A Daily ethical teaching by Rabbi David Ashear https://itorah.com/living-emunah/search/3 en-us Copyright 2026 iTorah.com Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:01:11 GMT Sun, 09 Aug 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/3_27220.mp3 The pasuk says in this week's parasha Re'eh, עשר תעשר, which the Gemara explains to mean, give ten percent of your earnings to charity and you will become wealthy. Although the pasuk is speaking to a landowner giving ten percent of his crops to charity, Tosafot bring from the Sifreh that the same applies to a businessman giving ten percent of his earnings. The Tur writes in Yoreh De'ah, siman 247, it has been tried and tested, when a person gives tzedaka, he does not lose, rather the opposite happens, he gains wealth and honor from it. Furthermore, it nullifies harsh decrees and saves the person from death. The Rama is posek that giving tzedaka brings a person wealth and this is the only area in which a person is allowed to tell Hashem he is waiting to see the fruits of his labor. The Chafetz Chaim in his sefer Ahavat Chesed writes the halacha is like this Rama. As with all mitzvot, there are exact details on how to perform them and in order to reap their full rewards, they must be done correctly, and therefore, a person must learn all of the halachot of giving maaser to ensure that he is doing it correctly to reap its benefits A woman once sent a question to the Imreh Emet regarding maaser. She wrote, my husband makes a minimal parnasa and he is still careful to separate maaser. That maaser, however, comes at the expense of us being able to buy shoes and clothing for our children. Is my husband still obligated to give maaser under those circumstances? The Rebbe replied, when one gives maaser, he must give it with an open heart and when he knows that the money going to tzedaka is not really his, it's much easier to give it with joy. Strictly speaking, you are not obligated to give but there is a segula if you give with an open and happy heart, with a true desire to give, then you fulfill what it says in the pasuk 'let your heart not feel bad when you give' and that pasuk continues and says, because of that type of giving, Hashem will bless you in all of your deeds and in every undertaking. We see from here, one of the requirements to merit the blessing is to give with a happy heart. Moreover, if we do find somebody giving maaser and not becoming wealthy, there is for sure a great reason that we are not capable of understanding at this point. But we must trust that Hashem is doing it for the absolute best of the person giving. A wealthy man who started becoming careful in giving maaser began losing his wealth at the same time. He went to Rav Eliashiv, z"l, asking how such a thing could happen. The Rabbi replied, it seems that some of your money was earned in a non-kosher way. So long as you were not giving maaser, you did not have the zechut to become cleansed from that severe sin. But now that you began giving, you have become worthy. Hashem is now giving you kapara for all the dishonesty you had in business and that is the greatest chesed He could possibly do for you. Giving tzedaka is wondrous. It benefits us in both worlds. Let us not only give, but give with a happy heart. Shabbat Shalom. Fri, 07 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/dailyemunah/1382.mp3 There is no one who doesn't need chizuk in emunah, from the greatest rabbis to the common layman, no exceptions. Gedolei HaDor of yesteryear have testified themselves that on days they did not work on their emunah, it was automatically weaker. We see things take place in this world which threaten to damage our emunah. Tzaddikim experiencing hardships and tragedies, the best girls having so many struggles in shidduchim, and the list goes on. There are so many things we don't understand and it leads people to doubt their emunah. We must constantly strengthen ourselves by filling our minds with what Chazal teach us and with what the Torah says about Hashem. The pasuk says,ומחה ה' אלוקים דמעה מעל כל פנים – in the future, Hashem is going to come and personally wipe away the tears of all those people who had sorrow in their lives. At that time, Hashem is going to give a class and explain to everyone how everything they ever experienced was only resulting from Hashem's complete love and mercy upon them. Things that made no sense will suddenly make perfect sense. Questions which people carried around for years will no longer be questions. Everything will be so clear and then, we'll be able to live in complete bliss. But until then, we have a great opportunity to believe in Hashem's goodness, although it is not always clear. The pasuk says about Hashem, He is ריעך וריע אביך – He is your friend and the friend of your father's. Hashem is our greatest friend in the world. There is no one who loves us more than Him. There is no one who cares about us as much as Him. There is no one who takes care of us as much as Him.בנים אתם לה' אלוקיך – Hashem calls us his children. Just like when a parent buys a present for his child he is so excited to give it to him and see the big smile on his face, every time Hashem gives us a blessing, it says באור פניך נתת לנו – He gives it to us with a shining countenance, kavayachol , so excited for us to be happy. And just like when a child is in pain, the parent feels that pain, so too whenever a Jew is in pain, Hashem feels the same pain like it says בכל צאתך לו צער . If a person had even one child who was suffering, lo alenu , it would consume the parents' minds at all times of the day. They would not be able to enjoy anything while their child is suffering. Hashem has millions of children and, lo alenu , many of them are suffering tremendously. Hashem doesn't just feel the pain of one child, He feels the suffering of every single child, every ache and pain of a Jew who is sick, every bit of shame of someone who got embarrassed, every rejection, every loss of money, every longing for a child, every longing for a shidduch , every mourner's pain, etc. So why doesn't Hashem just take everyone out of their pain if He has to bear it all? The answer is because He loves us so much and knows what we need to fulfill our purpose here, He's willing to take all that pain just so that we'll be happy for all eternity. We will never fathom the love that Hashem has for us, but the more we contemplate it, the easier it will be for us to go through life. Thu, 06 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/973a3f24-7de6-4b06-ade1-0faefec7c1b2.mp3 One of the inspiring aspects of Hashem's hashgachah is seeing how He can use anyone, at any time, to be the messenger who gives us exactly what we need. Very often, we imagine that our salvation has to come through a certain person or a certain circumstance. But we have to know that Hashem has endless messengers that He can use. He can place us in the most unexpected situations and have someone we never would have dreamed of become the one to give us exactly what we need. A young man who spends the year learning Torah always takes a summer job to help support himself. This year, however, the job he normally took was no longer available, and he began looking for something else. A summer camp offered him a great position. It was a prestigious job with very good pay, and it seemed like the kind of opportunity that could continue for many summers to come. But there was one aspect of the job that raised a question regarding tzniut. He asked his rabbi, and his rabbi told him, "It's not for you." Although he needed the money and it was a great opportunity, he listened to his rabbi and turned the job down. A couple of weeks later, while still looking for a job, just after the summer had begun, he heard that a friend's home had been struck by lightning, and he went there to help. He returned the next day and continued helping. While they were there, they noticed a man in the basement repairing all of the electrical outlets. This young man happened to love electrical work, although he had not yet received his license. He asked the electrician what he was doing there. The electrician explained that he normally worked only on large commercial projects and never took residential jobs, but because he knew the homeowner and no one else was available to help, he came. The young man asked if he could help. The electrician asked, "Do you know what you're doing?" He replied, "Yes," and the electrician invited him to join him. He was very impressed with the young man's work. Before leaving, the young man asked if he knew of any job opportunities. The electrician said that he did, and he arranged an outstanding position for him that included on-the-job training toward earning his license. Not only was the salary much higher than what he would have earned at camp, but he was also able to remain in his hometown instead of traveling away for the summer. Afterward he said, "Look at the messenger Hashem sent me. I went to do a chesed for my friend, and there I met a commercial electrician who is almost never in private homes. Yet he became the messenger Hashem used to give me exactly what I needed." Another man shared the following story. Five years ago, he left his job. When he and his employer parted ways, there was still a substantial amount of money owed to him. The employer made a small payment, but it wasn't even a tenth of what he owed. The man tried many times to collect the balance and even considered going to Beit Din, but nothing ever came of it. Eventually, he wrote the money off and accepted that he was probably never going to see it. Now, five years later, he noticed he had a missed phone call. It was from his former employer's business partner. Since he hadn't spoken to him in years, he sent him a text asking, "Did you mean to call me? Is this perhaps about the unpaid balance that I'm still owed?" The partner responded, "Actually, I didn't mean to call you. It was a mistake, and I don't know anything about an unpaid balance, but let's talk later." That evening, the former employer himself called. "What unpaid balance are you talking about?" he asked. The man explained what had happened when he left the company five years earlier. The employer looked into the matter and said, "If I still owe you the money, I'm going to pay you." And he did. He paid him the entire balance. Five years later, the money suddenly arrived. And how? Because his former employer's business partner accidentally called him. That mistaken phone call became the messenger Hashem used to bring him his yeshuah. We spend so much time trying to figure out who is going to help us and how our salvation is going to come. But we have to know that Hashem has countless messengers. It's not our job to figure out who they will be. Our job is to trust the One Who sends them. When we know that Hashem has unlimited ways to help us, we can remain calm, knowing that our yeshuah can always come in the blink of an eye, and that it can arrive through someone or something we never would have expected. Wed, 05 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/bcf6182d-82b6-4b03-96ea-6ec2e5334300.mp3 One of the benefits of hearing stories of Hashem's salvations is that they expand our understanding of what is possible. Sometimes we hear about a yeshuah that seems almost unbelievable. We wonder if such things could really happen. The answer is, of course they can, and that is exactly why we need to hear them. The more we recognize that Hashem's abilities are unlimited, the easier it becomes for us to put our trust in Him and pray with real hope. We stop limiting Hashem's possibilities to what seems realistic to us, and we begin to understand that Hashem is never bound by nature or statistics. A talmid chacham who spends his days learning Torah related what happened when two of his children became engaged one after the other. He had no idea how he would pay for two weddings. Rather than focusing on people, he worked on strengthening his bitachon in Hashem. He prayed that Hashem should help him not even think that any specific person would be his source of salvation. He asked that his eyes be directed only toward Hashem. Whenever the thought entered his mind, "Where will I get the money?" he immediately replaced it with the conviction that Hashem would provide it. His entire avodah was to remain calm, continue trusting, and continue praying. One day, an avreich approached him after Minchah and told him that a generous donor wanted to help. He was asked to prepare a detailed list of every expense for the first wedding, including everything he could think of. A few days later, the avreich returned and handed him an envelope containing the entire amount in cash. His family gathered together and said Nishmat to thank Hashem for this amazing yeshuah. As the shopping continued, however, they realized they had forgotten many important expenses. Instead of becoming anxious, they strengthened themselves even more, believing that this too was orchestrated by Hashem so they would continue relying only upon Him. Soon afterward, a different avreich knocked on his door and handed him an envelope containing fifteen thousand shekels, explaining that it was from a donor who wanted to help with the wedding expenses. That amount covered all of the additional costs. While they were still rejoicing over those miracles, the first avreich returned with another envelope, this one containing the full amount needed for the second wedding as well. Every expense for both weddings was covered with dignity and generosity. Most people would say this story is hard to believe, but it really happened, and that is exactly why we need to hear it. Hashem wants us to know that there is no limit to the ways He can help those who put their trust in Him. Another man told me that he was struggling through an extremely difficult period in business. He had accumulated a great deal of debt and spent every day praying to Hashem for a yeshuah. Finally, he received a large order from a major online retailer for sixteen thousand units of one of his products. That order enabled him to pay back part of his debt and gave him a little breathing room. He thanked Hashem and continued praying, "Please, Hashem, You showed me so clearly that You can help. Please send me another order." The very next day, he noticed that the retailer's website was selling his product for far below the price that he had sold it to them for. There was clearly some kind of pricing error in their system. Incredibly, because of that mistake, every one of the sixteen thousand units sold out in a single day. A couple of days later, the company called him back saying that their inventory had completely disappeared and they needed another shipment. They placed the exact same order again, and within days Hashem had doubled his yeshuah. He was now able to pay off all of his debts and still had money left over. Who could have imagined that a computer glitch would become the vehicle for his salvation? This is why we need to hear stories of Hashem's kindness. They teach us never to put limits on His abilities. Our minds naturally think within the framework of what seems possible, but Hashem's possibilities are infinite. A salvation can come in any way, and most of the time it comes in ways we could never foresee. Our job is not to figure out how Hashem will help us. Our job is simply to know that He can. Every day that we pray, we should remember that no situation is beyond Hashem's ability to change and no request is beyond His ability to fulfill. We need to pray with real hope, anticipate great salvations, and believe with complete bitachon that Hashem can give us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it, in ways far greater than we could ever imagine. Tue, 04 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/a65d076a-990d-415a-980b-1200800f21e3.mp3 One of the greatest lessons that Hashem taught us was through the forty years that the Jewish people spent in the desert. There they had no homes, no farms, no businesses, and no way to provide for themselves. And that was one of the greatest blessings because they knew with absolute clarity that they were completely dependent upon Hashem for every aspect of their lives. That made it much easier for them to adhere to the Torah and mitzvot. Moshe Rabbenu told the people in Parashat Ekev how their food came in the form of the mann, their water came from a rock, and their clothing never wore out. Every single day they lived with the clear recognition that Hashem alone was sustaining them. And that was a lesson they were going to need for the rest of their lives. Because Moshe warned them that everything was about to change. They were going to enter Eretz Yisrael. There they would build beautiful homes, earn their own living, buy and sell, and accumulate wealth. And at that point there would be a great danger. They were going to think that it was their own strength and ability that brought them their success. They would no longer see as clearly that Hashem was providing everything for them. Therefore, Moshe told them in advance that nothing was really going to change. The mann might stop falling, but Hashem would still be providing every meal. They would build sturdy homes, but it would not be the homes protecting them—it would be Hashem. They would work and earn money, but it would still be Hashem Who was giving them every dollar. The desert was meant to teach them a lesson that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. Although the miracles would no longer be as open, the One providing for them was not going to change. He would still be the very same Provider. And this lesson was not written only for that generation. It was written for all generations, including us. We may no longer receive mann, but every bit of sustenance we receive comes from Hashem. We may think we're earning our own living, building our own homes, and solving our own problems, but behind every success stands the same Hashem Who sustained His nation in the desert for forty years. A man who passed away this past week, Moshe ben Nizha a"h,, left his family with many great lessons, one of which was shared by his children. Several years ago, he had to spend a month in Italy on business. While he was there, he sent his children a picture and asked them to enlarge it and frame it so he could hang it on his wall. They assumed he was going to send a picture of the beautiful hotel where he was staying. Instead, he sent them a picture of a plain stone staircase with a brick wall beside it. They couldn't understand why he wanted such a picture enlarged. He explained that years earlier he had stayed at that very same hotel. One day, after everyone had left, he was climbing that staircase to his room when he tripped, slammed his head into the stone wall, and then fell backward onto the concrete floor. He was badly injured, bleeding from his head, and unable to move. He had no phone with him, no family, no friends, and nobody knew where he was. It was an isolated area, and no one was expected to come by. Lying there helplessly, he looked up toward Shamayim, and with the little strength he had left, he prayed, "Hashem, please save me." Less than a minute later, someone unexpectedly appeared. The man was not supposed to be there at that time, yet he noticed him lying on the floor and rushed over to help. Amazingly, this man was a doctor. He treated him, bandaged his wounds, and made sure he received the care he needed. Although he had suffered a concussion, he made a complete recovery. That staircase became one of the most meaningful places in his life. He wanted that picture hanging on his wall because he never wanted to forget that moment. Whenever life became difficult or it seemed that there was no solution, he wanted to look at that picture and remember. He wanted to remember lying helplessly on the floor in a foreign country with absolutely no one to turn to for help, and how Hashem sent him his salvation in less than a minute. This is the lesson Moshe Rabbeinu wanted us to take from the desert. We all have moments in our lives when Hashem's hand is obvious and crystal clear. Those moments are not only meant to help us then—they are meant to become our own "desert." We should take a picture of those moments and carry them with us for the rest of our lives. Then, if life ever becomes too comfortable and we begin feeling that we're managing on our own, or when we face a challenge that seems impossible, we can look back and remember that nothing has really changed. The same Hashem Who helped us then is helping us now. The same Hashem Who provided the mann in the desert, and the same Hashem Who sent a doctor to a secluded staircase in Italy, is guiding every detail of our lives today. When we internalize those moments of clarity, they become a source of strength for every situation we will ever face. No matter where we are, and no matter how impossible things appear to be, Hashem is always with us, just as He always has been, and He can help us through every situation. Mon, 03 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/05aa5578-28da-49bb-a2c6-6564a3ebcc4f.mp3 On our quest to acquire perfect emunah and think correctly, we want to purify our minds with the right hashkafa according to the Torah. The pasuk in parashat Ekev warns, if a person becomes well-to-do, he will forget about Hashem, saying, it is my might and strength that made me this wealth. The Saba from Kelm points out, the Torah does not say, maybe he will say this, because the nature of a person is to automatically think that way. It is only with proper training that we can uproot this thought process. If we see a successful businessman, what are our thoughts about his wealth? Do we think about what appear to be the immediate causes that brought him his wealth, like the product he sells or the stocks he bought? Or do we think that Hashem wanted him to be wealthy and He gave him his wealth? If we see an army successful in battle, do we think about their great strategies and war tactics? Or do we attribute their success to HaKadosh Baruch Hu? This is one way in which we could test our level of emunah, seeing if our initial thoughts have adapted to the way that Hashem wants us to think. The Gemara says in Masechet Berachot that Rav Huna had four hundred barrels of wine that soured, and when the Rabbis heard about it, they immediately told him to check into his deeds. Rav Huna asked the Rabbis why they suspected him of doing something wrong, and they replied, because without a question it was Hashem who made the wine sour, and it was a kapara for something that the Rabbi did wrong. Rav Huna looked into his deeds and indeed discovered his error in a different business dealing, and right after he made teshuvah , the issue of the wine went away. The baalei mussar point out from here, usually the way it works is when someone experiences some type of misfortune like this, he thinks about all the different natural causes of why the wine may have spoiled, but Chazal are teaching us with their pure emunah that the natural causes don't matter. Everything that takes place is because of Hashem. If we fix what Hashem wants us to fix, then the issue goes away. The Apta Rav used to say, the way of the world is when someone makes a certain hishtadlut and it doesn't work out the way he hoped, he thinks, “If only I would have done things differently, then I might have gotten what I wanted.” If the person said something he wishes he didn't say, he would think, “If only I would have said something else, then I would have gotten what I wanted.” Both of those reactions are incorrect. The outcome that took place was exactly the outcome that Hashem wanted to take place. And if the outcome could have been different because of different words or a different hishtadlut , then Hashem would have put those thoughts in the person's brain at the time he was making the hishtadlut . It is extremely difficult for someone to put in a lot of effort into something and then believe that the result had nothing to do with his efforts. But this is the way Hashem wants us to think, because this is the absolute truth. This is the way He runs the world. Even if someone says, “I did it and Hashem helped me do it,” that is tarnished emunah. אין עוד מלבדו , there is nothing other than Hashem. He doesn't need our help. He wants us to put in our efforts for various reasons. One of them is to test us in this very area, to see if we'll believe it was Him, even though we had to put in the effort. The more we train ourselves to think this way, the better we'll get at it. And b’ezrat Hashem, we will train ourselves to the point where our initial thoughts are with pure emunah. Fri, 31 Jul 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/1121.mp3 When it comes to physicality, Hashem helps us every step of the way from beginning to end. At times, He will even give a person a drive to make a hishtadlut to, let's say, earn money or accomplish something else in the physical realms that He wants him to accomplish. But, when it comes to spirituality, that is where we must develop the will to achieve on our own and we must attempt to make the efforts to accomplish on our own. Only after that will Hashem give us His help in bringing our efforts success. Rabbenu Yonah writes in the Shaarei Teshuva that if a person has a true desire to come closer to Hashem, and he wants to accomplish mitzvot that are not in his capabilities of accomplishing, Hashem will give him abilities that he did not possess before. Our job is to produce the strong desire and do what's in our power and Hashem does the rest. Even when it comes to the performance of one mitvah, if we want to accomplish it, but we're not capable of doing it, we can still get Heavenly help from Hashem to succeed with it. A man from Israel told a personal story which took place about 30 years ago. He had some work done in his house and after it was finished, he still owed the carpenter a few hundred shekel. Many years had passed and he had forgotten about that debt and the carpenter never came back to pick up the money. He was at a class and the Rabbi was speaking about the gravity of not paying people what we owe. The man immediately remembered this debt and after the class asked the Rabbi if he could donate the sum that he owed the carpenter to tzedaka, being that he didn't even remember his name. The Rabbi told him he needed to track the person down and pay him directly. The man was in agony, realizing this was nearly impossible. He cried to Hashem to help him pay that debt back. The very same night, when he got home from shul, his wife had done some cleaning and asked him if she could throw out some old papers. He looked at the papers and, amazingly, one of them had the name and number of that carpenter and, baruch Hashem, he contacted him and paid him back. He had a true desire to do that mitzvah and Hashem gave him the siyata d'Shamaya to accomplish it. A woman, who we'll call Sara, told me a story which also took place about 30 years ago. When she was in 11th and 12th grade, she took upon herself a weekly chesed job. A little boy named Ari Yossi who had special needs had a therapy session every Tuesday but his mother did not drive. This girl picked up that boy every Tuesday at 5:00 for his appointment and she would then wait there until it was finished and then drive him back home. She did this for close to two years, never missing a week, knowing how important it was and how much that mother needed this help. At the end of their school year, the girls had a different schedule for finals. They would just go to school for the tests and then go back home to study. Sarah was at her friend Devora's house studying one day and they received a call that the elderly woman they visit in the local nursery home was in the hospital. Two of her friends were already there and asked if they wanted to come visit. Of course they said yes and Sarah drove her car for 20 minutes to the hospital. They spent some time there with the elderly woman and then Sarah drove all of her friends home. One of those friends lived on the same block as Ari Yossi, the little boy she picked up every Tuesday. As she was driving past his house, she saw the mother and little boy coming out of the house towards the street. She waved and kept driving, noticing that the mother looked a little confused. That's when it hit her, she looked at the car clock and saw it was exactly 5:00 and it was Tuesday. She had totally forgotten about the appointment, being that her schedule changed. What were the odds that she would be passing that house at that exact time she was meant to pick them up? This friend who lived on the same block at Ari Yossi was one of those people who were already in the hospital who called her to come. That was Hashem, orchestrating the events to work out perfectly. This was before people had cell phones. If she didn't take Ari to that appointment, he would have missed a much needed therapy session and of course the mother would have been stressed, waiting for her to come with no way of reaching her. Sarah was very careful to do that mitzvah every week with joy, the one time she was thrown off schedule, Hashem brought her there to do the mitzvah right on time. If we have the will and we make the effort, Hashem will take us the rest of the way. Thu, 30 Jul 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/1137.mp3 Those who truly know that Hashem runs the world live their lives on a more elevated level. They don't get upset from things that people usually get upset about, they don't worry about things that people usually worry about and they don't get stressed from things that people usually get stressed out about. Rather, they have a feeling of security and peace of mind, knowing that everything happens exactly the way it is supposed to happen. A man told me, he was asked to go record various speakers in a different city on a day that that community designated for inspiration. When the day came, he drove with all of his equipment for over an hour, but when he arrived, he was immediately asked by the host, "Didn't you get my message?" "No," he replied. The man said, "I left you a message a few days ago that we no longer needed you to come. Sorry for this confusion." The man's phone had broken and he wasn't able to retrieve any messages on it. With a smile on his face, he said, "No problem. Hashem wanted me to make this trip for some reason and I accomplished that." On his way back, he began to think, from past years of doing this recording, he usually received $500 as compensation for his time. He was so happy that he didn't feel bad at all about that. He said, "I got credited in Shamayim for making the efforts to do this good deed and regarding my parnasa , I made my hishtadlut . Now Hashem will send the money from where He wants it to come from. The moment he got back to his house, he received a phone call from someone asking him to do a similar job. This person has also called him in past years and usually gave him a job that she paid $200-$300 for. This time, the job was a little bigger, but instead of offering him the $200 more that it was worth, she told him she would give him $1000 for it. Immediately, Hashem compensated him for the efforts that he made that morning. And he never felt stressed the entire time. Another man told me, his sister graduated high school a few years ago and, for a private reason, she was not going to seminary in Israel as the rest of her grade was doing. One day, her friend's mother called her mother saying, "Your daughter's not going to Israel? How is she going to find a shidduch ?" Her mother replied, "You think a girl has to go to Israel to find a good husband? Hashem is the one who makes matches and we are always in His hands." Towards the end of that year, while all of this girl's friends were still in Israel, she got engaged and, baruch Hashem is now married with two children. Even more amazing is that this girl wasn't even officially dating at that time. Her mother was at work one day and overheard someone saying they needed a shidduch for a great boy. She inquired about it and that's the boy that her daughter married. She was still only 18 years old at the time. When a person understands that Hashem runs the world, he is able to be calm no matter what kind of circumstances he finds himself in. He also knows Hashem is the only one he needs to impress. Another man told me he received a phone call from a friend asking if he could help make peace between their fathers. The fathers have had animosity toward each other for some time and he wanted to put an end to it. He said, "I know your sister is still not married and she is approaching 40 years old, perhaps as a zechut for her to get married, your father would be willing to make peace with my father." The man called his father and he said he was absolutely willing to make peace. And he did. Baruch Hashem, that same year his daughter got married. Everything happens in this world by the word of Hashem. The more we internalize this, the better our lives will be. Wed, 29 Jul 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/1133.mp3 The pasuk says in Mishlei , "כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח" – Hashem chastises those whom He loves most. If a person has to endure a difficulty in this world, it is a blessing in disguise. By experiencing yissurin , a person becomes cleansed from his sins, enabling him to enjoy eternal bliss. The Ruach Chaim writes, if a person would take away time from indulging in physical pleasures and instead delve into Torah study, that would count for him as if he experienced yissurin. This means besides for the rewards given for the Torah study itself, the person will also be cleansing himself from his sins through it. Rabbenu Yona writes in the Yesod HaTeshuva , when a person holds back his evil inclination to indulge in something forbidden, that as well counts as yissurin and will cleanse him from his sins. Sometimes, Hashem gives a person yissurin to help him improve his ways. Our entire purpose of being on this earth is to follow Torah and mitzvot to the best of our ability. In Hashem's great love for us, He helps us with that by reminding us, in order that we shouldn't fall off the proper path. And thus, Chazal teach us, if a person sees that afflictions are befalling him, he should view it as a calling to change his ways. A man told me he has somewhat of a heart condition and, in recent weeks, his heart rate became very rapid. He had a cardiac ablation procedure which did not help him. After exhausting all other options, his doctor told him he needed to put him out with general anesthesia and then shock his heart to get it back to normal. The man was obviously fearful of such a procedure but there was no other choice. On the day of the procedure, as he was lying in the hospital bed, the man began talking to Hashem. He said, if his heart would become normal again, he would start learning the Daf Yomi immediately. A few minutes later, the doctor came in to administer the anesthesia and he told the patient, it looks like your heart rate just went down on its own. Let's wait a little and see what happens. After waiting, the doctor called off the procedure. The man left the hospital with a healthy heart and began learning the Daf Yomi.Our job is Torah and mitzvot and we are to respond to yissurin with an improvement in those areas. It is the job of every parent to ensure that his or her children are utilizing the potential that Hashem gave them. If a parent sees his child going off or not living up to his potential, he is to do everything in his power to help him improve. The job is difficult, but when a parent does everything in his power to help his child, then he will know he did his part and the rest is in Hashem's hands. Recently, a shul in New Jersey held a raffle campaign with the winning prize being a car, namely a Tesla. When the winner was called by phone, he was in complete shock. He is not from that community and bought a ticket just a few hours before the drawing. He explained that he has a son who is not doing well spiritually and told him he was leaving yeshiva. No matter what this father said or did, he couldn't convince his son out of it. Finally, in a last ditch effort to save his son, the father told him, "I will do anything you want if you stay in yeshiva." The boy said, "Okay, if you buy me a Tesla, I'll stay." The father said, "If that's what it takes, I'll get you one." He made a phone call and ordered the car. The price was $40,000, which he did not have to pay for it. Then he found out about this raffle and bought a ticket, hoping that Hashem would have compassion on him after seeing how hard he was trying to keep his son religious. And that's what happened, he won the raffle and kept his son in yeshiva. If we are doing the best we can spiritually, then we can be confident we are doing our part and Hashem will take care of the rest. Tue, 28 Jul 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/bd9035eb-c787-4e11-9bc7-85da0463ce73.mp3 A person who truly knows Hashem and understands His unlimited capabilities will always remain upbeat, happy, and hopeful because he knows he can always be helped. No matter how difficult the situation becomes or how many avenues seem to close, he knows Hashem can always help him. This knowledge gives a person tremendous strength in tefillah. Since we know that Hashem can always change any situation, we continue turning to Him with hope no matter how long we've been waiting. This is very different from a person putting his faith in man. I once read a parable about a man who became very sick. His friend asked him how he was doing, and he replied, "I'm okay. I just got an appointment with a great doctor, and I'm very hopeful that he's going to help me." A month later, his friend asked how the appointment went. The man replied, "The doctor didn't have enough experience with my condition, but he referred me to a specialist who does. I have an appointment with him in two weeks, and I'm very hopeful that he's going to help." A few weeks later, the friend asked again. "The appointment went well," the man said. "He gave me medication, and I'm waiting for it to work." A month later, when asked whether the medication had helped, he replied, "No, but I'm taking a different medication now, and I'm hopeful this one is going to work." When the second medication did not work either, the man still had hope. "My specialist got me an appointment with the best doctor in the world in this field. I'm so excited because I know he's going to be able to help me." Finally, he went to see that doctor, but the doctor told him, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do to heal you." The moment the man heard those words, all of his hope disappeared. As long as there was another doctor, another medication, or another possibility, he was able to remain hopeful. But once the greatest expert told him there was nothing more he could do, he despaired. A person, on the other hand, who knows that he has Hashem never reaches such a point. Hashem never tells anyone, "I'm sorry, I'm not able to help you." Hashem can always help. There is never a situation beyond His capabilities and never a moment when He runs out of options. Therefore, there is never a time when we should feel that there is no longer a reason to pray. Even if we've been praying for years and have not seen the answer we're looking for, the yeshuah can always come in the blink of an eye. A few years back in Israel, a sixty-year-old woman gave birth to her first child, a healthy baby girl. After waiting so many years, she experienced the greatest happiness of her life when the staff finally placed her baby in her arms. With Hashem, there is always hope, and there is always a reason to continue praying. Furthermore, even when the yeshuah is delayed, it doesn't mean that our tefillot are not being answered. Hashem may already be using those very tefillot to bring about the salvation without us even realizing it. A man once told me he was getting older and had been trying for years to find his shidduch, but nothing was working out for him. He decided to undertake a major tefillah campaign. He flew to Eretz Yisrael and went to the Kotel for forty straight days, spending hours every day pouring out his heart to Hashem for a shidduch. He then returned home to America, but nothing seemed to change. A month passed, then another, and eventually almost an entire year went by. He wondered what had happened to all his tefillot. What had all that praying accomplished? The following summer, a shidduch was suggested, and baruch Hashem, the couple eventually got married. Afterward, he discovered something remarkable from his wife. At exactly the time he had been praying at the Kotel, a major change had taken place in her life. She had attended public high school and was not fully religious. That summer, right after she graduated, she suddenly woke up one morning and told her mother she wanted to attend seminary in Israel for the coming year. It was totally out of the blue. She went to seminary, became fully religious, and decided she wanted to marry a ben Torah. Eventually, she married this very man. For an entire year, he thought his tefillot hadn't accomplished anything. In reality, while he was standing at the Kotel praying, Hashem was already using those tefillot to prepare his yeshuah. He just couldn't see it. Hashem was working on the other side of the world, transforming the life of the woman who would eventually become his wife. The tefillot were accomplishing their purpose from the very beginning. It just took time for him to see what they had accomplished. This is something we must always remember when we pray. We should never measure the effectiveness of our tefillot by what we see immediately afterward. A person may pray today and see no change tomorrow, the next month, or even after a year, but that does not mean his tefillot were not effective. Hashem hears every word, and He may already be putting the pieces of the yeshuah into place in ways that we cannot yet see. Because we know Who we are praying to, we never despair, and we never stop praying. No situation is ever beyond Hashem's ability to change, and no salvation is beyond His ability to bring. Every tefillah matters, and even when nothing seems to be happening, Hashem may already be using our tefillot to bring our yeshuah. Knowing this enables us to continue praying with hope and anticipation, confident that Hashem can always help us and that the answer to our tefillot may already be on its way. Mon, 27 Jul 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/1500.mp3 The Midrash in parashat V'Etchanan says a person should be happier with his yissurin – afflictions – more than when he receives open good because yissurin cleanses a person and gets rid of his averot . The Yalkut Shimoni in Tehillim says a person should thank Hashem when yissurin befall him because yissurin bring a person much closer to Hashem. At the end of Rebbe Avraham, brother of the Vilna Gaon's life, he was bedridden in excruciating pain, suffering from open wounds all over his body. When his son began to cry seeing his father in that condition, his father said this was the greatest gift that Hashem bestowed upon him. He said, "If I had the strength right now, I would get up and sing and dance out of joy in Hashem's goodness in giving me these yissurin . This is how our great chachamin viewed yissurin because they knew of their great effects. How great it would be if a person was able to achieve the effects of yissurin without having to actually experience them. The Gra wrote in a letter that there is a way to achieve this. He said if we follow his instructions, we will receive untold reward in the Next World by absolving ourselves of all our sins without having to suffer any physical pain. He wrote there, if a person would hold himself back from speaking something he shouldn't be saying, or if he would control a certain desire, that would accomplish more than any other form of yissurin . He writes further, for every second that a person holds himself back from saying something he shouldn't, he will also merit a special pleasure in the Next World that no angel could ever fathom. This means if someone is ready to relate a juicy piece of gossip to a crowd of people which would for sure make him the center of attention, he should stop himself and think, "If I hold back now, that would take the place of so much yissurin that may have been destined to befall me." And if it is very hard to do, he should know that for every second that he holds himself back, it's considered an additional affliction. Plus, he will receive untold rewards for his restraint in the Next World. This does not only apply to holding back from lashon hara . The Gemara says in masechet Moed Katan that Rabbi Yanai's student used to ask him very difficult questions during their daily class. But on the holidays, when the attendance of the class was very large, this student never asked the Rabbi a question because he didn't want to potentially embarrass the Rabbi if he didn't have a good answer. The Gemara applied to this student the pasuk in Tehillim , ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלוקים, which the Gemara explained to mean, as a reward for holding back his desire to show off his understanding of the material, he merited to be amongst those who were going to experience great salvation from Hashem. Every time we break our evil inclination, that is considered yissurin and, potentially, can wipe away endless amounts of averot . Imagine if a person was being told off and had a nasty comment he could say back that would allow him to enjoy sweet revenge, but instead he closed his mouth and didn't say a word. The kapara brought about by that act is unimaginable. Additionally, for every single second that he keeps his mouth closed at that time, he will be rewarded with the greatest rewards. Yissurin are great and accomplish so much for us, but nobody likes going through the painful process to receive those benefits. Here, the Vilna Gaon is giving us priceless information. We could accomplish more than any type of yissurin by holding back from saying things we shouldn't or by breaking any other desire for any kind of temptation. These are difficult things to do but it is well worth it. The next time a person is put into such a circumstance, he should pause and think about the golden opportunity that is being presented to him at that time. Fri, 24 Jul 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/ff0570fb-fbb7-40e1-9705-c3770714c801.mp3 As we go through another Tishah B'Av, we have to ask ourselves a painful question: Why do we still not have Mashiach? What are we still doing wrong? The Sefer HaBerit asked this question a couple of hundred years ago. He looked around at the people of his generation and saw they were learning Torah, they were praying, and they were doing mitzvot. So what was missing? He concluded that they were lacking one of the most fundamental principles of our Torah. Sometimes people view religion as a checklist. We perform mitzvot, fulfill our obligations, and then ask, "So what do I get now?" But our mission as Torah Jews is not just to do mitzvot. It is to develop a relationship with Hashem, to love Hashem, to know Hashem, and to understand what pleases Him and what pains Him. A relationship cannot be one-sided. The Sefer HaBerit wrote that in his day, many people were serving Hashem only for themselves. They wanted a better Olam HaBa, a better Olam HaZeh, a good spouse, successful children, a beautiful home, a long life, and honor from others. They knew the path to those berachot was through Torah and mitzvot, and so their focus became, "What do I get out of this mitzvah? What does this do for me? What does that do for me?" "I'll pray for others only because of the reward I'm going to get. I'll show compassion to others only because of the blessings it will bring me." Everything revolved around one question: "What's in it for me?" Even when standing before Hashem in tefillah, the conversation was always, "Hashem, please give me this. Please give me that." We're constantly asking Hashem what He can do for us, but do we ever stop and think about Him? Do we ever stop and think about what's causing Him pain? The Beit Yosef writes in Maggid Meisharim that the heavenly maggid told him if we could comprehend even one trillionth of the pain that Hashem experiences during this exile, we would not be able to have any enjoyment, knowing that we are the ones causing Him all of this pain. Hashem longs to rest His Shechinah with us. He wants to be close to us. He wants to have a home among His children. Yet because of our shortcomings, that cannot happen. Does that pain ever affect us? When we pray for Mashiach, is it only because our lives will become better? Because there will be peace, prosperity, and no more suffering? Or do we pray because we want Hashem's glory to be restored? Because we can't bear the thought of our Father being in so much pain—a pain that will not be relieved until He is able to dwell with His children once again? Imagine if we said, "Hashem, I want to do more mitzvot because I know they will bring You pleasure. I want to pray for Mashiach because I want You to be happy. I want Your Shechinah to return. I want to be close to You." A loving parent wants nothing more than to hear a child say, "I just want to be close to you." That is what the Sefer HaBerit meant. If we could shift our focus from ourselves to Hashem, if we could begin thinking more about Him than about our own benefit, then our entire avodat Hashem would change. We would make peace with others, not because of the segulah of blessing that comes from it, but because we can't bear to cause our Father pain by allowing His children to keep fighting. We would perform mitzvot not only because of what we receive from them, but because of what they mean to Hashem. May Hashem hear all of us say, "We want You. We want to be close to You. We don't want You to be in pain." And in that merit, may we finally experience the great day of geulah, when the Shechinah will return to dwell among us forever. Thu, 23 Jul 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/616.mp3 It says in the Reshit Chochma that the true determinant whether a person is considered a tzaddik is from the way he deals with others when it comes to money. It says in the Tana Diveh Eliyahu Raba that בעלי אמנה – those who are honest when it comes to money are the ones who will merit to be together with Hashem במחיצתו-in His partition, as it says in Tehillim, "עיני בנאמני ארץ לשבת עמדי-My eyes are on the faithful of the land; they will dwell with me." Someone who has Yirat Shamayim is extra careful to make sure he never owes anybody money. His first priority is honesty and integrity. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous individuals who don't have a problem violating the will of Hashem and taking money in treacherous ways. What should a person's attitude be if he was swindled by one of those people? I met a man recently who told me that some ten years ago over $200 million was stolen from him, which he was never able to recover. After a couple of years of depression and thinking about what could have been and what should have been, he began delving into the topic of emunah. And today, he is happier than ever. He understands the money came to him from Hashem and was taken away from him by Hashem. He used the experience to get closer to Hashem and now spends his days involved in communal work. As much as it looks like people can use their free will to take money from us, it's not true. They could use their free will to try to take, but they can't actually accomplish anything if it is not the will of Hashem. Hashem has countless ways of foiling people's plans and when He doesn't, it's because that's what was meant to be. Of course, the deceitful party will have to pay for his actions, but that's not our business. Somebody told me they were swindled out of an inheritance by their very own family member. They know no one can take a penny from them, and they know they're allowed to make a hishtadlut to try to get it back, but it bothers them so much to know that they were betrayed by their very own family. They don't know if they can ever have any type of relationship with them ever again. It's a hard nisayon to deal with, but they should know, the more they're able to rise above their nature and view what happened as totally coming only from Hashem, the better off they will be. They still have the mitzvah of not bearing a grudge, and they still have the mitzvah of not harboring hatred. Those are commandments given by Hashem. He knows how difficult they are, and He will reward those who make the efforts to keep them. Hashem can give us the money that's meant for us in so many ways. Our primary goal is always making sure we are pleasing Him. A man who lives in Israel told me that he has a daughter and a son-in-law, who we'll call Yosef, who work together in their own travel agency. They recently had a dispute with somebody over a thousand shekels. Yosef explained to the other party why it was clear that he owed the money, but he just wouldn't hear it. Yosef then suggested politely that they go to a Bet Din to settle it. The other party said, "No way, I'm taking you to a Bet Mishpat," (a secular court). Although Yosef knew he was one hundred percent right and would definitely win, he also knew it would be a chilul Hashem for him to be in a secular court over this. He has a picture in his home of Rav Shteinman with a caption saying, "My whole life, I never saw anybody being mevater – giving in – and losing as a result." So with great strength, he told the other party, "Forget it, I'm dropping it." The very next day, Yosef was in a convenience store and decided to buy a scratch-off ticket, something he never does. He scratched off the numbers and was delighted to see, he won exactly 1000 shekels. הרבה שלוחים למקום-Hashem has many agents. What is meant for us to have, we're going to get. We have to concentrate on doing what Hashem wants us to do. We need to be considered a tzaddik in Hashem's eyes, and everything else will fall into place. Wed, 22 Jul 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/93cdb75d-22f4-42b4-885f-87c6a3fd86a4.mp3 One of the tests in bitachon comes when we become convinced that our salvation has to come through a specific person, a specific organization, or a certain circumstance. We know Hashem can help us, but deep down we think there is only one path to accomplishing it. It is up to us to realize that Hashem never needs any specific avenue to bring a yeshuah. It can always come in infinitely more ways than we could ever imagine. I read a story about R' Rabinowitz from Israel whose young daughter was born with a deformity in her leg. After three successful surgeries in Los Angeles, there was only one operation left. The final surgery would allow her to walk normally for the rest of her life. The family naturally assumed that just as the insurance company had paid for the first three surgeries, it would pay for the fourth and final one as well. But then they were told they had reached the coverage limit. The insurance company had already paid over a million shekels and refused to pay any more. The family tried everything they could. They appealed to the Ministry of Health. They contacted different askanim. They hired a lawyer. They met with a medical specialist whose opinion they hoped would help their case. But everything they tried did not work. Even the specialist's report actually worked against them. It appeared that the entire future of their daughter's treatment depended on one thing—convincing the insurance company to change its mind. They did not become discouraged. The family strengthened themselves in bitachon. They learned Sha'ar HaBitachon every day. They accepted upon themselves to become more careful with berachot and answering Amen, and they poured out their hearts to Hashem in tefillah. The rabbi's wife would spend time alone speaking to Hashem in her own words, thanking Him for all the kindnesses He had already shown them and asking Him to continue helping them. Then one of their children said something that completely changed their perspective. "Why do we keep asking Hashem that the insurance company should pay? What difference does it make who pays? Hashem can pay for the surgery even without the insurance company." Those simple words made a tremendous impact on the entire family. So often we become attached to the messenger instead of the Sender. We think the yeshuah has to come in a certain way, and when we see that it is not going to come that way, we begin to feel that hope is lost. But Hashem is never limited by a messenger. If one avenue proves not to work, we must know that Hashem has endless ways—ways that we never even knew existed—to help us. This family continued making normal hishtadlut, but now they did it with the understanding that the source of their salvation was not their hishtadlut and it was not the insurance company. They did what they had to do, and they knew the outcome was in Hashem's Hands. They asked the surgeon for a discount since the insurance wasn't going to cover the surgery, and amazingly, he gave them a fifty-percent discount—something the secretary said she had never seen in forty years. They were then connected with a free-loan fund that agreed to help them. One day, while walking somewhere, the rabbi met a childhood friend who connected him with a wealthy donor in New York who agreed to cover the entire cost of the surgery. Then, just as they landed in Los Angeles, they received a phone call informing them that the Ministry of Health had reversed its decision and approved full funding for the surgery. Hashem gave them multiple solutions all at the same time. Initially, they thought everything depended on the insurance company, but Hashem showed them that He has unlimited ways of helping. He can give a discount on the surgery. He can provide a loan. He can send a wealthy donor. He can cause the insurance company to change its mind. Whenever we find ourselves thinking, "If only this person says yes," "If only I get this deal," or "If only this opportunity works out," we should remember the child's simple words: "What difference does it make who pays?" Our job is to do normal hishtadlut and then understand that Hashem will send the yeshuah in the way that He wants. And He has infinitely more ways to do it than we could ever imagine. Tue, 21 Jul 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/99680631-a6d2-44d3-9c14-3db7bec2fc9d.mp3 There are times when we have a certain plan that we're excited to carry out. We picture exactly how things are going to unfold, and we feel that our plan is going to be the best possible outcome. But then, suddenly, something happens that throws everything off. The opportunity disappears, someone interrupts our plans, and naturally, we feel disappointed and frustrated. At those moments, we have to remember a fundamental principle of emunah. It is very possible that if we react the right way, we will gain far more than we ever could have had our original plan succeeded. What appears to be an obstacle may actually be Hashem redirecting us to something much greater. Rav Shmuel Tzvi Kovalsky made sure that every year on his father's yahrtzeit he would be the chazzan at the minyan. It was something that meant a great deal to him, and it was his way of bringing an aliyah to his father's neshamah. One year, while waiting for the next minyan, he noticed an elderly man who appeared to need help. Although he realized that if he helped that man, he might lose the opportunity to be the chazzan at the next minyan, he offered to help anyway, figuring he would wait for the following minyan. The man first asked him to help fold his tefillin. Afterwards, he asked if he could accompany him home. Rav Shmuel assumed it would take only a few minutes because he knew the man had lived nearby. However, the man explained that he had recently moved five blocks away and that the walk usually took him thirty minutes. Rav Shmuel became very concerned that he might miss every remaining minyan to be the chazzan. Nevertheless, he strengthened himself and continued doing the chesed. When they finally reached the building, the elderly man apologized and explained that the elevator was broken. He lived on the fourth floor and couldn't get up the stairs alone. Once again, Rav Shmuel strengthened himself and continued the chesed. He silently said, "Hashem, please let this chesed serve as an aliyah for my father's neshamah in case I'm not able to be the chazzan." He then helped the man all the way up the four flights of stairs. By the time he got back to shul, the final minyan had already started and someone else was the chazzan. Rav Shmuel was heartbroken, but that night his father appeared to him in a dream. "My son," he said, "every year you are the chazzan for me on my yahrtzeit, and I receive so much nachat ruach from it. But this year you gave me something much greater. The nachat ruach I received from your sacrificing something so important to help another Jew far surpassed what I would have received had you simply been the chazzan. You were willing to give up something so precious to you in order to help someone else. That brought me an immeasurably greater aliyah." Rav Shmuel thought he was losing his opportunity, but in reality, Hashem gave him something much more valuable. A woman related a similar experience. She recently attended the wedding of a close friend who had finally become engaged after many years. Everyone was dancing with tremendous joy when someone accidentally bumped into her very hard and knocked her sheitel off her head. The embarrassment was overwhelming. As she bent down to pick it up, she made a conscious decision. "I forgive the person who just did this. I have no anger toward her." She remembered what Chazal teach—that when a person experiences public embarrassment and accepts it without retaliation, it is an especially auspicious time for tefillah. Right then she prayed that her two closest friends, ages twenty-five and twenty-four, should both become engaged within the month. Amazingly, three weeks later the twenty-five-year-old became engaged, and on the very last day of that month, the twenty-four-year-old became engaged as well. This woman had gone to the wedding expecting nothing more than an enjoyable evening. Instead, Hashem placed before her an unexpected challenge. Had she become upset, the night would have ended with disappointment. Instead, she accepted the situation with emunah, transformed a painful moment into a powerful moment of tefillah, and merited to accomplish something far greater than she could have ever imagined. When our plans suddenly change, instead of asking, "Why did this happen?" we should ask, "What does Hashem want from me right now?" If we respond with emunah, we may discover that what seemed like an interruption was actually the greatest opportunity of all. Mon, 20 Jul 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/3_27153.mp3 ArtScroll will be offering many books at 50% off in the upcoming weeks including some volumes of Living Emunah. Click the link to view the selection. artscroll.com/categories/wk1. html In this week's parasha, Devarim, Moshe Rabbenu reviews some of the events which transpired during the forty years in which the Jewish People traveled through the desert. One of which was the episode of the meraglim – the spies. The pasuk says when the Jews heard the negative report from the meraglim, they complained and said, "בשנאת ה' אותנו הוציאנו ממצרים לתת אותנו ביד האמורי להשמידנו– Because of Hashem's hatred for us He took us out of Egypt to have us wiped out at the hands of the Emorim." Rashi, there, writes, they thought Hashem hated them, but in truth Hashem loved them. Their crying that night came from a misunderstanding of who Hashem is and that proved to be their downfall. Many people today still misinterpret Hashem and think that He hates us, Heaven forbid, even though He loves us so much. If you would combine all of the love that exists in the world today, it won't even come close to the love that Hashem has for every single Jew individually. Having the wrong perception of who Hashem is destroys our emunah and makes our lives so much more difficult emotionally. Somebody told me he has so much blessing, but he's afraid to enjoy it because he thinks at any moment Hashem is just going to take it all away from him. His fear comes from a misunderstanding of who Hashem is. He believes that Hashem is looking to hurt people, but there could be nothing further from the truth. אהבת עולם אהבתנו – Hashem has an eternal unbreakable love for us. If He ever does take something away from a person, it's because it was the absolute best thing Hashem could have done for him. Hashem looks to give us. He loves bestowing blessing upon us. He begs us to do the mitzvot and follow Torah so that He can give us all that He wants to. If someone has the wrong idea about Hashem, he needs to uproot his negative feelings and replace them with feelings of love for Him. Rabbi Lugassi wrote in his sefer Ne'emneh Hashem, one advice for a person to build up love for Hashem is for him to think about Hashem's love when he's about to experience a pleasure that he's excited for. For example, if someone is about to eat a delicious food that he loves, he should pause beforehand and think, Hashem is the one who created this food and He is the one who is giving it to me right now so that I could enjoy it. In fact, He is the Source of all pleasures in this world. I thank Him for giving me the ability to enjoy this right now. The fact that we are even able to have a feeling of pleasure is a present from Hashem. He created us so that we could enjoy ourselves. Real enjoyment comes from spirituality. Physical pleasures are a very distant second, but they do give us some form of enjoyment as well, and it is Hashem who is the source of it. If we get a new car, or a new home, or a new suit or a new piece of furniture or jewelry, whatever it is, we should understand, the pleasure we have in them comes from Hashem, and the gift itself also came from Hashem. How much more so should we have those feelings when we get married or when we have a child. Hashem wants us to be happy more than we do. If we could learn to trust Him and live the lives He told us to live, that will give us the ultimate pleasure, then we'll be able to truly enjoy both this world and the Next one. Fri, 17 Jul 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/59636c1f-5460-4507-9cc3-e0d9ed4562f4.mp3 Chazal teach us that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam—baseless hatred. And our Rabbis have explained that, in truth, almost all hatred is baseless , because we know that whatever another person does to us is ultimately coming directly from Hashem. Even though people have free will, person A cannot use that free will to harm person B unless Hashem allows it—and that only happens if it's meant to be. If someone is able to cause us pain, it's only because Hashem decreed it for our benefit. It may have saved us from something far worse. Instead of resentment, we should feel joy that Hashem is taking care of us in the way He knows is best. When we overcome our natural reactions and respond with emunah, our relationships become more peaceful and loving. That inner peace brings happiness—but more than that, it is Avodat Hashem of the highest level, and it opens the gates of blessing. Chazal say, "The only vessel that can hold blessing is peace." A person can have a spouse, children, multiple homes, cars, and all the wealth in the world—but if there is no peace, none of it can be enjoyed. It's worthless. One of the greatest pieces of advice for someone who wants more happiness and more blessing in life is to make peace with those they are at odds with. A man told me a story that began about ten years ago. His father had a bitter falling-out with a longtime business partner, and the partnership ended with deep resentment. The partner left, and the father continued running the business with his son. But after the split, the company began to struggle. The atmosphere at work became heavy, and nothing was going right. There was tension everywhere. Seven years later, out of nowhere, the former partner walked back in and asked for a job. Surprisingly, they agreed—and gave him a high-level position. From that day on, the business began to grow and flourish. Today, it's more successful than it ever was. The son couldn't understand how this man just showed up again. When he asked his father, the answer became clear: "That machloket was bothering me for years," his father said. "One day I decided to call him, apologize, and make peace. I felt such relief afterward, and I guess he felt comfortable enough to return and ask for a job." There's no doubt: the success came from the act of shalom. When peace is made, everyone feels better—and even more importantly, we bring tremendous nachat ruach to Hashem, who wants nothing more than to see His children getting along. People may hurt us, but it's our job to fulfill Hashem's will and love them anyway. It's not always easy. But with a little chizuk, we can do it. A woman shared with me that she and her husband weren't invited to a certain wedding. They knew the reason and were okay with it. But on the day of the wedding, they kept getting phone calls from others: "What time are you going?" "Want me to save you a seat at the reception?" "Are you bringing the kids?"—all assuming they were invited. Each call felt like another dagger. By the time the wedding started, they were fuming. The woman wanted to forgive, but it felt too painful. The very next morning, she opened a daily email on emunah that she hadn't opened in over a week. The title? "When You Aren't Invited to a Wedding." She couldn't believe it. She read it again and again until the message sank in. It reminded her that everything comes from Hashem—that even this was tailor-made for her benefit. With that perspective, she found the strength to truly forgive. And afterward? She felt so free. Holding on to anger and hurt only poisons us. But when we let go, when we forgive—even when it's hard—and believe that everything is from Hashem, we feel lighter, more joyful, and we open our lives to blessing. If we can do that, B'ezrat Hashem we'll merit the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. Amen. Thu, 16 Jul 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/a13918b0-7d71-49f6-9b38-182c3b3cb7c4.mp3 ArtScroll will be offering many books at 50% off in the upcoming weeks including some volumes of Living Emunah. Click the link to view the selection. artscroll.com/categories/wk1. html One of the mistakes people make is believing that if they don't have enough money, they can't have what they need. We naturally assume that the deciding factor in what we'll be able to own is the balance in our bank account, but we know otherwise. Hashem is never limited by a person's salary or financial circumstances. If He wants someone to have something, He has unlimited ways of making it happen. Money is only one of His many messengers. A rabbi recently shared a story. For a few years, he and his wife had been trying to move from their apartment into a house. Their family had grown, baruch Hashem, and they had outgrown their apartment. Living in Brooklyn, however, they found themselves in one of the most expensive real estate markets, and every possibility seemed to be far beyond their reach. Then one day, they discovered what appeared to be the perfect house. It was exactly where they wanted to live, close to everything important to them. They had always assumed they would have to move to a less convenient neighborhood, but this house was perfect in every way, and there was a "For Rent" sign in front. There was only one problem. The owner wanted only to rent it, not sell it, and the rent was over $7,000 a month, far more than they could afford. They were currently paying $4,500 for their apartment, and there was no way they could take on such an additional expense. They were disappointed, but they continued praying and asking Hashem for help. A few days later, they attended a simcha. During a conversation, the rabbi's wife happened to mention the beautiful house they had seen and how they wished they could live there. The woman she was speaking to replied, "A relative of mine lives next door to that house. I think I can find out who the owner is." A short time later, they discovered that the owner was someone they knew very well. He had recently become a regular attendee of the rabbi's classes, and two of his children attended the yeshiva where the rabbi taught. Hashem had connected them long before they ever discovered this house of their dreams. The rabbi called the owner and asked if he would be willing to sell. The owner said he couldn't, but he did offer to lower the rent slightly. Even with the discount, however, it was still far beyond their budget. They continued praying, and then an unexpected idea entered the rabbi's mind. The yeshiva where he taught had recently discussed giving him a small raise because of the extra work he was doing. Since the homeowner paid tuition to that yeshiva, perhaps they could structure the raise differently. Instead of increasing his salary, which wouldn't make much of a difference, maybe the yeshiva would agree to reduce the homeowner's tuition by a larger amount, allowing the owner to lower the rent accordingly. The board considered the proposal and actually agreed. The rabbi then returned to the homeowner and asked if he would accept the tuition reduction in exchange for lowering the rent. He then asked if, even after that, he might lower the rent just a little more. The owner replied, "For you, I'll do it." Suddenly, the impossible became possible. The monthly payment for the house of their dreams was now almost exactly what they had been paying for their apartment. Looking back, it was clear that Hashem had been arranging everything in advance. He inspired the owner to attend the rabbi's classes instead of someone else's so they would develop a relationship. He arranged the conversation at the simcha that revealed who the owner was. He placed the creative idea into the rabbi's mind and gave the yeshiva board the willingness to approve it. Every piece was orchestrated perfectly for this family to move into the home they needed, even though they did not have the money to afford it. How often do we look at something and say, "I know I need it, but I just can't afford it"? Of course, if something is beyond our budget, it may very well be because it isn't good for us to have. But we don't know Hashem's calculations. Therefore, we can still pray for Him to give it to us in other ways. Hashem never needs a person to have money in order to give him what He wants him to have. Sometimes He gives a person more money. Sometimes He lowers the price. Sometimes He inspires other people to help. And sometimes He creates opportunities that never existed before. Hashem has countless ways to give a person exactly what He wants him to have. Our job is to make a normal hishtadlut and pray as hard as we can for the yeshuah we need. Hashem will decide if, how, and when that yeshuah will come. If He wants us to have something, no financial obstacle will ever stand in the way. When the time is right, He will open doors that no one ever imagined could be opened. Wed, 15 Jul 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/272fbade-422d-4d56-ab38-00205a3686a5.mp3 One of the great benefits of having emunah is the sense of calm that it brings when we realize that Hashem is guiding every step we take in life. People may think their future depends on the decisions they make, the people they meet, or the opportunities they find, but in truth, Hashem is arranging all of that. A person is always exactly where Hashem wants him to be. He meets the people Hashem wants him to meet. He lives in the house Hashem wants him to live in. He works at the job Hashem wants him to have. Even the unexpected detours and closed doors are guiding him to exactly where he is meant to be. A woman shared the following story. Her son was learning in a yeshivah in Lakewood. For years, it had been his dream to learn Torah in Eretz Yisrael. About a month earlier, however, he spoke with his Rosh Yeshivah, who told him that since he was learning so well, he should remain in America. They accepted the Rosh Yeshivah's decision and moved on. The young man was a Canadian citizen, and because his yeshivah did not provide the visa documentation he needed to remain in the United States, he had to return home to Toronto for a short time before attempting to reenter America. When he arrived back at the border, he was denied entry. He was devastated. The entire plan had suddenly collapsed. What would they do now? That very day happened to be the last day to submit an early application to the Mir Yeshivah in Yerushalayim. Although the young man still expected to return to America, he submitted the application anyway. The mother said she worked very hard to strengthen her emunah, constantly reminding herself that Hashem was in charge. After Shabbat, her son finally reached his Rosh Yeshivah and explained everything that had happened. This time, the Rosh Yeshivah gave him completely different guidance. "You should go learn in Eretz Yisrael." Within hours, he found an affordable flight leaving that very day, and all of a sudden he was on a plane heading to Eretz Yisrael, fulfilling the dream he had cherished for years. Looking back, they realized that the closed border had never been an obstacle. It was the very vehicle Hashem used to bring him exactly where he was meant to be. Chazal tell us, " רגלוהי דאיניש אינון ערבין ביה " —a person's feet are his guarantors. They carry him to the place where Hashem has decreed he needs to be. Sometimes we set out intending to go in one direction and end up somewhere entirely different. What seems like an unexpected turn is often Hashem gently directing our steps to the place where our mission awaits us. Every encounter is carefully orchestrated. Every opportunity is handpicked. Every delay has a purpose. Every person we meet is part of Hashem's perfect plan. We don't always understand why we are led down one path instead of another, but we can be certain that every detail has been arranged with precision. When we truly internalize this, life becomes so much calmer. Instead of constantly wondering, "What if I had made a different decision?" we can say, "Hashem placed me exactly where I need to be." Instead of regretting the opportunities we think we missed, we can appreciate the opportunities that Hashem arranged specifically for us to have. And instead of worrying about the future, we can continue forward with confidence, knowing that the One Who brought us to where we are today will continue leading us to every place we need to be tomorrow. Tue, 14 Jul 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/19e27459-4aef-4853-aa62-8ba3d785472d.mp3 When a person needs a yeshuah for a problem he has, his first thoughts are usually to focus on that problem, think of ways to solve it, and pray to Hashem to take it away. Sometimes, however, the salvation comes from a completely different angle—from focusing on someone else's problem and trying to help bring them a yeshuah. A woman related that her daughter needed a great deal of dental work, but she couldn't find a dentist who accepted their insurance. The treatments were going to cost $10,000. At that time, she was teaching from the Sefer Shemirat HaLashon . She came across a teaching from the Chafetz Chaim that when a person has mercy on others, Hashem has mercy on him. She immediately prayed, "Hashem, please send me someone that I can have mercy on." That very day, she received a phone call from a woman raising money for her niece's wedding. After carefully verifying the story, she found out that the kallah came from a distinguished family in Eretz Yisrael and needed exactly $10,000 to make the wedding. She felt that Hashem had answered her tefillah by giving her the opportunity to help with this great mitzvah, and help she did. That same day, she mentioned her daughter's dental situation to a friend, who suggested trying a certain dentist. The woman replied, "I know about that dentist. They aren't accepting any new patients." Her friend answered, "Don't worry. Hashem is in charge. Try anyway." On Shivah Asar B'Tammuz, she managed to get an unexpected appointment. Amazingly, not only did the dentist agree to take her daughter as a new patient, but he also accepted their insurance. The entire $10,000 bill was covered. As if that wasn't enough, she later discovered that the very friend who told her to call this dentist had been the one who canceled her own son's appointment the day before because he didn't want to go to the dentist on a fast day. The lesson that she had just learned from the Chafetz Chaim became her own reality. She looked for an opportunity to have mercy on someone else, and Hashem had mercy on her. A man told me another story with the very same message. His wife found out that a close friend needed to undergo a very dangerous medical procedure. Wanting to create a zechut on her behalf, they organized hundreds of people to learn the laws of Shemirat HaLashon for forty straight days. The man prepared a booklet and divided it into daily lessons with clear and concise halachot. Many schools joined the initiative, and hundreds of people strengthened themselves in guarding their speech. This created an enormous zechut for the woman with countless people growing in this great mitzvah. Baruch Hashem, her procedure went very well. Then something completely unexpected happened. The very man who had organized the entire undertaking was told that he himself needed to undergo a dangerous medical procedure. The timing was incredible. His procedure was scheduled just as the fortieth and final day of the Shemirat HaLashon campaign came to an end. Baruch Hashem, his procedure was a success. He had organized this learning solely to help someone else. He never imagined that the very zechut he was creating for another person would become the zechut that would help him through his own medical issue. When we are given the opportunity to help others, we may think Hashem is simply giving us the chance to help someone else. In reality, He may also be preparing the very yeshuah that we ourselves may one day need. Every act of chesed, every mitzvah, and every opportunity to help another Jew has the potential to help us in ways we could never imagine. The Chafetz Chaim wasn't just teaching a beautiful idea. He was revealing one of the ways Hashem runs this world. When we look for opportunities to care about the pain of others, Hashem looks upon our pain with greater compassion. Sometimes the yeshuah that we are hoping to receive begins with becoming the yeshuah for somebody else. Mon, 13 Jul 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/713595cb-862f-491b-beca-f8aa0857b74f.mp3 We spend a lot of time making different calculations. We think about what's going to bring us the greatest benefit, what's going to produce the best outcome, and what will help us accomplish the most. That's a good approach when it comes to our physical lives, but when it comes to avodat Hashem, there is a different rule. Our job is not to calculate what we think will accomplish the most. It is to do exactly what Hashem asks us to do and trust that His calculations are infinitely greater than ours. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian brings out this lesson very clearly in the first of this week's two parashiyot. In Parashat Matot, Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to go to war against Midyan, and immediately afterward he would leave this world. Rashi, quoting the Midrash, points out the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu. Even though he knew that fulfilling this command would bring about his own death, he did not hesitate for a moment. He fulfilled Hashem's command with joy and without delay. Rabbi Lopian notes that we find what appears to be a different approach by Yehoshua bin Nun. Hashem also commanded Yehoshua to wage war and conquer Eretz Yisrael, and after that mission was complete, his life would come to an end. Chazal tell us that Yehoshua delayed the war, and as a result, he lost ten years of his life. Rabbi Lopian explains that Yehoshua had the best of intentions. He knew Moshe Rabbeinu's prophecy that after Moshe died, the Jewish people would eventually stray from the proper path. Yehoshua understood that as long as he remained alive, it was considered as if Moshe was still alive, because Chazal teach that as long as a student lives, it is as if his rebbe is still living. Indeed, the Jewish people remained loyal to Hashem throughout Yehoshua's lifetime, and only after he died did they begin serving avodah zarah. Yehoshua therefore made a calculation. If he delayed the war, he would live longer, and Klal Yisrael would remain on the proper path for a longer period of time. It seemed like a wonderful calculation. Moshe Rabbeinu could have made the very same calculation. He could have thought, "If I delay the war against Midyan and remain alive longer, I'll continue leading the Jewish people, and they too will remain on the proper path." But Moshe Rabbeinu did not make calculations. Hashem told him to do something, and he did it immediately. In the end, Yehoshua's calculation accomplished just the opposite of what he intended. Instead of gaining years, he lost ten years of his life, and consequently, the Jewish people strayed from the proper path earlier than they would have had he fulfilled Hashem's command immediately. Moshe Rabbeinu, on the other hand, only gained. Because he fulfilled Hashem's command without delay, the prophecy that the Jewish people would stray from the path was postponed until after Yehoshua's passing. Hashem fulfilled the prophetic words אחרי מותי כי השחת תשחיתון to mean not only after Moshe's death, but after the death of his faithful student as well. By trusting Hashem, Moshe accomplished far more than he ever could have by making his own calculations. Very often we also make calculations when it comes to Torah and mitzvot. We say, "I know I should give tzedakah, but first I want to become more financially secure." "I know I should spend more time learning Torah, but right now I need to build my career." "I know I should do this mitzvah, but maybe if I wait a little longer, it will work out better." Our job is not to calculate how Hashem's commands will produce the best results. Our job is to do what Hashem wants now. Hashem, Who sees the past, present, and future all at once, has already made every calculation. Living with emunah means recognizing that Hashem's calculations are infinitely greater than ours. If we do our job by fulfilling His will with joy and without delay, trusting that we only gain by listening to Him, then we will fulfill our mission in this world properly. Shabbat Shalom Fri, 10 Jul 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/e13b22e7-a551-419b-bd27-952a6786b966.mp3 One of the hardest experiences in life is watching an opportunity that we almost had slip away. A person may have worked so hard for something, and everything seemed to be falling into place, only for it to disappear at the very last minute. At that moment, it feels as if we lost something that was meant to be ours. That is precisely when we need to dig deep and access our emunah, trusting that not only was it not meant for us, but it would have been the worst thing for us to have. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Meir Ehrlich related the following story. A heartbroken man came to him. He had been living in a tiny apartment for a long time and had finally found what seemed to be the perfect house. He had already spoken with the owner, and everything looked very promising. The real estate agent told him that another buyer had made an offer, but if he would submit a bid that was even one euro higher, the house would be his. The man was thrilled. He prepared all the paperwork, and on Friday, just before faxing in his proposal, something very unusual happened. The papers suddenly became soaked, the writing smudged, and he had to start all over again. Time passed, and he realized he was not going to finish before Shabbat. His wife told him, "Shabbat is almost here. Put everything away. You'll continue afterward." She wanted the house just as much as he did, but she wanted to honor Shabbat even more. Together they put everything aside and welcomed the Shabbat. After Shabbat, he contacted the agent only to hear the disappointing news. The house had been sold to the other buyer. The man was devastated. "Maybe I should have ignored the clock and kept writing," he asked the rabbi. The rabbi comforted him. "Don't you see that Hashem orchestrated this? Is it natural for the papers to become ruined at the exact moment you were about to send them? You don't yet understand why, but you can be certain that this house was not good for you." The rabbi later related that after telling this story to a man sitting next to him on an airplane, the passenger replied, "Please tell that Jew my story. He doesn't yet know the happy ending to his, but I was privileged to see mine." This man then related that seventeen years earlier, he had wanted to buy a beautiful apartment in Herzliya. The negotiations dragged on until they finally agreed on a price. Then the Second Lebanon War broke out, and the seller became willing to accept his offer. The agreement came during the Nine Days, and before signing, he asked his rabbi, Rabbi Yosef Cohen, what to do. His rabbi told him, "Do not sign during the Nine Days. Wait until the fifteenth of Av." He listened. But by the time the fifteenth of Av arrived, the war had ended, the prices had risen again, and the owner refused to sell the apartment for that price. The deal fell apart. The man was crushed. After spending six months in Eretz Yisrael hoping to buy an apartment, he returned home empty-handed. Some time later, he returned to Herzliya to continue looking. He told the new agent, "Please don't take me down the street where the first apartment I almost bought is. It will hurt too much to see it." The agent tried to avoid that street, but by mistake they found themselves there. Unable to resist, the man glanced toward the house and froze. The house wasn't there. It was just an empty lot. The agent asked, "That was the apartment you almost bought? Didn't you hear what happened?" After the new owner began renovating, an architect discovered that the entire structure was dangerously unsound. The municipality declared it unsafe, and the house had to be demolished completely. The buyer, who thought he had purchased a beautiful home, suffered an enormous financial loss and tremendous aggravation. At that moment, the man realized that what had seemed like his greatest disappointment had actually been one of Hashem's greatest acts of kindness towards him. How many times in life do we cry over opportunities that we think we lost? The job that didn't work out, the house that someone else got, the investment we couldn't make, or the shidduch that never came to fruition. We only see the closed door, but we don't see what is behind it. Sometimes Hashem allows us to discover years later why He said no, and sometimes we never find out. But our responsibility is always the same—to believe that if Hashem prevented something from happening, then that opportunity was never ours to begin with. The opportunities that Hashem takes away are no less an expression of His love than the ones that He gives us. We call them disappointments, but in Shamayim they are called salvations. One day, we will look back and realize that some of the greatest blessings in our lives were not only the things that Hashem gave us, but also the things that He lovingly withheld from us. Thu, 09 Jul 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/35fd5e9b-1076-4eed-8e11-0576d3433b9e.mp3 Part of the process of growing in emunah is to train ourselves to think with pure hashkafa . Our nature is to see things the way they appear to be, but we must be able to see beyond what meets the eye. When a person is sick and goes to the doctor, usually he gets better, and if he doesn't go and neglects his sickness, he usually gets worse. It is only natural to think that the doctor or the medication is what cured. The person may have learned that it is really Hashem who cures, and he says three times a day in the Amidah that Hashem is the רופא חולי עמו ישראל , but it's still very hard to fully believe that when what he sees seems otherwise. The Chazon Ish wrote in a letter, people think that the advancement of medicine has prolonged life because if someone gets a certain sickness in today's day and age, after the cure has been discovered, he will live, whereas if he got that sickness in a previous generation, he would have died from it. People think that if there wouldn't be such a thing as car accidents, many more individuals would be alive today. People think that because Hatzalah arrived on the scene when they did, the person who they helped lived, but if they wouldn't have gotten there on time, the outcome would have been different. Says the Chazon Ish, these thoughts are a denial of Hashem's providence in the world. Nobody who was ever decreed to live, died, and no one who was decreed to die, lived. The way it works is, if a person is destined to die, then Hashem gives him a sickness that does not have a cure, or a heart attack in a place where Hatzalah is far away, or puts him in a car accident with no chance of survival. If someone is meant to live, however, he may get a sickness that has a cure, or a heart attack when Hatzalah is right near him, or be in a car accident and only sustain injuries. It is never the circumstances that cause anything, it is only Hashem. The Chazon Ish writes further, not only did the advancement of medicine not add life, in fact, it has only brought about more illnesses, because in the past, when medication was not available, only a limited amount of people would be given a certain illness, because it was through that illness that they would leave the world. But now that the sickness is curable, many more people will get it, because it is used as a form of yisurin , rather than a way to take a person from the world. People think that medication, or the advancement of it, has taken away pain. That's also not true, because the amount of pain that a person has to endure is determined on Rosh Hashanah, and there are infinite ways for pain to come upon a person. Hashem decides what pain comes, and how the pain comes, based on what's best for the person. Moreover, with all of our advancements, mental illness has increased exponentially. In the past, there was not so much of a fear of sickness, and there were many cities that didn't even have a local doctor. Today, there's a doctor on every corner, and everyone's afraid of the next sickness they might get. The Chazon Ish continues, people's misunderstanding of the world has also led to them not fulfilling certain religious responsibilities, namely having additional children. As the pasuk says, ולערב אל תנח ידיך . People do not want to go through the struggle of raising more children, as they would rather take it easy. If we believe that it's the children that cause the difficulties, that would be a good point. But once again, it is Hashem who decides how many struggles a person needs to have for his own good, and those struggles could come in many different ways, including parnasa , relationships, health, and the list goes on. In the zechut of struggling in a mitzvah, like raising children in the ways of Hashem, that will only remove other potential forms of struggle, and the person will be rewarded for this struggle as well. This is the pure hashkafa of emunah that the Chazon Ish has ingrained into himself and shared with us. Of course, we appreciate all of Hatzalah's efforts, and we appreciate medication and everything else that Hashem provides for us, but we must know, אין עוד מלבדו - He is the Hatzalah, He is the medication, only He decides who lives. The more we understand that, the purer our emunah will be. Wed, 08 Jul 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/62d7af01-f009-476e-bb91-31fd24bfc908.mp3 ArtScroll will be offering many books at 50% off in the upcoming weeks including some volumes of Living Emunah. Click the link to view the selection. artscroll.com/categories/wk1.html Life is filled with tests. The greatness of a person is determined by how he overcomes the tests that Hashem gives him. Everybody gets tested according to the level they are on. I was in a taxi the other day, and the driver asked me a question that made it obvious he was Jewish. We got into a conversation, and he told me about a major test that he once faced. Although he doesn't keep the mitzvot, including Shabbat, he understands the value of Torah and mitzvot. He told me that in 2002 he had bought tickets to the U.S. Open Finals and couldn't wait to go. Then his wife reminded him that the match fell on Rosh Hashanah, the one time each year that they go to synagogue. He struggled tremendously because he had been anticipating that match for so long. But in the end, he heroically sold the tickets and went to shul. Everybody gets tested. Naturally, we don't like to be tested. We even pray not to be tested. But we have to know that when tests do come, they present us with golden opportunities. Many times we pray fervently for things that we want, and when the answer doesn't seem to come, we begin to wonder if Hashem values our tefillot. The Or HaChaim in Parashat Vayera teaches us a remarkable lesson. When Hashem wants to give a person a blessing, one of the ways He does it is by presenting him with an opportunity to perform a mitzvah or a heroic deed whose segulah is the very blessing that he needs. Every nisayon that we overcome contains a hidden blessing, besides the eternal reward awaiting us in the Next World. When Hashem gives a person this type of opportunity, it is truly a gift. If he knew what was at stake, he would beg Hashem to give him that test. At the beginning of Parashat Pinchas, Hashem gave Pinchas the greatest gift—an eternal kehunah that would never be disputed. Pinchas was the only one in his family who was not a Kohen, and he had long yearned to become one. Without his realizing it, Hashem placed before him a mitzvah opportunity whose reward would be the very blessing he had been longing for. Pinchas witnessed the terrible chillul Hashem when Zimri ben Salu brought Kozbi into the tent to commit an aveirah. He had an enormous nisayon. Zimri was over 250 years old and was considered one of the great leaders of the generation. If Pinchas acted, he would be risking his life. He had to be acting with completely pure intentions, l'shem Shamayim, or his act would be considered murder. He also had to be prepared to face criticism and ridicule from the rest of Klal Yisrael for what he was about to do. Yet he rose to the challenge. He acted solely for the honor of Hashem, stopped the plague, and prevented countless more deaths. There was someone else in Klal Yisrael who also yearned to be a Kohen. Originally, Moshe Rabbeinu himself had the kehunah. However, because he repeatedly declined Hashem's mission to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, the kehunah was taken from him. We know how desperately Moshe wanted every opportunity to serve Hashem. That is why he pleaded so much to enter Eretz Yisrael—to perform the mitzvot that could only be fulfilled there. Now another opportunity to attain the kehunah had been placed before Klal Yisrael, and Moshe Rabbeinu was there. Moshe Rabbeinu, the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, certainly knew this halachah. He was the one who had taught it to everyone else. Yet at that moment, Hashem caused him to forget it, and therefore he did not perform the mitzvah. Instead, Pinchas remembered the halachah and carried it out. We see from here that a person needs merits not only to pass a test, but even to be given the opportunity to face the test. Because Moshe had lost the kehunah through his earlier actions, Hashem did not give him this opportunity to regain it. Instead, that opportunity was reserved for Pinchas. When a person is confronted with a difficult nisayon, he naturally wonders, "Why is Hashem doing this to me?" But perhaps the better question is, "What blessing is Hashem giving me the opportunity to earn?" If we truly knew what we could gain by overcoming our tests, we would thank Hashem from the bottom of our hearts for giving them to us. Every nisayon is a precious gift, allowing us to earn blessings in this world and immeasurable reward in the Next World. Tue, 07 Jul 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/459c90d8-69e7-49aa-850c-89d91ab5f0cb.mp3 Today's Living Emunah Message is Dedicated Leiluy Nishmat: Moshe Aaron Tzadok a"h If Hashem puts a person in an unexpected, challenging situation, his emunah is going to be tested. The natural reaction is to focus on the problem and wonder why Hashem is doing this. But we must know that Hashem is not placing an obstacle in front of the person. He is giving him an opportunity—one that could never have existed without the challenge. Rabbi David Sutton told the following story, which took place just a few days ago. It was 5:30 on Friday afternoon in Lakewood, New Jersey, and the power suddenly went out in Mrs. Schwartz's home. She had a Sheva Berachot planned in her house with 45 guests, including 23 young children, and now she had no electricity to heat the food or host everyone comfortably. The following is Mrs. Schwartz's account of what happened next. "I realized by six o'clock that I desperately needed a place to heat our food. Miraculously, the cure had come before the illness. That very morning, before the outage even occurred, a neighbor named Rivka Strauss had called. She was on a different grid that didn't lose power, and she offered her extra refrigerator space and oven just in case we would ever need it. As soon as my oven went out, I called her, and she immediately told me to bring my food over. Meanwhile, my husband reached out to Rabbi Davidowitz. Since Rabbi Davidowitz has internet access and we don't, my husband hoped he could check with the electric company to see when the power might return. During the call, Rabbi Davidowitz asked, 'You're making your simcha at a catering hall, right?' When my husband explained that we were actually hosting it at our own house, Rabbi and Mrs. Davidowitz instantly mobilized. They were going away for Shabbat and insisted that we take over their home. 'We're opening our doors. Please,' they urged. At first we hesitated, hoping the power would come back on, but once we found out there was no update on the outage, I walked over to the Davidowitz home. They were already opening their dining room table for us. Mrs. Davidowitz greeted me warmly, showing me where we could put the children to sleep and pointing out the cribs and pack-and-plays. She gave me a tour of the kitchen, explaining the meat, dairy, and pareve setups. She told me, 'The house is yours. Feel free to take anything from the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry.' And we really did. With 45 people, we ended up needing everything from their seltzer maker to extra plasticware for the waiters. The logistics were wild, but the teamwork and achdut were incredible. We were moving massive hot pots of chicken soup across the street under serious pressure, along with high chairs, paper goods, tablecloths, and silk flowers. The boys hauled everything over, and my daughters led the charge on cleaning up afterward, with a lot of help from the Stern family. All of the guests who were staying nearby had no electricity where they were sleeping, and the heat was unbearable. So, 45 people crowded into the Davidowitz home on Shabbat afternoon, sitting on couches, eating around the dinette, and reading books together. After Shabbat, we went back to thank the Davidowitz family for letting an army of people take over their home, but they refused to take any credit. Instead, they told us that we had brought berachah and simcha into their home and that they were incredibly excited about it. Mrs. Davidowitz then shared the beautiful, emotional reason why. That Shabbat was her father's sheloshim(30 days since he passed away). She had really wanted to host her extended family in her home to honor his memory, but because another sister had a better setup, the family decided to go there instead. She had been terribly disappointed. When our power went out and the opportunity to host our simcha arose, she felt it was a gift from Hashem. She told us that when she walked into her sister's house and saw a picture of her father, she looked at it and said, 'Thank you, Tati. This is going to be for your iluy neshamah.' She felt so grateful that we were using her home. What had begun as our stressful blackout became a beautiful tribute to her father." What began as a blackout became an opportunity that none of these people would have wanted to miss. The Schwartzes, whose Shabbat seemed to be falling apart, experienced extraordinary kindness. Rivka Strauss was given the opportunity to help at exactly the right moment. The Davidowitz family was given the opportunity to open their home and perform an incredible act of chesed. Mrs. Davidowitz received the very opportunity she had been hoping for—to fill her home with people in honor of her father's neshamah. So often we view our challenges only as problems to overcome. But many times, Hashem is using those very challenges to present us with opportunities that could never have existed otherwise. When Hashem sends us a challenge, our first instinct is naturally to ask, "Why is this happening? Hashem, what do You want from me?" Perhaps the better question is, "What opportunity is Hashem placing before me?" Very often, hidden inside the difficulty is a chance to perform a great mitzvah, help another person, grow in emunah, or bring tremendous blessing into our lives. When we respond with emunah instead of frustration, we may discover that what first appeared to be an obstacle was actually one of Hashem's greatest gifts. Mon, 06 Jul 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