili nivra ha'olam" —the world was created for me. When I internalize how much God has done for me, the natural reaction is a desire to reciprocate. This leads us directly to the next gate, Sha'ar Avodat HaElohim (The Gate of Serving God), and subsequently to Sha'ar HaBitachon (The Gate of Trust). If I am a servant of God, I must rely on Him. This progression is the essence of the Seder night: Emunah: Recognizing God in the world. Hakarat HaTov: Feeling gratitude for His kindness. Avodah: Dedicating ourselves to serving Him. Bitachon: Relying on Him as His servants. The Heart of the Haggadah: Bikkurim I saw a fascinating thought from Rav Shmuel Birnbaum regarding the structure of the Seder. As a refresher, the core of our Haggadah (which I explore through 30 lessons in the Bitachon Haggadah ) centers on four verses from the section of Bikkurim (First Fruits). In the times of the Temple, a farmer would bring his first fruits to God as a thank you. But we don't just say "thanks for the crop"; we recount our history starting from "Arami Oveid Avi." This is the shortest version of the Exodus story that exists. Rather than recounting every detail from Miketz through Bo , the Torah gives it to us in four verses. When you reach the section of Arami Oveid Avi in the Haggadah, wake up. Why do we use the Bikkurim text as our backdrop? Because the entire theme of Bikkurim is Hakarat HaTov. We are meant to view the entire night through the lens of gratitude. The Warning of Lavan Why do we start with Lavan? Rav Shmuel Birnbaum offers an unbelievable insight in his commentary (with Hakarat HaTov to Rabbi Press from the Mir Yeshiva for publishing it). Lavan was a kefui tovah —a person who denies the good done for him. Before Yaakov arrived, Lavan was poor and had only daughters. After Yaakov came, Lavan became wealthy and had sons. Lavan even admitted, "God blessed me because of you," yet he refused to feel beholden.{ letters of Lavan ( ל-ב-ן ) are the same as Naval ( נ-ב-ל ), which means an ingrate.} When someone does you a favor, you have two options: Recognize it, be grateful, and reciprocate. Find faults in the person so you don't have to feel obligated to them. This is often why people choose atheism. Recognizing God means recognizing everything He has done for us, which makes us beholden to Him. To avoid that responsibility and those boundaries, people find excuses to deny Him. The Haggadah starts with Lavan as a warning: if you don't cultivate gratitude tonight, you risk becoming an ingrate. A Personal Opportunity This theme of gratitude—for God and for people—is why we see Moshe Rabbeinu refusing to strike the Nile or the dust during the plagues; he had Hakarat HaTov because they had once protected him. In that spirit, I have a personal pitch. In previous years, I've raised money for Lev Chana , an organization that provides clothing cards for families in need. This year, I didn't push it as hard, and we are currently far short of our goal. While Bitachon is essential, we must also do our hishtadlut (effort). If you benefit from this class every day, I ask you to practice Hakarat HaTov by helping me reach the finish line for these families. How to give: Zelle: RabbiSutton@gmail.com Pledge: Email me at RabbiSutton@gmail.com Link: Click the link attached to this chat or email : https://www.rayze.it/levchanazm/ Please give generously. Thank you very much, and Tizku L'mitzvot. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/8de68fb8-ca33-4617-9608-4bcda60915c1.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon: Erev Shabbat HaGadol Welcome to our Erev Shabbat series. Today is EREV Shabbat HaGadol , and we will explore its connection to Bitachon (trust in God) based on a beautiful insight from the Meshech Chochma (Devarim 10:20). The Universal vs. The Unique Shabbat The Meshech Chochma notes that, theoretically, Shabbat should apply to all of humanity. Since God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, every nation should seemingly have a connection to that rest. Yet, only the Jewish people received the commandment of Shabbat. Why? Because keeping Shabbat requires a specific level of Bitachon —a reliance on God that is unique to the Jewish people. To truly rest, you must know with certainty that your parnassah (livelihood) is set by God. The Meshech Chochma points out that in Jeremiah (17:7), right after the prophet discusses Bitachon — "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem" —he immediately speaks about Shabbat. A person who trusts in Hashem welcomes Shabbat because they view weekday labor as a "tax" or a necessity to cover miracles (as discussed in Chovot HaLevavot ). The servant of Hashem is happy to stop working because they believe they will lose nothing by taking the day off. The Power of Yetziat Mitzrayim This level of trust was forged during Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). We witnessed Hashgacha Pratit (Divine Providence) firsthand—such as when a glass of water remained water for a Jew but turned to blood for an Egyptian. This direct experience gave us the power to keep Shabbat. The Midrash Rabbah on the verse "The blessing of Hashem brings wealth" explains that this refers specifically to Shabbat. Other nations aren't commanded to keep Shabbat because, without the historical experience of the Exodus and the resulting Bitachon , it would be an impossible burden. God does not give a mitzvah that a person is incapable of fulfilling. The Desert and the Manna This explains why Shabbat was given to us at Marah , even before the revelation at Sinai. When we followed God into a desolate wilderness without asking, "How will we survive?", we demonstrated the "kindness of our youth" ( Chesed Ne'urayich ). By following Him into the desert, we proved we were ready for Shabbat. This is why Shabbat and the Manna were introduced together. The Manna was the ultimate exercise in Bitachon : "My cupboard is empty today, but I know there will be enough tomorrow." Only those with that level of trust ( Ba'alei Bitachon ) can truly keep Shabbat. The Connection to Shabbat HaGadol On the 10th of Nissan in Egypt—which fell on a Shabbat—the Jewish people faced a tremendous test of faith. They were commanded to take a sheep (an Egyptian deity) and tie it to their bedposts. When asked by their neighbors what they were doing, they boldly proclaimed their intent to slaughter it and that the Egyptian firstborns would soon die. It took immense Emunah (faith) to make such a proclamation openly. This act of reliance is the core of Shabbat HaGadol. We celebrate it as "The Great Shabbat" (rather than just the 10th of Nissan) because it marks the moment we showed we were ready to keep Shabbat by displaying our absolute Bitachon . Cleaving to Hashem The Meshech Chochma writes this immediately following his essay on the mitzvah of "U'vo Tidbak" (To Him you shall cleave). He explains that "cleaving" to God is the mitzvah of Bitachon . When you rely on Hashem, He is always on your mind, and you are constantly connected to Him. He poignantly notes that in his own generation, spiritual levels dropped because people worried too much about the future and how to support their families, leading them to turn away from Torah study. He attributed the challenges of European Jewry to a lack of Bitachon . This Shabbat is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our own Bitachon. Just as our ancestors did on that first Shabbat HaGadol in Egypt, let us reaffirm our reliance on Hashem, knowing that He provides for all our needs. Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat HaGadol Shalom! Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/681cc521-108c-4526-baf7-8afb6c9d9839.mp3 Welcome to Daily Bitachon. In our Sha'ar Habechina series, the Chovot HaLevavot says the next thing that we should appreciate in our development is we are a year old or so, we're able to see, we're able to hear, and we're infants. But Hashem puts us for chen and chesed and mercy in the eyes of our parents. That raising us should not be too difficult and they start caring for us more than they care for themselves when it comes to eating and drinking and all the hard work, the bathing, the diapering, all becomes easy. And they do everything they can to protect us. Now how does that happen? Now of course God makes everything happen, but what's the natural explanation for this phenomena? Where does this maternal love stem from? It's a combination of biological, neurological and emotional factors designed by Hashem to ensure infant survival. It's driven by a hormone called oxytocin, which is released during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and supported by brain changes that enhance empathy and nurturing. So this is wonder of wonders. Mothers care about their children, they might not be the biggest baalei middot, they didn't learn Mesilat Yesharim, and yet they're waking up in the middle of the night to take care of their children, because a hormone is released that enhances empathy and nurturing. Wonders of wonders. And a lot of other hormones are shifting, estrogen, prolactin, and they all influence the maternal feelings. The maternal brain undergoes structural changes that prioritize the baby's safety. The vagus nerve is also involved, creating feelings of warmth and dedication. Once upon a time I spoke about the vagus nerve, which is something that's activated when you take deep breaths and you just suddenly calm down. Deep breath, calm down, that's coming from this vagus nerve that runs down your neck. But what does God do? The mother doesn't have time to breathe. That's a saying, I don't have time to breathe. They don't have time to breathe. So God gets this nerve stimulated and creating that feeling of warmth and dedication and calm while the mother is raising her children during those early years. And studies are showing now that gut bacteria can also play a role in influencing maternal nurturing behavior. Studies are still very early in this, but as we spoke about previously, you have what's called gut bacteria that are not part of you, and they help modulate the oxytocin. These bacteria also help communicate between the brain and the vagus nerve. Studies show when these specific bacteria are missing, the oxytocin levels drop and maternal behaviors diminish. So it's fascinating what's going on to bring about this wonder that God put into the mother to care about her children. The next stage is now the child becomes a teenager. Teenagers are difficult, their brains are not developed yet, and yet we don't get disgusted with them, we tolerate them with all their difficulty, and more than that, תגדל הדאגה לו בלבם . We worry about them, we care about them. Another wonder is that children's brains don't develop intellectually until they're older. And this is also a phenomena, that as the body grows, the physical body grows, so too does the intellect also develop, which is very interesting. I mean why what does your intellect and your understanding and your language have to do with the size of your pinky? But somehow everything grows emotionally and physically at the same time. Now why did God make it that way that children don't understand? You know, so what, okay they're small, but why couldn't their brain start working immediately? He says because if they would realize how limited they are, how they can't do anything, how everyone's taking care of them, they would die from de'aga ve'yagon, which literally means anxiety and depression. They would die from anxiety and depression. So therefore, God made that they don't understand. Another wonder. Next wonder, babies cry. God put into babies to cry and there's tremendous benefits from it. And he goes to the doctors of his time that say that the crying causes certain parts of the brain to develop properly. Modern science tells us the reason why we need crying. First of all, communication and safety. It's the primary way that babies call for help, allowing them to express their needs such as hunger, pain, or discomfort. Physical development, the act of crying stimulates the heart and lungs and improves circulation and aids in establishing proper breathing. So crying is actually a breathing therapy. Like when people are in the hospital they have this this gizmo, you blow into it and there's a little ball in there and it goes up. I don't know what it's called, breathalyzer, whatever it may be called, I don't know, but God put that into children that they're constantly developing their lungs. It also helps for emotional regulation. It helps babies release tension and manage emotions, helping them transition from distress to a calmer state. And finally, it causes a bonding and caregiver response. Crying triggers nurturing responses from caregivers, which strengthens the attachment and trust. Children need to get the message that when I cry, there's someone there that cares about me. I live in a world where people care for me. And that comes about by having needs that are fulfilled. So God put into the child a being constantly conditioned, I cry, someone comes and soothes and cares for me. I'm in a world that's a safe world. He's being trained in that important lesson from a young age. And all these wonders and wonders and wonders that Hashem put into creation that we're supposed to be recognizing. So next time you hear a baby cry, don't just say what a baby's cry. There's good reasons why they cry. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/8f8709d1-f116-49ee-afdb-593bfb26c629.mp3 Welcome to our daily Bitachon Shaar Bechinah series. We are exploring the wisdom embedded within the human being. In Chovot HaLevavot (Shaar Cheshbon HaNefesh, Chapter 3), Rabbeinu Bachya outlines thirty different things we are meant to appreciate. 1. Something from Nothing First on his "hit parade" is the contemplation of your own existence: think about how, once upon a time, you didn't exist, and now you do. You are literally yesh me-ayin —something from nothing. Just as God created the universe ex nihilo , He created your "mini-world" as well. While we technically stem from a microscopic seed, the transition to a living human is essentially something from nothing. This was granted without God owing us anything; it is pure kindness, goodness, and generosity. Consider your stature. You were lifted up; you aren't an animal, grass, or a mineral. That alone is reason enough to thank Hashem for your existence. 2. The Adopted Child He brings the famous mashal (parable) of a child abandoned by the roadside. A passerby sees him, feels mercy, and brings him home. He raises him and provides everything he asks for. Hashem is much more than that—He didn't just find us; He meticulously created every one of our limbs. The Steipler Gaon ( Chayei Olam , Chapter 2) echoes this, noting that everything we have is an unearned kindness. Our problem is that we don't appreciate our gifts until they are threatened. We don't value our eyes unless, chas v'shalom , we lose our vision for a time. When it returns, only then do we celebrate. The same is true for our hands; a person in a cast only appreciates the limb once the cast is removed. We must learn to appreciate them while they are functioning. 3. The Miracle of Birth Returning to Shaar Bechinah , the Chovot HaLevavot tells us to appreciate the moment we emerged from the womb. Without any training or "birthing courses," you navigated that narrow canal. Who helped you? Only the Chacham, ha-Rachum, v'Chanun —the Wise, Merciful, and Gracious One. You entered the world weak, with almost no senses functioning other than touch and taste. Yet, God prepared your sustenance immediately. He created a wellspring of milk from your mother, perfectly suited to your needs. It is sweet, tasty, and flows effortlessly—like a spring appearing just as you are stuck in a desert. It isn't too heavy or too light; it's perfect so the child doesn't gag. Beyond the milk itself, Hashem implanted the instinct —the desire and the physical ability to nurse. 4. The Great "System Switch" The Gemara ( Niddah 30b ) discusses a wonder we often overlook: breathing. We cannot survive more than a few minutes without air, yet a child lives in the womb for months without breathing at all. Folded inside, the fetus eats what the mother eats and receives oxygenated blood directly through her system. Think about modern medicine: if someone can't breathe, they need a massive ventilator or a tracheotomy. Man hasn't yet figured out how to perfectly pump oxygenated blood into a person to bypass the lungs the way God does in the womb. This is what we acknowledge every day in the berachah of Asher Yatzar : "If one of them were to be opened, or one of them were to be closed..." ( im yipateach echad meihem o yisatem echad meihem ). The commentaries explain that if the mouth were to open and try to breathe inside the womb, or if it failed to open and breathe the moment we emerged, we could not survive. Hashem performs a perfect "system switch" from the mother's oxygen to the world's air. We get used to these miracles, but we shouldn't. I once knew someone who had to go on dialysis; when they were finally able to get off the machine, their joy was boundless. The Takeaway: Take a moment today to appreciate your birth and the perfect timing of your existence. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/f54a1414-ee3d-42b3-91de-6d70ab435a37.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Sha'ar Habechina Welcome back to our series on Sha'ar Habechina . We are continuing our journey through the human being as a "miniature world," viewed through the lens of the Chazon Ish . He points out something fascinating: most people are completely unaware of the vast armies standing guard over them, toiling tirelessly to preserve their lives. Just as a country has a military to defend its borders, there is a literal army inside of you. The Internal "Iron Dome" Who are these soldiers? They are your white blood cells . Your body contains billions of living cells that belong to you, along with billions of "inhabitants"—microbes and bacteria in your gut—that live alongside you. Every day, we face biological "terrorists": viruses, fungi, and harmful bacteria. It isn't just geopolitical threats like ballistic missiles; these wars are happening under your skin right now. God installed an Internal Iron Dome that intercepts these threats. If we could hear what was happening inside our veins, we would hear sirens going off constantly. I remember an elementary school teacher describing a simple infection or a "pus pimple" in a graphic way: she said that when you see pus, you are looking at the battlefield. Those are the "dead soldiers"—the white blood cells that gave their lives to protect you. A high white blood cell count on a medical report is simply a dispatch from the front lines, telling you that a war is being waged on your behalf. Note: This isn't just a science class. This is the Torah of the Chazon Ish, the Gadol Hador . These insights are so holy that one must say Birkat HaTorah (the blessings over Torah study) before learning them. Communication: The Mouth and the Ear Now, imagine this "robot" is perfect—it sees, moves, and has a defense system. But what is it worth if it cannot communicate? At first, you might imagine the Inventor fashioned a machine that chirps a variety of sounds. We call this machine a mouth . It is an incredibly expensive, highly complex piece of engineering. But a "chirping machine" is useless without a sensor. So, corresponding to the mouth, the Inventor created a machine that senses every sound wave: the ear . This presents a massive challenge to the theory of random evolution. What use is a voice box if no one is listening? What is the purpose of an ear if nothing is making sound? They are two separate, highly complex systems that must exist simultaneously to have any value. Yet here we are, the "lucky survivors" of this perfect design. Intellect and Continuity Beyond the physical, God granted us intellect . Without it, we would be no different from an ox eating grass. He gave us wisdom so we could fulfill our unique role in creation. Then, the Inventor addressed the problem of "stock." He didn't want to manually build every single robot; He wanted them to procreate. He created male and female so that these two machines could continue the "production line" forever. Imagine buying a robot on Amazon and the seller saying, "Just buy these two, and you'll never need to buy another one again." We are so accustomed to this marvel that we don't notice it, but for thousands of years, billions of people have been produced "undercover" in the mother's womb, all running on Divine autopilot. The Self-Healing Body The Inventor also built in a repair shop. When you cut yourself and blood flows, your organs and tissues immediately send "coagulants" to freeze the surface and stop the leak. Eventually, the body fuses the flesh back together, creating new membranes and scar tissue. And for those serious battles where our internal army needs help? God created a "storehouse of mercenaries"— herbs, vegetation, and medicines —hidden in the natural world to serve as antibiotics. Conclusion: The Ultimate App The Chazon Ish notes that the only thing stopping us from seeing this is the "constant busyness" of life. We get so excited about an iPhone and its gazillions of apps. You can open your front door or talk to someone across the world and you say, "Wow!" But hold on—God is the original Developer. Your eye is an app. Your ear is an app. Your tongue is an app. Need to charge your battery? Take a nap. We get so impressed by what human beings can build. It's time we get excited about what God has already done. Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/a66413c1-a854-4d84-a360-10dde86e472b.mp3 Daily Bitachon: Sha'ar Habechina Welcome to our series on Sha'ar Habechina , where we explore the art of recognizing God within creation. The Chovot Halevavot teaches that the most profound way to find the Creator is by looking at the human being. Interestingly, the Chazon Ish , in his seminal work Emuna ve'Bitachon (Faith and Reliance), begins by following this exact directive—treating the human body as the primary evidence of Divine wisdom. After all, you cannot reach bitachon (reliance) without first establishing the fundamentals of emuna (faith). The Master Inventor The Chazon Ish offers a powerful mashal (parable): God is the Master Inventor . But He isn't just a builder; He is a kind, benevolent Inventor seeking to create a magnificent "machine" that can actually enjoy existence. Imagine an inventor building a complex robot. To benefit from this spectacular world, that robot needs to perceive it. Our tradition says that a blind person is "as if dead" because they are hindered from fully experiencing the world's beauty. So, the Master Inventor created two "seeing machines" and placed them in the head. We call them eyes , but that's just a simple name for a marvelous invention that focuses, adjusts to light, and processes depth. We could write entire libraries just on the mechanics of the eye. Interaction and Mobility Next, the Inventor looks at His creation and realizes it needs to interact with its environment. The Arms: He "pops in" two arms, perfectly symmetrical. He adds elbows for leverage, wrists for rotation, and fingers for precision. The Hands: He adds a thumb for grasping and embeds "touch sensors" so the machine can distinguish hot from cold, dry from wet, and soft from hard. The Legs: To provide mobility, He crafts legs with knees, ankles, and toes designed to grip the surface and maintain balance. The Spark of Life But even with all these parts, the machine would be nothing but clay without a soul . God breathed a soul into the human being. What is a soul? We don't exactly know, much like we don't fully "know" gravity—we simply testify to its existence by observing its effects. The Fuel System Once the machine is built, its survival is not guaranteed; it requires constant nutrition. We acknowledge this in the blessing of Borei Nefashot : בורא נפשות רבות וחסרונם —"He creates many souls and their deficiencies." We are like cars that run out of gas. Think about that feeling when your Waze says you have 50 miles to go, but your tank only has 30. You feel that surge of "range anxiety." Yet, do we ever stop to wonder how our own "gas" is always available? God created an abundance of food with countless varieties and nutrients to keep us running. The Internal Laboratory To process this fuel, the Master Inventor designed the digestive system. We have a stomach and intestines that chemically break down food into components, distributing each nutrient to the exact part of the body that needs it. Every organ—the gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, heart, and brain—has a unique, meticulous role. Think about your last blood test. You scan the results and see "Normal, Normal, Normal." Who keeps your blood pressure at a perfect 120/80? Who manages the pump that has been running since before you were born? All these systems are fine-tuned and regulated by the Inventor to work in perfect harmony. We will stop here for now and continue this lesson from the Chazon Ish tomorrow. Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/f8178fee-7c5c-4ea6-ba68-196e0437a35b.mp3 Yetziat Mitzrayim: The Catalyst for Shabbat Welcome to our daily Bitachon series, and specifically to our special Friday edition dedicated to the essence of Shabbat. As we have often noted, Shabbat is deeply intertwined with both Ma'aseh Bereishit (the Creation) and Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). In a profound sense, the Exodus actually "created" Shabbat as we know it today. Originally, Shabbat served primarily as a connection to the act of Creation; through our redemption from Egypt, God transformed Shabbat into a sign ( Ot ) of our unique relationship with Him. The Three Signs of the Exodus The Exodus did not only establish Shabbat; it created other essential Otot (signs) as well: Tefillin: Two of the four passages contained within our Tefillin explicitly discuss the Exodus. Brit Milah: The Midrash teaches that while in Egypt, many were hesitant to perform circumcision as it marked them as distinct from the gentiles. however, when the time came to leave, they were commanded to eat the Korban Pesach (Paschal Lamb), of which the Torah states: "No uncircumcised man may eat of it." Thus, the Brit Milah became a prerequisite for and a part of the Exodus story. Shabbat: The day that testifies both to God's mastery over nature and His intervention in human history. The "Upside-Down" Theory of History In Parshat Bo, God tells Moses the reason for the plagues and the miracles: "Lema'an shiti ototai eleh bekirbo" —"So that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst." While the simple meaning refers to the plagues as signs of God's power, the Ma'or Vashemesh offers a fascinating deeper reading. He suggests that the goal of the Exodus was specifically to "implant" these Otot (Shabbat, Tefillin, and Brit Milah) within the Jewish people. This leads to what we might call the "upside-down theory" of Jewish history: We usually assume that because we left Egypt, we have a Shabbat to remember it. The Ma'or Vashemesh argues the opposite: Because God wanted us to have the holiness of Shabbat, He orchestrated the Exodus. The memorials are not an afterthought to history; history was created to facilitate the memorials. The classic proof is found in the Haggadah: "Ba'avur zeh" —"Because of this." We say God took us out of Egypt "because of this " (pointing to the Matzah and Maror). Logic would suggest we eat Matzah because He took us out, but the Torah suggests He took us out so that we would have the opportunity to perform the Mitzvah of Matzah. The Priority of the Mitzvah Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz famously applied this concept to the Fifth Commandment. We don't respect our parents simply because they happen to be the ones who brought us into the world. Rather, God created the biological reality of parenthood so that we would have the opportunity to fulfill the Mitzvah of "Honor your father and your mother." The Mitzvah exists in the spiritual realm first; the physical world is then constructed to allow that Mitzvah to manifest. The Exodus was the catalyst to create the Shabbat of Kiddush and Hallel . When the Torah says, "Lema'an tesaper be'oznei vincha" ("So that you may tell it in the ears of your children"), it is referring to the Friday night Kiddush . The entire purpose of the Egyptian exile and redemption was so that a Jewish father could sit with his children on Friday night and testify that God is the Master of the world. The Cause of All Causes The term "Hit'alalti" (usually translated as "I have mocked" or "wrought") used in reference to Egypt shares a root with Eilat Kol Ha'eilot —the Cause of all Causes. As Rabbeinu Bachya explains, this shows that God is the remote cause behind every event. Shabbat is the weekly reminder of this truth. God directed the course of history—slavery, plagues, and redemption—specifically so we would have this special Shabbat. As we approach Pesach, let us appreciate that every Shabbat we keep is a fulfillment of the very purpose for which we were liberated. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/19b61c98-eee1-46e1-9abf-73aed5646544.mp3 The Human Being: A Miniature World Insights from Shaar HaBechinah (The Gate of Trust), Chapter Five Welcome to our daily Bitachon series. We are beginning the fifth chapter of Shaar Bitachon , where the Chovot HaLevavot poses a fundamental question: Of the seven areas of creation we've discussed—the stars, animals, the earth, and so on—which one should we delve into most? While every area of creation is necessary and wondrous, he explains that our greatest responsibility lies in the area closest to us, where God's wisdom is most accessible: the human species. The "Olam Katan" (Miniature World) The Sages teach that a human being is an Olam Katan —a miniature universe. Every bit of wisdom found in the vast cosmos can be found mirrored within a single person. We see this connection through the repeated use of the word Chochma (Wisdom) in the Torah: The World: "Hashem founded the earth with wisdom ( Chochma )" (Proverbs 3:19). The Mishkan: "I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom ( Chochma )" (Exodus 31:3). The Human: "...Who fashioned man with wisdom ( Chochma )" (Blessing of Asher Yatzar ). Just as the world developed from a central point (the Even Shetiyah in the Holy Temple), a human develops from a single point—the umbilical cord. The Otzar Midrashim (in Agadat Olam Katan ) takes this even further, drawing vivid parallels: Our hair is like a forest. The different fluids in our body mirror the streams of the earth: salty water in the eyes, cold in the nose, bitter in the ears, and sweet in the mouth. The stomach is like the vast ocean. Even the animal kingdom is mirrored in the diverse traits and "winds" that exist within human nature. Our Obligation to Observe Because there is so much wisdom packed into our own bodies, we are obligated to examine: Our origins: How we develop from a hidden spark. Our structure: The joining of parts and the specific function of every limb. Our psychology: Our character traits, the faculties of the soul, and the "light" of our intellect. Our essence: Our desires and our ultimate purpose. The wise men of old taught that the highest level of understanding is knowing yourself. As Iyov (Job) said: "From my own flesh, I see God" (Job 19:26). By looking inward, we see the Creator. The Goal: Humble Gratitude What is the point of all this "delving"? It isn't just for anatomy; it's to awaken us from our indifference. When we realize the kindness and complexity invested in our very existence, we are moved to humble ourselves before the Creator. King David expresses this perfectly in Psalm 139: "I acknowledge You, for I am awesomely, wondrously fashioned... My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in concealment... Your eyes saw my unshaped form (Golmi)..." When David mentions being "knit together," he refers to the incredibly complex organism of bones, sinews, and tissues. When he uses the word Golmi (my unshaped mass), he reminds us that while an embryo is just a "lump" of potential, God sees the fully realized person from the moment of conception. The development of a human takes years, but to God, it is all one. This journey of appreciation—seeing the infinite in the individual—is what the Chovot HaLevavot invites us to continue. Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon https://learntorah.com/content/4dbdc81f-1433-4695-b786-b413639163d1.mp3 The Host and the Guest: Insights into Bitachon The Seven Pillars of Creation Welcome to our daily Bitachon session in our Sha'ar HaBechinah series. We have previously explored seven areas of contemplation, and the Chovot HaLevavot notes that some believe this is what Shlomo HaMelech alluded to in the opening verses of Proverbs (Mishlei), Chapter 9: "With all forms of wisdom did she build her house; she carved out its seven pillars." The core point here is that these seven pillars refer to the world God built through seven areas of divine benefit. The passage continues: "She prepared her meat, mixed her wine, and also set her table. She has sent out her maidens; she announces upon the heights of the city: 'Whoever is a simpleton, let him turn here.' To the one who lacks an understanding heart, she says: 'Come, partake of my food and drink of the wine that I have mixed.'" Recognizing the Host Rashi explains that this passage refers to Creation, with the seven pillars representing the seven days of the week. Continuing this metaphor, Rashi suggests that "mixing the wine" refers to the creation of solids and liquids, while the Gemara (Sanhedrin 38a) suggests it refers to the oceans, rivers, and all the world's necessities. But who are the "fools" and those who "lack heart"? Rav Yeruchem Levovitz explains that we live in a magnificent world created by God, yet the "fools" are those who attend the party without realizing who the Host is. Our world is God's house, and God is throwing a party for everyone. Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 11:1) notes that God invited Adam and Chava to this party, yet they acted foolishly by following the snake—whose message was essentially that God didn't really create the world and isn't truly the Host. The Good Guest vs. The Bad Guest Even if we recognize God as the Host, how do we view our stay? The Gemara (Berachot 58a) describes two types of guests: The Good Guest says: "Look at all the effort the homeowner went through for me! Look at the wine, the meat, and the desserts. All of this effort was for my sake." The Bad Guest says: "What did he really do for me anyway? He had to prepare the wine, meat, and dessert for his own wife and children; I'm just a tag-along." The Chafetz Chaim (Letter 45) invokes this Gemara to emphasize that we must appreciate the modern inventions and benefits God provides. We are guests in this world, and we must maintain the right outlook. As the Gemara (Bava Kamma 92b) quips: "The wine belongs to the host, yet we give thanks to the bartender." When you're at a wedding drinking expensive Scotch, you thank the bartender—but he didn't pay for it; the host did. We receive benefits through many messengers, but the ultimate Homeowner paying the bill is God. The Divine "Housewarming" Midrash Tanchuma (Bereshit 2) takes this a step further regarding Shabbat, quoting, "And God finished (Vayechal) His work on the seventh day." The Midrash explains Vayechal can be understood as a "crowning party"—what we call a Chanukat HaBayit (housewarming). After creating the world in six days, God celebrated the completion of His home on Shabbat. At a Chanukat HaBayit, guests look around and admire the chandelier or the moldings. Similarly, the goal of Shabbat is to enter God's house and admire the wonders of Creation. This is why we recite Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat, focusing on His works. Rav Yeruchem Levovitz (Da'at Torah, Vayikra) warns that a guest can mistakenly think, "This is my party," forgetting who the "birthday boy" is. In this world, God is the Guest of Honor at His own party. He invites us and sets a place card for each of us, but we must remember our place. The Responsibility of the Wealthy Guest This leads to a famous mashal (parable). A man held a grand wedding and invited his two sons—one wealthy, one poor. He told the wealthy son, "I'll pay for your travel, but please, your brother has nothing. Go tailor fine clothes for him so he can attend the party with dignity. I will reimburse you for that, too." The wealthy brother, indifferent to his sibling, spent very little. When the poor brother arrived looking like a beggar, the father was upset. He told the wealthy son, "Why should I pay for your tickets? You only cared about yourself. If you cared about me, you would ensure your brother looked his best." An Invitation to God's Table We are all at God's party, especially during a Simchat Yom Tov. On the night of the Seder, we are sitting at God's table. Tosafot (Berachot 42a) mentions that when one eats at the house of the Resh Galuta (the Exilarch), the guests are not in charge of when the meal ends; they follow the host. We apply this to the Seder: even if one thought they were finished, they can still eat the Afikoman because they are guests at God's table. If we are truly guests at His table, it is our obligation to ensure our brothers and sisters are properly clothed for the event. This shows we recognize that God is the ultimate Boss. How You Can Help This is the time of year I hold a drive for Lev Chana and the Sefardi division, Lev Zicharya. We provide clothing cards to hundreds of families in need, including 100 widows in the Flatbush area alone. To support these families, you can: Zelle: rabbisutton@gmail.com Credit Card: https://www.rayze.it/levchanazm/ Check: Payable to Lev Chana, 1059 East 10th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11230 Pledge: Email rabbisutton@gmail.com and we will bill you. Thank you for helping us make sure everyone is ready for the party. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Sutton Rabbi David Sutton No Learn Bitachon daily Learn Bitachon daily with Rabbi David Sutton Daily, Bitachon