A Daily ethical teaching by Rabbi David Ashear https://itorah.com/living-emunah/search/3 en-us Copyright 2026 iTorah.com Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss itorahwebsite@gmail.com Rabbi David Ashear Living Emunah by Rabbi David Ashear - delivered directly to your computer and/or mobile device. Living Emunah Given Daily by Rabbi David Ashear. Please check back frequently to get the latest content. episodic Torah Learning Resources. itorahwebsite@gmail.com No https://learntorah.com/dailyemunah/1099.mp3 In this week's parasha , Korach staged a rebellion against Moshe and Aharon, telling them that they took all the good positions in Klal Yisrael for themselves. Chazal tell us, Korach's actions were motivated by jealousy. He saw others around him being promoted to different positions and he didn't get any of them for himself. He convinced himself, and others, that his motives were purely l'shem Shamayim , but deep down it was all about his own honor. Sometimes, people feel bad about their positions in life. They look around at others and see that this person is the president of a shul and that person is the president of a school, this one runs his own business, that one heads his own chesed organization, and the list goes on. A person may feel, what am I worth? I don't do anything big. Nobody knows about me, I'm just an average, regular guy . If that person would instead think, it's okay, I don't need honor or recognition. I don't need to be famous. Then, his job would become very valuable – working on his middot and becoming humble is an extremely precious avodah . But, if his position leads him to feel worthless and all he does is crave honor and is jealous of everyone around him, then his misery will know no end and he will be seriously lacking in his avodat Hashem. What is the attitude he should have? The Dubno Maggid explained with a mashal . There was once a king who gave his slaves different fields of his to work on. To one of his slaves, he gave many fields to plow and to seed, etc. The other slave only got one field to work on. That slave went to the king to complain. He said, "Why do I only get one field while the other slave got so many?" The king replied, "What difference does it make to you how many fields you work on? Are they your fields? Less fields means less work. You both belong to me. You're complaining that you don't have to work as hard as your friend? Must be you're planning on taking things from the fields for yourself so you want more so you could steal more." This, says the Dubno Maggid, is what Moshe told Korach: If your motive in getting positions is to serve Hashem then it wouldn't bother you what you got. What difference would it make to you if that's what Hashem wants from you? Must be you want the position for yourself so you could take honor. This is what we have to internalize. People may feel inferior for not having lofty positions like others they know, but if they could internalize that we are all working for the same boss – He is the One who gives out positions like it says, והמתנשא לכל ראש. What difference does it make what position we get? If we are doing what our Master wants, we'll be considered a perfect worker. If anything, it's just the opposite: The less honor we get the more real our service is to Hashem. Everybody has a special job to do, to serve Hashem to the best of his ability in the circumstances Hashem puts him in. If he does his job with joy and humility, then he'll be rewarded the same as anyone else who did his job, whatever Hashem wanted that person to do. The job doesn't matter as much as doing whatever we are asked of correctly. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/11726cd0-6119-413d-a9b8-9d569705e296.mp3 One of the biggest challenges in life is seeing someone else receive the very blessing that we have been praying for for so many years. Naturally, it hurts. A person wonders why Hashem is giving others what he so desperately wants while he still has to wait. A woman who had been in shidduchim for more than twenty years shared the following powerful insight. She had recently completed an entire fourteen-week cycle of Shemirat HaLashon and had been praying throughout for her own yeshuah. One day, she received a phone call from a woman she had known for many years. The woman was calling to ask for information regarding a shidduch prospect. Immediately, her eyes lit up. She thought her yeshuah had finally arrived. But then the woman on the other end of the line asked about her nineteen-year-old niece who had just returned from seminary. The words pierced her heart. It was not only that what she still thought of as her baby niece was already in shidduchim. It was that after waiting more than twenty years herself, she was being asked to help someone who had only just begun the process. She felt deeply hurt. What made it even harder was that she felt the caller was not being sensitive to her situation. At first, she could not understand it. After all of her tefillot, all of her chesed, tzedakah, and spiritual growth, why would Hashem send her such a painful experience? But then she caught herself. This was not about the woman who called. This was Hashem giving her a tremendous opportunity. Would she become upset with the caller? Would she focus on the insensitivity? Or would she recognize that the caller was merely a messenger sent by Hashem to help her fulfill her purpose in life? Suddenly, she began to see the situation in a completely different light. Hashem was giving her an opportunity to be dan l'kaf zechut and give the caller the benefit of the doubt. Hashem was giving her a chance to earn an enormous zechut for herself and for Klal Yisrael. This was her opportunity to rise above her natural feelings and do exactly what Hashem wanted her to do. And that is what she did. Instead of allowing the pain to dictate her response, and instead of saying something hurtful, she did what she knew would make Hashem proud. She gave a glowing report of her niece. She spoke enthusiastically and did everything she could to help the shidduch move forward. Later, she reflected on the experience and felt genuinely grateful that she had been able to rise above the challenge. She harbors no animosity toward the caller and sincerely hopes that her niece finds a wonderful shidduch. We do not understand Hashem's calculations. We do not know why one person receives a yeshuah immediately while another person must wait for years. But we do know that every situation in our lives is tailor-made for us by Hashem and filled with endless opportunities for growth. Sometimes our greatest accomplishments are the ones that nobody sees. The battle takes place entirely within the heart. When a person is hurting and still chooses to act with kindness, generosity, and emunah, that achievement is beyond comprehension. These are the moments that bring the geulah closer. One act of being dan l'kaf zechut while we are hurting, one act of overcoming hurt feelings, one act of recognizing that everything came from Hashem and responding the way He wants us to respond—these are among the greatest accomplishments a person can achieve in this world. It is extremely difficult to overcome hurt feelings, especially when they come through what feels like insensitivity. We hope that this zechut will be the one this woman needs to find her own zivug. But regardless, the zechut she earned will remain with her for all eternity and will bring her untold reward. May Hashem help all of us respond properly to the challenges He sends us and enable us to maintain peaceful and happy relationships with everyone around us. If someone is currently experiencing pain because of an insensitive comment or action, he should recognize the golden opportunity before him. By rising above the hurt and responding the way Hashem wants him to, he earns an eternal accomplishment and frees himself from so much unnecessary anguish. And with Hashem's help, in that zechut, may he see blessings and success. Amen. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/70da6a77-5148-4851-b949-38ee2a124afa.mp3 One of the greatest gifts Hashem has given us is the ability to speak to Him. A person can turn to Hashem at any moment, from any place, and ask for His help. Sometimes we pray for ourselves, and sometimes we pray for others. When we pray for others, we may never get to see what our tefillot have accomplished. We say a few words, shed a few tears, and then move on with our lives. But we must know how valuable every tefillah is. Sometimes Hashem allows us to see just how powerful one heartfelt tefillah can be. A rabbi related the following story, which he heard directly from the man to whom it happened. One evening at around 7:30 in Bnei Brak, there was a knock at a man's door. Anyone with a large family can imagine what a home looks like at that hour. Children everywhere, the house bustling, everyone busy. He opened the door and saw a man standing there. "Mazal Tov," the visitor said. "I just had a baby girl." "Mazal Tov," the man replied, but he was confused. He barely knew the person standing at his door and couldn't understand why he had come. The visitor then asked if he could come in for a few minutes. After sitting down, he said, "I want to take you back about nine months, to Simchat Torah. "I had been married for eighteen years without children. Most of the time I managed, but Simchat Torah was especially painful for me. Everywhere I looked, fathers were dancing with their children. I felt I couldn't take it anymore. I decided I was not going to pray in my regular shul that day. Instead, I went to a different shul where you happened to be praying. "I was sitting by myself there, and you came over to me and asked why I was sitting. You then told me to gather up my children and go dance with everyone. "I answered you sharply. I told you that I had specifically come to this shul because I couldn't bear watching everybody celebrate with their children when I didn't have any. I felt like you had poured salt on my open wound. "You may not have realized it, but after our conversation, I watched you walk over to the Aron Kodesh. You started crying out to Hashem, saying, 'Ribbono Shel Olam, why did I just say that? Why did I speak that way? What did I do? Please help this man. Please send him a yeshuah.'" The man had no idea that anything had come from that tefillah. The visitor continued, "You didn't know my name. You didn't know my story. You knew nothing about me. You simply stood there and begged Hashem to help me, with tears streaming down your face. "Before Sukkot, we had just received results from a major specialist telling us there was virtually no chance we would ever have children. But from Motzaei Simchat Torah until now, everything changed. "Today, after eighteen years of marriage, my first child, a baby girl, was born. You are the very first person I came to tell. I wanted you to know that your tefillah helped bring this yeshuah." Look at how valuable even a short tefillah can be. A person may think that a few words spoken to Hashem cannot possibly make a difference, but they can. This man wasn't even asked to pray. He didn't know any details. He simply felt the pain of another Jew. And when he realized that he may have added to that pain, he ran to the Aron Kodesh and cried out from the depths of his heart. Nine months later, Hashem showed him what those words accomplished. We never know what one sincere tefillah can accomplish. We never know how much can be achieved when we pray for another person with genuine care. Every tefillah matters. Every tear is counted. And sometimes Hashem allows us a glimpse into the incredible power of our words. Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/a3df24f1-d0b3-4c82-a32e-dfde6947ee05.mp3 One of the challenges of human nature is that we become accustomed to the blessings that Hashem gives us. Things that once would have filled us with excitement eventually become part of everyday life, and we begin to expect them rather than appreciate them. Very often, we do not recognize the true value of something until it is no longer available. A person may take his health for granted until, lo alenu, he becomes ill. Suddenly, all the things he was once able to do effortlessly become precious. The same is true with all blessings and relationships. One of the purposes of thanking Hashem for our blessings is to train ourselves to appreciate them while we have them, so that we do not need to lose them in order to recognize their value. A man told me that he recently had to move to another city, and now it takes him over an hour to commute to work each day. He said he never appreciated living just five minutes from his office. Looking back, he wishes he had appreciated that convenience while he had it. Sometimes a person spends years praying for something. He dreams of getting married, finding a job, buying a home, or having a child. Then, when Hashem grants him that blessing, it gradually becomes part of his routine, and he no longer feels the same excitement he once did. He moves on to making new requests and may even feel as though Hashem never gives him what he asks for. If only he could remember how desperately he once wanted what he already has. Another benefit of thanking Hashem for our blessings becomes apparent from the following story. A woman related that after she gave birth, she was rushed to the ICU with severe complications. She lost a tremendous amount of blood and required more than ten blood transfusions. She was connected to machines, had a tube down her throat, and her hands and feet were extremely swollen. The doctors expected her to remain in the ICU for at least seven to ten days. At one point, they were not sure if she would survive. They told her husband that her life was hanging by a thread. When she finally became aware of where she was, what was happening, and how serious her condition was, she told her husband that they needed to thank Hashem for the healthy baby He had just given them. Even though she was weak, confused, and frightened, she felt that this was the moment to focus on gratitude. Together they began thanking Hashem for everything they could think of. They thanked Him for the doctors and nurses who were caring for her, for the people bringing them food, for her hands and feet that had not been swollen for all the years before, and for countless other blessings. Then they said Mizmor LeTodah together. At that time, her oxygen level was only 88. The doctors had told them that she would not be allowed to leave the ICU until it reached at least 96. Despite all the medical efforts, the number would not move. As they continued thanking Hashem and saying Mizmor LeTodah, they watched the monitor. Eighty-eight became eighty-nine. Eighty-nine became ninety. They could hardly believe it. They continued thanking Hashem for more and more blessings and recited Mizmor LeTodah again. The numbers kept climbing until, all of a sudden, the oxygen level reached 97 and remained there. After a little more than an hour of focusing on gratitude and thanking Hashem, her oxygen level had risen enough for her to leave the ICU. The doctors were stunned. The next day, while she was still in the hospital, the nurses noticed that her numbers were once again not looking good, and they were concerned that she might need to return to the ICU. She asked for a few minutes alone. Once again, she focused on gratitude to Hashem and recited Mizmor LeTodah. When the nurses returned, they saw that the numbers had gone back to normal. Baruch Hashem, she was eventually discharged fully healed. She said she learned one of the greatest lessons of her life. Gratitude does not change Hashem; it changes us. When we stop focusing on what we are missing and start noticing the blessings that Hashem has already given us, something changes inside. We begin to see His kindness everywhere, and that itself is a tremendous zechut. May we always merit to appreciate Hashem's blessings and thank Him for them constantly. Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/bd0cb830-470e-4763-835b-4e088f1b1ecb.mp3 One of the greatest challenges in tefillah is continuing to believe that Hashem cherishes our prayers even when what we are asking for seems delayed in coming. Many people think that if they have been praying with sincerity and strengthening their emunah, yet still have not received what they are asking for, then their tefillot must not be accomplishing anything. We know that no tefillah is ever lost. Sometimes we do not see the answer for a long time, and sometimes Hashem uses our tefillot for a purpose that we could never have imagined. A woman who lives in Israel shared the following story. This past year, she suffered a miscarriage. It was very difficult for her to deal with, but with the support of family and friends, she was able to get through it. She desperately wanted another child and worked very hard on strengthening her emunah and bitachon. Throughout the day, she constantly reminded herself how much Hashem loves her and how badly He wants to give her what is best. She relied on His abundant love and prayed with all her heart, crying to Hashem constantly. She truly believed that she would soon have another baby. However, as the months passed, she realized she was having difficulty conceiving again. She strengthened herself even more and told herself that now she knew for certain that she would soon be expecting a child because she really had nothing else to rely on. She could not even rely on her emunah and bitachon to bring the yeshuah, because from her perspective, that was not working. All she had was Hashem's love. Yet more time passed, and she still was not expecting a child. As she approached her original due date, the pain became almost unbearable. At that point, she faced a major challenge in her emunah. She could not understand why Hashem was still not showing her His love. She had always read stories of people receiving their yeshuah immediately after strengthening their bitachon, and she genuinely believed that would happen to her as well. She invested tremendous effort in learning about the power of bitachon and tefillah, yet she could not understand why the answer still seemed to be no. Not only that, but as the months passed, things appeared to be getting worse. Her doctor informed her that she would need to see a fertility specialist because some of her test results were concerning. That news shattered her. She began questioning everything. How could Hashem be doing this to her after all the emunah, bitachon, and tefillot she had invested? How could Hashem not be listening? Why did it seem as though things were getting worse rather than better? Were her tefillot, her emunah, and her bitachon accomplishing anything at all? Then came the week she had originally been scheduled to give birth. She dreaded that week. She did not know how she was going to get through it. Instead of preparing to welcome a baby into the world, she was left with indescribable pain. Then her life changed. That very week, her husband was involved in a horrific car accident. He collided with a truck in what should have been a fatal crash. By an open miracle, he survived. He suffered numerous broken bones and other serious injuries, but the doctors said that, with time, he would make a full recovery. It was a clear miracle. And suddenly everything changed. She finally understood. She realized that Hashem had never ignored her tefillot or her bitachon. Rather, He had been saving every one of them for this very week—the week of her original due date—to save her husband's life. She learned the greatest lesson of her life: Hashem is always listening and always acting out of love, even when it feels impossible to believe. He never ignores our efforts. He treasures them. He stores every prayer, every tear, every moment of emunah and bitachon, and uses them in the way that is best for us. Sometimes the answer to our tefillah comes exactly as we requested. Sometimes it comes later than we hoped. And sometimes it comes in a form we never expected. But every tefillah is valuable. Hashem hears every word and counts every tear. It is up to us to continue praying with the same sincerity and emotion, no matter how long we have been waiting, knowing that every tefillah is precious to Hashem and that He will use it in the way that He knows is best. Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/dailyemunah/1356.mp3 In this week's parasha , Shelach , the Jewish People were tested in emunah and bitachon and they failed. Kalev tried to give them chizuk , saying, "Hashem wants us to go in, we have nothing to fear." But it didn't help. The pasuk says סלחתי כדבריך ואולם חי אני – Hashem forgave them but they were not going to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael . Most mefarshim explain סלחתי כדבריך to mean Hashem forgave them for the עגל, but not for the meraglim . And that's why they were not allowed into Israel. The reason both sins are mentioned in the same pasuk is because both of them were due to a lack of bitachon . By the עגל, Hashem tested the people by showing them a vision which made it appear that Moshe Rabbenu was not coming back. They knew that the mann was in the merit of Moshe and so they feared without Moshe they would go hungry. Their test was they should have realized Hashem is the One supporting them. It is true that Hashem gives us things in the merit of tzaddikim , but He also gives us new tzaddikim when the ones we had were taken away. The Gemara says that one time the entire world was being sustained in the merit of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. But what happened when Rab Chanina ben Dosa passed away? There was still sustenance being given. The reason is because it is Hashem who gives sustenance and He is never bound by any one means to give it. The Jewish People received water in the midbar in the merit of Miriam. But when Miriam passed away, Hashem still continued giving them water in the zechut of Moshe. The Clouds of Glory were given in the merit of Aharon, but when Aharon passed away, Hashem brought the clouds back in the merit of Moshe. Then when Moshe passed away, Hashem continued helping His People through Yehoshua. Hashem is always the One who is taking care of us and He wants us to feel that in our hearts. He wants us to internalize that He is unlimited and has infinite ways of helping. When someone had an avenue of parnasa that is no longer producing the same money it used to, this person is being tested with the same type of test. Is he going to believe that it was the means that was supporting him, or that it was Hashem? No matter how good a person thinks he used to have it, Hashem could always make it even better. A man said his wife works as a nurse's aid at people's homes. Before she gave birth, she worked for a nice old lady and they both enjoyed the relationship and the pay was good too. When she gave birth, a substitute was put there instead and when her paid vacation ended, the substitute didn't want to leave. She too had fallen in love with this nice old lady. Instead of making a fuss about it, the man's wife set out to start over from the beginning. She tried several places but nothing was available. Frustrated, she started getting angry at the substitute who took her job. But then she caught herself and worked on her emunah. She managed to remove the anger from her heart and feel at ease, knowing she was in Hashem's Hands. The very same afternoon that she was finally calm, she got a call from an agency with a new offer. The lady she was given to work for was also very sweet like the other lady. This job gave her more hours and more pay and was much closer to her house. She thought she had it good before and would never get the same opportunity, now she has it much better. We are never dependent on one means in any area of life. Hashem is the One who provides the means and He is unlimited. And we are to know that He was, is and always will be there to help us. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/95effe88-f278-4632-99a5-786a48f80948.mp3 When a person needs something and cannot figure out any way to obtain it, that simply means that from a hishtadlut standpoint, his primary responsibility is to ask Hashem for help. We are only required to make a physical effort when there is a reasonable effort to make. If there is none, then we are exempt from that obligation and can place our full reliance on Hashem. Just because we do not see a solution does not mean one does not exist. It only means that Hashem has not allowed us to see it yet. Hashem has a solution to every problem. When we truly understand that, we are able to pray with genuine emunah. Hashem wants to help us. Hashem is available to help us. But we need to believe that and sincerely ask Him for help. A man told me that he and his wife had been trying to travel to Israel together since before COVID. Every time they made plans, something came up that prevented the trip from happening. In recent years, his income had dropped significantly, and with the rising cost of airfare, the trip had become completely unaffordable. His wife had been patiently waiting for years, and he had told her that by this summer he would do everything possible to make it happen. As the summer approached, he realized it was impossible. Even if his income suddenly improved, any extra money would have to be used to pay off debts that he owed. He saw how much his wife wanted to go, and it pained him that he could not provide it for her. He prayed to Hashem from the depths of his heart. "Hashem," he said, "I have no conventional way of purchasing these tickets. But I know that You can provide them in the blink of an eye. Please help me." A couple of days later, his wife, who works as a shadchanit, told him that a family for whom she had recently arranged a shidduch wanted to give her a gift. In addition to paying her generously, they offered her two airline tickets to Israel to attend the wedding of another child they were marrying off that summer. The tickets appeared completely out of nowhere. Hashem had sent them exactly what they needed. The man told me, "I always read stories like this. Now I am so happy that I get to be part of one." Another man told me that he received a call from his supplier informing him that two pallets of merchandise were about to be delivered in Manhattan and that he needed to be there to accept them. The timing could not have been worse. It was Friday afternoon, and he was preparing to leave early for Shabbat. All of his employees had already left, and there was nobody available to help unload the shipment. When he stepped outside, the truck had just arrived. Miraculously, there was an open spot directly in front of his building. The truck driver asked, "Who is going to unload these pallets?" The man replied that he would try to do it himself. In truth, it was impossible. The job required multiple people, and the truck driver informed him that he only had twenty minutes before he would have to leave. The man looked at the pallets and realized there was absolutely no way he could get the job done. He turned to Hashem and said, "I don't know how this can happen, but I know You can make it happen. Please help me." Less than thirty seconds later, a large, strong man tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Do you have any work available?" It was as if Hashem had sent a malach. The man immediately got to work, and together they unloaded the entire shipment just in time. Hashem can always help us. Hashem loves helping us. The problem is not that He lacks solutions. The problem is that we often convince ourselves there are no solutions because we cannot see them. When we reach the point where we have exhausted every possibility and can think of no way forward, that is not necessarily a sign that hope is gone. Sometimes it is Hashem inviting us to stop relying on our own understanding and start relying on Him. Very often, the yeshuah is already on its way. We simply have not seen it yet. As Chazal teach, before Hashem creates the problem, He prepares the cure. By the time we discover the challenge, Hashem has already arranged the solution. Our task is to believe that, pray with sincerity, and trust that the One who created the problem certainly knows how to solve it. Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/bb114718-c0c6-42db-af1b-9efc269a8440.mp3 If someone has an addiction, it can completely overtake his life. It becomes the only thing that matters. He loses control and may even be willing to sacrifice his family, his career, and everything else that is truly important. The reason is because addiction blinds a person to the damage it is causing. The only way to help him is to wake him up and make him see the destruction taking place before his eyes. Sometimes, people become so consumed with earning a livelihood that it resembles an addiction. Money becomes the only thing that matters, and everything else is pushed aside in its pursuit. Every so often, a person needs a reality check to remind himself that there is far more to life than earning money. When the time comes for a person to leave this world, all of his money becomes meaningless. The countless hours spent accumulating it may become a source of regret if they came at the expense of things that have eternal value. A man told me that he became so involved in his business that he completely abandoned learning Torah for fifteen years. Then one day, someone awakened him to what was happening and encouraged him to return to learning. Today, he says he finally feels alive. His life has meaning again, and he is grateful that someone helped him break free from his obsession with making money. There are people, unfortunately, who spend years involved in bitter disputes over money. In this world, those arguments may seem significant. But in the Next World, it will become clear how insignificant they really were. Imagine the son of a king who got into a fight with a friend when they were five years old. In a moment of anger, the friend broke one of his toys. The prince shouted, "When I become king, I am going to punish you for this!" Forty years later, the prince has become king. The old friend appears at the palace and begs forgiveness for breaking the toy. The king would look at him as if he were crazy. Why would he care about a broken toy now? It is utterly insignificant compared to his current position. When a person reaches the Next World, that is how he will view someone who hurt him financially in this world. It will seem like a broken toy. Yet if he can rise above the hurt now and make peace, he will gain eternal pleasure and reward that have genuine value forever. Someone who spends his entire life building a fortune while neglecting Torah and mitzvot is like a man who reaches old age without ever marrying because he was too busy accumulating wealth. People would look at him and wonder what all that money was worth if he never built the life Hashem wanted him to have. So too, if a person leaves this world without Torah and mitzvot, all of his wealth is worthless. We have heard stories of great and successful people who cried on their deathbeds because they realized they could have done more with their lives. At that moment, they understood that the only things that truly mattered were their Torah and mitzvot. Life in this world is incredibly short compared to eternity. If a person does not stop from time to time and think about that reality, he can easily become caught up in pursuits that have little lasting value while neglecting what matters most. Let us always remain focused on what true wealth is. Those who spend their lives learning Torah and performing mitzvot are building fortunes that will last forever. The more we acquire, the greater our eternal reward will be. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/6127a732-b497-4cc1-a8d4-3dc0dac41e0c.mp3 Everyone comes into this world with a unique set of circumstances. Some people are blessed to grow up in homes filled with love, encouragement, and great role models. Others, however, face challenges right from the beginning. They grow up in difficult environments, experience hardships, and lack the opportunities that other people had. It's so easy for a person to look at his background and feel that he was placed at a disadvantage. He may think, "If only I had grown up differently, I would have been able to accomplish so much more." But that is not the way Hashem wants us to view it. Hashem does not judge people based on where they started. He judges them based on what they did with the circumstances He gave them. Every person is sent into the exact situation that he needs to fulfill his mission here. The challenges are not there to prevent him from succeeding. They are there to help him reach a level of greatness that could not have been achieved any other way. Imagine two people climbing a mountain. One begins halfway up while the other starts from the bottom. The one who started lower has a much harder climb. But when he reaches the top, his accomplishment is far greater because he had to overcome so much more to get there. The same is true in our spirituality. Someone who had to struggle against negative influences or painful experiences is not at a disadvantage. It's just the opposite. Every step forward in his life is worth so much more because of what it took to achieve it. So many of the greatest people who ever lived overcame tremendous obstacles. Their greatness was not despite their challenges; it was because of them. The very difficulties that could have been used as excuses became the tools through which they rose to the greatest heights. While it is true that some people begin life with very big disadvantages, our rabbis teach us that our circumstances do not determine our destiny. They merely determine the nature of our test. The Torah tells us about the Megadef, the blasphemer. Chazal explained that he was born into a very difficult situation. His father was an Egyptian and his mother was a yatzanit, someone who would speak to everyone in the marketplace, including men. He was not accepted by society. He never felt that he belonged anywhere. He hoped that at least when he came before Moshe Rabbeinu, he would finally be accepted. However, when the matter was brought before the Beit Din of Moshe, it was ruled that he would not be allowed to camp among Shevet Dan because the tribes followed the father, and his father was a goy. Therefore, he did not have a tribe. He left the Beit Din disappointed and rejected, and from there he deteriorated until eventually he blasphemed Hashem. Looking at his life, a person might say, "How could he not become bitter? Look at what he went through. Nobody wanted him. Nobody accepted him. Under his circumstances, it's understandable." However, perhaps one of the reasons the Torah records this incident is to teach us the opposite lesson. Although his circumstances were difficult, he still had a choice. His background only explained his struggle, but it did not excuse his actions. The Ishbitzer Rebbe contrasted the Megadef with David HaMelech. David also grew up feeling rejected. Chazal tell us that his own family did not recognize him. His father looked at him differently than all his other sons, and his brothers looked down upon him. Even when he rose to greatness, Shaul HaMelech tried to kill him. He was forced to run from place to place. Even after becoming king, his suffering did not end. His own son Avshalom rebelled against him and tried to kill him. David could have spent his life asking, "Hashem, why did You put me in such a world? Why am I facing so much rejection and pain?" But instead, whenever David faced hardship, he turned to Hashem. Whenever he felt alone, he picked up his kinor and sang songs to Hashem. While he was running for his life, he sang to Hashem. When he was betrayed, humiliated, and attacked, he sang to Hashem. Those songs became Sefer Tehillim. The very pain that could have destroyed him became the source of his greatness. The very hardships that could have filled him with bitterness became the inspiration for some of the most beautiful words in all of Tanach. The difference between the Megadef and David HaMelech was not their circumstances. Both experienced rejection. Both experienced pain. Both had reasons to feel hurt by the world around them. The difference was in the choice they made in response. One allowed his hardships to push him away from Hashem, while the other allowed his hardships to bring him closer to Hashem. Every person faces challenges that are unique to him. Some begin life with advantages, while others face obstacles that seem overwhelming. Our greatness will not be determined by where we started. It will be determined by what we did with what we were given. The more difficult the challenge, the greater is the potential for greatness. Someone who overcomes very big obstacles can reach heights that others may never attain. When a person refuses to use his background as an excuse and instead uses it as a springboard for growth, he transforms his struggles into achievements. Nobody chooses the circumstances into which he is born, but everyone can choose how he responds to them. And the choices we make can make all the difference between, chas v'shalom, becoming a Megadef or becoming someone like David HaMelech. Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/4f4e0c27-4e7a-49d0-9e5d-433b23825910.mp3 Living Emunah 2951 The Place Meant for You The Gemara tells us that when it came time to choose the seventy elders who would assist Moshe Rabbeinu, six men were selected from each shevet, making a total of seventy-two candidates. A lottery was then held to determine which seventy would be chosen. Seventy slips of paper had the word "Zaken" written on them, while two slips were left blank. Whoever drew a blank slip would not be selected. The Gemara says that Moshe told the two men who drew the blank slips, "HaMakom lo chafetz becha." This is usually translated to mean, "Hashem did not want you." That is difficult to understand. It was painful enough that these two individuals were publicly excluded while everyone else was chosen. Why would they also need to hear that Hashem did not want them? Furthermore, according to some opinions, those two men were Eldad and Medad. Yet immediately afterward, the Torah tells us that they received prophecy. If Hashem did not want them, how could they have merited prophecy? Rabbi Menashe Reizman brings from the Sifrei Kabbalah that the word Makom is one of Hashem's holy Names. It has the same numerical value as the Name of Hashem represented by Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh when each letter is multiplied by itself. This teaches that in every makom—in every place in the world—the Shechinah is present with all of Hashem's mercy. Every person has a unique place from which he is meant to serve Hashem and connect to Him. Hashem already determined where a person would be born, into which family he would be born, how he would look, how intelligent he would be, how strong he would be, and every other detail of his life. Everything was arranged specifically for him to fulfill his mission. Moshe was not telling these men that Hashem did not want them. Hashem wants every one of His children. Rather, he was telling them, "This makom is not where you are meant to be. This is not the place through which you will achieve your greatness and connect to Hashem." When a person desperately wants something and does not receive it, it can be very painful. When the rejection is public, it can even be humiliating. Yet a person can become extraordinarily great when he accepts with love that Hashem's plan for him is different. The sefer Meshivat Nefesh, written by Rabbi Yochanan Luria, the uncle of the Maharshal, explains that when Eldad and Medad realized they had not been chosen, they accepted it with love. Hashem was so pleased with their reaction that He immediately granted them prophecy—prophecy that surpassed that of the other seventy elders. The Midrash tells us that Eldad and Medad received more than the seventy elders in five different ways. When a person rises above disappointment and trusts that Hashem is doing what is best for him and for his purpose in this world, despite how difficult that may be, he elevates himself to remarkable heights. Hashem was similarly proud of the Jewish people when they followed Him into the desert after Yetziat Mitzrayim, not knowing how they would survive. The pasuk says: זָ כַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, when you followed Me into the wilderness, into a land that was not sown. ." The Ramban explains that this praise was not limited to the moment they entered the desert. It referred to the entire forty years that they followed the Cloud of Glory wherever Hashem directed them. Sometimes they remained in places they did not want to be for extended periods of time, yet they accepted it. At other times they were settled comfortably in places they liked, only to have the cloud suddenly rise and signal that it was time to move. Once again, they followed with trust. That unwavering acceptance is what made Hashem so proud of them. The same opportunity exists for every one of us. Sometimes Hashem places us in situations that are embarrassing. Sometimes they are painful. Sometimes they seem unfair. But the harder it is to accept, the more precious that acceptance becomes. Eldad and Medad could have become depressed. They could have felt humiliated. No one would have blamed them. But they were not interested in mediocrity. They wanted greatness. By accepting Hashem's decision with happiness, they achieved it. A prophet can only receive prophecy when he is in a state of joy. The very fact that Eldad and Medad received prophecy demonstrated that they remained happy despite their rejection. Every person has a different place that Hashem wants him to be in. That place is not an accident. It is the exact place from which he can best fulfill his mission and connect to Hashem. When we learn to be happy with the places Hashem chooses for us, we too can rise to the greatest heights. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/dailyemunah/1351.mp3 In this week's parasha Beha'alotecha , the Jewish People complained that they wanted meat and Moshe Rabbenu said to Hashem, כי תאמר אלי שאהו בחיקך כאשר ישא האומן את היונק – Moshe was asking Hashem how he was expected to carry the nation like a nursing mother carries her suckling infant. The Maharam Shapira asked, the word אומן usually means a Torah teacher of boys aged five or six. Why would Moshe use that word to describe someone carrying a suckling baby? The Rabbi answered, Moshe was saying, his job was to be the spiritual leader of the Jewish People, to teach them Torah and the ways of Hashem, but now they were asking him to fulfill their base desires, that's like a schoolteacher who teaches Torah being asked to take care of infants, which is something that doesn't fit his bill. With this we could understand the baffling statement that Moshe made right after this. הצאן ובקר ישחט להם ומצא להם? – "could there possibly be enough sheep and cattle that would suffice to satiate them?" The mefarshim ask, astonishingly, it seems like Moshe here was doubting the ability of Hashem to provide enough meat for the Jewish People. The explanation is, Moshe was saying, I know the way for them to be satiated is through Torah and mitzvot. The neshama that Hashem put inside man cannot be satisfied any other way, like it says in Kohelet , והנפש לא תמלא. The reason for the complaining was that they were not spiritually satisfied and they were looking for a quick fix. It is true that physical pleasures can temporarily satisfy a person's empty feelings, but very quickly it will wear off and, again, they will feel empty. So Moshe was saying, all the meat in the world will not get this job done. Hashem told Moshe he was right, but he had to provide the meat anyway to prevent a chilul Hashem. Everybody in this world is looking for happiness. The only real way of having sustained feelings of inner joy and tranquility, as well as satisfaction, is by filling up our neshama with what it craves most – Torah and mitzvot. Hashem provided us with an abundance of ways to fill our neshama . And to help motivate us, He even promised rewards for doing them. Hashem created us and knows what will make us happy. The yetzer hara tries to convince us otherwise, but we must not get fooled by it. When a person learns emunah, he feels more tranquil because his neshama is connecting to Hashem more. A young man told me he started learning emunah about a year ago and his words to me were, "it was as if someone had removed a blindfold from upon my eyes. I had always had some level of emunah, but it was only last year that I began to truly see, in every direction that I turned, the Yad Hashem. A whole new world has opened up before me as Hashem is so much more visible to me now" Our neshama is a piece of Hashem and the more we connect with Him, the more our neshama will be satisfied and in a state of tranquility. Spirituality helps reduce anxiety and other emotional roller coasters. The more we connect with Hashem and the Torah, the happier we will be. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/f1ac74a5-da34-4d70-86e5-b4161e8a5c29.mp3 Shlomo HaMelech said that a person's legs are like guarantors, ensuring he is brought to the places Hashem wants him to be. When a person reflects on the days of his life, he begins to see countless stories of Hashem's hashgachah unfolding in his path. He can recognize how Hashem directed his steps—bringing him to certain places and keeping him away from others. He notices how precise and exacting Hashem's guidance is, how, in mere seconds, the course of events can shift from one possible outcome to a completely different one. He sees how Hashem orchestrated encounters with the people he needed to meet, and prevented encounters with those he was not meant to meet. The more one reflects, the more awe arises, and with that awe comes chizuk in emunah. Sometimes our direction changes suddenly. Sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly in a different place. Sometimes we meet a person without understanding why, only to see the full purpose revealed years later. And sometimes, it is clear immediately that Hashem was guiding us to be in the exact place we needed at the exact time. A man shared with me this morning how he was at home when his children's bus arrived. Normally, he is never home at that time; his wife usually sends them out on their own. But on this morning, for some inexplicable reason, he felt an urge to go downstairs and watch them onto the bus. He ran down the steps, called out to them, and wished them a nice day. As the children crossed the street toward the bus, he noticed a car speeding and about to ignore the stop sign. He yelled for his children to stop. Seconds later, the car sped past—another moment could have meant tragedy. It was completely reckless to run a stop sign, and in this case Hashem had guided this man's legs to the precise spot to prevent a disaster. Hashem directs us in everything, from the greatest matters to the smallest, because for Him, everything matters. Another man told me his air conditioning unit had broken, and replacing it would cost $5,000—a steep price for someone learning in a kollel. He was given a repairman's number and called him, even knowing the unit could not be repaired. When the repairman arrived, he examined it and said it was in good condition, except for the main part. Then he realized that he had an identical unit on his truck from a previous job, and the part needed was still working. The repairman replaced the part, charging only a small labor fee. Hashem had caused this man to call the exact person who already had the exact part he needed. These are reminders that Hashem's hashgachah is everywhere. The more we look for it, the more we see it. Every step we take, every encounter we have, and every turn in our path is guided with infinite wisdom and care. Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/e44fc8d6-19df-4647-a6eb-f15e1ec8f9ef.mp3 One of the greatest challenges we face is controlling our natural reactions. If someone insults us, we naturally want to answer back. If someone hurts us, we want to harbor resentment. If someone embarrasses us, we want to defend ourselves. Those reactions are natural and understandable. But what we may not realize is that at those moments, Hashem may be placing before us a golden opportunity to perform a truly heroic act. A person can spend an entire day serving Hashem, but sometimes one moment of self-control can be worth more than hours of ordinary avodah. The difficulty is that when we are in the middle of the challenge, it is hard to see the opportunity in front of us. We only feel the pain. If we could lift ourselves above our nature and act in a way that would make Hashem proud, we can access tremendous Heavenly favor and thereby bring about great salvations. A man related that his sister had been married for over ten years without children. One Pesach, after spending Yom Tov with her and seeing her pain up close, he was stirred to pray with unusual intensity. On the way home, he begged Hashem, "Please show me what I can do to help bring a yeshuah for my sister." The very next day, while attending a shiur, a disagreement broke out among several people. Suddenly, the speaker mistakenly blamed him and began publicly humiliating him in front of hundreds of listeners. He was completely innocent. Every instinct inside him urged him to respond. He wanted everyone to know that he had done nothing wrong. He wanted to yell back. Yet he remained silent, recalling all the chizuk he had received in this area from a certain Hashgachah Pratit hotline. Afterward, however, he began struggling. Perhaps right now he felt noble for remaining silent, but what would happen tomorrow? What would happen next week? Maybe the pain would intensify. Maybe he would regret his decision not to fight back. Maybe he would become resentful toward the speaker. Looking for chizuk, he called that very same Hashgachah Pratit hotline and listened to the latest story. Amazingly, the story was about a chazzan who had been invited to lead the tefillot in a certain shul on the occasion of a Sheva Berachot. During the tefillah, an elderly man publicly humiliated the chazzan in front of the entire congregation. The man claimed that the chazzan was unfit to lead the prayers and mocked him by saying that since it was Parashat Parah, the chazzan himself was a perfect example of a parah adumah—a red cow. The chazzan was deeply humiliated, but he remained silent. After the tefillah, a young man approached him and asked him to forgive the elderly man and have in mind that the merit should help a relative who had been married for seven years without children. The chazzan forgave the man and gave that relative a beracha. Later, when he returned home and told his wife what had happened, she said, "You should have prayed for one of our relatives who is thirty years old and still not married." "My humiliation was so great," the chazzan replied, "that it can be shared." He prayed for both people. In the end, the couple who had been waiting seven years for children was blessed with a baby, and the woman who had been waiting for a shidduch found her match. When this man heard that story, he felt like Hashem was speaking directly to him. He realized that he too could capitalize on the golden opportunity that had been placed before him. Immediately, he forgave the speaker and began praying from the depths of his heart. First, he prayed for his sister who had been waiting over ten years to have children. Then he prayed for a relative who was waiting for a shidduch. Then he prayed for someone who needed a refuah. Finally, he prayed for himself. He had always dreamed of teaching Torah and inspiring others, and he prayed that Hashem should give him the merit to teach Torah in a yeshivah. Not long afterward, the yeshuot began arriving. The relative who had been waiting for a shidduch found her match. The person who needed a refuah recovered. He was given the opportunity to teach Torah in a yeshivah. And by the end of the year, his sister, after more than ten years of waiting, was blessed with a child. Looking back, he realized that when he asked Hashem what he could do to help bring about a yeshuah for his sister, Hashem had answered him by giving him that opportunity. Very often, people search for great deeds to do in order to bring about yeshuot, not realizing that the opportunities for greatness are sitting right in front of them. A difficult spouse. A difficult child. A difficult coworker. An insult. An embarrassment. A chance to forgive. A chance to make peace. A chance to remain silent. A chance to overcome anger. A chance to let go of a grudge. At those moments, the Yetzer Hara tries to get us to focus on what we would be losing. But Hashem wants us to recognize what we can gain. Every time we rise above our nature and choose to act in a way that would make Hashem proud, instead of acting the way our instincts are telling us to act, we perform an act of greatness. And who knows how many merits and yeshuot can come from that one heroic decision! Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/55f77fb0-08b4-4a63-9a78-f29cea4fa540.mp3 One of the most difficult tests a person can face is waiting for a yeshuah that seems to be taking forever. At first, the person is full of enthusiasm. He prays with all of his heart. He takes on extra mitzvot. He strengthens himself in many areas of avodat Hashem. He believes the salvation is going to come at any moment. But as the days turn into months and the months turn into years, it becomes much harder to continue. The tefillot begin to feel repetitive. The new commitments become harder to maintain. The person starts wondering if anything is ever going to change. If he knew exactly when the salvation was going to come, he would be able to manage much more easily, even if it were still a long way off. It is the uncertainty that makes the challenge so difficult. The feeling that perhaps it may never happen can be overwhelming. Yet that is precisely why this person has such a golden opportunity to achieve greatness. The harder it is to continue, the greater the value of the avodah. We are in this world to grow spiritually. In the end, that is the only thing that will truly matter. When a person feels like he is being ignored and his avodah is not being appreciated, every effort becomes infinitely more valuable. We have no idea what goes on in people's lives. We have no idea what struggles they face each day. Only Hashem knows. It is entirely possible that people who appear to be ordinary are, in fact, among the greatest people of the generation because of what they have to overcome in order to produce a heartfelt tefillah, because of what they have to overcome in order to continue growing in their avodat Hashem. They have every reason to turn away, yet they keep pushing themselves forward. That is true greatness. And that greatness is eternal. If a person could see how much he was growing spiritually from one moment to the next, he would run to continue. But in this world, we are not shown the true value of our efforts. And that is exactly what makes them so precious. Sometimes, however, Hashem gives a person a little chizuk to help him keep going, even before the yeshuah arrives. A woman related that all of her friends were married with children, while she had been hoping and praying for years to become a kallah. Over the years, she had taken on many kabbalot. One of her more recent commitments was to read a sefer on emunah every day for forty consecutive days. The book was not specifically about shidduchim. It was simply a source of general chizuk and emunah. Last week, she found herself praying especially hard. She added new areas of growth in her avodat Hashem and invested tremendous effort into her tefillot. Yet nothing seemed to be changing. She became discouraged. One morning, she cried to Hashem from the depths of her heart, longing for the day when she would finally begin building her own family. She told Hashem that she had continued going forward all these years. She had maintained her kabbalot and kept striving to grow. She was not asking for proof that the yeshuah was coming. She only wanted a little chizuk to know that Hashem appreciated her efforts. That night, she opened the emunah book that she had been learning daily. She intended to open directly to the page where her bookmark was located, but accidentally opened to a different page. There, right in front of her, in large letters, was the title of the chapter: "Singles—Don't Give Up." She could hardly believe her eyes. She felt as if Hashem was speaking directly to her. The message gave her tremendous strength. It renewed her enthusiasm and helped her continue moving forward with renewed energy. The truth is that Hashem appreciates every person's efforts far more than we can imagine. Every moment of avodah is precious to Him. Every tefillah. Every act of growth. Every commitment that is maintained despite the difficulty. Especially when it is hard. We hope that everyone receives the yeshuah for which they are waiting. But in the meantime, they should know that the greatest gain they can possibly achieve is the avodah they continue to do each day. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/b4c2ef83-aeda-404f-8bd6-936bcd97067a.mp3 The Gemara says that if a person takes the wrong change out of his pocket, it's from Hashem. If a person stubs his toe, it's from Hashem. All the more so if something more severe happens. The Shomer Emunim writes in his Ma'mar Hashkacha Pratit perek 21 that a person must know, in Shamayim , Hashem is waiting to hear every word that comes out of his mouth in response to the difficulty that he is given. Every word of emunah is valued greatly and accomplishes so much. And thus, a person should train himself to regularly respond with the proper words, even for the most insignificant inconveniences, all the more so for the difficult ones. He should immediately say, “I recognize that this came from you, Hashem, I know I needed it for my best, please let it accomplish the kapara that I need.” The Shomer Emunim writes further, someone who forgets things often and it causes him a lot of anguish must believe that he doesn't forget because of a weakness that he has. Rather, Hashem sends the angel appointed over forgetfulness, each time, to make him forget. And the anguish that it causes is meant to bring him the kapara that he needs. If someone forgot about a meeting he had or forgot to say something that he wanted to say at a meeting, it's because Hashem wanted him to forget it. If someone traveled a long distance and forgot to bring an important document, it was min haShamayim . If someone forgot directions and made a wrong turn, it's min haShamayim . If someone's mind was preoccupied with a different issue and that caused him to forget something, he must know, when Hashem decreed that the issue should take place, included in it was the fact that it would cause the person to forget also. Nothing happens by accident. Hashem decrees how many times a person forgets and what he forgets. And every day there's a new calculation. What happened yesterday has nothing to do with today. Every day of life is judged separately. If a person recognizes each time that he forgets that it's from Hashem and he asks Hashem that it should be the kapara that he needs, then after years and years he will have accumulated endless amounts of kapara . The kapara that he gets will make it that he doesn’t need to forget as much. If a person was looking for a certain house and accidentally knocked on the wrong door, he must believe that it was Hashem who brought that about. On one occasion, the Baal Shem Tov accidentally walked into a different room in his house than he planned on going to. He then told his attendant to take down the mezuzah in that room to be checked. The attendant then asked the Rebbe, “Is this the halachah, that if a person walks into the wrong room by accident, he needs to check the mezuzah there?” The Rebbe said no, but he knew for sure that Hashem caused him to go in that room and he thought perhaps it was because he needed to check the mezuzah . The immediate reaction of the Baal Shem Tov to his accidental turn was that it came from Hashem for a reason. The Shomer Emunim told a story that a great tzaddik from an earlier generation related. There was a man who had a very hard life and when he went up to Shamayim for his judgment they found that he had an enormous amount of sin. Then, when a heavenly advocate said to bring out his afflictions to be put on the side of good, it was found that he never attributed any of his afflictions to Hashem. He always felt that it was just his bad luck. In Shamayim they said, if he would have attributed everything to Hashem and said that it was justified in coming, then it would have accomplished what it needed to accomplish and the yisurim would have wiped away all of his sins and allowed him entry to enjoy the delights of Gan Eden . It's never too late for a person to make teshuva . So long as he has life he can correct everything he ever did. A person can say right now, “I'm sorry Hashem for not attributing my difficulties to You. I'm sorry that I did not accept them with love, understanding that I needed them for my best.” With one wholehearted acceptance a person can correct years of the opposite response. Let us accept upon ourselves to respond constantly with emunah and thereby gain the full value of everything that happens to us. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/ec76c1df-6bd8-4586-bcd4-c2fac59ae236.mp3 At the end of this week's parasha Naso , the Torah goes into great detail regarding the donations that the Nasi'im brought to inaugurate the Mishkan . And as we know, each Nasi brought the exact same donation and the Torah repeated each one of them, twelve times, one for each Nasi . Many mefarshim offer explanations as to why the Torah has all this repetition. The sefer Darkeh Musar brings from the Saba m'Kelm who explained, the Torah is teaching us here how Hashem relates to the individual. One should not think if a large group gets together to do a mitzvah that Hashem views it as if that group, so to speak, all got a check for their actions. The parasha of the Nasi'im teaches us, Hashem is happy with each individual separately. Although they all brought the same donations and collectively comprised a group of twelve, Hashem took delight in each one of them independently. Each one of them brought Hashem a different type of joy, depending on the person's background and what each of them had accomplished and experienced in their lives prior to this point. Everyone is always treated as if he is the only one in the world. And this does not only apply when a group of people get together to do a mitzvah. This is always the way it is. When something happens to a group of people, Hashem doesn't deal with them as a group, but rather every single person, with his own hashgacha . Whatever happens to him was decided solely based on what was supposed to happen to him. And the way a person reacts when things happen to him will show how much he really believes in Hashem's hashgacha . The Shomer Emunim writes, if we would know how valuable it is to honestly believe that every single thing that takes place in our lives comes directly from Hashem, our hearts would ignite with endless excitement. Furthermore, the pasuk says, ה' צילך – that Hashem is our shadow. And the Baal Shem Tov explained this to mean that Hashem acts towards us corresponding to the way we act towards Him. If a person says each time that something happens that it was from Hashem, then Hashem will deal with him with extra hashgacha pratit . He will be able to feel Hashem's presence more and he will get more Heavenly help. The pasuk says in Tehillim , ה' משמים השקיף על בני-אדם לראות היש משכיל דורש את אלוקים – Hashem is watching to see who is wise enough to seek Him out. The word אלוקים represents טבע which is nature. And as we know, הטבע is the same numerical value as אלוקים . So the pasuk is saying, Hashem is watching to see who will find Him inside of nature, who will attribute what seems to be natural occurrences, to Him. For this, a person must train himself until instinctively, he is able to say about everything, "That was m'et Hashem." When someone becomes a person who is fully ma'amin in Hashem's constant hashgacha , he will never get angry, he will never have animosity towards anyone, he will save himself from countless averot and he will get a mitzvah aseh each time he believes in Hashem's hashgacha , based on the pasuk, אנכי ה' אלוקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים. The Shomer Emunim gives the following words of chizuk to help strengthen us in this area. He writes, fortunate is the person who is constantly strengthening himself in the area of emunah called hashgacha pratit , because the reward for it in this world is that Hashem will show the person ניסים ונפלאות – miracles and wonders. And therefore, our job as religious Jews is to look at every single thing that takes place in our lives, whether it is obvious good or whether it seems to look bad, and attribute it to Hashem and know that it is absolute good and praise and thank Him for it. We constantly needed to be reminded about this great avodah . May Hashem help us to always see His hand in everything that takes place. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 29 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/a06b37d4-8c50-49f4-95e7-98cff9cf88ce.mp3 The pasuk says in Tehillim, בְּךָ בָטְחוּ וְלֹא בוֹשׁוּ — "They trusted in You and were not ashamed." Simply understood, this means that our ancestors would speak about the greatness of Hashem and about His ability to save them in every situation. Then, when they needed salvation, they placed their trust in Him and He came through for them. They were never embarrassed for having trusted in Hashem. But what happens if a person truly believes in the power of Hashem, speaks about it openly, strengthens himself with bitachon, and yet does not receive the salvation he hoped for? Does that mean he was "ashamed" because of his bitachon? Rabbi David Sutton explained this pasuk with a powerful story that took place in Eretz Yisrael. A young child, only three years old, was diagnosed with a terrible illness. The doctors treated him, and for a while the child went into remission. But eventually the illness returned, and when the boy was five years old it became extremely aggressive. The doctors finally told the mother that, unfortunately, there was no longer any hope of saving the child. The mother answered firmly, "As religious Jews, we never say there is no hope. Hashem can do anything. I believe my son can still be healed." From that point on, she spent her days in the hospital saying Tehillim and strengthening herself with emunah and bitachon. The secular doctors repeatedly told her not to waste her time. "There is zero percent chance of survival," they insisted. But every day she sat there with Tehillim in her hands, believing that Hashem could still perform a miracle. Eventually, however, the child's condition deteriorated further and it became clear that the end was near. The mother even purchased a burial plot and began making arrangements for what seemed inevitable. But there was one thing that deeply troubled her, and she called her Rebbetzin to discuss it. "I had so much emunah," she cried. "When the doctors told me there was no hope, it did not shake me. I believed completely that Hashem could save my son. But now, when my son passes away, the doctors are going to say, 'You see? We told you so. Your hope was unrealistic.' I can accept that Hashem wants my son back, but I do not want to be ashamed because of my bitachon in Him." The Rebbetzin answered her with tremendous wisdom. "Every moment that you hoped to Hashem for salvation was a mitzvah," she said. "Believing in Hashem's ability to help is a great mitzvah, and you fulfilled it on the highest level. Now you have another mitzvah — to accept the will of Hashem with emunah. If you continue doing what Hashem wants from you, you will never be ashamed from it." These words gave the mother tremendous strength. The next day, the child passed away. The doctors were certain this woman would collapse emotionally after everything she had gone through. They brought in professionals who deal with trauma and psychologists who treat severe depression. But when they spoke to her, they were astonished. She was calm, composed, and spiritually strong. She did not appear broken in the way they expected. The doctors asked her, "How are you so strong after such a painful disappointment?" She answered, "Until now, I had a mitzvah to hope to Hashem, and I tried to do that with all my strength. Now I have a mitzvah to accept the will of Hashem, and I will try to do that with all my strength as well." The doctors were overwhelmed by her words. They began crying from the strength and sincerity of her emunah. Later, the mother said, "My Rebbetzin was right. I was not ashamed because of my bitachon. On the contrary, my bitachon brought even more honor to Hashem." This is the meaning of בְּךָ בָטְחוּ וְלֹא בוֹשׁוּ . A person who places his trust in Hashem is never truly ashamed. Sometimes the salvation comes exactly as he hoped. Sometimes Hashem's plan is different. But if a person does what Hashem wants from him at every stage — first hoping, praying, and believing, and afterward accepting Hashem's will with love — then nothing negative ever comes from his bitachon. Instead, it always brings honor to Hashem's Name. Thu, 28 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/718acfdf-b982-45da-868d-d8112debfdd7.mp3 Many times in life a person forgets something important, overlooks something, or fails to notice a detail that later seems obvious. Naturally, he starts second-guessing himself. "How could I not remember that? Why didn't I realize it earlier? If only I would have thought of that sooner." But a person with emunah understands that if Hashem wanted him to know something earlier, He had endless ways of making that happen. Nothing is dependent solely on our memory or awareness. If Hashem wants a person to discover something, He can orchestrate countless events to bring that information to light at exactly the right moment. Rabbi Yoel from the UK related a story that illustrates this beautifully. One winter, Rabbi Yoel was going through a difficult time financially. Someone owed him money, but the man told him he would only be able to pay him back the following Tuesday. Rabbi Yoel needed the money immediately, so he called a young avreich, Yitzchak, his good friend, and asked if he could borrow five hundred pounds until Tuesday. Yitzchak gladly agreed. When Tuesday came around, the person who owed Rabbi Yoel the money paid him back, but only with a check instead of cash. There was a problem. In the UK, the banks had a rule that limited how much cash could be withdrawn at one time, and Rabbi Yoel was only able to take out three hundred pounds. He called Yitzchak and explained the situation. "I have your money," he said, "but I could only withdraw three hundred pounds today. Do you need me to borrow another two hundred pounds from someone else so I can pay you back right now, or can it wait until tomorrow?" Yitzchak understood the situation and told him, "No problem, you can wait until tomorrow." A few minutes later, however, Yitzchak called him back. "I was thinking," he said, "maybe you could just give me a check for the full amount." "Fine," Rabbi Yoel answered. Then Yitzchak added, "This way I can use it to buy a menorah now." "A menorah?" Rabbi Yoel asked. "What happened to the silver one you received at your wedding?" Yitzchak explained that ever since he moved apartments, all of his silver Judaica had disappeared. The menorah, the kiddush cups, the candlesticks—everything was gone. Suddenly Rabbi Yoel remembered something. He himself had helped move Yitzchak's belongings. At the time, he was nervous that the expensive silver might get damaged or stolen, so he carefully wrapped it up and hid it in a storage space in the apartment. Yitzchak never knew where it had been placed. "I know exactly where your silver is," Rabbi Yoel told him. Yitzchak could not believe it. Following Rabbi Yoel's directions, he climbed up to the hidden storage space, and there, to his amazement, was the entire collection exactly as it had been packed away years earlier. Everything was safe and shining beautifully. Hashem wanted Yitzchak to find his menorah, and He knew exactly how to make that happen. He arranged that Rabbi Yoel would specifically need to borrow money from him. He arranged that the repayment would come back in the form of a check instead of cash. He arranged the banking laws that forced another phone conversation. He arranged that Yitzchak would happen to mention that he needed a menorah. And through all of those perfectly coordinated details, the missing silver was discovered. When Hashem wants us to know something, He has countless ways of telling us. Someone recently told me that he spent a very long time writing important information on his computer. After finishing, he carefully saved the document. But later, when he tried opening the file, it was nowhere to be found. He searched and searched but could not find it. He was certain he remembered exactly what he named the file, but nothing came up under that name. Finally, after becoming frustrated, he spent hours rewriting the entire document from scratch. When he finished redoing all the work, he saved the file under what he thought was a brand-new name. Suddenly, both files appeared on the screen. He realized that the original file had been there all along under the exact name that he had just given the new file. Naturally, a person could feel bad. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?" But the lesson is not to second-guess ourselves. If Hashem wanted him to discover the original file earlier, He had countless ways of making that happen. The fact that it was only discovered later means that later was the exact right time for it to be found. A man once told me that something happened which completely ruined his day. Although he learns emunah and bitachon regularly, at the time he could not see any good in what had happened. He became gloomy and upset, and everyone around him felt it the entire day. A few days later, however, he suddenly realized that what had happened was actually the best possible thing that could have happened. Because of that event, everything else ended up turning out in the most favorable way possible. He told me afterward, "No matter how much emunah a person has, he always needs more chizuk in it." We do not understand why things happen the way they do, but we do know that Hashem is running the world and He is doing it perfectly. If He wants us to know something, He knows exactly how to accomplish that. And if something was hidden from us until later, then later was exactly the right time for it to be revealed. There is no reason to second-guess ourselves. If we accept and trust Hashem, we are performing a great avodah. Wed, 27 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/fd10b9d2-b355-457a-88b3-49da9760faee.mp3 One of the great ploys of the Yetzer Hara is to make people forget how powerful tefillah really is. A person prays, but deep down he may already feel trapped by his situation. He says the words, but the fire and confidence are missing. Very often, the yeshuah is already prepared and waiting. The person simply needs to awaken within himself and truly believe in the power of speaking to Hashem. Sometimes Hashem sends a person a reminder — perhaps a memory, a story, or a moment of inspiration — to reignite his belief in tefillah so that he will finally cry out properly from the depths of his heart. In the sefer He'emanti Va'asapera, there is a story about Eliezer, a man whose housewares business was collapsing. Every evening he would lower the shutters on his store feeling crushed by stress and worry. Customers were disappearing, profits were shrinking, and it was becoming painfully clear that his business was nearing its end. One night, as he prepared to close the store, something suddenly stopped him. A memory came flooding back from forty years earlier. As a young man living in London, Eliezer had desperately wanted to learn in Eretz Yisrael, but his family did not have the means to send him. One night he saw his father crying while saying Tehillim. The next day his father explained that he had been begging Hashem to somehow help him pay for his son's expenses so he could go learn Torah in Eretz Yisrael. Then something unbelievable happened. The next morning, completely out of character, his father bought a scratch-off ticket and won exactly the amount they needed. Within days, Eliezer was on his way to yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael. Now, forty years later, sitting alone in his darkened store, Eliezer suddenly understood the message. His father's salvation had come through heartfelt tefillah, and now Hashem was reminding him of that lesson for himself. He realized that sighing was not going to help him. Worrying was not going to save his business. He needed to truly pray from the depths of his heart. He took out a Tehillim and began pouring out his heart to Hashem. It was not a quick tefillah. It was not distracted words, but rather real tefillah. He sat there for over an hour crying, pleading, and speaking honestly to Hashem. Then suddenly there was a knock at the door. A stranger stood outside insisting that he urgently needed to come in. Eliezer almost sent him away, upset that someone was interrupting such a powerful moment of tefillah. But the man pleaded with him to listen. He explained that he managed a brand-new hall that was about to open. He had been planning to meet wholesalers over the coming weeks to buy dishes and silverware, but suddenly he discovered that he urgently had to fly overseas. He needed to purchase everything immediately before leaving. Eliezer showed him the merchandise that he had in his store. The man quickly chose what he wanted and ordered seven hundred complete sets of dishes, cups, and silverware — the largest order Eliezer had ever received in his life. In that one visit, he received an entire year's worth of revenue. The profits from that deal saved his business. Then it all became clear. Why had this customer arrived specifically then? Why didn't he go to another store? Because every other store was closed. Eliezer was only there because he had stayed back to pray. The salvation had already been set into motion. The customer had already been sent. The order was already waiting to be made. But Eliezer needed the reminder from his father's story to awaken him to the power of tefillah so that he would cry out the right way for the yeshuah to reach him. Sometimes people become so busy worrying, calculating, panicking, and searching everywhere else that they forget the greatest power they possess — the ability to stand before מלך מלכי המלכים and pour out their hearts. The Yetzer Hara works overtime to weaken a person's belief in tefillah because once a person truly believes that Hashem is listening, his tefillah takes on an entirely new dimension and becomes an uplifting avodah. The greatest chizuk we can have is knowing that Hashem is here. He is listening. He is arranging. He is preparing. He is orchestrating every detail. Sometimes our salvation is already waiting, and all Hashem wants is for us to remember Who we are speaking to — and to speak the right way. Tue, 26 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/11d48140-4e21-4b86-a2db-afff70e41a53.mp3 One of the difficult balances in life is knowing when enough hishtadlut has been done so that a person can place the matter fully into the hands of Hashem. On one hand, we are obligated to make hishtadlut in order to fulfill our needs. But on the other hand, if a person overdoes hishtadlut it is considered an infraction, reflecting an underlying belief that results are dependent upon human effort rather than solely upon Hashem. One of the greatest tests in life is believing that although we are the ones making the efforts, the results themselves have nothing to do with those efforts. Hashem alone decides the outcome. He merely requires enough hishtadlut for the result to appear natural within the normal way of the world. Sometimes Hashem specifically places a person into situations where he feels completely powerless so that he can discover this truth more clearly — that his help was always coming only from Hashem. Once a person has put in a reasonable effort, one of the greatest things he can do afterward is stop chasing people and begin speaking more to Hashem. Rabbi Betzalel Bloy from Bnei Brak related that after investing enormous effort writing, organizing, and preparing the shiurim of his Rabbi for publication, he finally reached the last stage before printing the sefer. Everything was ready. He felt strongly that the sefer would bring tremendous chizuk to many people. There was only one thing missing: Money. He needed thousands of dollars to print the sefer and had no idea where the funds would come from. He worked very hard collecting small donations from various places, but after all the effort, he still managed to gather only one-third of the amount he needed. People advised him to approach a certain wealthy individual who might be interested in supporting the project. Rabbi Bloy gathered his courage and went to speak with him. He explained the greatness of the sefer, the importance of its message, and how many people could potentially benefit from it. The wealthy man listened carefully and then replied: "Go to another wealthy man at this address. Whatever amount he gives you, I will contribute half of it." Rabbi Bloy left the meeting feeling crushed and embarrassed. He did not know whether the man genuinely intended to help or was simply trying to avoid responsibility. More than anything, the entire experience was emotionally painful. The thought of now having to approach another wealthy individual filled him with dread. But he desperately wanted to publish the sefer. Unsure what to do next, he went to ask his father for advice. His father then gave him one sentence that completely changed his perspective. "Don't do anything else," he said. "Just talk to Hashem." His father understood that Rabbi Bloy had already done what was reasonable. Continuing further would only push him emotionally beyond his limits. Hearing those words brought Rabbi Bloy tremendous relief. He now felt permitted to stop chasing people and simply turn to Hashem. That night he poured out his heart in tefillah. The next morning, he did the same during Shacharit. Then, that very afternoon, the second wealthy man suddenly called him. "The first donor told me about your sefer," he said. "We decided that I will cover two-thirds of the remaining amount, and he will cover the other third. We are very happy to participate in your project." Within a short amount of time, the money was paid and the sefer went to print. Rabbi Bloy later reflected that his father's words taught him the true perspective on hishtadlut. A person must make an effort. But once he has done what is reasonable, Hashem does not require more than that. Hashem loves when we ask Him directly for our needs — and for that, we never have to feel embarrassed. The more we recognize Who the true Provider is, the more blessing Hashem places into our hishtadlut. Mon, 25 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/84515a1a-8067-4456-8008-acd4f743b5c8.mp3 When it comes to our physical needs, we are encouraged to make a basic effort and then rely on Hashem for the results. We know we'll never lose out by making the hishtadlut that Hashem wants us to make. In the business world, many people might say if you don't cut corners and bend some rules you won't be able to make money. We say, we don't need to deceive or lie to earn parnasa. Hashem decides who gets what, and if we follow His rules we'll always get everything that's meant for us to get. We make a basic effort according to halacha, and then we trust that Hashem will send what He wants us to have. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, we are encouraged to make as much of an effort as possible. If we want to know Torah, we can't make a bare minimum effort and say, “Hashem will put the knowledge in my brain.” When we go to buy tefillin or an etrog, we can't just go into the first store and say, “I did my hishtadlut, I know Hashem is going to give me the best one.” In matters of spirituality, we have to give a hundred and ten percent effort. This is the purpose for which we were created. Rabbi Menashe Reizman brought a question from Rav Hirsch of Riminov. It seems from Chazal that before Matan Torah , the other mountains were all making superior efforts to have the Torah given upon them. That is a spiritual endeavor. If so, why did Har Sinai not make the same efforts? And why was Har Sinai chosen if it didn't make those same efforts? One explanation is that Har Sinai understood that here Hashem preferred humility. And once someone is doing what Hashem wants, then even in spirituality, he can be zocheh to free gifts. If someone makes the effort to set aside time to learn and has a real desire to understand and know what he's learning. But finally, when he sits down and turns off his phone and opens the sefer , someone comes in and tells him he's needed to do a mitzvah that nobody else could perform, which according to halachah means he has to get up and do it. There he can have bitachon in Hashem, the One who commanded him to do the mitzvah and say, He will help him know what he wants to learn by giving him extra Heavenly help the next time he learns to grasp the material and remember it. The Chatam Sofer once said Avraham Avinu was able to see things in the stars beyond what others could see. He was able to connect to Hashem on another level. He could have sat alone all day and connected to Hashem on the highest levels, but instead he chose to take care of guests and bring others closer to Hashem. He understood, that is what Hashem preferred for him to do. And that is why it says, המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה ? - When Hashem was going to destroy Sedom, he said, “How could I do so before telling Abraham about it?” Abraham could have found out this information by meditating and connecting to Me, but instead he was busy with people. So Hashem said, should Avraham lose out because he was doing My will? I'm still going to connect to him and I'm still going to tell him what I'm about to do. It says in the pasuk that we have a mitzvah to teach our children Torah. Anybody who is yearning to reach higher levels in Torah study understands the value of every minute that can be used to delve deeper into Torah. One may think, “If I take away time from my learning to learn the basics with my son I may lose out.” This is where we have bitachon in Hashem and say, if we're doing His will we'll never lose out on anything. He'll give us more siyata d’Shamaya in our learning because we took out time to do what He wants. The Chassidim HaRishonim used to spend nine hours a day in tefila. The Gemara asks, if so, how were they able to be knowledgeable in Torah? The Gemara answers that Hashem blessed their Torah learning and they were able to accomplish in their short amount of learning what would normally take other people's hours to accomplish. If someone spends time trying to learn one subject of Torah and his evil inclination tells him, if you're working so hard to learn this one little thing, you'll never become a talmid chacham, there's so much more to learn. To this we say נפש עמל עמלה לו - When you toil in one area of Torah, then when you learn another, the first toil will help you learn the second subject easier. Hashem helps us in so many ways with our spirituality. It is true we have to put in as much effort as possible in Torah, but if it's the will of Hashem to do a different particular mitzvah, we'll never lose out on any other spiritual gain Chag Sameach . Thu, 21 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/3fb849fa-3ec4-437e-8334-483ce344d50d.mp3 Those who are struggling with parnasa are constantly praying to Hashem to make things easier for them. It's so difficult for a person to always be behind on his bills. It's so stressful to have to rethink every purchase, even the basics. People love to hear of a segula they could do that will help improve their financial situation. Why does a God-fearing Jew want extra parnasa ? Just to take care of his family in a respectable way. There is definitely a segula that can help with that. Shulchan Aruch writes in the laws of Yom Tov that a person should give his wife and children something special to bring them joy on the holiday. And we also have to give food to the convert, the orphan, and the widow, as well as other poor people. The Mishnah Berurah there brings the pasuk in parashat Re'eh where this obligation to feed the needy is stated. And there, Rashi writes, there are four categories of poor people mentioned in the pasuk and four family members mentioned. Hashem tells us, you make my poor and destitute happy and I will make your family happy. This is a wonderful guarantee. Rabbi Tzvi Nakar told a story about a man who dealt with financial difficulties for years. No matter how much he earned, he always finished the month in the red. He tried to save, he tried taking on a second job, but me'et Hashem, he was always a bit short on covering his expenses. He did not sink into debt. He did not get into major financial trouble and never used his money irresponsibly. He and his family lived simply and bought just what they needed. He actually made a decent salary. It was just that with a large family, there were constant expenses to take care of. If he would ever manage to get out of the red, a child's glasses would suddenly break, an unexpected expense that put him back under. This continued for years and he never complained. Whatever Hashem gave them, they thanked Him for. It was not his goal to make it rich, but it did bother him. Why couldn't he just make a little more money to have some breathing room? A couple of years ago, something happened that changed his life. His good friend's brother-in-law suddenly passed away, leaving behind several young orphans. He didn't know them personally, but the whole episode affected him in a deep way. He heard from his friend about the distress of the widow and orphans and really wanted to help. When his friend made a collection for them, he made sure to contribute a monthly pledge that would automatically be debited from his account. Then, when Sukkot was approaching, he went with his wife to buy their children special toys in honor of Yom Tov. In a momentary flash of inspiration, he realized those orphans did not have a father who was going to buy them toys. At that moment, he and his wife decided whatever they buy for their children, they were going to get double of, to give to the orphans as well. It was quite expensive considering their financial situation, but they knew of the great virtue involved in helping widows and orphans and also knew that Hashem said, "You make mine happy and I'll make yours happy." Since then, he does this every single holiday. For the first time in fifteen years of marriage, he began seeing blessing in his money. He did not switch jobs, but his income grew unexpectedly. And more than that, the money he earned stretches and he's able to use it for good things. It's unbelievable. For years, he had been living with outdated furniture, barely getting by, and now his money is finally blessed. It is indeed a great segula to take care of orphans, widows, and the downtrodden. The pasuk in the Torah stating this obligation is actually written regarding the holiday of Shavuot. May we all be zocheh to help others and have Hashem help us. Wed, 20 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/eef3445f-c3ee-43eb-85e3-909e2fb0226a.mp3 The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot tells us to be very careful in the performance of even the smallest mitzvot because we do not know the true reward of any mitzvah. The Shem MiShmuel explains that when it comes to reward, Hashem does not only consider the actual deed itself. He also takes into account all of the ripple effects that result from that mitzvah. A person may do something that seems very small, but the effects of that deed can continue spreading for years. A simple smile and a cheerful "good morning" may appear insignificant. But imagine someone was feeling down, discouraged, and burdened. Then he receives a warm greeting and suddenly feels uplifted. His mood changes. His attitude changes. Perhaps he goes home happier and treats his family differently. The ripple effects of one smile could be endless. Or imagine someone donates one sefer to a shul library because that sefer once inspired him. Years later, somebody opens it, reads it, and receives tremendous chizuk. That person changes his avodat Hashem because of it. Who can imagine how many rewards continue flowing from that one deed? And there is another dimension that makes mitzvot even greater. Not only do we not know their ripple effects—we also do not know how much greater hidden deeds can become. The Gemara in Baba Batra tells us that if someone gives tzedakah in private, in certain aspects he is considered greater than even Moshe Rabbenu. Such an astonishing statement teaches us how precious hidden mitzvot are. When a person does something and nobody knows, when there is no honor, no recognition, and no praise, then the deed becomes purely for Hashem. In a book about the life of the Chafetz Chaim, it says that on one occasion his son, Reb Leib, asked him whether people who learned the Mishnah Berurah would ever truly understand how much effort he invested into every single line, making sure everything was perfectly correct according to halachah. The Chafetz Chaim replied, "What difference does it make if people know how much effort I put in? My sole intention is to bring honor to the name of Hashem, and He is the only One Who needs to know." That was the greatness of the Chafetz Chaim. He was not seeking recognition. He only cared about pleasing Hashem. We cannot imagine how much Hashem appreciates every small deed that we do. We may not receive a pat on the back in this world, but that does not mean Hashem does not notice. Every ounce of effort is seen. Every struggle is counted. Every hidden act is treasured. And every deed will be fully repaid in the next world. Sometimes, however, Hashem gives us a glimpse even here of how much He appreciates our efforts. Recently, a woman in Eretz Yisrael passed away. For forty years, every single day, she took upon herself to go to the kever of Shmuel HaNavi and make sure it was clean and properly maintained. She personally cared for it and, while there, would pray each day as well. Amazingly, she passed away on כ״ח אייר —the yahrtzeit of Shmuel HaNavi himself. Not only that, her address was 86 Shmuel HaNavi Street, and she passed away at the age of 86. Every effort she invested in honoring the kever of that great tzaddik was appreciated. Every hidden act mattered. She did not publicize what she did. Only her close family knew. We can never underestimate the value of any mitzvah, because every one is precious, every one creates ripple effects, and every one carries rewards beyond comprehension. Tue, 19 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/a0b0b284-0fbd-4bf6-8d12-e5e845dd97a0.mp3 As we know, parnasah comes from Hashem, and the Chovot HaLevavot in Shaar HaBitachon, perek 4, gives us a very important understanding of how Hashem distributes it in the world. He writes that Hashem guarantees enough sustenance for every person as long as he is meant to live in this world. Every person has what he needs to survive because Hashem Himself takes responsibility for all of His creations. But not everyone is given the role of supporting others. Sometimes Hashem chooses certain people to become His messengers. If a man is given enough to support not only himself, but also his wife and children, then Hashem has placed their parnasah into his hands. He put their sustenance into his bank account and appointed him as the messenger to deliver it. This is both a tremendous zechut and a tremendous test. It is a zechut because there are few greater privileges than being entrusted by Hashem to care for His children. But it is also a test: will the person believe that the money is his and that he is generously sharing from his own possessions? Or will he recognize that it was never truly his at all? Hashem simply designated him to distribute what was already meant for them. If a person is blessed with extra, he should feel honored that Hashem chose him for that mission. He should support his family happily, not feeling as if he is carrying a burden, and not expecting recognition or praise. He is merely carrying out the task Hashem assigned him. And a person must know that Hashem never needs him specifically. Hashem has endless ways of supporting every individual. Even one's own family can be supported through channels no one ever imagined. I know of a man who struggles financially while his own young children have far more money than he does. A relative placed large sums of money into trust funds for them. Hashem has countless messengers and countless ways of providing what people need. Of course, we are obligated to make hishtadlut. A person must work and make a normal effort. But he should not feel that if he does not earn what he expected to, the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders. Hashem never intended hishtadlut to become endless pressure and worry. A person does not need to spend his life anxiously calculating how his children will survive years into the future. That burden belongs to Hashem. People who believe all the money Hashem gives them is solely for their own use often make another mistake. They keep chasing and accumulating more and more, imagining that the goal of life is to see how much wealth they can build. But the Chovot HaLevavot explains that there is no such thing as extra hishtadlut creating wealth. If wealth is decreed for a person, he will receive it through his normal efforts. And if it is not decreed, no matter how much harder he works, he will never attain it. The goal of life is not to see how much money a person can make. It is to make what he needs and use the precious extra time Hashem gives him to serve Him through Torah and mitzvot. A woman shared a story that brought out one of these lessons. She was preparing for maternity leave and knew that the government calculated maternity pay based on the average salary from the previous three months. One of those months included Pesach, and because of the Yom Tov days she had worked far fewer hours than usual. She became worried. She tried putting in some extra hours, but there was no way to make up all the missing time. Then she heard a class explaining that parnasah only comes from Hashem and that extra hours do not automatically create extra money. The words gave her tremendous chizuk. She accepted that Hashem knew exactly what she needed and exactly how much she was supposed to receive. Just a few hours later, someone from HR contacted her. They told her that months earlier she had referred an employee to the company but had never received the referral bonus she was owed. Since they had discovered the oversight, they were adding the payment into her next paycheck. The timing was remarkable. It was the second-to-last day of April. And the amount of that bonus was exactly what she had been missing because of the Pesach hours. She felt as if Hashem was speaking directly to her: "I know exactly what you need. I know how to take care of you." When we internalize that parnasah comes from Hashem and understand how He distributes it, life becomes calmer. We stop carrying burdens that were never ours to carry, and we become better equipped to pass the tests that come our way. Mon, 18 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust https://learntorah.com/content/106caead-0bc8-442a-8876-9407f91e5528.mp3 The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches us how deeply beloved we are to Hashem — not only did He give us His precious Torah, but He also expressed His immense love by telling us just how valuable that gift is. Shavuot is a time to appreciate the Torah as our guiding light and to reflect on the responsibility that comes with such a gift. The pasuk in Tehillim states: " טוֹב לִי תוֹרַת פִּיךָ מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף " — "The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Tehillim 119:72). The mefarshim are puzzled: how can something eternal like the Torah be compared to something as finite and physical as gold and silver? One explanation is that, as physical beings, we naturally place high value on material wealth. The pasuk is providing a relatable point of comparison. To us, there is no greater earthly treasure than vast amounts of gold and silver — and yet, the Torah tells us its value pales in comparison to the Torah's worth. Hashem instilled within us an affinity for wealth specifically so we could begin to grasp, on our own terms, just a fraction of the Torah's true value. Yet, there lies a danger. Sometimes we become so enamored by the mashal that we lose sight of the nimshal — the deeper truth it's meant to teach. The Magen David explains this with a parable: A king wanted his subjects to appreciate his glory, so he adorned his officers in every province with the finest clothing, using wealth from the royal treasury. He hoped people would say, "If the officers are dressed like this, how much greater must the king be!" But instead, people fixated on the officers and forgot the king entirely. This is what happens when we glorify physical wealth and forget that it's merely a tool to help us appreciate the infinitely greater glory of Torah. Another pitfall comes when people view mitzvot as mere tools to achieve physical rewards. For example, someone may take on a 40-day acceptance to refrain from lashon hara in hopes of achieving a personal salvation. In such cases, the mitzvah becomes a means to an end — the salvation is the focus, not the growth. But this perspective is flawed. Physical rewards are minor side effects of the real reward — the mitzvah itself. No worldly pleasure could ever equal the spiritual elevation one receives from performing even the smallest mitzvah. If someone doesn't receive the outcome they were hoping for, they should still rejoice in the merit of having fulfilled a mitzvah. And if the desired outcome is granted, it should not diminish the value of the mitzvah, nor should one think it was only worthwhile because it "worked." The mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, elevates the neshama , and yields eternal benefit. The Chatam Sofer writes, to truly benefit from a mitzvah, one must first value it. Chazal tell us that tzitzit protect a person from sin — yet some wonder why they don't feel that protection. One reason might be a lack of appreciation for the mitzvah itself. If we don't value our mitzvot, we don't engage with them fully — and we miss out on their spiritual power. The same is true for all mitzvot. If a teacher of Torah to children understood that the world stands in the merit of what he is doing, he would never interrupt his class to check a message. If he truly internalized what the Kav HaYashar teaches — that 18,000 angels gather the words spoken by children learning Torah — he would not trade his role for anything in the world. Every word of Torah we learn is more precious than any material success this world can offer. Let us take the time to appreciate what we are privileged to do each day and thank Hashem for the indescribable zechut of sharing in His most precious gift — the Torah. Fri, 15 May 2026 00:01:11 GMT Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi David Ashear No Living with emunah Learn emunah and bitachon daily with Rabbi David Ashear Daily, Bitachon, Emunah, Faith, Trust