A Daily ethical teaching by Rabbi David Ashear https://itorah.com/living-emunah/search/3 en-us Copyright 2026 iTorah.com Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:01:11 GMT Sun, 04 Oct 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/content/ec1edc22-d2d2-4a87-a4e5-96bd2be91c3d.mp3 A life without emunah and bitachon often leads a person into unnecessary stress, worry, and exertion. A man related that for his entire business career, he opened his store every day at eight in the morning and didn't close until eight at night. He was constantly worried that if he closed even a little earlier, a potential customer would go to his competitor, discover that their product was just as good, and he would lose the customer permanently. That fear, combined with the belief that more hours meant more income, drove him to work grueling twelve-hour days. As he grew older, that schedule became too demanding. But he was terrified to cut back his hours. Then someone introduced him to Sha'ar HaBitachon . After learning it, he discovered that he could safely ease his worries and reduce his hours. But hearing the ideas once wasn't enough for him to actually change. He learned each section again and again, going through the entire chapter five times, until the message sank deeply into his heart. Only then did he calmly begin closing his store at 6 p.m. instead of 8. Since that day, his financial situation has only improved. He said that he doesn't understand how, but he earns more money now than he did with twelve-hour days. The explanation is simple: Hashem is in charge of parnassah , and when we genuinely internalize that belief and live according to it, Hashem rewards that trust. It is not our job to figure out how Hashem will send us our livelihood. It is only our job to make a regular hishtadlut , believe and pray. A woman told that she is an only child and her father passed away many years ago. Baruch Hashem, she married and built a beautiful family. A few days before Sukkot this year, a FedEx envelope was delivered to their home. She assumed it was for her husband, so she gave it to him. He opened it and found a check for a very large amount of money — at a moment when they desperately needed it. They had no idea who would be sending such a sum. They investigated and discovered the remarkable chain of events behind it. Forty years earlier, her grandfather had loaned a friend $50,000. The friend never repaid it, and over time, everyone forgot about it — except for the One who forgets nothing. The grandfather passed away, and so did her father. On his own deathbed, the old friend remembered the debt and wanted to leave this world with a clean slate. He instructed his family to repay all of his outstanding debts, including the one owed to her grandfather. Since her grandfather was no longer alive, they divided the money among his children. And because her father had passed away and she was an only child, she received her father's full share. A forgotten debt from decades earlier, crossing generations, arrived at their doorstep precisely when they needed it most. While they were trying to figure out how to pay their bills, Hashem was preparing their salvation decades in advance. Hashem is the One who provides parnassah. Those who recognize this live with far greater peace of mind, knowing that their livelihood is already in Hashem's hands — and always has been. Fri, 02 Oct 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/3c3b5574-46b1-4ea4-be77-13ea3b6e8cac.mp3 When Rivka told Yaakov to go to the house of Lavan and find a wife, she said, " וְיָשַׁבְתָּ עִמּוֹ יָמִים אֲחָדִים ," that he should stay there for yamim achadim, which is generally translated as "a short time," until his brother's anger would subside, and then she would call for him to come back. When Yaakov later told Lavan that he would work for seven years to marry Rachel, Rashi says that these are the yamim achadim that Rivka was referring to. The question is, why would Rivka want Yaakov to be in such a bad spiritual environment with Lavan for such a long time? Furthermore, when Yaakov was working during those seven years, the Torah says they felt like yamim achadim, a short time, because of his love for her. Seemingly, if someone is so eager to get married, every day should feel like an eternity, not yamim achadim. Rabbi Menashe Reisman brought a beautiful explanation in the name of Rabbi Michal Forshlager to answer these questions. Rivka wanted to give Yaakov the greatest tool that would ensure that he would always be happy in any circumstance that he might find himself in. When a person is suffering from a problem in life, it is usually because the problem has lasted for a long time. Problems that only last a short amount of time are much easier to deal with. If someone is older and not married and speaks about his difficulty, he will usually say, "I have been trying for so many years and nothing works out." But if a person would live one day at a time, his quality of life would improve tremendously. Every day is a new day, with endless possibilities of what could happen. If a person wakes up in the morning believing that today could easily be the day of his salvation, it gives him strength and courage. What was yesterday has nothing to do with today. The difficulty begins when a person connects today with all the past days and looks at everything as one long, unbearable stretch. The same is true with worry. Most worry is about the future, not the present. Right now, a person is still alive, still taken care of, and still standing. His suffering comes from thinking about what might be tomorrow. If he would only focus on today, on what he already has and on what might happen to bring salvation, he would be far happier. This is what Rivka was telling Yaakov about the house of Lavan. He should be there for yamim achadim, literally, one day at a time. She knew it would be hard for him, and she gave him the secret of how to survive it. Even when Yaakov agreed to work for seven years, that did not mean he accepted that it must be seven full years. It meant seven years worth of work. If Yaakov would somehow get money, he could pay Lavan and leave immediately. Just as an eved ivri who is supposed to work six years can be freed early if his master releases him, so too Yaakov could get out at any time if Hashem willed it. A person can also pray that Hashem put it into someone's heart to help him, or that he find a way out sooner than expected. When a person knows that he can be helped today, it gives him great strength. If someone is told he must undergo treatment for a certain amount of time or remain in the hospital for a certain amount of time, he can ease so much of his pain by remembering that with Hashem, nothing has to be the way people say. The first treatment can go so well that no further treatment is needed. What was supposed to be two weeks can become two days. Even though Yosef was in prison for twelve years, he remained in good spirits, knowing that any day he could be released. And although Yaakov seemed to have such a difficult time in Lavan's house, being cheated and taken advantage of again and again, the Torah testifies - וַיָּבוֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם -that he left whole, in every way, physically, financially, and spiritually. Lavan was never able to truly harm him. Everything happened exactly as Hashem wanted, and it was all for Yaakov's benefit. A person's bitachon gives him strength every single day of his life. And when it says that the seven years Yaakov worked for Rachel were yamim achadim because of his love for her, Rav Michal explained that it means that even though Yaakov loved Rachel deeply and wanted to marry her, because he looked at each day by itself and thought, "Maybe today will be the day," the time passed quickly. In the same way, Yaakov was able to survive his long stay with Lavan because Rivka told him she would send for him when it was time to come home. Each day, Yaakov could tell himself, "Maybe today is my last day here." Yeshuat Hashem is keheref ayin. A person can be saved today. If a person learns to live today properly, with real bitachon, he will always have the strength and courage to be happy and productive in life. Thu, 01 Oct 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/04e9330b-87da-4668-b10a-c0e4a96cf957.mp3 We know that in the Midbar, Hashem gave the Jewish people three miraculous gifts: the mann, the Be'er Shel Miriam(well), and the Ananei HaKavod(clouds of glory). Yet we have a Yom Tov that commemorates only the Ananei HaKavod—this holiday of Sukkot. Why don't we have a Yom Tov for the mann or for the well? The Mabit answers that the Jewish people could not survive in the desert without food and water. Hashem, so to speak, had to provide those for them. But the Ananei HaKavod, the Clouds of Glory, were different. Technically, they could have survived without them. It would have been very difficult. The scorching sun would have beaten down upon them. They would have been exposed to snakes and scorpions, and the terrain would have been extremely difficult to travel through. But they could have survived. The Ananei HaKavod showed us something much more. Hashem didn't just want His children to survive. He wanted them to be comfortable. He wanted the climate to be perfect, the terrain to be smooth, and He wanted to protect them from everything around them. And therefore, when we sit in the sukkah and remember those clouds, Hashem wants us to internalize how much love He has for us. He doesn't just give us what we need. He gives us so much more. Furthermore, we see an even deeper expression of Hashem's love at the Yam Suf. Rashi tells us in Parashat Yitro that when the Mitzrim were shooting arrows at the Jewish people, the Ananei HaKavod were absorbing them. Hashem could have protected the Jewish people in countless ways. He could have stopped the Egyptians from shooting the arrows altogether. Why did He specifically have the clouds absorb those arrows? The Tiferet Shmuel explains that the Ananei HaKavod represented the Shechinah surrounding the Jewish people. Hashem was telling us, so to speak, "I want to take the arrows for you." Hashem wanted us to understand the extraordinary love that He has for us. When someone truly loves another person, he doesn't only want to give to that person, and he is not only willing to take pain for that person—he even wants to take the pain for that person. A mother will endure tremendous pain for her child and even feel happy to do so. The greater the love, the more a person is willing to sacrifice for the one he loves. On Sukkot, Hashem wants us to recognize that this is the love He has for us. The Ananei HaKavod didn't just show us that Hashem will provide for us. They showed us that Hashem loves us with an endless love. And when a person truly understands how much Hashem loves him, naturally, he will want to reciprocate. Toward the end of his life, the Chafetz Chaim would pray that he should have the opportunity to die al Kiddush Hashem. The Tiferet Shmuel explained that it was not because he was looking for more zechuyot. He was saying, "Hashem, I love You so much. I wish I could show You just how much I love You. I would even give You the most precious thing I have—my life." There was a time when the Chafetz Chaim had to spend an entire Shabbat alone in a field in order to avoid violating Shabbat. He had no food and no comforts, yet afterward he described what a beautiful Shabbat he had. The difficulty itself became an enjoyment for him because he knew he was doing it for Hashem. When we know how much Hashem loves us, our attitude toward serving Him can change. Something could be difficult, like getting up early to learn and pray, holding ourselves back from something we want to do, or doing a mitzvah under challenging circumstances. But instead of thinking, "Why do I have to do this now?" we can think, "Hashem, I love You. If this is what You want from me now, I'm happy to do it." There are people who, even when experiencing suffering, are able to say, "Hashem, I know You love me, and I know You want this for me. So not only am I going to accept it, but I'm going to embrace the pain You are giving me because it is what You want." This is a high level of emunah. Sukkot is our opportunity to sit under the s'chach and think about what the Ananei HaKavod really showed us. Hashem didn't just keep us alive. He surrounded us with love. He made everything perfect for us, and He showed us, so to speak, that He was even happy to take the pain for us. The more we recognize how much Hashem loves us, the more we are going to love Him back. And then, even when serving Him requires sacrifice, instead of focusing on the pain, we will feel the privilege and say, "Hashem, I love doing this for You." Wed, 30 Sep 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/702c6b42-7cf9-4cd4-bb73-b221ac8494dd.mp3 The Sefer Ha'ikarim writes, there are three fundamentals of Emunah that every Jew must believe. Number one is the existence of Hashem. Number two is that the Torah was given to us from Shamayim. And number three, Hashem is involved in everything that happens in this world- hashgacha peratit. The Sefer Kometz Mincha suggests that each of the shalosh regalim corresponds to one of these three fundamentals. On Pesach, the world learned that Hashem exists. On Shavuot, we saw the Torah coming down from Shamayim. And on Sukkot, we saw how Hashem took care of the Jewish people's every need in the desert, surrounding them in His clouds of glory. Thus, we leave our homes and go to live in temporary structures to show that we know we are in Hashem's hands. He is the One who protects and watches over us at all times. This is one of the reasons why Sukkot is called "zemans simchatenu," the time of our greatest joy. Because when a person internalizes that he is in Hashem's hands, he can be happy in all situations in life, even during the trying times. A woman related how Emunah gave her the ultimate strength and joy to deal with a very difficult situation that she was experiencing. Last year, she had a miscarriage late in the pregnancy. It was a devastating blow, especially since they had been waiting to have a child. After the loss, she worked very hard on her Emunah. That is what enabled her to get through that very difficult time with sanity. She conceived shortly afterward. However, to her dismay, things went wrong right from the beginning. The pregnancy was filled with fear and panic. Every doctor's visit meant more fear. And every trimester brought its own challenges. She decided to start listening from the beginning of an Emunah hotline that she would regularly call. This hotline has over 2,000 5-minute clips. And she went back and started from number one. She drank every word thirstily and allowed the words to penetrate her soul and override her emotions. There were many times when she thought the pregnancy had ended. She kept repeatedly attempting to strengthen herself like a lion and kept listening to the classes aggressively. She would dial the number trembling and then hang up feeling much more relaxed and hopeful. There were many nights when panic would overtake her and the doctor's grim prognosis wouldn't let her sleep. She would then call the Emunah hotline and let the words of chizuk calm her nerves and enable her to fall asleep. There were times when she had questions like, if Hashem didn't want us to be parents yet, why did He have to pick up our hopes so high only to drop them down so low? But then the Emunah lessons answered that question for her too. Perhaps there was a harsh decree written for them and Hashem in His infinite mercy was giving them temporary challenges in exchange. Those thoughts gave her a lot of Chizuk. She felt like she entered the pregnancy on a premature theoretical level of Emunah and left it on an advanced level with a concrete connection to Hashem. She would not sell this connection for any money in the world. It's the most precious commodity that she possesses. By the end of the pregnancy she had already listened to 770 classes on the hotline. She especially connected with the lesson about imagining the yeshua of Hashem before it happens and relying on Him for it. As she holds her beautiful baby girl in her arms, she knows with certainty that the only thing that got her to this glorious moment was her Emunah and Bitachon. When we go outside and look up at the flimsy s'chach, we should internalize that it is only Hashem who protects, only Hashem who helps and only Hashem who takes care of us. The more we recognize this, the happier we will be. Tue, 29 Sep 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/f327a983-7155-424b-9457-6f10cfddc33b.mp3 There are times when a person is confronted with very big tests, and sometimes those tests entail giving into another party for peace. Whether it's giving up money, property, or just plain old honor, it's always very difficult to do, especially when the person feels that they should not be the one to give in because it was the other side that caused the problem, and they should be giving in. We must know the great value in being the one to sacrifice for peace. According to the effort is the reward. Many times, Hashem will present someone with an opportunity to give in as a vehicle to bring that person a blessing that he needs very badly. The rule is, a person never loses by sacrificing for Hashem. It may appear that way at the onset, but in the end he will only gain. A man related, he deals in real estate. Being that he has no steady income, he is constantly connecting to Hashem and asking for His help. Sometimes he doesn't make any money for months, and then one day, in one swoop, he'll get a half a year's salary. In 2022, his third son became engaged, and they set the wedding date towards the end of November. From months in advance, he booked the wedding hall, the band, and the photographer. He also booked the caterer for the Shabbat Sheva Berachot . All of the Sheva Berachot meals were confirmed as well. One day, he received a phone call from his father-in-law telling him that his brother-in-law was about to celebrate his son's engagement, and their wedding was scheduled for the same week as his, and that would mean that both Shabbat Sheva Berachot s would fall out on the same Shabbat. His father-in-law explained to him he really wanted to attend both, and politely asked him if he could switch his wedding date. Initially, this seemed like an impossible request, being that it would mean he would have to change so many things. He also felt that, if anything, his brother-in-law should be the one changing his wedding date, because his was set already beforehand. His father-in-law did tell him it would be too complicated for his brother-in-law to switch, but he felt it was just as complicated for him to switch also. He told his father-in-law respectfully he would see what he could do. After going back and forth with it in his mind, he decided to get over the unpleasantness of it and ask his mechutan if he would be okay with them switching the date. The mechutan thought about it, and then said, he would be okay with it if he would take care of making all the changes himself. And so, he contacted everyone that he needed to, and baruch Hashem, was able to reschedule the wedding for ten days later, with everything being exactly the same. As the wedding drew near, the man received an invitation to a huge event where apartments and properties would be featured for sale. It was like a real estate fair, and the date was the same date that his son's wedding was originally scheduled for. Now that the date was changed, he was able to attend, and at that fair, he found a property worth twenty million dollars and succeeded in closing a deal between a buyer and a seller on it. He got his two percent commission, which came out to four hundred thousand dollars, the largest commission he had ever earned. He then understood that Hashem had blessing in store for him, but he needed him to first do that heroic act of giving in for peace to access it. By giving in, he not only earned endless rewards in the Next World, he also received dividends in this world as well. Mon, 28 Sep 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/22021bfa-39a0-475e-b418-6613bba19362.mp3 All year long, a person naturally gets his sense of security from the things that surround him. He has a house with strong walls and a solid roof. He has money in the bank, a good job, insurance, doctors, family, and people he could call when he needs help. And without realizing it, a person can start to feel, "I am protected. I'm secure." On Sukkot, Hashem tells us to leave our house. We go and sit under the s'chach, a roof that does not give us any real physical protection. And this is the Yom Tov that the Torah tells us, more than any other, is the holiday of simcha, of happiness. Because Hashem is teaching us that one of the greatest sources of happiness is knowing Who is really protecting us. A person thinks his house protects him, but how many things could happen inside the strongest house? He thinks his money protects him, but money could disappear in an instant. He thinks a certain person could help him, but that person could suddenly be unable to help. None of those things offer any real protection. They are just the means that Hashem uses to protect us. For seven days, Hashem tells us, "Come outside. Leave behind the illusion of security and come sit with Me." Chazal tell us that Sukkot commemorates the Ananei HaKavod, the Clouds of Glory that surrounded the Jewish people in the desert. There, they were in one of the most dangerous places imaginable—a desert without protection, without food, and without water. And yet, Hashem completely protected them, providing food, shelter, climate, and everything they could possibly need. And this is one of the reasons why Sukkot is Zman Simchateinu. There is an enormous joy that comes when a person realizes, "I don't have to be the one to hold my life together, because Hashem is holding it for me." We spend so much energy trying to create security. We wonder, what's going to be with my parnassah? What's going to happen with my child? What's going to happen with my health? What's going to be next year? And we try to build thick walls around ourselves to make sure nothing can go wrong. But then, on Sukkot, we enter the sukkah and Hashem reminds us: You don't need thicker walls; you need more emunah. The sukkah is called the Tzila D'Mehemnuta, the Shade of Emunah. We sit there and remind ourselves, "Hashem, this is where I'm the safest—not because the walls are strong, but because here I recognize that You are with me." A father once took his young son on a trip. At one point, they had to walk along a very narrow path, and the boy became frightened. His father said to him, "Hold on to me." The boy grabbed his father's jacket tightly and continued walking. A few minutes later, the path became even more difficult. The father looked down and said, "Give me your hand." The boy said, "Don't worry, Dad. I'm already holding you." His father replied, "There's a very big difference. If you're holding me and you become frightened, you might let go. But if I'm holding your hand, I'm never letting go." This is one of the messages of Sukkot. We sometimes think our security depends on how tightly we are holding on—how carefully we plan, how much money we have saved, how many connections we have, and how well prepared we are. But on Sukkot, we realize that our security does not come from how tightly we are holding on to things. It comes from knowing that Hashem is holding us. When we walk into the sukkah, we should look at the s'chach and say, "Hashem, I am in Your hands. My family is in Your hands. My parnassah is in Your hands. My health is in Your hands. My entire future is in Your hands." And there is no safer place in the world. Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 25 Sep 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/0293e33d-3073-4767-a52c-9f4f7668f4a3.mp3 If someone asks us for our time when we're already busy, or asks us to do something that requires a lot of effort, our first reaction might be, why should I give up my time now? I have so many things to do. The same is true when it comes to giving in. Sometimes we know we're right, and giving in will cost us something, so our yetzer hara tells us not to. However, when we act for the sake of Hashem, we never lose. Whether we see it or not, when we do for others or give in to others, we are always the ones who gain. A man who we'll call Yehudah asked his chavruta if he had built his sukkah yet. His chavruta said he hadn't. His children were too young to help him, and he couldn't do it by himself. Yehudah saw how much he needed someone, so he said, "Don't worry. I can come help you today bein hasedarim at 2:45." His chavruta was so grateful. He needed the help so badly that he canceled an appointment he had that afternoon so he could be home when Yehudah came. After morning seder, shortly before he was supposed to go to his chavruta, Yehudah came home looking for something to eat. He found a piece of frozen chocolate cake in the freezer and tried to take a bite. The cake was so frozen that instead of taking a bite out of it, he broke his front tooth. Besides the pain, he couldn't go around looking like that. He needed a dentist immediately. He called his regular dental clinic, but they told him the next available appointment wasn't for another month. He told them he couldn't wait. The secretary then said, "Actually, if you come now, we have an opening. Someone just canceled." He rushed over, and the dentist was able to temporarily fix his tooth. Later, when he finally came to his chavruta's house to help him build the sukkah, he told him what had happened. His chavruta looked at Yehudah and said, "Do you know who canceled that appointment? I did. I canceled it so I could be here when you came to help me build my sukkah." Amazing! Yehudah thought he was giving up his time to help somebody else, but in reality, Hashem was using the very act of chesed that he was going to do to provide the help that he himself was going to need. Another man in Bnei Brak had been building his sukkah for years in the same spot between his building and the next building. One year, after he and his sons finished all their work, a neighbor from the next building came over very upset, claiming the sukkah was on their property. The man knew he had every right to be there, and the matter was brought to a Rabbi. After hearing both sides, the Rabbi spoke to him privately and said, "I know that you're right, but you see who you're dealing with. It will be much more to your benefit just to give in. I guarantee you, no one ever lost out from giving in." This was going to be very difficult. He had already built his entire sukkah. Now he would have to take the whole thing apart, carry everything to the other side of the building and start all over again. But he said, "Okay, I'm going to be mevater. I'll do it to avoid machloket, and I'll do it with joy." So he and his sons took apart the sukkah and rebuilt it in a different location. It took a lot of time and effort, but after he finished, he was so happy to have the zechut to avoid machloket. It was the perfect preparation to fulfill the mitzvah of sitting in Hashem's sukkah, which is called a Sukkah of Shalom. On the third day of Chol HaMoed, a sewage pipe unexpectedly burst in the building next door. Everything landed directly on the spot where his original sukkah had been standing. The sukkah that was now there became unusable for the rest of the holiday. Meanwhile, his family continued enjoying their beautiful sukkah on the other side of the building. Here again, what looked like something he was giving up turned out to be the very thing that benefited him. We don't always get to see the ending so clearly. Many times we give up our time for somebody else and never see what we gained. We give in for the sake of shalom and never see what Hashem saved us from. But these stories remind us that there's no such thing as losing when we do what Hashem wants. When the yetzer hara tells us, why should I give up my time? Why should I make the effort? Why should I give in when I'm right? We have to remember that we're doing it for the sake of Hashem, and when we act for the sake of Hashem, we always gain. Sometimes we get to see it immediately, and sometimes we don't get to see it at all. But the reality is always the same. Every chesed, every sacrifice we make, and every time we give in for the sake of shalom is something that Hashem treasures. And the more effort it takes, and the harder it is, the greater the zechut. Thu, 24 Sep 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/94ddf33d-459f-4055-a8b3-4fc35f020c2a.mp3 After Yom Kippur is over and a person's judgment has been sealed, he may find it a little more difficult to pray with the same intensity. He may think, whatever is going to happen this year has already been decided. In the past, we've spoken about how even after the judgment has been sealed, tefillah is still necessary. Even the berachot that Hashem has already decreed for a person require tefillah to bring them down. Furthermore, tefillah is powerful all year long. Even decrees that have already been made can be changed through tefillah. But there's another aspect of tefillah that's even more important. Tefillah is not just a means to get what we need. Tefillah is a great avodah that elevates us. The Me'iri writes that through deep, heartfelt tefillah, a person can achieve טהרת הלב , purification of his heart. In fact, the Torah describes tefillah as an avodah of the heart: " וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם — to serve Hashem with all your heart." Rabbi Menashe Reizman asked, how does asking Hashem for our needs purify our hearts? If I need parnassah and I ask Hashem for it, or I need a refuah and I ask Hashem for it, why should that make my heart pure? He brings from the Rishonim that one of the main aspects of the avodah of tefillah is coming to the clear recognition that everything we need is completely dependent upon Hashem. I cannot help myself without Hashem, and nobody else can help me without Hashem. Whatever I need—my health, my parnassah, my family, my success, my protection—is entirely in His hands. When a person stands before Hashem with that recognition and truly humbles himself, that tefillah becomes a tremendous avodah shebalev, and that purifies his heart. The Torah tells us regarding the widow and orphan that when they cry out to Hashem, He listens to their cry. The Ramban asks why Hashem specifically pays such careful attention to the cries of the widow and orphan. He answers that they He answers that the widow and orphan have no reliance upon themselves and therefore they truly turn to Hashem when they pray. Furthermore, when someone is being hurt, he may feel that perhaps his father will help him or another relative will come to his aid. But the widow and orphan know they have no one else to turn to, and therefore when they cry out to Hashem, it is with complete reliance upon Him. Hashem says, so to speak, that cry I pay very careful attention to. A person doesn't have to be a widow or orphan to pray that way. Everyone can recognize how completely dependent he is upon Hashem. A person may have family, money, connections, intelligence and all different kinds of abilities, but none of those things can do anything for him unless Hashem enables them to. David HaMelech was a king. He had wealth, armies and power, yet he said to Hashem, " כִּי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנִי — I am poor and destitute." David HaMelech understood that all of his power meant nothing without Hashem. When he stood in tefillah, he stood like a pauper who had nothing of his own and needed everything from Hashem. That is an avodah that we can perform every single day of the year, before Yom Kippur and after Yom Kippur. Every time we stand before Hashem, we have another opportunity to ingrain in our hearts: I need You. I can't do anything without You. Everything I have comes from You, and everything I will ever need will only come from You. That kind of tefillah does much more than just bring us what we are asking for. It brings us closer to Hashem. It humbles us before Hashem. It strengthens our bitachon, and it purifies our hearts. Wed, 23 Sep 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/6deb8ebe-401c-48b6-915f-42042be62afc.mp3 Rav Tzadok HaKohen wrote in his sefer, Tzidkat Hatzadik, just like a person has to have emunah in Hashem, he also has to have emunah in himself. Hashem gave every single one of us a נשמה טהורה , a pure soul, a piece of Himself that is eternal, and thus we have endless potential. The Chafetz Chaim once said about himself, he wanted to change the world for the better, but was unsuccessful. Then he tried to change his city, but again was unsuccessful. Then he tried to change his town, but once again was unsuccessful. Then he said he's just going to try to change himself, and with that he was successful. Eventually he changed the entire world. Every single Jew has improved due to the seforim of the Chafetz Chaim, including Mishnah Berura, Shemirat Halashon, Ahavat Chesed, and the list goes on. It is not only the Chafetz Chaim who has this ability. Every single person can affect the world, but he first has to work on himself. The Abudarham writes, if a person was successful in making teshuvah during the yamim noraim, Hashem considers it as if he is starting anew in the world. At this time, after Yom Kippur, we should all feel like a new creation, getting a clean slate. The Seder HaYom writes, the minhag is to say Birkat HaLevana after Yom Kippur, because it is then that we are similar to angels and are worthy of greeting the Shekhinah. Every person can become so great, and now especially when we are so pure, it is easier to bring out the greatness inside of us. We were all created for such lofty missions. There is so much more to life than just seeing how much money a person could amass. We have to aspire to be people with values, rising above the norm, to do what is right in the eyes of Hashem. Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman told a story which, besides being miraculous, shows the purity of a Jewish neshama. The rabbi said, two years ago, a man handed him a bag of thirty thousand dollars in cash, saying it was a donation to his yeshiva. The rabbi at that time was about to go to a wedding and didn't want to keep the money lying around, so he called the yeshiva's administrator and asked him if he could take it to the safe in the yeshiva. The administrator was at that same wedding. He came to pick up the bag and drove to the yeshiva. Then he felt that he didn't spend enough time at the wedding, so he went back and left the money in the car. When he walked back into the lobby, a man who was very close to the Ribnitzer Rebbe approached him and said he needed help. He explained that he had a special kiddush cup that belonged to the Ribnitzer that he had to give to someone as collateral, and if he didn't pay back thirty thousand dollars cash that night, he would lose the cup forever. The administrator was floored that he came to him asking him for that money. There was no way that he could have known that he had that exact amount on him. The man said he had just gone to the Ribnitzer's kever in Monsey and prayed for aw salvation. He felt after his tefilla, he should go to this wedding and look for someone there. While the Ribnitzer was alive, he was known to help people with miracles. On one occasion, a woman brought him her blind son for a beracha, and the rabbi said, "He sees." Miraculously, the blind boy began seeing. People who were medically unable to have children got a beracha from the Rebbe and miraculously had children. Anyway, the administrator asked Rabbi Wachsman what to do. They verified that the cup was indeed worth thirty thousand dollars, and so they made a contract with this man stating if he didn't pay back the money in a month, he would give the cup to the yeshiva. A month went by and he was unable to pay. They gave him another month and another month, but then he had to give up the cup. The cup has been in the yeshiva safe since. A few months ago, Rabbi Wachsman was at the home of a very wealthy man in another city, and the man was showing the rabbi his collection of various articles from different rebbes. The rabbi mentioned the kidush cup that he had from the Ribnitzer. The man said he would love to see it. The rabbi told him they were looking to give it to someone who would donate a large amount of money to their yeshiva. Last week, this man came to Monsey to go to the Ribnitzer's kever, and while he was there, he stopped by Rabbi Wachsman's house. While he was there, he asked to see the cup. When the rabbi got the cup, the man's eyes were popping out. Someone who is the collector of these things has a special love for them, especially when he sees something of this caliber. Then he told Rabbi Wachsman something amazing. He said he wanted to donate many times over the value of this cup to the yeshiva, and then he wanted the cup to go to the man who lost it, because he couldn't pay back his debt. The rabbi couldn't believe this man's care for another Jew, someone he didn't even know. Look at the purity of a Jewish neshama. We can all become so great. Let us start the new year off with high aspirations. Tue, 22 Sep 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/209066d5-0255-4390-90ed-aa785550a7d1.mp3 These days of Aseret Yemei Teshuvah are the greatest chesed from Hashem. Imagine a man is standing on trial and his life is on the line. Before the judge gives his final verdict, the man pleads, "Please give me a chance. Tell me what I could do to get off the hook." The judge tells him, "I won't give the final verdict for another week. During that time, if you come to me, admit what you did wrong, sincerely regret it, and tell me you won't do it again, then I'll let you off." What a chesed! His life is on the line, and the judge tells him exactly what to do to be forgiven. This is the incredible chesed that Hashem gives us during these days. He is telling us, "I want to let you off. I want to give you the greatest of everything. Just do teshuvah so I can forgive you." We have to answer the call and actually make teshuvah. The days are passing by quickly. We have to think about what we did wrong and go through the steps necessary to gain full atonement, which include admitting to Hashem what we did. We have to actually say, "I did this wrong." Amazingly, Hashem gives us a mitzvah for confessing our sins. Imagine the judge tells the defendant, "Come tell me what you did wrong so I can forgive you. And besides that, I'm going to give you a huge reward just for admitting it." Hashem not only gives us the ability to erase the damage we caused, He gives us a mitzvah for doing it as well. Rabbeinu Yonah speaks about the regret that we have to have as part of our teshuvah. We have to think about what we did. How could we have gone against the will of Hashem? Hashem warned us in the Torah about all the negative consequences of sin, yet we still allowed a temporary desire to overcome us. How could we exchange eternity for a fleeting pleasure? How could we damage the holy neshamah that Hashem gave us just to satisfy the yetzer hara for a few moments? The Navi tells us that even an animal knows who provides for it. Hashem gives us every breath we take, every heartbeat, every blessing. When we think about that, we can sincerely say, "Hashem, how could I have gone against You? You give me everything." And then we have to make a commitment for the future. We tell Hashem, "I don't want to do this anymore. I want to change." Hashem knows what's in our hearts. He knows our weaknesses, and He knows whether or not we're sincere. Teshuvah doesn't mean we can guarantee that we'll never face the challenge again. It means that right now we sincerely regret what we did, we genuinely don't want to do it again, and we accept upon ourselves, to the best of our ability, not to repeat it. We can't imagine what happens when a person sincerely does teshuvah. The Rambam writes that before teshuvah, a person can be so distant from Hashem, but afterward he is beloved and desired, close and dear. Chazal tell us that teshuvah can rip up a harsh decree. It can bring a refuah shelemah. It can lengthen a person's life. And during these days, the opportunity is even greater. The Rambam tells us that although teshuvah and crying out to Hashem are always good, during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah they are especially effective and are accepted immediately. Imagine someone had a stain on a very expensive garment that normally needed an enormous process to remove. Then, for just a few days, the manufacturer announced that anyone could bring in his stained garment and they would clean it for him on the spot. No one would say, "Well, let me see if I get around to it." He would run there while the opportunity was available. That is the opportunity we have now during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. We all know that sometimes when a person experiences pain or difficulty, it's a kapparah. Kapparah means that the suffering is helping to atone for our sins. But we would rather not have the sin and not need the kapparah. Teshuvah removes the sins and cleanses us from them. And our Rabbis teach us about the unbelievable power that Torah study has to help bring the full atonement that we need. Torah study can atone for the most serious sins. Aveirot that even korbanot cannot completely atone for can be atoned for through Torah study. Hashem tells us that the words of Torah that come out of our mouths are more precious to Him than all the korbanot that can be offered. And the Midrash tells us that even sins that carry the punishment of death at the hands of Heaven can be atoned for through increased Torah study. What an opportunity! A person can say, "Hashem, I want to come closer to You. I want to become cleansed. I'm going to add more Torah study to my life." Now is the time. We want to be pure. We want to be close to Hashem. We have an opportunity of a lifetime. The days of Aseret Yemei Teshuvah are passing by quickly. Let us take advantage of them, do teshuvah, strengthen our Torah study, and come back to Hashem. And in that zechut, may Hashem cleanse us and inscribe and seal us for a year filled with life, berachah, and hatzlacha. Fri, 18 Sep 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/668b017e-8513-4801-a71c-bfd8c92c5b73.mp3 On Rosh Hashanah, we crowned Hashem the King. We understood that Hashem runs the world. He is in charge of everything that takes place. We are nothing and Hashem is everything. And we are so proud and happy to be the children of the King in His kingdom. But now, we have to act on that knowledge. We have to live with the understanding that Hashem is the King. That means recognizing that everything that happens to us, every second of the day, is coming from the King. And He is not only Malkeinu, He is Avinu. He is our King, Who is our Father, Who loves us more than we can imagine. When we react to the circumstances of life with that understanding, our avodah becomes so great. A man told me that before Rosh Hashanah, he traveled to Israel for just a couple of days to get a spiritual uplift. He went to get berachot from rabbis and go to the Kotel. He told me he went to visit the King before the great day of Yom HaDin. But as soon as he arrived, his phone stopped working. He had so many calls he needed to make and so many people he needed to contact. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't get the phone to work, and he became very frustrated. Then suddenly he caught himself. He thought, I came here to visit the King, and I forgot Who the King is. Hashem is the One Who decided that my phone shouldn't work right now. Why am I getting so frustrated? I'm in the King's world and He's running the show. And the King is my loving Father. If this is what He wants right now, then I know it's best for me. That thought completely changed his perspective. He totally calmed down. Those thoughts were so beautiful. A relative of mine has a valuable watch that needed to be repaired. She brought it to a jeweler, and he suggested that she go to a small repair shop next door where it would be much cheaper. She went in, and the repairman began taking the watch apart. Before she knew what was happening, pieces of her expensive watch were all over the counter. Then the man said to her, "Sorry, it's broken." She couldn't believe it. "So put it back together," she said. He replied that he wasn't sure he could. She got so upset. Eventually, he told her, "Come back in a couple of hours and I'll see what I can do." She went home distraught. But then she stopped herself and remembered Who was really in charge. She said, "Hashem, You're the King. If You want my watch, I'm happy to give it to You. If You want my watch to be broken, then I accept it with love, because whatever You want for me, I know is best." Immediately, she felt so much better. In the end, she went back to the store, and although she didn't understand how, the man managed to put the entire watch back together and actually fixed it. But the emunah that she displayed during those few hours was worth far more than that watch. Another man told me that this past summer he was teaching children a woodworking class when, lo aleinu, his hand got caught in one of the machines. Two of his fingers were being crushed. Baruch Hashem, he managed to pull his hand out, but it was badly injured and dripping with blood. He told me that after fifteen years of learning emunah every day, even he couldn't believe how calm he was. He simply went over, got a towel and covered his hand. He felt like he was completely in the hands of Hashem. His feeling was, Hashem, if this is what You want for me, then I accept it with love. The people there watching couldn't believe their eyes. Here was a man who had just suffered a terrible injury, yet he was completely calm because he knew Who was running the world. Baruch Hashem, he was able to get treated by a top plastic surgeon, and now, a few months later, his fingers are almost completely back to normal. The emunah he displayed at that time was truly inspiring. A woman who has been in shidduchim for many years related that her young niece had just started shidduchim and remarked to her how difficult shidduchim were. The woman thought to herself, What do you know about difficult? You just started. I've been waiting for so many years. It was painful for her to hear those words. Then, just a few months later, that niece became engaged. Naturally, that could have been extremely difficult for her, but she had been working on her emunah, and she told herself, This is the ratzon of the King. If Hashem wants her to be engaged right now and He wants me to still be waiting, why shouldn't I be happy for her? I'm happy with the life that Hashem wants me to have, and I'm happy with the life that Hashem wants her to have. She went to the engagement party and was genuinely happy for her niece. She overcame the natural feelings of jealousy and hurt and instead displayed the most beautiful emunah, understanding that her Father, the King, runs the world. It's not enough just to say on Rosh Hashanah that Hashem is the King. We have to live every day of our lives with the recognition that He's the King. When something doesn't go the way we wanted, when someone else gets something we're waiting for, or whenever anything difficult happens, we must remind ourselves: The King is running the world. And the King is Avinu Malkeinu, our loving Father, Who knows exactly what we need. Of course, the same is true when we receive blessings and have happy times. We thank the King Who is in charge of all of that as well. Our avodah is to live every day with the knowledge that Hashem is the King. This is how we truly crown Hashem King—not only on Rosh Hashanah, but every day of our lives. Thu, 17 Sep 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/faed7825-8b52-49b6-8d02-290184c38e4b.mp3 We are now in the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. The Rambam writes that during these days, a person should view himself as a benoni whose judgment is still pending. If he does teshuvah, he will be inscribed for life. That means that the order of the day right now is teshuvah. Every person must think about what he did wrong and try to correct it. The Rambam tells us that teshuvah is easily accepted during these days. Hashem is giving us such a great opportunity. He wants us to succeed, but we have to do our part. We must think about what we did wrong. We have to admit it, feel sincere regret, and then accept upon ourselves not to continue doing it. And when it comes to things that we did wrong to other people, even if we ask Hashem for forgiveness, Yom Kippur will not bring atonement until we ask them for forgiveness. This can be very difficult, but we must build up the strength to apologize to the people we hurt. And an apology must be sincere. If someone goes over to the person he hurt and spends the whole time explaining why he did what he did, giving a hundred reasons why he was justified, it's going to be very difficult for the other person to accept that apology. We have to be able to say, "I was wrong. I feel terrible about what I did. It's bothering me so much that I hurt you, and I'm sincerely asking you to please forgive me." The Chafetz Chaim writes about how important it is not to let the opportunity of Yom Kippur pass us by. We need Yom Kippur to complete our atonement, and that will only happen if we do our part beforehand. And when someone asks us sincerely for forgiveness, we have an avodah as well. We're not supposed to make it difficult for them. We should say, "I forgive you," and really mean it. Sometimes that can be very hard. The person may have truly hurt us, but we can tell ourselves, This is what Hashem wants from me. Hashem wants peace, and with emunah, we know that the person who hurt us was only a messenger, and whatever happened was from Hashem for our best. And if it's still very difficult to forgive, we should realize that we have an opportunity for tremendous mesirut nefesh. We can overcome our nature and put aside our feelings because that is what Hashem wants from us. And when a person is wronged and is able to overlook it, it's an extraordinary et ratzon. We've heard so many stories over the years of people who overcame themselves at such moments and saw great yeshuot. If someone finds himself in a difficult situation and manages to sincerely forgive, he should take advantage of that moment and pray to Hashem for the yeshuah that he needs. There was a wonderful bachur who we'll call Yehuda from Williamsburg, who had so much going for him. He was smart and diligent, had excellent middot, and was very good-looking. But as a young child, he was in a serious car accident. Baruch Hashem, he completely recovered, except that he was left with a noticeable limp. When he reached the age of shidduchim, that limp became a much bigger obstacle than the family anticipated. All of his friends were getting engaged, while very few suggestions were coming his way. His mother maintained her emunah and refused to compromise on the things that really mattered. One day, she decided perhaps she should send a picture of her son to the community shadchanim. If they saw what a good-looking bachur he was, perhaps they would be more willing to overlook his limp. That morning after Shacharit, Yehuda was walking toward the kitchenette in the Bet Midrash when an older man came toward him carrying two hot drinks. Someone rushed past and bumped into the older man, causing one of his drinks to spill. The person who actually caused it kept walking, but the older man mistakenly blamed Yehuda. He began shouting at him publicly, accusing him of not looking where he was going. Then, while angrily waving his hands, the second cup, filled with hot tea, spilled directly onto Yehuda's face. Yehuda had every right to defend himself. He had done absolutely nothing wrong. But just then, someone whispered to him, "Don't answer. This is your opportunity. Pray to Hashem now for a shidduch." Yehuda held himself back and didn't say a word. With his face burning and warm tears coming down his cheeks, he turned to Hashem and prayed for a shidduch. That day, his mother couldn't take the picture because his face was red from the burn. Her plan of hishtadlut had seemingly been ruined. But two weeks later, without any picture being sent, Yehuda was engaged. We don't know the calculations of Hashem, but we know how precious it is when a person is wronged and overcomes his natural reaction for the sake of Hashem. During these Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, we may have that opportunity on either side. Perhaps we need to go over to someone and sincerely say, "I'm sorry," which can be very difficult. Or perhaps someone needs our forgiveness, and it's very difficult for us to give it to him. Both require us to overcome ourselves. But these are the opportunities Hashem is giving us right now. We should take advantage of them, make peace with each other, and pray that in that zechut, Hashem should have mercy upon us and inscribe us for a year of life, berachot, and yeshuot. Wed, 16 Sep 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/9604f75c-3b5b-443c-ac9f-957ac8bc270a.mp3 One of the reasons we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to, so to speak, remind Hashem of Akedat Yitzchak and the great mesirut nefesh of Avraham Avinu. And in that zechut, Hashem has extra mercy upon us. One of the ways in which we can bring more of Hashem's mercy upon us now is through mesirut nefesh. But what exactly does it mean to show self-sacrifice? Rabbeinu Bachya describes how unfathomable the test of Avraham Avinu was. He waited one hundred years to finally have the child he had been waiting for, and it came about through the greatest miracle. Avraham loved Yitzchak so much. He taught him all of his Torah, and with every passing year, his love for him grew even more. Avraham knew Yitzchak was going to be his future and was going to continue the job that he had started. And then, when Yitzchak was thirty-seven years old, at the prime of his life, when everything Avraham had worked for was right there in front of him, Hashem told Avraham to bring his son as a korban. At that moment, Avraham had to overcome his natural will and desire, put it aside, and focus on one thing: What is Hashem's will? What does Hashem want? Avraham understood that our main purpose in this world is to do the will of Hashem. And therefore, as difficult as it was, he was prepared to put aside everything he had worked for. He said, "Hashem, I want to do what You want." That is mesirut nefesh—putting aside our will and focusing on what Hashem's will is. This year, we had an opportunity to do that ourselves on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The Gemara tells us how powerful the blowing of the shofar is, how it causes Hashem to go from the Kisei HaDin and sit upon the Kisei HaRachamim. We need the shofar so much. We want every possible zechut to bring us a happy and blessed year. Yet this year, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, which was Shabbat, because of a rabbinical decree, we did not blow the shofar. We were saying, "Hashem, it's not about what we want. We don't want Your Torah to possibly be violated by someone carrying a shofar on Shabbat. Even though we would love to have the great zechut of shofar, Your will is more important to us than our will." We put aside what we wanted for what Hashem wanted. That is mesirut nefesh, and that mesirut nefesh, be'ezrat Hashem, brought about an outpouring of love and mercy from Hashem. Now, during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, part of our avodah has to be having more mesirut nefesh in our own lives. There are so many times when doing what Hashem wants conflicts with what we want. Maybe we want to say something, but we know Hashem doesn't want us to say it. Maybe we want to do something, but we know Hashem doesn't want us to do it. At that moment, we can ask ourselves the same question: What is the will of Hashem? And if we put aside our will for Hashem's will, then we are practicing mesirut nefesh. There is another area in which this can be very difficult. There are people who are not happy with the way their lives are going. Maybe they did not get what they wanted so badly. Maybe they have been waiting such a long time for something that's so important to them. Here, there is a great opportunity to say, "Hashem, my will is to live the life that You want me to live. As long as my life is meant to be like this, without having what I want right now, I'm going to be happy to live it. I'm going to continue serving You with happiness. I'm going to continue growing and doing everything I can in avodat Hashem, because what matters to me most is what You want from me." That is tremendous mesirut nefesh—living the life Hashem wants us to live, even though it may not necessarily be the life that we want for ourselves at this moment. To continue on strong, to serve Hashem with happiness and joy, and to continue committing ourselves to growing stronger and stronger. And with Hashem's help, if we focus on the will of Hashem and what He wants from us, it will arouse an abundance of mercy from Hashem upon us. Tue, 15 Sep 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/a1eb6c8b-aa3c-4c14-91d4-87e681f1923c.mp3 Today is Tzom Gedaliah, which comes right after Rosh Hashanah during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. We fast because Gedaliah ben Achikam, the leader of the small group of Jewish people who remained in Eretz Yisrael after the Churban HaBayit, was murdered. The Gemara tells us regarding this, שְׁקוּלָה מִיתָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים כִּשְׂרֵפַת בֵּית אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the death of tzaddikim is comparable to the burning of the Bet HaMikdash. But we may ask, there have been many great tzaddikim who passed away throughout the generations whom we don't fast for. What was so significant about the death of Gedaliah that we fast over it until today? In fact, at that time, the Bet HaMikdash had already been destroyed. Yerushalayim had already been devastated. Most of the Jewish people had already gone into galut. What was left? Just a small remnant of Jewish people living in Eretz Yisrael under Gedaliah. But perhaps that's the very point. That small remnant had so much potential. There was still Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael. There were still fields to plant and homes to build. Hashem could have produced an entire future just from what remained. But then Gedaliah was murdered. The people became afraid and eventually fled. There is a great lesson here for us. Sometimes a person looks at his life and thinks about what he doesn't have. Maybe things did not turn out the way he hoped. Maybe he lost an opportunity. Maybe years have gone by and he didn't accomplish what he should have. He looks at what's left and thinks, What could I possibly do with this? Tzom Gedaliah teaches us: Never underestimate what's left. Hashem can build an entire future from what looks to us like very little. Imagine a man who once had a successful business that eventually began to fail. He lost his customers, went into debt, and with no choice he had to close. He was devastated. He felt that everything he had built was gone. But sometime later, an old contact called him looking for help locating a certain product. The man knew the industry very well and was able to make the right connection. That led to another call and then another, and eventually he began working as a consultant and broker. Using all the knowledge and contacts he had gained over the years, he ended up making a much better parnassah without all the overhead and pressures of his previous business. What he thought was just what remained from his old business was exactly what Hashem used to build his future. This is a very important message now during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. We just stood before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah and thought about all the areas in our lives that we need to improve. We may have chalishut hada'at . We may think, Look how many years have gone by. Look at all the opportunities I've missed. What do I have left? But Hashem doesn't want us to be discouraged. He wants us to be encouraged. As long as He gives us another day, there is tremendous potential just in that day. Maybe someone hasn't learned as much Torah as he should have, but he can start right now, today. Maybe a person hasn't been praying the way he should, but he can start right now with today's tefillah, especially now when tefillah is so powerful. Maybe there's a relationship that a person needs to improve or a middah that he's been struggling with. Today he can take a step. We have no idea what Hashem can build from that one step. This is one lesson we can learn from Tzom Gedaliah. After so much had been lost, what remained still had so much value. The same is true in our lives. We should never say, "It's too late," or, "There's not enough left." We have today. Hashem has given us so much potential. Our job is to use what we have right now and trust that Hashem can build an entire future from it. Mon, 14 Sep 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/1201.mp3 When we wake up in the morning, we are supposed to say modeh ani lefanecha and thank Hashem for giving us another day of life. We are to recognize what an opportunity we have to spend another day living life and perform mitvot . From the moment we get up, we have so many golden opportunities for mitvot , washing our hands properly, putting on tzitzit , saying birkot hashachar , and so on. We have endless opportunities to amass spiritual fortunes every single day. And it is with that attitude that we are supposed to get up excited to serve our Creator. A man I know, who we'll call Joe, told me he has a picture hanging on his wall that he looks at every morning when he gets up before he says modeh ani , and that picture gives him an extra special feeling of hakarat hatov to Hashem for the life that Hashem gives him. That appreciation extends to every moment of his day, and he lives life with enthusiasm and joy, happy to be alive and serving Hashem. His story begins on February 26, 1993. Joe worked for the Port Authority and his office was on the 88 floor on the North Tower in the World Trade Center. He was called down to a cafeteria on the lower level to deliver an envelope to his boss that day. Moments after he left, a bomb exploded on the B2 level of that building, killing 6 people and injuring over 1000. His boss, who he just delivered the letter to, was one of the casualties. Joe's entire body was filled with soot and he inhaled a lot of smoke, but baruch Hashem he was eventually evacuated, being led to an exit on the B1 level of the building. About 8 years later on September 11, 2001, Joe was in his office on the 88 floor of the North Tower when the first plane hit just five floors above him. After the initial shock, people began evacuating using the staircase as the elevators were out of commission. Joe was with another man there who was in his 90's. He told the man not to worry, he was going to stay with him. They went to the stairwell and saw that it was mobbed with people. Joe told the older man they would go back to his office and wait until the crowd dissipated and then make their way down. About 15 minutes later, they went back there and this time the stairs were clear. It took Joe and this older man about an hour and fifteen minutes to make their way down all those 88 flights. When they got to floor #20, a loud noise was heard and the lights went out. That must have been when the South Tower fell. When they finally got down to the bottom, firemen were telling them they couldn't exit from there. They went back up a few flights and they couldn't exit there either. They went back down again, finally, they made their way to the B1 level. The last time Joe was there was when he was evacuated in 1993. From that experience, he knew exactly where to go this time. They found an exit which led them out to a place which protected them from falling debris. Just a few minutes after they exited the building and took cover behind a larger building, the North Tower collapsed. Joe couldn't believe his eyes, watching as the horror unfolded. His life was spared a second time. He couldn't contact his wife and family but when he finally arrived home that evening to his house in New Jersey, there was a sigh of relief and celebration surrounding him. Unfortunately, he found out afterward that 16 of his coworkers did not make it out in time. He looked back at the tragedy in 1993 and said, Hashem was showing me the exit then that I needed to save my life now . A few days later, he hung up a picture of him and those 16 coworkers on his bedroom wall. When he wakes up in the morning, he looks at the picture and thanks Hashem for giving him another day of life. He has a reminder of how precious life is, but if we put a little thought into it, we could also have those same feelings of gratitude to Hashem every day and be excited and enthusiastic about getting another opportunity to live and do mitzvot and learn Torah and be the best we're capable of being. Fri, 11 Sep 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/a59912a6-df0e-4185-855d-0145e1b0e7d6.mp3 The Gemara in Masechet Rosh Hashanah, on the pasuk וּמִי גוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֱלֹקִים קְרֹבִים אֵלָיו , describes how fortunate the Jewish people are. Normally, when a person knows he's about to stand trial, he dresses in black, leaves his beard untrimmed and anxiously awaits the outcome. But the Jewish people are different. We prepare for Rosh Hashanah by putting on niceclothing, eating and drinking, confident that Hashem will give us a favorable judgment. What an incredible chesed. Hashem wants us to enter the awesome Day of Judgment happy and confident that He is going to give us the most wonderful year. Yet the Gemara elsewhere in Rosh Hashanah seems to say the opposite. The angels in Shamayim asked Hashem why we don't say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. Hashem responded, "Is it possible that the King is sitting on the throne of judgment, with the books of life and death open before Him, and Yisrael should sing Hallel?" If we are so confident of a favorable judgment, why shouldn't we sing Hallel? There are many answers to this question. The Taz explains that although we are confident that Hashem will judge us favorably, there still has to be a feeling of awe and seriousness. We don't say Hallel because we understand what's taking place. Our lives are being judged. Our entire year is being determined. It's a very serious time. And it is precisely because we take the judgment seriously that we are able to be confident and celebrate. Rosh Hashanah itself is one of the greatest gifts that Hashem has given us. Imagine if there were never a time when we were forced to stop and think about what we're doing with our lives. We could continue year after year, allowing our sins to pile up, never asking ourselves where we're going or whether we're fulfilling the purpose for which Hashem put us here. Hashem gives us Rosh Hashanah to make us stop and think: There's a purpose to my life. Am I living the way Hashem wants me to live? Am I becoming the person I'm capable of becoming? Hashem loves us so much. He placed this Day of Judgment in the midst of the most favorable time of the entire year. Moshe Rabbeinu went up to Har Sinai for the second time on Rosh Chodesh Elul, and forty days later, on Yom Kippur, Hashem forgave the Jewish people for the Chet HaEgel. These are days filled with Hashem's mercy and closeness. The Judge is telling us, so to speak, "I love you. Come close to Me. I want to give you everything that is good." Our Judge is our loving Father. He wants to give us life. He wants to give us berachah. He wants to give us opportunities to grow. But He also wants us to understand what we're doing here. Life is not just about getting through another year. We were given a holy neshamah from under the Kisei HaKavod with a very specific mission. We were given tremendous potential, and Hashem wants us to use it. Imagine a father who gives his son a business to run. He gives him the building, the employees, the inventory and all the money he needs. His greatest desire is for his son to succeed. At the end of every year, he schedules a meeting with his son to go over the business. He examines what's going well, what's going wrong and what needs to change for the upcoming year. The son may dread that meeting, but if he understands his father's point of view, he will see it completely differently. My father isn't looking for a reason to take away my business. He gave me the business because he wants me to succeed. The meeting is what keeps me focused. It gives me the opportunity to correct my mistakes and become the person my father knows I can be. There's just one thing the son has to do. He has to take that meeting seriously. If he walks in laughing about his mistakes and shows no interest in improving, he has missed the entire point. But if he comes in sincerely saying, "I understand what you have given me. I know I can do better. Here's what I want to do to improve," then the father says, "You got the message. Now I can give you everything you need for another successful year." This is how we should view Rosh Hashanah. We recognize the enormous seriousness of the day. We think about our lives, what needs improvement and what Hashem expects from us. And we tell Him, "I want to do better. I know I can do better. I want to fulfill the potential You gave me." And then we can celebrate. We put on beautiful clothing. We eat lavish meals. We come into the day with confidence and joy because we know Who our Judge is. He's our loving Father. He gave us this day because He wants us to succeed. Once we understand the seriousness of life and show Hashem that we want to fulfill our purpose, we can look forward with confidence that Hashem will inscribe us for a year filled with life, berachah and all that is good. Amen. Thu, 10 Sep 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/517f4002-fcf1-4fce-9c4d-12af27807c82.mp3 On Rosh Hashanah we begin saying, זָכְרֵנוּ לְחַיִּים מֶלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים — "Remember us for life, O King Who desires life." It is told that Rav Yisrael Salanter would spend a long time concentrating on those words because he wanted to ingrain within himself the recognition that his entire life was dependent upon Hashem. Every moment that he lived and every breath that he took was only because Hashem was giving him life. This is an important part of our avodah on Rosh Hashanah—to recognize how completely dependent we are upon Hashem and how much we need Him for everything. David HaMelech concluded Tehillim with the words, כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל קהּ , and Chazal explain, עַל כָּל נְשִׁימָה וּנְשִׁימָה שֶׁאָדָם נוֹשֵׁם צָרִיךְ לְקַלֵּס לַבּוֹרֵא — "For every single breath that a person takes, he must praise Hashem." Every breath is another revelation of Hashem giving us life. A person who understands this can live with Hashem every second of the day. It is told that when the Chafetz Chaim would get up to get a sefer from the bookshelf, he would first say, "Be'ezrat Hashem, I'm going to get a sefer from the bookshelf." He understood that even to walk across the room to get a sefer requires Hashem's help. We need Hashem for everything. This understanding could explain something very interesting about the way we thank Hashem. Our Rabbis tell us that when we thank Hashem, we should continue asking Him for more. Leah Imeinu, after having her fourth child, Yehudah, said, הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה׳ — "This time I will thank Hashem." She felt that she had received more than her share and stopped asking. The pasuk then says, וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת — "She stopped giving birth." Rachel, on the other hand, after giving birth to Yosef, immediately prayed, יֹסֵף ה׳ לִי בֵּן אַחֵר — "Please, Hashem, give me another son," and then she had Binyamin. At first glance, this is difficult to understand. When a human being does us a favor, the proper thing is to say thank you sincerely. If immediately after saying thank you we ask him for something else, the thank you may not appear sincere. It can sound as though we're only thanking him because we want to get more out of him. So why, when it comes to Hashem, do we ask for more immediately after thanking Him? The difference is that when we thank another person, we specifically do not want to convey the message that we are dependent upon him. We know he has no power on his own to give us anything in the future. Hashem can take away his ability to help us at any moment. We're just thanking him for what he already did for us. He gave us something, of course as a messenger of Hashem, and we thank him for that. But we hope we will never need him to help us in the future. With Hashem, however, it's exactly the opposite. When we thank Hashem, part of the thank you is recognizing that we are completely dependent upon Him. How could we just say thank You for what He did in the past while He is continuing to give to us at this very moment? While we're thanking Him for one chesed, He's giving us countless others. He's giving us our eyesight, our heart, our brain, our hands and our feet, and He's giving us the very breath with which we're saying thank You. Therefore, hoda'ah to Hashem means much more than just saying, "Thank You for what You gave me." It means saying, "Hashem, I recognize that everything I have comes from You. Everything I had until now was from You. Everything I have at this moment is from You. And everything I will have in the next moment will also come from You." And that's exactly why, after thanking Hashem, we ask Him for more. The asking is part of the thank you. It shows that we truly recognize Who Hashem is and how completely dependent we are upon Him. We're saying, "Hashem, thank You for the breath You just gave me, and please give me another breath. Thank You for sustaining me until now, and please continue sustaining me. I can't do anything on my own." If we were to thank Hashem and then feel that we're good on our own, the recognition would be incomplete. True hoda'ah means understanding that Hashem's chesed is not just something that happened in the past. It's taking place every single second. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, this is a recognition we need to strengthen. Hashem, my life is in Your hands. I need You for everything. I need You to breathe. I need You for my parnassah. I need You for my family and for my success. I need You for everything. And when we live with that recognition, we live with Hashem every second of the day. Every breath is another reason to thank Him, every need is another reason to turn to Him, and every moment becomes another opportunity to happily serve the One Who is constantly giving us everything we have. Wed, 09 Sep 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/dea60f04-bfba-4e46-9a87-adfdc10b2b47.mp3 On Rosh Hashanah, one of our main jobs is to be mamlich Hashem, to crown Hashem as our King. Part of that avodah is to feel happy that we are in Hashem's kingdom. Nechemiah told the Jewish people on Rosh Hashanah, "כִּי חֶדְוַת ה׳ הִיא מָעֻזְּכֶם — the joy of Hashem is your strength." What a zechut it is to be able to serve Hashem. How fortunate we are to be His children. How fortunate we are that He is our King. Hashem gives us so many blessings, but very often we focus specifically on the one thing we don't have. Someone is waiting for a shidduch. Someone is waiting for a baby. Someone is struggling with parnassah. When we focus on what's missing, a person may begin to feel, "Hashem, why aren't You giving this to me already? Everyone else seems to have it." And those feelings could take away from the joy the person is supposed to have in his heart in being part of Hashem's kingdom. Part of our avodah is to know that if we don't have something right now, then right now, not having it is the absolute best thing for us. That may be extremely difficult to understand, but if we knew exactly what our purpose was in this world, we would say, "Hashem, thank You even for this chesed. I hope that tomorrow it will be best for me to receive what I'm asking for. But right now, if You didn't give it to me yet, I know there was nothing better for me." We never want to doubt Hashem's chesed because of the way things appear to us. One day, Hashem is going to reveal Himself and show us how every single thing that took place in our lives was the best possible thing for us. Everything that seemed impossible to understand will become so clear. We'll look back and say, "I can't believe I thought that way. I thought this was so bad, and now I see how good it really was." Right now, in this world, we just don't have all the information. Someone shared with me a story that he read which illustrates this beautifully. It was a quiet Sunday morning on a New York subway. The passengers were reading, resting, and enjoying a few peaceful moments. At one stop, a man got onto the train with his children, and within seconds, the atmosphere completely changed. The children were loud and unruly. They ran through the train, shouting at one another, disturbing the passengers, and even grabbing people's newspapers. Their father just sat down, closed his eyes, and seemed completely unaware of what was happening. As the frustration on the train grew, one passenger finally leaned over and said to him, "Sir, your children are disturbing everyone. Please, what are you going to do about your children?" The man slowly opened his eyes and said, "You're right. What am I going to do about my children? We just came from the hospital. Their mother passed away an hour ago. I don't know what I'm going to do about my children." In that one instant, nothing changed, but everything changed. The children were still making noise. The father was still sitting there silently. But nobody on that subway saw an irresponsible father anymore. They saw a grieving husband and children whose world had just fallen apart. All they received was one piece of information, and suddenly the exact same scene looked completely different. That is how it's going to be when Hashem turns on the lights. We will be given the information we're missing now, and suddenly everything will look different. We'll say, "Hashem, now I understand. You were righteous the entire time. You were doing chesed with me the entire time. I just couldn't see it." Our job is to know this truth even before Hashem turns on the lights. We can be happy with what He gives us and trust Him also with happiness when He doesn't give us, knowing that everything He does is for our good. We are supposed to feel a genuine joy to be part of Hashem's kingdom. Our King loves us. He knows exactly what we need. He is always doing what is absolutely best for us. When we truly believe that, we will feel so fortunate and happy to be in Hashem's kingdom, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. Tue, 08 Sep 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/95ef33b6-bc53-489c-8bd6-d0cc13edff04.mp3 Chazal tell us that the world was created for the mitzvah of Bikkurim. This is an astonishing Midrash. We know that a person comes into this world with a mission to serve Hashem in the circumstances that he is given, and through that he earns the ability to enjoy the delights of the World to Come for all eternity. How can Chazal say the world was created for the mitzvah of Bikkurim? Perhaps the answer is that Bikkurim teaches us how Hashem wants us to fulfill our mission. Imagine someone hiring a worker who comes to work every day with a sour face. He does whatever he has to do, but he can't wait to leave. The employer doesn't want to ask him to do anything because he feels like he's burdening him. And what about a worker who comes enthusiastically, but all he cares about is himself and how much he can get out of the company? He's also not the ideal worker. The best worker is someone who loves the company and loves the boss. He comes in excited, wanting to contribute and wanting to do more. That's how Hashem wants us to serve Him. He wants us to be excited to do the mitzvot. But how do we reach a level where we truly feel excited to serve Hashem, rather than feeling that His mitzvot are a burden? One of the greatest motivations is recognizing how much Hashem has already done for us. When someone gives and keeps giving, we naturally want to reciprocate. If we understood how much Hashem gives us every second of the day, we would be running to serve Him. The problem is that we don't fully recognize what we have been given and what we continue to be given. The Chovot HaLevavot gives a mashal to explain. Imagine, lo aleinu, parents pass away leaving behind two children, a baby and a sixteen-year-old. A nice family takes both children into their home, supports them, pays for everything they need and eventually marries them off. Which child should have more hakarat hatov? Obviously, the baby. That child was supported for nearly twenty years, while the other child was supported for only a few. But most likely, it is the sixteen-year-old who will feel much more gratitude. She understood what was happening when she entered that home. She knew what it meant to have nowhere to go and then to have a family open their home to her. The baby, however, grew up receiving everything from the beginning. By the time she was old enough to understand, everything already felt natural. The same is true of us in this world. We came into the world receiving from the first moment of our lives. Hashem has been giving and giving—our health, our eyesight, our ability to think, to eat, to walk and to enjoy everything in this world. We have been given these gifts for so long that they feel natural to us. And in the natural way of the world, unfortunately, these gifts often aren't appreciated until, lo aleinu, one of them is taken away. But Bikkurim comes to correct that. It teaches us to appreciate while we have. The landowner who works so hard in his field, plowing and planting, finally sees beautiful fruits growing. It would be so easy for him to say, "Look what I did." But the Torah tells him to take those fruits, bring them to the Bet HaMikdash and declare, "They came from the land, Hashem, that You gave me. These are the fruits that You gave me. Everything I have, You gave me." And that recognition changes the way we serve Hashem. Someone once did me a favor that saved me over three hours of time. Later, he said to me, "I know you're busy, but my children could use some chizuk. Could you please give them fifteen minutes?" My immediate thought was, Of course. You just saved me more than three hours. How could I not give you fifteen minutes? That's the way we're supposed to look at avodat Hashem. Hashem gives us twenty-four hours of life every single day. Then He asks us to use some of that time to pray and learn. How could we feel that we're giving up our time? How could a person say, "I'm so busy with my business or with my family"? Doesn't he know that his entire business was given to him by Hashem? His family was given to him by Hashem. And the same Hashem wants him to dedicate some of his time to learning and praying. Hashem gives a person every dollar he has and then asks him to give some of it to tzedakah. When we understand that, we don't feel the burden of giving tzedakah. We feel that we're being given an opportunity to express some of our hakarat hatov. Perhaps this is why Chazal say the world was created for Bikkurim. Bikkurim teaches us the attitude we're supposed to have in serving Hashem our entire lives: recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Him and then serving Him with that hakarat hatov. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, this is so important to keep in mind. We are living in a world in which Hashem is constantly giving to us. Everything we do for Him is just a drop in the bucket compared to everything He does for us. When we truly recognize that, serving Hashem takes on a different feeling. We can wake up in the morning excited to pray, excited to learn, excited to give and excited to improve. Every extra effort becomes another opportunity to say, "Hashem, I know how much You give me. I want to show You how much hakarat hatov I have." Mon, 07 Sep 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/c7a42104-4660-4e1d-96fc-ad19afc7898f.mp3 The Ma'amar Mordechai writes at the beginning of Parashat Nitzavim that we always read Nitzavim before Rosh Hashanah to teach us that at this time of year, we are supposed to be praying on behalf of our friends every single day. The Perach Shoshan explains a beautiful hint in the words Atem Nitzavim Hayom . The word Nitzavim means standing, and Chazal tell us that standing is a reference to tefillah. Atem Nitzavim Hayom —we're all standing together in tefillah at this special time before Rosh Hashanah. Then he quotes the Be'er Heitev, who brings down in halachah that during this month, when a person writes a letter to his friend, he should bless him that he should be inscribed and sealed for a good year. Thus, we should be praying for our friends as well. At this time, we are supposed to be giving out blessings to others, wishing good things upon them and praying that they receive them. This is a time when we need extra love and unity. We are all going to come together to proclaim Hashem the Melech, and we should do it together as one. The Baal HaTurim writes on the words Atem Nitzavim that just as the Jewish People stood together in unity at Har Sinai, so too they stood together then, and so too must we stand together now. We should be thinking about each other, caring about each other and praying on behalf of each other. And there is a great zechut when we do that. A man told me that last year, he and his friend were working together in the same company. Things there were getting worse and worse until eventually they weren't making any money. They finally decided together that they were going to leave. They had no idea where they were going to go or what they would do next, but they decided they were going to learn Shaar HaBitachon together every single day. They learned as chavrutot and grew together in bitachon and emunah. They also made up that each one would pray for the other to find a good job. After some time, someone reached out to one of the men with a job opportunity. He went for an interview and liked what he heard. While they were still going back and forth, he heard about a second opportunity. He looked into that one as well and felt it would be much better for him. The first company told him there was no urgency, and if he wanted to pursue the other opportunity, it wouldn't be a problem. He should just let them know. In the end, he was hired by the second company. That very same day, the first company called him and asked what he had decided. He told them he had just accepted another position, but then he added, "I have a friend who is also looking for a job." That friend immediately went down for an interview, and they hired him on the spot. The two friends who had left their jobs together, learned Shaar HaBitachon together and prayed for each other every single day were both hired exactly three months after leaving their previous jobs—and they were both hired on the exact same day. This is a beautiful example of what Atem Nitzavim could look like in our own lives. Two people growing together, strengthening each other and each one sincerely praying for the other's success. And then Hashem looked down upon them and answered both of their tefillot together. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we all have so much that we need and so much that we're praying for. But we should also utilize this special time to think about what others need. We should pray for our friends, bless them and genuinely want Hashem to give them everything they need. When Hashem sees all of His children standing together with love and unity, each one wanting the best for the other, that is a great zechut. May we all wish good upon each other and pray for each other, and in that zechut, may Hashem bless everyone with a wonderful and beautiful new year. Shabbat Shalom Fri, 04 Sep 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/e8d545a0-bf0b-44d2-8029-5a308dcc9b7a.mp3 The more a person learns about emunah and bitachon, the more strength and courage he will have to live life the way Hashem wants him to live it. Learning emunah is learning about Who Hashem is, how He runs the world, and what He expects from us. When we know that Hashem is the One providing our parnassah, and that our hishtadlut is just the means through which He sends it, we're able to make decisions with a confidence that otherwise we may not have had. A man related that his wife works as a substitute preschool teacher for a group of preschools in another neighborhood. Almost every day, the principal tells her where she needs to be the following morning. One of the biggest difficulties is traveling. It takes her at least twenty minutes to get to work, which means she has to leave early and miss the crucial hour of getting their own children off to school. Every morning requires new arrangements, and as their family grew, the situation became very difficult. For years, they just accepted it. They felt this was their hishtadlut for parnassah and part of the difficulties that come along with earning a living. Eventually, his wife worked up the courage to ask the principal if she could become the permanent substitute in the preschools in their own neighborhood. He immediately told her there were no available positions there and she had to stay with what she was doing. And so they continued on as before. Recently, however, the husband began learning Shaar HaBitachon in the Chovot HaLevavot every day with a chavruta. They were learning about the benefits of having bitachon, and one of them is that while people may have to travel great distances to earn a livelihood, the baal bitachon knows Hashem could provide his parnassah right near his home without all the difficulties of traveling. Those words changed his perspective. Until then, he felt that if his wife's job required her to travel every day, they had no other choice. But now he was learning what it means to truly know that parnassah only comes from Hashem. The principal was not the one providing for them. The job was not providing for them. It was Hashem Who was providing for them, and that knowledge gave him tremendous strength. He came home and told his wife, "That's it. You're not traveling to the other neighborhood anymore. Just tell the principal you're only able to work in the preschools nearby." This was very difficult for her to do. They didn't know what the principal would say or what would happen with her job. But learning Shaar HaBitachon gave him so much courage to live according to what he was learning, and he inspired his wife as well. His wife told the principal that she would no longer be able to travel to the other neighborhood. A few hours later, the secretary called her back and said, "It's not a problem. There's another substitute who works in the preschools in your neighborhood but lives near the ones where you've been working. She also just asked if she could stop traveling, so we'll just switch the two of you." They were thrilled. But then came the most amazing part. Who was the other substitute teacher? She was the man's chavruta's wife! The two men had been sitting together every day learning Shaar HaBitachon and internalizing its lessons. Without either one knowing what the other one was doing, they both came away with the strength to make a change regarding their wives' work schedules. This is the power of learning emunah and bitachon. It teaches us what life is supposed to look like. It teaches us Who is controlling everything, Who is protecting us, and Who is determining the outcome of everything we do. The more we internalize those truths, the less we will have to live with fear and uncertainty. When a person learns more about Who Hashem is and lives according to that knowledge, he will have tremendous strength. He will not feel trapped by his circumstances or frightened about what will happen if he does what's right. He knows that Hashem is always taking care of him, and his only concern is to live the way Hashem wants him to live. Thu, 03 Sep 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/84e03686-7443-4435-aaff-9892814776be.mp3 After Kayin killed Hevel, Hashem gave him very severe punishments. The land would no longer produce for him as it did before, and he would become a wanderer, separated from Hashem's immediate presence. Kayin then said to Hashem that as he wandered the earth, whoever found him would kill him. Immediately afterward, Hashem told Kayin that He would protect him, and He even gave him a sign for it. What changed? Hashem had just decreed such harsh punishments upon Kayin, and now suddenly He was going to protect him? The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh there explains that when Kayin said whoever found him would kill him, he was recognizing that without Hashem's protection, he would not be able to survive. Kayin understood that his safety was completely dependent upon Hashem, and in the zechut of that recognition, Hashem had extra mercy upon him. This is a very powerful idea. We're talking about Kayin immediately after he committed one of the worst aveirot of all. Furthermore, we're talking about someone who spoke directly to Hashem. Yet, after he recognized how much he needed Hashem to protect him, that recognition alone was so precious to Hashem that He showed Kayin an outpouring of mercy. How much more so if a person today, who doesn't see Hashem openly, would recognize that he needs Hashem for everything? We have opportunities all day long to strengthen our emunah in this area. Before a person leaves his house, he could think, "Hashem, I need You to protect me every step that I take." Before he goes to work, he could say, "Hashem, I need You every step of my day for success." Before making any important decision, a person could say, "Hashem, I need You to guide me." When his children leave the house, he could say, "Hashem, only You can truly watch over them." Every time we sincerely think, "Hashem, I can't do this without You," we are implementing this beautiful fundamental in emunah. How fortunate we are. The One who takes care of us is our loving Father Who controls everything and always does what's best for us. Sometimes different circumstances bring us to truly internalize this truth. Rabbi Binyamin Pruzansky told a story about a man named Rav Shiya Erps, the director of Camp Kol Simcha. On one occasion, he became trapped inside a large industrial freezer. The heavy door had slammed shut, and there was no handle on the inside. Despite being very handy and physically strong, nothing he tried worked to get him out. The tools he had with him couldn't get the door open, his radio had no reception to be able to call anyone, and nobody could hear his cries for help. After nearly an hour in the freezing cold, he finally stopped trying everything and turned to Hashem and said, "Hashem, my tools, my strength and my radio have all failed me. I understand now that without You, I have nothing. You are the only One Who can save me. Please, Tatte, open the door for me." He then went over to the door one more time, pushed gently at it, and the heavy door swung wide open. He later reflected that he had never felt such a complete lack of control. He had been so sure that somehow his own abilities would save him. But only when he truly recognized that everything depended upon Hashem did the door finally open. If just recognizing his need for Hashem brought protection even to Kayin at such a low point in his life, we can only imagine how precious it is when we go through our day recognizing again and again, "Hashem, I need You. I know that everything I have comes from You, and I know that only You can give me what I need." Wed, 02 Sep 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/2ecfa986-90c6-43ee-8565-acc798591431.mp3 Emunah gives a person the strength to go through life feeling that he is always being cared for. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we know Hashem is right there with us. He knows exactly what we need, He hears every tefillah, and He has unlimited ways of helping us. A woman recently shared a beautiful example. She wrote that it was difficult for her to see the families around her, as well as her coworkers, packing up and going away on vacation this past summer, while she knew that her family couldn't even afford some of the basics. She knew that in the natural way of the world, they were not going to be able to get away at all that summer. One morning, on her way to work, she began praying and crying to Hashem as she would speak to her own father. She said, "Tati, I really want to go away for Shabbat next week, from Thursday to Sunday, to a beautiful place that will work for our family, without us having to pay for it." She prayed a little more and then continued on to work. That day, she received a phone call from a relative inviting her family to join them at a place they had rented upstate during the coming week. She thanked them for the offer but explained that unfortunately those days wouldn't work for her family. She then added that what she would really love would be to go away the following Shabbat because that would work much better for their schedule. A few minutes later, the relative called back. They had arranged for her family to have the place they were staying in from Thursday until Sunday, exactly what she had just asked Hashem for. They had even gone directly to the owner and gotten a great rate without having to pay the usual third-party fees. And they said they would be more than happy to take care of all the costs. That morning, the woman cried out to Hashem asking for something that seemed completely beyond her reach. She didn't know anyone who was planning to offer her a vacation, and she didn't have the money to arrange one herself. All she knew was that she had a Father in Shamayim Who could give her exactly what she wanted, and within hours, what she had asked for, she had gotten. She wrote further, "Right now, I don't know where we're going to get the money to even pay for gas and food for this trip. But I do know that I have a loving, caring Father Who listens to my tefillot and loves me, and I know He will provide us with everything we need." This is what one experience of hashgachah peratit can do for a person. Hashem doesn't only give us what we need at the moment. Sometimes He'll give us an experience that will strengthen our emunah for the future. At first, this woman didn't know how she was going to afford a vacation. Then she didn't know how she was going to afford the gas and food for the vacation. But she was looking at that problem much differently than she looked at her previous problem because she had just seen firsthand how Hashem could give her something that seemed completely out of her reach. We don't always have to know in advance how Hashem is going to take care of us. Our job is to know Who is taking care of us. When we live with the feeling that Hashem is our loving Father, that we can speak to Him openly and ask Him for whatever we want, and that He has unlimited ways of providing exactly what we need, that can give us the confidence and feeling of love we need to go through anything in this world. As an aside, somebody heard about what happened with this woman and asked if he could make a contribution that would enable the family to fully enjoy their vacation that weekend. And so it was. They received all the money they needed and had a beautiful family getaway. Tue, 01 Sep 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/07e4a2f7-ff00-4104-8fc4-0fe72e99149d.mp3 A man related that a family member of his betrayed him in business, and he is completely devastated by it. The financial loss alone is hard to deal with, but being hurt by a family member makes it so much harder. He wanted to know: Was it from Hashem, or did this person do an aveirah and harm him with his own free will? I told him there is no question that it came from Hashem. Yes, if the person did something wrong, he will be held accountable for it. But as far as we are concerned, what happened was meant for us and it had to happen. Although it is very difficult to deal with, we know that Hashem only does what is absolutely best for us. That means that for reasons we cannot understand, the loss of money, as well as the pain from the betrayal, were the best things that could have happened to this person, or else Hashem would not have allowed them to happen. We have no idea what yissurin in this world save us from, both here and in the Next World, but Hashem does. He is the only One who knows what we truly need to experience for our own good. On the surface level, Yosef HaTzaddik was "betrayed" by his own brothers. The pain of what he went through must have been extremely difficult, all the more so because it came at the hands of his own flesh and blood. But Yosef heroically overcame the challenge and said the most beautiful words to them years later: "It wasn't you who sent me here; it was Hashem." And ultimately, they were able to see that Hashem had done it for the greatest reasons. A person may not be halachically obligated to forgive someone who hurt him and does not feel remorse. But if he is able to overcome his natural feelings of resentment and replace them with feelings of emunah, and bring about shalom, that is considered a heroic act. As the Gemara says, when someone overlooks the wrongdoings that others do to him, Hashem overlooks that person's sins. What better time to utilize an opportunity to gain forgiveness than now, as we approach the awesome day of Rosh Hashanah. It may require superhuman strength, but we have that ability. A person could say, "Hashem, I know You want peace in the family, and so for Your sake, I am going to do what I can to keep it." Yosef HaTzaddik completely forgave his brothers for what they did to him. He was able to hug the very same people who wanted to kill him and eventually sold him into a foreign land. The Torah does not tell us these stories merely so that we should know what happened. It tells them to us so that we can learn from them and emulate our great ancestors. There are times when we ask Hashem for certain blessings that we may be unworthy of receiving. But Hashem, in His infinite kindness, may give a person a situation in which he has the opportunity to perform a heroic act. Perhaps that heroic act will become the zechut through which he receives the blessing he has been seeking. Bringing about shalom and harmony at a time when it is so difficult is certainly a heroic act, and it can bring down a tremendous amount of berachah. If a person could say, "Perhaps Hashem is giving me an opportunity right now to perform a heroic deed, and I'm going to rise to the occasion," that can give him additional motivation to overcome his feelings. We can never lose by going above and beyond. It may be uncomfortable, and it may even hurt, but the rewards will certainly be worth the effort. Mon, 31 Aug 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/fbd422d3-0c4b-485d-919e-c95ebf668d32.mp3 https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/lemynh.html  Living Emunah on Yamim Noraim Gaining faith from the Days of Awe This week's parasha Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of bikurim , where a farmer brings a basket of fruits from the seven species to the Kohen and recites certain pesukim . The Mishnah describes the bringing of the bikurim as a very elaborate process. There were crowds of people waiting to greet the landowners in Yerushalayim, with music playing in the background. It is noteworthy to point out that the farmer only had to bring one fruit from each of the species. The sefer Mapik Margaliot writes, we see from here the unbelievable value that the Torah places on the littlest deeds that we do. Imagine a farmer with orchards full of fig trees or date trees and thousands of fruits that are going to grow upon them, and he takes just one to do the mitzvah of bikurim , and the Torah makes such a big deal over it. When he walks to Jerusalem with the basket, everyone who sees him stands up in honor of the mitzvah he's doing. To the onlooker, it may have seemed that a king or president had just arrived, but it was just a man holding a basket of fruit. To us, it looks like something simple, but the Torah knows how valuable it really is. Sometimes the evil inclination tells a person, "You're going to learn Torah now? It's not worth it. You're going to be late. You're not going to understand what's being taught. It's going to take you at least ten minutes just to find parking." Or if a person wants to go to shul to pray, the evil inclination tells him, "How much are you going to concentrate anyway? Most of the tefila you space out. It's not worth the effort." Let us make a simple kal v'chomer . If for one fruit, that is worth less than a penny to the farmer, the Torah gives him endless honor. How much more so if a person would wake up early in the morning and push himself out of bed to go to shul at a time when he wished he could sleep just a little longer. He fights himself and he goes anyway. How many worlds is he building in Shamayim for those efforts? Or after a long day's work, a person comes home and is so tired he just wants to relax, but instead he strengthens himself and goes back out to learn, sometimes in the freezing cold, searching for parking. Every word of Torah gives endless rewards. How much more so when they are learned with difficulty? Every deed that we do is worth so much and we can never underestimate even the smallest things that we do. A woman related, she heard a short class about giving chizuk to others. The rabbi specifically mentioned that if someone is going through a difficulty and that person has ever gotten chizuk that has helped him, then he should use that chizuk to give someone else he knows who is going through the same difficulty. The woman told this to her son who was having a very hard time in shidduchim . He took the advice and called someone that he knew was struggling in the same area. He gave him all the lines that have helped him in the past. The other boy thanked him for the kind words and then said, "You know, I have someone that I think would be great for you." P.S. A couple of weeks ago, they were celebrating their engagement. Every deed accomplishes worlds in Shamayim . We don't necessarily get to see their effects down here, but rest assured, every deed we do is immeasurable. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 28 Aug 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